Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is making the most of every single rep and drill he's been allowed to conduct during his first training camp, and he's been emphatic about execution.
The Browns still don't have a starting quarterback, and Monken reiterated to reporters that he will continue to split first-team reps between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, with the former getting the nod with the starting group on Day 1.
Notably, reports from Berea were far from encouraging. Even those who pushed for Watson to start acknowledged that he wasn't sharp in practice, as he threw back-to-back interceptions. Nevertheless, it sure sounds like Monken isn't worried.
When asked about Watson's erratic throws, he claimed it was partly due to quick-game installs.
“Today was a lot of quick-game install," Monken said. "The first interception we ran a naked (bootleg) and Denzel… it was a great play more by him than to me a poor decision. I was standing right behind Deshaun, I would have made the throw. The second one was a dig where he was late.”
Todd Monken can't afford to lower the standard for Deshaun Watson
Perhaps this was just a matter of Watson shaking off the rust.
That said, we're talking about a veteran who hasn't been good for the team since he arrived as the team's so-called savior. He's made the news for his bad play and off-the-field issues, and the mere fact that he's still in the running for the QB1 job is somewhat frustrating.
Monken is doing the right thing by letting Watson and Sanders battle it out and allowing the best player to win. Still, the bar should be much higher for Watson, especially given how he's performed in recent years. It shouldn't be OK for a quarterback of his age and experience.
Kevin Stefanski got himself into trouble for not holding Watson accountable when he could. He slowly lost his pull in the locker room, with players complaining about being singled out while Watson's (many) miscues were often overlooked.
This time, the Browns have an alternative. They don't have to settle for Watson with Sanders waiting in the wings. And even if Watson performs slightly better in camp, the gap might not be that wide if this competition is still ongoing after all these months.
Monken has a plan, and he'll stick to it. He's also shown that he won't hold back and will coach guys hard when needed. That's why he can't allow those standards to slip before they erode his credibility in the locker room. That's not who Monken is.
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