Another day, another quarterback battle to discuss. Unlike the one going on in Arizona, the Cleveland Browns’ competition sees both competitors active during the OTA portion of the offseason.
That said, the combatants are second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders and a man who missed all of last season and most of the prior one, Deshaun Watson.
Early in the offseason program, the veteran signal-caller has taken starting repetitions at practice. Will that continue, or will the younger quarterback swoop in and take the job for himself? There is no time like the present to make an educated prediction on that matter.
Predicting the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle
To open the spring, Watson emerged as the first quarterback for Cleveland to take practice reps, signaling he could be the starting man. Meanwhile, Sanders took the backup mantle early on.
Heading into training camp, head coach Todd Monken is on the record saying he wants to have the quarterback situation in Cleveland resolved. Understandably so, the last thing a team wants is to have questions over the most important starting spot in football.
That said, Watson feels firmly in the driver’s seat for this role. Is it possible that he slips up, and Sanders can capitalize? Certainly.
However, there is one big reason as to why Watson might end up as the starter for the Browns, regardless of the outcome of the competition. The Browns start the season going up against a harsh 4-game stretch of opponents. The veteran quarterback could be on a short leash, heading into his final season under contract in Cleveland.
The schedule he faces early on could be the end of the road for Watson. It is conceivable that the Browns are saving Sanders for a portion of the season that is less challenging. If that is the case, Cleveland would preserve the young signal-caller’s confidence moving forward in not only the season, but his career as a whole.
Overall, the prediction is that Watson will open the season as the starting quarterback in Cleveland. With that in mind, it would not come as any surprise if Sanders sees his way onto the field at any point.
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