Cam Newton Calls Out Shedeur Sanders, Says It's Time to 'Lead With Work, Not Clout'

Retired NFL quarterback Cam Newton called on Cleveland Browns draft pick Shedeur Sanders to "lead with work, not clout" as he embarks on his rookie season.

Newton suggested on his 4th & 1 show that Sanders "took on the persona of a DB, not a QB." There's a distinction between the two in the eyes of the 2015 MVP because a quarterback is the "CEO" for his franchise:

NFL teams sent a pretty clear message to Sanders by letting him fall to the fifth round of the NFL draft. They saw some flaws in his game, enough to think he's not a nailed-on starter in the league. They weren't enamored with how he approached the predraft process, either.

After getting picked by Cleveland, Sanders told reporters he's ready for "whatever role" the team envisions for him straight out of the gate. It's safe to assume his ceiling early on is to back up the Week 1 starter, whether that's Kenny Pickett or Joe Flacco.

Sanders has a lot of skeptics to overcome, both around the NFL and within his own organization. After all, the Browns took Dillon Gabriel two rounds ahead of him.

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner has to let his performance and effort level in practice do the talking from here on out.