3 bold predictions for Shedeur Sanders’ rookie year with Browns

Shedeur Sanders added intrigue to all three days of the NFL Draft.

As each team passed on the Colorado star, more people questioned how much of his reputation was just hype. 

Finally the Cleveland Browns selected him in the fifth round, but that’s not where the questions end. 

Sanders joins a stacked quarterback room with four other signal callers: Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Dillon Gabriel. 

This leaves a wide array of outcomes for Sanders’ rookie year. Let’s take a look at some of the most intriguing ones.

Shedeur Sanders wins the Browns’ starting job

Cleveland has acquired quarterbacks this offseason via trade, in free agency, and through the draft. Plus they have Deshaun Watson’s $250 million guaranteed contract as he recovers from a torn achilles. 

But who’s to say Sanders couldn’t take the starting job in training camp?

Flacco is 40 years old and immobile, Pickett has been average at best in his time as a starter, and Gabriel is just like Sanders, a rookie with a lengthy college resume. Watson will be out to begin the season. 

Browns’ GM Andrew Berry says he is looking forward to a competitive QB room.

We didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round,” Berry said. “So, we love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with guys that are already in there, we felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”

There’s no reason Sanders would have less of a chance to take the starting job than any of the other candidates.

Shedeur Sanders gets cut before the season begins

The flip side of the coin is that a big QB room threatens Sanders’ job security from the start.

Out of all the Browns’ quarterbacks, Sanders is the one with the least investment.

• Joe Flacco – 1 year, $4 million contract
• Kenny Pickett – Acquired for fifth-round pick and Dorian Thompson-Robinson
• Dillon Gabriel – Drafted with third-round pick
• Shedeur Sanders – Drafted with fifth-round pick

When training camp wraps up, the coaching staff and front office will have to evaluate which player they’ll cut loose. If a few of the quarterbacks are close, the Browns may decide to cut their losses on the asset with the least investment. That would be Sanders.

That reality was mentioned by former All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown on ‘X’ last week.

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NFL teams make their cuts for the final 53-man roster on August 27th. Sanders has until then to prove he’s worthy of a spot on the roster.

Shedeur Sanders ends this season in a new uniform

Sanders could start for the Browns or be cut, but what about a happy medium?

Cleveland could keep the famous son of Deion Sanders, let him shine in preseason, and not put him on the field for meaningful snaps all season. The intrigue around Sanders would bring more publicity to the Browns and they could use him as a trade chip.

If a team suffers an injury or gets desperate for quarterback help, the Browns’ trove of signal callers could allow for a trade. 

The NFL trade deadline is midway through the season, so an interested team would have to move quickly.

Imagine Shedeur heading to Tampa Bay, where the Bucs just signed his brother Shilo as an undrafted free agency. Kyle Trask is on a one-year deal backing up Baker Mayfield there.

Sanders could also head to Jacksonville to team back up with Travis Hunter. Nick Mullens is the backup to Trevor Lawrence for the Jaguars. 

Of course, the Pittsburgh Steelers are still the first team that could use Sanders, but they passed on him multiple times in the draft.