Latest news with #Ex-Browns
USA Today
18-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders says Deshaun Watson could be ideal backup for Patrick Mahomes
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders says Deshaun Watson could be ideal backup for Patrick Mahomes This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former NFL wide receiver Steve Sanders about youth mentorship, Patrick Mahomes' rise to dominance, and one bold move that Kansas City's front office could make in the future. Sanders, who serves as a camp director for US Sports Camps, began by recalling how one early interaction with a professional football player changed the trajectory of his career. "I grew up in the inner city of Cleveland, a pretty rough environment, so we didn't have a lot of professional athletes around our programs," said Sanders. "I remember this one time where a former Browns player came out and talked to us, and he told us the statistics behind making it to the pros, and at that particular time, he was, like, 'Out of 100 kids, only one of you guys is gonna make it. So, who's gonna be the one?' When he said that, it just sparked something within me to work extra hard, to stay after practice, to get more film time in, and work harder in the weight room." Sanders continues to give back to his community through mentorship and support off the field. As such, he believes that the value of continuity and consistency in NFL franchises — similar to that which the Chiefs have achieved in recent years — is key to long-term success. "You gotta figure out how to pick the right person and put the right pieces in place," Sanders explained. "I don't just mean the weapons on the offensive side. I mean coaching. I mean mentorship. You've got to make sure that you can develop young talent in the NFL. If you look at Patrick Mahomes, [that is] what the successful teams do. Mahomes sat behind Alex Smith. He didn't go out there and start right away. He learned, he observed. He saw the dynamic between the head coach and offensive coordinator, the quarterback and the quarterback coaches. There's a lot that goes into it than just being thrown out there in the fire." A former Cleveland Brown, Sanders remains an avid fan of the NFL. While watching Cleveland play last season, Sanders saw the struggles of Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, whom he sees as an ideal candidate to be Mahomes' second-stringer someday soon. "I think Deshaun Watson goes to a team where he can probably sit behind the starter [and] learn a little bit, similar to let's say, what Geno Smith did with Russell Wilson," Sanders said. "Eventually, the talent you develop and his confidence will return. Because I think his confidence was shaken a lot. He's overcoming some injuries, but I could see Andy Reid taking a flyer on Watson and bringing him in as a backup quarterback. Maybe he won't take over for Mahomes. Still, with the experience and confidence he gets in playing with, developing, and being in meetings with Andy Reid and Mahomes, he'll be ready to go to another team after a year or two and succeed."
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders on Cleveland's offseason moves, suggestion for No. 2 pick
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders on Cleveland's offseason moves, suggestion for No. 2 pick This week, Touchdown Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to ex-Cleveland Browns wide receiver Steve Sanders about life after professional football and who his former team should select in the 2025 NFL draft. Sanders, who is currently a director for US Sports Camps, began by explaining what he has done in his retirement before delving into the Browns. "I've always been passionate about youth sports, coaching, and working with athletes," Sanders explained. "As a young kid playing sports, I was always helping coach other kids and trying to make sure everybody got better as a team. So, just being a leader throughout my playing career and being a team captain, that just kind of stuck with me. When I got done playing, I didn't get the opportunity to go into coaching. Still, I developed a character development and leadership training program called 'Training Camp for Life' and wrote a book about it. And I just kept that going. I just kept building upon that." Sanders began his NFL career with the Browns in 2006 as an undrafted free agent. A Cleveland native, Sanders played for his hometown team and continues to support the franchise well after retirement. In his comments to Easton, Sanders shared his thoughts on the team's roster ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. "I think the organization is in a pivotal time right now, trying to navigate their franchise player and ensuring the defense is secure," said Sanders. "Myles Garrett just got the new contract, so he wanted to leave. Now it looks like he's going to stay. So that's a good pivotal piece that you have in place, and if you can continue to build on that, the defense did have a down season this past season. "But, if they can bounce back, and they can go back to where they were in the 2023 season, then you can show up some things on the offensive side. I think Joe Flacco just signed, so they got him coming back, and he played pretty well during that season. But the most crucial part is you gotta find your franchise quarterback, and at number two, you gotta get this right this time. It can't be a miss. It can't be a Hey. We tried, but it didn't work out." The Browns had a tumultuous 2024 campaign, finishing with a 3-14 record and securing the No. 2 pick in this year's draft. Some fans believe that Cleveland should select its new franchise quarterback with its first-round pick, and Sanders has targeted one player in particular for that role. "I think at number two, you gotta take Shedeur Sanders," Sanders told Easton. "I don't see why you wouldn't. I get it. If Travis Hunter is not taken at the number one pick, then the number two pick, you could have a difficult choice there, but you seem to have a dominant defensive player. And Myles Garrett, and you didn't go anywhere. So, not to negate what he brings to the table, because he brings a lot. "But if you don't have the franchise quarterback, if you don't have the piece in place, then you're not going to be very successful in the NFL. So I think Shedeur Sanders is the pick; regardless of whether he's at number two, you must take them. And I think you build the pieces around him, put the right system in place, and he will be a franchise quarterback for years to come."
