Eric Mangini lit the match. Back in April, the former Browns coach went on FS1 and claimed that Jimmy Haslam himself pulled the strings on Shedeur Sanders’ draft pick. “I think the owner said, ‘In the fifth round, we’re gonna draft this guy,’” Mangini said, comparing it to the infamous Johnny Manziel fiasco. That’s the kind of accusation that sticks to an owner’s reputation like gum on a shoe.
Naturally, Haslam wasn’t going to let that narrative ride unchecked. He sat down in Berea last week, cracked a joke about how little he’s learned as an owner, and made sure to redirect responsibility. “Listen. We have good process,” he insisted. Then came the kicker: “If you’d have told me Friday night (Day 2) driving home, y’all are going to pick Shedeur, I would have said, ‘That’s not happening.’” Translation? Don’t look at me. That was GM Andrew Berry’s call.
But here’s the rub – “good process” doesn’t exactly explain drafting Dillon Gabriel in the third round and then circling back two rounds later for Shedeur Sanders. Even Cleveland radio host Anthony Lima wasn’t buying it. On 92.3 The Fan, he said, “My issue all along has been process. So, Jimmy is touting their very solid processes that led them to taking Dillon Gabriel and then two rounds later, Shedeur, knowing that look, the fan sentiment is going to be in Shedeur’s corner.” It’s hard to argue with him. How do you build a quarterback room like that and expect clarity?
”My issue all along has been process… To me they have set up this whole QB room for most likely failure. It’s going to be hard for one of them to emerge.”@SportsBoyTony pushes back on Jimmy Haslam’s comments about the #Browns draft process.
: https://t.co/aiFIYwJhaK https://t.co/Nbb5uNtTyV pic.twitter.com/eBvRPSPUPN
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) July 30, 2025
What the Browns actually built looks more like a quarterback trap than a quarterback competition. Anthony put it bluntly: “To me, they’ve set up this whole quarterback room for most likely failure. It’s going to be harder for one to emerge unless they get a rash of injuries.” And wouldn’t you know it, Kenny Pickett already picked up a hamstring strain. The one “rash” nobody wanted has arrived early, throwing the depth chart into chaos.
That’s the future waiting for Kevin Stefanski – walking into every press conference with four quarterbacks, no direction, and a fan base already split before pads are even fully on. Sure, Haslam might get away with blaming Berry. But the guy holding the clipboard, making the depth chart, and dealing with the fallout? That’s Stefanski. And right now, his so-called ‘future’ looks a lot like another Browns rerun: talented players jammed into a process no one trusts. But if the draft process made Stefanski’s life complicated, Shedeur Sanders is making it even messier – in the best way possible.
Shedeur Sanders won’t leave the field or the spotlight
The rookie refuses to leave the field. Literally. After a practice in Berea, when cleats were already off and most quarterbacks were halfway to their cars, Sanders was still throwing passes. As insider Brad Stainbrook put it, “Practice ended about 10 minutes ago. #Browns rookie QB Shedeur Sanders still out here.”
This isn’t some one-off moment either. Back in June’s minicamp, he stayed 20 minutes late, sharpening his mechanics. He even told his father, Deion Sanders, not to visit training camp. So, maybe, that’s why Coach Prime visited Shilo in Tampa. Fore Shedeur? The ‘proving’ is a lot bigger. So, no distractions allowed. On the field, that work is showing.
He threw for three touchdowns on Saturday, July 26. Followed it up with a perfect 9-for-9 day in padded practice… And even had Diontae Johnson grinning after a threaded red-zone strike. The ‘fifth-round flier’ is starting to look like the only quarterback Stefanski can’t afford to ignore.
And yet, that’s the trap again. Every extra rep Sanders takes, every highlight clip that circulates online, is another reminder of just how shaky Stefanski’s future really is. Because no matter how hard the head coach tries to play it safe, the rookie won’t leave the stage. Failure awaits Stefanski if he can’t turn this quarterback circus into something coherent. And right now, Shedeur Sanders is making sure the tent stays open.
The post Failure Awaits For Kevin Stefanski as Shedeur Sanders Refuses to Leave Training Camp, Says Browns Insider appeared first on EssentiallySports.