How Raiders Approach with Fernando Differs from Browns Approach with Rookie QBs

The Las Vegas Raiders are poised to take Fernando Mendoza first overall in the NFL draft. Everyone agrees that Fernando is the best quarterback in the draft. He played great under pressure in the College Playoffs, and he has the size, toughness, arm strength and everything you look for in a rookie quarterback.  So, with the stud prospect in their sights, the Raiders went out and signed veteran Kirk Cousins for $10 million dollars in guaranteed money.  Very likely Fernando will ride the bench for at least part of 2026. Why?

Well, the Raiders also have Tom Brady as a passive part owner. He many actually know something about quarterbacking. He is an advocate for letting rookie quarterbacks sit and watch for a year and  learn about the NFL game before rushing them out on the field. As a rookie, Brady sat behind Drew Bledsoe, veteran John Friez, and cannon-armed Michael Bishop, who was in his second year.  Thus, he was actually fourth string the entire season. It didn't harm him a bit.

In contrast, the Browns have no stomach for waiting.  In fact, since the tenure of Jimmy Haslam III as owner, only Johnny Manziel and Shedeur Sanders were given opportunities to sit, observe and learn. Manziel wasted his opportunity, preferring to hone his partying skills while Brian Hoyer tried to get the Browns into the Playoffs in 2014. Shedeur sat behind Joe Flacco (4 starts) and Dillon Gabriel (6 starts) before starting his run in Game 11 last season.  

Obviously, since the Browns drafted two quarterbacks last year, someone had to sit and the Browns elected to sit Sanders in the early going. That might have been a blessing in disguise.  He had a chance to clean up his game. Much work remains, but he was not overwhelmed when he got his chance.   

Prior to that, the Browns had a love affair with Dorian Thompson-Robinson, a Round 5 pick from UCLA. The Browns were so smitten that they pronounced DTR ready to be second string on Opening Day in 2023, allowing the Browns to trade away Joshua "Rocket Man" Dobbs, a competent backup quarterback.  Sure enough, superstar Deshaun Watson got injured and DTR had to go in for him in Week 4 and was disastrously bad.  

The Browns did it again in 2024, promoting DTR over Jameis Winston for no apparent reason.  However Deshaun and DTR got hurt in the same game and Jameis got his shot and proved himself to be a capable quarterback.  DTR's career may be over with 1 TD pass and 10 INTs and no learning period on the bench.  Had he been handled with more patience, he might have had a shot.  He had talent, but his college-style "hero-ball" tendencies got him sacked and in some cases, injured and maybe he is not now what he could have been. 

Baker Mayfield got his shot after three games of Tyrod Taylor, who went 1-1-1 as a starter, and the Browns had seen enough.  Baker had five seasons of major college ball and was better prepared than most. Baker was the most successful young quarterback of the Haslam era. So, of course, he had to go.  His main problem was lack of maturity, and refusing to yield to healthy Case Keenum in 2021 when it was clear that Baker could not throw with his usual accuracy while wearing a heavy shoulder brace. That probably cost the Browns a trip to the playoffs.  Remember the playoff game versus the Packers when the Browns were averaging 8.8 yards per carry against the Pack's weak run defense, and Baker kept calling his own number and threw four interceptions?    

Before Mayfield, it was Deshone Kizer, who entered the draft at age 21 after just two seasons at Notre Dame. He proved to the Browns he was ready to start after one impressive preseason game in 2017. I'm not making this up!! He even sat out the final preseason game to reduce the chance of injury, since the Browns coaching staff figured he did not need additional game reps. The Browns cut veterans Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown and Brock Osweiler in order to prevent Head Coach Hue Jackson from starting a veteran. Result:  0-15 for his career, and they gave up on him completely after one season. 

Cody Kessler was drafted in Round 3 in 2016 and was ready to start after riding the bench for just two games.  He started 8 games for the Browns that season, then threw 23 passes as a backup in 2017 and was gone. He went 2-2 as a backup in Jacksonville in 2018. He had suffered a terrible beating.  At the time, Terry Pluto observed that Kessler was never quite the same after  the concussion.  This fan wonders, well, what other injuries may have accompanied the concussion?  The Browns were playing with a very poor offensive line, and the pounding that Kessler and the other quarterbacks received might have resulted in some 

Finally, going back to 2014, Manziel marked the beginning of the Haslam era. His problem was not mentoring under Brian Hoyer; Manziel's problem was Johnny Manziel.  

Some players have been able to party and successfully play quarterback at the same time, but Johnny Football was not one of those.

One more thing.  After 7 starts, are the Browns ready to give up on Shedeur?  Past history suggests that the Browns owner often makes quarterback deals for the team, and lacks patience.  Accordingly, it would not be surprising if they draft a quarterback, not necessarily in Round 1, but sometime.  Carson Beck, who played for the Georgia Bulldogs under the tutelage of Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken, now Head Coach of the Browns, might be available on Day 2 of the Draft, as one possible guess.   

Cleveland Should Draft Jeremiyah Love if He's Available at 6th Overall

 

So who else in the draft can do this? 

If Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame is still on the Board at 6th overall, I would strongly consider drafting him for the Browns. They would become one of the top rushing teams in the NFL by pairing him with Quinshon Judkins. If the Browns are bringing along a young quarterback, he will be facing eight in the box most of the time out of respect for the running game, and that makes the quarterback's job much easier.  

If, however, Love is taken before sixth overall, my default plan would probably be to trade back a few spots while adding draft capital for 2027, similar to the 2025 trade in which the Browns added Mason Graham plus Jacksonville's number one in exchange for the second overall pick, which they used for talented but very raw Travis Hunter, the two-way player from Colorado.  

The Browns' master plan should be to be ready to draft one of at least half a dozen legit quarterback Round 1 prospects in 2027.  However, how do you know they don't have their guy already?  They need to complete the process with their existing quarterback room (Shedeur, Gabriel and even Deshaun) before blowing it up and drafting a new quarterback. Mr. Haslam,  do not, not, not draft another quarterback in 2026.  

