Cleveland Browns 2024 Season Preview | Insider Analysis with Fred Greetham

we're talking Cleveland Browns football on the RADS football network the RADS football YouTube channel and anytime we talk about the Cleveland Browns we're talking with senior analyst Fred griam of the Orange and Brown Report uh you can find that on YouTube uh Fred great talking Cleveland Browns football with you again yeah it's always good Greg should be exciting year yeah uh I'm really St my reputation to it because I've been talking up the Browns for the past few months ever since their Super Bowl odds came out a 40 to one I thought that was completely disrespectful I think we even talked about that when we came off the draft discussion uh nothing has changed there's still a lot of doubters about Deshawn Watson matter of fact once once Watson had some sort of uh little tiny injury news uh you hear people go ah here it goes here it goes go you know can't count on deshun Watson so it really is amazing uh what kind of pressure he has even though he's a very rich man but the fact is is I've been very um educated by you uh and I've used that education to let everybody know how I feel regarding how tough this kid has been not only at Cleveland but also back in his days matter of fact I was talking to um our Clemson uh Insider a couple of weeks ago and I brought this up and he's and I told him about what you had told me regarding the situation last uh when he was injured against Baltimore and he he told me about a situation when uh when Watson was playing I think South Carolina Early in his career and it was like the same thing he had like a broken this or something this and he played the whole game with it I'm like come on man this guy's tough as Nails he's getting criticized why because he's a $200 million quarterback yep you know and and it's really you know the off the field issues are still lingering you know because in the word or in eyes of the national media he never really admitted to it or really admitted to guilt um he wasn't found guilty and anything it was kind of the coure of public opinion but anyway that's the biggest thing the perception and you're right I mean I mean he doesn't get enough credit for finishing that Baltimore game and 14 of 14 let him to a comeb back win winning drive after the game it's disclosed got a fractured bone in his shoulder his throwing shoulder socket and he had a high ankle spring and so yeah you know um most people if you had 230 million the bank would probably say you know you know let's let it ride I'm not worried about it and the other thing is what started last season really got him off to the bad wrong foot was in the third game he really had a great game against the Titans he threw officially for 280 89 yards and three touchdowns or two touchdowns but he had a 40 yard touchdown to Amari Cooper call back because they inadvertent whistles said Cooper stepped out of bounds he did not but there's nothing they could do otherwise he'd had 329 yards and three touchdowns but he tried to get a first down inside the 10 and took a shot to his shoulder played the rest of the game said that it was sore and all that but never really disclosed how bad it was they didn't take an MRI till Friday night or didn't get the results till the night before they were to play the Ravens at home and he went he said well you know I think I can go well anyway in a pregame workout he couldn't throw more than 15 yards they scrapped him and on an hour and a half notice Dorian Thompson Robinson started his first NFL game at that time probably the Ravens were you know one of the best defenses in the NFL and so you know if anything he tries to play through the pain and not tell anybody about it and I think the whole year he kind of only only played six games but he would get going then he get sideline try to get going again yeah and he was shut down for the year so I've said it all off seon the Browns just need to sh Watson to stay on the field to be healthy I think if he's on the field he can at least be an average Quarterback I mean and they didn't pay him and give up what they did for him to be an average Quarterback obvious yeah but with this roster if he's just an average Quarterback yeah this team can make the playoffs as evidence five different starters last year at quarterback and they were 11 and six and made the playoffs they have a great defense they have a great support in cast I'm never going to take anything away from Joe flacko those were some of the funnest string of games that I've covered but there's a reason he was successful he dropped into a really good situation and Kevin stansky really put together a plan to suit him and he thrived prior to joining the Browns he was on the couch everybody in the NFL decided he couldn't play I think he was three and 14 in his last seven games as a starting quarterback a lot of times he wasn't in a very good situation he was with the Jets before that they weren't good that's where Watson is dropped into a very good situation if he just plays average or above average this team can make the playoffs but for them to go where they want to go he's gonna have to get up to the you know that Elite or top 12 whatever top 10 um what they what they expected from him but that gives him a season to you know to get his legs under him in the new offense and so forth so I just think more than anything you just got to stay on the field and sometimes you can't control that all right let's go ahead and uh take as we uh go through the depth chart from the arad's depth chart uh let's also uh update the 53 man