For your Browns Monday morning reading
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2025 NFL schedule: Browns set to renew team’s first-ever rivalry
It all began in another NFL rival league
By Barry Shuck May 12, 2025, 8:36am EDTIf you are a Cleveland Browns fan, you are quite aware of the fierce rivalry the club has with each member of the AFC North Division. And rightly so. Whichever team wins the division title receives an instant berth into the postseason tournament, bragging rights, and a chance to play in that year’s Super Bowl, where the winner is crowned the league’s champion.
Add the fact that these teams play each other twice each season. That adds up to a ton of games, which gets each squad very familiar with the other team’s ros
The Cincinnati Bengals are in-state, which makes for instant competition. Plus, Paul Brown was the founder of the Bengals1 who had previously led the Browns to seven pro football championships, and then was unceremoniously fired from his post. For years after his release, the tension was excessive between the two clubs.
With the Baltimore Ravens, the fact that their very essence was once the Cleveland franchise is enough of a thorn to any Browns fan. Officials from Baltimore actively pursued Cleveland’s owner Art Modell2 and then, with a ton of financial incentives, persuaded Modell to relocate the storied franchise and leave the City of Cleveland without a team.
Then there is the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is arguably Cleveland’s fiercest rivalry. Any victory against Pittsburgh is like Christmas Day. If either team went 2-15-0 in a season, but both wins were against the other club, it would be considered a very good year.
But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the Browns’ very first rivalry was located on the West Coast, 2,456 miles away.
The San Francisco 49ers.
The 2025 season will rekindle this historical event because the Browns just happen to host the 49ers this year.
But how did a California club become the main rivalry with a team seated comfortably in the Midwest, namely the State of Ohio?
A new league
When the United States became involved in World War II, a lot of professional athletes were drafted into the military, or these men volunteered and signed up. After the war ended, these same men wanted to resume playing football. There was also a surplus of men who were in the military instead of participating in their sophomore, junior, and senior college seasons, who had lost their final years of college football eligibility.
Meanwhile, several wealthy men had inquired with the NFL about getting an expansion team3. But the NFL owners did not want any new blood into their league, and stated expansion wasn’t on their agenda.
So, these men who were denied an NFL team started their own league with the availability of hundreds of able-bodied athletes arriving daily from the war effort. They called their new entity the “All-America Football Conference” (AAFC). The usage of the word “conference” was in respect to college football. This new league signed numerous former NFL players and coaches and hired some of college football’s best players annually.
One other aspect came into play. Travel to games had predominantly been by train, but beginning in 1946, air travel became available. The AAFC seized this opportunity to place a team in San Francisco and Los Angeles. After the Cleveland Rams captured the 1945 NFL title, they relocated to Los Angeles as well.
A new AAFC team was placed in Cleveland4. The owner hired Paul Brown as the club’s head coach. Coach Brown was one of the state’s most famous sports figures, having won six high school state titles plus a National Championship while head coach at Ohio State before the war effort.
With eight clubs, the new league was divided into two divisions and began in 1946. The Eastern Division comprised the New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, Buffalo Bisons, and Miami Seahawks. The Western Division had the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Rockets, Los Angeles Dons, and San Francisco 49ers. Despite being Midwestern cities, both Cleveland and Chicago were placed in the west because of the geographic locations of the other four eastern teams.
The AAFC lasted four years and drove up the value of player contracts. In its maiden season of 1946, the playoffs were structured just like the NFL, with the two division winners competing in the league championship game.
Initially, all teams in the AAFC built their roster in any manner they wanted. The Browns were built by Coach Brown, who had previous high school and college ties and knew the abilities of lots of players. While still at war, Coach Brown signed many athletes who were stationed at military bases across the globe so that when the war was over, they were already under contract. Basically, Coach Brown cherry-picked and assembled a very strong roster.
But there were other really good teams in the league.
NY Yankees Photo By: Charles Hoff/NY Daily News via Getty Images
The Brooklyn Tigers were an NFL team that had defected from the established league and joined the AAFC instead. The Tigers’ owner had purchased Yankee Stadium and wanted his club to play home games there, but the New York Football Giants had territorial rights and would not concede. So, the Tigers’ owner, Dan Topping, pulled his team5 from the NFL, renamed them the New York Yankees6, and played his games in the venue that he owned anyway – just in another league.
