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00:00As we go round and round the AFC North, there are high expectations for the Baltimore Ravens,
00:25the Cincinnati Bengals, even, maybe not for me, but a lot of people out there, the Pittsburgh Steelers,
00:31the only team that is, you know, not being celebrated quite the same way.
00:36We're not really talking about this one to contend for the division or even really a playoff spot,
00:41but still there are aspects to talk about that as the Cleveland Browns.
00:44And here to help us break it down, Andy Baskin, co-host of Baskin and Phelps on 92.3, the fan out in Cleveland.
00:51Good to see you, Andy. How are you?
00:52Good to see you. Hope you're doing well. Hope everyone's having a good summer here.
00:58Our Guardians are actually playing halfway decent. We're flipping coins left and right to see who the quarterback of the Browns is going to be.
01:05Well, and that's where it begins, right? You know, there's in all likelihood no Deshaun Watson,
01:11even if he is healthy enough coming off of, you know, yet another Achilles injury.
01:15I don't think anybody wants to see Deshaun Watson.
01:18It's been an abject disaster in his three years in Cleveland.
01:21The question is, though, is he all that much better or worse than the other options, right?
01:26Because we have this carousel of, you know, looking at the depth chart here, put him whatever order you want.
01:32Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco's back, who, of course, did take this team to the playoffs a couple of years ago.
01:37You have the rookies, which I'm fascinated by.
01:40Shador Sanders, who had to wait six or seven months before somebody finally took him in the draft.
01:44But he did get there to Cleveland.
01:46Dylan Gabriel is in the mix out of Oregon as well.
01:49How does this shake out?
01:50And do all of these guys start games at some point this year?
01:55I think it's really weird to tell you that an NFL team feels like a walk into a set of quarterbacks on the roster ready to go on.
02:04To me, it seems absurd when taking up a roster spot for somebody who might be able to help you out on special teams.
02:09But who really cares about the special teams coach, right?
02:12So, you're looking at a unique situation where the fans absolutely adore Joe Flacco for what he was able to do here two years ago.
02:21I mean, I can tell you, since the team is in 1999, I've been told by that locker room that Joe Flacco was here two years ago.
02:29There has never been as much apology in Cleveland since the team has come up.
02:34I think veterans like Joe Flacco.
02:36I think fans like Joe Flacco.
02:38I just don't know if Joe Flacco is in the case here.
02:41Although, I will tell you, if I'm Kevin Stepanski and I look at the beginning of the Browns schedule, Joe Flacco is the guy I like too.
02:48But you've also got Kenny Pickett.
02:50They went out and got first.
02:51So, they're feeling here that we think Kenny Pickett is going to get the ball first to start the season.
02:58And we'll see how things play out between the rookies.
03:02Andy, it feels like the big question marks on this Cleveland Browns team all are on the offensive side of the ball.
03:08They did a pretty nice job in the draft of bolstering this defense.
03:12Jim Schwartz has been, you know, a great coordinator there for this club.
03:16They've always had a bunch of talent on that side of the ball.
03:19You've got three M's now on that defensive line.
03:22Malik Collins, Mason Graham, and Miles Garrett.
03:25The win total is still only four and a half out here in Las Vegas.
03:29Is that completely on the offense?
03:31Is the defense okay, or do you have question marks about them as well?
03:37Right.
03:38Carson Swartz, you're the kid from UCLA to see what he can do at linebacker.
03:43He's going to have an opportunity to step up.
03:45They're probably going to have to play, you know, Isaiah McGuire.
03:49And they like what he's done on the opposite side of Miles Garrett.
03:53So, whoever's on the opposite side, whether it's him or Alex Wright, another guy that they've invested some time and some money into.
03:58On the other side, I do feel a lot stronger about the defense than I do on the offense.
04:02I think everyone can look at that, especially when you look at Ward, Delpit, Hickman, Emerson, Newsom.
04:07Those guys can play, especially Denzel Ward, who's coming off a great season last year.
04:11As long as he can stay healthy, the defense will be fine.
04:14I think you're right.
04:15I think James Schwartz is one of the best coaches in the NFL, you know, obviously talking about this.
04:20It's the offense.
04:21That's the big question mark.
04:22And Deontay Johnson is a guy, you know, they brought him in.
04:26And maybe he can help, but it doesn't feel like the offense and the wide receiver set is as strong as it possibly could be.
04:33And then Quinchon Junkins got in some big trouble last week.
04:36So, who knows if he's even going to be around for the beginning of the season.
04:40This is going to be year six under Kevin Stefanski, who is a two-time coach of the year in the NFL, has won 11 games, twice in his first four years in the league.
04:50And then, of course, just the three last year.
04:52You know, how close are we?
04:54And it's because the roster construction is not Stefanski's fault.
04:57But how secure is he in his job, no matter how the season goes?
05:02I don't know.
05:03Have you ever heard an owner say what Jimmy Haslam said about Deshaun Watson?
05:07Well, we took a swing and a miss.
05:10Like, what?
