Todd Monken inherited a Browns team built for competition, and that’s exactly how he’s treating training camp.
When Monken was hired as Cleveland’s head coach in January, he walked into one of the NFL’s youngest rosters and a front office that had already leaned hard into the youth movement. General manager Andrew Berry’s approach has only accelerated, especially after the June 1 trade of Myles Garrett left the franchise positioned with an eye toward the future.
But Monken hasn’t framed 2026 as a throwaway season. His message since arriving in Berea has stayed steady: the Browns may look young, but they still have enough talent and the right mindset to make this year matter for more than just the 2027 NFL Draft.
That’s why the weeks leading into camp are loaded with intrigue. Cleveland’s offseason churn - a wave of young arrivals paired with the departure of veteran players whose contracts expired at the start of the new league year - has opened the door to a long list of unsettled jobs. From quarterback to nickel corner to punt returner, there are enough competitions to fill out a full camp notebook.
With training camp set to begin on July 28, here are 12 Dawg Fights to keep an eye on:
EDGE4 - Tuesday, July 7
Nickel - Wednesday, July 8
RG - Thursday, July 9
Center - Monday, July 13
Swing tackle - Tuesday, July 14
WR5 - Wednesday, July 15
RB3 - Thursday, July 16
TE2 - Monday, July 20
ILB3 - Tuesday, July 21
Punt returner - Wednesday, July 22
QB3 - Thursday, July 23
Bubble Tracker - Monday, July 27
53-man roster projection - Tuesday, Jul 28
The obvious headline battle is the one at quarterback, where Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will draw the most attention. But that’s only part of the picture. There are other spots that could shape the roster just as much, including the inside linebacker job next to Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams, plus the search for Harold Fannin Jr.’s running mate at tight end.
Over the next several weeks, those are the kinds of fights that will define Cleveland’s camp. And in a roster this young, the margins matter.
In Other News...
Browns Still Have One Defensive Hole Andrew Berry Cant Ignore
The Browns addressed one cornerback need when they sent Greg Newsome II to Jacksonville for Tyson Campbell and draft pick swaps in October, but the move did not solve everything in Clevelands secondary. The bigger lingering issue is at nickel corner, where the team still does not have a clear starter and may need to keep searching if it wants the back end of the defense to feel settled.
That search could push Andrew Berry toward the trade market, with former Pro Bowler Kenny Moore II and Denvers JaQuan McMillian among the names being discussed. McMillians situation is especially intriguing because he is under a restricted free agent tender, which could make him available if the Browns are willing to pay up, and Cleveland has the kind of future draft capital that could get a conversation started. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Just Got A New Reason To Believe In Jared Verse
Jeremy Fowlers latest poll of league scouts and executives offered a useful snapshot of where Jared Verse stands as he settles into the Browns long-view plan after the Myles Garrett trade. Verse was the top honorable mention in the pass-rusher rankings, a sign that evaluators already see him as one of the leagues rising edge threats even if he did not crack the top 10.
For Cleveland, that kind of recognition matters because the trade was always about betting on upside and timeline as much as present-day production. Garrett still sits at the top of the position, but Verses profile gives the Browns another reason to believe the move could pay off down the road, especially if his game keeps expanding the way scouts expect. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Just Gave Browns Fans A New Reason To Doubt Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers is already offering a glimpse of what Pittsburghs offense might look like under Mike McCarthy, and for Browns fans, it sounds a lot like familiar territory. Rodgers said the Steelers will be running mostly the same ideas he and McCarthy used together before, just with different terminology, which matters because Clevelands defense has a track record of making that kind of quick-passing, timing-based attack uncomfortable.
Thats the part Browns fans can latch onto as the teams head into 2026 with new head coaches on both sidelines. Pittsburgh has tried to give Rodgers more help with Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf, but the bigger questions still hang over an aging quarterback, an unproven offensive line and McCarthys ability to manage it all. Cleveland, even after losing Myles Garrett, still looks built to make the Steelers work for every clean throw, and that should keep this matchup interesting. [Read more 🡒]