roster moves uh was were there any um surprising moves not really other than Deon Foreman uh was in the initial cuts um they only had two l two running backs Jerome Ford and Pierre strong are the only two as of this morning on the roster um there is some speculation that foreman because he was a veteran wouldn't have to go through waivers and they may bring him back as soon as today but Nick chub is going to be out the first four weeks and Naim Hines um at least because they're both on the pup in the NFI but uh seak eeka he didn't play very well since he's been here but it might have be a little surprised that Andrew Barry doesn't usually part from his with his draft picks and eeka was only a third round pick a year ago in 2023 so he was initially cut they may bring him back to the practice squad if he goes on claim but because he's such a high pick some other teammate claim him that needs a nose tackle um not really couple special teams guys they signed Justin Hardy he was a pro bowl special teams guy and Tony Brown they were signed really to be special team players both of them were were released but I wouldn't be surprised if they rework a deal and try to bring them back okay Browns have a really good roster y um they had over 40 players with guaranteed contracts coming into this year so there really wasn't a lot of positions open all the rookie drafted this year made it except Jawan Briggs seventh round pick and he probably will come back on the practice squad unless he gets claimed somewhere so not not really any surprises a lot of battles you know in the preseason But ultimately the the players they feel that have the most potential and they put this together kind of with the idea that it's like a puzzle many times there's certain guys that will not get claimed where draft picks or drafted players seem to get claimed more because other teams might have had them rated highly and so that's why some lesser known names I think got waved even though they might be more ready to play now than some of the younger guys the biggest surprise obviously is the four quarterbacks they kept Tyler Huntley Dorian Thompson as well as jamus Winston and Deshawn Watson speculation they're still trying to trade one of them the most likely would be uh Tyler Huntley knowing that if you cut him he's probably just going to go back to the Ravens or some other team he was a backup and played pretty well so I think they're going to try to trade one of them as they reshuffled the roster there's no way they're going to keep four um on the roster um in fact Andrew Barry usually likes to keep only two and it bit him last year because he traded away Josh dobs in favor of DTR and DTR wasn't ready and got thrown in there and the rest was kind of History they had to go get PJ Walker to play over DTR and you know they ended up getting Flaco and and Jeff Drisco and so that's where he had five different quarterbacks so they didn't want to you know they had four in there thinking that if Watson wasn't ready coming off the shoulder you got three if somebody got injured during training camp or preseason you still got three y but they got through it with all four of them so now I think they're trying to trade one they weren't able to get it done before the 53 so I think they were hanging on to it um waiting to see after other teams do their roster if somebody say says you know huntley's a better option than what we have or there's been some speculation they might trade Winston but I think that's highly unlikely I mean then you put yourself in a position that you were in last year you know like why why take a chance you know if Watson gets hurt I think Winston would be fine unless they just are sure that Huntley or uh DTR can play as well as Winston and I guess we'll find that out um Cohen we talked about him as one of the free agents to keep an eye on after the draft picks and he's on the team right now do you think he'll stay that way uh or do you think he might be one of those players that will have to be bump to the practice squad when the season begins uh because they'll Browns pick up a player or two on I wouldn't be surprised either way again I would put him in that because the the the draft is fresh and there's a lot of teams that had Cohen on the board at least there was some I think had him projected maybe to be drafted in fourth fifth sixth rounds something like that and the Browns got him as an undrafted guy I think they paid him some guaranteed money to come to the Browns so they like him and I think they might have kept him on the 53 hoping that he wouldn't get they were afraid he'd get claimed and so they may keep him on there or they may if they have to feel like after all these other teams get swamped with all their moves they might claim somebody and let Cohen slip to the practice squad so yeah they've done it before they've kept guys on the roster they were afraid to put on waivers like Kellen M he never played for the Browns but he he was kept the whole year on the roster because they were afraid somebody would take him and there was a guy last year khif halesi um he was on the roster the whole year even though never played um he made the team again this year so obviously you know there's moving parts and again they're gauging a calculated risk who wouldn't get poached from the practice squad so good business uh all right Mike Hall what's up with Mike Hall what is he he's on what list is he on he's on the Commissioners NFL exempt list um he was charged with a domestic uh he was arrested a couple weeks ago and the original charge you know domestic violence