The Cleveland Browns have done just about everything they reasonably could to try to improve their offense this season. With as many as nine new starters, combined with new head coach Todd Monken and first-time coordinator Travis Switzer, it could be difficult for the unit to succeed right away.
That could be why Monken has been so forceful in getting his message across during early preseason practices. He knows there will be a steep learning curve for these new players, and he’s doing everything he can to get them up to speed as quickly as possible.
The results won’t be truly known until Cleveland takes the field against another team, and insider Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com has named the development of the revamped offense as the biggest concern for the Browns heading into the season.
“The biggest thing in my mind is just the overhauled offense coming together quickly enough to be able to score the 22 or 23 points a game the Browns will probably need this season to win games. It will likely be the youngest offense in the NFL, and it’s learning a whole new scheme and terminology. It will have five new starters on the offensive line, including a rookie left tackle and probably a rookie center,” Cabot wrote.
With at least three rookies – wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and left tackle Spencer Fano – almost certain to be starters, and potentially a few more, veteran Deshaun Watson could be the better choice as the Browns’ starting quarterback, over incumbent Shedeur Sanders. Despite not playing in a game since October 2024, Watson is a 30-year-old veteran who could provide some stability and poise that Sanders cannot in just his second season.
Watson also seems to better fit Monken’s style of offense, based on his past success with the Houston Texans and his renewed confidence in his formerly injured throwing shoulder. He has also been building chemistry with his teammates through workouts he has organized in Florida.
With running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. expected to remain focal points of the offense in their second season, the Browns have a good starting point for success. But if rookie center Parker Brailsford and tight end Joe Royer also work their way into the starting lineup, it could take even a bit longer for the unit to completely jell.
That could also be made more difficult with six of the first nine games on the road, but all of the pieces seem to be in place for the offense to improve significantly as the season moves along.
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