Browns Team Notes

[Cleveland Browns]

NFL draft analyst reveals his top-10 RBs for the Browns to target

As the Cleveland Browns may have to figure out life without Nick Chubb, running back Ashton Jeanty headlines a talented class of running backs in the 2025 NFL draft.

Will the Browns use the second overall pick on Jeanty? No. But he is just the headliner. So who else in the class could be enticing for the Browns to target later in the draft as the end looks near for Chubb (even if he does re-sign in Cleveland on a short-term deal)? One NFL draft analyst at Daft on Draft has some answers.

They dropped their top-10 running backs in the class with the draft just over two months away. From Jeanty to Quinshon Judkins from Ohio State, Daft on Draft has you covered.

Here is Daft on Draft’s top-10 running backs and what they had to say about each:

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lists/browns-2025-nfl-draft-ashton-jeanty-top-10-rb/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Jameis Winston speaks about Myles Garrett's trade request

Quarterback Jameis Winston is the latest member of the Cleveland Browns (or former member) to speak out about the recent trade request made by defensive end Myles Garrett.

In a recent episode of “Off the Edge with Cam Jordan,” the pending free agent quarterback shared his perspective on the Browns’ internal dynamics during the 2024 NFL season:

“What I saw from the [Browns] didn’t seem like an organization that was deteriorating.”

This sentiment was conveyed during an off-camera conversation with Myles Garrett, who seemingly has been contemplating a trade request throughout the season. Jameis stated that Garrett’s response to his observation was simple:

“Jameis, you’ve never been 0-16.”

But while Garrett’s comment points to the scars of the past, the reality is that the Browns of 2024 were not the Browns of 2017. This is a franchise that just two years ago went 11-6, overcoming a seemingly endless wave of injuries, including to quarterback Deshaun Watson. They still found a way to reach the playoffs under head coach Kevin Stefanski.

However, in 2024, that same organization stumbled to a 3-14 record, and the reasons weren’t as simple as just bad luck. It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Browns’ commitment to tailoring their entire offensive system around Watson at the expense of the greater team dynamic was the fatal flaw.

Winston alluded to this in his comments, implying that the Browns still have the talent and structure to be a winning organization.

As the Browns move forward in the 2025 offseason, the biggest question isn’t whether they can return to their winning ways—it’s whether they can keep their stars like Garrett invested in the process. If the face of the franchise is openly pondering his future, it signals a much bigger problem than just one bad season.

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Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/12/jameis-winston-speaks-about-myles-garretts-trade-request/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Browns land a new face of the franchise in new mock draft

The Cleveland Browns enter the 2025 NFL draft cycle in need of a quarterback once again, and a new mock draft has them making a frequent selection: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders, who the Browns already have a visit scheduled with, is seen as one of the top two quarterbacks in a class that otherwise lacks depth. The other quarterback to consider at the top of the draft in this class is Miami’s Cam Ward. In Daft on Draft’s new podcast, however, they leaned with the Colorado quarterback.

The reasoning for drafting Sanders over Ward?:

“I’ve been pretty vocal that playing within structure is a non-negotiable and throwing the football accurately is a non-negotiable for me. I will take A intangibles and A+ accuracy and B tools over the opposite any day. So Shedeur Sanders to the Browns with the second overall pick in this mock draft here.”

You can listen to the first 16 picks of this mock draft on Apple, Spotify, or watch the podcast on YouTube.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/13/nfl-draft-browns-shedeur-sanders-mock-draft/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Browns make gobs of coaching staff changes official

For the second straight season, the offensive coaching staff for the Cleveland Browns will look extraordinarily different.

After overhauling the staff in 2024, head coach Kevin Stefanski made the move to fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson. Both coaches have landed new gigs elsewhere in the league, but the Browns have had roles to fill on the offensive side of the ball.

The Browns replaced Dickerson with former Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren, a Bill Callahan disciple and the individual that Callahan himself recommended to the team last year when he departed to coach with his son in Tennessee (Bloomgren reportedly did not want to leave his post at Rice at the time).

They filled the offensive coordinator role by promoting Tommy Rees from tight ends coach. This then opened up a passing game coordinator and tight ends coach gig. The Browns have now filled out their staff.

