DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum What Now Pt. 2

When it comes to Njoku and Bitonio, I think re-signing them has major benefits for the salary cap. I could easily see Njoku come back and spread out some of that dead cap into future years. I just don't know what that deadline is.. Not sure if he can spend time testing free agency, or if that dead cap can no longer be touched as of I.E. day 1 or 2 of the new league year?

Bitonio, it could easily come down to him hanging up the cleats. He has stated in the past, and almost did last season, he is looking at the next chapter of his life, which is out of football. I could see him retiring this year. If he doesn't retire, it will be because Berry and Monken talk him into another year. He has also stated that he wants to end his career playing for one team, which leads to the coming back to the Browns or retiring. I love Bitonio, but honestly, there are some reasons to push towards retirement the past couple of years, especially 2025. He had next to nothing around him in 2025 after so many injuries decimated an already middling roster.

Right now we are looking at this as the Browns O-line roster:
Jack Conklin still has 2 years on his contract. It is a team friendly deal and no reason to cut/trade him. Health will dictate what he does with the team in 2026. If healthy, a really good RT
RT is wide open, Wyatt Teller is a free agent and we haven't seen anyone step up after his injury filled 2025.
C Ethan Pocic is a free agent and Luke Wypler is on the last year of his rookie deal, but has not shown signs of elevating to a starter level.
LG, we already discussed Bitonio and there isn't anyone in line to replace the possible future HOF.
LT, Cam Robinson was a terrible trade last year, so I would be shocked if he doesn't stay in free agency and end up somewhere else.

The only outlier... Dawand Jones is on the last year of his rookie deal and has shown no signs that he can stay healthy.

So, IF CONKLIN can stay healthy.. you might have one position set for 2026, the other 4 positions are up for grabs.

My suggestion, since there aren't really any big opportunities to improve the WR room in free agency... Go full press on signing Rasheed Walker away from the Packers. He could finally fill the LT vacancy we have had since Joe T left. He is going to be expensive, probably looking at $26-27M/yr, but he is only 25, so it would be a smart signing, if they can get him away from GB.

Packers actually have a worse cap situation than the Browns. The Browns have some offseason work to do, which is what Berry does best and gets little credit for. They are looking at a $20M deficit on the cap right now on the surface, but the mechanisms that Berry has in place (and probably the biggest reason he still has a job that people don't know about) should bring the Browns back to having close to $50-60M in cap space to work with when it is all said and done. Between restructure and insurance from his injury, Watson should garner about $30M in relief on his own. Re-signing Njoku will give them another $10M in cap relief, after paying him to play in 2026. Ironically the same is true for Bitonio, however, as already stated, he might be heading to retirement.

If they could sign Walker, then they could concentrate on interior linemen in the draft, which is where the gold is.

I would love to see them draft two WRs, ideally Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson at #6 and Denzel Boston or at #24, then come back at #39 and get a highly touted guard like Emmanuel Pragnon or Gennings Dunker. Then at #70 draft a stud center in either Connor Lew or Jake Slaughter. 4 immediate starters in the top 70 picks. It could transform the offense, like Schwesinger and Mason Graham shored up the defense in 2025. The defense was already well on their way, but these two pushed them into top 5 caliber.

This offense is FOUR linemen away from being a solid unit. It is so bad right now that I don't know if it is possible to get high enough to matter. But, there are interior linemen in this draft that have skillsets to succeed at a high level in the NFL. Tackles, not so much, LT is void of talent altogether. There are many drafts pushing Mauigoa to us at #6, but he is a true RT and I don't know anyone that thinks he is going to transition to the left side at the next level. RT is the only line position we actually have warm bodies for in Conklin and Jones.

We need linemen and WRs a plenty in this draft. If we can find a Njoku replacement for 2027, I wouldn't be opposed.

Free agency is going to be one big name and done. There just isn't the meat in this free agent class to transform a team.

If Watson regains his Houston form, he should be the best QB on this rosters (as it sits today)

If that turns out to be true, does Monken start him? Should Monken Start him?

