Shedeur Sanders' NFL career got off to a rocky start. He unexpectedly slipped to the fifth round of the NFL Draft, and he was far behind in Kevin Stefanski's pecking order entering his first training camp with the Cleveland Browns.
Now, after starting seven games and making eight appearances as a rookie, he's one of the two leading candidates to start. That has changed the training camp dynamics for him, not only because he's getting first-team reps, but also because there's a new system and play-caller in town.
However, the transition has been pretty smooth for the Colorado product. When asked about his approach to his first training camp under Todd Monken, Sanders acknowledged that he's far ahead in terms of his own preparation:
"I would say I pretty much figured myself out, figured out my routine, learned about myself way more, and I'm overall happy with the process," Sanders said.
Shedeur Sanders has embraced everything the Browns have asked of him
A lot was said about Sanders during the pre-draft process, especially after he slipped from a potential top-10 selection to Day 3. Some cited his demeanor and claimed that he carried himself in a way that rubbed teams the wrong way.
So far, we've seen nothing of that in Cleveland. Yes, he's playful, confident, and doesn't take himself too seriously when he's not on the field. But he's been an absolute gym rat from the second he arrived in Berea.
Sanders has given back to the community, has been supportive of his teammates — even those who could take his spot — and has tried to stay in his own lane without making unnecessary noise. There's plenty to clean up in his game, and that's fair criticism, but he's proved the critics wrong with his approach in Cleveland.
Of course, that shouldn't be the determining factor when giving him the reins of the team, but it shows that he may have been more mature and pro-ready than people gave him credit for. And now, with a legitimate chance to be the starter, he's taking this as the most serious challenge of his life.
Sanders may or may not be the right guy for the job, but it's hard to believe anything good can come from starting Deshaun Watson. He should only be used as motivation to keep Sanders on his toes before he ultimately wins the starting job, at least for one season.
Everything is different from Sanders' rookie season, but it looks like he's already figured out the most important part of being a professional quarterback. Hopefully, this new approach will ultimately help him become the franchise leader his fans think he can be.
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