Bruce Drennan Sees A Path For Browns Nobody Is Talking About

By trading superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the week, the Cleveland Browns sent the world a signal that they are focused a bit more on the future than the present. It’s impossible to spin the deal with a different narrative, but at the same time, few can fault the Browns for taking that approach given the current state of the organization.

This is still a young team with a lot of moving parts and major questions at quarterback. The Browns likely aren’t winning a Super Bowl in 2026 or 2027, but they are certainly positioned to continue trending upward, and local media legend Bruce Drennan agrees.

During a recent episode of Bonus Time, Drennan spoke about the likelihood of the Browns still finding a way to compete even after the Garrett trade. He thinks if either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders can emerge as a viable starting quarterback that this team can compete for a playoff berth and win as many as ten games.

“If they get any kind of quarterbacking, I can feasibly see 7-10 wins. I really can. Nobody is giving them that benefit of the doubt. We’re up against the NFC South. That’s the weakest division in all of the NFL. Let’s assume they split in the divisional games. Those teams in our division have gone through drastic changes,” said Drennan.

Can the Browns compete after the Myles Garrett trade? #DawgPound

"If they get any quarterbacking, I can feasibly see 7-10 wins."

Never miss Bruce at https://t.co/dEpyh3RfR8! pic.twitter.com/zzopH85z8G

— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) June 4, 2026

Drennan is a big fan of the Garrett trade and pointed out that the trade gives the Browns further ammunition to go get the right quarterback in the 2027 draft if both Watson and Sanders prove they aren’t the answers. It’s becoming clear that this may have been the plan the whole time, but that doesn’t mean the Browns can’t still be pretty good in 2026.

The quarterback part of Drennan’s statement is a huge if. Watson will likely get the first crack at the starting job, and so far through OTAs he has looked more like the guy the Browns traded for years ago.

Of course, OTAs only mean so much, but there is no reason why the Browns can’t be at least decent in 2026 if he plays average football. There is a lot of talent around him and he should be motivated given the fact that this could be his last chance to prove himself as a starter if things don’t go well.