The Cleveland Browns begin their 2026 campaign today against the Jacksonville Jaguars as they continue to search for answers for the many questions that surround the franchise.

Two time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski was let go. Fresh off of setting the single season sack record, reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett was traded. Embattled quarterback Deshaun Watson is starting for the Cleveland Browns in 2026.

It has been quite the offseason for the Browns in terms of headlines which is sadly where they seem to make the most noise instead of winning on the actual football field.

So what now?

The Youth Movement

General Manager Andrew Berry has spent the last couple of offseasons revamping and transitioning this Browns roster. Without having first round picks from the Watson trade, the amount of young talent on the roster was scarce. Now the roster has gone from one of the oldest to one of the youngest in the NFL in a short amount of time.

Last season, the Browns got major contributions from a lot of their rookies. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger, drafted in the second round, won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Defensive tackle Mason Graham, running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, tight end Harold Fannin also made key contributions. They drafted two quarterbacks, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, who started games last year.

This year, they have two rookies starting on the offensive line in week one, Spencer Fano and Austin Barber. They have two new wide receivers in KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston who will be focal points of the offensive gameplan. Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren will play significant snaps on defense.

Speaking of the offensive line, there are five new starters that will take the field today. After Joel Bitonio retired and others left in free agency, the Browns had a lot of work to do. Tytus Howard was brought in via trade and given an extension. Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson were brought in via free agency to round out the line with Fano and Barber.

In the trade of Myles Garrett, the Browns acquired three future draft picks and they also acquired defensive end Jared Verse in the deal. It was pivotal that there was a legitimate player in the trade of Garrett because you could not create another question mark on this roster heading into the season. Instead, injuries have created a question opposite of Verse.

All of these offseason moves are positive in moving this roster in the right direction but the biggest question remains as it has since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999.

The Quarterback Situation

It has been 10,011 days since the Browns drafted Tim Couch and we are still asking ourselves, “Is there a franchise quarterback on this roster or will we be already focused on the 2027 NFL Draft?”

After Browns owner Jimmy Haslam called the Watson trade a “swing and a miss”, it seemed unfathomable that Watson would ever play, let alone start, for the Browns again. The contract they gave him was a colossal failure along with trading the draft capital to acquire him. As he takes the field today, there is very little optimism for any sort of good performances. Ever since he arrived here, Watson has been a hollow shell of the quarterback that he once was and has had devastating injuries on top of that.

Enter new Cleveland Browns Head Coach Todd Monken. After a lengthy quarterback competition, Monken has decided to go with Watson as much as the preference for Shedeur Sanders to start is for Browns fans, mine included. As mentioned, the youth movement for the Browns has been in full swing the last couple of seasons and it should be extended to the quarterback position as well.

Now let’s make no mistake about it, this may be Todd Monken’s, at age 60, only chance to be a NFL head coach. He is going to put the players out there who are going to give the Browns the best chance to win football games. Monken should have a sense of urgency to win.

If history tells us anything, we will get to see Shedeur start games for the Browns in 2026. It is a very rare occurrence when a quarterback starts all season for Cleveland. They may get even further down the depth chart than Sanders with rookie Taylen Green and Dillon Gabriel, once he returns from injured reserve.

The Browns have a lot of questions to still answer but none is more important than the quarterback position. As of right now, it is unlikely that one of the quarterbacks on the roster will be the franchise quarterback. That distinction may be at the collegiate level with Arch Manning, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, Drew Mestemaker, Darian Mensah and others.

Measuring Success

Yes, wins in the NFL do matter. If you are not holding up the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season, then you did not do enough winning. However, with the 2026 Cleveland Browns, holding that trophy at the end of the season is an impossible task.

So how do we measure if the Browns had a successful 2026 season?

First off, the aforementioned young players need to continue to show signs of development and that they can be legitimate NFL starters. The youth movement is going to continue with next year’s draft so the current rookies and sophomores have to prove that they belong and can hold down their positions.

Secondly, the Browns need to have any sort of semblance of a functional offense and to me, that begins with running the football. It is going to be a challenge with a brand new offensive line with five new starters. Monken loves to run the football and it is something that the fanbase loves to see as well in a city like Cleveland. If the new offensive line can be a cohesive unit, move the opposition while running and protect the quarterback, then it will be one of the bigger successes of Andrew Berry.

