Looking At Browns. Don’t See A Lot Of Wins

The joke around northeast Ohio is that the day before Labor Day would be the last Sunday the Cleveland Browns would not ruin for sports fans for almost five months. Yes, it’s a joke but you know the old saying about there is a bit of truth in every one liner.

The Browns open their 2026 season this Sunday with the first of two games in Florida, the first against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They have a new coach in Todd Monken, who is guiding his own professional team for the first time at age 60. But they also have the same problem they have had for pretty much every year since 1999.

They have an issue at quarterback.

We all know the Browns have cast their lot with the player they traded three first round picks for in 2022, and then gave a huge, guaranteed contract in Deshaun Watson. Sunday will mark Watson’s 20th start with Cleveland and perhaps he will throw for 300 yards or more, which would mark the first time he has done so in the orange and brown.

GM Andrew Berry used high draft capital to bring in two wide receivers, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and both look very promising, but with a word of caution. Both will be playing in games that count for real this week.

We liked Boston because the Browns have needed a big wide receiver for years, after choosing a bunch of guys who are small but fast and hoping they could make big plays. The rookie from the University of Washington provides someone who can shield off opposing defensive backs to make plays.

Cleveland has some weapons in the two wideouts, and second year players TE Harold Fannin and RB Quinshon Judkins, but they are also starting a brand-new offensive line and there isn’t a lot of depth on the roster.

So, the keys will be how quickly the line gels and what kind of production they get out of the quarterback position, be it Watson, Shedeur Sanders, or even Dillon Gabriel (when he is back) or rookie Taylen Green. They need someone to provide solid play if they want to be competitive.

The defense is another question, again due to the seeming lack of depth, and of course, because they traded the best defensive player in the history of the franchise, and according to NFL Network, the best player in the entire league in Myles Garrett.

We believe the front office treats this as a rebuilding year, part of their “Free Beer Tomorrow” plan the sell their fans on every year. Unfortunately, hiring a guy like Monken, who no doubt wants to win in his first opportunity, flies in the face of that.

Can Monken run an offense that puts points on the board? We used to joke that the reason Cleveland scored 17 points per game the last couple of years under Kevin Stefanski, was that was it was designed to do.

With the defense probably not being the dominant unit it was the past few years, if more points can’t be generated, it could get ugly quick. The other question will be if Watson does not return to being the player he was in Houston, when will Monken pull the trigger?

Remember, what other QB in the history of the NFL come back from a long period of inactivity and returned to form after six years? We guess you can make a case for Jim Plunkett (look him up), but we can’t think of anyone else.

So, even with an easier schedule, playing the NFC South makes it easier, it is difficult to see more than five wins there for this year’s Cleveland Browns.

Get ready for quarterback draft talk by the end of September?

No Real Surprises On Browns’ Cuts Would Indicate Lack Of Depth

After watching the football games that didn’t count, the fact the Cleveland Browns were boat raced in the second half of each of the first two games indicated to us that depth might be a problem. That fear was confirmed when the team pared down the roster to 53 and there really wasn’t any big surprises.

Offensive lineman KT Levenson was a bit of an eyebrow raiser, but only because new offensive line coach George Warhop moved him to guard early in camp and reportedly was impressed. But Levenson struggled all last year when pressed into duty so it’s not as though they were cutting a starting player. And he was added to the practice squad.

We believe everyone was rooting for WR Luke Floreia, from Mentor, after his preseason performance, and his situation was a little complicated for us. We don’t see a world in which Jerry Jeudy will be happy being fourth on the depth chart behind rookies KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, and second year player Isaiah Bond.

The Browns don’t need headaches in their locker room, so we would have seen what we could have gotten for him on the trade market.

The big news was the back injury for Dillon Gabriel that put him on injured reverse for four weeks and make rookie Taylen Green the third QB. We realize Green is raw, but after the way he played in the last exhibition game, the Browns had to keep him. He’s just that good of an athlete and we have no doubt a good NFL organization would have found a way to use him.

In fact, the Browns should figure out a way to use him in certain situations.

He may never be a starting quarterback in the NFL, but when you are downtrodden franchise, his talent is something they can’t pass up.

Speaking of the quarterbacks, a friend commented after the New England game that of the four QBs who played, Deshaun Watson played the worst. Of course, that’s why he was named the starter for the opener.

