The Cleveland Browns are one of the few teams that still don’t have a clear pecking order in the depth chart.
While most of the first and second-round rookies are expected to have a prominent role right out of the gate, new head coach Todd Monken has yet to announce who’ll start at quarterback.
It seemed that Shedeur Sanders had an edge over Deshaun Watson, given his youth and the fact that he closed out last season as the starter. That might not be the case, however.
In the latest edition of the “Orange and Brown Talk” podcast, Browns insider Dan Labbe became the latest insider to claim Watson was ahead in the competition.
Shedeur Sanders might lose the QB1 job to Deshaun Watson
“When I looked out there, it looked to me like Deshaun Watson was QB1,” Dan Labbe said. “Not written in pen. It could change, but to me, all the things they had Deshaun Watson doing felt very QB1 to me.”
His co-host, Lance Reisland, agreed with that take:
“And in fact, I would say that he is QB1 by a lot,” Reisland said. “He understands where he’s supposed to go with the ball.”
Sanders left plenty to be desired as a rookie, but he didn’t have first-team reps until late in the season. Also, he’s younger, healthier and will be under contract for longer.
The Browns might be playing a dangerous game with Watson, especially given that it’s hard to believe he can be the same star-caliber signal-caller he was in Houston.
For now, however, it looks like he’s going to be given yet another opportunity to earn his keep in Cleveland.