I have had and continue to have a problem with him, but without that,,, what do they do?

I think extending Watson might just finish me off. Not joking. Not hyperbole. I think I would have to walk

This is a test post because it seems we're missing posts in this thread.

I think the only reason, at this time, that we would extend him would be to lower his cap hit this year.
Short of him "accidentally" getting backed into by a truck and that sending him to IR so that his entire cap hit comes off our books, it might be our only way of getting some cap relief.
Even with the higher cap, I think we're still slated to be $20 million over at the start of free agency.

If our coaching staff thinks DW gives us the best chance of winning, I would play him. We're paying him anyway and I want to see us win.

That's not the first time over the past couple days that a thread would show new posts but clicking to see them merely took me to the top of that page; scrolling to the bottom would not show the new post.

Same here.

I guess JS has delivered his letter of resignation.

Time to move on.

Doesn’t exactly raise your stock by sitting out a year.

Jim Schwartz will not return as Browns DC for 2026 season

Jim Schwartz will not return as Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator for the 2026 season, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Friday.

Schwartz is walking away from the franchise where he has served as DC for the past three seasons after the Browns hired former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken as their new head coach -- for which Schwartz was a finalist.

When Monken was hired, The Insiders reported that Schwartz was visibly upset at being passed over for HC and told coaches he did not plan to remain in Cleveland despite being under contract.

Rapoport, Pelissero and Garafolo reported on Friday that the Browns attempted to convince Schwartz to remain on Monken's staff but it was not to be.

Monken was asked about Scwhartz's status earlier in the week during his introductory news conference.

"I think Jim is an outstanding defensive coordinator, I think we all would agree with that," Monken told reporters on Tuesday. "But I think it's a little inappropriate for me to comment about that at this time."

In his three seasons with the Browns, Schwartz twice helmed a top-four defense in yards allowed. His unit often was the lone bright spot in a dismal 2025 campaign, and Cleveland saw Myles Garrett break the single-season sack record and win Defensive Player of the Year, while linebacker Carson Schwesinger was named Defensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday at NFL Honors.

https://www.nfl.com/news/jim-schwartz-not-returning-as-browns-dc

It may be true that nobody is irreplaceable but it's most certainly true that some people are much harder to replace than others. This is one of those cases.

Well, after the worst possible way of handling things and communications, this is probably the best case scenario. As soon as he told Haslam to go f himself and Monken said he didn’t chip Schwartz, this relationship was dead. There was no coming back from that. I just didn’t want some long drawn out drama or an attempt to shoehorn an angry prideful spurned coach back into the system. Now we can all move on.im just glad it’s over.

And I agree. I think we saw that truth rather dramatically when Callahan left. I don’t know how much they tried to keep his system buuuuut it didn’t work

Browns statement...

My disdain for Haslam knows mo bounds

I am now hoping the Browns promote Jason Tarver Linebackers coach. He knows Schwartz's system really well and his linebackers have been responsible for calling the defensive when the offense audibles. He has been with Browns wince 2020 and has developed players like JOK, Devin Bush, Carson Schweisinger etc... Hoping he is next in line to keep the gang together as much as possible.

I don’t understand how we continuously make these mistakes and look bad. Doesn’t anyone think things out?

There are definitely times when the FO/owners look buffoonish.

I don't know, I pretty much expected this. I actually don't understand what the "mistake" was. I mean, if Schwartz is not your man for the HC position, he was obviously leaving.

The only mistake I've seen was telling prospects keeping Schwartz was "non-negotiable"; if that was, in fact, the case.

I just think Schwartz is being dramatic, there is a good reason that the Browns did not hire Schwartz as head coach and that is because he is not a good head coach

True for the most part, but as a fan, it keeps on getting more and more difficult to stay true to the team. I doubt that I'm going anywhere, but man, it sure can be difficult at times...

We have no idea what the conversations between ownership and Schwarz were leading up to the hiring of the new HC. Claiming "He's not a good HC" is the same thing Tennessee fans said about Vrabel who will be coaching in the SB Sunday. It's the same thing their GM and owner thought too. I know I'm not qualified to say those things about Schwartz and I highly doubt you are either.