Here is every coaching staff move officially announced by the team today:

• Christian Jones as TE coach
• Sanders Davis as assistant OL coach
• Kyle Hoke as assistant special teams coach
• Adam Morris as assistant DL coach
• Ben Wilkerson as assistant offensive line coach
• Bill Musgrave promoted to QB coach
• Stephen Bravo-Brown promoted to assistant WR coach
• Nick Charlton promoted to pass game specialist

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/14/browns-coaching-hires-announced-2025/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Accounting for the $39.7m in dead cap the Browns have on the books in 2025

The Cleveland Browns are set to take a hit of over $39 million in dead money on their 2025 salary cap this season thanks to the trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper and more.

Nobody will argue the return of Cooper is potentially worth the price they paid in dead cap for the third round pick, especially considering the lack of production the Buffalo Bills were able to squeeze out of him as he now heads for NFL free agency. Dead cap is not always a negative either as teams can push money into the future by paying out in void years after contracts are up, but there is no doubt the number attached to Cooper is still a large one.

If the Browns trade Myles Garrett, the amount of dead cap will only go up as well and the team will take on a significant penalty to move on from their perennial All-Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year award winner. This is among the reasons why there is optimism that the Browns will not trade Garrett despite his recent plea to be moved.

So who all is still on the books that the Browns have to account for in dead money in 2025? There are a total of six players (even two on the team who were cut and re-signed to smaller deals) that are on their books with dead money. Here they are, according to Over the Cap, and how much they account for in dead money in 2025:

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lists/browns-amari-cooper-dead-cap-accounting-2025/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Ohio Governor releases plan to fund Brook Park dome

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced his plan to fund Ohio sports stadiums ahead of his budget bill. It could promise the funding Cleveland Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam has desperately searched for.

Governor DeWine proposed House Bill 96, an executive budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal years. The legislation plans to create a Sports Facilities Construction and Sports Education Fund. The funds would be generated by doubling the state’s tax on sports gambling. The proposal estimates the fund will grow by $130-$180 million annually.

The fund would help finance “major sports facilities,” professional sports facilities that would need at least $100 million in renovations or $1 billion for new construction. It also allows for additional mixed-use development projects. Teams must commit to playing most of their home games at the location for at least 30 years.

The Haslam Sports Group seeks up to 60% public funding for the Brook Park stadium project. The mixed-use development project would feature hotels, stores, restaurants, and a domed stadium. The Baudrillardian hyperreality park is expected to cost $2.4 billion.

The organization has been in the early stages of a legal fight as the team announced it was moving away from the lakefront. Cleveland is using all of its legal power to keep the team playing inside the city limits. The team is determined to play in Brook Park. Governor DeWine’s budget could help smooth things over the Haslam family and keep the Browns in Ohio. The legislation could help a lot of sports franchises stay in Ohio. The bill will need to be passed by the Ohio House and Senate for it to take effect.

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Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/14/browns-mike-dewine-ohio-funds-dome/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Haslam Sports Group seeking significant public funding for Brook Park move

The Haslam Sports Group released their latest financial plan to build their Brook Park development to move the Cleveland Browns into a dome.

The Cleveland Browns are seeking a 50/50 public and private partnership to bring Brook Park to fruition. The total cost of the project will be around $2.4 billion. The Haslams have committed $1.2 billion in private funding.

They hope the public’s funding will come from bond-financed contributions from Brook Park, Cuyahoga County, and the state of Ohio. The $1.2 billion in proposed bonds would be split with the State issuing $600 million, Brook Park issuing $422 million, and Cuyahoga County issuing $178 million.

The organization believes the funding model leverages new tax revenues from the project to pay for it. The model will not use any existing tax revenue sources.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine dismissed the idea of using bonds to fund future stadiums or renovations earlier in the week. DeWine has proposed a new budget that would double the tax on sports gambling to help pay for future professional sports stadiums or renovations.

The Browns are deep in negotiations for their new stadium. The city of Cleveland is fighting to keep them within the city limits. However, the Haslam family wants to build their stadium and the accompanying economic zone which includes hotels, restaurants, and flagship stores, as soon as possible. The Browns lease at their current stadium ends in 2028. The Browns will likely decide on their next stadium sometime this year.

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Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/14/browns-haslam-sports-group-funding-half/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Former Browns WR in hot water after latest arrest

Life has not improved for former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Kadarius Toney since the team cut him in 2024.

