Shedeur Sanders opens Browns mandatory minicamp as clear top quarterback pushing Dillon Gabriel and Joe Flacco to theo sidelines

mandatory minicamp kicks off tomorrow, and all eyes are on their quarterback position as the team prepares for the season opener on September 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Last year was rough for the Browns. They finished with a 3-14 record, largely because Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury in Week 7. Without Watson, the team managed two of their three wins, but it was clear that they needed a long-term solution at quarterback.

Enter the draft: Cleveland selected Dillon Gabriel in the fourth round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth, adding them to a mix that includes veteran Joe Flacco and last year’s Super Bowl champion, Kenny Pickett. So far, no one has locked down the starting position under head coach Kevin Stefanski and the battle’s heating up.

Shedeur Sanders Shines in Camp, But Pickett’s Experience Looms
Out of the four quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders has stood out. He’s been the most accurate, racking up the most touchdowns in these early sessions. While this doesn’t guarantee him the starting job, it definitely puts him in the conversation. Cleveland sports show co-host Tony Rizzo shared a text from an ESPN Cleveland staffer who said that Shedeur

Nevertheless, to me Kenny Pickett is still the favorite for Week 1 against the Bengals. He’s got experience-two years as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter and a backup stint with the Super Bowl-winning Eagles last season. Experience matters, especially for a franchise like the Browns, who have cycled through 40 different starting quarterbacks since 1999. Only two, Tim Couch and Baker Mayfield, have made it through a full season, so don’t be shocked if we see a midseason switch.

Quarterback Tracker Tells Shedeur’s Opportunity.
The Browns’ OTA quarterback tracker shows Pickett leading the pack in pass attempts. However, Shedeur is outpacing everyone in touchdowns with six, compared to Pickett’s two and Gabriel’s five. Here’s the kicker: All but one of Shedeur’s touchdowns came in 7v7 red zone drills. This has folks wondering if Stefanski might be cooking up something special, like using Shedeur in goal-line packages. It’d be a bold move, but the Browns have struggled for years: three playoff appearances this century, one win, and a historically bad winless season in 2017. They’re not exactly playing it safe these days.

The Browns’ first month is a gauntlet: They’ll face Joe Burrow’s Bengals at home, then travel to face Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Next, they’ll host the rising Green Bay Packers, followed by a visit to Detroit.

That’s four playoff-caliber teams in a row-ouch! With that kind of schedule, it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll see at least two quarterbacks by Week 5. The pressure is on Shedeur and Gabriel to excel this summer because if Pickett struggles early on, Stefanski won’t hesitate to make a change. For a team that’s been searching for stability since the ’90s, this quarterback carousel might just be the norm. However, if Shedeur continues to excel, perhaps he’s the one to break the cycle.