DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Todd Monken Hired as Browns HC

Who Knows? None of us for sure.

I just chalk it up to one of life's unknown mysteries.

I hate Jim Rome but he saying exactly what I said. How did they not communicate, how did they not know? Because: lack of top down communication. THAT is the culture in that building. There are few cultures of dysfunction as potent as the "Papi do what he do, he tell us later" culture.

Something i found interesting and may help explain Monkin's feeling regarding the Browns QB situation.........

Todd Monken confirms Shedeur Sanders-Ravens rumor in first meeting with Browns QB

Months after the Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL draft, a rumor surfaced that the Baltimore Ravens wanted to draft him.

However, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter in September, that never came to fruition because Sanders told the Ravens he didn't want them to pick him with Lamar Jackson locked in as the team's starter.

"But before the Ravens could turn in the card, the former Colorado star let it be known to Baltimore that he didn't want to be on a roster with Lamar Jackson, where he wouldn't have a chance to play anytime soon, league sources said," he reported.

At least part of that report has now been confirmed, and it was confirmed by none other than former Ravens offensive coordinator and new Cleveland head coach, Todd Monken.

Upon meeting Sanders for the first time in person since getting the job, Monken told the Colorado product that the Ravens "tried to draft your a** last year."

Monken did not say anything about Sanders declining to go there, though.

“We tried to draft your a** last year. It all worked out. Someday we’ll get a chance to talk about that," Monken told Sanders in a video posted by the Browns.

The fact that Monken was on the Ravens' staff suggests he was on board with picking Sanders and believes in him.

That's good news for the young quarterback, who will go into the 2026 offseason trying to cement himself as the long-term answer.

As of right now, Sanders' biggest form of competition could be Deshaun Watson, who is under contract for one more season.

Dillon Gabriel will likely get another look in a competition, also, but Sanders has the edge after surpassing him on the depth chart in 2025.

We also wouldn't rule out the Browns bringing in another signal-caller to add to that group, so the starting situation is anything but settled in Cleveland.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/todd-monken-confirms-shedeur-sanders-150011100.html

Better have some magic Todd old boy. I wouldn’t be overly comfy hitching my wagon to Sanders. I’d be happy to have him prove otherwise though…

SS did just enough to indicate he could be a viable starter, but he must take a leap in his second season or else we’ll be QB-hunting in the 2027 draft.

I heard you get a discount if you buy your hunting license early.

I’m not getting that reference, pit.

Just the Browns being Browns. I told you that they should have waiting 1 more year before firing Kevin because no sane coach would want to step into this dumpster fire.

It was in reference to doing nothing now by standing pat with Sanders.

Todd Monken was hired because he's an offensive coach. He has many years of experience which is a plus. He and the Ravens wanted SS in last year's draft so again that's a plus because it sounds like he's willing to give him a shot and work with him. What also is a plus is that he worked under John Harbaugh and he is coming from a "WINNING ORGANIZATION" that has been well run for many years. I think that is important and cannot be discounted. He's bringing aboard other coaches that worked with him another important fact. I don't have a crystal ball so I don't know how he will do but naturally as a Brown's fan I wish him the best. Maybe for those reasons he got the job over those younger candidates.

So what are you going to do when you hired a HC because he likes SS and SS flames out? Putting even more of your eggs in SS basket doesn't sound like a very good investment.

Stefanksi came from the Vikings when they were winning................

Kevin Stefanski spent 14 seasons (2006–2019) with the Minnesota Vikings, serving in various roles including assistant to the head coach, tight ends coach, running backs coach, quarterbacks coach, and finally offensive coordinator. He was a long-tenured staff member under three different head coaches before becoming the Cleveland Browns head coach in 2020.

As this often times is the case, a new HC can bring some players from his previous team that are FAs. Here is the offensive list:

Unrestricted
WR DeAndre Hopkins
C Tyler Linderbaum
FB Patrick Ricard
WR Tylan Wallace
LT Joseph Noteboom
QB Tyler Huntley
RG Daniel Faalele
TE Charlie Kolar
TE Isaiah Likely

Restricted
RB Keaton Mitchell

Linderbaum would be a great get. From what I hear, it doesn't seem like Pocic is coming back so we could replace/upgrade there if possible.

First off, I don't think we're putting all our eggs in the Shedeur basket. We hired a different coach to work with him a coach that seems to want to work with him. We don't know exactly the relationship KS had with SS, but we did hear it might not have been the best. By the time the draft comes we still won't know what we have with Shedeur. I would prepare for the worse by trying to move down and pick up another #1 for the "27 draft and possibly another #2 for the "26 draft. If we can't trade down, I would take a QB later in this year's draft like a Drew Allar, Nussmeier, Beck or someone else we think has a shot at becoming a decent starter for us and replace Dillon with him. With our picks in "26 I would build the OL and WR room and use FA to fill needs as well. Is it a viable plan who knows but that's how I would approach our situation.

There are players on that list that can help us definitely.

The C is pretty high buck but getting him and drafting the best Tackle would be a nice start for 26-27

I would draft another QB a little later even if they can trade down.

That's exactly the strategy they used last year to draft a QB in the first round of this years draft and we're all seeing how that played out.

Besides, just for the sake of argument if we get help in this years draft on OL and WR, the QB will have more protection and they will have better run blocking.

How many more wins would that alone result in?

So then we're what, 8-9 trying to draft a top QB in next years draft? For example the Ravens were 8-9 this year. They will be drafting 14th.

"Is goin to be very aspemcive Lucy!"

And who has ever complained about having too many good QB's on their roster?

It's a perplexing situation to say the least and one that our FO got us into. We all try and come up with scenarios to get us out of it and that's fine but ultimately our FO has to find a way to get us out. They caused it now find a solution.

That's for sure!