Shedeur Sanders’ first day on the field at the Cleveland Browns’ rookie minicamp as training kicked off today didn’t go quite as smoothly as some might’ve dreamed, sparking a lot of reactions ranging from excitement to doubt. He gave Browns Nation its first real taste of what he might bring to the table.
Shedeur Sanders Faces Mixed Reviews After Browns Debut
Reports trickled in on Sanders’ Day One of rookie camp: his passes looked a little shaky, with one observer noting the ball came out “wobbly” at times. That’s not the kind of first impression you want when you’re trying to lock down an NFL gig, and it gave fans plenty to chew on. It was also reported that it wasn’t Sanders who got the first crack at reps in drills.
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The honor went to Dillon Gabriel, another rookie quarterback with a solid college resume from Oklahoma and UCF. Gabriel apparently looked sharp, hitting his spots and confidently running the offense.
Meanwhile, Sanders had to wait his turn, which only fueled the chatter about where he stands in the pecking order. Joe Flacco, the veteran with a Super Bowl ring on his resume, is the guy to beat right now, but everyone knows the leash could get short if he stumbles.
The road ahead is where things get juicy. The Browns aren’t locking in their depth chart after one day of rookie camp, and Sanders has plenty of chances to turn heads. OTAs are coming up, and then training camp, where he’ll get real reps with the full squad. If he can iron out those mechanics and start zipping the ball around, the talk about wobbly throws could fade fast.
Flacco’s the starter for now, no question. But at 39, he’s not the long-term fix, and the Browns want to see what their young guns can do. Gabriel’s early edge in drills is a wake-up call, but Sanders has the pedigree and the flash to make this a three-man race. “We’re excited about Shedeur,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s got raw talent, and we’re just getting started.”
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The big question is whether Sanders can adapt quickly enough to push for Week 1. If he stumbles, he might be stuck holding a clipboard while Flacco or Gabriel takes the snaps. But if he locks in, Cleveland could have its next big hope under center. Either way, his show is just kicking off, and Browns fans won’t blink twice watching how it plays out.
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