So, they already had a full roster of NFL players. This fact made them the superior club in the Eastern Division right away. The Yankees would win the Eastern Division in 1946 and also in 1947, but lose to the Browns in the AAFC Championship Game both years.
Cleveland only played the Yankees once a year. But as good as the Yankees were, the team that gave the Browns the most fits was the 49ers.
The Browns’ first rivalry
Settled into the AAFC’s Western Division, the Browns played each club in their division twice a season, with Chicago always the weakest team. But the Dons and 49ers had terrific rosters each year.
When the Rams were still in Cleveland, they played their home games at League Park, which had a seating capacity of 22,500 and was an old wooden stadium built for baseball. With high-profile games against the NFL’s best clubs, the Rams would occasionally rent Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which housed 81,000 fans.
Right off, the Browns held their home games at Cleveland Municipal Stadium and used League Park as a practice facility only. In their first year, the Browns played at home before 71,134 patrons against the Dons and 70,385 versus the Niners.
In 1946, the Browns finished with a 12-2-0 record three games ahead of San Fran and five games in front of Los Angeles. But the two losses were to both of these clubs, as they lost 34-20 to the 49ers and 17-16 against the Dons.
While Coach Brown had signed former Northwestern star Otto Graham (6’-1”, 196 pounds) to quarterback his club, the 49ers had inked their first player7 in southpaw QB Frankie Albert (5’-9”, 166 pounds) of Stanford and a Two-time All-American. During the war, Graham had obligated himself to the Coast Guard while Albert served four years in the Navy.
In Week 8, Cleveland held an undefeated record of 7-0-0 going into the division game against 4-3-0 San Francisco. The Browns had the league’s best offensive attack while the 49ers were blessed with a stiff defense. So, the contest was viewed as a must-win for both teams.
The 49ers blasted out a 20-6 halftime lead behind two Joe Vetrano field goals and a 16-yard touchdown pass from Albert to Alyn Beals. The 49ers’ defense stymied Cleveland’s passing attack. Albert came out in the second half and tossed two more touchdowns as the Browns scored two late fourth-quarter scores to lose 34-20. Graham had been sacked five times for -22 yards rushing as the Browns had gained just 54 yards rushing the entire game and committed six turnovers.
Not only was the loss Cleveland’s first of the year, but the 49ers had beaten the Browns in their own stadium and were now 5-3-0 behind the Browns’ 7-1-0 record. San Francisco did own one first: they defeated the Browns in their first-ever rivalry game.
Two weeks later, the two clubs met in the Bay Area in what was perceived as the game that would determine who would win the division. A crowd of 41,061 packed Kezar Stadium in San Francisco. Again, Cleveland could not mount a rushing attack as they gained just 88 rushing yards, but their passing attack proved to be the game winner as Graham hit WR Dante Lavelli with a three-yard dart as the Browns built a 14-0 lead at the half and won 14-7.
It would become the first year that the Browns vs. 49ers would become the AAFC’s fiercest rivalry.
Ready to conquer the next league
The victory was Cleveland’s fourth title in as many years. It would also be their last in the AAFC.
In 1949, the NFL decided to end the bleeding by offering to merge the two leagues. However, the established entity only offered to accept two franchises and then wanted the remainder of the AAFC squads to fold.
The AAFC was willing and ready to merge, but negotiated for four clubs out of its seven teams.
The NFL countered by absorbing three teams: Cleveland, San Francisco, and the Baltimore Colts. In 1950, the NFL merged into its league those three AAFC teams9, as players from the defunct rosters were disbursed to various NFL clubs.
The four years of war between the two leagues escalated player salaries tremendously, with few teams in either league finding a profit at year’s end. All during the four-year existence of the AAFC, only two clubs finished seasons in the black: Cleveland and San Francisco. Both clubs had near sellouts when they played each other, the Yankees, and division foe Dons, and had great average gates in the other games.
The Browns finished their run in the AAFC, going 51-4-3. Two of those losses were to the 49ers. Cleveland won every division title and four AAFC titles.