05:11Especially with that contract and all the repercussions we're seeing from across the league right now.
05:17Kevin is okay.
05:19If they can get to four, five, six wins, they're giving him another year.
05:25We have Andy Baskin here with us from 92-3.
05:27The fan co-host of Baskin and Feltz out in Cleveland looking ahead to the Browns 2025 season.
05:32And, Andy, we spent some time there on the defense.
05:35I want to bring it back to the offense and expectations for this team.
05:38And I know they're not high and they shouldn't be high.
05:40That said, you do have some playmakers in that offense.
05:42It's maybe a little more interesting from a, you know, season-long fantasy perspective, you know, than anything else.
05:49And that's, you know, guys like Jerry Judy and David Njoko, obviously.
05:53But the fun thing to sort of – I keep visualizing the people that have the, you know,
05:59those Browns jerseys with the long list of quarterbacks.
06:03And I kind of joke, like, could we see all of these guys, all four of those guys that I mentioned, start a game this year?
06:09Shador Sanders is certainly the right or wrong, kind of the biggest name, right,
06:15just given all the hype that went into the draft and the fall.
06:19And, you know, if ever there were a Mount Rushmore-level example of nepotism,
06:23it would be Shador Sanders getting his number retired at Colorado.
06:27Does he have the NFL talent that all the people that wanted him to go in the first round of the draft believe he has?
06:35I think we're having a bit of a technical issue here with Andy, which is a shame,
06:47because I want an answer to that question.
06:49So hopefully, Brady, we can get that corrected.
06:51Here, we'll try again.
06:52Andy, I'm sure you could hear me, so I'll let you take it away.
06:55I don't know that answer, but I think I want to find out.
06:57And I think this one, too.
06:58I don't know if it's real –
06:59Yeah, I don't –
07:04I think everybody wants to see if he can play.
07:08I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'll still try to keep going here.
07:11Okay, good.
07:12All right.
07:12So, yeah, I think that fans want to see what Shador Sanders can do, right?
07:16And I think that everyone wants to see, did they make a mistake by not drafting him earlier,
07:22and did the Browns find a real gem here?
07:23I think the Browns are in a weird, weird, weird, weird place, because you said it.
07:28You know, you're looking at all these names on the back of that Browns jersey since 1999
07:32of guys that have played starting quarterback, and there are five guys on the roster right
07:36now that could start games this year, including Deshaun Watson, if he's back at the end of
07:40the year.
07:41But the beauty of the whole thing is they traded out of that number two pick last year
07:45in the draft, and they'll have two first-round picks for next year, and it seems crazy
07:50to say it, but they could be drafting a quarterback and a very good quarterback high in the draft
07:55next year.
07:56So, I guess the goal of the whole season is who is going to be the starting quarterback,
07:59not perhaps in 25, but in 26.
08:03Andy, in your opinion, which way would you go on this season win total?
08:08It is four and a half, as I mentioned earlier, out here in Las Vegas, under or over that.
08:13And I tell you, this is a big part of the equation here.
08:17The start of this schedule is so difficult.
08:19They've got a hard schedule throughout the season.
08:22The first six games, they host Cincinnati, a division game, on the road at Baltimore,
08:28host the Packers, visit the Lions, host the Vikings, and visit the Steelers.
08:33That's a pretty tough run out of the gate.
08:35That Steelers game is even harder than it looks because they're on a short week coming back
08:40from London.
08:42So, I mean, that game got even harder.
08:44Vegas is why they have all those great buildings out there.
08:48They're 100% right when you look at four and a half for the Browns.
08:50Because I could sit here and I could make an argument for four, and I might be able to
08:54make an argument for five.
08:56And you go back and forth.
08:57I think history will tell you when you look at the Browns, go the under.
09:01And I think that's probably the best way to look at it.
09:03Take a look at history.
09:04Go with that.
09:05If you're sitting there trying to figure this thing out and watch, they'll end up with four
09:08wins at the end of the year.
09:09Given the concerns or questions anyway at the quarterback position, any of those skill
09:16players in the offense that should be taken seriously in terms of real, I don't know,
09:21playmaking ability and the ability to put up numbers this upcoming season?
09:26So, I think, you know, Kevin's going to use more tight ends again this year.
09:31And that's a good thing, because when Kevin's got a situation when he's trying to use the
09:38tight ends and if he plays better, he'll play better with Joe Flacco there, too.
09:41They picked up a kid named Harold Fannin Jr. out of Bowling Green, another tight end.
09:46And he will compliment David Njoku.
09:49David Njoku will probably be the leading receiver on this team.
09:52He'll probably have, I don't know, a little more touchdown receptions.
09:54But he's going to fight Jerry Judy for leading receiver on this team.
09:58If Flacco can stay healthy, they'll be competitive.
10:01And actually, I think it'll be the same with Kenny Pickett.
10:03I mean, either one of those guys can make them competitive.
10:06If they end up with a rookie starting, then, you know, we talk about that four and a half
10:10number that the under on that seems to be blaring if they have to start a rookie in that
10:16situation.
