00:00Our next guest doesn't just wait for football season to show up.
00:03She's been with us all year long,
00:05and she continues her excellent coverage of the Cleveland Browns on
00:09Cleveland.com, the Orange and Brown Talk podcast.
00:12And right here on the Y Sharp, right? We make it right.
00:14Call Kyle Wright hotline. Ashley Bastock is with us.
00:18Ashley, welcome back to football town. Let's get it.
00:22Oh my gosh. You guys are right. I'm here all year,
00:25but thank goodness we have some real football to talk about coming up here.
00:30Well, that's where we're going to start talking about Deshaun Watson,
00:33reasonable expectations for Deshaun on Sunday against Jacksonville.
00:37Yeah, I think that's, what's hard to kind of predict right now. And for me,
00:41I think the hardest part is just how is he going to look after these,
00:46you know, multiple season ending injuries that he had suffered. You know,
00:51I think it's not just coming back from the two Achilles.
00:53It's the fact that he's working his way back from a shoulder injury that he
00:57suffered in 2023. That is pretty rare. I mean,
01:00so rare that at the time we couldn't find another quarterback that had
01:04suffered this specific kind of fracture. So, I mean,
01:08I think right now the most realistic expectations for him knowing that are
01:12doing the game management sort of stuff.
01:15It would be like what we saw in Chicago for that two series of action that he
01:20got in that first preseason game. It's important,
01:24I think to not turn the football over.
01:26That's the most important part of managing the game.
01:29But I don't know exactly where fans should place their expectations,
01:33but I think for me,
01:34that would be considered a decent enough outing for him as they go this route.
01:40And he works his way back.
01:42Deshaun was asked about that Buffalo game. And he, in fact,
01:45he kind of seemed like he forgot about the Buffalo game for a second there.
01:48And then it was like, Oh yeah, the, the, the bills game.
01:50Does that kind of speak to the Browns job and how they've done this,
01:54where they've just tried to make him have goldfish memory and just kind of
01:58forget everything that happened.
01:59Is that even possible with someone like Deshaun and how bad that was two weeks
02:03ago?
02:04Yeah. I mean, I think so.
02:05I took it as genuinely.
02:07He was confused for a second as someone who was standing right there in that
02:11scrum when they said Buffalo game, he's like, what Buffalo game, you know,
02:14they played the bills a couple of times in recent years.
02:18So I think he genuinely didn't understand what he was being asked about,
02:22but I do think it kind of illustrated the mindset that Todd Munkin wants with
02:27these guys. But look,
02:28I do think it's an interesting question of there's a guy like Deshaun Watson
02:30capable of that.
02:31We're going to have to wait and see,
02:33because obviously that outburst after that Buffalo game and that press
02:37conference was certainly significant.
02:39And I think it's not going to be the first adversity he faces from other fan
02:44bases or even his own fan base. It's a weird situation.
02:47It's a lot for a guy to have to put in the back of his mind.
02:51But I do think that mental challenge part of it is also going to be key to his
02:57season. If he's able to hang on to the starting job,
03:00there's a lot he's going to have to contend with.
03:02So it's easy to talk about having a goldfish memory.
03:05Uh, and even forgetting today, you know,
03:07he's not had to play in a game since then. Uh, I do think, like I said,
03:11it was genuine, but there's been some space from that moment.
03:14So what's this going to be like week after week?
03:16And if he is still getting pushed back, especially from his own fans,
03:20I think that's just an unknowable thing right now,
03:22but definitely something to keep an eye on Ashley outside of quarterback.
03:26What are you most intrigued or most interested to see on Sunday from the Browns?
03:31Oh, well, I think on the offensive side of the ball,
03:34I'm most intrigued to see how this offensive line holds up.
03:39I mean, it's kind of flown under the radar, kind of not.
03:42The fact that this team has five new starters on its offensive line,
03:46they have a rookie left tackle in Spencer Fauna.
03:50We'll see if they also have a rookie guard in, uh, in Austin Barber,
03:55if he can make this late push here,
03:57or if it'll be Kevin Jenkins and that would leave Spencer as the lone rookie.
04:00So, uh, I think to me, if they can have success as an offense,
04:06and if they can score points, uh, and be explosive,
04:09so much is going to rest on this new old line and how they look together.
04:13So, uh, that to me is one of the biggest keys.
04:15And then on the other side of the ball, I'll have, I have to give you guys to,
04:18the other big key is what's this defense going to look like?
04:21Post miles Garrett and Jim Schwartz.
04:23It's a very broad question.
04:24Uh, I think we have some idea.
04:26We know it's going to be an attack front.
04:28I think there's a lot of mystery still in the secondary.
04:31And I think production-wise,
04:32they're going to have to obviously make up some sacks with no more miles here.
04:36So those are the couple of things that I'm very,
04:39very curious about and watching outside of the quarterback situation.
04:42All right, Ashley, maybe you can help me.
