Shedeur Sanders' behavior over limited reps in QB competition speaks volumes

The Cleveland Browns entered Day 3 of training camp with one noticeable common thread. If there is a four-person quarterback competition, it hasn't started yet. If fans and onlookers were expecting the proverbial light switch to get flipped once training camp began, the coaching staff did not receive that memo.

With each minicamp and even three days into training camp, one thing seems abundantly clear. There are only two quarterbacks whose reps, coaching attention, and practice activities suggest they are competing for depth chart positioning. Neither of whom are rookies.

Through three days of Training Camp, not much looks different than the minicamps that preceded it. Helmets and shorts, mostly drill oriented, with some team periods at not full speed. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski clarified that training camp won’t reach full contact in “pads” until next week.

That should not be viewed negatively as the team has some personnel issues to deal with. Part of the issue with minicamps was a higher need for QB reps while not over exhausting the skill players and lineman. Browns rookie second round pick RB Quinshon Judkins is facing a legal process following a misdemeanor battery charge. Receivers Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and Diontae Johnson were present, but the team does not have its full WR room active in camp.

Even rookie RB Dylan Sampson, believed to be RB2 in Judkins absence, is expected to take reps at receiver due in part to a thinned-out room. This revealed itself when Shedeur Sanders was seen throwing passes to routes run by team employees but not “rostered players.”

The largest narrative that came out of voluntary and mandatory minicamps was the lack of first team reps for Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. Most of what was said by the coaching staff suggested Training Camp would be different, leaning into the notion the staff wants the rookies to work on the playbook, pre snap reads, the operational aspect of the position. What was seen on the practice field through the first three days of training camp would suggest they aren’t ready to flip that switch just yet.

Under the Stefanski and Andrew Berry regime in Cleveland, one thing has been certainly true in their five years at the helm. Nothing gets out before they want it out.

In this one regard, not to be confused with winning, the Stefanski/Berry Browns are almost "Belichickian" when it comes to non answers, "coach speak", and not providing anything to the public that is not required by the league. Whether it’s the media or it’s the fans, neither should expect to ‘know’ anything until Week 1 is almost imminent. It would not be shocking to go into the second preseason game and still not have a concrete idea on what the QB depth chart will look like.

In the world of professional sports, there might not be another team with worse success at any one position than the Browns at quarterback. In 25 years, an argument could be made that they have not had one “good” QB. There is an argument to be made for Baker Mayfield, but he wasn’t the same player he is now.

In their entire history, if you include Mayfield, the Browns have had four “good” quarterbacks (Otto Graham, Brian Sipe, Bernie Kosar, and Baker Mayfield) in 79 years. The franchise has historically been a run dominant, defensive team. Perhaps, Stefanski and his staff are running this QB competition like a marathon, and not a sprint. It's exactly what is called for in this particular situation.  

For Colorado Buffaloes fans as well as Sanders fans, this ‘competition’ will be re-evaluated at the end of each week. As players such as Shedeur makes advances with what the team wants him working on, Stefanski and his staff will make adjustments to “the plan” on a week-to-week basis. What is true today, might not be true next week.