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders believes Chiefs, Eagles are on track for a Super Bowl rematch
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders believes Chiefs, Eagles are on track for a Super Bowl rematch This week, Chiefs Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former NFL wide receiver Steve Sanders about youth mentorship, Kansas City's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and what lies in store for both conference champions in the years ahead. Sanders, who is currently serving as a camp director for US Sports Camps, made it clear that the satisfaction he gets from working with the younger generations is part of what keeps him motivated. "Hearing something inspiring from a professional where you aspire to be does something to you as a young athlete, and that's what I look to bring to US Sports Camps," said Sanders. "Working with kids with Nike Football camps is being a person who's made it there, who's had the opportunity to play at the highest level, and now gets to work directly with student-athletes at the youth, high school, and even college levels. You can give so much back to that. So it's exciting to be in this position." The former Bowling Green Falcons standout was among the millions of football fans who watched the Chiefs fall well short of completing a Super Bowl three-peat against the Eagles earlier this year. In his interview with Easton, Sanders broke down his thoughts about Kansas City's performance. "I was surprised that the Chiefs lost the way they did just because of their experience," Sanders explained. "You know, getting to that place with that coaching staff, Patrick Mahomes, and the weapons they had on offense; I was definitely surprised that they lost that way. However, I did pick the Eagles to win. I just thought that Saquon Barkley was going to be the difference-maker. I knew they had weapons on the outside and that Jalen Hurts could use his legs to make some big plays and key moments. I thought that they would be right there in the thick of it, in the game. I knew that the Eagles' defense would be a difference maker in that, but I didn't know they would dominate the way they did, and that front four they have are phenomenal." The two teams have faced off in two of the last three Super Bowls, leading the former Browns wideout to believe a third matchup could be in the cards for the 2025 season. "I think the NFL has been put on alert to watch out for the next few years," said Sanders. "If they can keep that core team together, they're going to be tough to beat, especially now, having the experience of winning the Super Bowl and having your franchise quarterback, [and] Saquon Barkley, just got a new contract. You have some good weapons on the outside, and they have an offensive line that can protect their quarterback. "They're going to be tough to beat in the future, so we'll see how things go. But I don't doubt that the Kansas City Chiefs will come back reloaded and ready to go, and you can never count Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid out because that dynamic and play calling behind it is phenomenal. They'll be right there in the thick of it, too. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a repeat of last year's Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles again this year."
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders reflects on NFL career, new partnership with US Sports Camps
Ex-Browns WR Steve Sanders reflects on NFL career, new partnership with US Sports Camps This week, Touchdown Wire's Ed Easton Jr. spoke to former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Steve Sanders about youth mentorship, his football career, and entrepreneurship. Sanders, a camp director for US Sports Camps, reflected on his current occupation before diving into his NFL experience. "I got the opportunity to partner with the US Sports Camps to oversee Nike Football camps in Georgia," Sanders explained. "It was just a perfect fit; It's been great because we're launching a six-week training program starting May 5th here in Georgia. After all, the kids will get a more developed, deeper understanding of fundamentals and skills, character development, and leadership training, and they will get it for an extended period. So that's going to be awesome to do." During his collegiate career at Bowling Green, Sanders tallied 156 receptions for 2,324 yards and 24 touchdowns. Though he hoped to be selected in the 2006 NFL draft, Sanders entered the league as a free agent and had to blaze his path as a young prospect. "It was interesting because I really thought I was going to get drafted on draft night," Sanders said. "Even preparing for the draft, I had a lot of the teams, the scouts, and even some of the GMs that I had conversations with, and everyone spoke highly of my talent and said they would draft me. I knew I would be kind of a day two guy, where I would go, probably somewhere between the fifth and seventh rounds, just because I went to a smaller school in the MAC (Mid-American Conference) then. So, I thought that I was going to get drafted. So I'm sitting there watching the draft, and I'm excited. My name doesn't get called, and you know that it was kind of a little bit of a letdown. Still, it also motivated me to learn how much harder I had to work. "Even though I was going to the NFL and undrafted, I still got the opportunity to go there, so I just came in with the mentality of being the first one in, first one out, last one in on the field. And that's what I did my entire career. So I remember getting a call from the browns or my agent telling me that the Browns wanted to sign me. I thought that was a no-brainer because I was from Cleveland. I grew up wanting to be a Brown, and if the Cleveland Browns would have me, that would be a dream come true. So, getting that opportunity to go there and start my career was a dream come true. So, just being a kid from Cleveland, I got involved in the community. I did everything I could. And I wasn't a star player; I started my first year on the practice squad. I went to NFL Europe and played over there. I did well, but then I returned to the Browns and played two more seasons there. " When his time in Cleveland ended, Sanders signed practice-squad contracts with the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals, which gave him a greater perspective on life in the NFL. "Those [practice squad] guys deserve a lot of credit; number one, because they work hard in trying to make the team [and] number two, [because] they're preparing the guys who are playing on Sundays and giving them the right looks," Sanders explained. "It's an essential and critical part of a successful team — to have guys who understand their role and work hard at making sure the team is successful, even though they're not the ones who will be playing on Sundays. "I took that approach. If I had to be Chad Ochocinco that week, that's who I was. If I had to be Megatron [Calvin Johnson], that's who I was. And I took pride in it because I knew my opportunity would come eventually. So I worked every day like I was going out there to play on Sundays, even on the practice squad. So, coming with that mentality, I think it spoke well to my character and work ethic and showed the coaches that this kid deserves an opportunity. So when I got my chance, I took it."
