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00:00I think it was Warren Sharp was grading the strength of schedules
00:04for NFL teams.
00:06Yeah, yeah.
00:06And he does have the Browns, and this is not an isolated thing,
00:10but he is, because I think it's pretty much everybody that I've seen
00:13has the Browns having an easier schedule.
00:15He has the Browns with the fourth easiest schedule in the NFL in 2026,
00:20and I do think that's part of the math and a big part of the math
00:24why when I bet Daryl a burger bet on the Browns going to the playoffs
00:28this year, but I was so confident, because I really just don't think
00:33that you're facing the uphill battle that you have over the last couple years
00:36with just an impossible schedule.
00:38Yeah, I guess what I'm trying to find out is just how much an easy schedule
00:41can help, right?
00:42And so I was looking around, and you don't have to go far.
00:44The Patriots last year.
00:45Patriots last year had what was, by many of these accounts that do the scheduling,
00:49the easiest schedule in the previous 20 years of football, Nick.
00:53It wasn't just the easiest last year.
00:54It was the easiest schedule in the previous 20 years of football.
00:57You're like, well, wait, how did this all happen with Drake May?
01:00How did they go through all this?
01:02Well, you have an easy schedule, and then by the time you get to the postseason,
01:05you have a Bo Nix injury in the AFC title game, and then you wake up,
01:08and all of a sudden the Patriots are in the Super Bowl.
01:10I'm not saying this means the Browns are going to get to the Super Bowl,
01:12but what I am trying to highlight is people want to know how the Patriots
01:15had this massive four-win season to then in the Super Bowl turnaround.
01:19Well, yeah, a lot of that had to do with the schedule
01:21and how easy it ended up being.
01:22It's funny.
01:25I understand any cynicism about the Browns.
01:29I understand if you look at – I think it's wrong,
01:32but I understand if you look at Todd Munkin and correlate him with Freddie Kitchens.
01:37I think you're wrong, but time will tell on that.
01:39I understand if you look at this and go, well,
01:41it doesn't matter what you did around the quarterback.
01:43If the quarterback still stinks, it doesn't.
01:45That's a fair line of thinking.
01:47Defensive regression.
01:48Every rebuttal you can have to optimism about the Browns are fair rebuttals.
01:54You can't really negate the schedule.
01:56You really can't.
01:57I don't see a rebuttal for that.
01:59I think an easier path does – especially in an NFL,
02:03where the difference between 6-11 and 8-9 or 9-8 is pretty thin.
02:11Yeah.
02:12And I expect – listen, I think the Browns have told you,
02:14I think Todd Munkin has told you,
02:16he's not a guy that is going to be content with quote-unquote tanking
02:19or, you know, or kind of allowing this to kind of play out favorably
02:23in the chances they might get a top-five pick next year.
02:27So I think you've got a team that's going to try and win.
02:29You've got a lot of veterans and a lot of talent on this team.
02:33Like, you add in an easier path, and that is –
02:36I mean, that's an incredible step up for the Browns.
02:39We've been doing the schedule game long enough to understand, too,
02:41that sometimes by the time you actually get to the games going
02:43and the games playing, one team that we thought was easy ends up being hard
02:47and it kind of flips.
02:48The Browns actually had this last year in a stretch of their schedule
02:51where it was like – it was Jacksonville and then it was Chicago.
02:55And it was a couple of these teams where you're like –
02:57when you looked at it, you didn't think it was going to be the hardest thing
02:59in the world, but by the time you got to them, it did change.
03:01But as of right now and how we're looking at this, yeah,
03:04it seems like a pretty easy schedule, all things considered.
03:06So, to your point, obviously teams can surprise.
03:10Here's the other thing.
03:11How you lay out a schedule, which is the one thing Warren Sharp –
03:15none of us know as of right now.
03:17That's the other thing that I do think that can complicate this.
03:21Like, if they start with three of the first five games on the road,
03:25that's a really – for a young team with a quarterback trying to –
03:29whoever the quarterback is, trying to establish themselves.
