Latest news with #Cleveland.com's
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The brutal reality for Shedeur Sanders as Browns' QB competition begins
Shedeur Sanders is carving up players who will be on practice squads or out of the NFL come September. And that may be an apt description for his standing. Mary Kay Cabot noted after Sanders' stats in a recent organized team activities (OTA) went viral that the polarizing prospect is the team's fourth-string quarterback. Advertisement 3 Shedeur Sanders during a recent OTA. AP 'Shedeur Sanders … did not take one rep in 11-on-11s,' Cabot said earlier this week on the 'Orange and Brown Talk' podcast. 'He has to come in here as the fourth-string quarterback and work his way up that depth chart. So, he did not take a team rep. He did not have (rookie defensive tackle) Mason Graham in his face yesterday at all.' Advertisement Discussion of Sanders' positioning in the Browns' quarterback battle comes after the four contenders for the starting job in Sanders, Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel participated in OTAs this week. Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the season after undergoing Achilles tendon surgeries. Cabot and Dan Labee offered key context on the podcast to the eye-popping practice stats from ESPN Cleveland that showed Sanders completed 7-of-9 passes with three touchdowns – better numbers than Pickett, Flacco and Gabriel had that same day. Except that all of Sanders' production came during 7-on-7 periods, presumably against the back end of the defensive roster. Advertisement Why is that distinction important? Spring practices are structured to favor offensive success because defensive linemen run by the quarterbacks and raise their hands for what would be a sack. Then, take it one step further and 7-on-7s — with no pass rush and endless quarterback comfort — are even more slanted toward completions. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski indicated the snaps order isn't rigid. Advertisement 3 Sanders is running fourth in the race, per the report. AP 'We're mixing it up every single day,' Stefanski said. 'So that's why I tell you not to read much into it, even though you guys don't listen to me. But we're just trying to get guys exposure to different concepts, those types of things. So, it varies by walkthrough. It can vary by drill. It's not something that we're really — we're not leaning into or worried about the order at this moment.' As a point of snap comparison, the Giants gave Russell Wilson most of the first-team 11-on-11 reps during last week's OTA but also mixed in rookie Jaxson Dart for three plays with the starters. Jameis Winston ran the second-team offense, Dart was first up with the third-team offense and fourth-stringer Tommy DeVito – the former viral sensation – only took four snaps (none consecutively) with the third-team offense. Sanders is not to blame for the NFL world running with his practice stats. He can only do the most with the reps he is given. 3 The four potential starters in Cleveland. Advertisement But – because he is the celebrity son of a Hall of Famer who endured an unprecedented fall from much-hyped first-round prospect to fifth-round pick – his development is going to be a major story this season. Before he can dream of getting on the field in a real game, Sanders has to start to earn some of the 11-on-11 reps that Pickett, Flacco and fellow rookie and third-round pick Gabriel are taking in practice. His 7-on-7 numbers are a good first small step when framed correctly.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cleveland Browns insider reveals issue that led to drafting Dillon Gabriel before Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns surprised many around the league in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting quarterback Dillon Gabriel with the 94th overall pick over Shedeur Sanders, only to draft Sanders later with the 144th overall pick. Now we reportedly know what factor influenced that decision. According to Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns' concerns regarding Sanders 'negative plays' in college, including his sacks and interceptions totals, pushed him behind Gabriel on the team's board. Advertisement Shedeur Sanders stats (ESPN): 4,134 passing yards, 37-10 TD-INT, 74% completion rate, 8.7 yards per attempt, 168.2 QB rating, 4 rushing touchdowns Related: Coach explains how Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns may benefit from draft slide 'He's played in multiple schemes, picked up new terminology quickly and hit the ground running in each of his stops. He's extremely confident, has excellent leadership ability and has started an FBS-record 63 games. He's also tied Case Keenum for the all-time FBS record with 155 TD passes.' Mary Kay Cabot on why the Cleveland Browns draft Dillon Gabriel over Shedeur Sanders While Sanders had several issues during the pre-draft process when he met with teams, another problem was what showed up in his film. With limited athleticism and just league-average arm strength, teams needed to see a quarterback who made great decisions with the football and got the ball out quickly. Related: Insider explains what it would take for Shedeur Sanders to not make Browns roster Sanders fell short in both those areas. He ranked in the 15th percentile for sack rate, per Pro Football Focus, with an alarming pressure-to-sack rate of 22.4 percent over the last two seasons. For comparison, Gabriel had one of the lowest pressure-to-sack rates in the 2025 NFL Draft class