Trade rumors once again surround Shedeur Sanders as he moves in his second season with the Cleveland Browns. Amid uncertainty and a starting quarterback race that has not ended yet, he has earned major praise from a coach.

“I’m blown away. I think Shedeur has a really good vision of the field…I see something on the field that doesn’t resonate with me, and then when I go back to watch it on video, he might be thrown a deep post versus post safety look in what is maybe a jog-through type of tempo,” Mike Bajakian said.

Bajakian, the Browns’ quarterback coach, sat down to talk about the immense growth Sanders, 24, has shown recently. Bajakian's praise arrives as the Browns still haven't named a starter, a signal Sanders is in the conversation.

If the emerging reports of Sanders being possibly traded were added to that, Sanders’ longevity with the Browns is deeply concerning. 

Sanders, meanwhile, has seized the moment to prove he belongs and improve his game to fend off trade talk. On April 29, veteran insider Mary Kay Cabot reported that Deshaun Watson had the inside track to become the starter this season.

She even rallied behind him, but that was until Sanders reportedly closed the gap. Sanders is entering the training camp with remarkable improvement in his games.

What was Shedeur Sanders OTA performance like?

Both the contenders for the QB1 race, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, lead with snaps in the OTAs. While Watson led with first-team snaps, Sanders quickly won over Mike Bajakian with his improved grasp of the game.

“But then sure enough, I see that the post safety sat on the crosser and gave a post over the top, so they can throw the ball. His vision, his work ethic, has been good to see,” he said on June 26. 

Head coach Todd Monken even said that with Watson and Sanders, he has “two starters.” Bajakian has certainly vouched for Sanders’ improvement. The competition keeps oscillating between the two, but Sanders has seemingly taken the lead.

“(Watson) went into the spring as the clear favorite, and then Shedeur Sanders has bridged the gap at least somewhat,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted.

This is a remarkable take for Sanders. He did not end his rookie season with remarkable stats. Surely, he recorded the highest passing yards for the Browns with 1,400 passing yards, but they were not enough.

The Browns went 5-12 last season, and Sanders contributed seven touchdowns. Will this season be different than the last one? What do you think? 

Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar