Training Camp Is Here, Let the QB Debate Continue

It’s that time of year. The time of year when Cleveland sports talk can go wild.

Yes, the Cleveland Browns will open training camp soon. In fact, the rookies have already reported to Berea to officially begin their NFL careers. And because it is northeast Ohio, Mason Graham, the fifth overall pick in last spring’s NFL Draft may be under less scrutiny than anyone picked that high will ever be focused on.

Because in this town, we are obsessed with who will play quarterback this season. Will it be one of two rookies, both drafted later in the selection process, one in Round three and the other in Round five?

Or will it be the 40-year-old former Super Bowl winner who rescued the 2023 season for Cleveland winning games down the stretch and taking the Browns to the playoffs?

Perhaps the Browns can turn to a former first round pick by the Steelers in 2022, who has a career record as a starter of 15-10, but last year was a backup for the Super Bowl champions?

Most likely, coach Kevin Stefanski’s choice will be one of the latter choices. It is hard to see him going with a rookie after last season’s 3-14 debacle.

Although Stefanski has guided the Browns to two playoff appearances in his five years at the helm, he and GM Andrew Berry should be on the hot seat after last year’s performance.

The scuttlebutt says they are safe, but it is difficult to see the pair surviving another year like 2024. And really, if Cleveland finishes 4-13 in ’25 and has a pair (they have Jacksonville’s first round pick from the draft day trade) of top ten picks, would you really want Berry making those selections?

We understand the speculation of “seeing what Kenny Pickett has” from the media, but if your job was on the line, and assuming Joe Flacco isn’t throwing the football to the defense on a regular basis in practice, wouldn’t you rather have the proven veteran under center to start the season?

We look forward to hearing about the daily progress of the rookies, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, how many completions out of how many throws in drills, and of course, the inevitable discussion of whether or not one of them should start after a solid performance in a pre-season game.

Because no doubt, they will play a lot in the exhibition contests. We are sure Pickett will also see some time, and perhaps Flacco will even make an appearance too, although we would expect him not to see the field all that often.

Everyone knows what Flacco can do by this point in his career.

Maybe Stefanski and Berry have been assured by ownership they are safe no matter what happens this season, and the 2025 campaign is all about getting clarification on the quarterback position before next year’s draft.

If so, that’s a bold choice from a franchise whose motto seems to be “free beer tomorrow”.

It would also be a slap in the face to veterans like Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, David Njoku, and others. Those guys want to win.

Our guess is Stefanski will want this edition of the Browns to run the ball, run the ball, and do more running of the ball and have Jim Schwartz work his magic with the defense to win football games, especially during the tough stretch to open the year.

Yep, it’s football time in Cleveland.

Browns Should Have Accountability For Coach and GM

When the Haslam family bought the Cleveland Browns in 2012, initially there was a lot of change. Rob Chudzinski was hired as a coach for the 2013 season, promptly went 4-12 and was fired.

Mike Pettine held the job for two years. Hue Jackson for 2-1/2 seasons, including 1-15 and 0-16, so we can see the ownership was trying to be more patient. But Gregg Williams finished the 2018 season, was let go, and Freddie Kitchens had the gig for a year.

The same was true in the front office. Michael Lombardi was the GM in ’13, followed by Ray Farmer for two years, Sashi Brown for a couple, and John Dorsey for three seasons.

And rightly so, the Haslams were criticized for the turnover, not establishing any continuity within the organization.

The question we have is have they flipped the script now and perhaps are giving the people who run the football team a little too much rope?

The GM/head coach combination of Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski has been in place for five seasons, and some of the people who cover the Browns think they will be safe for this season as well.

We like Stefanski, who guided the Browns to two playoff appearances in the five seasons, and has gone through a slew of quarterbacks, compiling a 40-44 record to date. He’s been named coach of the year twice, once because he guided the Browns to their first post-season appearance since 2002 in 2020.

The second came when Cleveland went to the playoffs despite using four different starting quarterbacks, including Dorian Thompson-Robinson and P.J. Walker in 2023.

As for Berry, you can make the argument he has completely mangled the most important position in sports, the quarterback. Dissatisfied with former first overall pick Baker Mayfield, he engineered (maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but he’s the exec on record) perhaps the worst trade in NFL history, dealing three first round picks and guaranteeing the contract of Deshaun Watson.

We absolutely agree Stefanski and Berry should get a pass for the incredibly bad 2024 season, because it seems to us that year was about justifying the horrible deal for Watson, and not really about winning.

