For a quarterback who was a fifth-round pick and has a grand total of seven starts to his credit, Cleveland Browns second-year man Shedeur Sanders has an especially complicated story. the roots of that go back beyond his time in Cleveland, of course, to his famous father and collegiate coach Deion Sanders, to his uneven career at Jackson State and Colorado and to the draft that saw him go from a fringe-first-rounder all the way to the Browns at No. 144 overall. Sanders brought plenty of attention and baggage with him into his rookie year.
And there are two ways to look at that season, in which he sat for the first 10 games and finally started the last seven. The Browns were 2-6 under Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel, but Sanders brought them a 3-4 mark, seeming to stamp himself as the quarterback of the future.
Browns’ Deshaun Watson Ahead of Shedeur Sanders
But though the record was relatively respectable, the stats were ugly. Sanders threw 10 interceptions with only seven touchdowns. His QBR was 18.9, worst in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus also rated him No. 38 among qualifying QBs — out of 38.
Those numbers are why Deshaun Watson is back in the quarterback mix for the Browns, and why Watson is likely to win the job. But to be fair to Sanders, he did not exactly get much time to adjust to the NFL. His decision-making has been criticized as being too slow, and his ability to get his team organized play-in and play-out was also a big question mark.
Shedeur Sanders: ‘I Don’t Think I’m Dumb’
Some of that, Sanders told veteran writer Jarrett Bell of USA Today, is only a matter of experience. He’s been changing that at Browns camp this summer.
“What did I gain from seven starts? My own point of view,” he said. “I don’t think I’m a dumb human being, you know. I think I’m very bright. So it was kind of like figuring the lay of the land, having a better understanding of everything. So, of course, when you first get me out there, you may get me. But when I’m prepared…when I have all these different variables of things that I can control, then I’ll be able to put myself and the team in the best situation.”
Browns Coach Todd Monken Makes Connection
Sanders also said that the much ballyhooed visit from his father with Browns coach Todd Monken was not his concern–Sanders said he is too focused on his own improvement to worry about what Monken and Deion Sanders were discussing when Sanders dropped by Berea for a chat.
And Sanders has some appreciation for the style of coaching Monken has shown in his short time with the Browns–direct, in-your-face and with no punches pulled.
“He’s cool,” Sanders said of his coach. “Exactly how he is on the podium is exactly how he is every day. He’s the same. That’s what I appreciate. He’s the same, every time, and he’s just going to authentically be himself. I like that.”
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