Todd Monken has waited a very long time to become an NFL head coach. Now, taking over the Cleveland Browns, he likely isn’t thinking about what his team might look like further down the road. He wants to succeed right now.
Some fans and analysts are already dreaming about who might be available in the 2027 NFL Draft, as Cleveland’s search for a franchise QB will likely continue. However, that would require another losing season in order to earn a pick that could make that possible.
Analyst Lance Reisland wants no part of that strategy, and he said the Browns’ focus this offseason must be to build the most competitive team they can.
“The focus has to be, ‘We are going to win every game.’ That’s that culture thing that people talk about,” Reisland said.
If that means going out and getting another quarterback to compete with incumbents Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel, so be it. There is no sense waiting for the possibility of landing Arch Manning or Dante Moore in next year’s draft, which is far from a guarantee.
Instead, the Browns can build up the roster with quality players, so if a franchise quarterback happens to arrive somehow, the team will be ready for him. Holding two first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, Cleveland can build that foundation by selecting a top wide receiver or multiple offensive linemen.
Monken will already have his work cut out for him without strategizing about how to best manipulate the 2027 draft. At 60, he is one of the oldest first-time NFL head coaches in history, and at the top of his staff he will have two first-time coordinators at any level: Travis Switzer on offense and Mike Rutenberg on defense.
Rutenberg, in particular, will have a tough task trying to win over players who could have lingering hard feelings about the resignation of Jim Schwartz. Meanwhile, Switzer will have to run an offense led by Sanders, coming off an uninspiring rookie season, or Watson coming off back-to-back season-ending injuries.
So there would seem to be enough to deal with in 2026 without wondering what will happen in 2027.
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