Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 8/25: Can We Move On Now, Please? (2024)

THE DAILY BLOVIATION

Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 8/25: Can We Move On Now, Please? (1)

Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!

Thank goodness that's over.

I'm referring not just to the Seahawks pre-season game, which was ludicrously scheduled at 10PM EST and devoid of most starters Browns fans hoped to see. But all three pre-season games were essentially a waste of time, overseen by Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who clearly despises pre-season games, instead much preferring controlled practice environments.

Stefanski didn't trot many of his starters out throughout the entire three-week exercise, choosing instead to hope that two controlled practices against the Minnesota Vikings sufficed in providing the game-like experience teams supposedly need.

His theory that the controlled practices were enough will be tested on 9/8 against the Dallas Cowboys, and a mediocre showing will result in a tidal wave of criticism pointed at Stefanski.

Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 8/25: Can We Move On Now, Please? (2)

We saw the reasoning for Stefanski's caution early on against the Seahawks, as Jameis Winston was treated roughly behind a makeshift offensive line, and later when D'Onta Forman left with a rib injury, and special teamer Justin Hardee was checked for a concussion.

Regardless of Stefanski choosing to keep his most talented players away from the live bullets, leading to three meaningless losses, there were some things I did pull from impatiently watching these games while chatting with folks in Insider Central and elsewhere:

THE GOOD

Jamari Thrash looks like a solid draft pick. Sure, he dropped what appeared to be a sure-fire first down from Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the second quarter, but I've been impressed with the rookie so far. He should make the 53 without question. Tillman was impressive last night as well.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is looking better and better. His arm strength and accuracy were shown last night on a 46-yard bomb to Thrash and perhaps even more so on a missed TD catch by Jaelen Darden, which was brilliantly thrown just to bounce off the receiver's fingertips.
Michael Hall is the real deal. He was creating havoc last night when inserted in at defensive tackle, and will be bound to make even more noise when surrounded by disruptors like Myles Garrett and Dalvin Tomlinson.
Final roster cuts will be tough. Diabate and Haillassie, for example, have made decent cases that they should be included in the 53.

THE BAD

We are no further along in assessing whether Deshaun Watson will take a step up in 2024 than we were two months ago in my opinion. The reports out of camp are mixed to say the least, with excuses/reasons why Watson hasn't been brilliant bandied about. We're still in "show me" mode, year three.
I am very concerned about Browns running game heading into 2024. The starters did nothing last night, and the blocking hasn't been as impressive as in years past. Of course, we're expected to hope that bringing in back the team's tackles will create a significant difference, but I'm concerned nonetheless.
Elijah Moore remained a receiver looking for a purpose. I was hoping this could be a breakout year with defenses absorbed with guarding Cooper, Jeudy, and Njoku, but we have yet to see that configuration on the field, and the team's attempts to give Moore the ball in the backfield have failed to get traction throughout.
The Browns defense seems thinner than hoped. When Stefanski sat his first team, his second-string defense consistently got boat-raced. Yes, I know Justin Hardee on D.K. is not a match-up we see in the season, but it does cause me to question the team's defensive depth, which admittedly looks pretty good on paper. In practice during the pre-season, however, it wasn't there.

That's the best I can come up with on limited sleep, but I have to admit that an 0-3 pre-season did little to put rest my pre-existing and well-documented nervousness and paranoia when it comes to the Cleveland Browns.

We'll see two weeks from today whether Stefanski's philosophy about pre-season games pays off. I'm not sure I want to be in on the forum threads if the team stumbles out of the gate.

Have a good one! GO BROWNS!

5. BROWNS NET ANOTHER DRAFT PICK

Cleveland Browns Deal DT Chris Williams for Draft Pick - (OBR)

Cleveland Browns trade DT Chris Williams to Chicago Bears for 2025 6th-round draft pick - (beaconjournal.com)

Bears address DT depth, trade for Browns' Chris Williams - (espn.com)

Chris Williams had a very nice pre-season but still was unlikely to make the 53, so Andrew Barry netted a Day Three draft pick for him rather than get nothing on cutdown day. Now, to start bundling and swapping that motherlode of sixth-round picks to move up.

4. BROWNS RECEIVERS EXCEL AGAINST SEAHAWKS

By the Numbers: Browns quarterbacks excel in connecting with receivers in loss to Seahawks - (clevelandbrowns.com)

3. CONCUSSION WON'T STOP WARD

Report: Denzel Ward plans to continue playing despite fifth known concussion - NBC Sports - (nbcsports.com)

Report: Browns' Denzel Ward Plans to Continue NFL Career After 5th Concussion - (bleacherreport.com)

As we've stated here, the player does not believe that - based on what he's been told - that his concussion issue is career-threatening and he intends to continue to play.

2. "STARTERS SHOULD BE READY TO PLAY" LOL

Browns announce players not expected to play in preseason game against Seahawks - (clevelandbrowns.com)

Deshaun Watson to not play in final preseason game vs. Seahawks - (clevelandbrowns.com)

Deshaun Watson won’t play tonight in preseason finale - BrownsZone with Scott Petrak - (brownszone.com)

Deshaun Watson to sit out Browns' preseason finale vs. Seahawks - ESPN - (espn.com)

Jameis Winston, not Deshaun Watson, will start in Browns' preseason finale at Seahawks - (beaconjournal.com)

Kevin Stefanski doesn't think much of pre-season games, part 32.

1. BROWNS GO 0-3 IN PRE-SEASON

Cleveland Browns drop preseason finale 37-33 to Seattle Seahawks - (OBR)

Geno Smith dazzles in brief appearance in preseason finale, Seahawks beat Browns 37-33 - (cbssports.com)

Cleveland Browns' winless preseason comes to end in loss to Seattle Seahawks, 37-33 - (wkyc.com)

Does anyone care? I know there was some upset in the forums last night but, let's face it, Hue Jackson raised the bar of pre-season success impossibly high.

BEST OF THE REST

Germain Ifedi comfortable at left tackle after a 'good week of prep' before Seattle return - (beaconjournal.com)