#HeyTony: How big a deal is it that Shedeur Sanders won’t throw at the NFL Combine?

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

Hey Tony: What do you think about Shedeur Sanders not throwing at the combine?

-- Kevin, Canton, OH

Hey Kevin: He’s being advised not to throw by his agent and father. He’s not the first or the last to not throw. It bothers me and NFL coaches/GMs, but it won’t have any impact on his draft status. None.

Hey Tony: If Shedeur’s last name wasn’t Sanders, would he even be on the radar for the top 5? 1) How many ranked teams did he beat in college? (One, an over-ranked TCU team in 1st game of season) 2) He didn’t elevate Colorado football; his dad completely changed out that roster.

-- Brian, Dover, OH

Hey Brian: You’re too harsh. He’s a talent. He had a big hand in reviving Jackson State and Colorado. He can play the position. He’s mentally and physically tough. At the same time, his father is one of the great hype machines of all time. The reason Sanders will be drafted in the top 5 is because of simple supply-and-demand economics. Demand for a quarterback in this year’s draft far exceeds supply.

Hey Tony: If the season goes south and Kevin Stefanski loses the locker room again, will it be Bubba Ventrone as the interim coach?

-- Alan, Saint Augustine Beach, FL

Hey Alan: Stefanski did not lose the locker room. Did you hear Myles Garrett say he wants to be traded because of coaching? No, he said he didn’t align with the vision of the “higher-ups,” aka, the GM. In my opinion, the coach has outperformed many others in that building over the last five years.

Hey Tony: Who will you be paying special attention to and what group will you be looking at for the Browns to potentially draft?

-- Lee, Westlake, OH

Hey Lee: Quarterbacks, quarterbacks and quarterbacks.

Hey Tony: Is Case Keenum, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, DTR our QB room next season?

-- Greg, Straitsville, OH

Hey Greg: I hope you got one of four right. (Dart.)

Hey Tony: I know that many deals are started at the combine. My questions are, is trading Myles before the draft realistic, considering the salary cap ramifications and if they pulled the trigger, what would be your ideal trade and compensation?

-- George, Bartlett, IL

Hey George: Trading Myles before the draft is doable. My minimum price would be two No. 1s.

Hey Tony: Does the salary cap increase potentially reduce Myles Garrett’s leverage over the Browns?

-- Tony, Tucson, AZ

Hey Tony: The minimal salary cap increase has no effect on a Garrett trade, in my opinion. Garrett has more leverage than most in the media are admitting. The question is how convicted is he to use it.

Hey Tony: With a Myles trade being more financially viable after 6/1, is there any precedent to a team making a 2025 pick “for” the Browns with the intent to execute the trade after 6/1?

-- Matt, Columbus, OH

Hey Matt: There is no financial benefit to waiting until after June 1. There is a salary cap benefit, that’s all. The Browns can get around the salary cap ramifications by working with Garrett and a trade partner to sign a new contract that would reduce the cap impact and then trading him. It is not brain surgery to do this. If the Houston Texans – without Ivy Leaguers running their team -- could accomplish this with Deshaun Watson, surely the Browns can figure it out.

Hey Tony: To put the talent of this year’s crop of draft quarterbacks in context, how do you think Johnny Manziel coming out of college would have ranked among the top quarterbacks in this draft? 

-- AJ, Avon, OH

Hey AJ: There is only one team in the NFL that considered Manziel a first-round worthy draft pick. And that’s the team that drafted him.

Hey Tony: What do you think of ND QB Riley Leonard? Very big, can run, has big arm, looked great at the Senior Bowl, and took his team to championship! I will be there Saturday to watch him at the combine.

-- Joe, Galion, OH

Hey Joe: He’s OK. Among the second-wave QBs, I’d place him behind Dart, Milroe and Will Howard. Admittedly, Milroe is a reach, but his ceiling is compelling. I don’t think Leonard’s ceiling is that of a winning, starting NFL QB. If I’m wrong, I join the notable NFL draft expert and former NFL GM who ranked Blaine Gabbert ahead of Cam Newton. No names, please.

Hey Tony: Based upon the fact that the Browns have drafted a HOF LT in the top 5 and we got no playoff wins and a likely future HOFer in Garrett at DE, and only 1 playoff win, how can one argue that it’s imperative to take a QB at 2?

-- Ethan, Richmond, VA

Hey Ethan: I hate the phrase “lazy analysis,” but it is applicable in this case. To say, “They must take a QB at No. 2!” is classic lazy analysis. The real analysis is “They must find the right QB in this draft.” Further, finding the right QB is only one step. Did Buffalo find the right quarterback? Did Baltimore? Cincinnati? Washington? Houston? The Chargers? Of course they all did. The fact is the NFL is the ultimate team sport. Despite having great quarterbacks, those teams are less than complete and will keep coming up short of the Super Bowl until they are complete.

Hey Tony: Is there much interest in teams trading up for the Browns pick? Or is interest below average this year?

-- Clarence, Massillon, OH

Hey Clarence: There is great interest in trading up for the No. 2 pick. However, because of the lack of a truly, no-doubt great QB in this draft, the compensation for a trade will be less than normal.

Hey Tony: If the Browns do in fact trade down and land Mason Graham what QB do you see them taking later in the draft to pair with vet they will likely sign?

-- Mike, Fort Worth, TX

Hey Mike: Dart, Milroe, Howard would be my top three. Maybe my order will change, but I doubt that anyone else would be included. Maybe Shough.

Hey Tony: What will be the tell-tale sign that the Browns have committed either to winning this year or to transitioning into clearing the cap and rebuilding? They seem so caught in between.

-- Steve, Mayfield, OH

Hey Steve: You will know when the Browns make their roster adjustments to comply with the 2025 salary cap by March 12.

Hey Tony: Why don’t the Browns just trade Deshaun Watson contract and a late pick for Cousins. They’re both guaranteed 90m. The Falcons are going to eat the cost if they cut either player anyway but the Browns come away with a 90m starter instead of dead money.

-- Ray, Houston, TX

Hey Ray: You’re so misinformed. Watson is guaranteed $92 million and will miss the 2025 season because of two Achilles tendon surgeries. Cousins is guaranteed $27.5 million, with another $10 million guaranteed if he’s on the roster on March 17, and is not coming off any surgery. My public school education says that’s a difference of $54.5 million or $64.5 million. Be better.