The Cleveland Browns went from one offensive guru to the next one. Kevin Stefanski couldn't get the best out of the team's underwhelming quarterback room, and they hope things will be different with Todd Monken at the helm.
Monken comes with fresh ideas, a new coaching staff, and maybe even a different signal-caller. He already made it loud and clear that there will be no handouts and that Shedeur Sanders' status as the starter is still to be determined.
That said, it doesn't mean that he's not a fan of No. 12. In an interview with Cleveland sports reporter Camryn Justice of WEWS, the Browns' new head coach talked about the most impressive traits he sees in Sanders.
"You can see the playmaking ability," Monken said. "You can see him as a playmaker. He has a unique way of moving around the pocket and finding receivers down the field. I love that about him. Hard to really drill down into some of the things he needs to work on until we get him back here."
Todd Monken sees something in Shedeur Sanders that fans might’ve missed
Sanders struggled mightily in his first taste of NFL action. He may not have been ready to be thrown into the fire, and his decision-making left plenty to be desired. Taking that many sacks and throwing that many interceptions is simply not sustainable.
Even so, he still instilled some life into the Browns' otherwise boring offense. His shots down the field, his swagger and confidence, and his big-play ability were on full display. He also got everybody around him to rally and believe.
The eye test and the numbers suggest that the Browns should probably move on. Then again, Sanders wouldn't be the first quarterback who struggled out of the gate, and history has shown that it's never wise to give up on young gunslingers after a failed rookie season.
This team doesn't have that much money to throw around and pursue another quarterback in a trade. They won't be in a position to get a top-tier prospect in the NFL Draft, either. As such, they will probably roll into next season with Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel as Shedeur's competition.
Monken and his coaching staff have plenty of planning and assessing to do before making a decision. But barring a shocking turn of events, it seems like Sanders is still in the driver's seat to be the starter.