00:00There's a passion for the NFL here that not every city has.
00:04Same with Buffalo.
00:05Like, I've been fortunate to work in, like,
00:06two of the most passionate markets.
00:08They're local.
00:09They're very, like, local-based.
00:11A lot of pride in their football teams because it's all they have.
00:14Like, there's not a lot of – I mean, here we have three pro teams,
00:16but, like, in Buffalo it's like that and hockey.
00:18That's it.
00:18You know what I mean?
00:18Like, here it's like the Browns are king and they lost their team,
00:21and so there's a passion for this team and the city around their football team.
00:26You go to L.A., you know, it's an entertainment town.
00:29They got the Lakers.
00:30They got shows.
00:31They got stars.
00:33It's not quite the same.
00:34So we're lucky in that, like,
00:35there is almost like a college football field to the Browns here
00:38because people love that team so much and there's a lot of passion there.
00:42But I would still take college every single time.
00:45There's just something different about college.
00:47Well, you just said it best.
00:47That's why I never get mad when people have their opinions,
00:51which sometimes can be very, very strong on how they feel on some of my takes.
00:55For me, that's what it's all about.
00:57They're invested and they're passionate about the Browns, and I like that.
01:01I never wanted it the other way.
01:03Like we talked about with the Western Michigan thing,
01:07it's like the trolling in college football.
01:09Yeah, it's classic.
01:10You can get on people's nerves more.
01:11The NFL is, like, too buttoned up.
01:13You don't get, like, NFL teams really, like,
01:15because they're always worried about, oh, bullet to bullet material, whatever.
01:17Western Michigan is not going to play Michigan again for, like, years.
01:20So they're like, yeah, we don't care.
01:21Bail Mary is.
01:22That's really good.
01:23Yeah, and, like, if you think about the iconic moments in college football,
01:26I think those stand out sometimes more than the ones in the NFL.
01:28There's certainly some out there in the NFL, but, like, I don't know.
01:31I would take college football every time.
01:33Anyway, we are in week one, though, of the NFL season.
01:36We're all excited, obviously.
01:39And I've been thinking about this the last couple days.
01:42You know, Tom Munkin's talked a lot, Lance,
01:44about what his identity is going to be for his team
01:50and figuring that out as training camp's gone on.
01:52And I actually asked him last week, like,
01:54do you feel like you have a grasp on what you guys do well at this point?
01:58And he said, yeah, but, you know,
02:00I think I know, like, personnel-wise what we're going to look like,
02:03but some of this we won't know until we actually play games.
02:06So I'm curious from your perspective, like,
02:09what do you think we know about the Browns going into the season right now
02:16before they've even played a game?
02:17Like, what is something that you can definitively say, like,
02:19I think this is clear and obvious about this Browns team
02:22that we know is going to be something that they're good at
02:25or something that they do or a player maybe that's going to, you know,
02:30that looks like he's going to be awesome and that's going to translate.
02:32What is something you think we know definitively about the Cleveland Browns
02:35in 2026 right now?
02:35Well, I'm going to use more of a broad spectrum here.
02:38I'm going to say one is there's a level of toughness on this team.
02:41Yeah, I like that.
02:42They have had a very tough camp.
02:44And for me, that's going to get them ready to play early,
02:48not only in the season but in games, right?
02:50So they get off to a better start in first half, early drives, things like that.
02:54I think they get off to a much better start.
02:56They have been very physical throughout camp.
02:58The next thing you say, both a positive and a negative.
03:01The positive on this roster is that their front-level guys on offense,
03:06defense, and special teams are very good.
03:07I think they're very good.
03:09Defensively especially.
03:10Their top-level guys, if you look at their defensive line,
03:13linebackers and secondary, their first-level guys,
03:16their first-teamers are top-five defense.
03:19The skill set athletically on offense, they still have to go do it on offense,
03:23but athletically they're entirely so much better, but the depth may be not there.
03:29And then special teams they've addressed.
03:31So if you ask me, what do I know about this football team,
03:33they're definitely a lot tougher, and their front-level guys are very good.
03:37They're going to have to find some depth.
03:38Yeah, I like that answer a lot.
03:40I think certainly there's a lot you can point to with Todd Monk
03:42and the way he's run this camp and the way he's gotten his team prepared
03:45that I think feels like we have.
03:48When you talk about identity, I think identity from a vibe standpoint
03:53or an effort standpoint, I think that is something we certainly know.
04:00We might not know definitively identity-wise what they do well yet,
04:03but I do think that's obvious, that he's built a motivated team
04:09and a team that cares, and that's good news.
04:11From a standpoint of what they do well, I will say this.
04:14I think we know, Lance, that this team is going to be a predominantly run-first team.