10:16The other guy that's going to get the ball, and if you're looking for a fantasy pick,
10:20Dylan Sampson, I think, is going to be a guy now, especially if Quinchon Junkins has
10:24to miss six games, then I think Dylan Sampson is going to have the opportunity of a lifetime
10:29to be able to run the ball this year.
10:31And we'll see what he can do.
10:34Well, you mentioned the running backs, Andy, and that's exactly what I wanted to ask you.
10:38I know the one guy has a setback there.
10:40We don't know what that decision is, if he's going to be around to start the season.
10:43But you lose Nick Chubb, who many people thought for years was the very best in the game.
10:49Are they going to be able, is it going to be a good backfield?
10:53Is it going to be a positive unit on this team, in your opinion?
10:58You know, they still have Jerome Ford, too.
11:00So, and I think Jerome Ford's now, for sure.
11:03Look, whenever you're looking at a domestic abuse case in the NFL, you're almost guaranteed
11:07six games.
11:08It doesn't matter if he did something or didn't do it.
11:11The league hates it.
11:11They don't want to hear anything about it.
11:13And, you know, when you're in that kind of a case, the league's just going to be like,
11:16okay, six games.
11:17And by the way, it's not like we didn't warn you, right?
11:19I mean, they talk about that rookie transition time, and there's a gigantic website that's
11:24devoted to it.
11:24They used to have a rookie transition seminar that they would bring everybody actually
11:29to Cleveland to do that.
11:31And, you know, these guys know what's coming.
11:33You know, when it comes to the running back situation, I think Browns fans were pumped to
11:38see what Dylan Sampson and Quinson Junkins were going to look like.
11:41Especially because Junkins is a Buckeye.
11:43This is Buckeye territory up here.
11:45Ohio State fans were super excited about that.
11:48It let a lot of air out of the tire when it looked like this kid's going to miss at least
11:52the first six games of the season.
11:54So they could have a good running back tandem somewhere down the road.
11:58I'm just fearful it's not going to look that way.
12:00Jerome Ford's going to pick up average numbers as he does each and every season.
12:05Andy Baskin, again, does a great job covering the Browns for 92.3.
12:09The fan co-host of Baskin and Phelps is on Twitter at Andy underscore Baskin.
12:14Andy, we thank you so much for joining us, man.
12:16We'll definitely catch up with you again down the line.
12:18It works.
12:23I'm going to try to join the century.
12:25It'll be great.
12:27It'll be great.
12:28Again, Andy Baskin out in Cleveland.
12:30So, Brady, we got a few more minutes here in this segment.
12:33And we'll get to the Ravens on the other side.
12:35Bo Smolka is going to join us, help us talk about Baltimore.
12:38But, you know, you brought up a couple of times, obviously, the total, the over-under for this squad.
12:42And, you know, you mentioned in Vegas, it's four and a half.
12:45I will actually tell you, I was looking at FanDuel.
12:47Five and a half is the total.
12:49Of course, it's heavily juiced to the over at plus 125 and heavily juiced to the under at minus 145.
12:57You know, what I think is interesting, and you guys discussed this, you highlighted it,
13:01but I want to look at this in more of a present-day, quote-unquote, value situation versus going forward.
13:08If you believe this team is going to struggle, and why wouldn't you?
13:12Especially with that schedule that we're looking at there.
13:15And as you said, that, you know, gauntlet of a stretch to the first six weeks of the season.
13:20What I would say is, if you're interested in laying the juice at five and a half and going under,
13:25or even taking the under four and a half and doing that, if you believe this team is going to be bad,
13:31get in and get in now.
13:33Because if this team actually does start 0-6 Brady,
13:37and you want to live bet the win total during the season,
13:40I'm not so sure you're still going to get four and a half, five and a half after an 0-6 start
13:44with, you know, 11 games left in the season.
13:47That might be down to three and a half at that point.
13:49So, believe it or not, now is the time to bet it.
13:54Yeah, no, I totally agree with you.
13:56And who knows, it could be lower than three and a half if they go 0-6 out of the gate.
14:00You look at the back end of the schedule, too.
14:02This, you know, according to many pundits out there,
14:05this is about the hardest or second or third hardest schedule in the league.
14:09On the back end, you've got, you know, they're in arguably the best division in football,
14:13certainly a top three toughest division.
14:16You're playing the Ravens.
14:17You've got the 49ers.
14:18You've got the Buffalo Bills.
14:20So, even teams that are outside of their division are like Super Bowl favorites in San Francisco and Buffalo.
14:26So, they absolutely have a really tough road, though.
14:29So, I would be betting the under now.
14:31Yes, Adam.
14:3331-1 to win the AFC North, if you're curious.
14:37130-1 to win the conference.
14:39300-1 to win the Super Bowl, the Cleveland Browns this year.
14:43That's not good.
14:44But the team that is favored to win it, the Baltimore Rigovits, we're going to talk about next.
14:59www.buffesens.com
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