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00:00I think controlled is an interesting word because some of these joint practices seem to, well, maybe they lose control.
00:07And I think that's probably one thing on Monken and also Joe Brady's mind going into this thing tomorrow.
00:15Let's visit with Daryl Reiter from 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland as the Bills are on their way if
00:21they're not there already.
00:22Daryl, are you ready for a joint practice?
00:24I have never been more ready to see another football team than I am for tomorrow when the Bills get
00:33here.
00:34What about the idea that there's a line that sometimes gets crossed, right?
00:40Everybody's excited to, not just you or me, but everybody's excited to see the so-called different colored uniforms.
00:47How important is it, in your mind, to Monken and the Browns that it sort of stay, so to speak,
00:53between the lines?
00:54Yeah, I think it's important.
00:57Todd Monken is a no-nonsense coach, that's for sure.
01:02He's already ended two practices in training camp.
01:07In fact, Tuesday's practice was a direct result of his displeasure with defensive players being too aggressive.
01:16One, a hit on Quinshawn Junkins.
01:21Junkins did not practice today, minor injury as a result of that.
01:25And then getting too close to the quarterback.
01:28And Monken let defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg hear about it.
01:32And then he let his team hear about it after practice.
01:35So he's not looking to turn this into a brawl tomorrow.
01:39He wants both the Bills and the Browns to get quality work in against each other.
01:45As he put it, today it's going to be a measuring stick for the Browns so they can see how
01:50they stack up with an elite team in the NFL.
01:53Because the Browns are the furthest thing from an elite team in the NFL.
01:58So he definitely wants the attention and the focus to be on what takes place between the lines and not
02:04any extracurricular activities.
02:08Daryl, beyond just tomorrow and even the preseason, what are your vibes when it comes to Monken?
02:14A lot of times coaches get hired because they're, to some degree, the opposite of the last guy.
02:20And I think maybe personality-wise, from the outside, I would say that they check that box here in Cleveland.
02:26Maybe that puts it mildly.
02:28What kind of feelings do you have about him?
02:31Yeah, he is the antithesis of Kevin Stefanski.
02:34You ask him a question, he gives you an answer.
02:36You may not like the answer, but he's going to give you an answer.
02:39He's not worried about being politically correct or, you know, worried about being close to the vest.
02:44Really, the only questions he tends to shy away from are directly related to player injuries.
02:50But outside of that, you ask him a question, he gives you an answer.
02:53You might not like the answer, but, well, that's just how he feels.
02:56And he's not faking it.
02:58He's not trying to put on a show.
02:59He's not trying to fake, you know, being coy and things like that.
03:04Look, I think under the circumstances, I've been really impressed with what he has done.
03:12One, it looks like a professional outfit.
03:15It operates like a professional outfit.
03:17We'll find out if it actually can play like a professional outfit.
03:21I have my doubts.
03:22But that more has to do with the quarterback that's going to be available to him than the head coach.
03:28But I was very skeptical when they hired Todd Munkin.
03:32And I have acknowledged locally just how impressed I have been and how my feelings on that whole situation have
03:42done a complete 180.
03:45And so he might be exactly what the doctor ordered for this young football team, and especially a young football
03:53team that's going to struggle from the quarterback position all season.
03:57With Darrell Reiter, well, you said a lot right there.
04:00What should be the plan?
04:02What do you think is the plan at that position?
04:04Is it Watson period or Sanders?
04:07Like, what do you think they should want to do?
04:09Well, they should start Shador Sanders, but they're not going to.
04:13They're going to start Deshaun Watson.
04:15I'm convinced of that.
04:16That decision has not been made.
04:17I want to be very clear about that.
04:18That's my opinion.
04:21But my gut has a very good batting average.
04:24So I'm going to stick with that, you know, as long as he's healthy and available, Deshaun Watson will be
04:30the week one starter.
04:31And also, too, I think they'll just be more comfortable buying some extra time for Shador Sanders to continue to
04:37develop.
04:39And kind of get his act together, so to speak, to be ready to be an NFL starter.
04:45Because, quite frankly, Shador Sanders is not ready to be an NFL starter.
04:48Now, I know his fans don't want to hear that across the country.
04:51They are a special breed of fans.
04:53I will say that.
04:55You can praise the kid for 59 minutes and 50 seconds.