was that he had a gun and brandished a gun with the with the fiance um since she has reportedly recanted but there's a arraignment or whatever a hearing September 10th a couple days after the the season opener so the NFL put him on the exempt list meaning he doesn't count against the roster he still gets paid but he doesn't he can't practice or play until they make a decision after they do their investigation so a lot of it'll probably be what happens with the hearing you know what the courts decide with him but yeah he was playing well in the preseason he's their top pick he was a second round pick they were expecting him in the rotation and so for right now he's kind of in limbo uh surprised when you heard that uh with the some of the uh research you've done yourself getting ready for the season on Hall uh that just came out of nowhere well with a little asterisk I on the draft day I had heard from a couple League sources that there were some character issues mostly immaturity with with holl and it's understandable he was 20 years old when he was drafted he's 21 now but um haven't seen it you know just in the locker room or talking to him or anything but you know when you're 20 21 years old you know I don't know what you can the Browns said they were comfortable with him when they drafted him when some of those character issues were brought up um so yeah hopefully he learns from this and it doesn't cost him his career yeah you know it's uh you know a lot of people thought they would immediately release him when the gun charge was involved in there um but they didn't and I think that's to their credit you have to wait for the legal process to play itself out um sometimes the court of public opinion you know we know so well today causes an uprising immediately and yeah there's some in what I read it's kind of some serious charges for sure I don't know what it means when the fiance now recants if that holds up now or what but anyway I'm sure he'll get something you know there A lot of times for a first time offense in the NFL it's something like six games you know suspension so I think they would live with that you know if that's what's deemed yeah and I think that's fair I mean if he doesn't have anything prior in his history or any any of these anybody in general and deserves a second chance and uh hopefully that second chance is all he'll need okay so uh let's uh so right now chub is really the only injury concern correct pretty much this team is healthy and ready to go yeah I mean they were counting on Naim Hines to be their returner and he's going to miss at least four games now he was going to be punt kick and also one of the running backs you know catch passing catch pass catcher um the big question is jedric Wills you know left tackle had MCL surgery Midway through the season last year most people thought that wouldn't be a big issue and he started training camp on the pup list he he just came off the pup list the day before the the roster moves were made or actually the day they were made but he was cleared to come off the pup list but he didn't practice yesterday and the coach was asked about that and he said well he's going through the walkthroughs he's cleared but he's progressing hasn't got so I don't quite understand it unless they just didn't want to keep him to miss the first four games so I don't know if he'll practice or he'll be ready to play most of us thought he would be the the one of the two tackles back and would go back to left tackle Jack Conlin was cleared and he began practicing yesterday speculation immediately is would he go to left tackle because they don't really have a left tackle other than James Hudson who sprained his ankle and missed the last preseason game so it remains to be seen you got Dean Jones who played very well as a rookie but he had knee surgery to end the season but they've kept him at right tackle all the way along and you would have thought with wills and Conlin out all training camp you would have at least tried him at left tackle but they never did so he's still at right tackle so if Conlin's the right tackle and he's healthy do you really want to put Jones back on the bench you know and use con or play Jones and use a12 million former All Pro and Jack Concklin as your swing tackle for both sides now we talked to Concklin yesterday he said he played left tackle in college he's up to play left tackle if Wills isn't ready so I have no idea you know Kevin Ani won't answer any of those questions and we don't get to watch practice anymore to see if he's taken any reps there or not I think the more Telltale will be on Wills will he return to practice before the week's out or will he return to practice you know even starting Monday in game rep I remember a few years ago JC trer the center missed all training camp showed up his first practice was the Monday before the opener on the next Sunday and he started and played the whole season so I you really don't know what is going on completely behind the scenes the only thing I'll say is they didn't seem to panic about losing their number four five and six backup tackles in a preseason game um to injury um in fact Germain aiti he was one of the three he only injured his finger so he stayed in and and he was the healthy left tackle even though he hadn't played left tackle much that started the last two preseason games at left tackle and they released him yesterday so really the only left tackle currently on the roster would be James Hudson and he's made most of his starts as a right tackle so that to me is the biggest question is who's going