As the Cleveland Browns are committed to developing Shedeur Sanders, there could be some people within the football world who would push back on the way they're going about it. While the focus around the Browns has been on the rookies in Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, former star Chad Johnson would give his thoughts on how head coach Kevin Stefanski is running the process.
Johnson would speak on “Nightcap” about Sanders' frustrating outing in the preseason finale win over the Los Angeles Rams, where the Colorado product threw for only 14 yards on completing three of six passes, taking five sacks. Sanders would play five drives in the contest, as Johnson would accuse Cleveland of not putting Sanders in an “advantageous” position.
“I’m all for quarterback competition, but if you’re not going to put him in a situation that is not advantageous to him and competing at a high level,” Johnson said. “You know you have an offensive line that isn’t playing that well, so what do we do? Why not just play the short game so we can get the ball out of his hands very fast to run a competent goddamn offense? Purposely running plays that are 10, 12, 15-yard routes knowing damn well the offensive line is not going to be able to hold up is ridiculous.”
Speaking to Shannon Sharpe on the podcast, Johnson would take issue with how Sanders was replaced by Tyler Huntley for the final drive of the game, which could have been a two-minute drill, a likely learning experience for the rookie.
“Kevin Stefanski, not letting Shedeur come back in the game to finish the two-minute drill,” Johnson said. “I’ve never seen that before, never in my life, ever have seen anything like that before. What are we doing?”
Browns' Shedeur Sanders doesn't play at “NFL” speed like Dillon Gabriel
As the rumors will continue around the Browns' quarterbacks, there is no doubt that a lot of conversation will still be around Sanders and his disappointing performance, especially compared to Gabriel. The Oregon product would throw for 129 yards and a touchdown in the win, as ESPN's Dan Orlovsky would say he plays at a more “NFL speed” than Sanders.
“If we’re just taking the preseason games and the tape that we have, the body of work between Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on tape isn’t close,” Orlovsky said. “Dillon Gabriel plays at NFL speed, and right now with the body of work that we have seen, Shedeur isn’t there.”
“Some of those things that was, and others were concerned about on the college tape showed itself again. This is not the end of the world, though,” Orlovsky continued. “This is part of his development in becoming a potential starting quarterback.”
At any rate, Cleveland opens the season on Sunday, Sept. 7, against the Cincinnati Bengals as Joe Flacco will start at quarterback with the other players in the position vying for a high position on the depth chart.