04:20I think there's reasons for that.
04:21I think, A, the quarterback situation being what it is,
04:25I think Todd Monk wants to kind of lean on his run game
04:28to take some pressure off of any of these quarterbacks,
04:31whether it's Deshaun, who we might just be a game manager at this point,
04:34whether it's Shador, who's a young guy that he still feels like
04:37probably needs to develop a little bit and improve in some ways.
04:41That's why he's the backup right now.
04:42So I think that's part of it, but I think the other part of this too
04:45is just like look at history.
04:47Todd Monk in the last three years in Baltimore
04:49had a top three run game in the NFL each of the last three years.
04:54He was number one the last two years in his run game,
04:56and I get it, it's different when you have Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
05:00But there's a reason why he's talked so much about building the offensive line,
05:04dating back to the combine before they made any moves,
05:07saying, hey, our offensive line is first.
05:08That's the number one thing we've got to address.
05:10There's a reason he wanted a fullback on this team.
05:12When you have a fullback and you're adamant about keeping a fullback,
05:16you're going to run the football.
05:17Like that's the main job of a fullback is to be that lead blocker for you.
05:21So I think we know for sure that they're going to prioritize running the football.
05:26They have a really good running back in Quinshawn Judkins who's their workhorse guy.
05:29So I'm going into this expecting that to kind of be the thing that's their staple.
05:33I also think we saw some signs late in camp that joined practice with the Bills.
05:38The, you know, I think in the Bears game it got better as time went,
05:42a little bit better as the game went on.
05:44Like I think you saw them show some progress in being able to open up some of those lanes
05:48where early on in camp, and that was also a strength for them in camp.
05:51But I think like the defense had dominated early,
05:53and then they finally kind of got going.
05:55So I think the run game is absolutely going to be pivotal to everything that they do on offense.
05:58I think that's something that we certainly know about this team.
06:01Well, yeah, and you talk about the, when I think about the run game,
06:04I think about like the physicality.
06:07I also think about this offense in terms of matchups.
06:11And we talk about what does that mean?
06:12Well, it means if you only have a certain amount of really good players,
06:17and I think they've addressed that.
06:18But now they have more balance.
06:20So you think about 11 personnel, you think about three solid receivers,
06:23a really good tight end, a running back that runs vertically very well.
06:27You have Samson out of the backfield who may have had one of the better camps that,
06:31you know, I don't even talk about enough probably.
06:33So he's really good, and he'll find matchups there.
06:36There's so many things that can be, you know,
06:38you're excited because they haven't played a game yet.
06:40So for me, the reason I don't bring out schemes or anything yet,
06:43because we don't know what they're going to do well against live bullets.
06:46But we know they've prepared very, very well.
06:48We know they're pretty physical.
06:50We know they're going to try to run the ball.
06:52That's what their identity is going to be.
06:54And when you think about running the football,
06:56I also think they're going to play very complimentary football.
06:59And I've heard many people say, I don't want to hear that.
07:01That's boring.
07:02I want touchdowns.
07:03And I agree with that.
07:04But one of the ways you get touchdowns is you kick the ball.
07:08So kick return.
07:09You get it to the 30-yard line.
07:10You get a couple first downs.
07:12Now you punt it.
07:13Even if you don't score, you punt it.
07:15Now that other team has to go 90 yards.
07:17Maybe they don't get a first down.
07:19You punt it.
07:20They have to punt it.
07:21Now you have Casey Concepcion, who gets a big punt return.
07:25All of a sudden, you kick a field goal.
07:27So a lot of games are won by field goals or less.
07:30So there's so many things that's complimentary football.
07:32Play really good defense.
07:33Pick up some first downs.
07:35Flip the field.
07:36Make some big plays when they're available.
07:39Special teams are going to be, I think, special this year.
07:41There's a chance.
07:42So, yeah, there's lots to be excited about.
07:45They haven't played yet.
07:46So it's 0-0.
07:47Be excited about everything.
07:48I think there's also some level of excitement for this rookie class.
07:51I think we can say we know that these rookies are going to have a major impact on the success
07:57of the season.
07:58I got one more for you.
07:59Real quick, the opening week on 92 Through the Fan is presented by hands-free Skechers Slippins.
08:04Just step in and go.
08:05So this last one, Lance, I know I'm going to leave it on a mic drop as we go to
08:09break here.
08:10But it's something we can ask Eric Edholm about and then certainly react to on the other side.
08:14I think we know, Lance, and I know you might push back on this.
08:18But I think we know in our heart of hearts, deep down at the places we don't talk about at
08:23parties,
08:24I think we know that we're going to see more than one quarterback play start for the Browns this season.
08:30I think we can say that we know that.