When you change several coaches, including the offensive coordinator, and change the offensive line blocking scheme, after a playoff season you have to think that was something decided by the entire organization (i.e. ownership) and that’s why the pair weren’t fired after the 3-14 debacle.

However, if the Browns don’t play better this year, meaning be competitive on the field, a spotlight should be shone upon the coach and GM.

The coaching staff fiasco seems to be repaired, and although they don’t seem to have a “franchise” QB, the veteran that got them to the post-season in ’23 is back in Joe Flacco, and they seem to have reinstituted an emphasis on the running game.

As for the GM, in his tenure, he has selected one Pro Bowl player. Part of that is not having three first round picks, but he seems to have chosen a lot of solid players, but no impact guys.

And in this past draft, despite needs on the offensive line, safety, and wide receiver, he took two running backs (we like both of them, by the way) and two quarterbacks.

We don’t want the ownership to return to their ways of firing people every two years, but we have no issue with having some accountability for Stefanski and Berry after this season.

Creating a mess and using it as a reason to keep your job shouldn’t be how it works.

Stop Thinking Losing Is Okay For The Browns

We should all get the pass the Cleveland Browns do from the people who cover them and from some fans as well. After last year’s 3-14 debacle, and it was a debacle from the moment they decided to fire coaches after a playoff season, there are a lot of people who are using the “T” word.

Yes, we are talking about tanking. Wouldn’t you love the expectation of anything you do be to just suck at it? Why do the Browns get that break?

First, it’s because the football fans in northeast Ohio have been brainwashed to think the only way an NFL team can win is to have a “franchise” quarterback.

While it is true that Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have kind of a monopoly on the league in recent years, teams can win other ways. Now, you do need to have a solid player behind center, but you also do not have to have the first pick in the draft to get an excellent QB.

We just mentioned Mahomes, who was not the first overall pick. He was selected 10th overall.

Let’s examine our personal top five QB list, which would consist of Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and since he quarterbacked last year’s Super Bowl winners, Jalen Hurts.

Only Burrow was taken with the first overall pick.

Oh, and didn’t the Browns just take a QB with the first overall pick in 2018? Perhaps it would have worked out for Cleveland if they didn’t mangle the situation so badly, including giving Baker Mayfield a ton of clout too early in his career.

But we digress.

We said a few times in the last couple of months that the only way Cleveland better have the first overall pick in the ’26 draft is if the Jaguars are really bad.

It’s time for the Browns to get rid of their “free beer tomorrow” mentality and be all about winning football games. We know Kevin Stefanski, the coaching staff, and the players are not going into contests being okay with losing, and for the front office, just because they made a monumental mistake with the Deshaun Watson trade, shouldn’t mean they get a pass either.

We should start demanding this football team starts winning games. That’s why we dismiss talk of starting Kenny Pickett in week one vs. Cincinnati and/or getting Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel in there quickly.

Unless Joe Flacco aged so much in the last couple of years and is now not capable of winning games in the NFL, he should be the starting QB in the first game of the season. He gives you the best chance to win.

And for the front office, they should be thinking of the same, not looking at the veteran as a possible end of camp trade piece.

There could be a time for that. Let’s say Flacco is putting up numbers and the Browns are sitting at 2-6 at the trade deadline. Then, if you can get something for him, why not make the move and see what you have in the other three passers.

You don’t build a winning culture by thinking losing is acceptable for any reason. If the Browns want to have that, it starts with not accepting defeat. Play the best players. No other agendas as long as you have a chance.

Browns Need Professional QB Play To Evaluate Others

Obviously, living in northeast Ohio the talk about the Cleveland Browns is pretty much non-stop. And having four quarterbacks on the roster without a clear-cut starter leads to even more speculation.

The biggest discussion is when to go to one, if not both, rookie signal callers, because after all, you have to know what you have in both (assuming both make the final roster). And in the deluded minds of the radio sports talk hosts and fans alike, this information is needed because the Browns are going to have one of the top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The latter idea is because many in the media have given the Browns’ front office permission to stink this upcoming season, a bold thought given the 3-14 record this past season.

Apparently, people have used the Men In Black mind erasing wand and thus the 11-6 season just the year prior has vanished from everyone’s memories. Of course, part of that is the organization basically sabotaging the season with coaching changes to aid Deshaun Watson.

