Myles Simmons ,
Facebook
Earlier this week, a report emerged from a Cleveland radio host that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not getting any practice reps as Bailey Zappe was running the scout-team offense.
According to the Browns, that’s inaccurate.
Quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave told reporters on Friday that all three of Cleveland’s QBs behind starter Joe Flacco — Dillon Gabriel, Sanders, and Zappe — are taking some sort of reps to replicate the team’s opponents.
“At times the concepts resemble what we would run here with the Browns, and at times it’s completely foreign. But the fact that they’re out there and having to make decisions and process and then deliver throws accurately, all that is really good,” Musgrave said, via transcript from the team. “And we try to engineer it or orchestrate it where certain concepts almost meet our quarterbacks. So, I’d say last week Bailey did some really good things that tried to replicate Joe Burrow. We’re doing some things, of course, to replicate Baltimore’s quarterback, Lamar [Jackson] this week with all three guys to really give the defense a good look, because being a scout team quarterback, you’re working on your own craft, but really it’s an art form to replicate the opponent so the defense can be ready to do their thing on Sunday.”
Musgrave acknowledged the Browns’ situation is different from the norm, as traditionally there’s one player who serves as the scout-team QB. But that’s not how Cleveland is operating.
“I’d say it’s a little bit different and it’s exciting because those guys do take pride in getting the defense ready,” Musgrave said. “They want to do a good job of replicating the opponent’s offense, and at the same time, they want to try to relate any play that they get to our game plan for that week, too, so they can feel like they can get a little double duty there.”
Musgrave also noted that Gabriel and Sanders “did a nice job” of transitioning to being in a reserve role after spending most of their football lives as clear starters at QB.
“They immersed themselves, both of them in the game plan, did a lot of drill work on the side both before and after practice,” Musgrave said. “And then they get some scout team reps so they can get some balls airborne and make sure that they’re staying in sync. Of course, because really Dillon [is] one play away and Shedeur [is] two plays away.”
Big Shield combines gambling, pro football, and the mob into a cautionary tale regarding inside information, and the dangers that come from selling it.
Football is back and so are Mike Florio and Chris Simms! Watch PFT Live for the latest news coming out of training camps Monday to Friday at 7 a.m. ET on Peacock and the NBC Sports NOW channel.
