According to Cleveland.com reporter Mary Kay Cabot, Deshaun Watson emerged from the Cleveland Browns’ recent veteran minicamp with “an edge” over Shedeur Sanders in their pending quarterback battle.
Forgive me while I pause here for a massive eye roll.
Browns fans should know better than to take the rage bait here. While it’s clear that Watson was moving around well and looked healthy during last week’s voluntary workouts, the idea that any job was won or lost last week is objectively laughable.
Cabot, who also pushed both Dillon Gabriel and Ty Simpson as serious options for the Browns this offseason, now seems to be planting her flag on Watson. Mind you, we're still months away from the start of training camp, when the passing camps end, the pads come on, and the real football evaluations from a brand new coaching staff actually begin.
“With my breaking news here that Deshaun Watson has taken the lead over Shedeur Sanders in the Browns QB competition and has the inside track to win it, I think they should declare him QB1 asap and let the 1st team offense start to cook,” Cabot tweeted Wednesday. “There's no time to waste.”
QB competitions aren’t decided during glorified passing camps
It should go without saying that, while Cabot is a longtime reporter for the Browns and is citing an unnamed team source, her latest "report" is nothing more than conjecture. If anything, it undermines head coach Todd Monken’s authority, as no seasoned NFL coach like him would ever make serious judgments on anything at this stage of the offseason program.
You can’t simulate the speed of an NFL game in shorts. The true evaluations on Watson will come during training camp, when the pads come on and Myles Garrett starts pressuring him off the edge.
The only hint of truth here might be that Watson could get the slight edge in initial first-team reps, but that would be based purely on his experience and salary. Watson will earn $46 million from the Browns this year whether he sits or plays, and it's in the team’s best interests to put Sanders in a position where he needs to overtake the veteran and win the job. It's also important for fans to remember that Monken has repeatedly stated that the depth chart will be fluid come training camp and subject to change.
Again, fans shouldn’t take the bait. Nothing that happened on the field between April 21 and 23 will have anything to do with the Browns’ pick for their Week 1 starter. Sanders was always going to have to prove himself to the new coaching staff, and Watson was always going to have to prove that he was truly healthy. Nothing in that regard has changed.
Now entering his age-31 season, Watson hasn’t thrown a real NFL pass since midway through the 2024 regular season, when he first injured his Achilles and the Browns were 1-6. Is it possible that he ends up being the team’s best option this summer? Sure, anything's possible, but Browns fans will just have to trust that no clear “edges” were gained last week during the team’s glorified passing camp with no Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, or Denzel Boston on the field.
This report is a giant nothing-burger. Don't take the cheese.
Add us as a preferred source on Google