The former first round pick who has had issues in every locker room he has been in is back in the news. Toney was arrested in Georgia after strangling a woman.

According to TMZ, the woman he is accused of strangling (with evidence) is his pregnant girlfriend:

“The woman Kadarius Toney allegedly strangled told cops she was seven months pregnant and holding her daughter at the time of the attack, new 911 audio, obtained by TMZ Sports, reveals.”

The Browns released Toney after he muffed a costly punt in early December. Another team did not sign him after that brutal mistake, but it was just another addition to his long resume.

After this, do not expect Toney’s phone to be ringing with NFL teams on the other end of it perhaps ever again.

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Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/13/browns-kadarius-toney-arrested-strangling-woman/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Myles Garrett trade destination tabbed as ground-shaking

The Cleveland Browns are navigating murky waters as they have to deal with a Myles Garrett trade request.

Will the Browns trade the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year? They have stated they will not deal him at any cost, but there are ways he could force his hand a bit firmer. Garrett has stated that he wants to go to a contender, and one analyst has pegged the Detroit Lions as a landing spot.

PFF’s Mason Cameron had this to say about how Garrett to the Lions would shake up the rest of the league in a seismic way:

“The Lions would likely jump at the chance to add Garrett to bolster their pass rush and create the most lethal pairing in the NFL with Aidan Hutchinson. After Hutchinson’s injury early in the year, Detroit’s pass rush struggled to generate pressure – ranking 23rd in team pass-rush grade (64.0) from Week 6 onward. Adding Garrett to the mix would be a nightmare for offenses, as well as provide Garrett with the chance to compete for a title.”

Garrett isn’t bluffing about a trade, but the Browns aren’t going to sell him for a pack of peanuts either. If the Browns do decide to move him (or if Garrett forces his hand with a threatened holdout), then they have every right to take the best offer and not meet the perennial All-Pro halfway.

The Lions would certainly come calling, but with what would likely be two end-of-round-one first rounders, would that be enough to move the needle for the Browns?

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/17/browns-myles-garrett-lions-pff-shake-up/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Where the Browns rank in 2025 NFL draft capital ahead of the NFL combine

The Cleveland Browns enter the 2025 NFL draft needing to re-tool their roster in a big way to add a great deal of contributors on rookie contracts.

This could mean targeting a quarterback like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward early in the draft, or it could mean taking the best player available like Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter or the Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter with the No. 2 overall pick.

Make no mistake: the Browns have the most valuable amount of draft capital of any NFL team entering the draft this year to make a significant dent into their team needs.

According to PFF, no team is more loaded with NFL draft capital in this year’s draft than the Browns. With 12 total picks, the Browns hold four in the top 100 (and a fifth at pick No. 103).

Browns NFL draft capital (via PFF)

From the playoffs in 2023 to bottoming all of the way out in 2024, can the Cleveland Browns get back to prominence in 2025 with a strong rookie class and free agency crop?

They certainly have the assets to do so.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/17/browns-nfl-draft-capital-nfl-combine-next/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Guess what team Shedeur Sanders exclusively plays with in Madden

The Cleveland Browns need a quarterback, and 2025 NFL draft target and Colorado Football’s Shedeur Sanders may just be toying with their hearts.

In a video filmed by his brother’s production company, Sanders is sitting on the couch discussing the video game series Madden. In the video, the two are discussing what teams they like to use in the video game. They make a point to make it known that Sanders only uses the team that could select him with the No. 2 overall pick:

The Browns.

Sounds like the only team Shedeur Sanders plays Madden with is the #Browns

via @WellOffMedia1 pic.twitter.com/5d6S0iIk10

— Grant Puskar (@grant_puskar_) February 18, 2025

This is likely a marketing trick by the Sanders family to make it appear that the Colorado quarterback is trying to pull at the heartstrings of the Browns. It could also be reality.

Regardless, the Browns could be genuinely interested in Sanders as the next face of their franchise. And if they are, they will take him with the No. 2 overall pick whether or not he plays with them in a video game or not.

