After a few terrible years of quarterback play for the Cleveland Browns, they’ll have an opportunity to replace Deshaun Watson in the NFL draft.
The No. 2 pick will give them a chance to select Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. However, with other teams needing a quarterback, the Browns have to be careful of someone jumping them for the No. 1 pick or the Tennessee Titans simply picking a quarterback themselves.
Another team to watch out for is the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders recently hired Pete Carroll to be their next head coach, indicating they believe they might have an opportunity to compete in the near future.
The Raiders have been one of the worst teams in the NFL over the past few years, similar to the Browns, but if they find their quarterback of the future, things could change.
In a recent mock draft from Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, that’s exactly what happened. Trapasso proposed a deal that would see the Raiders get the No. 1 pick and draft Sanders, in large part due to Tom Brady liking him as a player.
“We cannot rule out the possibility of the Raiders — and new minority owner Tom Brady — making an aggressive push to draft Shedeur Sanders. There’s a chance Sanders’ connection with Brady will make it too dicey for Las Vegas to simply hope and wait for him to fall to No. 6 overall,” Trapasso wrote on January 26.
Where Could the Browns Look if They Don’t Draft Sanders?
If the Cleveland Browns don’t get the opportunity to draft Sanders, they’ll likely look at Ward. However, if the front office doesn’t believe either of them would answer their biggest question, there’s a chance they could trade the pick or select somebody else.
Nonetheless, the Browns have something to think about here. The Las Vegas Raiders trading ahead of them or the Tennessee Titans selecting a quarterback, which seems all but guaranteed for one of those two things to happen, would be the worst scenario for the Browns.
Still, if they believe one could be the answer, that’s all they need. Trapasso thinks that will be the case, mocking Ward to the Browns at No. 2.
“Cam Ward has some footwork issues to clean up but does have quality improvisational skill and improved from in the pocket in each of his last three seasons in college,” Trapasso wrote. “The Browns HAVE to draft a quarterback, right?”
Brady Loves Sanders
Brady is known as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. Some even consider him the greatest to ever lace them up. The Cleveland Browns are looking for a Brady-level quarterback, but most teams in the NFL will never have one.
It’s the unfortunate reality of not finding a superstar quarterback, but that’s something the Browns will be looking to do during this draft cycle. If they don’t accomplish that, they shouldn’t expect much to change in 2025 and beyond.
However, Brady’s influence with the Las Vegas Raiders could become an issue in this scenario for the Browns, with Charles Robinson of CBS Sports reporting how much Brady loves Sanders’ game.
“From what I’ve been told about Brady’s opinion of Sanders — which he has shared with a handful of NFL coaches and executives over the past 18 months — there is a great amount of respect for Sanders’ focus on preparation, his ability to learn and adapt, his accuracy and determination in the pocket, and his toughness to take hits and still be resilient. I’ve been told that Brady has also been impressed that Sanders has avoided the pitfalls of being thrust onto the center stage of college football’s limelight after transferring to Colorado to play for his father, Deion.
“For the most part, Shedeur has never become a distraction, developed selfish tendencies or created issues with his public profile or fame that overshadowed his team or his game. He also stayed in school for four years and developed, which is something Brady has repeatedly and publicly said he values in a young quarterback,” Robinson wrote on January 2.
Comments
Tom Brady, Raiders Predicted to Jump Browns in NFL Draft