This is not to say we believe the Cleveland Browns are Super Bowl contenders this season, but we are certainly sure that Kevin Stefanski and even the front office are going into the year thinking they are gunning for the first overall pick in the draft.

We said it after the trade out of the #2 slot this year, if the Browns have the first overall pick next year, it better be because Jacksonville has had a terrible season.

It is true the Browns do have to find out about Dillon Gabriel and/or Shadeur Sanders and even Kenny Pickett this season. But they also have to find out about running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. They need to know what they have in rookie TE Harold Fannin, and they need to see how the offensive line plays.

And to do that they need to see how these guys play with a real professional quarterback, and that’s why all things being equal, Joe Flacco should be behind center at the beginning of the season.

Solid quarterback play makes a big difference in evaluating the other players and positions. Just last year, what were people thinking about Jerry Jeudy after seven weeks, when he had 21 catches and the most yards he had receiving was the 73 in week two?

That was with Watson at the helm. With Jameis Winston taking the snaps, the Pro Bowl receiver had at least five catches in every game save one, and three 100-yard games.

He finished the year with career highs in receptions and yardage.

We have heard friends of ours refer to the offensive line as hot garbage, and it was early last season. The Cleveland front gave up 35 sacks in the first seven games. After a change in quarterbacks, they allowed 31 sacks in the final 10 contests.

Neither figure is really good, but the first seven games would have to be considered as horrendous, but it also wouldn’t be representative of how the group played thoughout the season.

All we are saying here is not only does Flacco give the Browns their best chance of victory, but he also allows them to do honest evaluations of the players surrounding him.

That’s important too.

Look, if Cleveland starts off 1-6 like many think they will, then see what you have in the younger quarterbacks. Remember, Flacco is 40 and he may not be the same guy he was down the stretch in 2023. He still has to earn the right to be on the field in week one.

Yes, the Browns need to see these young guys, but they also owe the other players on offense to be evaluated based on decent play at quarterback.

That’s something people are overlooking.

A Week Later, Taking Two QBs Is Still Puzzling

We still are puzzled by the Cleveland Browns’ draft and it is now over a week old.

We have been critical of the “collaborative process” that GM Andrew Berry always talks about because to us, there has to be a single person that sets the vision and philosophy of what Cleveland Browns football looks like.

And once again, the weirdness did not begin until late in day two.

Trading down to get Mason Graham? No problem there. We watched, like most people in Ohio, as Graham was a dominant figure in Michigan’s shocking win over the eventual National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. Putting him next to Myles Garrett on the defensive line should pose a very strong front four for defensive coordinator Jim Schwarz.

UCLA LB Carson Schwesinger received some first round grades and could be a sign that Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will not be ready to play this year.

We do not think Jerome Ford is an every down running back and actually have no problem drafting two. The running game is a staple of Kevin Stefanski’s offense, so taking Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson remakes the running back room.

FYI, we would still bring back Nick Chubb. The worst-case scenario (besides another 3-14 record) for the Browns is Chubb going elsewhere and still have something left in the tank. It may not be the best football move, but it would be great for the fan base, which has seen its share of mediocre football recently.

Also, TE Harold Fannin Jr. is another solid choice, another staple of the Stefanski offense is having two quality tight ends.

Of course, we are really getting at taking two quarterbacks. And we bet if there was a singular person in charge when whoever came up with the idea to take Shadeur Sanders just 50 selections after taking Dylan Gabriel, the football czar would have said no.

We envision those Progressive Insurance commercials with “Dr. Rick” with the doctor sighing and shaking his head when the idea is brought to him.

First off, the Browns need a quarterback, but they also could use offensive line help, another wide receiver, another edge pass rusher, and in today’s NFL, you can always use a cornerback.

But how is the team going to keep four quarterbacks on the roster? If winning games is the goal, and it should be, despite many media members in town wanting to write off the 2025 season, then Joe Flacco should be the starter for Game 1.

They traded for Kenny Pickett prior to the draft, and he is a former starter in the NFL. And we said coming into the draft, even if the Browns took a passer with the second overall pick, we wouldn’t let him touch the field until late in the ’25 campaign. At the earliest.

The point is the Browns had a solid draft until they decided to take two QBs, one of whom might be the most famous player in the draft. And that’s not a rap on Sanders, who we would have taken earlier.

It’s having two rookies on the roster at a position where only one can play.

And worse, the Browns have created this circus themselves. Perhaps that what they want, just like the Dallas Cowboys always want to seem to be in the news. But does that help you win?