at 13.9 percent and one of the lowest sack rates (4.5 percent) in college football. Advertisement As for protecting the football, Gabriel threw just 12 interceptions versus 60 touchdown passes in his final two seasons, recording a 1.4 percent interception rate on 831 pass attempts from 2023-'24. Last season alone, Sanders had 10 interceptions on 477 attempts for a 2.1 percent interception rate. It's one of the reasons why Gabriel will reportedly be listed ahead of Sanders on the Browns' depth chart this summer. Cleveland views its third-round quarterback as the better passer right now, especially in Kevin Stefanski's system. As a result, Sanders faces an uphill climb to see the field this coming season. Related: Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers cost themselves millions with NFL Draft decisions Related Headlines
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New report paints grim outlook for Nick Chubb as he enters free agency
The Cleveland Browns are bracing for the likely departure of star running back Nick Chubb in when NFL free agency opens up next week. Per a report by Mary Kay Cabot, a stark shift from a hopeful tone of reunion that was initially set by the team has turned a bit darker. After the season concluded, Browns GM Andrew Berry acknowledged Chubb's pending free agency as '…something we have to work through over next several weeks."However, during the NFL Combine, Berry's stance shifted. He revealed that it was expected Chubb would test the open market. While many assumed this meant the Browns would simply match the best offer, recent reporting suggests otherwise. Mary Kay Cabot, a well-connected Browns insider, painted a grim picture. "The Browns gave him last season to return from the injury, make more than $2 million, and walk away with some grace and dignity despite being a shadow of his former bruising self,' Cabot wrote. In 2024, Chubb's season was once again derailed by a broken bone in his right foot, leading some fans to believe an injury-discounted re-signing was possible. Yet, the Browns appear to be moving in a different direction. As Cabot succinctly put it, 'It's the end of the Nick Chubb era in Cleveland, and it's sad it has to end this way.' This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Nick Chubb expected to depart from Browns in NFL free agency
USA Today
05-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New report paints grim outlook for Nick Chubb as he enters free agency
New report paints grim outlook for Nick Chubb as he enters free agency The Cleveland Browns are bracing for the likely departure of star running back Nick Chubb in when NFL free agency opens up next week. Per a report by Mary Kay Cabot, a stark shift from a hopeful tone of reunion that was initially set by the team has turned a bit darker. After the season concluded, Browns GM Andrew Berry acknowledged Chubb's pending free agency as '…something we have to work through over next several weeks."However, during the NFL Combine, Berry's stance shifted. He revealed that it was expected Chubb would test the open market. While many assumed this meant the Browns would simply match the best offer, recent reporting suggests otherwise. Mary Kay Cabot, a well-connected Browns insider, painted a grim picture. "The Browns gave him last season to return from the injury, make more than $2 million, and walk away with some grace and dignity despite being a shadow of his former bruising self,' Cabot wrote. In 2024, Chubb's season was once again derailed by a broken bone in his right foot, leading some fans to believe an injury-discounted re-signing was possible. Yet, the Browns appear to be moving in a different direction. As Cabot succinctly put it, 'It's the end of the Nick Chubb era in Cleveland, and it's sad it has to end this way.'
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Myles Garrett reportedly rejects contract extension from the Browns after requesting trade
A standoff between Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns appears to be forming: In the month since the star defensive end requested a trade, the Browns have said that they don't want to trade him. Now, Garrett has reportedly turned down an extension to stay in Cleveland, per multiple reports. Mary Kay Cabot reported Thursday that Garrett's camp has "slammed the door" on negotiations for a new contract with the Browns. ESPN confirmed on Thursday that Garrett was not open to a new contract with the team. At the beginning of the month, Garrett publicly requested a trade from the Browns, saying that he wanted to win a Super Bowl and didn't want to get "complacent." The 29-year-old DE has spent his entire eight-year career in Cleveland, after being drafted by the Browns first overall in 2017. But Cleveland has not wanted to let go of the six-time Pro Bowler. General manager Andrew Berry said on Tuesday that he and the Browns "don't have an interest in trading Myles," reiterating a point he made before the Pro Bowl last month. Now, Garrett is making it clear that his trade request isn't an attempt to get more money out of the Browns: He truly wants out. Garrett signed a five-year, $125 million extension in 2020, but has said throughout the season that he does not want to be part of a Cleveland rebuild. If the Browns do allow Garrett's trade request, he will be highly coveted throughout the NFL. Garrett, the 2023 Player of the Year, is one of the best and most consistent defensive players in the league. He is coming off another strong season, recording 14 sacks and a career-high 40 solo tackles.
