News Browns Team Notes

Daily Dawg Chow 9/05: Browns news, NFL season officially underway, Bengals Sunday, more

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 08: Quarterback Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns reacts at the line of scrimmage in the first half during the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.dawgsbynature.com/daily...nfl-season-officially-underway-bengals-sunday
 
Browns roster: X-factor on offense, defense, special teams for 2025

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The Cleveland Browns have expectations of not being one of the league’s worst clubs for a second consecutive year. GM Andrew Berry worked overtime this offseason to address the weak spots and bring in new players to replace the ones who have left the team.

Now that training camp is over, and the air has cleared on the final 53-man roster and who is in and who is out, the focus for every player, coach, and executive is on the season opener, September 7, against division foe Cincinnati Bengals in Cleveland.

There are many good-to-great players on this year’s roster, and still some problem areas. But this is one player on offense and defense, plus special teams who can change the narrative and perhaps be the difference in games.

Here’s the list:


Offense

TE Harold Fannin, Jr.

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While most would point to the quarterback position as being the key component to success this year, the fact is, QB Joe Flacco is rarely injured, and is a seasoned veteran who has played 17 seasons. Yes, he is 40 years old, but in all likelihood, he will be fine.

The running game should be the main focus anyway. The offensive line is designed for the run game, and guys love to run block. This does cut down on the number of passes thrown.

But the passing game still needs to be successful and prevalent when called upon. The ideal situation would be for the rushing attack to consume 65%-70% of plays. Whether that becomes true for each game will be determined as the season rolls along.

The passing game needs to be the complement and not the focus. In order to do this, the offense will require qualified pass catchers.

WR Jerry Jeudy made the Pro Bowl last year as he had his first breakout year in the league. TE David Njoku, if he remains healthy, is a huge playmaker, but his health is always an issue every season. And on the surface, the offensive X-factor just might be Cedric Tillman starting on the outside opposite Jeudy, or the youngster Jamari Thrash starting in the slot.

The offense will get back to featuring two tight end sets. That requires two exceptional bodies to man the positions.

The player who will be this year’s offensive X-factor is rookie tight end Harold Fannin, Jr.

To begin with, Fannin comes to the Browns as a huge position of need. With a two-tight-end offense, a team needs a pair that can block efficiently and become more than adequate pass catchers. Jordan Akins had minimal production, so he was not re-signed. Blake Whiteheart is the best blocking tight end on the roster, but his passing targets are minimal, it seems, which justifies his TE3 designation. This offense requires two good pass catchers when they aren’t blocking for the run game. Njoku and Fannin fit the bill.

Bowling Green's Harold Fannin Jr is the best tight end this season. He's been targeted 72 times, reeling in 60 catches for a nation-high 830 yards and five touchdowns. One of the top playmakers at the position and my TE2 right now. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/bv6RalJs2L

— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) October 22, 2024

Berry did not draft another receiver in this year’s draft, but he certainly went out of his way to snatch Fannin. Six receivers were taken after Fannin and in the same round that Fannin was selected. That is how Berry viewed Fannin’s worth to a struggling offense.

Fannin led the nation in pass receptions last year. He also led the nation in total receiving yards. By a tight end – not a receiver.

This season, he will become the hidden gem that will change everything this offense will try to accomplish. He didn’t just dominate the nation’s tight end group; he dominated the entire receiving category.

The bonus with Fannin is that he is an outstanding pass catcher with size, but he is also an excellent blocker. A lot of tight ends who only catch the ball won’t or can’t block, but Fannin is able and willing to do the dirty work.




Defense

Cam Mitchell​

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There are plenty of candidates for the defensive X-factor.

Both Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire fit this description probably more than any other players. With the defensive tackle position being a group with a bunch of new names, that unit should be considered solved as far as being able to stop the run. But the position opposite Myles Garrett is one that is in a state of flux between the two players. And this may continue all season.

