When the Cleveland Browns capped their 10-week offseason workout program and players left Berea, Ohio, for their summer respite, they did so with a solid foundation laid under first-year coach Todd Monken.
The installation of Monken’s scheme became clearer, and so did his expectations as a hands-on, vocal coach. OTAs and minicamp gave a better idea of how rookies and veteran additions fit, and the returning players showed their growth during the spring practices.
There are still plenty of unknowns, though, for a young team that’s looking to improve from a five-win finish in 2025. Some of the lingering questions won’t be answered until well into training camp, and there might not be clarity on others until the regular season kicks off Sept. 13 at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Nonetheless, these three questions will be at the forefront of discussion when the Browns open training camp in late July. (July 23 for rookies reporting and July 28 for veterans).
How will the quarterbacks room shake out?
The No. 1 question facing the Browns will be whether Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders starts at quarterback.
Both passers split first-team reps throughout the spring, and Monken was pleased with their progress. However, he wants to extend the QB competition into the summer to evaluate the quarterbacks in padded practices and preseason games.
Monken hasn’t laid out a timeline for making a decision, only saying that the team will have a starter by Week 1.
Watson is healthy after a pair of Achilles procedures kept him out of the 2025 season, but he’ll have to show he can stay that way and perform better than he has during his injury-riddled stint in Cleveland.
Coaches lauded Sanders’ growth during offseason workouts, but he’ll have to carry that into training camp and not revert to some of his bad habits, namely holding on to the ball too long.
Even after a decision on QB1 is made, the Browns will have to determine how to move forward with a crowded four-man quarterbacks room. Last year, general manager Andrew Berry said he would be comfortable keeping four QBs on the 53-man roster but ultimately traded Kenny Pickett, who practiced in camp sparingly because of a hamstring injury, to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dillon Gabriel, a 2025 third-round pick, is firmly behind Watson and Sanders on the depth chart. Rookie Taylen Green was a spectator throughout the spring, as Cleveland views him as a developmental prospect. The Browns will face a similar conundrum about their crowded QB room this summer.
Does Cleveland’s pass rush have enough juice after trading Myles Garrett?
The complexion of the Browns’ defense will change after trading Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Cleveland, though, believes it is still well-equipped to field an elite defense after getting two-time Pro Bowler Jared Verse in return. Verse isn’t in Garrett’s caliber as a pass rusher, but he has still been one of the more disruptive edge defenders in his first two seasons.
Other defensive ends, including Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire, will have to step up in Garrett’s departure. The Browns also need veteran defensive tackle Maliek Collins to return to the form he showcased (career-high 6.5 sacks) before a late-season quad injury sidelined him. It’s unclear if Collins, who did not participate in OTAs and minicamp, will be healthy for the start of training camp.
Maybe the biggest X factor in replacing Garrett’s production could be a Year 2 leap from defensive tackle Mason Graham. As a rookie, he showed his chops as a pass rusher, ranking 20th in pass rush win rate as a defensive tackle (8.3%). Graham registered only a half-sack, in part because Garrett got to quarterbacks so quickly. Graham’s impact, though, was felt, and the next step for him will be turning his pressures into game-changing plays.
Will cornerback Denzel Ward and safety Grant Delpit receive extensions?
The Browns might have some off-field business to tend to before the season starts. In recent years, Cleveland has ironed out extensions or reworked deals for kicker Dustin Hopkins, wide receiver Amari Cooper and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah during the summer.
Two of the team’s most tenured players, Ward and Delpit, could be next; league sources have indicated the Browns are open to striking new deals with both defensive standouts.
Ward’s future in Cleveland was questioned after the team traded Garrett, but Berry said Ward remains a “big part of the team.” Ward, who is now the team’s most tenured player, also affirmed his commitment to the organization. The five-time Pro Bowler has two years remaining on the five-year extension he signed in 2022, but no more guaranteed salary.
Meanwhile, Delpit is entering the final year of his three-year extension.
Neither player participated in the Browns’ mandatory minicamp. While Monken wouldn’t specify the nature of their absences, saying that he generally does not comment on injuries, their lack of participation was notable given their contract situations.
