Shedeur Sanders' miserable outing v. the Rams should send him to the Browns practice squad, but it won't. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
There are so many positive things happening with the Browns. I mean, a lot of good stuff occurred in training camp and the preseason.
And then there’s this dumb quarterback thing dragging everybody down. It’s polarizing and exhausting and counter-productive.
It’s like somebody in the league told me after the draft.
“They’re not serious about winning.”
If they were, they wouldn’t keep four quarterbacks. They always do something at quarterback that just polarizes their fan base. Johnny Football, Baker Mayfield, Deshaun Watson. Now Shedeur Sanders. And Kenny Pickett.
I agree that quarterbacks are currency in the NFL. So now it’s time to cash them in.
After six weeks of charting every pass in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods in training camp, and watching every practice in minicamp, and in every open media OTA, and three preseason games, I felt the best quarterback depth chart to open the regular season – believe it or not -- was:
1. Joe Flacco
2. Dillon Gabriel
3. Tyler Huntley
Yes, Huntley. He’s the ideal QB3 – experienced, cheap, familiar with Kevin Stefanski’s offense, and mobile enough to make something happen if he has to play in an emergency. As he proved again Saturday against the Rams’ deep backups, you can insert Huntley in a game and expect a professional effort.
And GM Andrew Berry cut him on Sunday.
I didn’t have Huntley on my QB bingo card to start the season. But I’ve grown to appreciate him. They should have kept him.
It would have made for a logical and sensible QB room. Flacco, the ageless veteran flame-thrower to set the tempo for the season. Gabriel, the promising rookie and future backup behind a No. 1 pick in 2026. And Huntley, the professional and dependable QB3.
So why didn’t they keep Huntley? Because of Kenny Pickett and Shedeur Sanders, and Berry’s fondness for both.
Pickett was the first quarterback Berry acquired this season as he sought to assemble a new QB room on a low budget. Pickett’s hamstring problems prevented him from challenging Flacco for the starting job. Before his injury, Pickett was unspectacular. His superpower was his ability to run. Not the first thing you want in your quarterback.
If healthy, Pickett would never be the quarterback Flacco is right now. Never. As for the future, who cares? Pickett’s contract is up after this year. There’s no place for him in the Browns’ future. He will market himself in free agency next year.
Berry should trade Pickett for whatever he can get. Several teams need a backup quarterback. If Berry could get a fifth-round pick for Josh Dobbs in 2023, he should be able to get the same for Pickett now.
I’ve always felt Berry favored Pickett in this faux QB competition because he never warmed to Flacco. Which is strange, because Flacco probably saved jobs in 2023 with his four-game win streak.
As for Sanders, the Browns are experiencing the reasons for his legendary free-fall on draft weekend.
His suspicious arrival, via that out-of-leftfield trade-up in the fifth round, reinforced the notion that owner Jimmy Haslam still sticks his nose too far in draft decisions. Haslam sought to erase that image in July when he said Sanders was “Andrew’s pick.” Sanders’ fans in the media then criticized Haslam for distancing himself from Sanders and not embracing him.
On the field, Sanders does not process what he sees on the field quickly enough. Under pressure, instead of stepping up into the pocket, he drifts backwards and makes bad situations worse. When given time, he has a magic touch with the ball, for sure. But his hesitation in releasing the ball is a problem.
Off the field, Sanders is high maintenance. His celebrity status compromises team concepts. He is being documented in his rookie season for content on his brother’s Website with two videographers. It’s unclear how much Sanders loves football vs. how much he loves being a high-profile quarterback
His legions of fans believe he has been mistreated by the Browns. Some have even accused Stefanski of racism for not giving Sanders opportunities with the first team. Stefanski was excoriated by Sanders’ immense following for yanking Sanders from the Rams game and inserting Huntley to pull out the game in the last two minutes.
I shake my head. Sanders had been horrendous for five series. I thought Stefanski was doing him a favor by lifting him.
So what should Berry do with Sanders at the roster cuts?
No doubt, Berry will keep him on the 53. I contend if his name were, say, Shedeur Smith, he would be cut and then invited to the practice squad.
Would any team claim Sanders if he were available? I doubt it.
Thirty-one teams passed on him through five rounds of the draft. Tom Brady is now part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders and formerly mentored Sanders. Yet the Raiders passed on Sanders and drafted a quarterback in the seventh round.
Now they need a backup QB because Aiden O’Connell, backup to starter Geno Smith, suffered a right wrist fracture and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks. Would the Raiders, in Brady’s intimate knowledge of Sanders and the position of quarterback, inquire about a trade for Sanders? Or would they claim him if exposed to Raiders?
Don’t hold your breath.
It doesn’t matter because Berry does not intend to part with Sanders, or Pickett.
Because he’s the GM of the Browns. And the Browns are the Browns.
In the meantime, the rest of the team is looking good. Not that anyone cares.
Roster cuts: The Browns trimmed 21 players from their roster of 90 players. They must be down to 53 players by 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
The moves made on Sunday were:
They terminated the contracts of offensive tackle Jackson Barton, cornerback Tony Brown, safety Nik Needham, and Huntley.
They also waived:
Cornerback Chigozie Anusiem, tight end Sal Canella, offensive guard, Javion Cohen, offensive tackle Sebastian Gutierrez, defensive end K.J. Henry, defensive tackle Ralph Holley, cornerback Christian Holmes, cornerback Keenan Isaac, offensive tackle Jason Ivey, defensive end Titus Leo, linebacker Marvin Moody, cornerback Darius Rush, linebacker Charlies Thomas, offensive tackle Lorenzo Thompson, offensive guard Gartanyan Tinsley, tight end Mitchell Van Vooren, and center Bucky Williams.