Linebacker is also a huge concern. Three new bodies will start for the Browns this year. Has this ever happened in the history of the NFL?

The area that needs the most attention, however, is cornerback. The reason is that going into training camp, this group was viewed as a strength. Now, it is a question mark. The reason is because of one player: M.J. Emerson.

The Browns had the luxury of having three really good cornerbacks, something that is a rare occurrence in the league. Denzel Ward manned the left side with his Pro Bowl hardware, Emerson was on the right side, while former first-round draft pick Greg Newsome was taking care of the slot.

With Emerson’s injury, which placed him on season-ending IR, suddenly, there was panic in the cornerback room. Who would take his spot? The result became Newsome taking over Emerson’s spot, a position he originally manned, so he is familiar with the workload, and then Cam Mitchell taking over the slot.

The fact that Mitchell has now been thrust into the starting role is both exciting and concerning.

Is Mitchell ready for a starting role? And if so, is the slot where he should be placed? Moving Newsome outside means that the defensive backfield will have two new bodies instead of just one if Newsome had remained in the slot.

Mitchell was a fifth-round draft pick out of Northwestern back in 2023. His development has been on the fast track, and he has been given lots of snaps since his arrival in Cleveland. He played in the first nine games of his rookie season and the final five games. Although he had plenty of special teams snaps (185), he was also used quite a bit on defense with 281 defensive snaps.

Last year, Mitchell played in every game. He had one start. His special teams snaps decreased (138) while his defensive snaps increased (372). This means DC Jim Schwartz used him more and more on defense, especially in the final four games.

The job of the slot corner is not the guy who is going to rush the passer or come on a blitz. Schwartz requires his cornerbacks to cover man, and Mitchell will be required to take on the opponent’s slot receiver, which is usually a smaller athlete. Since Mitchell is 5’-11” and only 191 pounds, this will work well.

When Emerson became injured, the immediate reaction was for Berry to sign a seasoned veteran to come in and become the starter, either on the outside or in the slot. Instead, they have given the job to Mitchell.

The fact that Mitchell has played in 30 NFL games is a huge plus. The fact that he has just one start is troubling. Straight up: the success of the defensive backfield will lie solely in the hands and feet of Mitchell. He could be the answer for this defense in Emerson’s place, or he could be the target of every defensive coordinator.


Special teams

K Andre Szmyt

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No doubt about it, the one player everyone is looking at on this year’s roster (not named Shedeur Sanders) is the new guy at kicker.

For one, releasing a veteran kicker is always a gamble when the choice is a young guy. Correction: unproven young guy. Veteran for veteran makes more sense. Dustin Hopkins played 10 seasons. Szmyt’s first NFL game will be this year’s season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It is quite possible that the coaching staff decided to retain Szmyt instead of continuing with Hopkins, especially since his horrible season last year, plus the fact that he missed two PATs in the preseason. This means Symyt won the job by default.

He had a really good training camp and did not miss any kicks whatsoever in all three preseason games.

No doubt about it, Szmyt had a distinguished college career. He was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy (top walk-on player) all four years and won the Groza Award as the nation’s top kicker in 2018. He was the only kicker in college football history who was a finalist for this award three consecutive years. He also won the Vlade Award, given yearly to the most accurate college football kicker.

He played at Syracuse as a fifth-year student because of the pandemic, so he knows how to kick in outdoor cold weather conditions. Szmyt became the school’s most accurate kicker in program history. He was named a unanimous All-American, First Team All-ACC, Third Team All-ACC, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, and East-West Shrine Bowl invitee.

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For his college career, he converted 85 of 105 field goal attempts (81.0%), 199 of 203 PATs (98.0%), and scored 454 points.

RELATED: 2024 UFL KICKING STATS

After being undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, he was in the Chicago Bears camp before signing with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL. In that league, he was the field goal leader (2024), going 19-21 in 10 games with a long of 61 yards.