More than likely, Browns’ fans will find out it doesn’t. But at least, it will be a collaborative process from the front office.

A Logical Browns’ Draft Goes Weird

We always say the easiest thing for an executive of a professional sports franchise can do is either start a rebuild by trading off valuable commodities for future pieces (draft picks or prospects).

The second easiest is to play for a year or two down the road. We always criticize the Cleveland Browns for their seemingly forever “free beer tomorrow” attitude, but it’s hard to criticize most of what they’ve done in this year’s NFL Draft.

When Jacksonville threw in a first round draft pick in 2026 to move up three spots and take the second overall selection, it became a no brainer for GM Andrew Berry.

Our guess is even though Berry talked about Travis Hunter in glowing terms at a press conference, he and the organization wasn’t in love with the player or with Abdul Carter, so they traded down to get another early second round selection and the additional first.

No doubt all Browns’ fans will be rooting against the Jaguars from day one of the ’25 season.

We thought Mason Graham at worst would be a quality defensive tackle in the NFL so we had no problem with that choice. With Graham and second year DT Mike Hall along with Myles Garrett, but defensive line should be solid for years to come.

Eyebrows were raised by taking LB Chase Schwesinger out of UCLA because the Browns usually ignore the position. But there was buzz about him going late in the first round and reports say he’s a tackling machine. It’s not as though the Browns don’t have a need there.

We aren’t enamored by Jerome Ford as the lead back for the Browns, so selecting Quinshon Judkins out of Ohio State at #36 makes sense. Our bet is he will be the primary runner for Cleveland this season. And they added Dylan Sampson from Tennessee in the fourth round.

Remember, Kevin Stefanski likes to run the football, so the more quality runners the better.

The Browns play a lot of two tight end sets, so have a pair who need to be respected in the passing game also seems good. Harold Fannin from Bowling Green is a solid pass catcher who can team with David Njoku in “12” personnel.

We wanted the Browns to draft a QB, so first they took Dillon Gabriel who is maybe 5’11” and didn’t seem to be the best passer on the board. And guys like Shadeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers, and Will Howard were still available.

And then they took Sanders in the fifth round. Sanders is without question the better prospect behind center, so now what do the Browns do with two rookies at QB? Besides, it’s not as though Cleveland doesn’t have other needs. They could’ve used an edge rusher, an offensive lineman, a safety, to bolster positions in which they need help.

What looked like a sound reasonable draft turned into a “what the heck are they doing” draft. There was certainly no reason to take two QBs, if they wanted Sanders, they could have taken him when they took Gabriel.

It’s not a rap on Gabriel, it simply makes no sense to take both.

We heard a radio talker discussing the first overall pick for the Browns in 2026. If they have it, it better be because Jacksonville went 2-15. No matter what happened in this draft, the Browns can’t go 3-14 again.

Someway, somehow, they need to win football games. It might be like 2023, when they leaned on the defense to do it.

A Big Night For Browns And The Thought Partners

The biggest question following tonight’s NFL Draft should be what will sports talk radio and all of the podcasts which discuss the Cleveland Browns talk about after this weekend?

Yes, we are sure if the Browns don’t move up tonight using the 33rd overall selection, there will be ad nauseum discussion tomorrow and who they should take or who should they trade for with that pick, but we are really talking about Monday. What do they fill airtime with?

This could be and probably should be a pivotal moment for both the franchise and the front office. This regime started with a bang, going 11-5 in Kevin Stefanski’s first year and with what looked like a solution to their quarterback issues in second year pro Baker Mayfield.

That was followed by an 8-9 season in which Mayfield play hurt and the organization either soured on him or got distracted by a shiny object in Deshaun Watson.

Owner Jimmy Haslam called what happened in the off-season following that year “a big swing and miss”. They traded the future of the franchise, one that was showing signs of finally having “good bones” for Watson. The price was three first-round draft picks, among other things.

That limited how the front office could continue to add talent and patch up holes to a pretty talented roster for three years.

Somehow, the Browns made the playoffs in Watson’s second season, although it was without help from the player who they ruined their future for. That team made the post-season with an incredible defense and a late season offensive surge led by free agent signee Joe Flacco.

The Browns let him go after he played very well for them. Can you say, “self-sabotage”?

It wasn’t the only weird move by the front office after a pretty good season. They fired several offensive coaches, including coordinator Scott Van Pelt. It seemed the goal of the front office was no longer winning; it was making the Watson decision look like a good one.

