Will alleged speeding incidents cost Browns' Shedeur Sanders' chance at winning starting job?

Some determined after the Cleveland Browns' mandatory minicamp that rookie Shedeur Sanders deserved an opportunity to win the starting quarterback job as part of a competition that features fellow first-year pro Dillon Gabriel, veteran Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

However, such takes were voiced before ESPN and other outlets revealed that Sanders was cited for speeding in Ohio twice in June and also failed to appear for an arraignment regarding the first citation. 

During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer discussed how Sanders' off-the-field incidents could impact where he is on the depth chart later this summer. 

"Right now, everything that these guys are doing, especially the rookies, they’re definitely being scrutinized, but everything that these guys are doing in the quarterback competition, it’s all being thrown into the hopper," Cabot explained. "And what you do off the field and what you do on the field, it all matters. It’s all part of the evaluation." 

Many viewed Sanders as a first-round talent, but he fell to the fifth round of the draft before the Browns traded up to take him at pick No. 144 after he allegedly "bombed" some predraft interviews. Cabot suggested Sanders' supposed driving habits raise a new "red flag" and concerns about "his mentals and everything." 

Browns spokesperson Peter John-Baptiste told the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Alex Darus that Sanders is "taking care of the tickets" and that the team has "addressed the citations" with the signal-caller. Per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, Sanders acknowledged on Thursday that he "made some wrong choices personally" and "can own up to them."

That said, Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock of the Cleveland Plain Dealer pointed out during the podcast that Sanders' handling of the citations sparks some questions about his relationship with the organization. 

"I can’t imagine a scenario in which the Cleveland Browns organization knows about this and doesn’t handle it because they have people that handle all kinds of things," Bastock said. "... If they know when something like that is going on, they jump in. They are involved immediately. It’s very efficient a lot of times, especially when it comes to the legal system."

Cabot added that the Browns would've made sure Sanders didn’t miss his arraignment had he "promptly informed" the club about the first incident. 

Browns rookies are due to report to training camp on July 18. Sanders' actions over the next four weeks could determine whether he is given a chance to emerge as Cleveland's QB1 for its Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7.