04:44I just feel like I don't understand Todd Muckin sometimes.
04:46Uh, Todd comes out and starts this whole thing about Talon green,
04:50potentially being the backup quarterback and gives life to that and gives air to
04:54that.
04:54And then today's like, yeah,
04:55Shador Sanders is the backup quarterback.
04:58Yeah.
04:59You know what?
04:59I do think it's,
05:00it's not a coincidence that he says that on Wednesday,
05:03when I'm assuming the Jaguars have done most of their game planning already.
05:06That's kind of the cycle of the life cycle of a game week.
05:09You do most of those things on Monday and Tuesday.
05:12So he gave them a little something extra to think about today,
05:14but what we're going to have to ask Todd on Friday,
05:16because what wasn't in that answer about Shador being the backup and he,
05:20that's what he anticipates.
05:21And obviously we know Shador Sanders is number two on the depth chart.
05:25Uh,
05:25he didn't say if Talon green would still possibly be active and if he would
05:30have a package of plays.
05:31And I'm curious if they'll answer that,
05:33or if that's not an answer,
05:35we're going to get until 90 minutes,
05:37uh,
05:38before pickoff when they release their inactives.
05:40But I mean,
05:41I do think I,
05:42I took it as,
05:43Hey,
05:44a head coach is going to go for any competitive advantage they can find.
05:48Then if he disrupted the Jaguars early week prep,
05:52even a little bit,
05:53it was probably worth it for him.
05:55All right,
05:56Ashley Denzel Ward announced as a minority owner of the guardians today.
06:00And there's been a lot of debate over what you actually get out of that.
06:03I have rather selflessly offered.
06:06If the guardians want to give me,
06:08let's say $500,000 worth of ownership.
06:10It's very noble of Nick.
06:12I will do that to open up a new Avenue of celebrity local celebrity,
06:17uh,
06:18part-time owners or sorry,
06:20partial owners,
06:20as it were call them part-time.
06:22I would be part-time very much.
06:24Uh,
06:24what does Denzel Ward get out of his minority ownership?
06:28Yeah,
06:28I think I'm really curious to see what this looks like.
06:31If it will be kind of along the lines of what we saw with miles Garrett and
06:36the calves that he sort of was this fun face.
06:38He got to sit courtside.
06:40He's obviously like promoting a little bit what they're doing.
06:43So I do kind of wonder if that's the same thing for Denzel Ward on top of
06:48what sounds like is a lot of sentimental value for him,
06:52uh,
06:53in owning the childhood baseball team that he grew up watching being part of
06:57that ownership group.
06:58Now I thought today when we talked to him,
07:00it was kind of cool to see him reflect in real time.
07:03When he got asked like,
07:04did you ever envision owning any part of any sports franchise?
07:09And he said that was something that never really crossed his mind that he
07:13wasn't thinking that big,
07:14but now he is.
07:15So I do think like the guardians get some cool promotion from a guy who,
07:19uh,
07:19is very much embedded in the city.
07:21Denzel Ward gets to be a part of that.
07:23We know he loves Cleveland.
07:24He loves Northeast Ohio.
07:26He grew up here.
07:27He went to Nordonia,
07:28went to Ohio state.
07:29So,
07:29uh,
07:30I just think it's kind of a cool story all around.
07:33And I do think it's mutually beneficial for sure.
07:36Nick is locked in is,
07:37is Jacksonville lost this weekend.
07:39He thinks the Browns take game one.
07:41Uh,
07:41I normally I'd be like,
07:42I'll give you time,
07:43Ashley.
07:43You can think about it a little bit more.
07:44We got a lot to do,
07:45but this has also been like a six month lead up.
07:47So for maybe just this week,
07:49have you already given your prediction to cleveland.com?
07:52And,
07:52uh,
07:53if not,
07:53can we hear it guys?
07:55I have not picked this game yet.
07:58So I will,
07:59I will give you a prediction.
08:00You're putting me on the spot.
08:01I haven't thought about it,
08:03but you know,
08:04I think I'm just going to go with my gut and I'm going to pick the Browns in
08:09this game.
08:11I know.
08:12I think it's not the popular pick.
08:15I think people are,
08:17you know,
08:17the Jaguars.
08:18I know I was looking,
08:19uh,
08:19for my own purposes yesterday.
08:21And I know the Jaguars this week are a popular survivor pool pick along with
08:25the chargers as they take the Cardinals,
08:28but I'm going to go with the Browns.
08:30I do think they have,
08:31you know,
08:32some competitive advantage and no one really quite knows what this defense is
08:35going to look like,
08:36how Mike Rutenberg is going to call a defense.
08:39I think that's going to help them.
08:40I'm kind of relying on some Deshaun Watson vintage performance against the
08:45Jaguars.
08:45He's trying to go eight and no against them for his career here.
08:49He's never lost.
08:50There's very familiar with ever bank field.