If you want to draft a guy near the top of any draft, you should be looking for a future All Pro, rather than looking for positional need.  My belief is that Love is one of those guys. If you check out his film, we have not seen anyone with his ability to change directions since Greg Pruitt. In fact, he does things that even Greg Pruitt did not do, like hurdle opposing players. He also runs a 4.36 in the 40 yard dash. He's big enough and hits hard enough to run up the middle for tough yards. Paired with Quinshon Judkins, the Browns would be a threat to lead the NFL in rushing yards.  

The Browns have a very good running back in Judkins, but the top rushing teams produce over 2500 rushing yards and that does not happen with just one 1000 yard back. The Browns did it when they had Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.  Going back farther, Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner were not a bad use of roster space either.  By the way, in Todd Monken's Baltimore offense, Lamar Jackson had a down year (349 yards), but he got yards from Derrick Henry,  Keaton Mitchell, and change-of-pace back Justice Hill. They wound up with 2662 yards.  The Browns were 27th with 1649, more than 1000 fewer than the Ravens.  Thus, Quinshon cannot get there by himself.  We need to find another 1000 yards to compete with Baltimore in the ground game.

Now let's talk about quarterbacks. The consensus view is that there are two Round 1 QBs in the 2026 draft, and perhaps six in 2027. The master plan should be to stay with the current quarterback room of Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel for 2026. Neither Sanders not Gabriel has had as much as half a season as starting quarterback, which is not nearly enough time, and thus it is totally inappropriate to give up on them before they are really getting started. As for Watson, thus far he has been allowed to pursue his fantasy of becoming a deep ball specialist with so so results.  9-10 as a starter is not horrible, however.  Maybe if he returns to an offense that is heavy on Run Pass Option and short passes, he might become viable again.   Let's see if Todd Monken can develop a quarterback, rather than just give up on all three men.  If they decide to upgrade, it would make much more sense to look for someone in the 2027 draft rather than 2026.    

What I don't want to see is the Browns give up on Shedeur and Gabriel and draft another quarterback in an early round in 2026, and then do it again in 2027.  Including trades, since 2022 the Browns have invested six picks and $230 million on Deshaun Watson, one pick on Dorian Thompson Robinson, one pick on Gabriel, and two picks on Shedeur, for a total of 10 picks on quarterbacks in four years including three first round picks. This has got to slow down or the Browns will never build a legitimate team.  

There are other NFL running backs in the draft, of course, but there may not be another one who justifies a first round pick.  Thus if Love is gone, they might till the third or fourth round to select that running mate for Judkins.    

If Love is off the board at pick six, I would probably try to trade back.  Let's  see if we can do another trade like the Jacksonville deal, in which we slide back a few places this year, and get an extra first round pick in 2027 (increasing the chances of being in position for a decent QB in next year's draft). The Browns need a dependable wide receiver and a tight end, and an offensive lineman is never a bad idea. They need to be selecting two first round picks per year for several years, at least until they pay down Deshaun's contract and stabilize their cap situation.

What would you do?  Comment below.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Why David Njoku is Leaving Todd Monken's Browns

 

David celebrating going to the playoffs  in 2024 with a youngster from Xenia and his Mom.  My favorite David Njoku moment.  

Why is Pro Bowl tight endDavid Njoku leaving the Browns? I don't have any secret sources, or insider information, but I'm pretty sure I know. Hear me out on this. 

Let's think about what happened to him when Todd Monken was the Browns Offensive Coordinator in 2019.  Njoku became the fifth string tight end, that's what.  That's hard to believe, because most teams hardly ever even carry five tight ends.  But the 2019 Browns had Ricky Seals-Jones, Demetrius Harris, Steve Carlson, Pharaoh Brown, and Njoku.  Njoku was dead last in snaps, with only 99 for the season, and he was not injured.  

Njoku had only 41 yards receiving with Monken as the OC, after a 639 yard season the year before.  It would be fair to say that Monken, as well as Head Coach Freddie Kitchens, had very low regard for Njoku's ability and did as much as they could to wreck his confidence. 

So why would Njoku want to be reunited with Monken?

The whole thing probably started when General Manager John Dorsey wanted Njoku to become a better blocker.  Okay, fine. That was true. All players, especially young ones, need to improve.  The fact of the matter is that Njoku made a dramatic improvement and by 2020 was a much more complete player. But in 2019, oh my God, Coach Freddie Kitchens and OC Monken had an absolute cow and decided their 639 yard tight end wasn't worth developing. 

Njoku was an outstanding blocker and receiver and he went on to become a Pro Bowler despite the unsteady quarterback situation in Cleveland.  He is probably among the top five tight ends in Browns history behind Ozzie Newsome, Kellen Winslow, Jr., and Milt Morin. Fans of Jordan Cameron and Gary Barnidge might put up a fuss, but I've got Njoku as number four.  

Now, here's the kicker.  If Njoku leaves, there will be a $24.3 million dollar charge to the 2026 salary cap (by the way, in an earlier article, I listed the voidable year charge incorrectly as $13.9 million.  It's actually an even more appalling $24.3 million).  If you haven't heard about "voidable years," you are going to find out about them in 2026. Briefly, the NFL salary rules allow bonus money to be charged to future years, but if the player leaves or is traded, the bonus money charges are moved up to the current fiscal year.  In Njoku's case, he had four years of salary but bonus money was charged over a seven-year interval, including 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.  When he leaves, all of that $24.3 million gets charged immediately to the 2026 cap.  You thought Deshaun's contract was bad for the Browns?  Yes, but there are other deals that are going to sting just as bad when you add them up. 

If Jim Schwartz Leaves, Will Myles Garrett Follow?

 

If Jim Schwartz leaves, why would Myles Garrett stay?

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.   Check this one out. 

1.  The Browns are the most quarterback-fixated team in the NFL. 

2. Jimmy Haslam has loved the Manning family since Peyton played for Tennessee, which is the college strongly supported by the Haslam family. 

