00:00Sun is shining. We've got a heat advisory. Football outdoors. What more can you ask for?
00:04It feels like training camp, but different.
00:06Oh, you could ask for a starting quarterback.
00:08That's true.
00:09See what you did there.
00:11See what you did there.
00:12Well, you led me to it.
00:13Walked right into that one.
00:14You took me right there, Andrew.
00:16Swing and a drive.
00:19Tell me I'm too hung up on this line.
00:22Because I heard Todd say it yesterday, and I thought, oh.
00:26My hope the whole time has been somebody is clearly better than everybody else.
00:32And he said, as much as I'd love to make that decision on quarterback,
00:36either by someone separating themselves upwards or downwards, either way,
00:41which has not occurred.
00:43Upwards or downwards.
00:45I want somebody just to go and, well, that's our starting quarterback.
00:49There's the guy, Andrew.
00:51Apparently not yet, huh?
00:52Yeah, it hasn't happened yet.
00:54And I think there are a couple of ways to look at it.
00:56You could look at it really positively, and that is, like,
01:00take yesterday's practice, for example.
01:02Both quarterbacks made plays, and both the times look really good.
01:06And there's positive to be taken from that.
01:09You could lay at it the other way and go, like, well,
01:11no one's really separated themselves, so I'm not going to name a starter
01:14because I don't have an obvious winner.
01:16And I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
01:19I'm not trying to be, you know, a Pollyanna here.
01:22I think it's somewhere in the middle.
01:25So they haven't named a starting quarterback yet.
01:27I don't think it's the end of the world.
01:29And even though Todd Munkin had said, and he said it repeatedly,
01:33that he would like to have a starter figured out when we break tomorrow,
01:39I don't know that it's the end of the world if he doesn't.
01:42There is no game on June 11th.
01:43And to suggest that we have to name a starting quarterback on June 11th,
01:49to me, discounts any competition you're going to have in training camp.
01:53It discounts, I think, the most important parts of training camp,
01:56like the joint practice with the Bills when they come to town.
01:59We know how important they were last year with the joint practices
02:01in both Carolina and in Philadelphia.
02:04I think that matters.
02:06Camp matters.
02:07I don't think you need to name a starter,
02:09even though it would be great for talk radio.
02:13It would be great for all of us to have an idea of where you're going.
02:16And it would be great, I think, as well for the offense to know who that guy is.
02:21But competition is a good thing.
02:23Haven't we always said that?
02:24Yes, we've heard that frequently.
02:27But I understand the exhaustion.
02:29No, no, and I'm not trying to make the sports talk radio thing only.
02:32I just want to have one, Andrew.
02:34You guys just want it.
02:35I get it, and not only you guys, all of us, everybody wants some clarity.
02:39We all want clarity.
02:40I totally understand that part of it.
02:42Let me just straight up ask, what did Schubert look like yesterday?
02:45How did he look?
02:46He looked okay.
02:47He looked pretty good.
02:47Made plays downfield.
02:48He definitely looked good.
02:50He's definitely made strides.
02:51He definitely looks better now than he did a month ago,
02:53which is certainly understandable.
02:55He's a second-year quarterback learning another offense.
02:58Matter of fact, three offenses in three years.
03:00So, yeah, he's a young player.
03:03And Deshaun looks great physically.
03:04Made some good throws yesterday.
03:06I think the bigger question today is all positive for Shador, by the way,
03:09yesterday, just to be clear, is how does Deshaun look today when they flip it
03:13and he gets the first-team reps?
03:15Yesterday was Shador's day.
03:17Today's Deshaun's day.
03:18And tomorrow, they split it up.
03:22So, I think they've both had their moments in camp.
03:27We're like, all right, yeah, I see it.
03:30It would be a huge story if Deshaun Watson is the starting quarterback
03:35and looks like he looked at one time when he was a Houston Texan.
03:40Yeah.
03:41But that's a tough story, too, Andrew.
03:44That's a lot of time, a lot of time away, a lot of injuries, a lot of stuff.
03:50That would be a huge, huge football story if he's able to do that.
03:55Deshaun Watson led the NFL in passing in 2020.
