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Shedeur Sanders turned heads recently with his impressive statistics during the Cleveland Browns' organized team activities (OTAs). However, his current position within the team tells a different story. Sanders, who is currently the fourth-string quarterback, demonstrated his potential by completing 7-of-9 passes and throwing three touchdowns during 7-on-7 periods. Despite these impressive numbers, Mary Kay Cabot from Cleveland.com emphasized that Sanders did not participate in any 11-on-11 drills during the OTAs.

The Browns' quarterback battle includes contenders Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and Dillon Gabriel, who all took part in the recent practice sessions. With Deshaun Watson expected to miss the season due to Achilles tendon surgeries, the competition for the starting role is intense. Cabot and Dan Labee discussed Sanders' situation on the "Orange and Brown Talk" podcast, providing context to his standout stats, which were notably achieved without the pressure of a pass rush, as 7-on-7 drills offer a more favorable environment for quarterbacks.

Spring practices are typically structured to benefit offensive players, with defensive linemen merely running past quarterbacks and raising their hands to simulate sacks. The 7-on-7 format further enhances offensive performance by removing the pass rush entirely, allowing quarterbacks to operate in comfort. This context is crucial in understanding Sanders’ exceptional stats from the OTA sessions.

For a point of comparison, during last week's OTA, the Giants allocated most of their first-team 11-on-11 reps to Russell Wilson, with rookie Jaxson Dart even seeing some action with the starters. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston ran the second-team offense, and fourth-stringer Tommy DeVito took limited snaps with the third team. Similar to DeVito’s situation, Sanders has to work his way up from the fourth-string position.

Sanders is not at fault for the attention his practice stats have garnered. He has made the most of the limited opportunities he has been given. Before Sanders can realistically aim for a spot in a live game, he needs to start earning 11-on-11 reps, which are currently being taken by Pickett, Flacco, and Gabriel. His success in 7-on-7 drills represents a promising start, but he still has a long path ahead in his quest to move up the Browns' quarterback hierarchy.