3.  JH3 and the Browns wish to change to a high flying passing team behind Arch Manning, and therefore are willing to tank the season. 

4. The Browns need an acceptable reason to dismantle the defense which might win too many games to get them the first overall pick in the 2027 draft. 

5.  They could trade Myles Garrett for draft capital in 2027 in case they need it, but they will probably finish last anyway.  They need to rebuild the offensive line and acquire wide receivers. 

6.  They need to rebuild the salary cap structure of the team which is still reeling from the huge Deshaun Watson deal as well as $80 million dollars worth of "Voidable Years" money that will come due in the next two years.*

7.  If they hire someone like Todd Monken, they can get Myles Garrett to agree to be traded for a few high round picks that will help them rebuild the offense for Arch Manning.  

This is very similar to what they did in 2016-2017 when they actually overdid it and went 1-31.  Their goal in 2026 and 2027 is to put as many offensive pieces in place as possible for Arch, or another quarterback of comparable ability.  2027 is supposed to be a great year for quarterbacks.  

*Voidable years means that bonus money is spread out for up to five years even for contracts that are fewer than five years in duration.  When that contract ends, the remaining bonus money is immediately charged to that fiscal year.  So, say you give a player a $50 million bonus over 5 years, but the contract is only for two years.  Year 1 gets charged $10 million, year $2 is also $10 million, but if you do not re-sign the player $30 million gets charged to the cap in Year 3 unless they resign the player to a new contract and reset the clock.  This is a time bomb!  The Browns have $80 million dollars waiting to bite them in the next two years, on top of Deshaun Watson's $130 million.   Wow!!!!

Why the Browns are Hiring Todd Monken

 

Todd Monken was Offensive Coordinator for the Browns in 2019.  

BREAKING NEWS:  The Browns are hiring Todd Monken.  How about that?   I wrote this article the day before Monken was hired.  I think there are legitimate reasons why he is an interesting person for the Browns, but not sure that they should have actually hired him over Jim Schwartz.  

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We hear that the Browns have interviewed Todd Monken for the second time.  For the Browns, that is a serious relationship.  Why?  He is currently the OC for the arch-rival Baltimore Ravens, and rumor has it that he does not get along with Lamar Jackson.  That is a serious problem if it's true. 

So why are the Browns interested? 

Let's think back to the 2019 season when he was the OC at Cleveland.  He ran a two-back offense with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt (who was suspended the first eight games of the season) and cameo appearances by Dontrell Hilliard and D'Ernest Johnson.  There were only two wide receivers in Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry.  The lack of a tight end really hurt, as David Njoku wound up in Coach Freddie Kitchens' doghouse and was scarcely used (long story short, that was on Freddie.  We know now that Njoku developed into a Pro Bowl tight end, but Freddie could not figure that out).  In the two back system, both backs were receiving threats but could also run the ball.  That was fun to watch.   

Meanwhile, do you remember when the Browns had Carlos Hyde and Duke Johnson?  Well, in 2019, they played with Deshaun Watson in a two back system after being traded to Houston (the Browns love to trade with Houston).  Damn if Hyde didn't gain 1112 yards from scrimmage, with Johnson adding 820 yards more.  Watson threw for 3852 yards that year, including 767 yards to tight ends.  You might pass out if I remind you that one of their tight ends was Darren Fells, who played for Cleveland the previous year. Cleveland rejects accounted for 2699 yards that season, but the larger point is that Deshaun Watson was great in a two back system, and the Cleveland Browns have two running backs in 2026, and Todd Monken knows how to run a two-back offense in the NFL.  

The Texans' offense was largely based on the triple option:  Most plays would start with play action or Run/Pass Option.  If Deshaun keeps the ball, he rolls out like Baker Mayfield and can throw a screen to either of two backs, or look downfield, or else he can take off and run for the sideline.  The disadvantage is that he probably got hit as often as Lamar Jackson.  With two ACLs and a twice-torn Achilles tendon in his resume, he probably should not roll out as often as he used to. 

Nevertheless, the two back offense and ball control style worked well for him at Houston. Watson's career in Cleveland was soured by his misadventures in his personal life and his bad contract, which caused the Dawg Pound to be skeptical from the get-go.  Moreover, as a competitor, he wanted to earn his gigantic contract and change his style of play to out-do Josh Allen.  Hence the Browns hired ex-Bills coordinator Ken Dorsey and tried to install a Bills-style deep passing offense. That was a failure.  

Nevertheless, Watson was once a 4000-yard quarterback, and it makes sense to stop trying to convert him into Josh Allen and go back to what worked in the past.   Watson was great in a two back system, and the Browns have Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson.  

Under Monken, the Ravens had everyone running the ball, starting with quarterback Lamar Jackson, but they also had Derrick Henry toting the rock, often with monstrous fullback Patrick Ricard in the backfield at the same time, all 305 pounds of him.  Change-of-pace backs Keaton Mitchell and Justice Hill found time to combine for 666 yards from scrimmage.  The Ravens' hot dog vendors can also run the football if called upon.  

The Browns would be helped immensely by making better use of their ground game.  It would take pressure off "Pro Bowler" Shedeur Sanders if the Browns had a more balanced offense.  This news flash just in: the Browns are a cold weather, natural turf team. They should pound the rock and win the second half against worn-out defenses.  They keep on thinking they are a warm weather, synthetic turf team that should feature four and five receiver sets.  Maybe someday they will have a domed stadium, but that time is not yet.  Till that happens, let's remember who we are:  the Browns are Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, Greg Pruitt, Earnest Byner, Kevin Mack, Peyton Hillis, and Nick Chubb. I don't see any reason why Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson cannot join this group.

Browns Should Interview Ashton Grant of the Patriots

 

Ashton Grant is currently on the Patriots' staff working for Mike Vrabel, but prior to that was on the Browns's staff as an Offensive Assistant for Quarterbacks. 

