- 11 hours ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Ashley Bass.cleveland.com joining us here on The Fan. Hello, Ashley.
00:04Hey, JP. How's it going?
00:06It's going good. I am curious to find out how it felt to be back in a place you've spent
00:11so much time in Berea today
00:13doing the thing that you do a lot of, which is watch press conferences.
00:17Yeah, it was interesting, right? I mean, I've been on this beat since 2021.
00:23So even though the Browns are a team that have had a lot of coaching changes since 99,
00:29this is my first coaching change, my first time starting an offseason with someone other than Kevin Stepanski.
00:39So it definitely felt a little different to be here as Todd Munkin is starting his offseason program.
00:45But, you know, for the most part, it's business as usual, right?
00:51Like so much has changed, but it feels like not a lot has changed.
00:54And I think the one thing that we've talked about when you compare Todd Munkin to Kevin Stepanski is I
01:00do think Todd Munkin is a bit more willing to share in these media availabilities than Kevin Stepanski ever was.
01:09So I think there's a bit more to glean from the head coach this year than in years past, for
01:13sure.
01:13So I agree with that only because Stepanski gave you absolutely nothing.
01:16But I actually do find it interesting.
01:18I want to know if you agree with it or not.
01:20Like I kind of – for Munkin being such a straight shooter, I thought for – and there's obviously –
01:25there's a couple different clips, and we'll get to them.
01:27But there was a lot of – a couple big splashes.
01:30But really, a lot of it – like I called him AARP Stepanski earlier.
01:33Like a lot of that was like cliches.
01:35A lot of it felt like it was not really saying anything while trying to seem like you're saying something.
01:40And it just kind of – it just kind of – it just kind of missed.
01:44Almost like he got brownsified in the month and a half that he's been here now.
01:48Well, it was interesting in terms of his messaging, right?
01:53I can understand why that baby comes away as a bit – what's the word?
02:00Generic.
02:00The word that you used, right, about that they are going to be in the development and winning business.
02:08And I think what I said on our video that we actually just did was, to me, that sort of
02:15came more across as Todd Munkin really hammering the point home, knowing, hey, players see most of this, right?
02:23They see the in-house stuff.
02:25They're going to see clips on social media.
02:27And I can see a world in which that sort of language, like terminology, that he really did try to
02:34use with the players over the last couple of days as they, you know, checked in yesterday, get to work
02:40here today.
02:41I can see that being something Todd Munkin would do.
02:45But I do think in some of the stuff that we're going to get to, the stuff about the quarterbacks
02:49a little bit, the stuff he said about Miles Garrett,
02:51that stuff certainly to me still was more splashy than anything we would have gotten in the prior regime.
02:59But at the end of the day, look, like it is still a press conference.
03:02I think press conferences are even different than scrums for a lot of people.
03:07I think typically you get better, more engaging answers, whether it's at that little combine side scrum or what we
03:14heard from Todd Munkin at owners' meetings last week when it's a smaller group.
03:19I think the press conference setting is not the best for, you know, a ton of news-breaking type statements.
03:29No, and I agree with that.
03:30I just, like the winning one that people are talking about, it was like, well, all right, well, let's break
03:35that down for a second.
03:36Let's really talk about it.
03:37It sounded good.
03:38It sounded nice.
03:39But then when you think about it, all he said was how we clean up the perception is win games.
03:45That's like going on TikTok and watching a financial guy tell you, well, how to get rich is just add
03:49money to your bank account.
03:51Like, okay, thanks.
03:53Yeah, kind of that quote honestly does remind me a bit of the Kevin Stefanski-ism that we did hear
04:00a lot, that winning is a deodorant.
04:03That's essentially what that quote means.
04:05And so, yeah, in terms of that, I'm kind of not surprised that was his answer, given the question.
04:12But, you know, what are you going to do at this stage of April?
04:15Like, of course, that's kind of what he's going to say, I think.
04:18Do you feel like he took a shot at Miles without saying Miles' name and discussing all the benefits of
04:23being here?
04:24Understanding it's voluntary, but all the benefits of being around your teammates and everything that he tried to really kind
04:30of hammer home while then not saying Miles' name?
04:34Yeah, you know, I thought that part of his answer was really interesting.