to play left tackle in the season opener okay speaking of the offensive line how is Andy Dickerson doing of course that's a big job big replacement uh Callahan gone now with his son have you noticed anything different regarding how the line is being coached or anything like that it's hard to notice anything you know I talked to Jack Conlin he said it's a big loss there has been some speculation you know the offensive line hasn't looked very good this preseason I mean they they scrimmaged the Vikings and Deshawn Watson of course the quarterbacks couldn't get hit but you could in one of the scrimmages you know he might have been sacked six eight times you know they just touched him but he still threw passes so but you're going without you were playing with your two tackles you know especially your left tackle was your fourth or fifth or sixth tackle on your projected depth chart and bonio was held out quite a bit and and so it's just hard to gaug it was it the whole preseason none of the projected starters played together so now you're getting into the regular season you know it's a little bit of an uncertainty but you have your inside core you know in pro bowlers Wyatt teller and Joel bonio Ethan posix so the center and the two guards are solid you got to think Dean Jones or Jack Conlin at least is going to be at right tackle and then the biggest question left tackle will you move Conlin over he's a veteran enough he hasn't played he was injured in the season opener so it's been a year since he's been on the field um you know or do you put James Hudson out there who has not looked very good he played left tackle against the Vikings and their Edge rushers ran right by him okay you know so he is only to his fairness he's only really played right tackle in the NFL he has 14 starts all at right tackle all right all right well uh that's definitely something to keep an eye on they've got a couple of weeks or almost a couple of weeks to get ready for the Dallas game so hopefully they'll start jelling sooner than later okay so let's talk about the skill positions and again with the trade of course we've already talked about uh with Judy coming over the team looks really in great shape overall with the three starting receivers with a joku at tight end um again with no chub early in the season do you think that because chub won't be there early that the Browns will end up being more of a passing team well I think that was the plan all along I think they're gonna try to set up the run with the pass um in kend dorsey's style they brought in Des Shawn Watson you know to throw the ball over the field I think they're going to play more three three and four wide receivers and and you got Cooper and the joku is probably your top two threats right now and like you said Judy was their biggest o and Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman has had a great preseason he looks really good you know and so I think that's what they're going to try to do is spread it out get the ball out into their Playmakers hands quickly and and not you know have Watson just running around for his life back there make a quick read and get the ball out but they're gonna have running back by committee I think the committee would be Jerome Ford Pierre strong and if they bring back Deontay Foreman or whoever they bring back until Nick chub's ready to go I think it's the right move with chub even though I've seen him running after practice and I saw him one day we couldn't report or video it but he looked every bit as fast as what I saw him you know in in real time in games and and this was you know at the end of July you know at the Green Brier and I've seen him since cutting and lifting weights and dragging sleds but they really need him for the Long Haul for the you know even if they getting back the before midseason the meat grinder is the second half of the season when they you know play the Bengals twice and the Ravens and the Steelers and all the AFC North that's what's going to determine the playoffs and the division and all that is after the first month so I think that they'll do a committee like they did last year Deontay Foreman I still think he'll be back and he would take the Kareem hunt role that's what they did Ford hunt and strong last year I think it would be Ford foran is the short down short yardage and he did Show Pass receiving skills as well as strong so that's what I Envision happening starting in the opener yeah because as you said that schedule is really there the taking early uh get the Cowboys at home uh also uh get to play the commanders the Giants the Raiders and we don't know what to make of the Jacksonville Jags and to tell you the truth the Eagles are the sixth game and we don't know what to make of them but those first five games Cleveland needs to at least win three to four games to get started don't you think yeah absolutely I think they just need to get themselves into a position as you know you see every year even midseason like you know teams five- seven or four- seven in the hunt you know yeah you know you can just be hovering around 500 going into the final five six games and still have a good chance with seven teams and I think you want to win the division because obviously you get HomeField advantage and a buy and those type things um last year they went down to Houston played in the dome and and were blown out it was abysmal and I think that's stuck in their craw but I don't think they were eight- one last year at home with this defense I don't think the outcome would have been the same necessarily if CJ strad rookie