Sanders is the most accurate quarterback in the class with a good head on his shoulders in terms of processing and delivering the ball from within structure. On paper, he is the best quarterback in this class for the Browns to fit into their system.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/browns-shedeur-sanders-nfl-draft-cleveland-madden/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Former Ohio State running back tabbed as ideal fit for Browns in free agency

The Cleveland Browns enter NFL free agency in need of some running back upgrades, and one analyst thinks that former Ohio State running back JK Dobbins may be a part of the solution.

Dobbins is coming off a career year with the Los Angeles Chargers where he rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. After signing just a one-year deal with the Chargers after four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Dobbins is now back on the open market.

ESPN’s Matt Bowen thinks that he and the Browns may just be the fit for the former second rounder:

“How about Dobbins signing with the Browns to replace Nick Chubb as Cleveland’s new lead runner? The offense fits his traits well with both gap and zone schemes. And Dobbins looked explosive on the tape throughout last season, though he missed four games because of a knee sprain. He finished 2024 with 907 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.”

Health has been the main issue with Dobbins, however. He has never played a full season in the NFL and played just eight games over his last three years before signing with the Chargers this offseason. He missed four games this season in Los Angeles with an injury.

There is no doubting the talent of Dobbins, but if the Browns were to sign Dobbins in free agency, then they would need to add some other assurances to the running back room as they look to give that unit a facelift.

They could, of course, sign both Dobbins and Nick Chubb while drafting a youngster in the 2025 NFL draft as well.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/18/browns-nfl-free-agency-jk-dobbins-ideal-fit/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Where the Browns sit in salary cap space after the $24m boost in 2025

The Cleveland Browns saw themselves sitting at an estimated $30 million in the red in salary cap space entering the offseason.

This figure, however, was an estimate made by Over The Cap based on how much they thought the salary cap would increase in 2025. The NFL announced a new salary cap number that even surpassed their estimate by $6 million. With the salary cap set at around $279 million, a $24 million increase from a year ago, where do the Browns now sit in cap space?

Earlier projected at $30 million in the red, the Browns now sit at $24 million in the red instead. While the Browns still have some work to do to clear that number and become cap-compliant, it will only take two or three moves to make happen.

Some moves we could see include a trade or restructure of cornerback Greg Newsome II, a contract revision done with offensive tackle Jack Conklin to give him more guaranteed money in an agreement to lower his base cap hit, or even the daunted restructure of Deshaun Watson’s contract (it’s all guaranteed anyway).

A trade of Myles Garrett before June 1, however, would prove to throw a significant wrench into the Browns’ plans though as his cap hit would spike to $36 million in 2025.

The rumor has been that the Browns have planned on being aggressive this offseason, and now they have an extra $6 million they did not anticipate to do so.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/19/browns-salary-cap-2025-after-rise/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Browns get bout of good news amidst messy salary cap situation

The Cleveland Browns needed some good news amongst an otherwise messy start to their offseason.

Despite the forward pursuit of a divorce with quarterback Deshaun Watson and the trade request of their best player in defensive end Myles Garrett, the Browns got some great news that will help with their murky salary cap outlook.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano has reported that NFL teams have been notified that the salary cap is expected to jump anywhere from $22-26 million in 2025.

This is a massive increase from the $255 million salary cap that teams worked under in 2024.

This is $6 million over what even Over the Cap, the best salary cap experts in the industry, have projected. So yes, the Browns still sit $24 million in the red, but that number will be quite easy for them to manage as they look to retool and add more talent to their roster this offseason.

The bigger issue is getting free agents to buy into a building that one of the very best players in the NFL wants out of.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/19/browns-salary-cap-increase-2025-good-news/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Browns mock draft: 7-round projection ahead of NFL combine

As the Cleveland Browns head into another pivotal offseason, there is no better time for a new seven-round mock draft.

The NFL Combine offers a critical opportunity to assess and refine their strategy for the upcoming draft, and that is just around the corner. With the team looking to bolster key positions and maximize their chances of success in the 2025 season, this mock draft aims to offer a snapshot of what the Browns could target based on current roster needs and potential player fits within head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system.

It’s important to note that this mock draft does not account for any specific free-agent acquisitions, nor does it factor in the potential trades of Myles Garrett or high-profile weapons like Deebo Samuel, which could alter the Browns’ draft strategy entirely. Instead, we focus on what the team’s roster could look like in the absence of these moves and how the front office might approach selecting the best available talent to build a more dynamic and well-rounded squad. With the combine right around the corner, the possibilities are endless, and Cleveland is looking to make a splash.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/lists/browns-mock-draft-abdul-carter-pre-nfl-combine/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Browns land new flashy face of the franchise in new mock draft

Could the Cleveland Browns turn to Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft? They do in a new mock draft.

