Browns Training Camp Day 10 Brings the First Major Shift in the Browns’ Quarterback Competition

Saturday brings first major shake-up in quarterback competition.

Matt Starkey/Cleveland Browns

We have talked at length over the past few days about the Browns’ quarterback competition timeline and whether head coach Todd Monken would make a decision sooner rather than later, or if this thing would extend deep into the preseason as he indicated to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe.

Day 10 may have finally given us the first major indication that one quarterback is in front of the other.

Monken said earlier this week that he thought it would become fairly evident who most of the starters were by Monday simply from watching practice. Yet, before Saturday, he said the quarterback rotation between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson would remain the same, with Sanders working with the first-team offense on Saturday.

That isn’t what happened.

Not even close.

Watson essentially took the first-team workload Saturday, working with the ones during both seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 periods, while Sanders and Dillon Gabriel split work with the second group. At one point, Watson was on one field with the first-team offense and defense while the other quarterbacks were working on the other field with the twos.

We aren’t talking about a small discrepancy in reps here. This wasn’t Watson jumping in for a handful of first-team snaps.

This was a complete departure from the rotation we had been watching throughout camp.

And it feels significant.

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Has Watson Taken the Lead?

The interesting part is that, through much of camp, I thought Sanders had been the better pure passer. But when it comes to the procedural and operational aspects of playing quarterback, Monken has made it pretty clear that Watson has been ahead.

It is also worth looking back at what has happened over the past several practices.

Day 7 on Wednesday was a Watson day with the ones, and he had his best practice of camp easily. Before that, consistency had been the issue. Watson would make several really good throws and then follow them with several poor ones. He wasn’t stacking enough good football together.

Since Wednesday, however, Watson’s play has improved.

Now we get to Saturday, and suddenly the rotation looks nothing like what we were told it would.

A Browns spokesman said after practice that there were certain personnel groupings the coaching staff wanted to see with Watson, explaining the discrepancy between the announced rotation and what actually happened.

That explanation is worth acknowledging, but this wasn’t what happened Thursday when Watson stepped in for some first-team seven-on-seven reps on what was otherwise a Sanders day.

Saturday was different.

Watson was the guy with the ones for essentially the entire practice on what was supposed to be Sanders’ day.

The Browns are off Sunday and won’t practice again until Monday, meaning there won’t be an opportunity to get much clarification from Monken until then. For now, we are left with what we saw.

And what we saw strongly suggests Watson has moved into the lead.

Unless Monken comes back Monday with an explanation regarding Sanders’ workload — whether there was some physical issue or another reason for limiting him — it is difficult to view Saturday as anything other than a major development in this competition.

Monken has continued to reference a battle that could extend through the preseason, but I’ve always thought he would prefer to name his starter sooner if one quarterback separated himself.

The question now becomes: Could that announcement come as soon as Monday?

The Young Receivers Continue to Impress

Regardless of who wins the quarterback job, the offense has looked better in the passing game over the past few practices.

KC Concepcion and Harold Fannin Jr. had big days Saturday, while Isaiah Bond and Denzel Boston both played well over Days 9 and 10.

This receiving corps is young, but there is legitimate talent in the room. Their continued development matters because whoever quarterbacks this team needs these young players to become reliable options quickly.

The Browns may not have a proven group from top to bottom, but the young receivers are giving reasons for optimism.

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