04:58But it's the 10 seconds of criticism that you have them.
05:01They remember, and you're a hater, and you're a racist, and all these other things.
05:05But they should start Shador Sanders.
05:07There's more upside to him.
05:10This is a young football team.
05:11It's about growth.
05:13I just don't see any upside in starting Deshaun Watson.
05:16But this is Todd Munkin's first job as an NFL head coach.
05:19He had to wait until he was 60 years old to get it.
05:22And so I think he's going to go with a veteran.
05:25The operation before the snap is better with Deshaun Watson.
05:29But I would say the operation after the snap is better with Shador Sanders.
05:32So, yeah, it's, for my position, a no-win situation for the Cleveland Browns right now.
05:40Darrell, is it as simple as that Watson has suffered so much physical damage, even since he's been to Cleveland?
05:48I mean, that was, of course, such a controversial move in the first place.
05:51Is it, but is it deeper, or is it deeper than that, where psychologically maybe you would say that he
05:57couldn't get it back after what happened in his personal life and in Houston?
06:03I don't know.
06:03Like, to me, it could be both, and maybe that's the end of it.
06:06But I think, you know, physically, he's the shoulder and then the Achilles injury is like, I don't know, maybe
06:12there's just no hope there.
06:13I think it's a physical problem.
06:17I think he's had plenty of time to deal with the off-the-field issues.
06:26He's spent, obviously, a lot of time the last two years rehabbing injuries, first the shoulder, then Achilles tear, number
06:33one, followed by Achilles tear, number two.
06:37From my standpoint, I just don't think he can physically do it anymore.
06:42It's just how I feel about it, and it's why I'm against the Browns even putting him on the football
06:48field, because I just, I don't see the benefit.
06:50He's a sunk cost.
06:52This is the last year you have to pay him.
06:54He'll be on your salary cap books for the 27 and 28 seasons after they waive him with a post
07:00-June 1 designation next March so they can split his remaining cap charge over two years.
07:05But, yeah, I just, I don't see any upside for the Browns in starting Deshaun Watson, and it's because there,
07:12I believe, are physical limitations.
07:14This is not a situation where I think he's mentally challenged, I don't think, or drained, I should say.
07:20I don't think this is a situation where he lacks the effort or the desire or anything like that.
07:27I have repeatedly said, I give him all the credit, and he could have pocketed the full 230 and stayed
07:32away.
07:33He forced the Browns to open the 21-day practice window during the end of last season just so he
07:40could get back on the practice field and get some work.
07:44That's commendable, and then obviously he's worked really hard to put him in a position where he could go through
07:49this quarterback competition, which I do think he's going to win, and go ahead and start week one for the
07:57Browns in Jacksonville on September 13.
08:00You have, and your colleagues together, just a very qualified, interesting, inside perspective on what this last few years has
08:09been.
08:10When Watson was traded to Cleveland, my co-host at the time said, I think I'd have to quit this
08:15job if that happened here.
08:16Like, he just did not want to ever have to talk about it.
08:20And it might get, I'm asking, Daryl, like it might have become really twisted, because deep down we all want
08:28the home team to win.
08:29I mean, we don't always want to admit it, but, you know, we do.
08:31And now you've got a player that's so controversial, and, I mean, do you want to root for him?
08:37Do you want to root against him?
08:39And you're taking the fans along on a trip when it comes to this?
08:42And, I mean, I don't know.
08:44I have never, well, to put it simply, envied your position on this subject in Cleveland, because I don't know
08:51how I would want to deal with it either.
08:53You kind of, you might just, you don't have to admit it or tell me, but you might just kind
08:57of want it to be over.
09:00Well, I'll say this, you know, there is a lot more to that whole situation and the accusations and the
09:09lawsuits and whatnot
09:10that has been discussed in the public sphere, and quite frankly, you can't discuss it in the public sphere.
09:19And I'm just going to leave that part of it there that doesn't excuse the accusations or the alleged behavior
09:28by any stretch of the imagination.
09:30But, again, I just feel like there is, based on things that I have been told from various sources, there
09:36is more to the story than just what has been put out there.
09:41I will say there is this very specific reason why, when the NFL pursued their investigation and concluded their investigation,
09:50they only included four women in those, as far as the accusations, right?
09:58That's why he served the 11-game suspension.
10:01It wasn't because of the 26 or 27, I forget the specific number.