That should never be the goal.

So, this front office needs a good weekend. We don’t want to go back to change general managers and/or head coaches every year days. We felt at times during those days that maybe things could have clicked if change wasn’t a constant.

Perhaps Mike Pettine could have done better without front office interference or Eric Mangini could have been a better coach if he were not also a terrible GM.

But now, it doesn’t seem like anyone is accountable. And they should be. The Browns’ front office mangled a five-year period if which they had solid talent. They came out of it with two playoff appearances and one post-season win.

This group has a chance to restock the cupboards and put the team back on a winning track. And that needs to start next season. Haslam, Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry, and Kevin Stefanski made this bed.

They need to have success in 2025, and by that we mean, be in contention for a playoff spot after they’ve played ten games. It’s not a huge ask, right?

That path starts tonight. Don’t overthink it, don’t look at three to four years from now.

As Al Davis used to say, “Just win, baby”!

Even If No QB At #2, Browns Need To Win In ’25

Well, does Joe Flacco being signed by the Cleveland Browns mean the team won’t be drafting a quarterback with the second overall pick? We believe none of the pundits out there know what Andrew Berry is going to do, but it would not be a shock if they deferred on a QB until later in the selection process.

Whether they find the answer or not, there is one thing we don’t want to hear from the organization heading into the season. And that is we are looking towards next season.

For many years, prior to drafting Baker Mayfield and hiring the current regime, the mantra from the Browns has been like the sign in the bar–“Free beer tomorrow”. Meaning we’ll be good next year.

Enough.

Don’t have a quarterback, fans shouldn’t care. And improvement to let’s say 5-12 or 6-11 shouldn’t be tolerated either. We think many people, both fans and media alike forget the Browns made the playoffs in 2023 with an 11-6 record. That’s just one season before last.

Whether or not it is Flacco or Kenny Pickett or someone they draft this year, Browns’ fans should demand nothing less than a playoff contender.

As for the organization, we have already laid out that most NFL teams have quarterbacks drafted in the first round. Could Cleveland be lucky and find Brock Purdy or Jalen Hurts or perhaps a Russell Wilson later in the draft and have that passer emerge to lead the franchise out of the doldrums?

Sure. And today we could buy a winning lottery ticket.

To us, thinking you are going to find your next long-term starter in rounds #2 or #3 smacks of something the team has been accused of for many years. Thinking they are smarter than everyone else. Sometimes everyone is doing something for a reason, and that reason is generally success.

And if they decide to start the season with Flacco and Pickett backing him up, then devise a system that can win with them behind center. Coach Kevin Stefanski demonstrated he can win and win a lot with Flacco running the offense. They will need a solid running game, so they can operate the play action passing attack the coach prefers.

It’s up to Jim Schwartz to get the defense back to the level it played at in 2023, and it will be helped by not having a QB that turns the football over on a regular basis. By the way, that’s not a rap on Jameis Winston, whom we wanted the team to bring back.

Winston only started less than half the team’s games and Cleveland still led the league in turnovers in 2024.

Since the Browns don’t want to let everyone know who pushed for the Deshaun Watson move, we feel no more excuses should be accepted. Yes, we get this is an expansion team, but it should not take this long for extended success.

Berry, Stefanski, Paul De Podesta, and the Haslam family should know their fan base is tired of watching mostly terrible football over the last 35 years.

The message should be clear. Be better.

QB Or No, Browns Need Offensive Help In Draft

Most of the recent debate about the second overall pick in the NFL Draft for the Cleveland Browns is whether or not they should take a quarterback or Penn State’s edge rusher Abdul Carter.

Most analysts say Carter is one of the top three players eligible for the selection process, while those same pundits have the top two quarterbacks, Cam Ward and Shadeur Sanders, outside of the top ten.

However, because QB is so important, every year, passers ranked lower than many players at other positions get taken higher because if you don’t have one, you need to get one.

Carter might wind up being a fine pro, possibly a Pro Bowl player, and certainly could be a fine addition to any NFL team. However, the Browns’ defense ranked 19th in the league in yards allowed last season, 13th in sacks, and 9th in pressuring the quarterback.

They allowed the 5th most points, but we will get to that later.

On the other hand, the Browns’ offense was 28th in yards gained, dead last in points scored, and was the 4th worse rushing team in the NFL. And they also turned it over more than any other team in the league except for Tennessee, who they were tied with at 34.