Next, without Myles Garrett, can the Browns’ defense be able to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks? Jared Verse will be able to do that but it remains to be seen if the trio of Isaiah McGuire, Derek Barnett and Sam Williams can apply pressure on the opposite side. Mike Hall Jr., entering his third season, showed some flashes in the preseason at defensive end and can insert his name into the mix as well.

Lastly, Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns have to find an answer on all of the quarterbacks on this roster. If one of these quarterbacks is able to take the reins and be the franchise quarterback, then it will mean more than any win that they can obtain this season. On the other hand, if it is determined by their play on the field that they are incapable of having that distinction, then it will be a success in knowing they will have to draft one in 2027.

The Cleveland Browns are not a finished football team by any means. They are not a playoff team or Super Bowl on paper. The Browns are also not a hopeless team with no future either. The state of the franchise is that the Browns are in the uncomfortable middle of a transition. The Browns have enough young talent to create genuine optimism but also have enough uncertainty at quarterback to keep the franchise from actually competing

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We’re running this mock through the Pro Football Network simulator, which currently has Cleveland picking at No. 4 overall. Up top, the board went Dante Moore to Arizona, Leonard Moore to Miami, and Arch Manning to the New York Jets.

Here is how the rest of the draft shakes out for the Dawg Pound.

Round 1, Pick 4: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

• Upcoming Game: Ohio State vs. Ball State | Saturday, 12:30 PM

There wasn’t a quarterback worth reaching for at No. 4, so you stick to the board—and Jeremiah Smith is the undisputed #1 overall player on it. Arguably the most complete weapon in college football, he brings elite size (6’3”, 220+ lbs), vertical speed, and polished route running.

Pairing a generational talent like Smith with a young core of Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston sets up the ultimate environment for whoever takes over under center in 2027.

Round 1, Pick 32 (via Rams): Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson

• Upcoming Game: Clemson vs. LSU | Saturday, 7:30 PM

Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell hold down the outside for now, but with Ward approaching 30, planning ahead at corner is smart business. Hampton is a physical, high-IQ corner entering his junior year at Clemson. While he isn’t a track sprinter, his hip fluidity, size, and technique give him plenty of tools to match up with NFL-caliber receivers.

Round 2, Pick 36: CJ Carr, QB, Notre Dame

• Upcoming Game: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin | Sunday, 7:30 PM

Cleveland plays the board perfectly here, letting CJ Carr fall right into their laps in the early second round. Carr has every bit of the prototype NFL size (6’2”, 215 lbs) and dynamic arm talent you want in a franchise quarterback.

With only a year of starts under his belt, he still needs to clean up his pocket processing and decision-making. But if he takes another leap with the Fighting Irish, getting him at Pick 36 could be an absolute steal.

Round 3, Pick 68: Braelin Moore, C, LSU

• Upcoming Game: LSU vs. Clemson | Saturday, 7:30 PM

Cleveland poured heavy investments into the trench line—locking down Spencer Fano at left tackle, plugging in Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins, and handing Tytus Howard a solid deal.

Drafting Braelin Moore is a forward-thinking move. He was lights-out in pass protection last season (allowing just a 2.1% pressure rate), but his run-blocking still needs polish. Letting him learn under Jenkins and offensive line coach George Warhop for a year prepares him to step seamlessly into the starting lineup down the road.

Round 4, Pick 103: Cole Sullivan, LB, Oklahoma

• Upcoming Game: Oklahoma vs. UTEP | Friday, 8:00 PM

After transferring from Michigan, Sullivan steps into Brent Venables’ defense as an explosive, sideline-to-sideline linebacker. His length and lateral range make him a weapon in coverage, and he brings juice as an extra pass rusher on blitzes. Adding him alongside Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams gives the Browns much-needed athletic depth in the middle.

Round 4, Pick 109: DJ McKinney, CB, Notre Dame

• Upcoming Game: Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin | Sunday, 7:30 PM

Cornerback depth has been a headache, making a double-dip here completely justified. McKinney has top-tier athletic traits, but he struggled with eye discipline and tracking after transferring from Colorado. A fresh start in South Bend gives him a clean slate to refine his instincts—making him a high-upside gamble on Day 3.

Round 4, Pick 129: Blake Frazier, OT, Michigan

• Upcoming Game: Michigan vs. Western Michigan | Saturday, 7:30 PM

Frazier split time at left and right tackle for Michigan last year and showed flashes of real potential, though he needs to add bulk to handle NFL power edge rushers. With Dawand Jones set to hit free agency after 2026, Frazier projects as a developmental swing tackle with plenty of room to grow.