04:38It's honestly how I have talked in years past, especially the last couple of years, and really last year after
04:45the trade demand and everything with Miles,
04:47how I sort of feel about Miles' decision to not come to these voluntary sessions typically.
04:54So, obviously, him not being here is not surprising.
04:56It's something he has done.
04:58And I think it's also important to note that Todd Munkin went out of his way to say directly, you
05:04know, I'm not concerned about Miles Garrett.
05:05I know Miles Garrett is going to be ready.
05:08But to your point, JP, like this idea of Todd Munkin saying, well, if it was him, he would be
05:13here because that's how he's wired.
05:16Like, I thought that quote was interesting.
05:18It's kind of how I've always felt about the off-season program, anything voluntary.
05:24I see the benefit in having your leaders be here, right, because I could argue, well, Denzel Ward didn't need
05:32to come to everything that was voluntary last year.
05:36And he still did, right?
05:37And he talked at length last year about why he felt that was important to be here for these voluntary
05:43sessions.
05:44So, I definitely think we saw both sides of the coin with that answer a little bit.
05:50And, look, I'm sure if you asked him, like, he made the point multiple times to acknowledge this is voluntary.
05:57Everyone knows that.
05:59Everyone knows nobody can be, quote, unquote, penalized for not being here.
06:03So, I thought he acknowledged that while also acknowledging, hey, why it is important to be here in his mind.
06:11So, you do think it was a missed opportunity by Miles?
06:14I mean, I always sort of think that whenever we don't see Miles Garrett here.
06:18And it's less so about, oh, Miles Garrett being ready to play, right?
06:22Because to Todd Munkin's point, like, we know that.
06:24But for me, when I've argued the case for why I think it would be beneficial to have Miles Garrett
06:29here, it's more about intangibles, more about setting a tone, helping get the younger guys up to speed.
06:36This year, it's a little bit different because, hey, this defense is going to be a little bit different.
06:40Remember, you have a new coordinator in Mike Rutenberg, and there's going to be different wrinkles.
06:46We know this is still going to be an attack-style front.
06:49But, hey, I think it goes a long way in setting the example when you're a guy like Miles Garrett
06:55and you're here.
06:55But, you know, I think Todd Munkin sort of came into this knowing the deal.
07:00And, again, he said he's not worried about Miles Garrett.
07:03Me, Ashley, I totally 100% believe Miles Garrett individually will be ready to play by the time we get
07:11to training camp, to the season.
07:13But, you know, I think one year it would be different, obviously, to see him here.
07:18And I think it would be beneficial, not necessarily from a Miles Garrett standpoint, but from a Cleveland Browns, the
07:24team standpoint, certainly.
07:26AshleyBass.Cleveland.com joining us here on the Make It Right Call Kyle Wright hotline.
07:30Munkin also spoke about the quarterbacks today.
07:32He said he was fired up.
07:34Do you believe him?
07:36Do you buy that he's fired up?
07:38I do.
07:38I do.
07:39Look, we've spent a lot of time these last couple of months ever since Todd Munkin was hired talking about
07:45Shador Sanders, talking about Deshaun Watson and why I think, why we think he would be fired up to coach
07:53players like that.
07:54And I think this is just the sort of latest example of that.
07:58I think Todd Munkin feels very strongly in his own abilities as now an offensive head coach, just like he
08:06did when he was an offensive coordinator, to get the most out of his quarterback.
08:12We've seen him do it at college.
08:13We've seen him do it at the NFL level now and do it with different kinds of quarterbacks.
08:19And I think that's where his confidence comes from, because let's be real, like you can't get more different than
08:24Stetson, Benedict, Georgia and Lamar Jackson.
08:27So he's done it across skill sets, and I think that's why he's excited to get in his room and
08:34put his stamp on it.
08:35And I think, you know, going back to last week and some things we heard from Andrew Berry, Jimmy Haslam
08:39at the owners meetings, I think they very clearly were telling us in 2025 they weren't super happy with what
08:45they saw with that offensive system.
08:47So I think Todd Munkin has a lot of belief in his abilities as a developer of the player themselves
08:56at quarterbacks and also in his offensive system that he's bringing in.
09:00So I wasn't surprised to hear that from him today.