would have come to Cleveland to play outside you know in January with this home crowd in the second game you know or whatever it was and so that's why AF havec North I've said it you could make a case any one of these teams could win the division any one of these teams could get last place yeah it's so much about their health I mean last year I think the Bengals were favored by many to win the division Joe burrow gets hurt they get last place you know Lamar Jackson stays healthy he's MVP the previous two years he's injured they don't finish you know so you know that's what I said with the with Watson if he stays on the field I think they can be right there in the mix were 11 and six last year with five different quarterbacks yep totally agree uh got a couple more minutes with you so I just want to quickly um uh ask you for a breakout player on defense give me somebody on defense uh that could take that next step this year well that's hard really to because they had some really breakout last year yeah but I'm going to say you know some people would say he had a breakout year but Jeremiah aloa k Ola just got a long-term contract rewarded Big Time threeyear 39 million I think last year in Jim schwarz's defense he exploded he wasn't a full-time player until the second half of the season and he finished with 20 tackles for L not to mention he led the team with over a 100 tackles but I think in the second year he's going to even he's even going to be better because he just really wasn't worried about he knew what to do he saw the instinct to play like he did you saw him in highlights at ner game he would anticipate the pass to the back and he'd be there and drop him in the back field or when he blitzed he'd make a set or a short throw to a tight end he was just everywhere you need to be and I don't see why he wouldn't pick up where he left off the one bright spot in the playoff game when they were getting blown out by the Texans he really played well he had I don't know how many many tackles for loss in that playoff game and that was those didn't even count in the stats so he really did kind of to some degree have a breakout but he's going to be their full-time sideline to sideline player this year and I think that he will and I think zerius Smith you know a veteran you know in his second year he chose to come back to the Browns he had five and a half sacks I think he'll push double digits this year yeah that's uh that's five and a half that ain't going to get it done so that sounds good to me and then last question um any of these rookies uh you think could make the biggest difference uh any of them that are that have made the team so far well an offense Jamari thrash fifth round pick from Louisville very impressive Camp he was just voted the most most outstanding rookie by the media here uh he earned himself on a a spot on the team he he for the most part he's probably the fifth maybe the sixth receiver but in this spread offense and with guys getting dinged I really think he's going to have a good chance to see the field and to get in the rotation although we know rookies Cedric tman last year struggled a little bit but he showed enough that they really went in big on him and he's had an outstanding training camp so I think Jamari thrash has a chance especially in the second half of the season to make an impact on defense seventh round pick miles Harden made the team he's a slot corner and he's played outstanding he had two interceptions against the Vikings in their scrimmage and he earned the position on the team so I think that you know with Mike H status uncertain I think that those two guys probably have the chance to make the biggest impact I love it excellent job as always Fred love talking about the Browns with you again I'm gonna be behind the Browns this year this might be my prediction team so it's all up to the shot because we've already had I was on another show uh with a whole bunch of a really long time uh Hall of Fame handicappers and I was putting my input and I said uh they were going predictions I was I was asking everybody predictions for like Coach of the Year comeback Player of the Year and all this other stuff and my comeback player of the year uh was deshun Watson and uh and and I and I really mean that and and I think that uh again it just like you said it's all about staying healthy and if he stays healthy I think the Browns are a legitimate legitimate top five top six NFL Super Bowl Contender so yeah I think that they're just under the radar for like they were last year that uh you know a lot of it is because of the quarterback whether it's off the- field issues or personal issues or whatever um it is what it is it's on him he knows it he he really I think learned in that last game against Baltimore that he was hurt that he doesn't really have to do it all he has guys like David njoko Amari Cooper Nick chub soon be you know that he can really just get the ball to and not feel like he has to make all the plays and keep himself out of harms away well uh it's going to be a lot of fun looking forward to it cowboys opener by the way just wanted to nice little shout out to shamala 1887 who says hello from Germany so how about that are the Browns playing in uh over in Europe this year thank goodness no it were supposed to go to Brazil but they picked the Packers again over them to play the Eagles in the opener so they got a pass this year yeah I know how that feels you're right absolutely right thank goodness all right sounds good as always Fred I appreciate it we'll talk to you again during the season all right thanks