00:00You go into this weekend, and I don't know that one game should make a difference or
00:04not, whether it's last Sunday or this Sunday, but you get to the trade deadline, and then
00:08you start saying to yourself, can the Browns do something to fix their ills, right?
00:15Is there anything they can do to try to make this team better?
00:19If you had to prioritize and felt like you could make this team a playoff team at the
00:26trade deadline, which I think is virtually impossible in the NFL, although we did see
00:29the Bears last night, man, do they look good.
00:32Their offense is fun.
00:35So is there a move that the Browns can make or that they should be kicking around or contemplating
00:41as we head into next week to maybe take me out of this funk?
00:44Because I'm in a funk right now.
00:46What are you looking for at the trade deadline?
00:48What are you looking for them to do?
00:49Are you looking for a franchise-altering trade, or are you looking to beef things up for a
00:54playoff run?
00:56Hopefully.
00:56I don't know.
00:57Could they take another run at trying to make the offensive line better?
01:00No.
01:01I don't think you can.
01:02I don't think so.
01:03You'd have to start giving up first-round picks.
01:05I think your offensive line is what it's going to be for the rest of the year, and
01:10that is the two rookies starting, and then the guys they brought in.
01:15Zion Johnson, Elton Jenkins, Titus Howard.
01:20Now, one thing I think you could do, Andy, you tell me.
01:26If the Browns happen to think that some of their backup linemen, you know, they've now
01:33seen what this line looks like for eight games.
01:35Has it looked great?
01:38Not necessarily.
01:40Has it looked improved?
01:43Yeah, I think there have been some moments when, you know, it's coming along.
01:46Do they happen to think, and this is completely on them and their evaluations, do they think
01:54Zach Zinter is finally ready to really contribute?
01:58Do they think Luke Whipler could play center as well as Elton Jenkins?
02:05If you happen to think, could DeJuan step in and play right tackle better than Titus Howard's
02:11playing?
02:12If that's the case, you know you could peddle some of those veteran offensive linemen.
02:19You could be sellers, and with the thought of, we're not trading off assets, we're trading
02:26off players who we think we have someone to take their place who will do as well, if
02:33not better.
02:33And that's not a knock on Elton Jenkins or Titus Howard or Zion Johnson.
02:40What it is, I hope, is, okay, Zach Zinter's ready to go.
02:45Luke Whipler's ready to go.
02:47Tevin Jenkins comes back and is healthy.
02:50You know, they drafted Parker Brailsford.
02:53They think he's ready to go at center?
02:56If that's the case, is DeJuan finally ready to step in and be a starter?
03:01If that's the case, you could move a veteran offensive lineman.
03:05It might hurt your depth, but, you know, develop your practice squad, guys, and go.
03:11I'm also not saying this to poke the bear, but if you felt like, okay, that...
03:17Who's the bear, by the way?
03:19Well, I'll tell you in a second, that Sunday's loss was maybe more meaningful than just a
03:25single loss.
03:27And it was a reality, or facing a reality for the Browns saying, look, we're really not going
03:34anywhere this year?
03:35They're 5-3.
03:37You can't say that.
03:39You can't say that.
03:40Do you think there's anyone saying that?
03:43You.
03:43You think I'm the only person who thinks that?
03:46I mean, if you think that...
03:47If going somewhere is being over 500 and not making the playoffs, to me, Jeff, that's not
03:54going anywhere.
03:54Getting to the playoffs is getting somewhere.
03:56Well, they're on their way to the playoffs.
03:59The percentages...
04:00Before losing on Sunday, they were the third seed.
04:02Yeah.
04:03What are they now?
04:04I don't know.
04:05Because it's...
04:07Because we lost and no one wants to look.
04:08That's why.
04:09No, I don't...
04:11Obviously, if you win some football games, you're right back in a position to go to the
04:14playoffs.
04:16You know, Andy, this team doesn't scream playoff team.
04:19It doesn't.
04:21That doesn't mean you can't make it.
04:23They're 5-3.
04:26I don't know.
04:26You're just way more optimistic than I am today.
04:28They could come back and win on Sunday, and I could change my tune really quick.
04:31I know I can.
04:32Oh, good.
04:33But as of now, they're on the bubble.
04:35They're out.
04:36They're the eighth seed.
