Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry typically does not say much, but when it comes to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, he sure seemed excited.
Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski met in person with Sanders ahead of the Shrine Bowl over the weekend in Arlington, Texas.
Then, they skipped over to Mobile, Alabama for the Senior Bowl, where Berry discussed the meeting in a little bit greater detail.
“Shedeur is a really impressive young man,” Berry told Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “He’s poised, he’s calm, he’s smart and you can tell that he’s been raised by—quite honestly—a Hall of Fame dad. We’re going to get to know him even more over the course of the spring, but he’s really impressive.”
Berry never speaks this openly about anyone. He’s your typical, savvy GM who operates in silence, giving the media almost nothing to look into.
So why gush about Sanders? There are a few reasons.
It’s no surprise to the rest of the NFL that the Browns need a quarterback after making the worst trade in NFL history for Deshaun Watson. Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are expected to be the top quarterbacks selected, and the Browns have the No. 2 overall selection—putting them in a pristine position to draft the Colorado prodigy if he is available.
On the inverse, Berry could be putting on his best salesman outfit and working some reverse psychology. Due to the Watson disaster, the Browns have not had a first-round pick in the last three years. The roster has plenty of holes, and the Browns could opt to trade down a few spots, get more draft capital and punt on the quarterback position until later in the draft or next year.
In late January, it only benefits Berry to speak highly of quarterback prospects. He wants the rest of the NFL to believe that if Sanders is available at No. 2 overall, he will be selected by the Browns. That would entice other QB-needy teams like the New York Jets, New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders to trade into No. 2 overall, forking some of their draft capital over to Cleveland in the process.
Berry also stomped out speculation that the Browns would be influenced by the wishes of Shedeur’s father, Deion Sanders, who has said publicly that he would influence where his son and Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter would play in the NFL. The Browns said they are “confident” that Sanders would be fine playing for the Browns.
That should indicate that Sanders to Cleveland is a real possibility if the Browns hold onto the No. 2 overall selection.
Maybe Berry loves Sanders. If he does, the only team that could spoil his plans is the Tennessee Titans, who have the No. 1 overall pick and also need a quarterback. They met with Sanders at the Shrine Bowl as well.
After a dreadful 3-14 season, perhaps Berry finally feels the pressure from ownership to find his own franchise QB quickly, and we’re watching the Browns talk themselves into Sanders in real time. Watson had a setback with his Achilles injury and mercifully won’t play in 2025, Jameis Winston is a free agent and the Browns don’t have a clear option to start the season at QB.
But maybe this is all one big, calculated bluff to sell the draft pick to the highest bidder.
It’s still January. We’re tremendously early in this process. Berry himself stated that they will get to know Sanders as the process unfolds throughout the spring. Only time will tell, but Berry’s comments sure are interesting.
