@jax said:

Was that a picture of Lamar and his adopted son taken on bring your kid to work day? Wait til that kid gets out of middle school...

@syd said:

oh c'mon st were awful

that's what I said decent ST would've won us 2 games at the minimum.

@mddawg said:

decent ST

oh c'mon st were awful

@nickers said:

My honest expectation: the Browns finish around 6–11, show noticeable improvement on offense, but miss the playoffs.

There’s more upside than that record suggests:

• Todd Monken should modernize the offense. His aggressive passing concepts and use of tight ends should suit Harold Fannin Jr. and give the quarterbacks better opportunities.

• Shedeur Sanders is the major swing factor. He reached the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but Cleveland is still splitting first-team work between Sanders and Deshaun Watson. If Shedeur wins the job and takes a genuine second-year leap, the Browns could reach 8–9 or possibly 9–8. Browns training-camp outlook

• The young receiving corps is intriguing. First-rounder KC Concepcion and second-rounder Denzel Boston give Cleveland considerably more speed and potential around Jerry Jeudy.

• The schedule is favorable. Their opponents went only 124–165 last season, and just three finished 2025 with winning records. Browns schedule analysis

My concerns are substantial:

• Trading Myles Garrett removes the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Jared Verse is an excellent young replacement, but he isn’t Garrett yet. NFL trade details

• Joel Bitonio’s retirement and a reconstructed offensive line could create early problems.

• The roster is young, the head coach is new, and the quarterback position still isn’t settled.

• Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh make even an improved Browns team’s divisional path difficult.

The betting market currently places Cleveland’s win total around 5.5, with the playoffs considered a major long shot. CBS Sports odds

My range:

• Floor: 4–13

• Most likely: 6–11

• Realistic upside: 8–9

• Everything-clicks ceiling: 9–8 and a wild-card chase

I think they’ll be more entertaining and competitive than last year, —but 2026 still looks like the first year of a promising rebuild, not yet a genuine playoff season.

I'm gonna go against the grain and say 11-6... Yeah call me crazy but I think this team is too talented..

I've always failed to avoid being too optimistic. That doesn't seem like a problem now. lol

Monken - a huge, gigantic improvement over stupanski. His attention to detail will make a big difference in the

confidence of the Browns offense. The huge improvement of the wr/te room - that will be great.

The offensive line - wow, I like the changes. About time the Browns have people running the show that KNOW the value

of a solid oline. Fano at LT, Zion Johnson at LG, Elgton Jenkins at center, Teven Jenkins at RG, and Tytus Howard at RT?

Fano, Johnson and Howard are former first round picks. Both Jenkins are former 2nd round picks. This looks....like they will be surprising a

lot of defenses.

Then there is the qb room. dismal. I don't dislike Sanders at all - I just believe he has a low ceiling. Just.... I just don't know. QB is of course, the weak position on the team now. That means the engine of the car isn't up to par. If I had to guess, I think the Browns will be around 9-7.

I see Fannin and Boston as being upstoppable, Concepcion is questionable right now, but he is going to be amazing, drawing a ton of attention from

defenses, keeping them from trying to shut down Fannin and Boston. Should be exciting to watch. Who knows.

@bob806 said:

Time will tell on the defense.

We know they're talented, but a change in coordinators and a loss of Myles, it's anybody's guess how it will go.

Opening the season with 2 road games in Florida, we'll find out pretty quick.

Any time we see a quick turnover on the line of scrimmage and there's a question of when to replace a veteran QB with best football in the rear-view mirror (and Watson's good football was in Houston only) - I like to bring it all back to the 1985 team that went 8-8 and won the AFC Central Division. They had similar challenges to the current team in wondering/worrying how long it would take for the OL to gel and the young RBs to produce.

The Browns OL was young: LT Paul Farren was 24; LG Greg Lilja was 27; C Mike Baab was 26; RG Dan Fike was a 24 year old rookie (from the USFL); RT Cody Risien was the 28 year old senior citizen of the group. Backfield: Byner and Mack (from USFL Supplemental Draft) were both 23 years old and Mack was the NFL Rookie of the Year as well as the AFC Rookie of the Year. Both guys rushed for over 1000 yards apiece; which also spoke volumes in terms of how quickly the OL gelled as a run blocking unit as Gary Danielson only stated the 1st 5 games and local fan fave Bernie Kosar emerged as the rookie starting QB leaning on that running game game during his brief learning curve with the passing game. TE Ozzie Newsome was a 29 year old Veteran while Brian Brennan and Clarance Weathers were the 23 year old starting WRs. That was the NFL's version of "The Young and the Restless."

It's not impossible. All the local sports shows are probably having panic attacks about the worrying about the OL gelling as if they're inventing such a thing that would be difficult to predict. Even worse, week 1 in Training Camp gives them their inevitable "told you so" for the time being. I think we're going to see many similarities with this year's running game with that from the one in 1985 while we the passing game awaits more consistency. That doesn't mean thee can't be some big plays hee and there with the beginning of a balanced attack emerging (similar to that of 1985).

Defensively, there's talent and hopes of the DT/IDL positions getting healthier. I think we'll miss OLB Devin Bush in our pass defense; and I'd like more depth at DE/Edge Rusher.

@ibleedbrown said:

Mean Gene doesn’t get enough credit. Somehow he held the early days of the WWF together. This clip is wild.

I keep waiting for the tell all documentary, but how much cocaine was involved during those early days? I bet it’s Fleetwood Mac levels. Mind you, this is what we watched after Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s.

How much cocaine was involved back then?

All the cocaine. All of it.

Booger sugar as far as the eye could see.

