Month: June 2026

As the team heads into the dead period, let’s look at a few key things. I’m of the belief; Browns GM Andrew Berry still has some roster building to do. I’ve heard the team is concerned about depth at defensive end, cornerback and linebacker, so let’s see where the team is salary cap wise. According to Over The Cap, the Browns are currently a little over $16 million under the cap. Plenty of room to sign some veterans to take care of the depth on the defense.

The quarterback competition will extend to the start of training camp, which will happen in late July. Head coach Todd Monken had hoped someone would step up and claim the job. No one has. I’ve been told Deshaun Watson and Sheduer Sanders are tied as of now. I’ve also been told if the season started today, Watson would start. I don’t like this, but Monken is trying to win games, so it makes sense to go with the veteran, again if the season started today. Thank God it doesn’t. If you’re a Sanders fan, this is good news. Watson, a ten-year veteran, hasn’t been able to distance himself from two second year players. Sanders has shown some improvement but still has the same bad habits from last year when pressured. Watson is the media darling right now and I have no idea why. I’ve been told by someone who was at the OTA’s and minicamp, Watson has thrown the most “turnover worthy” passes. In other words, go back and watch what he did in 2024 before getting hurt. These two- and three-day sessions don’t really tell anyone anything. The true test will come in training camp when the team practices four or five days in pads and the offense is going up against defensive starters.

Local and national media types are still pimping trading Denzel Ward. It isn’t going to happen. First of all, the team is worried about the current cornerback depth, so why create more roster problems. Second, there isn’t a team in the league who is a cornerback away from the Super Bowl. Finally, in order to trade Ward, the Browns would have to get back the Jared Verse of cornerbacks included in the trade. What team is going to do that?

When Todd Monken was hired, I said on a podcast that he remined me of another head coach, Bruce Arians. Arians didn’t get his first NFL head coaching job until he was 61. He had been a very successful quarterback coach, wide receiver coach and offensive coordinator in the league. In 2013 he was hired by the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to his hiring, the Cardinals were 5-11. Under Arians, they finish 10-6 after starting 3-4. In 2014, the Cardinals finished 11-5. They started 9-1 that year, but injuries to starting QB Carson Palmer (6-0 as a starter) and backup Drew Stanton (5-3 as a starter) caused the team to finish second to the Seahawks in the division. In 2015 after a 3-0 start, the Cardinals finished 13-3. The key to these first three years for Arians was having the starting QB he wanted. A couple of months after hiring Arians, Arizona traded for Palmer.

If there’s a moral to this story, I’m going to let Todd Monken find is Carson Palmer. He didn’t wait till he was 60 years old to get his first NFL head coaching job to tank for the next mystery draft pick at quarterback. Stay safe and Go Browns.

As the Browns gear up for the final minicamp tomorrow (mandatory), the media has gone from the Myles Garrett trade back to who the hell is going to be the starting QB for the team. Two weeks ago, everyone was reporting it would be Deshaun Watson. Last week it was going to be Shedeur Sanders. Two weeks ago, Watson looked good. Last week he didn’t. Sanders is making strides, but, according to head coach Todd Monken, he’s still retreating in the pocket and throwing off his back foot.

Previously, Monken had said he’d have a starter named by the time training camp started in July. Not so fast my friend. Last Wednesday he said, “In a perfect world, you’d love to have your starting quarterback, right?” Monken said after OTA practice No. 8 on June 3. “And you’d love to have your O-line set. I’m not sure we’ll be there, I’m just not. I think both quarterbacks have played well enough where we haven’t really been in pads. We haven’t played any games yet. Haven’t really got to that point yet.” He admitted the competition is close, “Every day I kind of lean one way or the other with quarterbacks,” he said. “But we still got to get to that point…and then quarterback, who’s going to start for us. But I’m fired up by the quarterbacks. I just tell you, we got two starting level quarterbacks. We really do.” The statement about having two starting level quarterbacks could be seen two ways. One, they’re both advancing or two, neither one has separated themselves from the other.

