The Browns' decision to make a relatively quick quarterback change, swapping in rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel for veteran Joe Flacco, once again put the spotlight on the team's other rookie gunslinger: Shedeur Sanders.
The fifth-round pick has endured a whirlwind of a year, going from projected first-rounder and Heisman vote recipient playing under his father at Colorado to an NFL draft slide to the third day. He's brought some of the negative attention on himself—his questionable decision this week to mime answers to the media after Gabriel's promotion was evidently a response to criticism from Rex Ryan, and not a reflection of his feelings for his teammate—but it has far exceeded anything that he has earned since he got to Cleveland.
Despite early-season rumors to the contrary, Sanders has been running scout team for the Browns alongside Bailey Zappe, and in a recent interview with ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, opened up about how he's trying to handle that duty like a professional.
"It's concepts. Anytime you're throwing the ball, there's only so many ways you can get to different spots," Sanders said. "I just enjoy it, and like I say, that's my game day. It's my game day."
That has been a common refrain for Sanders, who spoke in September about getting the scout team receivers some good looks in practice.
"I look at it, I have six games a week, you know? So I'm happy, rather than just having one game a week on the weekends. The scout team receivers, all of us know every day is game day," Sanders said. "I truly believe the receivers we have on the scout team are really explosive and they're really great, they just need the opportunity. I'm very thankful I have those guys out there with me whenever I'm out there competing."
The take industrial complex around Sanders will continue on, and he may occasionally feed it with a stunts like the mime interview, with which he set himself up for misinterpretation, or his comments about the struggles of other quarterbacks in the league. More often, however, he has said the right things and seems to be embracing the grind that is being a backup quarterback.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 'It's My Game Day': Shedeur Sanders Has Mature Take on Browns Scout Team Role.