What about a young quarterback coach that worked with Mike Vrabel and Jameis Winston in Cleveland and in New England under Vrabel as his Quarterbacks Coach? Plus, if you feel like he is not quite ready to be Head Coach, you could make him an offer to be the Offensive Coordinator. Ashton Grant is the young Coach I'm talking about.  Remember that name.  Remember also that these hotshot offensive coordinators from other teams are not eligible to jump ship and join the Browns unless they are promoted.  However Grant could join the Browns as either Head Coach OR Offensive Coordinator, and he also complies with the all-important Rooney Rule for minority interviews.  

You might as well also accept the fact the Browns get last choice anyway because candidates are turned off by the disastrous salary cap situation and the automatic quarterback controversy generated by Shedeur Sanders. 

The next person who says "Controversy? What controversy?" gets a pie in the face. Sanders can not help who his father is, but you might as well accept that that 50% of the fan base loves him and 50% hates him and that is not going to change.  The new Head Coach will have to navigate that automatic controversy. It's not an ideal situation in Cleveland.  Then there is the minor issue of a fellow named Deshaun who is still on the roster and is owed $130 million dollars.                                                                                                                         

The master plan of complying with the Rooney Rule by interviewing two and only two candidates--Mike McDaniel and Nate Scheelhaase--blew up on two counts. McDaniel turned them down before interviewing and Scheelhaase cannot be interviewed until after his team is out of the playoffs.  Even then, how do you know he won't get hired by another team before interviewing with the Browns?   As of Jan 24, zero Rooney-compliant interviews means the Browns cannot hire a Coach.  

Like Scheelhaase, Ashton Grant cannot be interviewed until his team is no longer in the playoffs.  That may be okay once you accept that the Browns are going to select last anyway.  Grant did a great job for the 2024 Browns, working with Jameis Winston on an otherwise poor offensive team with a weak offensive line and no running game. Nevertheless, Winston had some impressive games.  Grant must be given some credit for that. Winston's mental lapses which resulted in interceptions are not the result of coaching.  

Grant definitely impressed Mike Vrabel, who you will recall was on the Browns' staff that year.  Vrabel took Grant with him to New England and Drake Maye has responded with an outstanding year.  

Thus, Grant knows the Stefanski Offense as well as the Vrabel Offense with Josh McDaniel as the Offensive Coordinator.

Other candidates who are already OC's on other team such as  Scheelhaase or Grant Udinski of the Jags, are not eligible to laterally transfer to the Browns as OC, but can only change teams if it is a promotion to Head Coach. 

So, the Browns should at least interview Grant, maybe hire him as Head Coach, but he is also eligible to be hired as Offensive Coordinator for the Browns. 

Cleveland May Have Botched the Rooney Rule

 

When asked to count to two, Mr. Haslam held up only one thumb, indicating a lack of fundamental understanding of mathematics. 

The Cleveland Browns cannot hire a coach.  At all.  The reason is that they have not complied with the Rooney Rule, which requires the team to interview two (2) black or minority candidates from outside the organization.  Currently their total stands at zero, with one interview scheduled. Let's see, is one equal to or greater than two?  No it is not, Mr. Haslam.  One is fewer than two, and therefore your team is out of compliance. 

Right now, Los Angeles Rams pass game coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase is the only African American scheduled for an interview.  However, this must await the end of the Rams' season, which has not happened yet.  Last time we checked, they are still in the playoffs.  The Rooney rule may not be satisfied until after the Super Bowl if the Rams wind up going to the Dance.  

Worse, they scheduled an interview with Mike McDaniel, who refused to interview with the Browns, opting instead to be the Offensive Coordinator for the LA Chargers.  Hence the number of Rooney Rule interviews is zero at this time.  

How can you guys be this stupid? The first thing you should do is comply with the rules, especially if your plan the entire time is to hire from the inside; e.g., Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz.  

Now, if they hurry out and find some minority candidate for Head Coach, it will be altogether obvious that it is only for compliance purposes.  The Browns will look terrible and stupid (as usual).  Don't forget, the Browns are being sued by Brian Flores and other coaches on the grounds that the Rooney Rule is a sham, and this episode will probably become Exhibit A. 

Alternatively, the Browns may have little choice but to hire Nathan Scheelhaase to avoid looking like idiots and getting in trouble with the league.  In that case, they do not have to find a sham interview to comply with the Rooney Rule. 

Ironically, Northeast Ohio and the Browns have historically been way out in front in terms of allowing African Americans and other minorities to participate in professional football.  The Browns have had way more black GMs (Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, Andrew Berry), black/minority HCs (Terry Robiskie, Romeo Crennel, Hue Jackson), black quarterbacks (David Mays, Spergon Wynn, Seneca Wallace, Jeff Garcia, Thad Lewis, Jason Campbell, Robert Griffin III, Deshone Kizer, Tyrod Taylor, Jacoby Brissett, Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker, Jameis Winston, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders) than any other NFL team.  Don't forget that Jim Thorpe played here, and Fritz Pollard played and coached in Akron Ohio from the get-go in 1920.  This, however, is not an excuse for not being on top of the rulebook. 

The Browns may have little choice but to hire Nathan Scheelhaase to avoid looking like idiots and getting in trouble with the league. 

The Browns were racially integrated from their inception in 1946, but nevertheless have had trouble complying with the Rooney Rule in 2026.  

Let's Pump the Brakes on Mendoza

What is it that compels us to believe that Fernando Mendoza is vastly superior to other college quarterbacks? 
https://www.instagram.com/p/DSQHEcgka-K/?img_index=4

Fernando Mendoza is a College Superstar, but does he have to be the Number One overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft?  The Cleveland Browns, the most quarterback fixated team in the NFL, may be considering whether they should move up in the draft in order to select Mendoza, despite still have $130 million left to pay Deshaun Watson, and having used 11 draft picks on quarterbacks  depleted roster after donating six draft picks to the Houston Texans and incurring a $230 million dollar due bill for Deshaun Watson.  If the Browns trade their two first round draft picks in the 2026 draft, plus a few more high round picks in 2027, they could probably move up to first overall.  Would it be worth it? 

