It's Next Year Again . . . 2025 Version

Now, if we could trade up into the mid 20s and get one of them, I’m good with that lol.

 

well fuck me…

I opened Twitter today (X, whatever)… and this popped up. Just reading about Browns signings and he wasn’t listed… just looked at this again and see it says 2021… what the hell? Why would this pop up on my feed?

 

I hope you guys get Dangerus Wilson and watch Pickett request a trade before he even hits the practice field

 

How about that new Mason Rudolph signing? Kettle meet pot. Karma’s a bitch, ain’t it?

 

Mason Rudolph played better than Pickett by a long shot. If these two wind up being our starters we make the playoffs and you guys pick top ten. You want to make an avatar bet on it if they both start. I win you have to wear the same avatar as I’m wearing right now you can pick a crap avatar that I would wear I mean a Browns avatar. If you look at mine it’s black and gold.

 

I don’t doubt in the least that Pickett plays worse. If he’s starting, we have a tank in progress this year. More problems with the Browns than just QB.

I was only responding to your mouthy little play-pal who has nothing better to do than troll. I don’t mind most of the Steelers dropping by and giving us a little grief. You guys earned my respect long ago and it’s all in fun. I just don’t take too kindly to trolls who just like to stir the pot and act like assholes. He’s more than welcome to drop in and razz us as long as he is also willing to contribute to a conversation about the QB situation.

 

Right now both of our teams are in QB straights. I don’t want Wilson, you guys please sign him, I would rather roll with Rudolph. I hate to say this but at this point I would be happy with Rodgers and hope he pulls one last league MVP season out of his ass . Do you know what would happen then? This clown would hold us over a barrel on his decision if he’s retiring or coming back. What a steel city circus that would be.

 

I kinda get the feeling that Rodgers is the lynchpin that will break the free agent logjam. Once he signs somewhere, I think everyone else will go after their targeted QB.

 

I just saw a mock that had Sanders and his crap show falling to the Steelers. I know if he does freaking Tomlin will set a record sprinting to the podium. I’m really starting to think that we should have tried trading his ass to the highest bidder, Tomlin that is
The Bears probably would have sent us draft picks for the next 3-4 years with 2 first and 2 seconds and a compilation of thirds fourths and fifths. They always fall hard in trades

 

I just don’t know how I feel about Sanders. I hope the Browns draft a QB at #2 or you just know someone is willing to trade the farm to move up. Browns need the QB but could use the picks after helping Houston become a playoff team with our Watson debacle and no first round picks for the last 3 seasons.

 

Outside of Ward and Sanders, I don’t see any other rookie QB getting to start this year unless the injuries pile up and there are no other options.

 

Well Russell Wilson signed a one year deal with the Giants. That was kind of my fall back…

What does everyone want to see for the QB position?

 

Looks like we’re stuck starting Pickett. I really doubt they take Sanders at #2…..but maybe if they trade down. Not much else left on the trash heap. Maybe Flacco?

 

@IrishDawg42

Link to an article below. Pretty much looks like what I was thinking. Browns looking to either trade out of #2 and maybe have a shot later at Sanders or take Carter at #2 an look to grab one of the other two guys with maybe a trade back up. We're still going to need a vet to mentor the new QB cause Pickett ain't here to do that......he's QB2 until the rookie shows he's better than Pickett

Browns have dinner with edge rusher Abdul Carter; privately work out QBs Jaxson Dart and Jalen Milroe

 

The NFL also expanded the playoffs in 2020. I'm not saying he deserves no credit; I'm just giving it a bit of context.

Having a rookie passer as the starter gives them flexibility to remove Watson from the equation by simply making it known that they are waiting out the contract until they can cut him. The sooner Deshaun is a non-factor within the building, the sooner the rebuild can begin, because that is the course they will be forced to take when they finally cut ties with him. There is no good option, and this coaching staff/front office has zero reason to be retained if they are not hitched to a new starting passer.

Haslem can simply clean house, blame the Watson signing on Berry/Stefanski, hire a new coaching staff and have the conversation shift. They would go into next offseason with a brand-new staff, ready to draft the passer of the future, so long as they are within striking distance to get one of the premiere passers.

