BEREA ― The media was told by coach Todd Monken at 12:50 p.m. that Shdeur Sanders was going to be getting the No. 1 quarterback reps in practice. The practice started 40 minutes later, and by 2 p.m. it was clear the No. 1 reps were all going to belong to Deshaun Watson.
So, what exactly happened? It’s believed that the former was going to be the plan, until the Browns completed walk-through around noon and something changed.
A team spokesman’s statement simply said that “there were personnel grouping (Monken) wanted to see Deshaun with.” That’s the only official statement from the Browns on the subject. at least until Monken speaks before the next training camp practice on Aug. 10.
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Todd Monken’s course change seems like it’s saying the quiet part out loud
All of which leads to another thing Monken talked about before practice, which is the preseason opener next Saturday. Specifically, the fact the next practice will be the one where there’s a moere obvious delination between those who have a chance to play with the No. 1s and who is likely to be further down the depth charft.
The decision to give Watson back-to-back days with the No. 1 offense certainly seems like it hints at him also getting the start in Chicago Aug. 15. That already had seemed like the direction it was heading based upon a variety of indicators, plus an educated guess or two.
Monken’s actions with the quarterbacks in this practice make it feel like a virtual lock. That should make the Monday announcement, which he said was coming before practice, a bit of a formality.
Deshaun Watson has finished out the week strong
No one may annoint Watson as the 2020 version of himself. It might not even be right to say it’s the 2022 version.
However, Watson has had multiple good days over the tail end of the week. Three of them, to be exactly, and all with the No. 1 offense.
It started Aug. 5 with the first really good day for Watson in camp. That one, though, was buoyed by a large number of relatively short throws in the red zone.
The second practice was Aug. 7, but being indoors and in only helmets hangs as a bit of an asterisk. This one, though, was outdoors and in full pads.
More than that, Watson was his most consistent, both in his delivery and the deep shots. He had a go route throw to wide receiver Isaiah Bond where he was scrambling before letting it rip, while later there was a nice back-shoulder throw from the red zone to wide receiver Denzel Boston for another touchdown.
Those were just a couple of throws on a day where, for the most part, Watson was on the money. Which leads to the other piece of the quarterbacking puzzle.
Shedeur Sanders’ pre-snap struggles aren’t just a minor deal
There’s a whole lot of talk radio time and social media timelinres filled with people dismissing the criticisms from those saying Sanders has struggled with the pre-snap part of playing quarterback in Monken’s system. They’ll roll their eyes at the word “cadence” or say people are making too much of how it takes him too much time to get in the right play.
The reality is, Monken and quarterback coach Mike Bajakian both said back in the offseason that they were looking for a quarterback who could handle the “smoke.” That smoke wasn’t just being able to throw a crossing route, it was about being able to handle all that is put on the quarterback’s plate just to get to the snap, let alone after the snap.
That’s the area where Sanders has, undeniably, struggled more than Watson has this camp. It’s where Monken and others let their frustration show in the moment on the practice field, when the whistle blows because someone can’t get lined up correctly for the play.
That, to Monken, falls on the quarterback. It why Sanders can have the throws he’s had over the course of the first 10 days of camp, yet still find himself likely behind Watson in thee overall race.
Spencer Fano makes his presence finally known to Jard Verse
If Spencer Fano goes on to a 10-plus-year career as a Pro Bowl/All-Pro level left tackle, note this practice as when it truly began. There’s even a specific moment you can point to as the origin story.
Fano was holding his own against his Pro Bowl teammate Jared Verse in an 11-on-11 drill when they continued to spar after the whistle. It turned into a full-fledged scuffle as Verse got his hand caught on Fano’s facemask and ripped the helmet off and threw it to the side.
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The two linemen fell to the ground nexct, as Verse initially dropped Fano to his back. However, the two continued to roll through and Fano ended up on top of Verse as their teammates finally swarmed them to get them apart.
That moment was the one from Fano’s day everyone will remember. It’s the high numbers of snaps where the No. 9 overall pick was more than holding his own against the rush, be it Verse or someone else like Julian Okwara.
Fano had spent most of the time battling Dawand Jones to be the left tackle. This might have just been the day Fano finally grabbed the position the Browns desperately need him to win.
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: Todd Monken’s twist with QB among Browns training camp Day 10 takeaways
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
