00:00A man who runs Pro Football Talk does a great job of it. You see him Sundays on NBC, does
00:05terrific work.
00:05Mr. Mike Florio, and he joins us right now. Hello, Mike. How are you?
00:09Hey, Mike.
00:10Good, good. How are you?
00:11Well, we're good for now because we haven't seen Deshaun Watson and Shador Sanders on a football field in a
00:18game setting.
00:20What should we expect tomorrow night? Should we be anticipating with glee or should we be thinking, oh my God,
00:27here we go?
00:29Well, hey, there's no time to be hopeful than when the record is 0-0 and when the book still
00:36is to be written on the 2026 season.
00:40I think that at this point, let's just see if anyone seizes the job.
00:45Unlike Minnesota, where I feel like the competition was never really a competition and it was all set up for
00:50Kyler Murray to be named the starter this week.
00:53I would say from the moment they signed him in March, this truly is a competition.
00:57And I think Todd Munkin is waiting patiently for now for someone to declare himself the winner.
01:03And it dawned on me yesterday.
01:05It makes sense that Deshaun's getting the first start because it's not at home.
01:09And it gives Shador a great opportunity.
01:12Unless Deshaun just blows things away against the Bears tomorrow, the fans are going to be clamoring for Shador to
01:19really put his best foot forward and take the competition.
01:23So ordinarily, I think the guy who gets the first crack at starting a preseason game has the inside track.
01:29I just can't help but wonder whether under these circumstances the Browns wanted Shador to get the home start, Deshaun
01:35to get the road start.
01:36And if it was flipped, home first and away, it would be Shador starting that first game.
01:42So I think they want Shador to seize the job.
01:46And Deshaun continues to be that foil aimed at getting the most out of Shador to get him to perform
01:53in the practice sessions like he performs under the lights in a real game.
01:58And the closest thing to a real game is a preseason game.
02:01So this is an opportunity to create the kind of separation that Todd Munkin's been looking for because at some
02:08point, you need to focus your efforts on getting your starter ready.
02:13Getting the rest of the offense comfortable with that guy and not have it all diluted by splitting reps between
02:20the two guys competing for the same job.
02:22Mike, I mentioned yesterday the same thing you just did about Shador starting in the home game because it would
02:28have been, I think, a rough start for Deshaun Watson in front of the home crowd in preseason game number
02:33two, which might mean maybe that they're setting Deshaun up to try and succeed as much as possible in this
02:40situation.
02:40Well, I think that makes sense.
02:44Give him the best chance to have a game that isn't affected in any way by how the crowd may
02:52receive him.
02:53So there's no excuse, right?
02:55If he plays poorly, how do you expect me to perform when all these fans are restless from the moment
03:01I walk on the field?
03:02I performed a very unscientific study yesterday because my niece and her husband are both ardent Browns fans.
03:09Even though one is an Ohio State fan and one is a Michigan fan, they agree on the Browns.
03:16And I said, who are we rooting for in the competition?
03:19And her husband responded first saying, whoever gives us the best chance to win.
03:24And I may have accidentally sparked divorce proceedings because her opinion is, no way, no how, I do not want
03:35Deshaun Watson to be the quarterback of the team.
03:38So I think that's indicative in just that very small sample size of the conflict the fans may be feeling.
03:43On one hand, we want to win.
03:45On the other hand, there's going to be a segment of the fan base that never wants Deshaun Watson to
03:49be the quarterback.
03:51And Mike, there's the other part of this, too, that you kind of swim through the waters of this season
03:55to get to the draft, right?
03:57And say, you got two first-round picks next year.
03:59It's supposed to be a good quarterback draft, although I hear that every year.
04:03But, you know, to think that the quarterback of the Browns to start next season or the quarterback that's going
04:10to lead them into the Dome is in college this year.
04:14Maybe in high school, frankly.
04:15Maybe.
04:16Good point.
04:17That's valid.
04:18The three teams that had the truest quarterback competitions this year, the Vikings, the Browns, and the Falcons, you can
04:25look at all three of those teams and say, you know, there's a chance that next year's week one starter
04:29isn't on the team right now.
04:31It all depends upon how it goes with the team, with the guy who wins the job for each of
04:37the three teams.
04:37And if it goes well, that guy secures his future with that team.
04:41And if it doesn't, for the Falcons, for the Vikings, and for the Browns, it could be back to the
04:45drawing board in 27.
04:48Mike Florio joining us from Pro Football Talk.
04:51And, of course, Mike's book, Big Shield, available right now.
04:53We'll talk about Big Shield coming up in a little bit because I love talking about your books with you.
04:58The Miles Garrett trade going to the Rams.
05:00Jared Verst coming here along with those draft picks.
05:02I think it kind of shook Browns fans at first.
05:05But Jared Verst is getting rave reviews, Mike.
05:09How is this trade looking?
05:10I know they haven't played a game yet.
05:12But how is it settling in around the NFL?
05:16I think from the get-go, Browns fans realized it was time.
05:20I think they should have done it last year.
05:22They may have gotten more last year.
05:25And it would have been a hell of a return if he had had 25 sacks with whoever his new
05:30team would have been.
