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JMHO, our line last year was OLD and INJURED lots- lots of change.

This years line isn't established yet and best five undetermined- my hope is Brailsford wins Center spot and Jenkins goes to guard, others set sort of.

QBs can't perform if they are under CONSTANT pressure- ie, poor line, thus WRs are hurt- steady line play is PARAMONT.

PS- Defensive men in the box- stopped our runs and blitzed to punish Qbs due to POOR LINE PLAY.

Our line MUST be better this year- period. New coaches/players/ and hopefully LUCK- Go Browns!!!

Prudent points on the last 2 posts. I don't know how things will shake out but I have opinions. I don't see how our O-Line can't be better than last year. We signed and drafted better talent than what we had. KC and Boston along with the further development of Isaiah Bond should be much better. The question is how long it will take for these 2 units to come together and play at a high level. It could happen sooner than we think or it may take a while. And of course there's our yearly numerous issues at QB. I feel we could win anywhere from 5-7 games with the possibility of 2 or 3 more depending on how quickly this team will gel and the QB play. As for the D no Myles new coaches again, who knows. If the O can move the ball and score it will help the D. We can speculate all we want and that makes for good discussion, but we really won't know until actual games are played.

Question one…I think by adding two highly ranked receivers we have a good chance at having one of them being a number one receiver. If both hit great, I think we will be ok with Bond as our 3rd option at receiver, Hopefully both rookies hit and push Bond to fourth.

Question two…Not only did we bring in three draft picks we brought in a couple of seasoned vets who have starting experience. It’s my hope we can find five guys who can gel quickly. I think we have talent, im just not sure they can work as one in the short time before the season.

As to the QB’s… I hope our line gels enough so we can have a decent competition. My hope is Sanders wins outright. I don’t particularly care for Watson and his tenure here has been pretty abysmal.

Defense…Sure there are questions. We have at least a pro bowl caliber player at each level. I’m not as worried about the depth with the exception of cornerback. I don’t see a quality slot on the roster. Hopefully I’m wrong. If I’m not I would watch the waiver wire carefully as the season begins.

One thing I believe some may be overlooking is that this is a contract year for Watson. No matter how you slice it that seems to be motivating factor for most players. In the case of Watson, he had a no trade clause in his contract with Houston. As such after the Browns first visit he marked Cleveland off his list of teams he was willing to be traded to. Until of course they went back an brought the Brinks truck with them. Evidence dictates if there's one thing that motivates Watson, whether he wants to be somewhere or not is the money. That's what he is playing for this year that he hasn't needed to play for since he's been here.

I tend to agree with you. But from all indications he didn't want to be here to start with. It was all about the money. Once again this year it's all about the money moving forward.

While as I stated I tend to agree with you in terms of, "I don't think he will ever play at a high level again."

It just appears I'm not just not as convinced as you are that what I think in this case can't be wrong. I don't believe the chances of that happening are very high but I won't close the door on that possibility.

And I certainly hope I'm wrong about the possibility of him having a good season. I would rather see Sanders win the starting role outright. I just hate to imagine the confusion and arguments that would ensue about re-signing watson if he had a good season. What a mess that would turn into.

I don't think we have to worry about him re-signing. What I do look forward to {sarcasm} is all of talk as soon as the season is over and he cleans out his locker about how it is Cleveland's fault that he sucked for 5 years. Injuries aside, when he was healthy, he was not good. That is on him.

I agree. I don't think it really matters how he plays as to whether the Browns re-sign him or not. It's the chaos surrounding it by fans that I would be dreading if he played well this season.

But then again I'm not so sure watson would be the only one to say that. Not so much with words but by actions. After all it was this FO and owner who signed watson to begin with and offered up no other reasonable starting QB over the last five years. And then they fired Stefanski because he couldn't win with nobody at QB. It kind of looked like they laid the blame on him too.

There is no proof that Stefanski was fired because they laid the Watson blame on him. His offense was absolutely dreadful during his tenure here with the exception of the 2020 season and the tail end of the 2023 season. With Watson and without Watson his offenses did not produce consistently.

In the 2023 NFL season, the average score was 21.8 points per team per game in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns averaged 23.3 points per game during the 2023 regular season with an 11-6 record.

Who did this FO provide Stefanski with at QB? So it's his fault this FO didn't provide him with a competent QB?

The Cleveland Browns used four different starting quarterbacks during the 2024 NFL season: Jameis Winston, Deshaun Watson, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, alongside Bailey Zappe.

In 2025 the starters were Shedeur Sanders, 5th round rookie finished the season as the starter, while fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, 3rd round rookie and veteran Deshaun Watson also saw time under center during the year.

So Stefanski wasn't fired for losing games? And this FO gave him a competent starting QB to compete with? Face it, the best QB Stefanski had after Baker left was Joe Flacco and he was nothing more than a journeyman at that point this FO pulled off of his couch. That was in 2023 when the Browns made the playoffs. He got more out of Flacco than any team since.

After last season even this FO knew the WR's and OL were the biggest part of the problem. Not only did Stefanksi not have a legit QB, his OL and WR's sucked too. That isn't going to help you score many points. You are right that his offense sucked. You need only look at the offensive roster to see why.

Sometimes perception doesn't line up with facts.

So, you blame the Jimmy and Joe's and say the X's and O's were fine. Problem is Stefanski told Andrew Berry could not work with Baker Mayfield. So, Berry went out and got him Deshaun Watson. He had multiple years and could not work with him either. Both Mayfield and Watson are past Pro Bowlers, and he could not work with either. He fired his OC after 2013 and hired a new OC and that did not work. It became obvious he was not the QB guru they thought they had.