08:53So,
08:53uh,
08:54I think maybe this offense with the rookies too,
08:56has a chance to surprise some people.
08:58So I am going to pick the Browns for right now.
09:00I'm going to say weirdest score 26 to 24,
09:0526.
09:06I will take 26.
09:07I'll bet that though.
09:08Now is that involve a safety in there somewhere or like a missed extra point?
09:13Yeah,
09:14maybe let's go with the mixed extra point,
09:16but they did a missed extra point.
09:17They did have a safety.
09:18Of course,
09:18the last time they played there,
09:20but Alex Wright won't be on the field to try to do that again.
09:22So it's a tough ask.
09:25I think Ashley,
09:26what do you consider to be the Browns X factor in 2026?
09:30Ooh,
09:31the Browns X factor,
09:33you know,
09:33I'm going to go with if they can get defensive production without miles
09:39Garrett.
09:40I think especially that production upfront to me,
09:42that's so important.
09:43Uh,
09:44just because this defense has been elite really for the large majority of the
09:50last three years,
09:51they've led the NFL in numerous statistical categories in that timeframe and
09:56losing miles Garrett is a big deal,
09:58right?
09:59And you're going to need to be able to successfully get to the quarterback.
10:02And I think give a young offense,
10:04some breathing room.
10:05So that to me is very,
10:07very important for this team's offensive success is if the defense can
10:11sustain some semblance of the production they were at over the last three
10:16years.
10:17Uh,
10:17you know,
10:18it's funny.
10:18Munkin was talking about him doing the,
10:20uh,
10:21like the intro before the game and then trying to get everyone fired up.
10:24And then he was,
10:25he was,
10:25he was saying to himself,
10:26he's like,
10:26well,
10:26I want to,
10:27I was trying to figure out what Harbaugh does,
10:28but I was always in,
10:29I went up to the box.
10:30So I never really saw what Harbaugh does.
10:32And I was asking what Harbaugh does.
10:33And then I was thinking about the team captain side of things where he did
10:36the same thing that the Ravens did last year.
10:38Only a couple of teams in the NFL do where they go week by week instead.
10:41And I just,
10:42a part of me wonders,
10:42are we getting a little bit too much of a Harbaugh clone?
10:45So to speak,
10:45do you feel like Munkins may be adopting too much from Harbaugh,
10:48if that's even such a thing?
10:50I don't think so.
10:51I don't,
10:51I honestly don't really think it's that much of a thing.
10:54And I do think John Harbaugh is a great coach.
10:56So it's unsurprising.
10:58He's had a ton of influence on the guy who was his coordinator the last three
11:03years and who he wanted to be his offensive coordinator in New York.
11:07So I don't think it's too much like John Harbaugh,
11:09but that just,
11:11maybe I'm just being too nice to John Harbaugh.
11:12And I'm sure some Raven fans over the last few years would have some things to
11:16say about that.
11:17And some of the decisions those two made together,
11:19but I think there are worse people to emulate for sure.
11:22Ashley,
11:23I can't recall if you follow me on Tik TOK at Nick Wilson says,
11:28Tik TOK.
11:29I almost said,
11:29but I did put out my division predictions today.
11:35And at the bottom,
11:36the bottom of my predictions,
11:37it seems to be where I've incensed the most amount of people.
11:41Browns fans are furious that I've called for this to be an eight and nine,
11:46eight and nine team.
11:47Whereas Steelers fans are furious that I have them at seven and 10.
11:51So I will ask you,
11:53what is the hotter take?
11:55The Browns are eight and nine or the Steelers at seven and 10.
11:59I mean,
12:00maybe I'm just too close to the Brown side of things,
12:03but I do feel like the Browns at eight,
12:06nine is the hotter take.
12:07Like I've said on here before that eight wins is kind of my feeling for this
12:13team right now,
12:14that everything we've seen,
12:15I think that means everything's going right.
12:17You're getting really serviceable quarterback play.
12:20Uh,
12:20your lines are staying healthy.
12:22All of those things.
12:23We had Ashley Wilson on board here.
12:25Uh,
12:25week one,
12:26win eight wins.
12:27My goodness.
12:28I didn't,
12:29I swear.
12:30I didn't watch Nick's tick tock either.
12:31So I've been put on the spot here today and we're just,
12:34I don't know,
12:35thinking along the same lines,
12:36I guess,
12:37but I think the Browns at eight wins is a very,
12:39very hot take.
12:39I mean,
12:40the Vegas line has them at five and a half still,
12:42I think.
12:42So how can that not be the hotter take?
12:44Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
12:47I heard that somewhere once.
12:48Hmm.
12:49Yeah.
12:50All right,
12:50Ashley.
12:51Great stuff.
12:51We appreciate you.
12:52I'm excited to have a football back and excited to keep talking about it
12:56all football season long.
12:57All right.
12:58Thanks guys.