If that's part of the logic, I get it. Because not wanting Sanders is a factor for wanting to go get a passer next year instead of taking a shot on one this year. It makes sense to draft Carter with that in mind.

But that doesn't do anything to protect Berry and Stefanski's jobs, which needs to be front of mind, at least for them.

Because it really is as simple as which one is going to have the opportunity to change the conversation based on this draft? Haslem, or Berry and Stefanski?

Personality changes the news cycle.

As for the winning - How much of what happened in Colorado was the coach or the player that touches the ball on every down? Because there is a definite difference in what that football program is now compared to prior of both Sanders arriving.

I never said he wouldn't help the defense. My contention is that he is not going to generate the changing news cycle that taking Sanders would.

There really is no argument against that line of reasoning. Sanders would have the ball in his hands every offensive snap, most likely from week 1, if Kenny is still the only other option on the roster. Carter simply wouldn't draw the same media coverage.

I stand by what I said previously.

If the plan was to move DTR and bring in Pickett, then trade for Cousins, what the hell are they even trying to accomplish, other than running out the Watson clock?

Kirk Cousins is not going to be the solution long term, does not elevate them to a championship in the short term, and will only be a change in the media cycle if the Browns start winning games to the point they are making noise. I'm not confident in that possibility, so the move less than lateral and likely only expedites the firing of multiple people.

Out of curiosity - Do you believe that he is going to get that length of rope?

Because I'm looking at the draft history and the overall arc of the roster and I'm not seeing anything that should suggest he has built that much goodwill in the building.

Don't get me wrong, the Watson deal buried them with a cap destroyer and a loss of high picks, but Dawand Jones feels like maybe the best value pick of his tenure.

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I think, overall, you and I are simply looking at this from different lenses.

You want what is best for the team, because you're a fan. I get that. And I may not even disagree with your approach to building the roster. In fact, we could start a whole new conversation on which non-passer would be the best pick for the Browns at the top of the draft, and we may end up agreeing on Carter.

What I'm doing is viewing it from what Stefanski and Berry need to do to save their jobs, which is change the narrative for the Browns.

I don't believe that Kirk Cousins or Kenny Pickett can win enough games to make that happen, and the narrative will continue to be the Watson deal, which Haslem has to be just about done with.

Drafting a passer at #2 changes the discussion and gives them security for a year and a half.

Drafting Carter, IMO, has no chance at changing that narrative.

 

Now, if I change my way of looking at it from "What should Stefanski/Berry do to save their jobs and move the franchise forward?", to "What would I do if the made me the GM?"...

Probably a couple things no one here would be good with, but I would be looking at it from the idea that I am guaranteed 5 full seasons to see my plan through.

I think that's more of where you are coming from @IrishDawg42 , so like I said above, we're kind of taking a broad view at it from a different set of prescription glasses.

So, with that in mind...

If you would be so inclined and have the time - Take over the front office at all aspects and give me your idea of what should be done with the current roster, this draft in general and a view into where you would look to push the envelope over the next two season.

 

Not from a fanbase that doesn’t want him. I talk to a lot of Browns fans, I have yet to hear one say they need to stay put and get Shedeur Sanders. Some want Cam Ward, but are resigned to the probability he is going #1 and none of them want to give up draft capital to move up to #1.

The debate I hear every day is what non-QB or what will it take to move down? Is there are market to move down.

I can tell you as an insider, drafting Sanders WILL change the news cycle, but it will also incite the Browns mob. They will shower down more boos on Sanders day one because they don’t want him. No one believes in his ability and frankly no one wants the Sanders circus in town. I could give two shits about the circus, I loved Baker coming in and he brought that with him. I just want to win and I don’t think it happens with Shedeur.

Honestly what have they changed right now? They were the same old Buffaloes in 2023 winning 4 games. They caught lightening in a bottle in 2024 thanks to the transfer portal and still didn’t win as many games as Mike McIntyre did in 2016 with Sefo Liufau at QB.

So I pose a question back, do you think the senior or junior influenced the transfer portal? Do you think the Buffalos had a chance to win 9 games in the same situation without Shedeur? Do you think Shedeur had a chance to win 9 games in Colorado without his dad going first?