Agreed. I think we’ve seen the ceiling on DW. I don’t think he will be anywhere near the QB he was with Houston. I like Shedeur and hope he plays well enough in camp to be named our starter. If he does and plays well we could surprise the league this season. Shedeur could be a solid QB for us. DW will be gone after this season.

Well...Baker was not responsible for the revolving doors of HCs and OCs he was saddled with (not to mention the WRs and some guy named Blake at LT)...IOW what he may have become in Cleveland if he had a guy like Sean McDermott (Josh Allen) or John Harbaugh (Lamar Jackson) as his HC and with the consistency those guys created. He got the opposite of consistency yet did pretty damn well with it.

It's quite reasonable to say how Baker may have flourished with the Bills or Ravens. It's also hilarious when I read how we should have drafted Allen. Allen was a little raw and quite inconsistent as a Rookie...imagine that with Hue and then Freddie.

I’m anxious to see how KS does in Atlanta. I always felt he was a good knowledgeable coach but there was something lacking. I really believe he didn’t discipline and hold people accountable. In other words he was too laid back and it caught up with him. JMO

Show me where Stefanski said that.

The Browns made the playoffs in 2020 with a healthy Baker. It seems Stefanski and Baker worked fine together. In 2021 Baker was injured most of the season and the results showed on the field. The argument among the fan base was that Baker should be benched due to that injury. The question is would the browns have been any better with Case Keenum starting?

Stefsnski had no problem "working with Baker" when Baker was healthy. Unless of course you think a record of 11-5 and making the playoffs isn't working together well.

And BTW Stefanksi didn't teach Watson to throw the ball in the dirt. He didn't teach him to forget how to throw the football inaccurately either. Watson hadn't seen the field for a year because in a tantrum he sat out the previous season in Houston. He also had 36 sexual assault accusers he was dealing with. Don't blame Stefanski because this FO and owner decided to sign a scum bag with a load of baggage.

It was quoted many times during the end of the 2021 season that Stefanski told Andrew Berry he could not work with Baker. There was an incident where Myles got hurt in a game and Baker had a bad game and Stefanski was checking on Myles after the game and when he got around to see Baker. Baekr went off on him. That is when Stefanski told Berry he could not work with him. Do you remember the Monday night game where Stefanski had his OT one on one with TJ Watt who sacked Baker like 7 times. Many in the media felt that was Stefanski sending a message to Baker.

You cannot change history to fit your narrative here. The facts are the facts.

If it was "quoted many times" you shouldn't have any problem showing the quote from Stefanski. I know people claimed it many times but I don't recall Stefanski ever saying it. That's a huge difference.

"Many in the media felt that was Stefanski sending a message to Baker."

Facts are not based on feelings. At least they didn't used to be.

"You cannot change history to fit your narrative here. The facts are the facts."

Which as of yet you have provided none. Do you have the quote from Stefanski or not? Are you claiming how the media felt about something makes it a fact?

Come on man.

I have heard this story on UCSS by members of the media that were there. It comes up at least once a year on their daily show. It was overheard and gets repeated.

And once again you offer no source. That's exactly what I expected. So people overheard a conversation between Stefanski and Berry? And where is "there"? Was this something Stefanski told Berry on the sideline? Was it somewhere in public where people could overhear it? It sure sounds like if it were something that was actually said at all it would have been in a private setting. Inquiring minds want to know.

Are you going to continue on with the "Somebody said they overheard something" game?

It was not somebody it was multiple media members down in the locker rooms after the game. It was a very heated exchange, and the media members heard the outbursts. What do you think started the whole Deshaun Watson conversation? By the way I agree Stefanski, Berry, and Haslam were right. A team will never win a Super Bowl with Baker Mayfield. Watson was just the wrong choice to replace Baker.

Once again, show me your sources. You just keep posting this with zero evidence to actually support it other than "I heard".

You know what, Dan Marino is never going to win a Super Bowl either, that doesn't mean Baker wasn't the best choice for this team then, and still would be now of any QBs that were available to the team over the past 4 seasons. Do you have any idea how many QBs won't ever win a Super Bowl? The team that is finally getting put together by Berry, if the "prospects" pan out, would be a top team in the league with Baker at the helm. Man for man, I think Cleveland is better than Tampa Bay right now. The leader of the offense has yet to emerge. That said, Baker's led Buccs have a much higher expectation of playoffs than the Browns.

I don't disagree in replacing a good player with a better player. However, when looking at all available QBs since Baker left, there isn't a single player that is better than Mayfield. There might have been if we had kept Baker, and more importantly, our draft picks. Without any draft picks, there certainly weren't any free agents or available trade QBs better than Baker Mayfield over that time span.

But that's Stefanski's fault.

one big question for me is the OL. We have a lot of different options and flexibility. not saying they are all good, but I think there's some maneuvering to be had

I agree with this, but at the same time it was kinda interesting to see some his less endearing personality traits come back this past season. It seems that not all is well in Tampa and he's making some noise regarding the contract negotiations.

I'll be really honest, I'm curious to see if Watson looks any different with another coach. Purely from a scientific (if that's the right word) standpoint... I'd be interested to see if the change in coaching and/or offense can make Watson look any better.

With the amount of BS that gets passed off as news by Cleveland's local sports "reporters", it should be very telling that this "story" can't be found anywhere that could be even remotely confused for a legit news outlet.

And yet he is still the best QB we've had since 1999. By far.