05:32But they finally recognized Miles Garrett is not going to be in his prime.
05:36He still may be on the team, but he's not going to be in his prime by the time this
05:39team becomes what they're trying to make it.
05:41So, if you're going to be analytically obsessed, as the Browns have been ever since Paul DePodesta showed up,
05:51and even though he's gone now, they still have that very strong affinity for turning everything into a number,
05:57you have to be willing to turn Miles Garrett into a number, into a formula, into a projection.
06:02It didn't make sense to cling to him.
06:04It didn't make sense to keep him around for the final years of his prime if the team isn't going
06:09to match him.
06:10And if you can help replenish the draft picks that you squandered in the Deshaun Watson trade,
06:15that helps the team get younger, get better, get cheaper, as long as you properly draft and develop.
06:21And, you know, they've got a lot of pieces, a lot of good pieces.
06:25You get the quarterback position stabilized, and the Browns become a contender.
06:28And every team out there, you either have a franchise quarterback or you're looking for one.
06:33And the Browns keep looking, and one of these days, statistically, it has to be.
06:38It has to be.
06:38It's been almost 30 years since the team returned to the NFL as an expansion franchise.
06:44At some point, you're going to just stumble into a franchise quarterback.
06:48And if the Browns ever do it, the rest of the pieces they have in place,
06:52they could be a team that is contending every year for the playoffs and winning playoff games,
06:56and who knows what comes after that.
06:59Mike, what are your thoughts on Todd Monk in here so far?
07:02I mean, look, they haven't lost the game, so I think he's doing great.
07:04But, you know, we'll see how hot the water gets here as the season starts.
07:09Your thoughts on him?
07:11I remember when Todd Monk got the Ravens offensive coordinator job,
07:14and there was a lot of hype that came along with it.
07:16And I said, acting like this guy is the reincarnation of Bill Walsh.
07:20But he did well, for the most part, with the Ravens offense.
07:24And we had a chance to spend time with Todd Monk in the scouting combine.
07:27And I'm a big believer in the presence that a coach has, in the way that he communicates,
07:33in the way that he can capture an audience, big or small, or anywhere in between.
07:38And we were captivated by Todd Monk.
07:40And I'd play for Todd Monk if I had the requisite, you know, skills and abilities.
07:44But he's got a good way about him, and you just kind of give him the players.
07:50As Dick Vermeule said when they put him in the Hall of Fame a few years ago,
07:53it's amazing how I became a much smarter coach when Marshall Falk was on my team.
07:57So you just got to get him the players and let him do his thing.
08:01And I think it could be something that works.
08:04Is he going to work for 20 years?
08:06Probably not.
08:06He's kind of older as it relates to first-time head coaches.
08:09So many of these teams are skewing toward the next big thing,
08:13get someone young who can be there for a long time.
08:15That's why I didn't think they were going to hire him.
08:17When they ultimately did, I know why.
08:20After meeting with him, I know why.
08:22And he could be the perfect guy to kind of set the foundation
08:26for what the Browns are trying to become.
08:30And we'll see if they can get there.
08:32You know, the common denominator for the past 15 years has been ownership.
08:36And the sooner that ownership kind of gets out of the way,
08:38unless the football people do their job, the better off the team will be.
08:41That's why I think it's good that Jimmy Haslam is spending so much time
08:43with the Milwaukee Bucks.
08:46It's less time he spends with the Browns,
08:47and it's more time that the people who are hired to do the job can do the jobs
08:51without any suggestions, any questions, any hints,
08:55anything that the owner may say in passing that skews the vision
09:00of what the coach and the GM have for the team.
09:03Mike, when the Browns hired Munkin, I thought,
09:06can he become our Bruce Arians?
09:09And I think that's the hope.
09:11You know, a guy who had some earlier college head coaching experience,
09:14coordinated forever, and gets hired in his 60s.
09:17I'm hoping that can happen here because Arians was terrific, you know, in Arizona.
09:22Remember Arians wanted that job.
09:23Remember that?
09:24Yeah, he sure did.
09:24The year he was in broadcasting, he said the only job he would take
09:28is the Browns' job, and of course he took the Buccaneers' job,
09:30but he wanted Baker Mayfield, and he made sure they got Baker Mayfield
09:33in Tampa after he was no longer the head coach.
09:38I'm hoping that he becomes, that Munkin becomes that.
09:40We'll find out.
09:41Mike Florio joining us.
09:42He's on the Wiseheart Right.
09:44We Make It Right call, Kyle Wright Hotline.
09:46We saw some other quarterback play yesterday.
09:49The Steelers have a very crowded quarterback situation,
09:52but they have Will Howard from Ohio State, Drew Aller from Penn State,
09:56and who's from here, sitting there watching Aaron Rodgers,
09:59and there's still Mason Rudolph.
10:01Which young guy do you think they like the most behind Aaron?
10:05Well, they used a third-round pick on Drew Aller,
10:09and it was funny because that came after weeks of Mike McCarthy raving about Will Howard.
10:14I love Will Howard.
10:16I'm thrilled for the opportunity to work with Will Howard.
10:18Well, if that's the case, then why are you using a third-round pick on another quarterback?