Mendoza will surely get his shot to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.  That is not in question. However, there are 32 starters in the NFL, and not all of them were first overall picks.  So how many of the boxes does Mendoza check off?

First, the good: we like the physical attributes.  6'5" 225 lbs is hard to argue with. He also has good speed and running ability though not exactly at the level of former Hoosier Antwaan Randle El.  We like that he led the known world in completion percentage with 73.0%.  We love the fact that he had a very low interception rate (only 6).  But how much of this is team and how much of this is Fernando?  The major mistake sportswriters make is confusing quarterback performance with team performance. 

Indiana has been consistently dominant in college football this season with no real weaknesses.  Indiana was great through the air. But, wait a minute, they were super-great on the ground, leading the Big 10 in rushing yards with 218.0 per game.  Mendoza averaged 223.3 passing yards per game, good for eighth best in the Big 10.  QBs with more yards per game include Jayden Maiava 285.5 (USC), Athan Kaliakmanis, 260.3 (Rutgers), Julian Sayin, 257.9 (Ohio State), Malik Washington, 246.9 (Maryland), Dante Moore, 237.7 (Oregon), Demond Williams Jr., 235.8 (Washington), Luke Altmeyer, 231.3 (Illinois).  Fernando is 22 years old and has 35 games to his credit. Most of his rivals are younger and not ready to enter the draft yet.  So,  you want the number 8 QB in the Big 10  from the top rushing team, and you think he is the best prospect for the long term?  That doesn't sound quite right, does it? Indiana had two second-team All-Big 10 wideouts, and a third team All-Big 10 tight end, plus a sterling defense to get the ball back in the hands of the offense quickly.  

Take a look at the Mendoza highlight film and tell me if you see him make an NFL style progression. His first choice is almost always open, so Fernando can afford to wait behind a stud offensive line until his receiver can get open and then throw him the ball. This is perfectly fine in College ball, but not the way they play in the NFL.  This is the same problem that many of us had with Shedeur Sanders last year.  We want to see a QB with "head on a swivel" making his progressions; being able to look left and throw to fool the defense; moving up in the pocket under pressure instead of running backwards and other Master Class tricks.  It sounds easy, but it takes time and many many practice and game repetitions to master the process.  If you have not heard Tom Brady talk about the rookie transition process, he can tell it way better than I can:

Tom Brady on Rookie QB Development

If Mendoza gets drafted by a good team and can be the number two or number three quarterback for at least one season, he has an excellent chance to succeed in the NFL.  However, if he is drafted by a team like Cleveland, where they play rookies very early in the season and expect one man to transform the offense, he will likely fail.  Look for Sam Bradford 2.0.     

So, yes I would draft Mendoza in Round 1, but it is far from obvious that he should be first overall. I might rather have an edge rusher or an offensive tackle or even a running back like Jeremiyah Love, who I think is an outstanding talent, comparable to Leroy Kelly or  Greg Pruitt.  There are other QBs that do not have the supporting cast the Indiana has, and thus maybe cannot produce the same QB stats, that might have similar talent at the position. You know who they are. Ty Simpson and Trinidad Chambliss lack ideal size but might be better passers than Mendoza. Nobody thinks they should be at the top of Round 1. Let's blame Drew Allar and  Garrett Nussmeier for getting their Coach fired (rather than blame the Coach for inadequate offense), and so these guys are Day 2 candidates.  Carson Beck, okay, threw too many interceptions, but if his Miami team pulls off the upset against Indiana, he might propel himself into Round 1.  Is it silly to base a draft on one game?  You bet.  Is the NFL Draft silly for QBs?  Yes. 

But back to Mendoza. Unfortunately, you don't get to draft the entire Indiana team with just one draft pick.  You just get one player from that team with one pick, and I do not believe that one player will transform a bad team into a good team.  Just pray for him not to wind up with the Jets or the Browns.  

  

The Cleveland Browns Have $77 million of Potential Dead Money in 2026

 

Fans, the Browns are getting their butts kicked in the Front Office, and current players scheduled to depart  as free agents could cost the Browns up to $77 million dollars in additional Dead Money charges if they are not re-signed.  This is on top of the $31.7 in "Dead Money" that the Browns are paying off to players no longer with the team such as Dalvin Tomlinson, Juan Thornhill and others.   

Nothing can be done about the 2026 Dead Money. It comes out of the 2026 Cap and it is gone, gone, gone.  But let's talk about the impending Voidable Years money that is scheduled to turn into dead money but isn't quite there yet. 

Jimmy Haslam, Andrew Berry and the Browns are fond of using "Voidable Years" in player contracts to allow them to sign players at a reduced rate, with cap charges due when the player leaves the team and the contract expires.  That is, teams are allowed to defer bonus money until AFTER a player's contract expires.  But if that player leaves the team (retires, is traded or is cut), that money gets charged to that year's cap.  

So for example, Joel Bitonio signed a contract for 2023, 2024 and 2025.  Great.  He got paid $46 million in bonus money.  Great!  That check is cashed and in his bank account.  However, the cap charges are spread over 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.  If Bitonio is not signed to a new deal, the charges for 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 are going to be deducted from the 2026 salary cap.  That's an appalling $23 million for a player who would not be playing.  That makes no sense, granted, but we're not talking about sense, we're talking about the accounting rules for the NFL salary cap.  

Conversely, if the Browns can talk their players with expiring contracts into signing a new deal, they can continue to spread the bonus money charges five years into the future.

In the case of the Browns O-Line, all five starters plus backup Teven Jenkins have expiring contracts and everyone except right tackle Cam Robinson has "Voidable Years."   Tight end David Njoku and  defensive end Shelby Harris are also scheduled to leave with Voidable Years.  In all, if nobody re-signs and restructures, the "Dead Money" charge to the Browns amounts to $77 million and would come out of the 2026 salary cap.  

