Cleveland Browns common supervisor Andrew Berry usually doesn’t say a lot, however on the subject of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, he certain appeared excited.
Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski met in individual with Sanders forward of the Shrine Bowl over the weekend in Arlington, Texas.
Then, they ignored to Cell, Alabama for the Senior Bowl, the place Berry mentioned the assembly in somewhat bit better element.
“Shedeur is a very spectacular younger man,” Berry advised Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “He’s poised, he’s calm, he’s good and you may inform that he’s been raised by—fairly actually—a Corridor of Fame dad. We’re going to get to know him much more over the course of the spring, however he’s actually spectacular.”
Berry by no means speaks this brazenly about anybody. He’s your typical, savvy GM who operates in silence, giving the media nearly nothing to look into.
So why gush about Sanders? There are a number of causes.
It’s no shock to the remainder of the NFL that the Browns want a quarterback after making the worst commerce in NFL historical past for Deshaun Watson. Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are anticipated to be the highest quarterbacks chosen, and the Browns have the No. 2 total choice—placing them in a pristine place to draft the Colorado prodigy if he’s out there.
On the inverse, Berry could possibly be placing on his finest salesman outfit and dealing some reverse psychology. As a result of Watson catastrophe, the Browns haven’t had a first-round choose within the final three years. The roster has loads of holes, and the Browns might decide to commerce down a number of spots, get extra draft capital and punt on the quarterback place till later within the draft or subsequent yr.
In late January, it solely advantages Berry to talk extremely of quarterback prospects. He desires the remainder of the NFL to imagine that if Sanders is accessible at No. 2 total, he might be chosen by the Browns. That might entice different QB-needy groups just like the New York Jets, New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders to commerce into No. 2 total, forking a few of their draft capital over to Cleveland within the course of.
Berry additionally stomped out hypothesis that the Browns can be influenced by the needs of Shedeur’s father, Deion Sanders, who has mentioned publicly that he would affect the place his son and Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter would play within the NFL. The Browns mentioned they’re “assured” that Sanders can be nice taking part in for the Browns.
That ought to point out that Sanders to Cleveland is an actual chance if the Browns maintain onto the No. 2 total choice.
Perhaps Berry loves Sanders. If he does, the one staff that would spoil his plans is the Tennessee Titans, who’ve the No. 1 total choose and in addition want a quarterback. They met with Sanders on the Shrine Bowl as properly.
After a dreadful 3-14 season, maybe Berry lastly feels the stress from possession to search out his personal franchise QB shortly, and we’re watching the Browns discuss themselves into Sanders in actual time. Watson had a setback together with his Achilles damage and mercifully will not play in 2025, Jameis Winston is a free agent and the Browns haven’t got a transparent choice to start out the season at QB.
However possibly that is all one large, calculated bluff to promote the draft choose to the very best bidder.
It’s nonetheless January. We’re tremendously early on this course of. Berry himself said that they’ll get to know Sanders as the method unfolds all through the spring. Solely time will inform, however Berry’s feedback certain are attention-grabbing.