The Cleveland Browns quarterback situation under Todd Monken is going to be a fascinating watch this offseason, and Shedeur Sanders will take center stage.
Having started the last handful of games last season, Sanders, it appears, at least, is the clubhouse leader to start under Monken.
Or so we thought.
The Browns have been in quarterback hell for years, dating back to Baker Mayfield’s tenure, and there are no signs of improvement.
But for ESPN’s Ben Solak, he thinks the Browns should offer Malik Willis a nice contract and ride with him for the next couple of seasons.
“The Browns should aggressively pursue and sign Willis in free agency. Why not?” Solak writes. “They should give Willis $30 million per year now, backload it and let him ride as their developmental starter for the next few seasons.
“His tools are so remarkably beyond those of Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, and he has a style of play similar to Lamar Jackson, with whom Todd Monken just worked. This is a good marriage.”
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Willis move nightmare for Sanders
If Solak’s thoughts do come to fruition in Cleveland, that would be a gut-punch for Sanders, because Willis would be the starter, no question.
But what it would also do is say to Sanders that the Browns don’t have faith in him to carry the franchise, and forcing him to sit behind another young quarterback, and maybe even be third string behind Gabriel, is a huge storyline if it were to eventuate.
From a Browns perspective, the Willis move is intriguing, and he offers a skill set that Monken knows he can work with.
But it just means that once again, Sanders will be pushed down the depth chart.