Jeepers peepers, that would make $108 Million in Dead Money if nothing is done about it.  

How do you get out of this?  Well, one way would be to re-sign some of these players for one more year, and once again restructure their deals and push the Voidable Year money into the future one more time.  If a player wants to retire, you could even convince a retiring player to sign a contract anyway for a token amount of money, occupy a roster spot, but never show up for work, and that would allow the Browns to once again extend the voidable year money into the future.  You would lose the roster spot, but in effect obtain a loan. This is a horrible way to run a football team, but the Browns are a horrible team.    

"Voidable Years" money is like Crack Cocaine. Haslam  and  Berry seem to be terribly addicted to the concept.  

Not counting the Voidable Years issue, the Browns are currently on the hook for a $301 Million payroll (Top 51 salaries), according to Overthecap.com.  To that you have to add several million for the NFL draft, plus the practice squad, plus in-season injury replacements.  In all we might project $320 M right now.  Prior to refinancing, the Voidable Years adds $77 M, or potentially close to $400 million in commitments.  However, the cap limit will be around $295 million, meaning they must restructure or cut about $105 million.  Needless to say, this will be a very painful process, but it is barely possible.  Restructuring most of these "Voidable Years" is essential, one way or another.

It will mean, however, that more talent will leave the team than will be brought on board.     

Now, to my fellow sportswriters and fans who are fantasizing about expensive free agent wide receivers that are going to come flocking to Cleveland for 2026, you might as well stop deceiving yourselves and the public.  It is not going to happen.  There is no money for free agent extravaganzas like in previous years. Plus nobody with a career wants to come to Cleveland now.  

The Browns Jimmy Haslam III: Galactic Scale Quarterback Meddler

Jimmy Haslam has done many good things for the Cleveland Browns, but he has also been a major league meddler, especially at the quarterback position. On a great team, the players play, the Coaches coach,  the General Manager manages, and the Owners own.  That's not the way it works in Cleveland. At times the Coaches try to do the GMs job, the Players do the Coach's job, and the owner meddles in damn near anything he pleases, including drafting, signing free agents, selecting the starter for a particular game as well as placing players on the inactive list. In particular, he is in charge of quarterback acquisition and development. Sometimes, give him credit, it actually works, but most of the time it blows up, with the Johnny Manziel and Deshaun Watson fiascos as cases in point. 

This article seeks to enumerate the times when Mr. Haslam has subverted the process in the front office.   Mr. Haslam claims that these decisions are made via a group process, and perhaps this is so to an extent.  In that case his General Managers--Ray Farmer, John Dorsey and especially Andrew Berry deserve to share at least some of the blame.  But in many cases, I infer that Mr. Haslam is to blame on the grounds that the moves have been so egregiously bad that an NFL General Manager, is extremely unlikely to have made them.  For example, signing Deshaun Watson was not completely crazy at some price, but giving up six draft picks and $230 Million in guaranteed money cannot be completely blamed on Andrew Berry. It's just too nuts.  Here then, is my list, in chronological order. 

1. Drafting Johnny Manziel, the wisdom of which was reinforced by the wish of a homeless man who urged Haslam to draft Manziel on Draft Day.  JH3 evidently believed it might have been some kind of omen speaking through a prophetic personality.  No, Jim, he was just a drunk. So was Johnny, by the way. 

One son of an oilman to another, a marriage made in Heaven.

2. Benching Brian Hoyer when the team was 7-7 and still in contention for a playoff spot, so that Manziel could start and lead the team into the playoffs.  Well, Manziel was atrocious as a rookie, so the playoffs went up in smoke.  

3. Brokered a foolish trade with the Bengals for A.J. McCarron. Sashi Brown torpedoed the deal by not signing the paperwork before the deadline, which cost him his job, but resulted in the Browns being able to draft Nick Chubb.  In the middle of the 2017 0-17 tanking season, Coach Hue Jackson whined that he could not win with his current quarterbacks that he had previously proclaimed to be "franchise quarterbacks." Sashi Brown said, "Great, because I want the first overall pick," but JH3 felt sorry for Hue and made a deal with Hue's old team, the Bengals, to bring ace backup A.J. McCarron to Cleveland for the price of two second round draft picks. Brown "forgot" to sign the paperwork and the deal did not go through.  He was fired for this selfless act, but really, we should build Sashi a statue for this move. He left the team with nearly $60 million extra cap space and a ton of extra draft picks--including the second round pick used to bring Nick Chubb to Cleveland.

Boy, A.J. McCarron or Nick Chubb?  Hue Jackson and JH3 wanted McCarron, and when you've got a chance for a Franchise quarterback, you've got to go get him, blah, blah, blah.  Isn't that right, fans? 

4.  Launching the Post-Mayfield era cost 6 draft picks, including 3 Round 1 picks and $230 million for Deshaun Watson, the worst trade in NFL history.  Andrew Berry liked Deshaun Watson, but Jimmy loved him and thought that paying any price was worth it to buy the Super Bowl.  Watson went from $35 Million guaranteed remaining on his deal with the Texans, to $230 million guaranteed in Cleveland.  But that's not the true cost. If you could auction off draft picks, 3 Round 1's,  2 Round 3's and a Round 4 would probably be worth another $200 million. In short the Browns paid three times what Watson was worth, and he started having bad years immediately.  I don't think Deshaun is a bad quarterback, but seeking to emulate the Buffalo Bills deep passing offense was not the right move for him.  

Maybe a Quarterback at any price is not a good philosophy after all. So, did you learn anything from the experience, or shall we repeat the same mistake? 

5.  Signing former Tennessee Vol quarterback Joshua Dobbs as a third string QB in 2022, firing him, signing him again, and then trading him away after training camp.  What?  Doesn't it seem like there was an internal disagreement about Dobbs?  My theory is that Haslam, the staunch Tennessee Vol alum, was the advocate for Dobbs, the former Tennessee Vol Quarterback, and in this case Haslam was mostly right. Nevertheless, the Browns cut Dobbs for no real reason, and then the world found out that he could play when he caught on with the Titans later than year and played well with short preparation. Hey! How about that?  JH3 got one right!  So they re-signed Dobbs for 2023, but then Andrew traded him for a late draft pick to start the season, because Arizona needed a replacement for Kyler Murray, who was injured.  Wait a minute, since when is it the Browns' job to perform acts of charity for other teams' misfortunes?  But don't worry because...

