The Browns Will Contend for First Overall Pick in 2026 Draft

 

Andrew and Kevin did not seem to happy about drafting Shedeur, leading many observers to suspect it was not entirely their idea. They may get the blame anyway for the lack of talent as the Browns cruise to another four win season.

Contending for first overall pick is a nice way to say that this year's edition of the Cleveland Browns will probably be a disaster. Never say never, but the Browns are simply operating at a huge disadvantage compared to the rest of the NFL. Namely, they still owe Deshaun Watson $167 million dollars (including $36 million this year), which inhibits their ability to sign long term deals, and they are paying an astounding $71 million in "dead money" in 2025 to players no longer on the team. In total they are paying over $100 million to players who will not play football for the Cleveland Browns in 2025. They Browns have borrowed and put off player salaries to the point where the team is just not sustainable.  Compare that to the Steelers, who have just $16 million being spent on dead money.  

The Browns have blown a total of 10 draft picks on quarterbacks since 2022 (six from the Watson deal, a net of four since then) and those players are going to be missed. 

Look, I am not a genius in player evaluation, but you can't gouge the payroll by upwards of $100 million dollars and waste 10 draft picks on quarterbacks and expect to be competitive. 

And it's actually not that good.  The Browns have invested a lot of money in players who are older and not healthy, and they owe money in "voidable years" which will come due when they stop extending their contracts.  How many concussions has Denzel Ward had?  Well, if he is not extended, the Browns will be charged $59 million in dead money next season. Jack Conklin has one year left on his deal, and then the Browns will be charged $13 million in dead money next season.  Similarly, the Browns will owe $24 million on David Njoku if he is not extended.  All this while they attempt to pay down Deshaun's $167 million remaining money.  And you don't think that will affect the team? 

All those articles speculating the Browns might put in a bid for Micah Parson make me want to toss my cookies. You guys have to get real. The days of big fat juicy free agent signings are OVER.  Accept it. 

The Browns plan all along was to hoard draft picks and cap for 2016-2018, and then overspend for a few years to try to win rings.  Ladies and gentlemen, that window has CLOSED.  The Browns have tried to keep the window open by borrowing money from the future in order to feed their superstar quarterback, Deshaun Watson.  IT DID NOT WORK.  They need to reload and safe cap and draft picks for another three years.  Instead they are making a mess by attempting to offloading commitments against future cap dollars and they have fallen behind. 

The Browns need to face the truth, like the Dallas Cowboys have, and admit that they have a rebuilding period ahead of them.  They will not be competitive until they have paid off Deshaun's deal and cleared these ridiculous "voidable years" contracts. In the meantime, as painful as it sounds, they need to be trading down, like they did this season and foregoing the stud receiver type pick like Travis Hunter, and generate additional first round picks and rebuild the offensive and defensive lines.  If they can prove they can protect the quarterback and run the football, then we'll talk about acquiring someone to fling the pigskin.  I don't know why anyone wants to fire Shedeur before his career even starts, anyway.  Let's give him his shot in 2026 and 2027. 

4-13 seems like the over under, I'm sorry to say.  Don't blame Kevin Stefanski, but do blame Andrew Berry for these atrocious deals and especially blame James Arthur Haslam III for reasserting his meddling role in the personnel affairs of the team.