While the initial cuts were not surprising, we figured the Browns would be active in picking up players cut by other teams in order to build some of that depth. However, they only claimed one player, Toriano Pride, a cornerback who was the Bills 7th round pick in April.

This comes after they picked up Mekhi Blackmon from Indianapolis last week.

We are anxious to see the defense under new coordinator Mike Rutenberg with all the parts playing. We didn’t see much if any of the unit’s best players, DE Jared Verse, LB Carson Schwesinger, and CBs Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell.

That the front office picked up two corners in the last couple of weeks should tell you their replacements didn’t flash in the preseason. On the other hand, in today’s NFL, you can never have too many cornerbacks.

There is still almost two weeks until the season opener at Jacksonville, and we would anticipate Andrew Berry, and his staff will be looking for players who can help. They would seem to need a lot of that.

Browns Created The Mess. Now, They Lean Into It.

Make no mistake, the Cleveland Browns did it to themselves. It’s not the fans’ fault. It’s not the media’s fault. And really, it says a lot about the current organization that they couldn’t see the whole situation coming.

All summer long and into training camp, people wondered. It was the national media, the local media, fans (including us) asking what the upside is of playing Deshaun Watson. Yes, we know the Browns paid him a lot of money for little production. But this is the last year on the horrific deal and there was no way the Browns were going to reup with him.

The only possible good scenario would be for Watson to be spectacular, something that hasn’t happened in six seasons and lead Todd Monken’s squad to a division title and playoff berth with 10+ wins. And in that situation, you don’t find out whether or not Shedeur Sanders is an NFL quarterback.

Watson has never embraced being here, and if you remember, he took Cleveland out of the equation when the Texans were trading him. It was only after the front office guaranteed the money did he agree to play for the Browns.

He’s made 19 starts for the franchise with a record of 9-10 in those starts. Amazingly, he’s never thrown for 300 yards in any of them, his high being 289 in a 27-3 win over Tennessee. He’s thrown three touchdown passes exactly one, in his first year after serving an 11-game suspension.

So, despite this lack of production, the new coach has decided Watson will be under center for the team’s opener against Jacksonville. Playing against what was basically Buffalo’s third unit, Watson completed five of 12 throws for 36 yards and an interception.

In the two exhibition games to date, the former first round pick has hit on 16 of 27 passes (59.2%) for 162 yards. His supposed competition for the job, completed 15 of 22 throws (68.1%) for 163 yards. So, Sanders has a better completion percentage and a better average yards per attempt.

Monken has talked about the “operation” a lot. And that means getting the play call in and the players to the line of scrimmage. He also talks about using cadence to draw teams offside.

We know coaches can be strange about stuff like this (we used to coach) but should stuff like that matter more than moving the football and completing passes? Part of us thinks the coach has convinced himself that he can get something out of Watson and is hell bent on proving it.

Meanwhile, the people who suffer most are Browns’ fans. This front office is consistently tripping over themselves to make bad decisions. Just since the beginning of 2025, the Browns have drafted two QBs in the same draft, traded the best defensive player in the history of the franchise, and named a starting QB who doesn’t want to be here and frankly offers little hope of competent play.

Yet, they are still the most popular team in town by far. It’s either amazing or sick, depending on how you look at things.

We criticize the Dolan family for not doing much for their fan base, but we guess doing nothing is better than taking a huge crap on the people who buy tickets.

And they are getting their palace in Brookpark anyway, which to them is probably the most important thing. You wonder why they think they are smarter than everyone else?

Thoughts About A Meaningless Browns’ Loss

We are sure many fans are saying “same ol’ Browns” after Saturday’s 34-10 beating at the hands of the Chicago Bears. But you know what? It doesn’t count. One thing we don’t know about these games is who is trying to win and who isn’t.

We would assume Todd Monken wants to win because it is his first year as a head coach, but it may not matter to him. And as we say every year, in the second half, which Chicago outscored Cleveland 24-0, featured a bunch of players, a majority probably, who will never play a minute in an NFL regular season game.

Everyone focuses on the starting QB battle, and of course, we will start by saying we don’t understand why there is a competition because it makes no sense to start Deshaun Watson. But Watson did go 11 of 15 for 126 yards, 43 of those on a short pass to RB Dylan Sampson who took it for 43 yards. Without that play, Watson was a pedestrian 10 of 14 for 83 yards.