6.  The Browns drafted QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson in Round 5 and he miraculously became QB2 right out of training camp, ahead of Dobbs.  This made zero sense.  Look, your backup quarterback has to be ready to play on opening day.  He cannot be a developmental Round 5 guy who needs two years to learn the NFL-style playbook.  However, the Browns made him second string right out of training camp (why? Because he completed passes in preseason games?? Really??), and the perception became that Dobbs was expendable (FALSE!). Once in a while it does happen (Russell Wilson and  Dak Prescott were exceptions, but was there really reason to think DTR was Russell or Dak?  Then they did it again in 2024, promoting him over Jameis Winston, only to have him go down due to injury. DTR ended his NFL career with 1 TD pass and 10 INTs. Only an owner could have such a great fascination for rookie quarterbacks.  

7.  Firing Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco after a bad playoff loss in 2023.  The Browns scouting department keeps on coming up with solid veterans like Brian Hoyer, Josh McCown, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, and the Browns at the highest level keeps on trashing them.  Joe Flacco save the Browns from DTR and took the Browns to the playoffs but lost to Deshaun Watson's former team, the Houston Texans.  Well, no wonder.  We gave them six draft picks and they used those players against us.  But the main reason Joe had to go was that the Dawg Pound loved him more than Deshaun (in fact we loved darn near everyone more than Deshaun).  JH3 is fearful of the dreaded "quarterback controversy." We can't take it, so to paraphrase Hank Williams, Sr., "Goodbye Joe, you gotta go, me oh my oh!"

Joe Flacco led the Browns to the PLAYOFFS!  Does Haslam care? No. 

8.  Firing Joe Flacco again after a 1-3 start in 2025. We're sorry, Joe!  What were we thinking?  We went 3-14 in 2024 without you Joe! Please come back!  But okay, the Front Office corrected the terrible decision to fire Joe Flacco in 2023, and once again convinced themselves they were Super Bowl contenders. However, after going 1-3 to open the season, they pushed the panic button, and fired Flacco.  The solution?  Rookie quarterback! Enter third round pick Dillon Gabriel.  As mentioned above, it is very rare for a mid-round pick to start early and succeed in the NFL.

9.  Using four (4) draft picks on quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft.  Wait, what?  The Watson process obliged the Browns to provide 2 draft picks to Houston in 2022, 2023, and 2024, plus they used another pick in 2023 on DTR. Rather than give it a rest in 2025, they burned four (4) draft pics on quarterbacks this year.  Given that each team gets only seven per year, four is a.  This is the first year that the Browns had a full slate of draft picks after the Deshaun disaster and they had no business burning four picks on QUARTERBACKS.  A Round 5 traded for Kenny Pickett. A Round 3 used for Dillon Gabriel.  Then an additional Round 6 and a Round 5 were traded to move up in Round 5 for Shedeur. That's completely absurd. Deshaun (6), DTR (1) and the 4 for 2025 account for 11 in four years, including three Round 1 picks. Haslam can point out that he got picks back for DTR, Flacco and Pickett, but they were all worth less than what he paid.  Hence these moves were not sound.  They are more symptomatic of an obsession rather than normal football operations.  

The two veterans with winning career records are Flacco and Pickett.  They were both traded away at a loss. 

10.  Bringing Ravens QB Tyler Huntley into camp, teaching him the playbook, and sending him back to Baltimore two years in a row.  I mean, come on, you can't be giving a quarterback from our arch-rival access to our playbook as well as inside information about the team. If you're going to invite him to camp, give him a contract.  Moreover, Huntley was much more qualified to start in 2025 than either Gabriel or Sanders, given that he had six years of NFL experience including preseason 2024 with the Browns, so quit pretending we late-round rookies are better than veterans.  They were late round picks for a reason, and it was FOOLISH to expect instant success from mid-to-late round picks.  With all the talk about being willing to carry four QBs on the roster, how did the Browns wind up with zero experienced QBs on the active roster by Week 5?

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There you have it, fans.  These moves are so stupid it is difficult to believe that a professional General Manager thought them up.  Still, Andrew Berry has to bear some of the guilt because he signed off on them, and in particular, he created the insane contract that financed Deshaun coming to Cleveland. 

You can fire the Coach, you can fire the General Manager, but you cannot fire the Owner, so look forward for more quarterback madness in 2026. How many qbs will they draft this year and who will they be?  How many draft picks will they trade for quarterbacks, quarterbacks, quarterbacks?  Or will we tank the season for Arch Manning next year? Stay tuned!

Haslam's Golden Gut Triumphs Over DePodesta's Black and White Analytics

 

Paul Depodesta is going to the Colorado Rockies, where they might listen to him.  The Browns would listen for a year, get impatient, and do things Jimmy's way (thank you Mac the Buffalo). 

You can stick a fork in our Cleveland Browns.  We're done.  Jimmy Haslam III hated being told what to do by numbers geek Paul DePodesta anyway. Now he doesn't have to feel guilty about ignoring him.  He's gone, off to oversee operations of the Colorado Rockies.  

This is a disaster, in this analyst's view.  It seems to me that Browns ownership has been divided between Mr. and Mrs. Haslam, with Jimmy preferring to trust his own instincts, and Dee preferring to rely on the best available advisors.  DePodesta was the best possible advisor and had the right idea, making evidence-based decisions. Realizing that the Browns were inferior to the Steelers and Ravens as evaluators of talent and team builders, the way to overcome the gap was to hoard draft picks and cap space for a few years, and then outspend and out-draft the rest of the league for about five years in a row, building a stronger organization in the process. However, it was going to be a cycle, and the team would have to be restocked at some point.  The Browns have been at that point for a few years now but will not admit it.  4-13 and no cap space for free agents is the result.