At some point, the Cleveland Browns have to stop trying to justify the Deshaun Watson trade.

The draft picks are gone. The $230 million is gone. The damage has been done. Nothing that happens in 2026 can change what the Browns gave up or what they received in return.

What Cleveland can control is whether that mistake continues dictating the future of the franchise.

Naming Watson the starting quarterback does exactly that.

And after everything Browns fans have watched over the last several years, it is difficult to view this decision as anything other than another massive mistake.

This isn’t about declaring Shedeur Sanders a future superstar. It isn’t even about saying Dillon Gabriel is definitely an NFL starting quarterback.

Maybe one of them is. Maybe neither is.

The Browns need to find out.

They don’t need to find out anything else about Deshaun Watson.

If This Was a Competition, What Did Watson Do to Win It?

Forget the contracts. Forget draft position. Forget everything that happened before training camp.

If the Browns were truly holding a quarterback competition, then judge the quarterbacks on what they actually did.

Did anyone watch Watson and Sanders throughout the preseason and come away believing Watson was unquestionably the better quarterback?

I certainly didn’t.

Sanders wasn’t perfect. There were still mistakes, inconsistent stretches and plays he will need to clean up. Nobody should pretend otherwise.

But there were also flashes.

There were moments when Sanders extended plays, created outside of structure and showed the confidence and playmaking ability that made him such an intriguing prospect in the first place.

More importantly, those flashes came from a young quarterback who still has room to develop.

Watson is entering Year 10.

The standard cannot possibly be the same.

Watson shouldn’t have needed to look slightly better than a second-year quarterback to win this job. Considering everything that has happened during his Browns career, he should have needed to blow the competition away.

He didn’t.

Yet here we are again.

Deshaun Watson is QB1 in Cleveland.

Jimmy Haslam Already Called It a “Swing and Miss”

This is what makes the decision almost impossible to understand.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam already admitted what everyone else could see.

The Watson trade was a “swing and miss.”

Those were his words.

Cleveland made one of the biggest gambles in NFL history when it traded three first-round picks for Watson and handed him a fully guaranteed $230 million contract.

It failed.

Admitting that publicly should have represented a turning point for the organization.

Instead, the Browns are right back where they started.

How do you call the move a swing and miss, spend two draft picks on quarterbacks in 2025 and then enter the following season with Watson starting again?

What was the point of drafting Sanders and Gabriel?

What exactly are the Browns trying to accomplish in 2026?

If this season is about determining the future of the quarterback position, Watson provides almost no answers.

Sanders might.

Gabriel might.

The Contract Doesn’t Mean He Has to Play

There will inevitably be people who point toward Watson’s contract as justification for putting him on the field.

That argument makes little sense.

The money is gone regardless of who takes the first snap on Sunday.

Cleveland’s financial obligations to Watson don’t suddenly disappear if Sanders starts. They also don’t become more manageable because Watson is under center.

The Browns made the financial commitment years ago. Starting him now doesn’t recover a dollar of it.

There may be salary-cap reasons why Cleveland cannot simply cut Watson today.

Fine.

Keep him on the roster.

That does not mean he needs to play.

NFL teams have moved on from expensive quarterback mistakes before. At some point, the priority has to become making the best decision for the future rather than trying to extract value from money that has already been spent.

Cleveland cannot save the Watson trade.

It can only decide whether it wants to keep allowing that trade to influence what happens next.

Then Came Watson’s Comments

The football argument alone is enough for me to believe Watson shouldn’t be starting.

His comments throughout his Browns tenure have only made the situation worse.

After hearing boos from Browns fans, Watson took issue with the reaction and suggested the criticism had become personal.

But the relationship between Watson and Cleveland fans didn’t deteriorate overnight.

This is a player who arrived in Cleveland amid enormous controversy after more than two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct. The Browns traded three first-round picks for him anyway and handed him $230 million guaranteed.

Watson has denied wrongdoing, but the controversy has followed him throughout his Browns career.

Then there was his statement that he had “no regrets” in his life.

Considering everything surrounding his arrival in Cleveland, it was an astonishing choice of words.

There are ways to demonstrate reflection without admitting to allegations you deny. There are ways to acknowledge that your actions and circumstances have affected other people.

Instead, Watson has too often appeared incapable of understanding why Browns fans might feel the way they do.

The boos aren’t simply about one incomplete pass in a preseason game.

They are about everything.

The allegations. The suspension. The trade. The $230 million. The draft picks. The injuries. The performances. The expectations.

