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The Cleveland Browns' loaded quarterback depth chart will begin to take shape over the coming weeks and into the summer when training camp starts. There is a hierarchy initially that has fans confident in what they should expect.
Usual starter Deshaun Watson could miss all of 2025 with an Achilles injury, leaving Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett who have the edge over the two rookies. Flacco, the fan favorite, will likely to command the starting job come Week 1.
But the competition between the rookies for positioning further down the lineup garners more interest. Shedeur Sanders' high profile helps in that case, but he will have to earn his way onto the roster.
If that was difficult to recognize on draft day, the Browns made that abundantly clear at rookie minicamp this week. Fellow rookie, drafted two rounds ahead of Sanders, took priority reps under center Friday.
The polarizing Sanders has folks on both sides of the spectrum reading the tea leaves as to what this means. But Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski made it abundantly clear that there is no rhyme or reason to that occurrence.
"Yeah I wouldn't look into it as anything." Stefanski said. "I think you'll see the whole weekend, going through the spring. We don't pay too much attention to who is going first."
#Browns Kevin Stefanski when asked why Dillon Gabriel got the first rep over Shedeur Sanders… pic.twitter.com/Si2ETyPX4n
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) May 9, 2025
Clearly, Stefanski has no interest in playing into the controversy narrative, especially after seeing these players for only one day on the field. Unfortunately, factoring Sanders into the equation makes that a reality of his job at this point.
Sanders was supposed to hear his name called before Gabriel though the latter went first. From that perspective, it makes sense that Gabriel takes some precedent.
At its core, this is a battle for the team's third string quarterback. Whoever separates from the other could have a future with the franchise, especially in Sanders' case.
But this specific battle is low on the list of items for Stefanski to work through as he prepares his team for the 2025 season.
More must-reads:
- Browns' Shedeur Sanders addresses missing practice with arm soreness
- Broncos' Sean Payton adds to Bo Nix hype with bold prediction
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Justin Fields Called 'Biggest Loser' In Jets Training Camp
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
Boston Bruins Bleak 2025-26 Outlook Raises Concerns
As the Boston Bruins prepare for the upcoming NHL season, there are a lot of questions around the roster. Boston missed the playoffs last year, taking a massive step back from where the team normally has been. But even entering this coming year, there isn't a lot of optimism around the Bruins. Boston has a few solid pieces on the roster, but the team hasn't improved much. This has led some to believe that Boston will again miss the playoffs next season. One of those people is NHL writer Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report, who predicted them to be on the outside looking in. "They lack a top-line center, don't have scoring depth after David Pastrnak, the defense wasn't always great even before the injuries to Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm and they desperately need Jeremy Swayman to bounce back and play like the $8 million per year goalie they are paying him to be," wrote Gretz. Boston is going to have a tough time competing in the Eastern Conference this season, and it could see them miss the postseason again. The Bruins haven't done all that much this summer to improve the team, and it could end up costing them. The direction of the Bruins remains one of the bigger mysteries around the NHL, and the front office has been kind of stagnant. If this team wants to contend this season, the best bet is to bank on the team staying healthier than they did last year. But betting on health throughout a season is typically a risky play. Boston's front office still has work to do, and the clock is ticking on them to add to this team.
Michael Hage’s Dominance Clear at World Juniors Showcase
The World Junior Showcase showed the dominance of multiple Montreal Canadiens prospects this past week. After discussing Koivu’s play in the mini tournament earlier today, it is now time for a discussion on the 21st overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Michael Hage. Much like his Finnish counterpart, the Canadian forward Hage stood out from his teammates throughout the showcase. Hage, who is arguably a top 3 prospect within the Montreal Canadiens pipeline, put on a show that should help him secure a role within Canada’s 2026 World Juniors team. The fact that he proved to be one of the best players for Canada this past week shows that not even getting an invite to the team’s final selection camp, despite a very strong freshman season at the University of Michigan, seemed silly, as even last year, he likely should have had a shot at making the team. Now that he managed to score a goal in all 4 games that he played for Canada at the World Juniors Showcase, there is almost no way that Canada can leave him off the roster. One of the most memorable moments throughout the whole tournament for Hage was definitely when he was in a scrum, mixing it up with his former Canadiens Development camp roommate, Aatos Koivu, as previously mentioned in my article from earlier today. Another amazing moment in that game was Hage’s goal, where he completely deked around the Finland goalie to put the puck in the net. It will be interesting to see where in the Canada lineup Hage will land, as a lot of notable names such as Michael Misa, Beckett Sennecke, and Tij Iginla did not play at the showcase. The good news is that the first two names may end up playing in the NHL, allowing a spot higher in the lineup for Hage. Another thing that will work well in Hage’s favour is that he is very versatile and can play on the wing or at centre for Canada. His coach even praised his “hard skills” for Canada during those four games he played. After watching Hage’s play over the last year, one thing is clear: he could be a play driver on whatever line he plays on for Canada. His game also seems like it will translate well at the pro level. Many may say that Hage must play a top 6 role for Canada, but the fact that he can play an aggressive style and has a strong defensive game could mean that he is also able to play in a bottom-six role if need be. The truth is it would be unlikely he would have to be on the bottom 6, but if the guys mentioned above aren’t in the NHL and are instead on the team, there is a chance that it could happen. This upcoming season with the Michigan Wolverines should be a big one where Hage could find his way in the Hobey Baker conversation if he improves on his 13 goals and 34 points in 33 games. The first half of the season will be telling for his place with Hockey Canada, whereas the 2nd half could also help him earn some time at the pro level. The way Hage has played since being drafted, it feels more like it’s more about when he’ll play for the Canadiens in a regular-season game, rather than if he will. Will Hage prove that he’s ready to play at the pro level this year at Michigan?
Packers reunite with old friend in effort to fix lingering roster issue that's become hard to ignore
The Green Bay Packers have brought back a familiar face to the secondary. On Monday, the team announced the signing of cornerback Corey Ballentine, who played parts of the past three seasons in Green Bay. He had signed with the Indianapolis Colts back in March, but got released on Friday, so general manager Brian Gutekunst didn't miss any time. As a corresponding move, the Packers released Gregory Junior. Why the Packers signed Corey Ballentine back Ballentine is an experienced cornerback and has been in the NFL since 2019. A former sixth-round pick, he has played for the New York Giants, New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals. The defensive back had first signed with the Packers in 2022 and then agreed to two short-term deals with Green Bay in each of the past offseasons. Last year, he played only 6.98% of the defensive snaps. However, he was an important special teamer, on the field for 44.12% of the snaps. Ballentine had a better year in 2023, when he played a significant number of snaps due to injuries in the Packers' secondary and allowed a 79.4 passer rating when targeted. Last season, that number went up to 112.5. On defense, Ballentine has alignment versatility, even though he's primarily a boundary cornerback. He's played 591 career snaps outside, 338 snaps in the slot, and 48 in the box. The Packers have handled significant cornerback depth issues. The team lost Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Robert Rochell this offseason. The biggest additions were free agent signing Nate Hobbs and seventh-round draft pick Micah Robinson. The team also moved wide receiver Bo Melton to corner, but an experienced player who knows the system and plays special teams is exactly what the roster needed—even though it's certainly not a defensive game-changer as fans would hope for. Green Bay's cornerback room has Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs, Carrington Valentine, Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, Bo Melton, Micah Robinson, Isaiah Dunn, Tyron Herring, and Garnett Hollis. Undrafted rookie Johnathan Baldwin is also listed as a cornerback, even though he's spent most of his training camp time at safety.
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