I have a theory about the Browns’ quarterback competition. This is a simple option that is about the limit of my cognitive abilities.
This goes back to the clip that appeared at the beginning of the off-season program. The defenders performed a basic exercise. Catch the ball, fake the serve, pass into the passing position and throw the ball. Three times each.
Deshaun Watson did it clearly and cleanly. It was sluggish for Sheader Sanders, especially with the fake pitch.
Sheder is a gamer. He performs when it matters. He has yet to master the process of checking the various flags in practice. And in my opinion, new Browns coach Todd Monken is trying his best to get Sheader to do just that.
So early in the offseason, there were signs that Watson was the frontrunner for the QB1 role. Towards the end, it seemed like Scheder was making progress.
I’m guessing – and this is just a guess – that at some point Monken explained to Scheder that he couldn’t wait for the games to make the switch. He needs to earn the right to this opportunity by doing all the little things when it’s not a live situation. If this happened, it may have worked.
The test will be the training camp. Every day, every workout, every rep. Focus, exert effort, repeat. In the process, Sheader will be better prepared to perform when the time comes.
Watson will also have a say in the process. If Sheader does well, Watson will have to do even better.
But that’s the key. Full commitment to the process of learning and executing Monken attacks.
Of course, if Scheder does this well enough to get the job, the challenge will be to do it well enough to hold on to the job beyond 2026. The quarterback door has been revolving in Cleveland for years; As much as the team would like him to stop rotating, they need someone who will play well enough and win enough games to make them not keep looking for the next name to be written on the back of a jersey that has long since run out of space.
Scheder showed he could be good. Monken’s goal will be to get Sheader to fully commit to becoming great. This means abandoning any trace of the Brett Favre-style mentality where he cares about nothing but the game and cares deeply about everything else.