10:06It was because of the four women and the incidents related to those women that the NFL investigated.
10:14But, look, I mean, he's played 19 games since this all went down.
10:20He's not been good in the 19 games on the field that he has played.
10:25He's not looked good in practice.
10:27He's not looked good in the games.
10:29So, yeah, I mean, there is no juice worth the squeeze there with him at this point.
10:36And that's part of the reason I will acknowledge I favor just starting Shadour.
10:41Do I think Shadour Sanders is ready to be an NFL quarterback?
10:44No.
10:44I think he has the potential to be.
10:46There's a lot of upside with the kid.
10:48There's a lot to like in his game.
10:50But he's not ready.
10:51I mean, he messed up a last end-of-game situation today in practice, getting everyone set so he could
10:58spike the football properly.
10:59He messed that up.
11:01So, you know, there's a lot of work that Shadour needs to do.
11:04But I'd just rather watch that than watch a guy who's been through the injuries that he's been through,
11:10that, you know, struggles throwing the ball down the field with accuracy.
11:16I see more non-competitive throws in practice from Deshaun Watson than I do Shadour Sanders,
11:21as far as being so far off target and things like that.
11:25So, it's not a matter of whether or not I want this whole situation to be over with.
11:30It's just a matter of looking at the big picture of where the Browns are at in their roster-building
11:35process
11:36and where they are as a team and an organization.
11:40And I just think that there's more to gain by playing Shadour Sanders rather than playing Deshaun Watson.
11:47But, again, I understand why I feel like Todd Munkin is going to go with Deshaun because he's the veteran.
11:52He has the experience. He can do the pre-snap stuff that's required.
11:56And then when the thing falls apart, well, you can always turn it over to Shadour rather than,
12:02OK, you put Shadour out there before he's ready to go.
12:05And then all of a sudden, well, you find out the kid really can't do this thing.
12:09You've got to save him from himself.
12:10And now you send Deshaun in to be the mop and bucket.
12:13And that just that doesn't make a lot of sense either.
12:15So that's kind of where I am at as far as this whole situation goes and where I do believe
12:21the Browns are as well.
12:23Thank you, Daryl.
12:24The last time Watson played was October of 24.
12:28Then the next week, it seems like so long ago, but it's Jameis Winston who starts.
12:33And they upset Baltimore that year.
12:36It's kind of a big win.
12:38And then Watson has not been seen since until apparently coming up here soon, week one, as soon as week
12:45one.
12:46Quickly, last thing.
12:47How good is the Browns defense likely to be?
12:50I think they're going to be pretty good.
12:52We're going to find out tomorrow, though, OK, because they look like a top defense going against this Browns offense.
12:59I actually said in my recap video today, we're going to find out just how bad this Browns offense really
13:03is
13:04because the defense every day makes plays.
13:06They've had over 20 interceptions.
13:08This is a secondary that in the last couple of years doesn't catch the football.
13:12They haven't caught the football, haven't created the turnovers.
13:15They're doing it in training camp this year.
13:16So I'm guessing that's a good thing, but it's also a bad thing because the quarterbacks are throwing the ball
13:20over.
13:21So I am very curious to see how good they really are.
13:26I think Denzel Ward remains one of the top cornerbacks in the game.
13:30Jared Verse, that was brilliant by Andrew Berry and the Browns to get him.
13:35He's as good as advertised.
13:36He's not Miles Garrett.
13:38Nobody is.
13:39But if substitutes go, he's going to get after the quarterback and apply pressure.
13:43I really like what I've seen from the Browns defensive front.
13:46But again, is that because the Browns offensive line isn't playing well or are they that good?
13:51Tomorrow is going to be the real deal because they're going to go against that Bills offensive line.
13:55They're going to go against Josh Allen and those receivers and that potent offense.
14:00And we're going to find out real fast.
14:02Are they for real or are they good because they play against their offense every day?
14:07These practices are interesting, more interesting than the games tend to be.
14:11Enjoy it, Daryl.
14:12Thanks as always for your time.
14:14It's my pleasure.
14:15Thanks for having me.
14:15You're welcome.
14:16Daryl Ryder, 92-3, the fan in Cleveland.
14:19Sales on his way if he's not there already.
14:21And I'll ring him.
14:24Anybody say that anymore?
14:26At, no, getting head shakes all around me.
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