03:58It was six years ago.
04:00Six years ago.
04:02Okay?
04:03That was a long, long, long time ago.
04:06Is that guy still there?
04:07I think so.
04:09He hasn't had many great moments.
04:11Look, I know all – we all know how many games he's missed.
04:14He's played, like, 19 games.
04:16The Deshaun that we keep going back to, or at least that I keep going back to,
04:21like I want to see that guy again, was the guy week 10, 2023,
04:25second half on the road in Baltimore.
04:27When he goes 14-14, Greg Newsom has a pick six.
04:31David Njoku is breaking holes, looking like the old chief, the young chief,
04:35the guy that nobody could bring down chief on that final drive,
04:38and then Dustin Hopkins in his blessed I hit everything and won games from 50
04:43every week year in 2023, hits the game winner, and the Browns get seven wins,
04:48and you think we're going to the Super Bowl, and then we wake up on Tuesday
04:51morning to the headline that Deshaun has an ankle injury and a broken shoulder,
04:54and he's out for the year.
04:55So Todd Munkin, by the way, was there that day.
04:57He was the Ravens offensive coordinator.
04:59Can you get back to that guy?
05:01I don't know.
05:02You know, the Deshaun that we saw in 2024 wasn't that good.
05:07Now, there was a lot going on that year.
05:08You had a new O.C., and you had – I mean, the offensive line was a mess.
05:13There was a lot of things going on in 2024.
05:16How many times did we see Deshaun really look like that guy in 2024?
05:21I didn't see it.
05:22You know, Nick Harris got called for an awful holding penalty in Vegas
05:28that called back a long touchdown.
05:29You know, Amari Cooper had the ball on that in-breaker go off his chest
05:33that got picked.
05:33That wasn't Deshaun's fault.
05:34But then, you know, what happened on that final fourth down
05:36at the end of the game as well?
05:38Like, have we – I'm rambling here.
05:42I hope that guy is still there.
05:44If he's there, wow, you're right.
05:47Phelps, what a story that would be.
05:50I know it's difficult to see some things,
05:52but just even your thoughts on the wide receivers,
05:54and does anyone jump off the page?
05:57Oh, yeah.
05:57Both rookies jump off the page.
05:59Both do.
05:59They both made plays yesterday.
06:00That's fabulous.
06:02Oh, yes.
06:04I don't – I'm not saying that you need to take them number one
06:07in your fantasy draft here.
06:09Are you a PPR league?
06:11Are you – whatever.
06:13Oh, my God.
06:14You're talking sexy to Phelps.
06:15Stop it.
06:16They both absolutely passed the test so far.
06:21Absolutely.
06:23How exciting that would be.
06:25I mean, the offensive skill position players are –
06:30you just want the offense to put points on the board.
06:33Yeah.
06:33And I know that's – obviously, that goes without saying,
06:36but 16 points a game the last two years.
06:38Imagine if it were 19 points a game.
06:41It would be a different world, actually.
06:43Imagine if we're 20 points a game.
06:45Can you get me 20 points a game?
06:48If, with a healthy Quinchon and Dylan Sampson,
06:52and obviously, you know, when Harold Fanden's back on the field,
06:56and I think it is important yesterday that Todd Munkin did say
06:59that none of the injuries – and we haven't seen Harold Fanden much
07:01in the offseason on the field.
07:02If at all, none of these injuries should be significant enough
07:06to hold these guys back in training camp.
07:08Okay?
07:09The weapons are now here.
07:11And I'm not trying to sound like Nathan screaming weapons, weapons,
07:14weapons, weapons, weapons, but the weapons are now here, I think,
07:18and they're young.
07:19You've got to get someone to get them the ball consistently.
07:22The offensive line is a heck of a lot better than it was on January 8th
07:25when we left Cincinnati.
07:26A heck of a lot better.
07:27Now, they've got to gel, right?
07:29They've got to find their footing.
07:31We've got to figure out can they work together as a unit.
07:33That remains to be seen, but on paper it's better.
07:36I'm not saying this is a 30-point-a-game offense,
07:39but the weapons are now here on offense.
07:42Just got to get them the ball.
