Reasoning For Shedeur Sanders’ Role As QB3

Opinions ran rampant this week when it was announced that the Browns would allow rookie third-round quarterback Dillon Gabriel his first career start. Nobody was angry about Gabriel getting his shot, but the additional announcement that the demoted veteran, Joe Flacco, would serve as the primary backup to Gabriel with fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders remaining QB3 had people up in arms.

Opinions have always varied on Sanders. Once considered a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Sanders suffered an unprecedented slide into the fifth round. Ever since arriving in Cleveland, Gabriel has consistently sat above Sanders in the pecking order, while both players were below Flacco and Kenny Pickett as they battled for the starting job. That’s why it made sense that, when Flacco won the job and Pickett was traded away, Gabriel was named QB2 and Sanders QB3.

But, if the Browns are willing to give one rookie quarterback a look over Flacco, why wouldn’t they also extend that courtesy on the depth chart to Sanders and make him QB2? According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there is a very good reason.

The Browns don’t appear to be a team headed to a championship game this season, and while Flacco may give the franchise its best chance at winning games this year, he doesn’t factor into their long-term prospects, whereas both rookies could. One reason Gabriel could have some success as a rookie, though, comes down to just how different he is from Flacco.

Aside from the obvious age difference, Gabriel is quite a bit more mobile than Flacco, quite a bit smaller than Flacco, and quite a bit more left-handed than Flacco. Additionally, his consistency in avoiding turnovers in college gave the team some hope that they could put an end to the poor early-season trends. Through the first four weeks of the season, Flacco threw at least one interception in each game, totaling six picks and two lost fumbles. Today’s start with Gabriel under center was the Browns’ first this season without a turnover.

While these attributes differ Gabriel from Flacco a good deal, they also fail to align much with Sanders. Because Cleveland is now running an offense specifically catered to Gabriel, it would be difficult for either Flacco or Sanders to step into the offense if Gabriel is hurt or struggling. If this were to happen, though, Flacco’s experience and leadership as a captain of the team make him the best option to find success in an unfamiliar offense.

Putting Sanders into that position for his first ever NFL action would do him a disservice. It would be difficult for Sanders to thrive in Gabriel’s offense, and per Rapoport, “the Browns want Sanders to be successful when he’s out there.” When Cleveland finally makes the call to give Sanders a shot at the QB1 role, they want him to do so in an offense catered to him instead of one catered to the shorter, shifty, left-handed Hawaiian. So, unless multiple injuries take place, Sanders won’t be making a surprise debut; it should be announced in advance giving the team a week (or more) to develop a gameplan.

In the meantime, Sanders has continued to improve while out of the spotlight. He’s had to make up a lot of ground on Gabriel ever since they were drafted, and though he holds the official QB3 designation, there’s reason to believe he may also get an opportunity to take the reins of the offense at some point this season. Whenever that occurs, though, it’ll be after the Browns are able to design and practice a gameplan just for him.