Ex-Cowboys DE anoints Shedeur Sanders as best option to save Browns from salary cap hell

Shedeur Sanders is less than a month away from learning his fate. At the same time, the Cleveland Browns are less than a month away from learning their fate as well. Will it be another year of waiting for Deshaun Watson's contract to expire, or will the Browns get proactive about turning the page to a new era?

Watson's injury adds another layer, but the options essentially boil down to waiting it out with a veteran or getting another player under center. On Wednesday's edition of "Unsportsmanlike" radio, NFL analyst and former Cowboys veteran Chris Canty echoed as such, viewing Sanders as the team's only option to counter their money issues.

"The Cleveland Browns are in cap hell," Canty said. "They need a cost-effective option at quarterback. What are the cost-effective options? It's trading for Kirk Cousins or drafting Shedeur Sanders at second overall. That's it. There's nothing else.

"If you draft Shedeur Sanders, he's on the rookie wage scale. So it makes sense in terms of what Cleveland's cap situation is going to be for the foreseeable future to go with one of those two guys. And to me, I'm rocking with Shedeur Sanders over Kirk Cousins. I think that's the best plan for Cleveland." (0:30)

Kirk Cousins is reportedly waiting until after the NFL draft to allow the Falcons to trade him. As such, the faster solution could be Sanders with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

What Shedeur Sanders' addition would signify for Cleveland Browns

Sanders at Super Bowl LIX-NFL Honors Red Carpet - Source: Imagn

The addition of Sanders to the Cleveland Browns would solve their quarterback issue in the short term, but the implications of the move would be profound.

First, it would be the team admitting that signing Deshaun Watson was a mistake. Thus far, the team has not made any official moves that could signify a desire to change away from Watson.

Adding a quarterback with the second overall pick is not a move made by a team looking to fill part of a season as they wait for their franchise quarterback. Adding Sanders would signify that Watson has likely started his final game for the franchise.

As such, as soon as he's healthy, the team would likely then have no choice but to attempt to offload the contract as soon as possible, including cutting him loose and eating the cap cost to do so. Of course, it would take the team making the move for Shedeur Sanders first.

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If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Unsportsmanlike" and H/T Sportskeeda.