Browns fans were told this was the move that would finally solve the quarterback position.

Instead, it became arguably the biggest disaster in franchise history.

Fans have every right to be tired of it.

Play Shedeur Sanders

If I were making the decision, Shedeur Sanders would start Week 1.

Not because I know he’s the franchise quarterback.

Because I don’t.

That’s precisely why I want to see him play.

Give Sanders the offense. Give him the starters. Give him meaningful NFL snaps and allow him to experience everything that comes with being a young quarterback.

Let him succeed.

Let him struggle.

Let him respond to those struggles.

Then evaluate him.

If Sanders proves over a full season that he can be Cleveland’s quarterback moving forward, the Browns have potentially solved their biggest problem.

If he proves he isn’t, Cleveland can enter the 2027 offseason with significantly more information than it has today.

The same logic applies to Dillon Gabriel.

The Browns spent draft capital on both quarterbacks. Developing and evaluating them should be one of the organization’s biggest priorities.

You cannot properly evaluate young quarterbacks from the sideline while a 30-year-old quarterback with no realistic long-term future in Cleveland takes the meaningful snaps.

Maybe Neither Young Quarterback Is the Answer

This seems to be the part of the argument that gets lost.

You don’t have to believe Sanders is the next franchise quarterback to believe he should play.

You don’t have to believe Gabriel is either.

Maybe Cleveland plays both of them and discovers neither is good enough.

That’s still valuable.

Because then you know.

If the Browns reach the end of 2026 and determine Sanders and Gabriel aren’t the answer, they can attack the 2027 quarterback class knowing exactly what they need.

That is progress.

What isn’t progress is reaching the end of another season having spent significant time evaluating a quarterback whose future with the organization was essentially decided before the season began.

Every snap matters when you’re trying to rebuild a quarterback room.

Stop wasting them.

It’s Time to Move Forward

The Cleveland Browns cannot undo the Deshaun Watson trade.

They cannot get the three first-round picks back.

They cannot take back the $230 million contract.

They cannot erase everything that has happened since March 2022.

But they can stop allowing that decision to control what happens next.

Jimmy Haslam already called it a swing and miss.

So, treat it like one.

Watson can remain on the roster for however long the financial realities require. But Cleveland’s priority should no longer be finding out whether it can salvage something from the Watson era.

That era needs to be over.

The priority should be finding the next quarterback.

Start Shedeur Sanders. Evaluate him.

Give Dillon Gabriel an opportunity if Sanders struggles. Evaluate him too.

And if neither quarterback proves capable of being the long-term answer, go find one in 2027.

There is uncertainty in every one of those options.

But there is also possibility.

With Deshaun Watson, there is no mystery left.

The Browns already know how this story ends.

It’s time they finally stop rereading it.

There’s been so many hot takes around the league that it’s also embarrassing at times that people are paid to give the takes they do regarding borderline scrimmages.

As a Browns fan, I’ve been sucked into thinking the likes of Colt McCoy, Brandon Weeden, and DeShone Kizer were legit NFL quarterbacks in the preseason only for them to fail when the games actually mattered.

Having said all that, here are my thoughts regarding Saturday’s game.

Deshaun Watson will most likely be the starting quarterback for the start of the regular season

Now having gone back and watched the game again, I’ll say that none of the quarterbacks truly stood out head and shoulders above the other but I’ve been saying it for the last week that I do think it’s time for Todd Monken to pick a quarterback and preparing for the regular season.

Watson looked okay with the first-team offense outside of his fumble in the second quarter. He got the ball out quickly and was able to spread it out to the receivers. His 4.4 air yards per attempt is an eye opening number because he didn’t really drive the ball down the field and relied on the speed of guys like KC Concepcion and Dylan Sampson.

Shedeur Sanders made some nice throws but the interception was another one of those moments where it shows why he’s still behind Watson in the competition, he’s not processing as fast and as consistent. He’ll get his shot against Buffalo but with the starters going to be getting their work mostly in the joint practice, it seems like the writing is on the wall that Watson will be the starter and Sanders will open the season as the backup quarterback.

The Depth on the Roster is a Major Concern

Yes, the Cleveland Browns are one of the youngest rosters in the NFL.

Yes, the roster has added talent in the last two draft classes as well as in free agency but the depth on the roster is and will be a concern throughout the 2026 season.

Quarterback is obviously the biggest need but we can discuss that until we’re blue in the face for the next eight months until the NFL Draft.