03:31Especially, like, just even talk about the offensive line for a second.
03:32Yeah.
03:33I mean, you got five new pieces on the offensive line,
03:35brand new offensive line, everything like that.
03:37You're going to need – you're going to need an easier road
03:39in the beginning portion to try to get that to gel.
03:41But this goes beyond just I like the Browns offseason.
03:45This is set up favorably for them.
03:48And it's funny because I think we've forgotten because of the last two years.
03:53The NFL really is – like, when the Browns had gotten to a point
03:56where even though the highs weren't as high as we'd like them,
04:00it was 11 wins and the lowest was seven wins.
04:03That's really a place you can comfortably live in.
04:06And, oh, by the way, have a lot of success.
04:09Even if the postseason success doesn't happen over the next two to three years.
04:12Well, and Nick, like, the season got tanked last year
04:14for a lot of different reasons.
04:15But the biggest reason is you started one in five.
04:17And the biggest reason is you started the season facing Joe Burrow
04:20into Lamar Jackson into the Packers were week three.
04:24And it was just like this onslaught.
04:26Then the Lions after that, it was just this onslaught of really good teams
04:29early on that you had to play.
04:30And then you looked up and confidence was shot.
04:33The team already thought they sucked.
04:34And it was like, all right, I guess we'll see what Dylan Gabriel's got to save us.
04:38And that was never going to happen.
04:39Yeah, and I think – I don't think we give players enough credit
04:43that players know when a coach – I don't want to say –
04:48this is going to sound like I'm saying Kevin had one foot out the door.
04:52But I do think players understood that Kevin was in a precarious situation,
04:56that Kevin had to reprove himself last year because of the debacle of Dorsey
05:02and the offense and everything that happened in 2024.
05:06And I think players could feel that last year slipping away.
05:09Even when – and to their credit and to Kevin's fancy's credit,
05:14even though they kept winning games that we didn't expect them to
05:17after it seemed like fait accompli that Kevin was going to get fired.
05:21But players know.
05:23I think you know when negative inertia is happening.
05:26And I think players are the first to know it.
05:28So I don't think you have that this year.
05:30And I think that's another advantage.
05:32I do not believe it's possible to have a clean slate with Deshaun.
05:36I think it's entirely possible to have a clean slate for Todd Munkin.
05:40That is something that I do think like, hey, new energy in the building.
05:45Yeah, I wouldn't even call it necessarily a clean slate
05:47because when we have people on, the thing they want to talk about is
05:50what he did with the Ravens.
05:51You know, they want to highlight what he did with Georgia.
05:53It didn't go well when he was here with 2019, obviously.
05:55But the players, they don't think about that 2019 being the coordinator
05:59for Freddie Kitchens.
06:00They think about what he did for Lamar.
06:01They think about the stuff of Georgia in winning titles
06:03and Stetson Bennett.
06:05Like, that's the stuff that stays with you.
06:06If anything, if I was Munkin, I'd go around trying to give as many reminders
06:09as possible to what he's accomplished in recent years.
06:11That actually is one of the things that really – and Todd can only base his success
06:19and what he pitches to people based off what he's done.
06:22And I get that.
06:22So it's not about Todd.
06:24It is about how people talk about Todd Munkin, which is, well, look what he did
06:28with Lamar.
06:29And I believe some of that.
06:31But it's like, yeah, he also had Lamar.
06:32You know what I mean?
06:33He also had Lamar.
06:34Yeah.
06:34Well, that's where the fantasy of it all kind of – it does get zapped if you're not
06:37seeing success because it goes from, look what I did with Lamar to then –
06:41Yeah, to why can't you do this?
06:42Why can't you do this?
06:43Yeah, exactly.
06:44And like that comes – life comes at you really fast if you're Todd Munkin in that
06:47regard.
06:47Well, but it's just – it kind of goes back to what bugs me about – there are like
06:52three things that I've heard – there are three things that I think are merging
06:55cliches with the Browns.
06:57One is clean slate for Deshaun.
06:59Again, not possible.
