BEREA ― The last week of the Browns’ offseason program is arguably the most important. However, as important as it is, when it’s concluded, it’s not likely to provide as much finality as many people would like to see.
Mandatory minicamp begins June 9, the only three days this offseason new coach Todd Monken will have a chance to work with his full roster. In many ways, these three roughly 2- or 2½-hour practices won’t be much different than the 10 OTA days the Browns just wrapped up.
“Yeah, I expect it to be the same,” Monken said after OTA No. 8 on June 3. “We actually get more time with them. … We got a lot of work to do. We just do. We got a long ways to go, as every team does in putting a product together that we jump right out of the gate when we head to Jacksonville.”
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Naturally, even after replacing Myles Garrett with defensive end Jared Verse a week ago, the biggest spotlight will remain on the quarterback position. Deshaun Watson was presumed by many to have established himself as the front-runner, if not thepresumptive heavy favorite, to win the starting job.
However, Monken has never deviated from the line that he believed Shedeur Sanders was firmly in the mix to hold onto the job that he had for the final seven games of the 2025 season, albeit under a different coaching staff. After the last OTA open to the media, Monken said, “I’ll just tell you, we got two starting-level quarterbacks. We really do.”
Will the Browns have one named at the end of these three days? The likelihood is that Monken won’t do so, instead allowing the competition to continue into training camp at the end of July.
“Yeah, I don’t even know if I will be,” Monken said when asked about a firm quarterback depth chart at the end of minicamp. “Each day that changes. It just does. I mean, I see what you see, right? We look at the film and then we assess that. And, again, I think both of them are doing exactly what we’re asking to do and competing like hell.”
Monken, along with quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian and offensive coordinator Travis Switzer, have attempted to give both Watson and Sanders as many opportunities as possible to work with the No. 1 offense. The last open OTA, for example, seemed to feature Sanders more than Watson.
That was a reversal from the first open OTA, where it appeared Watson was getting more of the reps than Sanders. The media was only able to watch three of the 10 OTAs, but Monken said every effort has been made to keep the two on a relative level playing field.
“Doesn’t always work exactly every other day, but we’ve tried as best we can to give those guys equal reps, equal opportunities with the groups, be it the ones, the twos, the threes, whatever that might be to certainly give ourselves the best chance to evaluate their play within reason,” Monken said at the Browns Foundation golf outing at Firestone Country Club June 1.
“Now every day’s a little bit different in terms of situational football. Some days you’re throwing it more than others. Some days are a little bit more red-zones. Not every day’s equal in terms of their opportunities, but you try as best you can to spread out who they’re doing it with.”
All of the quarterbacks have been practicing with GoPros on the top of their helmets. The video reasoning behind that is obvious — it allows the coaches and quarterbacks to go back and see where their eyes were directed on a given play.
However, Monken said last week the added advantage is the audio component to what they’re doing. That’s allowed them to hear the quarterbacks’ checks at the line of scrimmage, even judge the volume of their cadence or other aspects that can add context to what’s on the film.
“Used it before,” Monken said. “Obviously the advantage is being able to use when you get the video and the audio, but that does take time. How do you piece it together for the player? How do you organize it from when you’re relooking at the tape? All right, from point one or point A from like, OK, you got the call, the huddle, on the field and then how the play develops. So it’s been really cool. It’s been a good learning tool for our guys.”
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These minicamp days, whether they provide a definitive depth chart or not, will stand as a final exam for the offseason installation process. The OTAs, and even some of the on-field work as separate from the opposite side of the ball during phase two, were part of the gradual ramp-up into the new schemes for all of the players, not just the quarterbacks.
That ramp-up appears to be completed with the end of OTAs. Now, Monken wants to see how it all transitions into what’s next, be it quarterbacks or anyone else.
“We’ve got all the installs in twice, today would have been our last install,” Monken said June 3. “Offensively, we got it in phase two. So now the next four practices we’ll get to really work. Who are we really? You know, as opposed to all the installs. And every day you’re working situational football, so there’s certain things you’ve got to get in just game-ending situations.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson vs. Shedeur Sanders battle enters final offseason stage
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
