“Well, first thing was, as he talked about footwork, cadence. Getting used to our cadence early on,” Monken said on May 9. “He was better today, but this morning and yesterday, choppy with his cadence. So, just getting our guys into a rhythm at the line of scrimmage. I think that was the second thing I need to work on.”
“We’re gonna have to be really diligent in trying to tighten down his release. When you’re talking about check downs, taking from as long of his release to really just being able to dart it, to get it quickly out of his hands into the hands of whether it’s a running back or a tight end.”
Browns coach Todd Monken on rookie QB Taylen Green and areas for improvement in his development:
• Footwork
• Cadence
• Tightening his release“I’ve been super impressed with his ability to really learn, process and take it to the field and then getting through his… pic.twitter.com/tngn7z8e8G
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) May 9, 2026
The problem areas Monken mentioned are evident in his college film.
At Arkansas, Taylen Green mostly did not play enough snaps at under center and break a huddle. This directly affects his lack of experience with cadence. Once he gets used to Monken’s NFL scheme, where he will have to call plays to his huddle and get under center, he will organically feel more comfortable with his cadence.
But footwork is something that’s been pointed out for some time now. There were discussions around this since his Boise State days. Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson mentioned in his scouting report that Green is “heel clicky and toesy.” At Boise State, the QB had to work on balancing his weight better on his feet while throwing. Those feet otherwise make him a serious rushing threat. Since this issue has been present till now, the Browns will have their work cut out for them on this.
But the most apparent flaw in Taylen Green’s game is the time he takes to throw. In a way, he can’t help it, since his 34 3/4-inch arms are the longest in the 2026 draft class. But having the ball with him for a long time allows defenses to catch up. They either get to him in the pocket, or defenders down the field can figure out what he’ll be doing. This has further affected his accuracy and caused turnovers to rack up.
Taylen Green is known for his “Superman plays.” But his completion rates for the last three years tell the other side of the story: 57.1%, 60.4%, and 60.7%. And, in the first two of those three years, Green was intercepted nine times each. In 2025, he was picked 11 times.
Green possesses elite arm talent, allowing him to make throws across the length of the entire field. He’s also able to throw bullet passes into tight NFL windows with little effort. His performance at the Combine was an absolute surprise, and that arm strength is a big reason why the Browns picked him up. This is someone who can throw for more than 2,000 yards per season, having done so thrice during his collegiate career.
But, Green still has a long way to go before becoming a pro-ready quarterback. He’ll need that time, since the logjam ahead of him needs to clear out first.
Taylen Green’s arrival complicates things for Shedeur Sanders
It’s been four years since the Browns made the blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans for Watson. But in these four years, the veteran has been mostly inactive. Cleveland scrambled to find a steady replacement and arrived at Shedeur Sanders. He wasn’t all that great, but he was still the man who held the fort down for the team. With Watson having become a distant thought for most fans, it was easy for them to assume Sanders would carry on as QB1 in 2026.
But for the second time in his career, it is a tough journey for him to lay his hands on the crown. For everyone, really.
Watson seems to be in extremely good health this offseason, causing the buzz around his return to grow. Cleveland insider Mary Kay Cabot was confident about him being named the starter should the league begin tomorrow. That pushes Sanders and fellow backup Dillon Gabriel to the background once again. And then, there’s Taylen Green.
He might not come for the others’ jobs just yet, but he was brought on as an option for the future. For now, Green plans to learn from the seniors in the room.
“They have experience in the league and having high success at a high level. So I’m just the young pup,” Green said after Day 1 of rookie minicamp. “I feel like a freshman again and just trying to take everything in and learn at a steep curve. I’m going to probably get on their nerves and ask a lot of questions, but that’s okay.
The Browns have won a miserable eight games across the past two seasons. If not Watson, the Browns are hoping that one of the other quarterbacks in the room can lead them back to relevance. Fans want Shedeur Sanders to be that choice. But with Taylen Green being in this room, Sanders’ patience and hard work will once again be tested.