07:01Two is, but Munkin with Lamar, which is – yes, he had a lot of success with him.
07:07He did, and I do think Lamar took a step.
07:10Whether that was Cousin Munkin or not, we'll find out.
07:12And then three, it was the Cavs really only need a baseline of quarterback play and they'll
07:18be fine.
07:18That might be true.
07:21You still need the best quarterback play possible.
07:25You know, like that – like, wow, they only really need – if whoever the starting quarterback
07:29is is the 20th best quarterback in the NFL, I think you can win with that.
07:34That's assuming a lot.
07:35Well, and that's – what sucks is that's the baseline of all these conversations,
07:38it feels like.
07:39It's like, what do you have if quarterback X is just the 17th best quarterback and it's
07:45just not something we can necessarily depend on?
07:48216-474-0092.
07:50At Nick Wilson says, at Jay Peterlin, Albert Breer moved to 6 o'clock, so we're going to get
07:56to him.
07:56But Warren Sharp ranked the Browns' strength of schedule.
08:004th easiest in the NFL, how much does this factor into your expectations for 2026?
08:06I think fans, somewhere along the way, started to get some of the positivity back in this.
08:13Oh, definitely.
08:14I do think it's interesting that since the draft, it seems like the media has kind of
08:18come along with that.
08:20And I would like to evaluate everyone's cases individually and whether I'll allow them on
08:24the bandwagon or not.
08:25Okay, you as the director of the bandwagon?
08:27Now, you are my everyday partner.
08:29Yeah.
08:30You want to get on this wagon?
08:32I don't.
08:32Jump up on it.
08:33And in fact, I would like to – I'd like to turn away and – you call me a Cavs
08:38homer?
08:38Yeah.
08:38I'd like to say you've turned into a Browns homer in this very discussion.
08:41I picked them to win five games last year.
08:43You picked them to win four.
08:45Okay.
08:45That's not much better.
08:47I was still closer than anyone that talked to ex-Browns quarterbacks a week before the
08:52Hold on.
08:53We're not judging this off of what happened last year because if that was the case, then
08:56I would not qualify for Cavs homerism.
08:59This is different because it involves me.
09:00Okay.
09:01Very good.
09:01You can see.
09:03I see the difference.
09:04I'm glad you come around.
09:05I just need the acknowledgement there.
09:06That's all.
09:08No, I've remained pretty flatlined here.
09:10As long as I don't know who the quarterback is, I'm not going to be able to say anything
09:14like eight, nine, ten wins or anything crazy like that.
09:17I've stuck around seven, and we've hovered around seven for a while.
09:20But there's a wide variance there if it's Deshaun versus Shador.
09:23I've got to know.
09:24A wide variance for myself.
09:25Now, at this point.
09:27An uncomfortably large variance that exists between those two.
09:29I mean, we're getting the point with Deshaun that people that like four weeks ago said
09:34there's no way they can possibly start Deshaun ever again are now saying the updated narrative
09:41from many well-sourced people here are they might be rigging this in favor of Deshaun.
09:46I don't understand why you would rig it, though.
09:48I don't understand that.
09:50Unless they think the only way that they can somehow get something out of the worst trade
09:55in NFL history to maybe not beat them.
09:57Is to run it back into the ground?
09:58Well, if Deshaun wins ten games or something like that, is that all of a sudden offset four
10:02years of just torpedoing a franchise?
10:05No.
10:06But you do get to pay him again.
10:07Well, but it might make it to the sense where it's just no longer considered the worst trade
10:12in NFL history.
10:12By the way, you want to talk about how hated Deshaun would be in this town?
10:17If Deshaun, just let's say, let's go back to the average quarterback play.
10:21He was merely good this year.
10:23Yeah.
10:24And then he decided, too much water under the bridge, and he left the Browns in free agency.
10:30And took a discount to do so, too?
10:32Yes, exactly.
10:33He just wanted to get out of Cleveland.
10:34And he's like, I'll take $15 million to be the quarterback of the Colts.
10:37Yes.