09:03Was there anything else that we have not addressed that kind of caught your ear as you get like one
09:07of these first few interactions with Munkin and get to really kind of figure out how he operates?
09:14Well, one of the things that caught my ear actually from Carson Swessinger talking about Todd Munkin's opening address as
09:22they began the offseason program, talking about that message about a Super Bowl in the near future, right?
09:28Like he came in, it sounds like, and really hammered that belief in.
09:33Now, will they go to a Super Bowl in 2026?
09:35I would obviously be shocked that that would be a huge jump, but he's not letting up with that sort
09:42of messaging and the talent they, you know, especially have on the defensive side of the ball, even before we
09:48get to the draft here and they hopefully add some offensive pieces, which they've talked about doing for months.
09:53So I thought that was interesting that he's a head coach not coming in saying, oh, you guys only won
09:58five games last year.
09:59Let's see what we can do.
10:00Like, he's setting the standard pretty high here early to hear the players tell it.
10:05That is interesting.
10:06Ashley, all right.
10:07Have you locked in what you think the Browns will do at six?
10:09I know we got a little bit more time, but at this point, we've spent so much time discussing it
10:13already.
10:15We have spent so much time discussing it.
10:16Look, I don't think anybody has locked in exactly what they're going to do at six.
10:20I quite honestly don't even know if they know exactly what they're going to do at six yet.
10:25But I will say I did another mock draft.
10:27This is my second one that I've played around with this a little bit looking at their first three picks.
10:32So six, 24, 39.
10:35And I think as we get deeper into this process, at least right now, I'm intrigued if they stay at
10:41six by the possibility of them taking a receiver and specifically Carnell Tate.
10:46I know we've talked a lot about Carnell Tate here when I've been on with you guys and maybe the
10:51perception Ohio State fans of him have or have of him.
10:55But I think the interesting thing is how deep this tackle class is.
11:01And the interesting thing for me and something I brought up, like the top two guys right now that basically
11:07everyone considers to be the top two guys in terms of draft analysts are Francis Maunoah out of Miami and
11:14then Spencer Fano out of Utah.
11:16And neither of those guys played a lot of left tackle in college.
11:21That's what's interesting.
11:22So I'm curious, are the Browns just going to be looking for the best guy that they think, hey, this
11:29is the best tackle period in the draft?
11:32And how is that going to inform their decision at six?
11:35Because if you want one of those guys, great.
11:37I think you'd have to take them at six.
11:39But I'm really intrigued by some of these more true left tackle options that potentially could be available to them
11:46later.
11:46We've talked about Monroe Freeling out of Georgia.
11:48Spencer Fano's teammate, Caleb Lomu out of Utah, is another one who he is more of that left tackle mold.
11:56Obviously, Caden Proctor out of Alabama.
11:58All those guys potentially could be available later.
12:00So while I don't know what they're going to do, I'm getting more intrigued by this idea of betting big
12:05on the skill position if you stay at six and getting a tackle later.
12:09Because I think there's going to be some pretty good options there.
12:12Yeah, but I think it's interesting.
12:13And I think you raise an interesting point on it.
12:14Like, how safe will the Browns play this draft?
12:16And I think about Spencer Fano, who you bring up there.
12:20And he was, again, right tackle in college, obviously.
12:23But he probably projects out to be a guard.
12:24And it's like, well, all right.
12:25Aren't you just describing Joe Petonio in many ways?
12:28Like, Joe Petonio was a right tackle in college.
12:30Kicked inside to be a guard.
12:31All pro.
12:31If that's what he is, that's not the worst thing in the world.
12:35It's a great thing if you hit on that.
12:36And so it's like, how do they balance out trying to hit these, like, doubles off the wall mixed with
12:43the idea that everyone at six thinks everything needs to be a home run all the time?
12:46It just feels like if there's a double there and someone that is an obvious fit within your offensive line,
12:53you just, you kind of, you accept it and you'd be happy about it.
12:58Yeah.
12:58And that's the interesting thing, I think, from all the years of now covering Andrew Berry and his philosophy and
13:04this sort of Andrew Berry has said before that in terms of position, they'll use it as like a tiebreaker.
13:11But they really are sort of focused on who do they have as their best player available to them on
13:19their board.
