BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Shedeur Sanders is used to his every move being scrutinized.
But one thing he hasn't been accustomed to is not getting all the snaps in practice.
In his first couple of months in the NFL, Sanders has had to learn what life is like as a fourth-string quarterback.
“I’m managing it real well,” Sanders said Tuesday after the Cleveland Browns completed their first practice of their mandatory minicamp. “I would say it’s just a mindset, this adjustment. You got to go and understand the situation that you’re in and be able to approach that and get the best out of it. You could view things as you’re not getting reps in a negative way, or you could view it as, OK, when is my time to get out there? Let’s be proactive and let’s get going.”
Sanders has shown steady progress since he was selected in the fifth round (144th overall) by the Browns and reported for the team's rookie minicamp on May 9.
With Joe Flacco's workload reduced on Tuesday, Sanders got his first extensive snaps in full-team drills during practices that were open to the media.
On the final snap, Sanders connected with Luke Floriea on a skinny post route while under pressure.
One highlight came during a 7-on-7 drill when he threw a deep ball up the right sideline to Gage Larvadin with cornerback Dom Jones in coverage.
Another big adjustment for Sanders is trying to get through his progressions quicker so that he avoids sacks. Sanders was sacked 94 times over his last two seasons at Colorado, the most by a QB in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and that contributed to his drop in the draft.
“It’s definitely going through the progressions and getting comfortable and knowing the ins and outs of everything. So, when you go on the field, I already have a different type of confidence by myself, regardless,” he said, adding that when training camp begins, “I’ll be there.”
Coach Kevin Stefanski said going through progressions is a bedrock of offensive efficiency, but mastering that skill can take time.
“Being able to get through a progression is not as easy as it sounds. Your eyes are studying the defenders and seeing what they’re doing, and then ultimately, you’re listening to your feet,” Stefanski said. “To quote an old Gary Kubiak line, you have a prescribed drop for a play, and that drop, and those hitches will take you where the ball is supposed to go.”
While some Browns fans would love to see him start the Sept. 7 opener against the Cincinnati Bengals — or soon thereafter — Sanders said his goal is to become as polished as he can.
“I got time to be able to grow and mature and be able to understand the ins and outs of the defenses and be able to get the good insight from the vets in the room," he said. "So, I look at it as a plus. I got time to actually be able to really have a great understanding. And whenever, you know, it’s time for me to play, then it’s time for me to play.
"But I’m not looking too far in the future about all that. I’m looking about every day in practice because I had some misses out there today that, you know, we got to go in there and correct, reads getting in and out drops a little bit faster from under center. So that’s the main thing. I’m focused on the small things, and over time, the big things will happen.”
One questions Sanders did not answer was about the health of his father — Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders. The elder Sanders has not attended football camps at Colorado and discussed some health challenges on a recent podcast.
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