He also lost a fumble. Look, he did okay. We aren’t ready to say he’s back to his 2020 form with Houston.

Shedeur Sanders did throw an interception, but the six passes he completed went for 79 yards, completing one for 35 yards and another for 24 yards. He also had two throws knocked down at the line of scrimmage.

We should also inform everyone we are not some sort of crazed Shedeur fan. We simply don’t see the upside in playing a QB who hasn’t played well in six years and whose contract ends after this season.

To argue about it now seems like a moot point because from his comments after the game, the coach seems ready to name Watson the starter, probably with a push from the front office, because, you know, the Browns have a dysfunctional organization.

As for the other individual performances, it looks like the Browns might have some talent at wide receiver. Rookies KC Concepcion returned a kickoff 31 yards and scored the only touchdown on a jet sweep. And Denzel Boston is simply a big target, something this franchise has needed for a long time.

Monken has already named the second-round pick as a starter.

First round pick Spencer Fano also played well, but we don’t know how many snaps the Bears’ starters played and we would also guess the defensive scheme they played was very vanilla.

Let us reiterate again, the game doesn’t count. It wasn’t too long ago that the Browns went 4-0 in exhibition play and then went 1-15 in the regular season.

Probably the best indication of anything prior to the opening of the regular season will be the joint practice with the Buffalo Bills this week. That will likely show more than any of the preseason contests.

A poll was put out before the game asking what people were thinking about Monken’s first game as head coach of the Browns. We will let you know just prior to September 13th, because that’s his first game. These games are glorified scrimmages that the NFL owners make fans pay to see.

Hopefully, Sanders plays well in his opportunity to get this ridiculous notion about starting Watson reconsidered.

QB Decision For Browns Shows A Clear Lack Of Direction

The Cleveland Browns continue to be a weird organization. It seems they are set up with a bunch of department heads all trying to show the boss who is the best and worthy of promotion, but in reality, they have no true leader, not true direction.

They have a new head coach in Todd Monken, who is 60 years old and getting his first chance to be the top guy of an NFL team. He, of course, wants to win now and show he deserved to have this job sooner in his career.

That means he is going to start the best players at each position, which is the way it should be, but the question is, what does the front office think about certain players?

We are of course talking about the starting quarterback spot where the Browns are leaking through the media that Deshaun Watson has a leg up on Shedeur Sanders for the job.

This is something we just don’t understand.

The entire organization should be saying this is Sanders’ opportunity to see if he can claim the job. If he shows he can be an above average NFL QB, then the Browns are in a good spot with two first round picks in next year’s draft.

As for Watson, we keep hearing from certain members of the media about his “body of work”. We will simply say the last time he was an effective NFL quarterback was six years ago. We can’t think of anyone in league history who played at a high level, was largely ineffective or not available for that long of a time period and then returned to play at that same tier of performance.

Basically, the Browns are asking Watson to do something that has never been done before. Seems plausible.

How should the Browns be handling this? A few different scenarios come to mind.

First, don’t hire a 60-year-old first time head coach who wants to win immediately. If you hire a younger guy than you can tell him the plan is to not have Watson play again and let him leave the team at the end of the season quietly.

Or you could have told Monken that was the plan all along and he should devote all of his time getting the best of Sanders, and if it doesn’t work, he will be part of the development on whoever the Browns draft in the first round in 2027.

Many national pundits can’t believe Cleveland is even considering starting Watson. After all, his contract ends after this season, and as we have pointed out before, if you are going with him, you have to make the playoffs, correct? Going 7-10 or 8-9 with him aces the team out of a high draft pick and also, they didn’t find out if Sanders can play.

Note we’ve only mentioned Sanders, but remember the Browns used a top 100 pick a year ago on another quarterback in Dillon Gabriel who is barely talked about and probably is a longshot to make the roster.

That pick was another example of not having a singular direction, a lone voice, making decisions.

We fear until that is fixed, the Browns will continue to run around in circles, never making progress.

If You Have No QB, Why Not Run The Ball More?

Recently, we mused on social media about what team in what sport would be the first team to go with an “old school” approach in building a team and in terms of style of play.

