Browns’ Shedeur Sanders could lose QB competition because he lacks key trait of competitor

Billy Heyen

Browns’ Shedeur Sanders could lose QB competition because he lacks key trait of competitor image

The Cleveland Browns' four-headed quarterback competition still has a ways to go.

Rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel are trying to prove they belong in the conversation with veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

But only one of those guys has a particular trait, one that could make the difference once preseason games roll around.

Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot broke down the fact that Kenny Pickett is more naturally mobile on certain QB plays than the other competitors.

"That will be Pickett’s superpower in the competition: the mobility that will enable the Browns to be creative and unpredictable in the return to Kevin Stefanski’s offense," Cabot writes. "With him at the helm, the Browns will not only use his legs to their advantage, but will also run the ball a lot and rely heavily on play-action. Pickett, who went 14-10 in his 24 starts in Pittsburgh, also excels at distributing the ball and letting his receivers create after the catch."

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Pickett wasn't a flashy starter in Pittsburgh, but as Cabot writes, he had a winning record there.

He might actually have some untapped potential, like a Baker Mayfield, to do better after an adjustment period with a new team.

Pickett may not win the competition for other reasons, but at least in the mobility category, he's got a leg up.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle