RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sourcesBrowns GM Sets a Bar For Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson to Clear as Cleveland Inches Closer to Preseason Opener
Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson have both been on the job for roughly a week now, getting to see how first-year head coach Todd Monken runs training camp. Both are competing to become the next starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, and oddly enough, they’ve both already done the job before.
Yet, this time, as Monken has stressed since the moment he accepted the job, it’s a clean slate. While Sanders and Watson came to learn what Kevin Stefanski was looking for, what will set the competition apart in Monken’s mind?
Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson Given Keys to Win
Just in case there’s still any doubt left in their minds, Browns general manager Andrew Berry just laid the foundation for what the respective QBs need to do to win the starting job.
Appearing on ESPN’s “ This is Football ” with Kevin Clark, Berry revealed what he’s looking for from his quarterbacks.
“I think the big thing is, operating and decision-making,” Berry said. “You think about quarterback, right, the ball’s gonna be in that player’s hand, whether they throw it, run it, hand it off, you know, call it 60 times a game, so there’s a set of at least 60 decisions that player’s going to make.
“They’re not going to be right in all of them. But if they can do that at a high level and we can play well around that individual, then I think we’ll be in a good spot.”
PREDICT THE NFL SEASON: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
The Browns certainly feel like they’ve upgraded the weaponry surrounding their QBs this offseason. That includes reshaping the offensive line, led by first-round rookie Spencer Fano, but also supplemented by prized free agency additions such as Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and trade acquisition Tytus Howard.
Perhaps even more impactful are the changes made to the receiver room.
Leading pass-catcher Harold Fannin Jr. and veteran Pro Bowler Jerry Jeudy are back. While the Browns are excited about Fannin’s continued development, they’re even more jubilant about what first-round rookie KC Concepcion and second-round rookie Denzel Boston can bring to the table.
Overall, it feels like the Browns are placing their quarterbacks in a better position to succeed than last season. After finishing 31st in scoring, they didn’t feel like they had much of a choice but to heavily invest in that side of the ball, and they’re close to finding out whether it’s paid off, but a lot of their success or failure revolves around the QB.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.