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Shedeur Sanders draft row: Browns were ‘forced’ to pick Colorado star; ‘a call was made’
NFL officials were reportedly behind Shedeur Sanders unexpectedly slipping down the rounds, and the Cleveland Browns were, in fact, asked not to pick him
There's much more to the Shedeur Sanders draft slip story than it meets the eye. NFL officials were reportedly behind the Colorado quarterback unexpectedly slipping down the rounds, and the Cleveland Browns were, in fact, asked not to pick him. However, a call was made and Sanders was selected as the 144th overall.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson was talking with Fred Roggin and Rodney Peete on the 'Roggin and Rodney' show when the Los Angeles Rams star said that he thought the Rams should've selected Sanders. He then spilled some tea.
"I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that's in the NFL that the NFL told [teams] don't draft him, do not draft him," Dickerson said. "We're going to make an example out of him. And this came from a very good source, a very good source."
The Colorado alum was expected to be picked in the first round, but he slipped down to the fifth. Dickerson's source said that the league officials also called the Browns during the draft, asking them to not go for Sanders.
However, they were forced.
“He said that – I won't say who – somebody called the Cleveland Browns and said 'don't do that, draft him.' Because they weren't going to draft him either... They were forced into drafting him because somebody made a call to them,” Dickerson added.
"So what was the objective? He doesn't get picked, he's an undrafted free agent?" Roggin asked.
“That's exactly what was going to happen. They were going to have him not get drafted to basically show you 'this is what happens when you do this.' I mean, look, [Roggin], the NFL's got all kinds of power, they do all kinds of stuff. You know it and I know it too,” Dickerson responded.
Joe Flacco or Shedeur Sanders?
The Browns, for now, have confirmed that Flacco, a veteran, will start for then in Week 1. Sanders and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel are likely to fight for QB2.
