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The first puzle piece in this month's NFL draft appears to have fallen into place.
Long-time Tennessee Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt, who now works for the team's official website, reported on X Saturday afternoon that the Titans and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders had mutually agreed to cancel an upcoming private workout. Wyatt's post stated the Titans "have seen 4 years of game film, scouted multiple games, and now attended a Pro Day they described as very impressive."
Or, translated, Tennessee believes Miami quarterback Cam Ward is its option for the No. 1 overall pick. The Titans attended both quarterbacks' pro days over the last two weeks, but only conducted a private workout with Ward, who has been the presumptive No. 1 pick for some time.
"The tape says everything I believe and I'm honest to that, " Ward said at the NFL combine about going No. 1 overall, "but I think just what separates me from everybody is the way I approach it, the mindset that I have going onto the field each and every game and I mean coming from my journey, not a lot of people can do that and so I just think it shows the work that I'm willing to put in whether I go first round or second round. At the end of the day, that draft pick don't mean nothing. It's all about establishing yourself once you get the opportunity."
That solidifies the Browns, with the No. 2 overall pick, as the early pivot point for the draft. Cleveland had close to a dozen from the organization, including owner Jimmy Haslam, general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski, in Boulder on Friday for Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's pro day.
The Browns had also met with and held a private workout with Ward in Coral Gables, Fla., a week and a half ago. Berry seemed reticent to try and trade up to No. 1 when asked in an interview with a small group of Browns beat writers, including the Beacon Journal, at the NFL owners meetings last Sunday.
"Candidly, I wouldn't necessarily see that as likely," Berry said. "There are a number of players that we like in this draft relatively high, but I think as we come to really the end of March, first week of April, we're coming down the home stretch so to speak about probably the player assessment phase of the draft process and then as we really get into month of April, that's when we really dive into strategy."
With Ward all but assumed to be going to Tennessee, the pool of players the Browns are considering with the No. 2 pick centers around Hunter, Sanders and Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter. They've met with all three of them privately in the last eight days, including dining with Hunter and Sanders on Thurday night ahead of their pro day.
Sanders' father and head coach, the Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, said Friday at a press conference that he thinks "one of those guys is gonna be there" when asked about meeting with Haslam. The debate has been whether that's Sanders or if the Browns will pass on a quarterback at No. 2 and instead go with the two-way star Hunter
Haslam, to the same group of Browns writers at the owners meetings last Monday, was asked if a more sure-fire player like Hunter or Carter would trump a quarterback with question marks like many have had with Sanders.
"Yeah, I think that's fair to say," Haslam said. "I mean, despite the fact that we haven't been very successful, we understand and value the quarterback position. We just haven’t got it right, and that’s the simple matter."
Sanders is one of four quarterbacks the Browns have been known to have worked out privately. They also worked out Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart and Louisville's Tyler Shough.
Cleveland could end up trading back into the first round to get a quarterback if it ends up taking Carter or Hunter at No. 2. It also has the first pick of the second round, as well as two others in the third round, on the second day of the draft.
"From where I sit, I'm excited that we're going to get a really, really good football player on this roster," Stefanski said at the AFC coaches breakfast during the owners meetings last Monday. "That's for us to talk through in terms of which player that is or if it's a trade back, you're moving back, you're still getting players you like and you're picking up players. So I think everything is available to us, but I think it's something that we'll talk through over the course of the next month."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Titans cancel Shedeur Sanders workout, opening door for Cam Ward at 1
Continue reading...
Long-time Tennessee Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt, who now works for the team's official website, reported on X Saturday afternoon that the Titans and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders had mutually agreed to cancel an upcoming private workout. Wyatt's post stated the Titans "have seen 4 years of game film, scouted multiple games, and now attended a Pro Day they described as very impressive."
Or, translated, Tennessee believes Miami quarterback Cam Ward is its option for the No. 1 overall pick. The Titans attended both quarterbacks' pro days over the last two weeks, but only conducted a private workout with Ward, who has been the presumptive No. 1 pick for some time.
"The tape says everything I believe and I'm honest to that, " Ward said at the NFL combine about going No. 1 overall, "but I think just what separates me from everybody is the way I approach it, the mindset that I have going onto the field each and every game and I mean coming from my journey, not a lot of people can do that and so I just think it shows the work that I'm willing to put in whether I go first round or second round. At the end of the day, that draft pick don't mean nothing. It's all about establishing yourself once you get the opportunity."
That solidifies the Browns, with the No. 2 overall pick, as the early pivot point for the draft. Cleveland had close to a dozen from the organization, including owner Jimmy Haslam, general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski, in Boulder on Friday for Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter's pro day.
The Browns had also met with and held a private workout with Ward in Coral Gables, Fla., a week and a half ago. Berry seemed reticent to try and trade up to No. 1 when asked in an interview with a small group of Browns beat writers, including the Beacon Journal, at the NFL owners meetings last Sunday.
"Candidly, I wouldn't necessarily see that as likely," Berry said. "There are a number of players that we like in this draft relatively high, but I think as we come to really the end of March, first week of April, we're coming down the home stretch so to speak about probably the player assessment phase of the draft process and then as we really get into month of April, that's when we really dive into strategy."
With Ward all but assumed to be going to Tennessee, the pool of players the Browns are considering with the No. 2 pick centers around Hunter, Sanders and Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter. They've met with all three of them privately in the last eight days, including dining with Hunter and Sanders on Thurday night ahead of their pro day.
Sanders' father and head coach, the Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, said Friday at a press conference that he thinks "one of those guys is gonna be there" when asked about meeting with Haslam. The debate has been whether that's Sanders or if the Browns will pass on a quarterback at No. 2 and instead go with the two-way star Hunter
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Haslam, to the same group of Browns writers at the owners meetings last Monday, was asked if a more sure-fire player like Hunter or Carter would trump a quarterback with question marks like many have had with Sanders.
"Yeah, I think that's fair to say," Haslam said. "I mean, despite the fact that we haven't been very successful, we understand and value the quarterback position. We just haven’t got it right, and that’s the simple matter."
Sanders is one of four quarterbacks the Browns have been known to have worked out privately. They also worked out Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart and Louisville's Tyler Shough.
Cleveland could end up trading back into the first round to get a quarterback if it ends up taking Carter or Hunter at No. 2. It also has the first pick of the second round, as well as two others in the third round, on the second day of the draft.
"From where I sit, I'm excited that we're going to get a really, really good football player on this roster," Stefanski said at the AFC coaches breakfast during the owners meetings last Monday. "That's for us to talk through in terms of which player that is or if it's a trade back, you're moving back, you're still getting players you like and you're picking up players. So I think everything is available to us, but I think it's something that we'll talk through over the course of the next month."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Titans cancel Shedeur Sanders workout, opening door for Cam Ward at 1
Continue reading...