10:22Third-round pick.
10:22It's one thing to take a fifth, sixth, seventh-round flyer on a guy,
10:26but this is a third-round pick, which guarantees him a roster spot for this year.
10:29So the question becomes, do they move on from Howard?
10:33Do they move on from Mason Rudolph?
10:35Do they keep all four guys like the Patriots did when Tom Brady was a sixth-round rookie
10:39and they didn't want to expose him to waivers?
10:41Because that's the thing.
10:42You can say, well, Will Howard will just put him on the practice squad.
10:45Well, first, he's got to pass through waivers.
10:47And if both Howard and Aller perform in the rest of the preseason like they did last night,
10:53if Howard's the guy who gets waived, he's going to get claimed on waivers.
10:57So it makes me wonder whether or not, number one, they'll keep four,
11:01or number two, what they could do with Rudolph,
11:05because he's a vested veteran who doesn't have to pass through waivers.
11:08They could cut him and sign him to the practice squad if they believe he won't go sign with someone
11:14else,
11:14and they could call him up from the practice squad every week.
11:18Now, there are procedures that limit how long you can do it,
11:21but you would have to cut him at some point.
11:23Then you'd re-sign him and do it all over again.
11:25They could do it that way.
11:26That's the way to have four quarterbacks.
11:27You release Rudolph.
11:29You get him on the practice squad.
11:30You keep bringing him up to the active roster to be the backup to Aaron Rodgers,
11:34unless they believe that either Howard or Aller could be the guy who's ready to go
11:40in the event Aaron Rodgers gets injured, because you need someone with experience.
11:43Neither of those guys have played in any NFL game until last night.
11:47Howard didn't play at all last year.
11:49He was injured in the preseason, never played in the regular season.
11:51So that's how I think they need to frame this.
11:55And one possibility would be that they could get trade value from Will Howard,
11:59or maybe Mason Rudolph, if they go that route.
12:02So they have some decisions to make.
12:04You'd call it a good problem to have, but the only good problem is no problem.
12:07They have a decision to make about their quarterback depth chart,
12:10and they're not going to want to let the wrong guy get away.
12:14All right, Mike, we've reached that point in the show where I ask you,
12:16how are your books doing?
12:17Because I always wonder how you're doing as an author.
12:19I mean, we watch on TV and stuff, and so I'm just curious,
12:22what's going on with the books right now?
12:24Big Shield's still available.
12:25The one-year anniversary of its release is coming up.
12:27I possibly will make the e-book free for a day or two in commemoration of that.
12:31I just like getting people in a position where they can pick it up
12:35or pick up their phone and click to it.
12:37And I do all my reading on the phone now.
12:38It's so much easier that way.
12:40I don't like, and I think the print's getting smaller in the books.
12:43It has nothing to do with my eyesight.
12:45It has everything to do with the size of the print.
12:47They're shrinking the print in my books.
12:49So I read on my phone instead where I can make the print as big as I want,
12:53like one word on a page.
12:54But it's available for $0.99 on Amazon at any time, $14.99.
13:00If you – and I promise that if you're younger than me,
13:04the print will be perfectly acceptable in the print edition of Big Shield for $14.99.
13:08We're working on a publishing deal with the next one.
13:11It's called Accessory After the Fact.
13:13We may be nailing something down sooner than later,
13:15and it'll be in bookstores everywhere at some point next year,
13:19which I've learned the best thing to do with books,
13:22you fish where the fish are, and it's amazing how many books are still sold
13:26to the people who wander into a bookstore looking for something to buy.
13:30So we're going to try it maybe differently that way and see how that goes.
13:34But it's just – for me, it's a nice balance to the constant every day.
13:39I had 18 different posts yesterday at PFT, and by the next day, nobody cares.
13:43It's nice to write something that – I mean, nobody may care anyway,
13:47but it's nice to write something that someone could, in theory, read days, weeks, months,
13:51years after the fact and get some enjoyment out of it instead of this constant treadmill
13:55that I'm on every day, more content, every day, more content.
14:00I like writing something that could have a little more standing power.
14:04So Big Shield has for a year.
14:05It's predicted a lot of the scandals we've seen over the course of the last year,
14:09and it's a good cautionary tale for anyone, especially people in sports,
14:12who may be tempted by the lure of getting something for nothing,
14:16getting a little easy money quick.
14:18There's no such thing as easy money.
14:19There's always a cost to grabbing that bag
14:22and thinking that you're getting away with something.
14:24And you just made me the most intelligent fisherman in town.
14:29You fish where the fish are.
14:31You've got to fish where the fish are.
14:31I've learned that the hard way over my life.
14:35The fish aren't going to come to you.
14:37You have to go to where the fish have to be.
14:41That's fabulous.
14:42That's the radio, baby.
14:43Mike, thank you, buddy, as always.
14:45Thank you, Mike.
14:45Let us know when you're making movies.
14:47Willie can either be your news anchors or your radio guys in the movie.
14:52Mike Florio joining us on the Wise Heart Right.
14:54We make it right.
14:55Call Kyle Wright Hotline.
14:57We make it right.
14:57We make it right.
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