Shedeur Sanders' push to become the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback has encountered another obstacle as the team's training camp battle continues.
While Sanders has impressed with his passing efficiency, Cleveland's coaching staff is placing significant value on pre-snap command. That emphasis could strengthen Deshaun Watson's position in the race for the Week 1 job.
Speaking on ESPN Cleveland, Browns analyst Tony Grossi explained why head coach Todd Monken values cadence as a critical quarterback trait.
"The period where they were trying to get the defense offside, this is important to Todd Monken. Extremely important," Grossi said. "In fact, in my story, I wrote that this might have been more impressive to Monken than any of the touchdowns or any of the throws."
Grossi pointed to a clear difference between the two quarterbacks during practice.
"He was able to cause Jared Verse twice to jump offsides, and Shedeur's reps, he just wasn't able to do it," Grossi said. "And this is a huge advantage for Watson in this competition."
He added, "The other nuances of the position, Monken is looking at too. And there's a big gap in that particular category, the cadence, being able to call more than one cadence."
One of the hosts, reinforced Monken's philosophy, saying, "You cannot be elite at offense if you're not elite at cadence."
Sanders entered camp with momentum after showing noticeable improvement from his rookie season. The former fifth-round pick has completed 70.5% of his camp passes with six touchdowns and one interception. Watson, meanwhile, has battled inconsistency after returning from a ruptured Achilles.
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Still, quarterback evaluations extend beyond highlight throws. Monken appears focused on command, communication, and controlling defenses before the snap. Those details often separate starting NFL quarterbacks.
The Browns have already announced that Sanders and Watson will each start one of the first two preseason games. With Cleveland expecting one quarterback to seize the role before the third preseason contest, Sanders now faces added pressure to match Watson's command at the line of scrimmage while maintaining his strong passing performances.
