PHOENIX \u2014 The NFL owners\u2019 meetings are over. The Cleveland Browns are set to open their formal offseason program next week while high-level meetings continue as the folks in charge finalize evaluations and begin to look closely at plans to address needs in the NFL Draft, which begins April 23.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot to consume after reporters spoke with team owner Jimmy Haslam, new coach Todd Monken and general manager Andrew Berry at the meetings. As Monken prepares for his first offseason program with the team, here\u2019s a translation of what I heard and a few predictions for how some of the major issues could be addressed in the weeks and months ahead.<\/p>\n
Shedeur Sanders should be first up<\/p>\n
I know the folks atop the Browns\u2019 organization publicly praised Deshaun Watson<\/a>. I wholeheartedly believe there\u2019s excitement for Watson getting healthy and trying to come back from his injuries and previous failures in Cleveland.<\/p>\n But I feel stronger than ever that Sanders, not Watson, is the favorite to win the starting job<\/a>. Sanders is 24 and signed for three more seasons. He was never the team\u2019s Plan A last season and might not be Plan A for the future, but giving Sanders every chance to win the job and make real progress is clearly the best option right now.<\/p>\n I think there will be a true competition. Based on the team\u2019s history, it\u2019s hard to predict much of anything. But the most direct path to the Browns escaping the Watson mess \u2014 every bit the \u201cswing and miss<\/a>\u201d Haslam called it last year \u2014 is Sanders taking the job and providing at least league-average quarterback play for an evolving and talent-deficient offense.<\/p>\n Sanders felt he didn\u2019t get a fair shake last spring and summer. As fourth in line, he never got the number of reps needed to make a strong impression. The time he missed last August due to an oblique strain ended any real chance he had to climb the depth chart \u2014 and there probably wasn\u2019t much chance of that happening anyway.<\/p>\n But after being forced to play in November and going on to start the final seven games of his rookie season, this will be Sanders\u2019 opportunity to take a real leap. He\u2019s been working on getting stronger. Social media posts show he\u2019s been throwing with teammates. The start of this offseason will provide Sanders with the chance to make real progress and become a more comfortable and confident player.<\/p>\n With the first month-plus of the offseason program mostly consisting of meetings, conditioning and drills, he can assert himself as a leader and work on mastering the new offensive system.<\/p>\n If Sanders puts his best foot forward, he\u2019s the Browns\u2019 best option for this summer and fall. I can\u2019t predict what happens when the season begins, and there is a world in which Watson outplays Sanders to the point that the coaching staff actually believes Watson could truly elevate the offense.<\/p>\n