@ibleedbrown said:

Mean Gene doesn’t get enough credit. Somehow he held the early days of the WWF together. This clip is wild.

I keep waiting for the tell all documentary, but how much cocaine was involved during those early days? I bet it’s Fleetwood Mac levels. Mind you, this is what we watched after Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s.

Classic stuff in bold above! IBB, Fleetwood Mac was on so much cocaine - I got part of their buzz just listening to them. I was aleady addicted to just how hot Stevie Nicks was that their music was merely just adding gravy to groovy...

@syd said:

i love it when Piper looks at Devito and sez, da plane

Mean Gene doesn’t get enough credit. Somehow he held the early days of the WWF together. This clip is wild.

I keep waiting for the tell all documentary, but how much cocaine was involved during those early days? I bet it’s Fleetwood Mac levels. Mind you, this is what we watched after Saturday morning cartoons in the 80s.

@dutch-oven said:

I'm not expecting much from the QBs, sadly. I worry about the OLine gelling as a unit. I worry that the Browns defense will really miss Myles when it comes to a pass rush.

Time will tell on the defense.

We know they're talented, but a change in coordinators and a loss of Myles, it's anybody's guess how it will go.

Opening the season with 2 road games in Florida, we'll find out pretty quick.

@bob806 said:

I've always predicted a tie in there somewhere.

How about 9-7-1?

While I was somewhat of a Stefanski defender, I like the openness of Monken. He sounds like a poor man's Ditka, so I expect improvement with game planning on offense.

My main concerns are probably everybody else's...QB play and the fear the defense may be a little worse. The offensive line may take time.

Go Browns.

I'm not expecting much from the QBs, sadly. I worry about the OLine gelling as a unit. I worry that the Browns defense will really miss Myles when it comes to a pass rush.

@nickers said:

@bob806 said:

I've always predicted a tie in there somewhere.

How about 9-7-1?

While I was somewhat of a Stefanski defender, I like the openness of Monken. He sounds like a poor man's Ditka, so I expect improvement with game planning on offense.

My main concerns are probably everybody else's...QB play and the fear the defense may be a little worse. The offensive line may take time.

Go Browns.

Your post falls in to what I mentioned about "Growing pains"... There will be some... But , I expect this team to explode...

How about 9-7-1?

While I was somewhat of a Stefanski defender, I like the openness of Monken. He sounds like a poor man's Ditka, so I expect improvement with game planning on offense.

My main concerns are probably everybody else's...QB play and the fear the defense may be a little worse. The offensive line may take time.

Go Browns.

@flugel said:

30 minutes earlier: "Hey coach, where's the locker room?"

i love it when Piper looks at Devito and sez, da plane

@nickers said:

30 minutes earlier: "Hey coach, where's the locker room?"

@flugel said:

You ARE crazy Nicks! Well done...

Well I asked Chat/GPT how it thought the Browns would finish this year.. It was speed checking from various other sources and that's the analysis it came up with... I strongly disagree with it... Although it raises some valid concerns... However... I'll add this little nugget.. Either Todd Monken is the real deal Or the greatest snake oil salesmen... I don't think he is the latter... There may be some growing pains to start... Then I see a major take off on the horizon.. The season can't start fast enough!

@nickers said:

My honest expectation: the Browns finish around 6–11, show noticeable improvement on offense, but miss the playoffs.

There’s more upside than that record suggests:

• Todd Monken should modernize the offense. His aggressive passing concepts and use of tight ends should suit Harold Fannin Jr. and give the quarterbacks better opportunities.

• Shedeur Sanders is the major swing factor. He reached the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but Cleveland is still splitting first-team work between Sanders and Deshaun Watson. If Shedeur wins the job and takes a genuine second-year leap, the Browns could reach 8–9 or possibly 9–8. Browns training-camp outlook

• The young receiving corps is intriguing. First-rounder KC Concepcion and second-rounder Denzel Boston give Cleveland considerably more speed and potential around Jerry Jeudy.

• The schedule is favorable. Their opponents went only 124–165 last season, and just three finished 2025 with winning records. Browns schedule analysis

My concerns are substantial:

• Trading Myles Garrett removes the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Jared Verse is an excellent young replacement, but he isn’t Garrett yet. NFL trade details

• Joel Bitonio’s retirement and a reconstructed offensive line could create early problems.

• The roster is young, the head coach is new, and the quarterback position still isn’t settled.

• Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh make even an improved Browns team’s divisional path difficult.

The betting market currently places Cleveland’s win total around 5.5, with the playoffs considered a major long shot. CBS Sports odds

My range:

• Floor: 4–13

• Most likely: 6–11

• Realistic upside: 8–9

• Everything-clicks ceiling: 9–8 and a wild-card chase

I think they’ll be more entertaining and competitive than last year, —but 2026 still looks like the first year of a promising rebuild, not yet a genuine playoff season.

I'm gonna go against the grain and say 11-6... Yeah call me crazy but I think this team is too talented..

You ARE crazy Nicks! Well done...

@nickers said:

I don't care.. I stand by my prediction.. I just see a vastly different attitude than in years past..

I think Verse will be a fine replacement for Myles and the WR/TE room is the best I've seen with the Browns in over a decade since we could not rely on Josh Gordon's superior abilities.

@texasag1969 said:

OK, which brain side made which prediction???

I don't care.. I stand by my prediction.. I just see a vastly different attitude than in years past..

@nickers said:

My honest expectation: the Browns finish around 6–11, show noticeable improvement on offense, but miss the playoffs

I'm gonna go against the grain and say 11-6... Yeah call me crazy but I think this team is too talented..

OK, which brain side made which prediction???