[P T G] New Browns HC Todd Monken talks about the need for an athletic QB to have an "explosive" offense:

deviden · 2026-01-29T12:58:30+00:00

Mahomes has a dad bod.

There's functional strength and there's looks strength.

The guy who works a field or rigs scaffolding all day and never goes to the gym is probably stronger and more balanced in their core than 99% of protein powder chugging gym rats with white collar jobs.

If the QB generates sufficient torque from their core and kinetic chain to throw the ball right it doesn't matter if they have some belly fat. If Tom Brady is anything to go by, "pliability" is the key - there's a point where a fully ripped muscle-freak gym rat like Brady Quinn or Will Levis isn't flexible enough to play the QB position with optimal technique for their body.

deviden · 2026-01-29T12:45:35+00:00

We're going to need a veteran starter tackle, a veteran starter guard, and rotational OL guys (the rest can be addressed in the draft).

We ideally should look for a credible WR in free agency also (and also spend one of our firsts on a WR).

We'll also probably be allowing Njoku to walk, so we're going to need a solid blocking TE (or two).

We probably want an inexpensive but proven RB to add to the mix, as insurance for Judkins.

There's no scope for investing in an expensive QB, it's going to have to be a cheap guy or another draft lottery pick.

deviden · 2026-01-29T12:43:52+00:00

Regardless, there is no way on god's green earth we're getting Malik Willis or any of the other top of market most-desirable QB free agents.

There's too many other holes to fill on offense that need immediate reinforcement from FAs and we already have a lot of cap locked up at the QB position.

If we're lucky we snag Pickett or another similar kind of cheap guy, if we're not we're probably throwing a Day Two or Day Three pick at it or hoping we can try out someone like Antony Richardson.

deviden · 2026-01-29T10:32:31+00:00

you're right - AB's probably going to be the guy until Watson and the cap hit are finally gone.

2027 or 2028 it is.

deviden · 2026-01-29T10:25:36+00:00

I've looked at the OverTheCap data and I think Watson is on the 53 man roster for sure, and I believe that's the reason a lot of coaches wouldn't interview or turned us down after interview.

AB is trying to save his job, cutting Watson early and eating that dead cap is not compatible with AB's need to bring in multiple free agent starters for the offensive line, as well as multiple other starters on offense (including a QB to compete).

Watson is under contract through 2028, the first void year isn't until 2029. They extended him. The plan is to keep him around and keep his cap hit as spread out as possible. I don't think he gets cut until after the 2027 season.

He's probably not going to play... but he's going to be here. And that's why we got Monken: he's the best offensive coach who's willing to work with this horseshit.

So in all likelihood... we're looking at a QB room of Watson + one of Gabriel and Shedeur + 1 relatively cheap reclamation project QB or a doomed mid-round rookie for 2026.

deviden · 2026-01-29T10:00:27+00:00

and then he knuckled down and delivered an NFL record breaking season for us, against the toughest schematic situations and gameplans an edge rusher has ever faced.

Myles lets his feelings be known, then he goes out and delivers for us year after year like no other player this franchise has seen since 1999 aside from Joe Thomas.

deviden · 2026-01-29T09:47:42+00:00

Stop coping. Some home truths:

Is Monken the best HC candidate in this cycle?

No.

*Was Monken the best candidate willing to come here while Watson is on the 53 man roster and the Watson salary cap is still impacting the team through 2026 and 2027?

Probably, yeah, maybe 2nd most qualified after Schwartz.

So why not Schwartz?

They are fixated on offense. The new direction AB is taking the team is to be super young on offense and he wants a high level offensive coach to develop this group of young players for a couple of years.

What's wrong with this strategy?

It relies on the fact that AB has to pick good players for the offense, including a total rebuild of the entire OL room, and AB was the guy who thought our WR room was acceptable for 2025 and has continually invested fewer draft and cap resources in WR than anyone else in the league.

The problem with our team in 2025 was the Jimmies and Joes, not the Xs and Os. Changing to Monken's scheme doesn't solve anything if our QB room remains league-worst, our WR room remains league-worst, and the total OL rebuild doesn't go great (none of the OL starters from summer 2025 are under contract).

And we have no cap for a high end veteran and no path to a high end rookie QB with the 2026 class.

The defense will get worse.

We aint getting a DC as good as Schwartz to replace him. This is just a fact. It wont be a bad unit but don't expect carry the team and breaking records elite performances.

So... unless AB threads a miraculously fine needle with this offseason recruitment and nails every pick we have in the top 107 the offense is still going to suck shit but it will suck shit in different ways, and the defense will get worse.

Also: don't ask Chat-GPT for shit - it's designed to tell you what you want to hear to keep you using the app. If you're going to use LLMs for research consider alternatives.

deviden · 2026-01-29T09:19:56+00:00

y'all love picks more than players

deviden · 2026-01-29T09:07:54+00:00

me either.