07:43Andrew Siciliano joining us,
07:45our play-by-play voice on the Browns Radio Network.
07:47You mentioned offensive line.
07:48Andy and I just talked about it last segment, Andrew.
07:51I love the fact that Todd said last week we have four of the five,
07:55and now we're kind of moving guys around
07:57and seeing who's going to fit and everything else.
08:01Between Leveston, Brailsford, Whipler, Tevin Jenkins,
08:05Zach Zinter, Austin Barber,
08:08and I'm not even going to count DeJuan Jones
08:09because I'm just going to think he's the swing tackle.
08:12So you can find a right guard, can you not?
08:15You can, and obviously that's the one that's what they have to figure out.
08:20So when Munkin says he's got four out of five figured out,
08:24the question is, is Elton Jenkins your center
08:25or is Elton Jenkins your right guard?
08:27And I think a lot depends on how Parker Brailsford does play
08:29or Luke Whipler, who we haven't seen on the field.
08:31But I'm a Luke Whipler fan,
08:33and he's a holdover with DeJuan here and Leveston
08:36and Tevin Jenkins, who is brought back, obviously.
08:39And Zinter.
08:40And Zinter.
08:41And Zach Zinter.
08:42Yeah.
08:43So my issue is this.
08:45I wouldn't call it an issue.
08:47But if Elton Jenkins is your right guard,
08:49it's great because that means you have a fifth-round rookie
08:51who has won a starting job in Parker Brailsford.
08:54Yeah.
08:55Elton Jenkins prides himself on versatility.
08:57Right guard is the one position he has not started in the NFL.
09:01He's been a very good left guard.
09:02He's played left tackle.
09:03He's played center.
09:04He's played right tackle.
09:05He hasn't played right guard.
09:06So if that's your move,
09:10you're putting him at the one position at which he has never started.
09:15I don't doubt that he can play it.
09:16But Zion Johnson is going to be your left guard.
09:19It doesn't make sense.
09:20He's not going to flip, right?
09:21He played left guard for the Chargers.
09:23Look, I've seen crazier things,
09:24but I don't think that's going to happen.
09:27So if Parker Brailsford truly wins that job,
09:30it also means that you feel comfortable enough
09:32to put Elton Jenkins at right tackle – at right guard, rather,
09:36and not Tevin Jenkins.
09:39So that's the big question for me on the offensive line.
09:42Tell me about Jared versus orientation, like freshman orientation.
09:46How was it this week?
09:48Or has it been?
09:49I think he looks great.
09:52And here's – let's step back for a second,
09:54and this goes for the quarterbacks, and it goes for Jared versus
09:56it goes for everyone else.
09:58Of course, they're not in pads.
09:59They're in shorts.
10:00This isn't real football, okay?
10:02Right.
10:02It's not – it isn't – it is not real football.
10:06Listen to Brian Schottenheimer.
10:07Listen to Kevin O'Connell.
10:08Listen to Sean McVay.
10:09Listen to any other coach who's been at a podium these last two weeks.
10:13It's not real football yet, okay?
10:17But Jared versus in the backfield yesterday, and he looks really good.
10:20Okay?
10:20So both can be true, and you should be excited.
10:23I had a conversation with him after the show yesterday
10:25or after practice yesterday, that's going to drop on clevelandbrons.com
10:29later this week.
10:30Maybe today.
10:31I'm not sure.
10:31No, but Tonio's dropping today.
10:32Also had a great sit-down with Joel yesterday.
10:35But Jared versus, I think, is feeling more and more comfortable every day.
10:38He's learning his way around town, learning his way around the backfield.
10:42He looks good in number eight.
10:44You could hear him at practice.
10:46He is – and Alex Wright said the same thing to Nathan and Bo yesterday.
10:49He is – you see it every single day.
10:52He is going to be a difference maker.
10:55You mentioned Joel Batonio.
10:56I think we all assumed that this was going to happen
10:59when we didn't hear anything about him,
11:01and the Browns brought in four offensive linemen and everything else.
11:04Still disappointing to see a guy who we love watching play football
11:08and love having represent our team and our city retire from the NFL.
11:12Good for him, but kind of a tough day yesterday.