04:39So, I mean, and it's saying, you know, 32% chance of making the playoffs.
04:43Well, that's better than what we've had in the last couple of years.
04:46Where the Steelers, according to NFL.com, went up to 80%, almost 80%.
04:50Well, they probably should.
04:52So, I don't...
04:54To me, the accomplishment is to make the playoffs.
04:57Actually, truthfully, what I do is I ask for every year, we talk about this all the time,
05:01is to be in the position they're in right now, on the bubble, in the hunt, before the
05:08playoffs.
05:08Before you're in that last month.
05:10When you hit December.
05:11A month from now, be in the same spot.
05:13That's what I'm asking for.
05:14Go into the final month of the season with a chance to make the playoffs.
05:19And the AFC North, I think it's going to be super tough this year.
05:23Although, what's going to happen to Baltimore, now that they're, you know, trying to figure
05:28out a quarterback situation there?
05:30And who are the Bengals?
05:31Because I truthfully think the Bengals, and they're sitting at 86% in second place in the
05:37AFC North.
05:38Like, I think the Bengals are the best team in the AFC North right now.
05:42Even though they kind of lucked out at the end of the game by coming, although getting
05:47a big sack late to knock a team out of field goal range that could have won the game of
05:51regulation, I don't think that's lucky.
05:53I think that's, you know, having the players that can go out and execute what they needed
05:58to do.
05:58So, like, to me, I still like the Bengals in the AFC North.
06:02Let's see what that looks like against the Steelers here down the stretch.
06:05But I just, like, I don't have that faith in the Browns that I did even a week ago.
06:08So, now, change my mind.
06:10Change my mind.
06:11That's the beauty of this so early in the season.
06:13Well, I haven't been able to.
06:14No, you haven't.
06:15Dan?
06:15Browns can.
06:16Dan, has he changed your mind at all?
06:17Oh, hell no.
06:23It's no offense to you.
06:24I don't mean it cruelly or anything like that.
06:26It's just...
06:26I'm not saying that this team is, you know, playoff team.
06:31But right now, they have a chance.
06:33They've won five of eight games.
06:35I mean, honestly.
06:37When Jimmy Haslam said, bet the over, what'd you think?
06:41I thought, okay, over would be six.
06:44Well, one more and they're there.
06:47You go five and four the rest of the way, you're ten and seven.
06:51Goodness, that's...
06:52Is that possible?
06:53Yeah.
06:54Is it likely?
06:54I don't know.
06:55I think...
06:56I think eight wins is likely.
07:00I think nine wins is quite possible.
07:02I think ten's not out of the question.
07:06Because they've already put five in the win column.
07:09Well, the question then becomes, can you get the center of your run defense fix and can
07:13you talk to your quarterback about getting the ball out a little bit faster?
07:17Well, that might not be happening, Dan.
07:19Then you're going to be stuck every single week getting on the knife's edge and hoping
07:24that the horseshoe is still wedged in your colon.
07:25And that might get you to the playoffs.
07:28You're all about that knife.
07:28That could get you to the playoffs.
07:30Yeah.
07:32It could, but God, that's not a way you want to live life.
07:36You double up what you've done in the first eight games and the next eight games in your
07:39ten and six with one to play against the Bengals.
07:43That's not a way you want to live life.
07:46What's wrong with that?
07:46That is not a healthy way to be a productive team in the NFL.
07:51What?
07:52Winning ten games?
07:53The way that you're talking about it where it's just every single game is going to turn
07:57into, okay.
07:57Well, no, it's not.
07:58It's the fourth quarter.
07:59Does Deshaun Watson have the horseshoe wedged in his colon?
08:02Let's go.
08:03There's no question that's not the way to do it.
08:06But guess what?
08:07Teams have made the playoffs doing that.
08:10That's lovely.
08:12That's absolutely lovely.
08:14Coming from three and five wins.
08:16I'm trying to build long-term success here.
08:20That's not a way to get long-term success.
08:22Well, you're building right now.
08:24Correct.
08:24That's what you're trying to do.
08:25The arrow is pointing up with this team.
08:27They might be ahead of schedule a little bit with five wins in eight games.
08:32I think they're on schedule, if anything, because you still don't have a quarterback.
08:36Well, now that's true.
08:37That's going to be the crux of all of this.
08:39That's true.