In this same time span, San Francisco went 39-15-2 and finished in second place four times. They were 2-7-0 against the Browns.
When both clubs were placed into the NFL’s structure, the NFL owners attempted to punish the Browns and expose them as a very good minor league team that could not keep up with the big boys.
Obviously, the 49ers were inserted into the division along with western cities and placed in the National Division, which housed powerhouses the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams.
But the most brutal teams were located in the eastern portion of the country. That is the division the NFL owners placed the Browns in so that they would have the most difficult scenario of winning. Cleveland and Chicago are neighbors, yet the Browns were not positioned in the more western division.
Instead, going into the 1950 season now in the NFL, Cleveland was slotted in the American Division with the mighty New York Football Giants, Washington Redskins, and current league champion Philadelphia Eagl
The Browns would play in the 1950 NFL Championship Game and defeat the Rams 30-28 in their first year in the established league, proving they were a solid professional football club. The win was Cleveland’s fifth consecutive pro football championship in their five-year history.
This disconnected the Browns-49ers rivalry as San Fran would replace Cleveland with the Rams, while the Browns would find a new rival in the Giants for the next two decades.
Before Cleveland’s rivalries became the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals, it was the San Francisco 49ers as their first adversary.
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at least were not last
The NFL has evolved into an offense-driven league. As a result, each and every organization must be driven to upgrade their offense every offseason.
A roster and many coaching staffs don't remain static from year to year. Instead, changes occur. Tweaks to the lineup are necessary thanks to free agency, trades and the draft. Over the course of just a few months, a unit's capabilities can drastically differ.
The Miami Dolphins fielded the league's best offense during the 2023 campaign. They fell to 18th the following season. Conversely, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense found itself in the league's bottom 10 two seasons ago. Baker Mayfield and Co. ranked third last year.As each group takes shape, Bleacher Report assesses where it currently resides among the league's landscape now that the draft is three weeks removed and rookie minicamps have already begun.
32. New Orleans Saints
Kellen Moore has a tall task in front of him as the latest head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Moore, who previously served as the offensive coordinator for the reigning Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles, enters a situation where the Saints' quarterback situation is unsettled, the offensive line is in flux and running back Alvin Kamara is getting older coupled with an injury history.
After Derek Carr's retirement, the Saints turn to second-round rookie Tyler Shough or sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler. Though Shough is more likely to win the job. Yes, the the first-year signal-caller has the physical tools to play at a high level, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old rookie has an extensive injury history himself after starting only one full year at the collegiate level.
The top-10 draft selection of Kelvin Banks Jr. basically serves as a chance to right two previous first-round wrongs the Saints made along their offensive line with Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga. Banks isn't guaranteed to help up at left tackle, either. Some had him projected as a guard.31. Pittsburgh Steelers of now, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a starting quarterback. Even if Aaron Rodgers eventually commits to play for the organization, an argument can be made that the Steelers will still be searching for a starting quarterback. But he has to make that commitment first.
Beyond a vacant quarterback spot, the Steelers offense continued to take two steps forward and one-and-half steps back this offseason.
Pittsburgh made a huge splash by trading for two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf only to subsequently move last year's leading receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
Najee Harris left in free agency after four straight 1,000-yard campaigns. The Steelers responded by drafting Iowa's Kaleb Johnson in the second round.
Last year's first-round draft pick, Troy Fautanu, is expected back in the lineup after an injury ruined his rookie season. With Dan Moore Jr. leaving in free agency, Broderick Jones will transition from right to left tackle after a disappointing sophomore campaign.
The Steelers weren't good on offense last year. Currently, they're not significantly better in any area.30. Tennessee Tita
The Tennessee Titans are slowly trending in the right direction, starting at the quarterback position.
Cam Ward's selection with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft finally gives the organization a focal point in which to build the roster."He has a presence about him," wide receiver Chimere Dike told reporters when asked about Ward after Tennessee's first rookie minicamp. "He's a really good leader. He does it the right way . . . He has that confidence for the work he puts in."