It's a tough situation for any front office. Almost a no win thing..

They had a coordinator that did a fantastic job... I mean really amazing. But the FO feels as if they need a guy on the other side of the ball. \

Now what?

on the other hand, any DC candidate with an ounce of Brains has to know that this is a team with a ton of D Talent... a good place to make your name!

He’s gone now but I hope he knows how respected, if nothing else, by the fans.

I wanted him to be the new HC but I guess Haslam and Berry knows more that we DTers know.

Did that sound sincere, at all?

Sad to see him go for a number of reasons - don't blame him at all. Wish him well and he'll be a bit like Baker. I'll follow his career and hope he succeeds where ever he ends up. Unless he ends up in Pittsburgh after McCarthy lays and egg!!

Hope we find the right DC to step in - we have a lot of talent on the D and it should give someone a huge opportunity to succeed.

Hope we got the call right with Monken. The Monken hire feels a bit like after the draft ... we've ended up with someone not many wanted, and we're all doing a little bit to justify and come around to the pick. Hope he ends up being more like a Schwesinger and less like Gilbert.

This is true but many on this site and in the media seem to "know" the dynamics of conversation when Podesta was telling coaches who to play, and Haslam was telling Berry who to trade for, and Stafanski was doing everything he could to sink SS, and even Baker for that matter.

It's all speculation, even if it's from inside sources.

Regarding JS as a head coach candidate, only the Ravens and Browns interviewed him as HC candidate, and Baltimore only once. They obviously didn't hire him, choosing a different DC, Minter. I loved JS defense here, but he's gone and while it could have been handled differently, once the decision was made to hire someone else, it was a bad situation.

When your team wins 3-5 games a year and you decide to move on from your HC I don't have an issue with NOT hiring an insider to pick up the baton. Whether that's right/fair is mostly irrelevant. You want to start over...you start over...don't pick and choose which part of the broken foundation to save when you have to tear down and then re-build the building.

While I have no idea what goes on in Berea, I would have been fine with rolling it back with JS as the HC. While also understanding why they chose not to. Whomever the new guy is, he's got a ton of talent to work with. I hope he cleans up the stupid taunting penalties our D guys seem to collect...and explains to MG that jumping offsides on 3rd and short is really, really selfish.

I Like JS and wish him the best whatever he decides to do. He is starting to remind me of a modern-day Bud Carson. A good DC bot not so much a HC.

Schwartz, private man- one wife, three kids....HC 12yrs ago- not good, he's got millions saved so he doen'st "need five million or so"- he could live happy, normal life. Pride, ego, and doing what you like-- who knows what he'll do. NEXT, he is replaceable like us all.
Go Browns!!!!

Where is all of this BS coming from that Stefanksi was "doing everything he could to sink SS"? The only place I've been seeing that is from a bunch of SS fan boys on social media. Every team in the NFL passed on him four time and some teams five times.

This FO stated plainly they wanted to see both rookies start and get a good look at them. That's exactly what happened. Stefanski isn't the one who put together a crappy OL that couldn't protect the QB or run the ball and a roster with no legitimate #1 WR. Yet the people who did are still here and he is gone.

It sounds like you're fine with that and you claim that's somehow Stefanski's fault. Got it.

My apologies. I meant to separate that comment that KS was trying to sabotage SS as coming from FB SS Deion Fans. I should have made that a separate sentence.

I wouldn't go that far. He was not a good head coach with the Lions, but he could have improved since then (most coaches do) What may have been part of his downfall however could be related to his emotions. He did not handle this in a professional way at all, and let his emotions get the best of him. That was PART of the reason he didn't get the job. I'm still not happy with Monken as our choice for head Coach, but like he said he is OUR Head Coach so I will be pulling for him, NOT bashing the hell out of him before he even gets a fair shake to succeed. However if he goes against the plan to Dump Watson on June 1st I'm going to be riding my broomstick.