13:19And they've been very adamant about that over the years.
13:23So I definitely think it's something to keep in mind.
13:26And, hey, if they end up with one of those guys and they're not a left tackle, they end up
13:30sliding them over.
13:32That's something interesting.
13:33And, look, I think even though Titus Howard, who they obviously have in-house now, has played a lot of
13:38right tackle, it sounds like he's got some experience, you know, on the left side.
13:45And that this O-line right now, they seem to just be open to mixing and matching and finding the
13:50best combination of guys.
13:52So I definitely think that's something worth noting.
13:56And if they have, you know, Maui Noah or Fano rated that high on their own board and that guy
14:04is still available at six, like it wouldn't surprise me if they take them, even though it's not a surefire
14:09bet at left tackle.
14:10Astrid, one of those, like the Jersey tracker sites on Twitter, they have a Daniel Thomas, the new defensive back.
14:17I know he's a special teams guy, but he's going to be 24.
14:19He's going to take Nick Chubb's number.
14:21Should Chubb's number have been off limits?
14:26That's an interesting question because I think obviously Nick Chubb means so much to Cleveland and this fan base.
14:35But, I mean, I know in the NFL numbers are so weird unless they are retired, right?
14:41Like, it's hard.
14:43It's hard for me to say because I know, like, Nick Chubb just obviously meant so much to this city.
14:49I wouldn't, as a player, want to come in and be the next 24.
14:54Like, it's a big ask.
14:55So, I don't know if you could say it should have been off limits, but I definitely think guys should
15:00be thinking twice about it before they wear that number with how many 24 jerseys there are floating around Cleveland
15:07because of everything Nick Chubb did for this team and what he meant to this fan base.
15:12Yeah, you don't want to be the first person to wear it, too.
15:14Like, maybe like three other people have worn it, but the first one, I don't know that I love it,
15:18Ashley.
15:20Right.
15:20It's hard, right?
15:21And, you know, I thought that about, we've talked about this before amongst ourselves, like when Cedric Tillman first came
15:27into the league and was wearing 19, right?
15:29Yeah.
15:29Like, that's interesting.
15:31Like, the 19 being Bernie Kostar's number.
15:33Bernie's the Bernie's number.
15:34And so many people have had Bernie's.
15:36Yeah.
15:36Yes.
15:37Yes.
15:37Yes.
15:38Like, there's a lot of people who have worn that 19 after him, but he's who it's associated with.
15:41So, I, as a player, would not want that.
15:44I would want my number to be my own.
15:45I wouldn't want to feel any hangups about it or like I took a beloved former player's jersey number and
15:53now have a lot to live up to.
15:54So, that would be how I personally, Ashley, feel about it.
15:57Ashley, fantastic insight as always.
15:59We'll catch up with you next week.
16:00Thank you so much.
16:02All right.
16:02Thanks, JP.
16:03We kept it on the rails.
16:04We did.
16:05I knew we would.
16:05We kept it on the rails.
16:07But I knew we would.
16:07We just got straight down to business.
16:09So, me and you, though, we've done enough of these where it's just me and you.
16:12And so, I've understood.
16:13I'm like, we go back years of doing this where it was going to always go this way.
16:17It was going to be fine.
16:19And, if anything, I mean, this is further proof that Nick is the one that always takes off the rails
16:22and never me.
16:23That's all it is.
16:24This is the prime example.
16:26All right.
16:27Thank you, Ashley.
16:28I'm really trying hard to stick the landing here.
16:30I'm really, really trying hard to make sure.
16:31There's a couple of things.
16:32The problem with that is usually once we acknowledge that it hasn't gone off the rails, I'm actually the one
16:36that, like, throws in the Molotov cocktail to then make it go off the rails.
16:42If it ever happens before that, that's usually on Nick.
16:44That one just typically falls on Nick.
16:47Yeah, you pull the wheel left.
16:49Well, I like to see it happen.
16:50That's the difference.
16:51I like to see it happen.
16:52But I felt like there with Ashley, I was like, it's Todd Munkin day.
16:55We're going to be able to ride this thing.
16:57All right.
16:57We'll be all right.
16:57And that was Ashley on the Make It Right Call, Kyle Wright Hotline.
Comments