The Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition has produced no shortage of theories from analysts trying to read the tea leaves, and one new idea from a well-known NFL insider is generating attention this week. Mike Florio pointed to a specific offseason practice clip as the foundation for his read on where things stand between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. In that clip, the quarterbacks ran through a simple drill involving a fake pitch and a pass, and the difference in approach between the two passers caught Florio’s eye. That contrast, he argues, may explain much of what has unfolded in this competition so far.
Florio laid out his theory in a recent column examining Sanders and the path in front of him.
“I’ve got a theory about the Browns’ quarterback competition. It’s a simple one, which is roughly the limit of my cognitive ability. My guess, and it’s just a guess, is that at some point Monken explained to Shedeur that he can’t wait until the games to flip the switch. He needs to earn the right to have that opportunity by doing all of the little things when it’s not a live situation. If that’s what happened, it may have worked. If Shedeur does everything well, Watson will have to do it even better. But that’s the key. Full commitment to the process of learning, and executing, Monken’s offense,” Florio wrote.
Sanders has never lacked for arm talent or the ability to make plays once the lights come on, something he demonstrated during his rookie stint as a starter last season. What Florio suggests, though, is that Sanders has not always shown the same level of investment in the smaller, less visible parts of practice that do not carry the same weight as live competition. Watson, by contrast, reportedly approached that same drill with far more precision and discipline, even in a setting with little on the line.
That distinction matters greatly under a coach like Todd Monken, who built his reputation on structure and detail within his offensive system. If Monken has in fact challenged Sanders to bring the same intensity to every practice rep that he brings to game day, and Sanders has responded by tightening up those habits, it would help explain why he reportedly closed strong during the offseason program after Watson held the early edge.
Cleveland has cycled through quarterbacks for years without finding lasting stability. Sanders has already proven he can be good in spurts. Whether he can commit fully to the process Monken is demanding, day after day, practice after practice, may determine whether he becomes the answer Cleveland has been searching for or simply the latest name on the famous long-list Browns quarterback jersey.
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