Dawgs By Nature
In the NFL, you can tell instantly when your team has a “franchise quarterback.” The term “franchise quarterback” is thrown around loosely now, with quarterbacks being dubbed “the savior” earlier than expected. As for the Cleveland Browns, finding a franchise quarterback has been the team’s main issue since returning. After a decent showing against the Las Vegas Raiders, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has fans wondering if the Browns have found their “guy”.
Slow down.
It seems clear Sanders will start the rest of the season, and he will get a fair evaluation process to see if he’s worth investing in. There are two potential scenarios that could play out:
Looking at the remaining schedule for the Browns, the team doesn’t play a top 10 defense in terms of defensive EPA for the remaining games.
Granted, the Bills and Steelers are in the top 15/16 range in terms of defensive success rate, but the defenses aren’t as threatening. The Cleveland offense is still bad, but with Sanders, the unit has a bit of a threat in terms of the passing game.
Sanders has the ability to push the ball down the field and somewhat create out of structure. The young QB has his flaws (which can be fixed), but it’s clear the offense has a bit more kick in their step despite a below-average wide receiver room and an aging offensive line.
Sanders playing well down the stretch would allow the team to retool the offense in the offseason and see what he can do with a better group of players, along with him having a full offseason. It’s clear that Sanders has supporters in his corner, and if he plays well enough, the team wouldn’t mind him taking the reins full-time.
The current QB class of this upcoming draft hasn’t been as spectacular as some projected but it’s clear two of the top prospects are guys worth taking a swing on. Indiana Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza and Oregon Ducks QB Dante Moore are QB1 and QB2. The rankings between the two are interchangeable but the film backs it up.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson is a bit of a wild card if he chooses to leave. It’s possible Sanders puts together decent performances, but they aren’t enough to keep the team from drafting a quarterback. Why? Mendoza and Moore are better prospects with potentially higher ceilings than Sanders. It’s not a slight to Sanders, but Mendoza and Moore have shown a lot this season that the Browns would be foolish not to...