A rookie quarterback is going to suffer through some struggles, of course. They all do to varying degrees. Tennessee helped Ward by bringing in veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett, three rookie targets in Dike, Elic Ayomanor and Gunnar Helm and solidifying the offensive line by signing left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and flipping JC Latham to his more natural spot on the right side.29. New York Jets
4he New York Jets must figure out who they want to be. With Justin Fields given a clear runway as the starting quarterback, the path should be obvious. But everyone needs to see the Jets commit to a run-based offense.
Fields is a true playmaker behind center. He's not always the most efficient passer. However, his athleticism allows an offense to do different things compared to other quarterbacks.
With a loaded backfield that includes Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, the Jets have the talent to feature a ground-and-pound scheme, especially with an offensive line that now looks complete after Armand Membou's selection with this year's seventh overall draft pick.
As long as Fields can get the ball to wide receiver Garrett Wilson with some regularity, this unit has surprising upside. It falls upon the quarterback to prove he can be the caliber of starter he always saw himself as.28. New York Giants
waiting game will ensue with this year's New York Giants. Everyone will be waiting to see when the organization decides its time to start first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart since it's obvious that veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are nothing more than placeholders.“Three coaches on staff (head coach Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney) that have been part of the development of two pretty good quarterbacks in the league right now (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen)," Giants general manager Joe Schoen said during an interview on Up and Adams, "and when they are convicted on a player and the scouting staff is convicted on a player, typically you have the best chance for success in those situations.”
Interestingly, neither of those aforementioned quarterbacks opened their rookie seasons as starters. Allen didn't take long to get into the lineup, while Mahomes happened much later in the process.
With Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robinson and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. as a young skill position performers to build around Dart, the Giants may be wasting time by waiting too long to insert this year's 25th overall pick into the lineup.27. Cleveland Browns
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AP Photo/Sue OgrockiCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel
The Cleveland Browns offense looking drastically different in 2025 compared to the previous season is an understatement.
Quarterback Jameis Winston. Gone.
Running back Nick Chubb. Gone.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. Gone.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore. Gone.
Offensive coordinator Kenny Dorsey. Gone.
Deshaun Watson. Hurt (and unlikely to ever play for the team again).
Those names are simply the headliners and don't encompass every contributor who's no longer with the Browns.
At this juncture, head coach/play-caller Kevin Stefanski needs a hard reset and re-establish some kind of identity for his offense. It'll likely come in the form of the run game after Cleveland added Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee's Dylan Sampson in the draft' second and fourth rounds, respectively.
All the while, the Browns will hope a quality quarterback emerges from the quartet of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. -
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Appreciate the update since the 1 provided still had a Xmas Tree in it. This inside tandem will be huge Syd. There's another former Ohio State-Michigan tandem working together possibility on offense. We have Ohio State's Luke Wypler as the backup Center (The Wypler Snapper) and Michigan's former Offensive Captain and current backup Guard Zak Zinter that could be playing side by side. Since nothing is definitive yet - it's also conceivable that Zak Zinter could line up next to OT Dawand Jones.
Not just the rivalry stuff; but I like this interest in the Big 10 by the Browns. Let's just hope the pay cuts for those draftees aren't that bad... Joe Thomas also played in the Big 10 right?
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at least were not last
The NFL has evolved into an offense-driven league. As a result, each and every organization must be driven to upgrade their offense every offseason.
A roster and many coaching staffs don't remain static from year to year. Instead, changes occur. Tweaks to the lineup are necessary thanks to free agency, trades and the draft. Over the course of just a few months, a unit's capabilities can drastically differ.
The Miami Dolphins fielded the league's best offense during the 2023 campaign. They fell to 18th the following season. Conversely, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense found itself in the league's bottom 10 two seasons ago. Baker Mayfield and Co. ranked third last year.As each group takes shape, Bleacher Report assesses where it currently resides among the league's landscape now that the draft is three weeks removed and rookie minicamps have already begun.
32. New Orleans Saints
Kellen Moore has a tall task in front of him as the latest head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
Moore, who previously served as the offensive coordinator for the reigning Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles, enters a situation where the Saints' quarterback situation is unsettled, the offensive line is in flux and running back Alvin Kamara is getting older coupled with an injury history.
After Derek Carr's retirement, the Saints turn to second-round rookie Tyler Shough or sophomore quarterback Spencer Rattler. Though Shough is more likely to win the job. Yes, the the first-year signal-caller has the physical tools to play at a high level, but the soon-to-be 26-year-old rookie has an extensive injury history himself after starting only one full year at the collegiate level.
