The Browns head into 2026 training camp with a roster that feels full of fresh possibilities, but also full of unanswered questions. A new coaching staff is sorting through a team expected to lean on a wave of first- and second-year players, and the next few weeks will go a long way toward shaping the season.
At the top of the list is the quarterback battle. Todd Monken is overseeing a two-man competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, with neither player having clearly separated from the other yet.
Watson last played in 2024, while Sanders went 3-4 in seven starts for the Browns in 2025. The source here makes the case plainly: Sanders should be the answer, and the Browns should move on from Watson.
The argument is that Watson has shown he is no longer the same quarterback he was in Houston and won’t generate enough wins to keep playoff hopes alive.
There’s also a bigger-picture reason Sanders matters. Cleveland needs a real evaluation of him to figure out its quarterback direction for 2027, and giving Watson the job would only cut into Sanders’ reps without providing much upside. The preseason games will serve as the clearest measuring stick before the season opener on September 13.
Up front, the Browns have torn down and rebuilt the offensive line. The 2026 offseason brought in rookies Spencer Fano, Parker Brailsford, and Austin Barber, along with newcomers Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Tevon Jenkins, and Tytus Howard. Fano, drafted ninth overall, is expected to start at left tackle, but there’s still a question about whether his arm length and size will force a move to left guard.
Center is another key puzzle piece. Brailsford was drafted out of Alabama as a center, and if he can handle the position at an NFL level, that would allow Elgton Jenkins to move to right guard, where he is seen as a better fit than at center.
The Browns don’t have a starting-caliber center on the roster otherwise, so the success of that alignment could shape the entire offense. Howard should be able to lock down right tackle, and the Browns’ fully revamped line has a chance to make the offense better if the right combination comes together.
On defense, the challenge is replacing Myles Garrett’s production after the Browns lost the single-season sack leader. Garrett had been delivering nearly 14 sacks per season with the team, and that kind of impact doesn’t disappear easily.
Maleik Collins was second on the team in 2025 with 6.5 sacks, though he’s now coming off a season-ending injury. Alex Wright had 5.5 sacks last season and is expected to start at defensive end opposite Jared Verse.
Verse arrived in the Garrett trade after winning 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and his pressure numbers are already among the best in the league. The problem is finishing plays.
Despite the pressure, he has only 12 sacks combined in two seasons. This training camp gives him another shot to turn disruption into production.
Even if the sacks don’t come in bunches, the source points out that his pressure alone can still help the Browns absorb the loss of Garrett by forcing quicker throws and letting the secondary do its job.
The Browns also have a second-year group that needs to keep building after a rookie class that was widely viewed as a success. Mason Graham has to show he can keep living up to his fifth-overall billing now that Garrett’s double teams are gone.
Carson Schwesinger will try to follow up what the source describes as a 2025 Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Quinshon Judkins, whose rookie year was interrupted by injury after a broken fibula, needs to prove he hasn’t lost a step.
Harold Fannin is aiming to build on a standout rookie season and move closer to 1,000 receiving yards.
And then there’s another batch of rookies ready to make noise. Wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston have a chance to show the Browns’ receiving room has been upgraded.
Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could add another playmaker to an already strong defense. Even sixth-round pick Taylen Green has a path to matter if his athleticism translates the way the Browns hope it can.
In Other News...
Deshaun Watson Just Reignited The Browns Camp Debate
Deshaun Watson is back at the center of the Browns camp conversation as he heads into the final year of his five-year deal, with his future in Cleveland already hanging over a quarterback battle that has little room for drift. Entering another important summer after four seasons marked by injuries and limited playtime, Watson is once again trying to position himself as the starter for the coming season while the team weighs what comes next.
Todd Monken tried to cool the early camp reaction after Watsons rough stretch in practice, saying the turnovers were more a product of good defense than bad quarterbacking. Still, every snap matters for a player in Watsons spot, and his willingness to discuss an extension only adds another layer to a situation the Browns would rather settle on the field first. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Gabriel Is Forcing His Way Into A Browns QB Battle
The Browns are carrying their quarterback competition into the second week of training camp, with the spotlight still fixed on the order of the depth chart and how the reps are being divided. Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders have been sharing the starting snaps, while rookie Dillon Gabriel has been working behind them and making the most of the chances he has been given.
Gabriels strong showings in limited work have started to register with the staff, and his route into the battle could get a little wider if that continues. Head coach Todd Monken has made it clear the job will go to whoever gives Cleveland the best chance to win in Week 1, which keeps the door open for a camp race that still feels far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Camp Is Raising One Big Question Fans Cant Ignore
Training camp is back in Berea, and for the Browns it has already settled into the familiar early-summer rhythm of shells, installation work and plenty of eyes on the quarterback room. Head coach Todd Monken is using the opening stretch to sort through a group that includes Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel, while the rest of the roster starts to take shape around a defense that, even after the Myles Garrett trade, still looks equipped with young talent and vocal leadership.
The offense has not produced a clear answer yet, which only sharpens the interest once pads come on and the competition gets real. Denzel Boston has been one of the early bright spots among the rookies, giving the Browns something to build on at wide receiver, but the larger question hanging over camp is the one Cleveland cannot avoid for long: who actually takes control when the reps start carrying more weight? [Read more 🡒]