I maintain Watson will not take another meaningful snap for the Browns. So that leaves Sanders as the starter, but if he’s going dispel the fears of many fans, he needs to separate himself this week. Yesterday I decided to watch games from last year (Sanders) and from 2024 (Watson). My only conclusion is how either of these guys can be in the conversation for starting. Fans of both will maintain neither QB had the benefit of a good offensive line and offensive weapons. Some will point out the failures in play calling by former head coach Kevin Stefanski. All those factors are true, but the majority of the failures by both land on the shoulders of both.

I’m not anti-Sanders, but I am anti-Watson. I’m a tear the band-aid type of person, so the quicker this team gets rid of Watson (start of the league year in 2027) the happier I’ll be. If Sanders can show the head coach, he can be a viable starter in the NFL, then that’s the best thing for the team. He’ll have a better offensive line, better receivers and an actual running game. Monken is supposed to be a coach who gets the best out of any QB and can fix an offense which quite frankly was offensive to watch. If Sanders can win the job, the Browns won’t have to search for their savior in the 2027 draft. If he can’t, the Browns might be searching for a veteran QB at the end of training camp. Stay safe and Go Browns.

As I settled in at my desk yesterday, I intended to write an article about how the Browns were not going to trade all world defensive end Myles Garrett. It was June first and the media were writing articles about how it was now easier to trade Garrett. The redo of his contract made all this possible. My reasoning was the Browns didn’t draft a replacement, and they were already a veteran DE short in the position room. As I wrote in last week’s blog, they needed one more veteran to go with Garrett. Then to add to all this, I was told the reports that the Browns had talked to the Rams & Eagles were false. Then about 11:00am central, I got word the Browns had talked to the Rams and were still talking. Stop the presses. If this guy tells me something was up, then something was up.

I know a lot of Browns fans are upset, but let’s stick to facts. Prior to signing his new contract, Garrett wanted out of Cleveland. The Browns didn’t respond to the trade demands; they instead may him the highest paid DE in the league. Then the team redid his contract making a salary cap friendly trade possible, but only after June 1. I personally thought 2027 would be the time to trade Garrett. Give him one year under a new coaching staff and see what happens. The main reason this trade happened was the Browns wanted a strong, up and coming player in return. The Rams did not want to give up Jared Verse He’s a two-time pro bowler and the 2024 rookie defensive player of the year. He’s only been in the league for two years but is top five in pressures and number two in run stop win rate. He’s 25 years old and is still on his rookie contract. He’s from Dayton Ohio and coming out of college said he would love playing for the Browns.

Without Verse, this trade does not happen. He’s worth a first round pick because he was a first round pick. As a matter of fact, he was the Rams first round pick after not having a first round pick for nine years. The deal also includes the Rams first round pick in 2027, their second-round pick in 2028 and their third-round pick in 2029. The Browns now have eleven picks in 2027. Eleven. The there is no secret that Jimmy Halam loves Arch Manning. Besides Manning, the quarterback draft in 2027 is very special. If all the QB’s play up to their expectations, Cleveland will have the capital to find the right guy. If Sanders or Gabriel balls out and produces a winning season and a playoff berth, then the 2027 draft becomes gravy.

Now the speculation is Denzel Ward will be the next one out the door. Another team will have to offer a comparable player like Verse. Elite cover corners, like left tackles and quarterbacks, don’t grow on trees, so I doubt Ward will be dealt. The next big move by the Browns should be the signing of a good veteran defensive end like Joey Bosa, Cameron Jordan, Jihad Ward or Preston Smith. After that, the team needs to work on a contract extension for Grant Delpit.

The fans who hate GM Andrew Berry will hate this deal. They claim a football “nerd” can’t be a GM. I hate to tell you this, but that’s who runs teams in the league. Smart people. This was a haul for the Browns this year (Verse) and a haul for the future. The Rams get the best defensive player in the league because their playoff window is closing fast and they are in a win this year mode mostly because they have a 38-year-old QB without a competent back up. I hate losing Garrett, but this trade was necessary for the Browns future both for the roster and the salary cap. In business if both sides of a transaction feel they didn’t get a good deal, it’s always a good deal. Stay safe and Go Browns.