The top-10 draft selection of Kelvin Banks Jr. basically serves as a chance to right two previous first-round wrongs the Saints made along their offensive line with Trevor Penning and Taliese Fuaga. Banks isn't guaranteed to help up at left tackle, either. Some had him projected as a guard.31. Pittsburgh Steelers of now, the Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a starting quarterback. Even if Aaron Rodgers eventually commits to play for the organization, an argument can be made that the Steelers will still be searching for a starting quarterback. But he has to make that commitment first.
Beyond a vacant quarterback spot, the Steelers offense continued to take two steps forward and one-and-half steps back this offseason.
Pittsburgh made a huge splash by trading for two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf only to subsequently move last year's leading receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys.
Najee Harris left in free agency after four straight 1,000-yard campaigns. The Steelers responded by drafting Iowa's Kaleb Johnson in the second round.
Last year's first-round draft pick, Troy Fautanu, is expected back in the lineup after an injury ruined his rookie season. With Dan Moore Jr. leaving in free agency, Broderick Jones will transition from right to left tackle after a disappointing sophomore campaign.
The Steelers weren't good on offense last year. Currently, they're not significantly better in any area.30. Tennessee Tita
The Tennessee Titans are slowly trending in the right direction, starting at the quarterback position.
Cam Ward's selection with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft finally gives the organization a focal point in which to build the roster."He has a presence about him," wide receiver Chimere Dike told reporters when asked about Ward after Tennessee's first rookie minicamp. "He's a really good leader. He does it the right way . . . He has that confidence for the work he puts in."
A rookie quarterback is going to suffer through some struggles, of course. They all do to varying degrees. Tennessee helped Ward by bringing in veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett, three rookie targets in Dike, Elic Ayomanor and Gunnar Helm and solidifying the offensive line by signing left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and flipping JC Latham to his more natural spot on the right side.29. New York Jets
4he New York Jets must figure out who they want to be. With Justin Fields given a clear runway as the starting quarterback, the path should be obvious. But everyone needs to see the Jets commit to a run-based offense.
Fields is a true playmaker behind center. He's not always the most efficient passer. However, his athleticism allows an offense to do different things compared to other quarterbacks.
With a loaded backfield that includes Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis, the Jets have the talent to feature a ground-and-pound scheme, especially with an offensive line that now looks complete after Armand Membou's selection with this year's seventh overall draft pick.
As long as Fields can get the ball to wide receiver Garrett Wilson with some regularity, this unit has surprising upside. It falls upon the quarterback to prove he can be the caliber of starter he always saw himself as.28. New York Giants
waiting game will ensue with this year's New York Giants. Everyone will be waiting to see when the organization decides its time to start first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart since it's obvious that veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are nothing more than placeholders.“Three coaches on staff (head coach Brian Daboll, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney) that have been part of the development of two pretty good quarterbacks in the league right now (Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen)," Giants general manager Joe Schoen said during an interview on Up and Adams, "and when they are convicted on a player and the scouting staff is convicted on a player, typically you have the best chance for success in those situations.”
Interestingly, neither of those aforementioned quarterbacks opened their rookie seasons as starters. Allen didn't take long to get into the lineup, while Mahomes happened much later in the process.
With Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robinson and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. as a young skill position performers to build around Dart, the Giants may be wasting time by waiting too long to insert this year's 25th overall pick into the lineup.27. Cleveland Browns
6 of 32
AP Photo/Sue OgrockiCleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel
The Cleveland Browns offense looking drastically different in 2025 compared to the previous season is an understatement.
Quarterback Jameis Winston. Gone.
Running back Nick Chubb. Gone.
Left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. Gone.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore. Gone.
Offensive coordinator Kenny Dorsey. Gone.
Deshaun Watson. Hurt (and unlikely to ever play for the team again).
Those names are simply the headliners and don't encompass every contributor who's no longer with the Browns.
At this juncture, head coach/play-caller Kevin Stefanski needs a hard reset and re-establish some kind of identity for his offense. It'll likely come in the form of the run game after Cleveland added Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee's Dylan Sampson in the draft' second and fourth rounds, respectively.