10:38I don't know you could draw up a scenario where somebody could be more.
10:42Here's why I tell you it won't happen.
10:44Unless he actually just moved the Browns again.
10:44Here's why I tell you it won't happen.
10:46What's that?
10:46Because if he does have success, and I just don't see this happening, guys.
10:50You know that about me.
10:51But if he does have success, too much of him is going to credit Todd Munkin.
10:58Or he really just blames Kevin Stavansky.
11:01I think where he's fumbled this whole entire thing is thinking that Bill O'Brien didn't help
11:05him out a ton.
11:05And I think based off of the Charles Robinson reporting, attached to the idea of basically
11:09Bill O'Brien calling out everything that was going on in the headsets up until they cut
11:13it off with 15 seconds remaining, is part of the reason why, if Deshaun ever has success
11:17again, he's going to hold on to that head coach.
11:21Whoever helps him out and basically does the opposite of Stavansky, he's going to hold on
11:26to him like a Fabergé egg.
11:27He's going to be very delicate with that head coach, and he's going to act as if that guy's
11:30Lombardi all of a sudden.
11:32The good one, not Michael.
11:33Are we throwing a Super Bowl party if Shador is named?
11:38I want to know what your reaction will be.
11:40If like three weeks from now, out of nowhere, Shador is the starting quarterback.
11:43This is the part that sucks.
11:45Everyone's made it, where all of a sudden I have to feel like, whew, big sigh of relief.
11:50Shador gets the opportunity he's supposed to have the entire time.
11:53I hate that this is now that reality.
11:56The Browns are putting themselves in a spot to just browns up this whole entire thing
12:01in such a way that if they just do the right thing and make Shador the quarterback and give
12:05themselves a chance to actually win this season, I'll have to throw a party and celebrate when
12:11it shouldn't have come to this.
12:12So you're still going to throw the party, though, right?
12:13Well, I like parties.
12:14Yeah, that's fair.
12:15I like parties.
12:16You're a big ice cream cake guy.
12:17I'm a festive guy.
12:18I like parties.
12:19When people think of you, they think of Mr. Party.
12:20They do.
12:21Well, at least my three-year-old does.
12:23She has me make, we do happy birthday cakes every night before dinner.
12:28You get one of those?
12:29No, she has me make them, like fictitious birthday cakes.
12:32And then we sing happy birthday every single, it's a daily thing for like three weeks now.
12:37She thinks I love parties.
12:39Wow.
12:39That's the point.
12:40She might have a point.
12:41She might be turning you into a party guy.
12:43You know, I used to be very festive in life.
12:45You know, I really did.
12:46Like, even like Cinco de Mayo today, it's kind of sad.
12:48Like, I'm not having Mexican food tonight.
12:50I'm not having margaritas tonight.
12:51There was a time in life, everything that came, I was celebrating in some fashion or another.
12:56And then you just hit a certain age and you just kind of stop.
13:00I don't know what that's about.
13:01You just kind of stop being festive at some point.
13:03There's some married guy right now driving around saying, you and me both, brother.
13:08Is that what that is?
13:09It's not me.
13:09I don't know.
13:10I've never been happier.
13:11I'm very happy.
13:12Does that not sound happy?
13:15I'm just not festive anymore.
13:16I'm just like, I've done it.
13:17I've done Cinco de Mayo enough.
13:19I've done, I've done St. Patty's day enough.
13:21I just don't, I just don't do those things anymore.
13:24You act like you're throwing a big, a big, like, uh, chimichanga and margarita fest for
13:29yourself tonight.
13:30Oh, I got the chimichangs out.
13:31Come on now.
13:33No, I'm going to a band concert after this.
13:36Yeah.
13:36Your, your festive nature is warming up a hot pocket later tonight and being thankful about
13:40it.
13:40It'd be a good hot pocket though.
13:42Hot pockets.
13:42Maybe, maybe Uncrustables are on the menu for tonight.
13:44But it'll be one of the taco ones.
13:45You know, the ones that really slap.
13:47Come on now.
13:47Yeah.
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