The success of the UFL is one of the indicators that the coaching staff is using to gauge his abilities at the professional level. We will see.

Source: https://www.dawgsbynature.com/cleve...tor-on-offense-defense-special-teams-for-2025
 
Saturday Dawg Chow (9/6): X factors, green dots, key matchups, and more!

Only one more day until the Cleveland Browns open the 2025 regular season. While we count down the hours, let’s kick off the weekend with the latest news and notes about the Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Saturday Dawg Chow.

Dawgs By Nature:​

Cleveland Browns:​

NFL:​


Source: https://www.dawgsbynature.com/daily...and-browns-news-9-6-denzel-ward-myles-garrett
 
Browns Quinshon Judkins signs: Team announces, roster exemption provides options

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The Cleveland Browns will not have RB Quinshon Judkins on the field Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the team will have their second-round pick under contract. Judkins participated in all offseason activities prior to an arrest in Florida on a domestic violence-related charge. No formal charges were filed against Judkins, which cleared the way for him to return to the team, but the two sides had to work out a contract.

There was wild speculation that Judkins could return to college, that he wouldn’t be reporting to the Browns any time soon and, earlier this week, that he could sign imminently.

Imminently was not soon enough to get the running back on the field versus the Bengals, but multiple reports have Cleveland agreeing to a deal with Judkins:

The #Browns are signing second-round RB Quinshon Judkins to his fully guaranteed deal, sources say. All draft picks are now under contract.

Judkins legal situation is behind him after no charges were filed, though the NFL is still conducting its investigation. pic.twitter.com/eqE7h0TuGf

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 6, 2025

As noted, the NFL is still investigating, which could lead to league discipline. Sources have communicated to DBN that the team does not expect much, if any, significant punishment for their second-round pick.

A ramp-up week could allow Judkins to be available for Week 2 versus the Baltimore Ravens, but the team has also received an excemption from the league that will give them some flexibility:

The #Browns are expected to get a temporary roster exemption for RB Quinshon Judkins, who is signing his fully guaranteed rookie contract today.

That’s unrelated to the league’s ongoing disciplinary process; it’s standard for players who missed camp and can last up to two games. pic.twitter.com/d524u0SQxq

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 6, 2025

The team has made the signing of Judkins official on Saturday afternoon while noting the two-game roster exemption:

The Cleveland Browns have signed RB Quinshon Judkins. The Browns will be granted a two-game roster exemption for Judkins from the 53-player Active/Inactive List.

The Browns play two AFC North games, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, during the exemption, but Judkins could be activated to the roster for Week 2 if the team feels he is prepared. If not, Cleveland’s second-round pick would make his debut in Week 3 at home against the Green Bay Packers.

Source: https://www.dawgsbynature.com/cleve...n-judkins-update-day-before-week-1-vs-bengals
 
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns – 3rd Quarter Game Thread

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The Browns’ lengthy opening drive finished in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7. After both teams then traded punts, the Bengals went back on top with a touchdown drive and 14-7 lead. Flacco then led the Browns into Cincinnati territory heading into the two-minute warning. Cleveland went pretty conservative after that and settled for a field goal, making it 14-10 at the half.

VS.

Game: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns
Date/Time: Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM ET
Local Television: WJW – Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) & Daryl Johnston (analyst)
Local Radio: ESPN 850 WKNR, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 FM WNCX

Source: https://www.dawgsbynature.com/cleve...s-vs-cleveland-browns-3rd-quarter-game-thread
 
Browns, Bengals Winners, Losers: Cleveland beat themselves with missed kicks, turnovers

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The Cleveland Browns begin the 2025 season with high hopes that last year’s disaster will not repeat itself. There are quite a few new bodies on this year’s roster to help with this cause.

Playing a division opponent such as the Cincinnati Bengals right out of the gate is a challenge. The Bengals are expected to compete for the AFC North title this year, and should be a pretty good ballclub.