All the while, the Browns will hope a quality quarterback emerges from the quartet of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.At this juncture, head coach/play-caller Kevin Stefanski needs a hard reset and re-establish some kind of identity for his offense. It'll likely come in the form of the run game after Cleveland added Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee's Dylan Sampson in the draft' second and fourth rounds, respectively.
All the while, the Browns will hope a quality quarterback emerges from the quartet of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.And somehow, navigating through the season while determining if the team needs to use one or both of it's 1st round picks for a QB next April. It's nice that Sanders fell to them...but it added an extra layer of complexity to the season.
BEING A BROWNS FAN IS A TEST TO SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN TAKE -
At this juncture, head coach/play-caller Kevin Stefanski needs a hard reset and re-establish some kind of identity for his offense. It'll likely come in the form of the run game after Cleveland added Ohio State's Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee's Dylan Sampson in the draft' second and fourth rounds, respectively.
All the while, the Browns will hope a quality quarterback emerges from the quartet of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders.And somehow, navigating through the season while determining if the team needs to use one or both of it's 1st round picks for a QB next April. It's nice that Sanders fell to them...but it added an extra layer of complexity to the season.
It's nice that Sanders fell to them...but it added an extra layer of complexity to the season.
Something I'm happy to have vs the QB situations we've had lately.
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Something I'm happy to have vs the QB situations we've had lately.
Understood. We threw two of the better QB's in the college draft at our BIGGEST problem without using a 1st or 2nd round pick. It's awfully hard to complain about that tactic. (but yours truly always finds a way) ?
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Something I'm happy to have vs the QB situations we've had lately.
Understood. We threw two of the better QB's in the college draft at our BIGGEST problem without using a 1st or 2nd round pick. It's awfully hard to complain about that tactic. (but yours truly always finds a way) ?
Understood. We threw two of the better QB's in the college draft at our BIGGEST problem without using a 1st or 2nd round pick. It's awfully hard to complain about that tactic. (but yours truly always finds a way) ?
What I'm worried about is that Sanders (or possibly Gabriel) shows just enough this season to make the Browns think they found their QB and that they don't take one next draft, and Sanders or Gabriel end up being Fool's Gold.
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Understood. We threw two of the better QB's in the college draft at our BIGGEST problem without using a 1st or 2nd round pick. It's awfully hard to complain about that tactic. (but yours truly always finds a way) ?
What I'm worried about is that Sanders (or possibly Gabriel) shows just enough this season to make the Browns think they found their QB and that they don't take one next draft, and Sanders or Gabriel end up being Fool's Gold.
What I'm worried about is that Sanders (or possibly Gabriel) shows just enough this season to make the Browns think they found their QB and that they don't take one next draft, and Sanders or Gabriel end up being Fool's Gold.
Okay; but who is this college football messiah that's transcending his current football program to all new heights to assure us he's the right guy for the Cleveland Browns? In the 3 years Klubnik has started at Clemson - how many times have they lost less than 4 games? Zero. Yes, he can put together good stats in a conference that provides a lot of junk time gimmes. McCord and Pickett have shown us as much. Isn't this why the starting QB at UGA the last 2 years decided he wanted to leave the SEC for Miami and the easier competition in the ACC? He's gotta get those INTs down right? Cam Ward was just drafted 1st overall from Miami so why not?
The 2 QBs that transcended the Miami Hurricanes back in the day were Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar. One went on to lead the Bills to 4 Super Bowl appearances while the other went on to lead the Browns to 3 AFC Championship Games. Kosar was the won that won a National Championship when he led his team over the favored Nebraska Cornhuskers. Evidence of QB with the magic existed with the last QB the Browns got right albeit necessitating the Supplemental Draft to get him.
Don't take this the wrong way - but if one or both of the 2 QBs the Browns drafted shows some good signs early - that doesn't have to be Fool's Gold. Another part of this whole thing is having the right offensive staff here like say adding OC Lindy Infante in the off-season leading into the 86 season the Browns won 12 regular season games. That mattered in expediting Bernie's progress. Hopefully Tommy Rees is a big help to Stefanski and his young QBs. If both guys suck, Arch Manning ain't coming here...
