Not only do some believe that the Cleveland Browns made the right decision by picking Shedeur Sanders, but some even think he has an opportunity to be a starting quarterback for this organization in Week 1.
For the Browns, however, it’ll be interesting to see what they do with five quarterbacks on the roster. Deshaun Watson isn’t expected to return for much of the year, if ever, helping Sanders at least get a step up in some sense, as the Browns won’t have an expensive quarterback on the roster who is playable.
According to a recent report from Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders will have an opportunity to be the QB1 this summer, despite the crowded quarterback room.
“Sanders will arrive at the camp with an outsized spotlight for a fifth-round pick. His celebrity upbringing as the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, transformative success at two college football programs and then a surprising fall from potential top pick to Day 3 selection have only added to the intrigue surrounding him.
“In Cleveland, a franchise that hasn’t had a Pro Bowl quarterback since Derek Anderson in 2007, Sanders is expected to receive an opportunity to compete for the starting job. But he will have to overcome a number of challenges to emerge as QB1 this fall — most notably a crowded quarterbacks room, a tendency to take ill-advised sacks and a draft slot that has a poor track record of producing successful quarterbacks, let alone Week 1 starters,” he wrote.
Is the Foundation in Place to Succeed?
If the Cleveland Browns plan to play Sanders, which might be the right decision given that he has the best opportunity to become a star one day, they’ll have to add weapons around him.
The Browns signed Diontae Johnson to a one-year contract and have some other pieces around him, but they need to be better on the offensive side of the football.
If the Browns find any success next year, it’ll likely be due to their defense, which wasn’t exactly great last year.
Available Help on the Free Agent Market
Searching for options for the Cleveland Browns to pursue, Matthew Schmidt of Sports Illustrated urged them to sign Gabe Davis, who was recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“Cleveland did sign Diontae Johnson to a one-year contract, but Johnson bounced around between three teams last season and managed just 33 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns. Even if Cedric Tillman emerges as a significant threat in 2025 (and he very well may), the Browns need other options at the position, and one just became available for them: Gabe Davis,” he wrote.
“Davis was just released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, one year into a three-year, $39 million deal he inked with the Jaguars last March. He caught 20 passes for 239 yards and a couple of scores in 10 games this past season, which aren’t exactly flattering numbers. However, Davis has a history of being a productive weapon. He spent the first four years of his career with the Buffalo Bills, and over that time, he averaged an impressive 16.7 yards per catch. His best season came in 2022, when he hauled in 48 receptions for 836 yards and seven touchdowns.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars releasing Davis isn’t a good sign for the Browns or other teams around the league who want him, as he was playing with a quarterback who is better than Sanders in Trevor Lawrence.
Despite playing in just 10 games a year ago for the Jaguars, he was worse than ever, with just two touchdowns. During his time with the Buffalo Bills, he posted over 800 yards in the 2022 season, averaging 17.4 yards per catch and seven touchdowns.
If that’s a wide receiver the Cleveland Browns would get, they might have something there.
If not, he seems to be a bit of a question mark.
