WFNY Roundtable: Training Camp Edition!

We are back with our Browns Weekly Roundtables! We will try to have questions set up each week of the season on a Friday getting you ready for the Browns matchups. This week, we have training camp questions that need answered.

What’s the position battle you’re most intrigued to watch play out in camp?

Seth: I’m most intrigued by the starting defensive tackle spot next to Dalvin Tomlinson. While I expect Jim Schwartz to heavily rotate the group, someone needs to separate. Despite an underwhelming start to his career, Jordan Elliott will likely be in the mix amongst Baylor rookie Siaki Ika and veteran Maurice Hurst.Andrew: I'm not sure there's a particular position battle I'm all that interested in right now, but I guess I am curious to see how the RB rotation plays out. Kareem Hunt obviously didn't have a great season last year, but he was still the guy always plugged in as the next-in-line RB. I'll be curious to see how the Browns use their rotations this year. Will we see Chubb in on more 3rd downs? Will we use more empty backfields? Will some other RB on this roster be able to step up and cement the Hunt role?Matt: The spot next to Dalvin Tomlinson at defensive tackle. Even though a lot of the group is familiar faces, under the tutelage of Jim Schwartz, there might be a new plan in place for them to excel. It’ll be DT by committee to start with, but someone will need to step up to take the majority of the reps. I look forward to how things play out for a position that needs someone to provide stability.Gerbs: I wanna see what the running back room looks like. There was lots of talk of the front office bringing in a veteran to play behind Chubb, a weirdly sourced rumor of Ezekiel Elliot, but no other moves have been made. Is it Jerome Ford's job to lose? Is the "flex" experiment with Demetric Felton done? I don't love the idea of running Chubb into the ground by having him also out there on 3rd downs, but with the shift to a more pass-heavy offense, he might not be asked to do too much.

If you could add one contributing veteran to a position group, which group would it be?

Seth: I’m going right back to the defensive tackle group. The Browns are one Dalvin Tomlinson injury away from being arguably worse than they were last season. With the losses of Perrion Winfrey and Taven Bryan, there are a meaningful number of snaps to be had and adding an average-level tackle to the room could go a long way to ensuring last year’s crippling run-stopping issues don’t haunt them again.Andrew: Definitely defensive tackle. Especially with losing Perrion Winfrey, it's the obvious position that still needs some attention.Matt: Again, Defensive Tackle is the place I would add. Despite Dalvin Tomlinson being signed in free agency, they could use one more body just to provide more depth to an already thin room. Especially with Perrion Winfrey going berserk in the middle of downtown Cleveland and getting cut in the process, they probably need an adult in the room just to provide.Gerbs: My answer would be the same as the first, running back, but I don't wanna repeat myself so I'll echo everyone else: defensive tackle. The Winfrey stuff is not great and it's obvious that more needs added there now, unless the team thought Winfrey was a possible cut anyway.

True or False. The Browns will have a top-8 scoring defense.

Seth: True. After two years of losing the turnover battle, the Browns pivot in 2023. They have the athletes to be imposing and I’m expecting big things from an attack-minded defense with new leadership at the helm. My crystal ball sees strip-sacks and tipped interceptions being forced on third and long this fall.Andrew: False. When it comes to the Browns, I've very much become a "believe it when I see it" fan. The Browns were 20th in this stat last season, and I think a jump to the Top 8 is probably too severe of a turnaround. But I do think it will be close and I won't be totally surprised if they do it. I believe there's a lot of talent on this defense and I loved the Jim Schwartz hire. So I want to be a believer, I'm just not quite there yet.Matt: I’m going to say false for now. They definitely have the talent to create more turnovers from a year ago, but it would be a massive jump. Going from 20th in the league last here to Top 8 wouldn’t be crazy but a lot of things need to go right for that to happen. So I’ll just say they’ll likely be middle-of-the-road in that category.Gerbs: False, but not for lack of trying. I can see this defense being fast fast fast on the line and blowing up some QBs, forcing fumbled and rushed throws, but I also see the offense moving up and making games a little more lopsided. There might be more garbage time TDs allowed because the offense kicked butt in the first half.

What are your expectations for Deshaun Watson this upcoming year?

Seth: Between the premier assets given up and most importantly, the turmoil the franchise and fanbase have endured the past sixteen months, expectations for Watson are sky-high. He has to be a top-5 quarterback in the AFC amongst Mahomes, Burrow, Allen, Herbert, Lawrence, Jackson, Rogers, and Wilson.Andrew: My expectations are pretty high for Watson. I felt like we saw glimpses of Watson's capabilities last year, but they were very limited in terms of how often we saw them. Most of last season felt like a throwaway year. This year, it looks and sounds like Watson is much more confident and comfortable in the organization and with his teammates. I think Watson will be trying to work his way back into the discussion as a top-10 QB in the NFL.Matt: My expectations are high for him, and I don’t think it should be a hot take. You paid him 230 million dollars last offseason and now is finally going to have a full season to prove it. In the past he was in the conversation for top 5 QBs in the league before his controversial end in Houston, so now he should have his barrings going into this season(by all reports it sounds to be true) with no distractions. I expect him to put up numbers that we haven’t seen in Cleveland at the Quarterback position, especially with the plan to open up the passing game.Gerbs: I want him to be more "dude" than "guy" if that makes sense. We were witness to two seemingly contradictory truths: practice reps matter and also there is no replacement for in-game work. When you have 700 days between games played, you're going to have rust. Watson getting in games last year was super important and will help this year immeasurably. I don't expect him to be a Top 5 QB in 2023 but I do have high hopes that we will see more of what the team paid for.

What constitutes a successful season?

Seth: Although it may not feel like it after the last two seasons, the Browns are fully entrenched in win-now mode. They must win a playoff game for the season to be considered a success to me.Andrew: I'll echo what Andrew Berry said the other day. I expect this team to compete and play hard, and I expect them to be playing their best football in the latter part of the season. I think it will be tough for the Browns to make the playoffs given the division they are in and just how loaded the AFC is in general. So my team expectations are probably lower than most, but I really just want to see signs that the team is growing and progressing. Another below .500 season sure seems like it will spark a lot of difficult changes that will essentially close this era of Browns football.Matt: Playoffs is probably where this conversation starts and ends. They’ve been putting the pieces together for the last 2-3 years including trading 3 first round picks for the QB they feel can make them playoff and Super Bowl contenders. Anything below that will probably cause changes that we as a fanbase are tired of seeing. We just want a winner, that’s where we draw the line in the sand.Gerbs: It's gotta be playoffs this year. I don't wanna say playoffs and a win, but it will go a long way in creating some goodwill with head coach Kevin Stefanski and the fans. We are starting to get to be a little jittery and want that Super Bowl berth, but I think that's looking more next year.

Predict the record of the ‘23-’24 Cleveland Browns

Seth: 11-6Andrew: When I did my week-by-week prediction when the schedule was announced, I came up with 11-6. That's probably a little optimistic. I think 9-8 is more likely. But I'm in a good mood so I'll stick with my optimistic prediction of 11-6.Matt: 10-7 at minimum and 12-5 at best. They have the talent to at least be in the conversation of contenders this year and I wouldn’t expect any less.Gerbs: Yeah, I'm gonna say 11-6. If they can do that, it's likely they are in the playoffs. 10-7, you're doing some hoping and scoreboard-watching in Week 17 and 18.