In the end, the Bengals won by a sliver as they defeated the Browns 17-16.

So who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?


BROWNIES


DE Myles Garrett – The Browns pay him a lot of money so that he can do what Myles Garrett does: Get to the quarterback. Had just five total tackles, but four of those were for losses. In the second quarter, he beat LT Orlando Brown with a dramatic lean on the offensive tackle and ended up on top of QB Joe Burrow for just a two-yard gain on a third-and-eight. Close to halftime, he beat Brown again and almost had a sack that forced a hurried throw. In the fourth quarter, Garrett was hit by Brown and then LG Dylan Fairchild and still was able to get to Burrow for his first sack. After a Cincy timeout, it was Garrett on back-to-back plays for yet another sack that forced a punt. Garrett also had three QB hits.

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QB Joe Flacco – Yes, there were two interceptions that destroyed drives in Cincinnati’s portion of the field. Yes, both were in the hands of the receiver who tipped the ball up for the pick. So, there’s that. At all times with Flacco under center, the Browns had a chance to drive the field. The Browns punted just twice all game. Some good plays include the third-and-eight conversion in Quarter 3 with 11:36 left as Flacco hit WR Ced Tillman for 13 yards after big gains by passes to TE David Njoku (11 yards) and TE Harold Fannin (18 yards). On the first and goal call, Flacco then hit Tillman in a crowded end zone, who had barely beaten CB Cam Taylor-Britt for the touchdown. The second-to-last drive of the game was all-Flacco, which began at the Bengals 42-yard line. First, a 13-yard zinger and a nine-yard strike to WR Jerry Jeudy on a third-and-six conversion for another first down that placed Cleveland in field goal range. All game, Flacco knew when to toss the ball out of bounds to live another play. Tossed 45 passes in this game, with 31 completions for 290 yards, one TD, two picks, with a 75.2 QB rating.

LB Carson Schwesinger – This dude was everywhere. One thing to notice is how he old-school tackles by hitting his man in the chest and drives through them. In the first quarter, on a short pass to RB Chase Brown in the flats, Schwesinger was on the other side of the field and caught Brown from behind as he attempted to cut. As the Bengals attempted to run out the clock on their final drive, Schwesinger caught Brown on a sweep for a five-yard loss on a second-and-seven that then became a punt instead of clock being eliminated. Led the Browns in tackles with eight with one tackle for loss and one QB hit. Very nice NFL debut.

Second half third down defensive stops – The Bengals had their way in the first half, going 5-6 on third down attempts, but that changed dramatically in the second half. Cincinnati could only manage two third-down conversions, including missing on a third-and-one and a third-and-three. Part of the reason was that Cincy had large numbers, including two nine-yard attempts and one for 22 yards.

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WR Cedric Tillman – Did not lead the Browns in receiving yards, but caught balls at the most opportune times with his large frame. In the third stanza, he snagged a pass over the middle from Flacco all the way down to the Bengals’ 30-yard line on third down. He converted a third-and-eight later in the same period and a third-and-nine in the third quarter, which gained 13 yards. Eight targets, five catches for 52 yards, one TD with a 10.4 yards per reception average.

Offense first downs – Holy cow! 22 first downs is a scene from the 1980s as Cleveland was able to move the ball down the field for most of the game. Flacco used his receivers and tight ends to his advantage to convert. Sad that the total first downs are greater than the total number of points scored.

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OT Cornelius Lucas – Hear Bengals DE Joseph Ossai’s name much during this game? The answer is no because Browns RT Jack Conklin was injured early and Lucas was inserted. Ossai was manhandled all game instead. One tackle, that was it. Zero sacks, zero QB hits, one pressure. Pretty good day for Lucas who was sitting on the bench sunning himself one minute, and the next entered the game. Nice work.


