- Underrated mobility
- Play extension potential
- He understands his role
- Give him first team reps!
- Let him breathe
Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start in the Browns’ preseason game against Carolina this week. In it, not only did he “prove the haters wrong,” he showed that the rest of the league may just regret passing on him for five straight rounds. Although it may not show up on the stat sheet, Sanders extended plays time and time again and simultaneously managed to sit in the pocket and not panic. He is not known as the fastest quarterback, but he was able to recognize coverages and exploit them for ground yards.
Ego has been a big downside in Shedeur’s public image. On Friday, however, he showed that he knows his role. He didn’t try to do too much, nor did he get angry or throw fits as young quarterbacks often do. He has a knack for avoiding sacks, but only time will tell if his talent for play extension will lead to some long-yardage losses come regular season. Despite that, what I saw from Number 12 was patience, IQ, a wide skillset and of course, just a little touch of swag.
All of this to say, Shedeur Sanders has had little to no first-team reps and he went out against the starting Panthers’ roster and stomped them into the Earth, with a final score of 30-10. With recent injuries to Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel, where does this performance move him on the depth chart? Going along with that, will Cleveland finally trade either or both of the aforementioned? This would free up room on the 52-man roster and take some pressure off Deion’s most-criticized (and most talented) son.
My final piece of advice: leave the kid alone. Shedeur Sanders has had the spotlight on him since he was a child and much like Bronny James, could blossom into a truly great player if we give him the space to make mistakes and grow, as most rookies do. Will he go out and start Game 1? Hopefully not. But don’t be surprised if you see him under center in Week 8 or 9.
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