Simply put, the offense has to improve.

If Cleveland isn’t sold on Sanders at #2 (assuming Ward will be the first overall pick), then they need to trade down, get more picks, and get some players who can help on the offensive side of the football.

The Browns have an aging offensive line, although they did sign Teven Jenkins, who has started 38 games in his four-year career, including 14 starts a year ago. They have one solid wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy, and the running back spot also needs an upgrade.

For years, the Browns had Nick Chubb, perhaps the best (in our opinion, the best) runner in the league. Last year, Jerome Ford led the team in rushing with a paltry 565 yards, but he doesn’t consistently get the four or five yards on first down needed in Kevin Stefanski’s offense.

He is kind of a home run hitter, capable of breaking off a long one, but again, lacks consistency.

By the way, we still want the Browns to sign Chubb because of what he means to the franchise, and also to see what he can be after another off-season of rehab on his knee.

Yes, the Browns ran an offensive scheme last season totally unlike anything they ran under Stefanski since he arrived as head coach. And with Ken Dorsey gone, all indications are they are going back to that style of attack.

But they need to upgrade the talent on offense and still get a quarterback somewhere in the first round. This is a draft supposedly loaded with running backs, so could they trade out of #2, draft a back at say around #10, and trade back into the first round, albeit late, to get a young QB?

That could be a possible scenario. We would like to get more choices in the draft, because the Browns need to get younger and faster on both sides of the ball.

Yes, another pass rusher would be nice. We have said too often it appeared the team’s plan was for Myles Garrett to get there. There was no “Plan B”.

But you have to score more points and have a respectful offense. One of the reasons for the high total of points allowed by the Browns is the offense couldn’t stay on the field and turned it over way too much.

Cleveland’s offense was dreadful in 2024. That shouldn’t be swept under the rug.

Talking Leadership (Or Lack Of It) In Cleveland Sports

Leadership is a tricky thing. You can’t quantify it, and we know there are classes which teach it, it is really something you have to be comfortable with.

For the Cleveland Guardians, there is no question that Jose Ramirez is their leader on the field. Ramirez plays the game the right way and even though he’s had several top five MVP finishes, and is likely headed to Cooperstown, he still plays like he did when he was a rookie.

If you are a guy who doesn’t play much and you see Ramirez doing that, no doubt you will do the same, or you won’t be around long. Add in that he also talks to teammates during games, telling them what to look for and giving them tips on how to be better, and it is a perfect combination.

For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell had a meeting with Kenny Atkinson before the season started and they discussed reducing his minutes and “workload”, thus empowering his teammates. Mitchell did just that and you see him during games encouraging and cajoling the other players.

That’s leadership.

On a team, no one has to step up and say he’s the leader. The other players know who it is. One thing we always say is a leader doesn’t have to say he’s the leader, in fact, someone who tells you they are the leader usually isn’t.

Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. We had an interesting discussion the other way with someone who didn’t like the Browns paying Myles Garrett what they did because he’s not a leader.

Our response was it would be nice if your best player was the leader, like in the case of the Guardians and Cavaliers, but it’s not a necessity. The Browns are paying Garrett because of his ability, the fact that every team has to gameplan for him. And that’s alright.

It’s an issue for the local football team because there is a serious leadership void throughout the organization. We have recently referenced the phrase “collaborative effort” when it comes to decision making. That approach does not foster leadership for anyone.

In the recent NFLPA poll, head coach Kevin Stefanski received a grade of C from the players. We don’t know how many players on the Browns responded to the poll, but a few people we have talked to said the grade could stem from none of the players knowing who is in charge.

Is it Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry? Is it Jimmy Haslam? Or even the mysterious Paul DePodesta? Who is the ultimate guy? Perhaps the players feel that void.

It was very telling that backup quarterback Jameis Winston spoke to the team before games. The starting QB didn’t have that gravitas.

Does the organization not want any vocal leaders? They don’t seem to have drafted any recently. Is that because Stefanski doesn’t want or like players like this.

Going back to the Guardians, Terry Francona always liked a veteran player in the clubhouse to echo what he wanted, so it was better coming from a fellow player. It was important to have Jason Giambi and Mike Napoli on the team for that reason.

The Browns haven’t had that. Yes, everyone in the locker room respects Nick Chubb for his work ethic and toughness, but he doesn’t seem like a vocal presence.

Filling the leadership void might be the biggest need the Browns need to address. It is just as important, if not more important than the measurables.