The offensive line still needs work and just because they built a brand new group of starters doesn’t mean the backups can’t go unnoticed.

Austin Barber got exposed in his first taste of NFL action but he was always looked as as a developmental player and hopefully we’ll see growth in the next two games and into the future for the third-round pick. There’s questions at guard with right guard still undetermined. The fact they worked out Laken Tomlinson, a lineman with 150+ career starts tells you how they feel about it currently.

The offensive line also didn’t look like they knew exactly what they were doing out there, whether it was figuring out their blocking assignments or the overall scheme. Much like quarterback, the best five guys need to be out there and gelling as an entire unit between now and the start of the regular season.

There’s been talk of potentially sliding in Tytus Howard in to right guard and putting Dawand Jones at right tackle. I don’t know if that’s the right answer but if Tomlinson doesn’t sign with the team, all options should be on the table to make sure the best five are out there for the betterment of the team.

Cornerback was heavily tested Saturday and more injuries happened with that position group during the game and you have to wonder if more transactions will come this week as Andrew Berry continues to search for depth at a spot where behind Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell looks very bleak.

There’s also EDGE where as of this writing, the Browns are possibly close to finalizing a deal with veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, who spent 2023-24 with the Browns and is potentially coming out of retirement.

Julian Okwara has stood out in training camp and had a sack on Saturday but it’s unclear if he’d make the roster as it’s currently constructed with Jared Verse, Alex Wright, and Isaiah McGuire seen as locks at the moment.

Defensive tackle also is another group that could use some attention. Maliek Collins still hasn’t been activated off PUP and Mike Hall Jr. has been absent since the practice where he was launched by running back Quinshon Judkins.

With Mason Graham and Adin Huntington the ones who have been out there at the most throughout training camp, it could be a group where we could see a surprise addition added if Collins and/or Hall can’t go at the start of the regular season.

However, there are other competitions across the roster that the fanbase should also be keeping an eye on throughout training camp and the upcoming preseason games.

Here are just a few players or specific position battles to start focusing on during the preseason.

Nickel Corner (Myles Harden, D’Angelo Ross, Tre Avery)

The nickel corner position has been one to watch since the Browns started on-field work back in the spring because the team didn’t necessarily address the depth of the cornerback position during the offseason. Yes, they have Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, but the rest of the room has been a serious question mark.

So far through training camp, the team has deployed Harden, Ross, and Avery at the nickel position as well as putting them on the outside at times when Ward and Campbell have had “rest days”.

Not only are they fighting to be the nickel corner, but they are also fighting for a roster spot, as the cornerback position has done some shuffling early in camp, and Andrew Berry will likely keep shuffling that position to find depth behind Ward and Campbell. Saturday could be a huge opportunity for those guys to lock up a roster spot potentially.

Wide Receiver Depth (Luke Floriea, Gage Larvadain, Tylan Wallace, Kole Wilson)

As of this writing, I would put four locks at the wide receiver position: Jerry Jeudy (barring trade), Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, and Isaiah Bond.

With the previous coaching staff, they kept six wide receivers, but with the uncertain depth at tight end and running back, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Browns could keep seven wide receivers.

All the receivers mentioned at the top have made flashes during training camp so far and will be showcased fully during the preseason with the second and third team offenses. Also, will have to watch how they perform on special teams as a gunner or in the return game.

The fanbase fell in love with Floriea during last year’s preseason before a hamstring injury ended the Cinderella Story. Larvadain was utilized mostly as a kick returner last season, which could give him a leg up over the other guys, although Wallace was a return specialist in Baltimore and has a history with Browns head coach Todd Monken. Kole Wilson is a UDFA from Baylor who led college football in return yards last season.

Logan Fano and Tyreak Sapp, EDGE

The Browns EDGE room has been one to watch since Myles Garrett was traded to the Los Angeles Rams on June 1. They acquired Jared Verse in the deal, and he’s been great so far in terms of displaying his pass rush ability and his leadership both by example and vocally.

We know Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire will be on the roster, but the intrigue is at who will be the fourth man in the room. They kicked the tires on Jadeveon Clowney but after taking a visit to Cleveland, the veteran signed with the Houston Texans.

They still could add a veteran in free agency or make a trade as the preseason rolls on and cuts are made, but the guys who are getting the first opportunity are the two undrafted free agents in Fano and Sapp. The Browns gave Fano $310,000 guaranteed, and Sapp has a high motor, and some scouting reports have said he could be a versatile defensive lineman.