BEREA ― Todd Monken tried to put a little more context around the NFL Network report that came out the evening of Aug. 4 prior to the Browns’ seventh training camp practice the next day.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported the day before that in a conversation with Monken, the Browns coach had said both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders were going to start one of the first two preseason games. Wolfe reported that Monken had yet to determine the order.
“Cam took a little liberties with what our conversation was like,” Monken said Aug. 5. “Basically, we talked about that the quarterbacks are going to play in the preseason. And obviously if it’s still a competition that time, why wouldn’t you start one and start the other? And then we would go from there. That was really what the conversation was. He wasn’t wrong in what we talked about, which you’ve all known that, that they’re going to play in the preseason and someone has to go out there for the first snap. Thus they would be the one that starts. But at this point, we’re so far from that, that it’s not really as important as what it kind of got made out to be.”
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The Browns open the preseason Aug. 15 at the Chicago Bears, with a home game against the Buffalo Bills Aug. 22. They will have a joint practice against the Bills as well on Aug. 20.
Monken has made it clear throughout the process that the only real deadline is the one Sept. 13, when the Browns open the regular season at the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s also said that the true evaluation, at least at the competition level, wouldn’t happen until they get out of the install portion of training camp, which will be the Aug. 6 eighth practice.
Could that make Aug. 7 a day to watch in terms of potential depth chart adjustments? Or could that come the following Monday, as they start the week leading into the first preseason game?
“It’s possible,” Monken said. “I haven’t gotten that far ahead. I really haven’t. Like OK, tomorrow’s another install. We’ll rotate where the quarterbacks are in terms of where they started. Like all positions, it’s always in flux. Do I think that, to answer part of that question, which is come Monday, would you like to have, OK, we’ve had 10 practices, right? OK, where are we at? Where do we see the pieces? Left tackle? Who’s going to be what spot at receiver? What gives us the best chance to move the football? Right guard. You’re like, OK, OK, let’s start to, if we can, which you’d like to. They haven’t started established where you think you’re at at that moment.”
Sanders and Watson have been alternating days with the No. 1 offense through the first seven days of training camp. Watson has been with that group on the odd-numbered days, including Aug. 5, while Sanders has been going with the even-numbered days.
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Through the first six practices, Sanders has been the more consistent of the two quarterbacks, although he’s not clearly pulled away. Watson, meanwhile, has struggled with some consistency in stacking good throws on top of good throws.
“I’m thinking about today and I realized this morning that I think today Deshaun was with the ones,” Monken said. “I really don’t … It’s OK, tomorrow will be the other way and then we’ll just keep going from there. When you and the other coaches are meeting, do you talk about who’s ahead, who’s doing well in this quarterback competition or is that different? For sure. No, I think to say who’s ahead is a little extreme, but we always, we evaluate every day where our roster is, who’s where. Try not to knee jerk react on the one day. That’s hard to do. But we want every day to go as smooth as it can and it doesn’t.”
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: What Todd Monken said about Browns QB competition, depth chart changes
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