DePo's plan was working in 2018 when they drafted three Pro Bowl talents in one draft:  Baker Mayfield, Denzel Ward and Nick Chubb.  However, then they reversed course and started using the Jimmy method, figuring they were going to win the Super Bowl in 2019. They overspent and traded away first round draft picks for the likes of Odell Beckham, Jr., and hired Freddie Kitchens, a guy with zero coaching experience, as head Coach. That was a disaster, so they went back on the DePo plan, what was left of it, hiring analytics-based Kevin Stefanski and made the playoffs.  Ah, now we've got it!  But then they shifted back into Full Haslam mode by overspending on Deshaun Watson while simultaneously obliterating their draft for three years. Hence they have re-established themselves as "loveable losers" which is where they find themselves today, mired in salary cap hell, and trusting the owner to find the right quarterback.  

This year the Browns used four draft picks on quarterbacks: two to draft Shedeur, a Round 3 pick on Dillon Gabriel plus a Round 6 pick (plus Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who they were ready to give up on) for Kenny Pickett, and also signed Joe Flacco.  Pickett and Flacco have been fired, with Flacco currently averaging 313 yards per game for Division rival Cincinnati, and Pickett serving as second string at Las Vegas. This is classic Jimmy Ball. 

The Browns salary cap is in shambles. They still owe $130 million to Deshaun, plus they have multiple long term guaranteed contracts to aging veterans, causing them to already be overspent for 2026. They will have to restructure or cut multiple veterans just to get under the limit, and there won't be money to add new big time free agents, so forget about those fantasies right now. 

With the possible exception of the New York Jets, the Browns are the most quarterback-obsessed team and fan base in the NFL, making multiple trades and signings this year.  As a result, our best guy, Joe Flacco, is tossing 300 yard games for rival Cincinnati.  

Our talented rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is also the one furthest away from running an NFL offense.  He will get his chance later this year, but his career with the Browns may already be over. Jimmy and the Dawg Pound can't wait to get their hands on a new quarterback in the upcoming draft.  The Browns will not be able to offer much in the way of pass protection, as they are contractually committed to the same old guys who are currently ranked number 32 in the league out of 32 teams.   It's a total mess, and it's going to get worse. 

Remember, you wanted this.

Browns Patented Method for Ruining Young Quarterbacks--Good for Shedeur??

Many fans pooh-pooh the notion that Shedeur Sanders fell in the draft because of fears that he would get Front Office people fired in the organization that drafted him. But in Cleveland, many fans are calling for Coach Stefanski to be fired for not playing Shedeur.

The Cleveland Browns are famous for ruining young quarterbacks by sending them into battle before they are ready and having them learn bad habits--mainly trying to apply college offense methods to the Pro game--then giving up on them. 

This is what is wrong with the Shedeur Sanders debate. It's a false issue whether Shedeur is better than Dillon.  Of course Shedeur is better than Dillon. The question is whether putting Shedeur on the field now, behind an aging offensive line and with Jerry Jeudy as the only credible wide receiver, helps his career in any way.

I laugh at those who claim the Browns "need to learn what they have in Shedeur in the second half of the season."  What nonsense.  How much did the New York Jets learn about Sam Darnold in three years?  How much did the Browns learn about Baker Mayfield in four years?  How much did the Giants learn about Daniel Jones in six years?  Answer:  Absolutely nothing.  They did, however, learn to blame their problems on the quarterback.   

 I thought Dillon was a stupid draft pick by Andrew Berry and I said so at the time.  That's not the issue.  Just because Dillon is going to struggle, doesn't mean the best thing is to put Shedeur into a bad situation. 

The quarterbacks are not going to put up numbers until the Browns draft a stud left tackle and replace the old men on the offensive line.  They also need professional wide receivers.

Shedeur has not learned to play within structure.  One piece of evidence is that in the preseason, according to Pro Football Focus and Yahoo, Sanders' Time To Throw (TTT) was 3.96 seconds, the longest of any player ever recorded in preseason.  

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/shedeur-sanders-showed-true-character-125802268.html

That's not good, though it is correctable with time. He had issues hold ing the ball too long in college, and in his last preseason game he got sacked five times, after which fourth string QB Tyler Huntley came in and marched the team down the field and scored. 

So no, I don't think Shedeur will play well on this team in 2025.  He needs to grow in 2025, and the Browns need to upgrade their roster for 2026. 

I don't see the point of watching him suffer through some bad losses this season. He might win a game or two, but it is much more likely that he is going to be as bad or worse than Dillon this year. Shedeur will generate lots of sacks and interceptions and not that many passing yards if he starts this year. 2026 is the more realistic goal to convert him into a Pro style passer.  

Drafting a few offensive linemen and wide receivers might help, too.     

Note, however, that Haslam and Andrew Berry are carrying massive financial commitments for 2026 and will be unable to improve the roster by adding glamor free agents.  They will still owe $130 million to Deshaun Watson, and they are carrying several huge guaranteed veterans' contracts  that will prevent them from signing new veteran free agents. There will likely be dead money charges over $100 million dollars in 2026.  It remains to be seen whether they will have the resources to provide personnel to adequately protect a young quarterback in 2026.  

The vicious cycle may never end for Jimmy Haslam III, who loves quarterbacks so much that he may destroy his team finding the next messianic savior at the position.

A good team can win with a backup quarterback, and in fact Super Bowls have been won about 10 times with backup quarterbacks over the years.  So if your team can only win 4 or 5 games a year, it's probably not just the quarterback that needs fixing. There are probably half a dozen below average players on that unit.    

The Browns are just not a good offensive team.  Seeking to upgrade the quarterback position is a nice idea, but there are many more upgrades that are needed besides the quarterback. The Browns should try to field an NFL-caliber offense in 2026 and if they have that, they could consider starting Shedeur and try to score some points.