When the questions change, I personally think it has a lot more to do with Prime than his son.

I am arguing that is exactly what they are attempting to do, run out the clock, yet still win more games along the way in route to a new stadium being built. Right now, the race is to get out from under Watson, that is the only narrative.

When arguing about how to “possibly” win as many games as possible, I think Kirk Cousins is the only chance they have to sniff the playoffs. I’m not saying they make it with him, it obviously depends on which version you get, but there isn’t another option that wins you more than 5 games in 2025.

This is the other point we are going to disagree to an extent on, you say no way, I say it’s the odds on favorite to be the only chance. Again, I don’t put the odds real high, but at least there are odds it could happen. I say there is zero chance of Sanders is the pick and starts day one. If he doesn’t start, the Browns might be 0-5 before he hits the field and it won’t matter anyway… then they will blame Stefanski for not playing him and he loses his job anyway.

I don’t think either of them have a long length of rope. I believe Haslem understands the situation the Browns are in won’t get the right candidates wanting this job under the Watson cloud. It isn’t fair to put any new regime in place under these circumstances.

I think Watson has bought these guys time in a way most regimes don’t get.

As for the draft, I just don’t see how you aren’t giving him more credit than just Duwand Jones, who actually is more of a slap in the face than a compliment with his injury history.

I don’t see any Cinderella story coming out of a Kenny Pickett rebirth. I agree on that 100%.

We disagree that there is no way for a semi-happy ending with Cousins starting. A healthy cousins with a couple more weapons like Aiyuk and a top notch RB could get this team to the point that they score a couple of TDs a game… if they draft Carter the defense could be the catapult to a big increase in wins over 2024. Remember, this team was in the playoffs the year before. I don’t care about the expanded playoffs excuse, they are still in the expanded playoff era. That’s our new reality.

It definitely changes the discussion, I just don’t think you understand where that discussion is going within the Browns fanbase. That kid will be setup to fail if he is drafted by the Browns.

Drafting Carter, or Travis Hunter for that matter, changes the narrative to a perceived positive based on every conversation I have had over the past 4 months within the Browns fanbase.

If they manage to get Cousins by not drafting Sanders… I personally believe that is their only chance of improving on their record in 2025.

 

I think that is the perspective you might need to use with Berry/Stefanski. By all accounts Haslem loves their work inside the building.

In business you will always have peaks and valleys. You will always have employee turnover. If you find management that you trust, you don’t fire them in the valleys, you trust them to hire and train the employees you lost to get back to the peak. Haslem is a business man. All he wants to do is win and I think he trusts this front office to get them there. I don’t think he is going to fire them based on the Watson debacle. I think he has taken responsibility for that mistake and they are on the real Browns rebuild starting now.

Your mindset places the state of the Browns squarely in Berry’s hands. I don’t believe that is the same thought in Haslem. I do believe he will give Berry every opportunity to right the wrong HE caused. Winning more games in 2025 is the start to that rebuild. If they go backwards, THEN Berry’s job is in the line. The best way to go backwards is drafting and starting a rookie QB.

 

I think I have made what I would do rather clear in the mock draft exercise. That is based on my personal views of how to win more games in 2026. They had all their eggs in the Chubb basket in the RB room, signed some half assed veterans to back him up and they failed miserably. That room, as much as the QB room, needs a refresh. I haven’t seen a better draft in years, maybe ever, to do just that. I would be surprised if they don’t draft two RBs in April. I don’t think they will go back to back like I did, but they will add two in this draft. If I’m a betting man, I think they go Carter or Hunter at #2. Then go running game at #33.. that could mean the right RB or if one of the premier offensive linemen fall to them and their top 3 RBs on their board are gone, they pick the lineman. If they don’t go RB at #33, then two of the next 3 picks after that are RB and the other pick will be a project QB, unless they are artificially elevated early and the QB run isn’t worth the risk.

I think they will need some kind of offensive impact to draw Cousins to Cleveland and I believe they think that is their best chance of playing winning football in 2025.

I don’t know if that totally answers the question , but it’s the start to this rebuild in my mind.