NFL Rumors: Shedeur Sanders pushing for QB1, Seahawks on Jadeveon Clowney and more

NFL training camp always brings a lot of news and rumors to go along with it, as certain players impress while others force teams to acknowledge needs they were trying to ignore. Though camp is officially just days old, there’s still a lot to dive into so far. From a tight quarterback battle in Cleveland to a former first-round pick eyeing a return on the free agent market, here are the latest rumors to hold you over after the first week of training camp wraps up.

Shedeur Sanders making early progress in tight quarterback battle

The Cleveland Browns have a lot of questions regarding their quarterback room, but it all centers around the battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson. Sanders is contending for the starting job, which is well ahead of where he was during last year's training camp. After Thursday’s session, Sanders was seen with his dad and former coach Deion Sanders, presumably talking about that day's practice. Through the first two days of camp, Sanders and Watson have been splitting first team reps evenly.

It seems that it’s a tight race between Sanders and Watson for the starting job, with neither separating themselves from the other so far. The Browns have a deep quarterback room again this year with Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green rounding out the quartet. We could go on all camp about who should win the job with Watson and Sanders at the forefront, but simply put, both quarterbacks will probably play this year. 

The Browns are known for using their entire allotment of quarterbacks each season. Last year, all three passers that made the team played and Watson’s Achilles injury hindered him from seeing the field. Watson will probably win the job due to his experience, but it doesn’t mean the end for Sanders in Cleveland. Sanders should have the advantage strictly based on how he finished last season and the potential he offers the Browns in the future.

Nonetheless, it’s a tight battle, and it should be noted that Sanders is actually getting a fair shot at the starting job compared to last year. He didn’t take first-team reps until he was called in to replace Gabriel during the season. He should be more prepared this season, whether he’s the Week 1 starter or his opportunity comes a bit later.

Jadeveon Clowney drawing interest from loaded NFC West contender

The Seattle Seahawks have to fill the hole Boye Mafe left in free agency, and they could turn to a former No. 1 overall pick in Jadeveon Clowney. This isn’t a bad move at all, but they’ll have to act fast. Cleveland is also very interested in a reunion, and this time they can offer a bigger role without Myles Garrett on the defensive line. In his two seasons in Cleveland, Clowney totaled 11 sacks, which is the most with any single team he’s played on since he was in Houston. 

In his lone season in Seattle, he had just three sacks in the 13 games he played. The Seahawks have to find a way to bolster their defensive line if they want to keep up with the Los Angeles Rams. This move makes a lot of sense because Clowney, despite entering his age-33 season, is still destructive. Since 2021, Clowney has two seasons with at least nine sacks and had 8.5 sacks last year with Dallas. 

Clowney will be a prime target for the Seahawks and the Browns as well as a team like the Green Bay Packers that needs pass rush help. It feels like Seattle and Cleveland will be the frontrunners, though. Each has their reasons to land him; the decision will come down to Clowney. Does he want to sign with a team that needs him but won’t be contending, or does he want one last shot at winning a Super Bowl?

Las Vegas Raiders potential favorites to land frustrated Vita Vea

The Raiders have a young, rebuilding team, but with Vita Vea requesting a trade after extension talks stalled, could they be interested in the veteran interior defensive lineman? It's not impossible, considering the Raiders have an inside man that knows how good Vea truly is. John Spytek is in his second year as the Raiders’ general manager, but prior to landing in Las Vegas he was a longtime executive in Tampa Bay. In fact he was part of the front office that drafted Vea.

This makes sense for the Raiders for a couple of reasons. They drafted well and spent a lot of their cap this offseason. But they’re still very young, so adding a veteran to the defensive line could go a long way toward helping them turn the corner. While it’s good for them to find young talent that will develop, they also need veterans who will be stopgaps for them in the meantime. There’s going to be quite a few teams interested in Vea, though, especially contending ones. 

But believe it or not, thanks to the in-house connection, Vegas could ultimately be the team that lands him. If they do, it shouldn’t be a shock and it could help them look a lot better this season than if they don’t add him. 

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