One of the reasons behind the thought was the Cleveland Browns and their constant search for a quarterback and using that need as the reason they cannot put together a winning team.

If you don’t have a “franchise QB”, why not just become highly proficient at running the football? We understand that would present its own set of challenges, such as what do you do if you fall behind, especially in the second half. That’s when a team needs to throw the ball and if you can’t do it, the team is essentially screwed.

Last year, the Baltimore Ravens threw the least number of passes in the NFL at 422, 24.8 per game, and they actually ran more than they threw, averaging 29.8 running attempts per game. That figure was almost three passes fewer than the next team, the Washington Commanders. The Ravens also ranked second in the league in rushing yards.

Buffalo and the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks also run more than they threw, but again, that might be a product of being ahead late in games and running the ball to keep the clock moving.

They did have Derrick Henry, who was second in the league in rushing behind Buffalo’s James Cook. The Bills led the NFL in rushing yards as a team.

Buffalo finished the season 12-5 while the Ravens were 8-9.

We thought back to when the Browns had Nick Chubb and in their playoff season of 2020, they ranked third in the league in rushing. In that year, they still threw the ball over 30 times per game. They also had Kareem Hunt on the roster, who led the league in rushing his rookie season for Kansas City. So, they had two great runners and threw the ball as much as they ran.

They were fourth in running the ball the following season and QB Baker Mayfield was battling a shoulder injury for most of the year.

They threw the ball 30.6 times per game that season and ran it just 28.5 times.

We get that it is never been easier to throw the ball in football than it is today. When the Miami Dolphins went undefeated in 1972, they ran the football 617 times and threw just 259 passes. For the season. Of course, wide receivers were allowed to be held up by cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage. And the Dolphins had two 1000 yards rushers in Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris.

In 1985, just 13 years later, the Browns had two 1000 yards runners in Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner and ran the ball 533 times. But that was in a 16-game schedule. Miami was running it 44 times per game. Cleveland ran it 33 times per contest and threw it 25.8 times.

We guess our question is if you don’t have a solid quarterback, why do NFL teams keep throwing the ball all over the place? The answer is they probably can’t help themselves. That’s how the game is played today, much like basketball players who keep firing up three pointers even though their team is ahead late in games.

That’s how they played coming up and they can’t change it.

You would think if you don’t have a good QB, you would put less emphasis on the position. Maybe that’s just using logic.

Wins? Seems Like Making Good Trades And Drafting Well Is A Victory For Berry

For us, you can tell a lot about a leader by the way they act when things are going bad.  Since this is Cleveland Sports Perspective, we are talking about the guys in charge of the professional sports teams in northeast Ohio.

With the Guardians, when they aren’t playing well, president Chris Antonetti and GM Mike Chernoff, usually Antonetti, make themselves available to talk to the media and by proxy, the fans. 

Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman doesn’t talk to the media very much whether the team is going good or bad. 

Which brings us to the Browns.  GM Andrew Berry has been very visible lately appearing on both national and local sports shows.  Last year, when the Browns were struggling through a 5-12 season, he was mostly silent. 

Even when he traded the team’s opening day starting quarterback, Joe Flacco, it was left to coach Kevin Stefanski to talk about the move to the press. 

So, why the change?  Our guess is Berry thinks he made some tremendous move in trading the best defensive player in franchise history and so he is out there front and center to answer questions about his “master stroke”. 

Plus he oversaw a good draft last year and is getting kudos for his selections in April. 

But this is the best time of the year for the Browns, because actual games haven’t been played yet.  Berry can talk about the great plans and vision he has for the team, but the games don’t start for three months. 

What is troubling though is there seems to still be a division in the ranks, and it showed itself in the way coach Todd Monken and Berry had different thoughts about Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby. 

Sorsby has admitted to betting on games involving the team he was on, a no-no for most in sports.  Pete Rose isn’t in the Baseball Hall of Fame because he did it 

In his comments to the media, Monken wanted no part of Sorsby, and frankly, we wouldn’t want him on the team either.  Berry was open to having him on the Browns, saying in essence, everyone should be forgiven for making a mistake. 

While that’s true, gambling and professional sports are different. 

