Every so often, a prospect entering the NFL gets more analyzed, scrutinized, and criticized than all others, combined. Early indications suggest that former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be that guy in 2025.
The post-Combine noise has gotten loud. Most of it has come from scattered reports based on the opinions of the always-reliable “anonymous evaluators.” He supposedly rubbed some the wrong way by coming across as “arrogant” and “brash.” (OH NO! An NFL quarterback can never succeed as a leader of the team and the primary source of its on-field confidence if he’s arrogant and/or brash.)
There will surely be other negatives. In many respects, whispers knocking a prospect come from people with teams who would love to see the player slide down the board, so that they’ll have a chance to draft him. Some in the media are already suggesting that Shedeur Sanders might slip all the way out of round one.
With Sanders, there’s another dynamic that cannot be ignored. Colorado coach (and Shedeur’s father) Deion Sanders has said he’d only take a head-coaching job in the NFL if he would be coaching his son. This means that the NFL head coach who lands Shedeur will need to have sufficient self-confidence to not worry that, in a year or two, the coach could be supplanted by Deion.
Shedeur’s first NFL head coach also will have to be wired to shrug at any comments from Deion regarding the reason for any struggles that Shedeur might experience. Will Deion blame it on the quality of the roster around him? Will Deion blame it on the coaching?
Plenty of coaches might get skittish about the Deion factor. They might think that, by signing off on Shedeur, they’ll be signing their eventual pink slip.
Deion surely knew his comments would have that impact on certain coaches. And therein lies the method to the potential madness. At a time when most players care only about being drafted as high as possible, given that the money in the first contract drops dramatically the later the player is picked, Deion realizes that it’s far better for Shedeur to land in the right spot.
The right spot will be with a coach who is sufficiently secure in his position, skills, and abilities to not think twice about Deion’s statement that he’d only come to the NFL to coach his son.
It’s a way to engineer Shedeur’s landing spot without pulling an Elway or an Eli. Shedeur can say without hesitation that he’ll play for anyone. And any coach who would feel threatened by the possibility of Deion eyeing his job won’t want Shedeur. Those coaches will look for negatives, whether it’s “he’s arrogant and brash” or “he’s not big enough to take NFL hits” or whatever else the “anonymous evaluators” will be spreading to folks in the media who will willingly run with it.
Chances are Deion knows exactly where he wants Shedeur to go. And if it means sliding out of the top five or the top 10 or the top 20, so be it. Lose the battle, win the war.
Without running the risk of pissing off (again) those who have been brainwashed into thinking it’s “an honor and a privilege” to be drafted by any NFL team, there’s no honor or privilege in being forced to join a dysfunctional team that earned its spot at the top of the round in part by having a history of derailing the careers of young quarterbacks.
Look at the draft order. Consider the teams that currently need quarterbacks. Consider the coaches who aren’t and wouldn’t be bothered by outside noise, regardless of the source.
Given those two factors, maybe one or two teams fit the bill.
#ready #attacks #Shedeur #Sanders