11:16Yeah, it's the end of an era.
11:18Sure is.
11:19He was the last link.
11:21Nathan made this great point yesterday.
11:22Today he's the last link to Joe Thomas and that offensive line.
11:27I mean, Deshaun Watson is now the longest-tenured guy in the offense.
11:30How about that?
11:31Wow.
11:32Yeah, think about that.
11:34Wow.
11:35Think about that.
11:36That's rough, Andrew.
11:37Joel should be in Canton one day,
11:40and I think if he could get through the day-to-day grind physically,
11:46he would still be playing.
11:48I got that feeling, too.
11:49Yeah, but he can't do it anymore, but I'm happy that he gets to be the full-time dad.
11:56He's lost about 25 pounds.
11:58He's under 300.
12:00I told him yesterday he hasn't been under 300 since high school.
12:03He looks good.
12:04He feels good.
12:06He's got vacation coming up.
12:08He can be that full-time dad and try to figure out what the next stage in life looks like.
12:15I think it can't be overstated.
12:18Whether he gets into Canton, we'll see.
12:20But he's Hall of Fame in the community in Northeast Ohio,
12:24and that's legit and it's sincere and it was never forced.
12:27It was always real, no matter what he did, whether it was shopping with families
12:34or whether it was at the ballet.
12:36Like, it was always real.
12:39And he had a blue-collar background.
12:41Not everyone from Southern California is a surfer, right?
12:45Right.
12:45They were blue-collar surfers.
12:46But, like, he's not Mr. Hollywood.
12:48He's blue-collar.
12:49He wrapped his arms around this town,
12:51and it's amazing how Northeast Ohio wrapped their arms around him.
12:56We're going to miss him, truly miss him.
12:59And he was never about himself, ever,
13:03whether it was in the locker room or on the podium or in the community,
13:06and I love that.
13:09And I think you know this better than anybody else.
13:11Does he have the street cred to get into Canton across the league?
13:16Like, we know it.
13:17You would just explain.
13:17I mean, you were talking to the audience that knows that.
13:19My question is the audience that doesn't.
13:22So I think he does, but guards are tough.
13:25And he said this to the podium yesterday as well.
13:29Guards don't make – there are no Instagram highlight reels of guards, okay?
13:34That's really true.
13:35And NFL films, you turn on NFL Network at 1 in the morning when you can't sleep,
13:40there is no best guards of the 80s.
13:44Right.
13:45Like, there is – and if they do do that show, it is on at 1 in the morning.
13:49Right.
13:51So he's not a first ballot guy.
13:53I think he deserves that consideration.
13:56But I think Joel knows that as well.
13:58It's one of those ones where he's probably going to have to wait a bit,
14:01but his name is always going to be part of the conversation,
14:04and I do see a day that he can get in.
14:05Now, Joel could have, by the way, fought through this
14:08and went and played someplace in California this year potentially
14:13and tried to go chase that ring.
14:15And with a ring, he obviously gets more street cred
14:21and he gets more pub for the Hall of Fame.
14:23He chose not to do that.
14:25I think it speaks to what he said yesterday online,
14:28and he didn't chat GPT that.
14:30He wrote that.
14:31I could only see myself in an orange helmet.
14:34That's pretty cool.
14:35The only way we know guards is from holding calls.
14:37I hate to say it, and so that's bad.
14:40That's how you become popular.
14:40We're chasing down Devin Hester in Atlanta.
14:43Very good point.
14:44Very good point.
14:45Andrew, always a pleasure.
14:46Thank you, buddy.
14:46Thanks, man.
14:47Likewise, guys.
14:48You coming out here to practice?
14:49You going to schvitz with us?
14:50The problem is you're practicing while we're on the air.
14:53Oh, gosh.
14:54I guess we can take a little unit out there
14:56and talk while you're out there.
14:58I'm sure you'll be at the game today or no?
15:00Oh, no, you're at football.
15:01No, I can't go to the guards because we got football.
15:03I was there Monday night, though.
15:04I figured.
15:05Yeah.
15:06Enjoy.
15:07See you, boys.
15:09Andrew Siciliano.
Comments