But the rub for us is why aren’t Monken and Berry on the same page here?  We would guess for many of the successful franchises in the NFL, the GM and the coach are in lock step, and maybe Monken and Berry are in most matters. 

In the past, we have felt the Browns don’t put a big value on character, opted for talent above all else.  How’s that working out for them?

The message from the Browns this whole off-season has been talking up Deshaun Watson who is a free agent after the season, so the only real positive result in playing him would really be a season winning at least 10 games. 

If they go 7-10 with him, they don’t have a top ten draft pick in all likelihood unless they make a trade, and they haven’t found out anything about Shedeur Sanders, who they should be seeing if he has anything. 

And if Sanders is a colossal failure, like many think, playing him probably gives the Browns a top five pick in the ’27 draft, which is what most of their fans want. 

As for Berry, shouldn’t another bad season cost him his job?  If the Browns start off, say 1-3 or 0-4, will Berry be doing interviews all over the place? 

Our guess is he will let Monken explain to the fans why they are suffering through another season of mediocrity. 

Trading Garrett Just Another Typical Browns Move

Just when you think it can’t be any tougher to be a Cleveland Browns’ fan, they give you another reason to be irritated.

Of course, they will still monopolize the sports media in northeast Ohio because people in this area can’t help themselves. We don’t have a solution except to stop talking about them or stop buying tickets and merchandise, but as we know, both of the sports talk stations in the area are “Home of the Browns”, so there’s that.

The team traded the best defensive player in the history of the franchise in Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse, a first round pick in 2027, a second rounder in 2028, and a third round choice in ’29. Likely, all of those picks will be lower because unlike the Browns, the Rams are a successful organization. They actually win football games.

For the Browns and their ownership, it’s yet another excuse to not win in 2026. No one expects a playoff appearance after trading a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a surefire Hall of Fame player.

Verse is a good player, getting 4.5 sacks as a rookie, winning Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024 and followed that up with another 7.5 sacks last season. He’ll be 26 years old this upcoming season and along with Carson Schwesinger, gives Cleveland the last two best rookie defenders.

But really, we are of the belief that trying to improve by dealing your best player, particularly a great player such as Garrett, is never a good idea. We know the “draft choices are everything” folks will disagree, but what are the odds that Verse or any of the draft picks involved becomes anywhere near the player Garrett is? Slim if not zero. How exactly does that make you better?

It always comes back to the Browns’ quarterback obsession. They are convinced the only way to get a great quarterback is to stink and get a high draft pick, even though if you look at the best QBs in the NFL, there aren’t many who came into the league that way.

They had the first pick in the draft in 2018 and took Baker Mayfield, who has been a solid starter and if entering his ninth year as the Browns’ starter. Oh, that’s right, they traded him after four seasons.

Let’s remember how many people spoke glowingly of the quarterbacks who were to be available in the 2026 draft, and in the end, only two were taken in the first round. What’s to say that won’t happen again in next spring’s draft?

And we would add, why not get to the point where you are a good QB away from being a playoff team and then go out and trade future picks to get the guy?

So, over the last six years, in order to find the QB they so desperately want, they have made probably the worst trade in NFL history and traded the best defender in Browns’ history. We have written about the other successful teams around the league and the path they’ve taken to contend for and win Super Bowls.

Find another story that mirrors the Browns.

As for the argument that the Browns had to deal Garrett because he didn’t want to play here, whose fault is that? The front office has put together mostly mediocre teams and in the past few seasons had a top of the league defense accompanied by an offense that couldn’t score more than 17 points per game.

Maybe the Browns will surprise people and contend for a playoff spot this year. A more likely scenario is they will come up with a new reason (we have a rookie QB?) for not being able to win in 2027.

On Paper, The Browns’ Draft Leaves Little To Complain About.

The Cleveland Browns participated in the NFL Draft over the weekend and this year there was no weirdness like drafting two quarterbacks or two running backs. It seemed to be a sound sensible draft and if you believe the draft pundits, GM Andrew Berry had a real good weekend.

It was a given going in the Browns were going to look for a left tackle early in the selection process and after a trade down with Kansas City, they took Spencer Fano out of Utah, and coach Todd Monken said he will play the position. Fano played right tackle the past couple of years in college but did play on the left side during his freshman season.