FROWNIES


K Andre Szmyt – Everything began just as planned. His first NFL points came with a PAT after a 16-play drive that ended with a Rocket Sanders touchdown. On the Browns’ third drive, this one 11 plays, Szmyt connected on a 45-yard field goal. But the wheels came off. Why? Who knows? The Browns scored another touchdown for their first lead of the game, only to have the young kicker miss the PAT wide right. Okay……

The Browns never had a real Plan B at kicker after last season and got left with this one. Let's see if they can get him one more shot at redemption.

— Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) September 7, 2025

Then, with 6:56 in the game, Cleveland began at Cincinnati’s 42-yard line. A lot of gutsy plays were handled by the offensive line and key receptions by receivers as Flacco’s game management was sterling. A sack ended the drive to set up Szymt’s 36-yard field goal attempt to put them in front with 2:25 remaining. Wide right? Again? Have heard this one before: “Andre, coach wants to see you. Bring your playbook.”

RB Jerome Ford – No part of today’s game saw Ford do anything. He did not run with authority and was caught for minimal to no gain too many times. He was stuffed on a key third-and-three by DT B.J. Hill in the first quarter for no gain. With 11:10 left in Quarter 3, he ran right into LB Barrett Carter. This is our bellcow back?

How about you draft top end receivers in next years draft. So sick and tired of losing games due to skill positions dropping catches. Insane we lost that game.

— lavagirlgang (@lavagirlgang) September 7, 2025

Key drops – Rookie TE Harold Fannin dropped a key third-and-five that would have been a first down in the fourth quarter, which ended a good drive. On the very next play, going for it on fourth down, WR Jerry Jeudy did exactly the same thing. Both passes by Flacco were right in the player’s hands. In the second quarter, with 8:42 left before the half, TE David Njoku dropped a sure first-down conversion.

Browns running game – Wasn’t this year’s team supposed to get back to its roots and run the hell out of the ball? What happened? 49 rushing yards by five runners. For the game. The entire game. Meanwhile, the offense chunked it 45 times in the air. If Cleveland is a passing team, then so be it. The leading rusher had 29 yards.

C Ethan Pocic – The experienced center had no answer for DT B.J. Hill all game, who had seven tackles and sacked Flacco and almost had two other sacks as he bullrushed Pocic.


Milk Bones – I finally found a machine at the gym that I like: The vending machine​


WR Jerry Jeudy – Had several key catches in the second half after being the invisible man in the first two quarters. The Bengals’ first interception was right in Jeudy’s hands, who then slapped it up in the air for a tip drill demonstration and a turnover. Jeudy also dropped that fourth-and-five early in the fourth quarter. Led the Browns in receiving yards with 66 yards on five receptions.

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RB Dylan Sampson – Had a tremendous game for his first NFL contest. Ran with power and grabbed some good passes as the safety valve option. With 10:04 left in the third quarter, he caught a nifty shoetop pass that was almost on the turf. 12 carries for 29 yards is nothing to write home about, but he ran with authority and showed his speed.

Fourth down attempts – The first two were converted. The third was a dropped pass by Jeudy. 2-3 is not a bad day if the Browns are going for it.

LB Devin Bush – Had a decent game with two very good stops. On the second play of the game, he stuffed Brown as he saw the running play evolve and shot the gap for a one-yard loss. In the second quarter, Burrow dumped off to RB Samaje Perine, but Bush sniffed it out for a one-yard gain before Perine could turn upfield. Seven total tackles with one batted pass and one QB hit.

TE Harold Fannin – Not a bad first game. Showed he can catch a lot of balls and had some decent yards after contact. His drop early in the fourth quarter was a third-and-five that would have kept the drive going. Nine targets, seven catches for 63 yards, a 9.0 yards per reception average.



Who do you have Brownies and Frownies for after the Browns loss to the Bengals?

Source: https://www.dawgsbynature.com/cleve...d-beat-themselves-with-missed-kicks-turnovers
 
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