I welcome the only Defensive Coordinator to earn a Superbowl Ring in New Orleans while understanding Revenge of the Nerds is a sequel. "Come get some!" -
At the end of the 3rd round, and for about a day, our hope was that we had drafted a QB that's good enough to be next year's backup QB for the foreseeable future. Then towards the beginning of the 5th round the universe twitched, and our new hope was that one of these two QB's would be good enough to be a legit starter, such that we could turn our attention to other needs next April. - That's where I'm at right now. I just don't know if one season is enough to find that out...without one of them just jumping off of the practice tape at you.
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Cleveland Browns News / Browns Nation / 39 minutes ago -
Cleveland Browns News / Browns Nation / 39 minutes ago
“The Browns believe between their own first-round pick in 2026 and Jacksonville’s (likely to be high), they can find a QB in the draft. If something happens and Kenny Pickett revives his career or one of the rookies surprises and becomes an effective starter, they can use the pair of first-rounders in 2026 to fill other needs,” Pluto wrote.
-----Yup. And we're sitting here waiting to see which way it plays out.
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Cleveland Browns News / Browns Nation / 39 minutes ago
“The Browns believe between their own first-round pick in 2026 and Jacksonville’s (likely to be high), they can find a QB in the draft. If something happens and Kenny Pickett revives his career or one of the rookies surprises and becomes an effective starter, they can use the pair of first-rounders in 2026 to fill other needs,” Pluto wrote.
-----Yup. And we're sitting here waiting to see which way it plays out.
“The Browns believe between their own first-round pick in 2026 and Jacksonville’s (likely to be high), they can find a QB in the draft. If something happens and Kenny Pickett revives his career or one of the rookies surprises and becomes an effective starter, they can use the pair of first-rounders in 2026 to fill other needs,” Pluto wrote.
-----Yup. And we're sitting here waiting to see which way it plays out.
LOL! And I already knew that as an "outsider" without even having to consult any tea leaves.??
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What I'm worried about is that Sanders (or possibly Gabriel) shows just enough this season to make the Browns think they found their QB and that they don't take one next draft, and Sanders or Gabriel end up being Fool's Gold.
Okay; but who is this college football messiah that's transcending his current football program to all new heights to assure us he's the right guy for the Cleveland Browns? In the 3 years Klubnik has started at Clemson - how many times have they lost less than 4 games? Zero. Yes, he can put together good stats in a conference that provides a lot of junk time gimmes. McCord and Pickett have shown us as much. Isn't this why the starting QB at UGA the last 2 years decided he wanted to leave the SEC for Miami and the easier competition in the ACC? He's gotta get those INTs down right? Cam Ward was just drafted 1st overall from Miami so why not?
The 2 QBs that transcended the Miami Hurricanes back in the day were Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar. One went on to lead the Bills to 4 Super Bowl appearances while the other went on to lead the Browns to 3 AFC Championship Games. Kosar was the won that won a National Championship when he led his team over the favored Nebraska Cornhuskers. Evidence of QB with the magic existed with the last QB the Browns got right albeit necessitating the Supplemental Draft to get him.
Don't take this the wrong way - but if one or both of the 2 QBs the Browns drafted shows some good signs early - that doesn't have to be Fool's Gold. Another part of this whole thing is having the right offensive staff here like say adding OC Lindy Infante in the off-season leading into the 86 season the Browns won 12 regular season games. That mattered in expediting Bernie's progress. Hopefully Tommy Rees is a big help to Stefanski and his young QBs. If both guys suck, Arch Manning ain't coming here...
Okay; but who is this college football messiah that's transcending his current football program to all new heights to assure us he's the right guy for the Cleveland Browns? In the 3 years Klubnik has started at Clemson - how many times have they lost less than 4 games? Zero. Yes, he can put together good stats in a conference that provides a lot of junk time gimmes. McCord and Pickett have shown us as much. Isn't this why the starting QB at UGA the last 2 years decided he wanted to leave the SEC for Miami and the easier competition in the ACC? He's gotta get those INTs down right? Cam Ward was just drafted 1st overall from Miami so why not?