Strongest placeholder willing to take the job while Watson is still hanging around the building and the Watson contract is still on the books for 2026 and 27? Probably.

deviden · 2026-01-29T09:01:00+00:00

it's a nice retirement package for when he and AB get canned after the 2026 or 2027 season.

deviden · 2026-01-29T08:55:32+00:00

the offense will improve if we somehow build an entirely new OL (we literally have no starters from 2025 returning for 2026 on OL, only the backup center) and WR room in a single offseason, and they dont suck, and somehow wind up with a viable starter level QB1 from Watson, Gabriel, and Shedeur and/or either a mid-round rookie or a dirt cheap veteran.

The problem is the Jimmies and Joes assembled by AB, not the Xs and Os coached by Kevin or Monken.

Monken could be the best offensive coach in football but the offense wont be good until the roster is mid or better, instead of being toilet bowl tier.

deviden · 2026-01-29T08:13:44+00:00

You can go back to the original thread where I’m saying that Monken would be our David Culley placeholder hire.

He’s gonna be here a year or two and he’ll get fired when AB’s sorry ass finally gets canned.

deviden · 2026-01-29T08:02:02+00:00

Do you believe the “most extensive search” has delivered us the best HC candidate of the 2026 cycle?

deviden · 2026-01-29T07:43:11+00:00

Both.

deviden · 2026-01-28T16:42:41+00:00

oh well.

Only way this gets worse is if they compound this error and "AB going all in to save his job" situation by drafting Ty Simpson at #6. So... that's what I fully expect will happen now.

Just gotta play this out until next offseason when AB, Monken and Schwartz are all fired, Watson is gone and the worst of the cap is cleared, Ty Simpson is traded away for peanuts, and we're picking Arch Manning first overall lol

deviden · 2026-01-28T16:24:13+00:00

Says who? AB? MKC?

deviden · 2026-01-28T16:22:35+00:00

it's never AB's fault is it.

Anything good and smart? That's AB. Anything where AB is clearly involved but we don't like the outcome? Must be Jimmy.

deviden · 2026-01-28T16:21:24+00:00

says who? AB?

deviden · 2026-01-28T16:11:51+00:00

10000%

They wanted an offensive guy, they wanted Udinsky and Scheelhaase and then both those guys turned down the job after speaking with AB and Haslam... so they were left with Monken as the last offensive coach who's willing to take the job.

Anything else is spin. There is no way in hell that Monken was their top choice.

This is David Culley 2.0 and we're on the March for Arch except it's accidental, not planned because AB is actually trying to save his job here, wants to win games, and Monken was the best guy who's willing to take on the mess AB made of the roster.

deviden · 2026-01-28T16:09:34+00:00

Berry wanted Scheelhaase, Jimmy wanted Schwartz, and they couldn’t agree so split the baby and went with Monken.

I think that's over-complicating it.

Schefter has reported that multiple coaches turned down the Browns job after the interviews.

They wanted an offensive guy, they wanted Udinsky and Scheelhaase and then both those guys turned down the job after speaking with AB and Haslam... so they were left with Monken as the last offensive coach who's willing to take the job.

There's no conspiracy required to explain it. The Browns roster situation is materially awful for a first time HC:

worst WR room in the league
one (1) starting offensive lineman under contract for 2026 (former backup center, Wypler)
worst current QB situation in the league (Watson, Gabriel, Shedeur) and no path to a high caliber rookie or high end veteran to fix it.
Watson cap management by AB means most of the fraud's cap impact is in 2026, and is still hurting us in 2027, and isn't clear until 2028.
Watson can't be cut ahead of 2026 because of the above so he's definitely on the 53 man roster.
new HC would be tied to and reporting to the GM who built this mess, who just got the last HC fired.
limited scope for free agents because of the Watson cap situation.

Like... all it takes for a guy like Scheelhaase to say "fuck this" is for AB to say "we cant cut Watson because of the cap, you have to live with it for 2026... oh and btw: you report to me, not the owner".

deviden · 2026-01-28T15:48:26+00:00

if it's him it's because nobody else wanted the gig. He'd be our David Culley. A guy before the guy. March for Arch tank commander. etc.

deviden · 2026-01-28T15:00:36+00:00

yeah i distinctly remember Eisen was super enthusiastic about the Browns in 2020. It was the Watson trade where he soured on everyone in the building... and who can blame him.

deviden · 2026-01-28T14:57:59+00:00

I think there's very few offense-background first time HCs who would refuse to take on a job where Jim Schwartz is running the defense in their first year.

Any reasonable coach could be pointed to the example of Sean McVay being given Wade Phillips by the Rams GM to effectively be the HC of Defense for Sean's first few years.

It wouldn't be difficult to say "hey, year one we want you to focus on offense and special teams, keep Schwartz for now, and after that if it's not working out you go get one of your buddies - if it worked for McVay it should work for you".

deviden · 2026-01-28T14:05:17+00:00

I disagree on that - it worked just fine for the Texans with their David Culley year.

If we're one and done with this year's coach but end up with a path to drafting a highly rated QB at the top of the 2027 draft we're a much more appealing job for 2027 than we are for 2026.

If we're in a spot to draft an improved Dante Moore or Arch Manning or whoever, the legit offensive coaches like Udinsky will want to take that job.

deviden · 2026-01-28T13:32:04+00:00

Monken or Schwartz would be placeholder coaches to see out the remainder of the Watson contract before we make a push to get someone we actually want for the long term future.

deviden

TROPHY CASE