We will say this with all of the picks, that no one knows for sure until these guys take the field, but Fano seems like a guy who can be an NFL starter. He was highly rated by the “draftniks”, with the only negative being his arms were short.

With their second pick in the first round, they went with KC Concepcion from Texas A & M. We would have preferred a bigger wide receiver, since the majority of the wideouts the Browns have are smaller. And the rap on Concepcion is he has questionable hands.

The Browns have a type. They love receivers who struggle catching the football, which would seem to be the prerequisite for the job. We understand he’s dynamic in the open field, but if you don’t hang on to the ball…

They remedied that on the second round, taking Denzel Boston, listed a 6’4″ and 209 pounds. You have to wonder with Concepcion and Boston now on the roster, how that affects Jerry Jeudy. We don’t see Jeudy being happy with his role if he’s suddenly the third or fourth wide receiver in the pecking order.

Cleveland also added S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo in the third round (58th overall). We saw several draft experts projecting him as a late first round pick, so the value is there. With Grant Delpit being a potential free agent after the year and Ronnie Hickman on a one-year tender, this selection makes a lot of sense.

They built depth with the rest of the draft, especially on the offensive line and at tight end, with after the last couple of years, having extra players at those spots, that is definitely needed. The Browns have had to play linemen just signed or activated off the practice squad over the last couple of seasons.

We know we asked the Browns not to take a QB, but really, Taylen Green is the perfect 6th round pick, a ton of upside and an elite athlete. Now, we would still move one of the three quarterbacks currently on the roster, but not the one the team will choose, we are sure. At least having him on the field will make the exhibition games worth watching.

Pretty much everything about the draft made sense and Berry picked a lot of players ranked highly by the draft experts. That’s the reason they received high marks.

The truth of the matter is no one will really know until these players take the field against a different team. But there isn’t a lot to complain about right now.

It’s Draft Day. Here Are Our Hopes (And Fears?)

Tonight’s the night for all of the draftniks out there, the people who worship the draft above anything else. And the Cleveland Browns currently have two selections in the first round.

There are those upset by that because it is not two selections in the 2027 Draft, where supposedly the next round of great quarterbacks will be available. That’s because the Browns have convinced their fan base that the only way to be a perennial playoff team is to get a top five pick in a QB rich year and get their man.

We just want to remind you of one thing. They did that in the last 10 years when they took Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in 2018. They were victorious just once in the playoffs with Mayfield.

We know what the Browns’ needs are. They need a left tackle for sure, and they need a wide receiver, a go to guy who can get open and catch the football. The latter tool seems like a no brainer, but have you seen the players at that position for Cleveland recently?

However, what they really need is an offensive dynamo, someone who puts fear into defenses. Think about it, who is currently the biggest weapon at new coach Todd Monken’s disposal?

Harold Fannin? He’s a good player, but he’s a tight end. Quinshon Judkins? He looks like a solid running back, but he’s coming off a dislocated ankle and he’s a reliable back, but is he a threat to go all the way on any carry?

That’s the argument for taking Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame. The analytics crowd will tell you #6 is too high to pick a runner, but what if Love turns out to be Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, or Emmitt Smith? We aren’t suggesting he is, but having a great runner is a big offensive weapon.

On the other hand, taking Carnell Tate from Ohio State would seem to give the Browns the #1 wide out they’ve coveted since Josh Gordon. Tate has good hands, speed, and ability to get open. Again, something the team sorely needs.

And wouldn’t getting some weapons around him make it easier to evaluate Shedeur Sanders as a quarterback?

We also wouldn’t have a huge problem drafting another edge rusher or a impact defender like Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles. Playmakers don’t have to be only on the offensive side of the ball.

Being we are talking about the Browns, one thing we hope they resist doing is drafting another quarterback, albeit with a caveat. We do not want another four-passer competition, particularly if three of the quartet are first- and second-year players.

If they make a deal involving one of the current QBs, mostly likely Dillon Gabriel, then draft another rookie, but we are sure that Monken will quickly identify who he wants to play (please, not Deshaun Watson) and then go about the job of getting that choice ready for the season.

We also hope there is synergy between GM Andrew Berry and Monken, because the coach and general manager should have a shared vision on what kind of football team the Cleveland Browns should be. That’s how good organizations do it.

We just aren’t sure that’s how it works in Berea.