Cleveland Browns Training Camp Day 12: Notes & Observations
As we approach the Browns first preseason game camp reps start to take on a new meaning.
Deshaun Watson:
Watson took the first-team reps on Day 12. His first 11-on-11 pass was an interception on a significant overthrow, but he settled down from there and had a good practice. A highlight of his day was a seam shot downfield to Isaiah Bond, along with several quality throws to Denzel Boston and others.
Shedeur Sanders:
Sanders continues to take the majority of the second-team work. One trend has emerged on Watson days: when the Browns transition to 7-on-7 in the middle of practice, Dillon Gabriel has started getting some of the second-team reps. Sanders is still getting the majority of the work with that group.
Where the QB competition stands:
Watson has stacked together several good practices after a pretty poor start to camp. Sanders hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t been great enough to force the issue, either. Twelve practices in, it feels increasingly difficult for Sanders to win this competition through practice reps alone.
Sanders’ tempo remains something to watch: The biggest issue continues to be the speed of his operation. His drop can look a step slow, and there are times when he holds the football too long. He threw the ball away three times today. That’s good from the standpoint of avoiding sacks and bad decisions, but some of those plays also resulted from the process simply taking too long. He has to play with more tempo.
Preseason could be Sanders’ opportunity: I think Sanders’ best chance to change this competition comes during the preseason games and joint practices. Considering what we’ve seen from Watson in live football situations in the past, Sanders has an opportunity to show growth and potentially outperform him when things become less controlled. If he does, he can make Todd Monken’s decision much more difficult.
Run-game periods look good, although 11-on-11 is a different story:
