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.