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There's no conspiracy or hidden agenda with Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders' placement on the team's depth chart heading into the season, according to franchise legend Joe Thomas, who offered a strong opinion this week on how the situation is being handled with his former team.

Thomas said there's "nuance in it, which the Shedeur Sanders cult doesn't have" relating to how the Browns are moving forward with their fifth-round selection at quarterback.

"The reality of the NFL Draft is that you have 32 teams that all want to beat each other, and so they're not conspiring together to sabotage somebody who, by the way, would be great for the league," Thomas said recently on "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich." "And he is great for the league, because the league wants eyeballs. They want people watching their games, they want these great personalities, and so there is no reason — there is no reason they would be trying to conspire against him and sabotage him. Actually, the opposite: They want to promote a guy like that because he is so great for the league. It doesn't make sense on any level."

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski's decision to bench Sanders for Tyler Huntley in the two-minute drill during Cleveland's preseason finale was met with widespread discourse, especially after the franchise cut Huntley the following day. The Browns have since named Joe Flacco their starter and Dillon Gabriel as the No. 2 ahead of Sanders following the Kenny Pickett trade to the Raiders.

Those vouching for Sanders to start or get more playing time fail to see the bigger picture, Thomas says.

"They just believe that we're morons for not being able to see that this guy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, the greatest quarterback since Tom Brady, and he's ready right now to be able to elevate the franchise to their first Super Bowl of all time, and we're the idiots for not seeing it," Thomas said.

Patience is needed with Sanders, whose time will come according to Thomas.

"I think he has a higher ceiling. He's a great playmaker, he has tremendous accuracy, he has that feel when he is in the game of how to make those big plays," Thomas said, "but just because you have that ceiling that's really high and that potential to be able to do that doesn't mean you can do it right now."

Thomas mentioned "growing pains" that Sanders will experience and developmental needs that will be addressed during practice weekly as the third option on the depth chart.

Sanders is taking the correct mindset into the season and said earlier this month he was thankful for opportunity with the Browns regardless so this placement behind Flacco and others.

"How do I block out the noise? I've always faced adversity since growing up," Sanders said during preseason camp. "Each level, it's always been something. When you figure out how people come at you … life is a cycle, it keeps repeating over, over and over, then you understand what game this is or what they're doing. I can never feel less than. Nobody can ever make me mentally get out of position in the situation I'm in. 

"I'm thankful for who I am, I'm thankful for who my Dad is, I'm thankful for my family. No one can make me feel bad about the blessings I do have."