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<\/a><\/p>\nBEREA, OHIO – JULY 28: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns signs autographs after Cleveland Browns training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 28, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n
1. How Up to Speed is Shedeur Sanders? This is a bit of a crazy moment, given how Sanders has basically not had any first-team reps during the first ten days of training camp. And yet, the most-hyped quarterback on the roster (at least outside of Cleveland) is being thrust into the starting role for the team\u2019s first preseason game.<\/p>\n
While I feel that Flacco has a leg up to be the team\u2019s starting quarterback in Week 1, the backup and No. 3 quarterback jobs seem wide open to me. I feel like there is going to be a mix of Cleveland wanting someone to establish themselves as the backup, but also wanting someone to impress enough to where they\u2019d have some trade value. If Sanders does well against the Panthers, great! But does that move him up the depth chart, or does it give Andrew Berry leverage to try to flip the fifth-round pick into a third-round pick, for example? I think there are multiple scenarios at play here, but either way, we want Sanders to perform well. I\u2019m not sure how realistic that outcome will be since he\u2019s scheduled to go up against the Panthers\u2019 first-team defense for a series or two.<\/p>\n
2. Field Goal Confidence: One of the Browns\u2019 big downfalls last year was the play of K Dustin Hopkins. After ten days of training camp, we\u2019ve oddly seen very little from the kickers in terms of drills. If the Browns get a few field goal situations set up, we need to see Hopkins put them through the uprights \u2014 any NFL team can\u2019t afford a second season of their kicker being in his own head.<\/p>\n
3. Return Units: We have heard about some of the kick\/punt return reps in camp, but it\u2019ll also be telling who is first up for those roles this week. We should see DeAndre Carter, but maybe one of the younger guys on the back end of the depth chart makes a nice play?<\/p>\n
BEREA, OHIO – JULY 25: Wide receiver Luke Floriea #37 of the Cleveland Browns watches during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on July 25, 2025 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller\/Getty Images) Getty Images<\/p>\n 4. Young Receivers: The Browns will be without Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman for the game. David Bell is still recovering from last year\u2019s injury, and Michael Woods was waived. That means there is a whole game for receivers like Jamari Thrash, Luke Floriea, Gage Larvadain, and others to try to make an impression. Floriea is a popular local name and has had a good camp, but Larvadain has also been solid. Could this be the year that Cleveland finds their next Taylor Gabriel (an undrafted free agent gem at receiver)?<\/p>\n 5. Top Rookie Defenders: The Browns\u2019 top two picks of this year\u2019s draft class were DT Mason Graham and LB Carson Schwesinger. It\u2019s hard to see how the front seven perform in camp when contact isn\u2019t typically encouraged, so it\u2019ll be exciting to get a glimpse of what both players offer up front. Graham is part of a talented defensive line, while Schwesinger takes the reins of the linebacker position after the retirement of Jordan Hicks and JOK being out for the year.<\/p>\n 6. Who Will the 3rd CB Be? The season-ending injury to Martin Emerson sucks for numerous reasons, and now Cleveland needs to find who a big piece of their defense will be in replacing him. Cameron Mitchell and Myles Harden are possible contenders, but I\u2019m viewing the job as wide open.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n