The 2 QBs that transcended the Miami Hurricanes back in the day were Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar. One went on to lead the Bills to 4 Super Bowl appearances while the other went on to lead the Browns to 3 AFC Championship Games. Kosar was the won that won a National Championship when he led his team over the favored Nebraska Cornhuskers. Evidence of QB with the magic existed with the last QB the Browns got right albeit necessitating the Supplemental Draft to get him.
Don't take this the wrong way - but if one or both of the 2 QBs the Browns drafted shows some good signs early - that doesn't have to be Fool's Gold. Another part of this whole thing is having the right offensive staff here like say adding OC Lindy Infante in the off-season leading into the 86 season the Browns won 12 regular season games. That mattered in expediting Bernie's progress. Hopefully Tommy Rees is a big help to Stefanski and his young QBs. If both guys suck, Arch Manning ain't coming here...
So basically you are saying that we better hope one of these mid-rounders we drafted pan out because no one in what probably will be regarded as a far better QB class will be able to help the Browns out?
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“The Browns believe between their own first-round pick in 2026 and Jacksonville’s (likely to be high), they can find a QB in the draft. If something happens and Kenny Pickett revives his career or one of the rookies surprises and becomes an effective starter, they can use the pair of first-rounders in 2026 to fill other needs,” Pluto wrote.
-----Yup. And we're sitting here waiting to see which way it plays out.
LOL! And I already knew that as an "outsider" without even having to consult any tea leaves.??
LOL! And I already knew that as an "outsider" without even having to consult any tea leaves.??
Right! And we've been saying it, among other things. And that's why I highlighted it here because it's verification of things that we're saying. And we're only stating the obvious.
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Okay; but who is this college football messiah that's transcending his current football program to all new heights to assure us he's the right guy for the Cleveland Browns? In the 3 years Klubnik has started at Clemson - how many times have they lost less than 4 games? Zero. Yes, he can put together good stats in a conference that provides a lot of junk time gimmes. McCord and Pickett have shown us as much. Isn't this why the starting QB at UGA the last 2 years decided he wanted to leave the SEC for Miami and the easier competition in the ACC? He's gotta get those INTs down right? Cam Ward was just drafted 1st overall from Miami so why not?
The 2 QBs that transcended the Miami Hurricanes back in the day were Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar. One went on to lead the Bills to 4 Super Bowl appearances while the other went on to lead the Browns to 3 AFC Championship Games. Kosar was the won that won a National Championship when he led his team over the favored Nebraska Cornhuskers. Evidence of QB with the magic existed with the last QB the Browns got right albeit necessitating the Supplemental Draft to get him.
Don't take this the wrong way - but if one or both of the 2 QBs the Browns drafted shows some good signs early - that doesn't have to be Fool's Gold. Another part of this whole thing is having the right offensive staff here like say adding OC Lindy Infante in the off-season leading into the 86 season the Browns won 12 regular season games. That mattered in expediting Bernie's progress. Hopefully Tommy Rees is a big help to Stefanski and his young QBs. If both guys suck, Arch Manning ain't coming here...
So basically you are saying that we better hope one of these mid-rounders we drafted pan out because no one in what probably will be regarded as a far better QB class will be able to help the Browns out?
So basically you are saying that we better hope one of these mid-rounders we drafted pan out because no one in what probably will be regarded as a far better QB class will be able to help the Browns out?
I am INDEED! Next year is a copout. How many more decades dominated by the elusive next year mentality do you want to go? The Browns have won 1 playoff game in the last 30 years with this mentality. After going 1-15 in 2016 they went 0-16 in 2017.
As piss poor as 3-14 football was in 2024 - there was already a QB selected when the Browns were on the clock trading their 2nd overall choice to Jax. To draft the top QB prospect next year - it sure seems like they'll have to have to do worse than 3-14 to earn the pick of the litter.
If Klubnik is the missing football messiah here, - why is Clemson losing 4 games a year all 3 years he started in a weak conference? That used to be a bad year for that football program not so long ago. So WHO is this football messiah at QB in the draft that will come to Cleveland and change everything in 2026?
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I agree. Forget next year. Between Pickett, Gabe, and Sanders, one of them is going to be a good QB.
You don't need flash. You just need good.
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