Written over at Daft on Draft, they had the Browns using the No. 2 overall pick on a new quarterback as they navigate the mess left behind by the Deshaun Watson trade. Here is what Daft on Draft had to say about the selection of Sanders in their latest mock draft:

“Going back to a wide zone offense, what better quarterback to turn to than one who was coached by the offensive coordinator in Minnesota when Kevin Stefanski was the quarterbacks coach of the Vikings? Shedeur Sanders in the most accurate quarterback in the class and shows the wits to find backside progressions from within structure. Oh yeah, and Deion Sanders raves about Browns quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave.”

Of course, the Browns have to be sold on one of these quarterbacks at the top of the draft to take them. They should not force a quarterback just to fit a need if there is not one in this class they do not believe in. The Ringer’s Todd McShay (formerly of ESPN) has even stated he has heard the Browns won’t take a quarterback this year.

However, if the Browns love the swagger of Sanders and his fit within their offense as they return to a wide zone scheme, then they could very easily pull the trigger on the most accurate quarterback in the class.

With the NFL combine next week, we are inching closer to the real deal at the end of April.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/21/browns-shedeur-sanders-mock-draft-pick-daft-on-draft/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Todd McShay reveals bold new information about Browns' plan at QB

The Cleveland Browns need a new quarterback with the divorce from Deshaun Watson well underway, but will they take one in the 2025 NFL draft?

Holding the No. 2 overall pick, the Browns will be in position to land one of the two quarterbacks at the top, but one draft expert has heard that is not in their plans.

Former ESPN draft expert, now with The Ringer, Todd McShay has reported that the intel he has received has told him that the Browns are not open to the idea of taking a quarterback they do not believe is a franchise guy with the No. 2 overall pick. Here is what McShay had to say:

“I’ve heard from multiple sources: Cleveland… they’re not pulling the trigger on a quarterback. They don’t believe that this is the year to do that. That they are not a quarterback in this class away. If it had been last year’s class, they feel really good that they can take off and run.”

This seems to be the consensus. There is no Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye in this year’s draft class. If the Browns do not believe in either Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, there is no need to rush the pick to try and fill the position.

McShay goes on to say that he has also heard from sources that Kirk Cousins is the preferred target at quarterback to come in on the cheap and bridge the gap in Cleveland.

With the NFL combine next week, more information will spill out. But it’s smokescreen season so what to trust is limited.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/21/browns-2025-nfl-draft-todd-mcshay-not/

 

[Cleveland Browns]

Super Bowl championship QB could kill two birds with one stone

Would a Cleveland Browns trade to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Los Angeles Rams be enough to appease All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett?

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Rams have given starting quarterback Stafford the ability to seek a trade. While the cap space issue for the Browns is not great on paper, they could easily create the necessary amount of money to make the trade work through minimal cuts and restructures.

Given his substantial cap hit if traded before June 1 the Rams would have to eat to move Stafford, the receiving team may have to pitch in some extra money to make the deal work. If Stafford is traded after June 1, then the money is extremely easy to work around.

Stafford is coming off an impressive season with 3,762 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, and only eight interceptions. Despite a positive season, the Rams appear ready to move on from the aging quarterback. The question is, would Stafford be interested in joining the Cleveland Browns?

It’s no secret that the Browns are desperate for a starting quarterback for the 2025 season. Cleveland remains locked into the regrettable contract of Deshaun Watson, who is expected to be out for most of 2025 with a torn Achilles. This means that all possibilities, like Stafford, must be considered before the start of training camp.

With star defender Garrett requesting a trade from the team, it would be interesting to see if the Browns or Stafford would consider this to be a possible scenario next season. There’s a chance that Cleveland also addresses their future quarterback situation with the second overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

We’ll see what type of interest the Super Bowl champion quarterback receives from around the NFL and if the Browns will be one of the teams to call.

Source: https://brownswire.usatoday.com/2025/02/22/browns-matthew-stafford-myles-garrett-solution/