It was widely thought that Deshaun Watson would have an advantage in the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback competition because of his experience as a 10-year NFL veteran. As it turns out, that may do him more harm than good.
Shedeur Sanders is just entering his second season, so he is not as set in his ways as Watson may be. With training camp in its early stages, they are both facing the challenge of learning a new offense under head coach Todd Monken and first-time coordinator Travis Switzer.
More than athletic talent, the one who picks up the offense quickly and adapts to its principles could build a foundation for earning the starting job. It will be interesting to see how that plays out over the next month.
Analyst Anthony Lima revealed why Sanders may hold the edge in the QB battle, saying that his inexperience could work in his favor.
“One part of Deshaun Watson, he’s got 10 years with the vocabulary, the language of an NFL offense. He’s had so many OCs and quarterback coaches come in and come out. It stands to reason that he might be ahead on that stuff. But I also think it’s tough for a guy who has been in the league 10 years to materially change his fundamentals. That’s where Shedeur may have an edge. He has the capacity to learn something and adapt quicker at this stage,” Lima said.
"It's tough for a guy who has been in the league 10 years to materially change his fundamentals. That's where Shedeur may have an edge, he has the capacity to learn and adapt quicker."
"The mechanics you see out of Shedeur have been excellent."
🏈@SportsBoyTony & @LanceReisland… pic.twitter.com/8RUkSv0GXl
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Watson reportedly struggled mightily in the first training camp practice, so much so that it was thought Sanders had already overtaken him. But Watson was able to respond on Day 2, creating a back-and-forth pattern that is likely to continue.
Even though he is about to turn 31 years old in September, Watson doesn’t have nearly the recent experience that 24-year-old Sanders does. He has played in just seven games since November 2023 because of shoulder and Achilles injuries, and he was sidelined all of last season until returning in December to very limited practice time.
Sanders, on the other hand, started the final seven games for Cleveland last season, after he played 24 games in his final two seasons at the University of Colorado. The fact that the Browns do not truly know his upside and potential is one of the main reasons his supporters are backing him for the QB1 job.
Watson’s traits are already well-established, and even though he may be able to learn the verbiage and responsibilities of Monken’s offense more quickly, that does not necessarily mean he will be able to change his game to perform them.
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