By DANNY BRIDGES
No matter what your opinion is about Shedeur Sanders, it’s obvious the young man couldn’t care less about what those who cover the NFL really think about him. With plenty of confidence and a truckload of bravado to boot, he is both an entrepreneur and a football player as well.
You all know who his Father is and what the two of them have done together since arriving at the University of Colorado.
Ticket sales quickly increased dramatically, and NIL monies became part of the world in which Shedeur and his ultra-talented teammate Travis Hunter were living.
Deion Sanders has always been a combination of P.T. Barnum and a world-class athlete, as well as fiercely protective of his son.
No one has promoted his son more than the man who created the “Prime Time” persona, and while that approach provided substantial monies and other assets for Shedeur, it also created a level of hype that realistically cannot be lived up to.
As a college quarterback playing in a system tailored specifically for his skill set, he has enjoyed several moments that were enough to make scouts pay close attention to him and subsequently dissect his game.
While it’s clear there is talent, there’s also the altered ego of the quarterback off the field living a life that’s lucrative with blue chip endorsements from Nike, Gatorade, Beats By Dre and Mercedes Benz. Not a bad array of partners to be affiliated with.
While some thought he would be drafted early in the first round, l wasn’t one of them. I saw an arm that’s not consistent with that of an NFL starting quarterback and too many instances where his passing attempts deeper down the field weren’t spirals and often fell incomplete. He’s also not tremendously big in physical stature, but he is an agile individual and not afraid of contact when running the ball.
Those things aside, Sanders did himself no favors by opting not to participate in the Senior Bowl or the NFL Combine in terms of conducting passing drills.
He also apparently forgot that when sitting down with NFL coaches and front office personnel, he was in a job interview and certainly in no position to bargain with them.
Before you ask me what makes me an NFL scout, let me say I’m not one. There are many people out there who know more about evaluating young talent than I ever will, but when speaking with a former Colts executive about how these situations can get sideways quickly and are often irreversible, a part of me also felt some of the P.R. sideshows could have been handled better.
The point is Sanders will be going to mini-camp this month with the Cleveland Browns and will more than likely be listed as the fifth option on the QB depth chart, which may seem unusual for a talented young man that I refuse to throw under a bus and write off accordingly.
Is there an opportunity here for him to leave his ego at home and play hard every down in the quickly upcoming minicamp?
Of course, there is. Will he be humble and participate in drills that he may not be accustomed to from his time in Boulder?
I sure hope so, as having an opportunity for himself could certainly lead to other things.
He’s been beaten up a lot in the last week or so, but the Browns need a quarterback, and maybe Shedeur can compete for the job.
It’s okay if he wants to rap and collect cars and jewelry because that’s his right to do. Many players incorporate similar characteristics into their lifestyle, but it has to be off the field and out of the locker room.
Being the first guy in the weightlifting session and always hustling back to the huddle after being sacked is a good idea.
Does this young man have what it takes to become a starter in the NFL? I don’t think so currently, but the Browns do need a quarterback, and he could get some playing time.
How he handles being a reserve will go a long way in determining if he can stick it out and mature as an individual and not just a professional football player.
I, for one, wish him well, and I won’t throw him under the bus. It is, however, time for Shedeur Sanders to fully realize the bus is still warming up in the parking lot and he will either be on it or under it soon.
Danny Bridges, who would love to be wrong about this young man, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
