The Browns’ quarterback battle is still unresolved, but the calendar is starting to do some of the work for everyone.
According to Curtiss Brown, the starting job won’t be settled until after joint practices and the second preseason game. That leaves Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders with more time to make their cases, and a little more time for the competition to stay open.
That quarterback situation is one of several Browns storylines getting attention this weekend. Barry Shuck highlighted a former Pro Bowl running back making his case for who should open the season as Cleveland’s starter, adding another voice to the conversation around Watson and Sanders.
There’s also plenty of buzz around the younger pieces on the roster. Jared Mueller wrote that tight end Harold Fannin’s “arrow is up,” calling him a “should be a 100-catch guy,” even while placing him outside a Top 10 ranking. On the offensive line, Mueller also looked at the Browns’ depth chart and expectations, noting a remade group under new coach George Warhop and projecting 2026 for Spencer Fano and company.
Fano’s name popped up elsewhere too. The Beacon Journal described the Browns’ first-round draft pick as a “nice guy” who hides a nasty streak on the field, with testimonials about his talent coming from all over the organization, from front office executives to players.
Another Browns question heading toward 2026 centers on Quinshon Judkins. cleveland.com asked whether he can pick up where his rookie season left off after a leg injury ended his year just as he was building a case as one of the league’s most promising young running backs.
And while the Browns keep sorting out their future, Orange and Brown Report pointed to one of the team’s biggest issues for 2026: lack of depth. The outlook is upbeat overall, with a strong 2025 draft, a promising 2026 class, two first-round picks next season and more than $200 million in cash to spend, but the weaknesses are still there.
Around the NFL, the attention is shifting to the next wave of quarterbacks and playmakers. SB Nation examined what Arch Manning’s 2025 improvement says about his NFL potential, while ESPN looked at why Brock Bowers has a chance to deliver a career season in 2026 after impressing Las Vegas quarterback Kirk Cousins during the offseason program.
The Athletic also identified five offenses that could break out in 2026, including the Jaguars, Chargers and Broncos, while using the Patriots’ jump from 17 points per game in 2024 to 28.8 last season as the model. The piece pointed to Josh McDaniels’ arrival as play caller, an improved offensive line and Drake Maye’s second-year rise as the ingredients behind that surge.
In Other News...
Browns Mock Draft Teases Dream Weapon Before Another QB Gamble
A recent Tank-a-thon mock draft gave Cleveland a glimpse of what a long-awaited offensive reset could look like, and it starts with a premium pass catcher. After three quarterbacks were off the board, the Browns were projected to land Jeremiah Smith, the kind of receiver prospect who would instantly change the conversation around the roster and give the offense a centerpiece worth building around.
The quarterback question, though, was still sitting right there in the same exercise. Cleveland later used a pick acquired from the Rams in the Myles Garrett trade on Drew Mestemaker, a reminder that the search for a long-term answer under center is far from over. Mestemakers path has been anything but typical, and his rise only adds to the intrigue around a Browns offense that could use both a blue-chip target and a younger developmental option. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Defensive Tackle Room Faces A Verdict Fans Know Too Well
Training camp is the next checkpoint for a Browns defensive tackle room that looks sturdier on paper than it has in recent seasons, with Mason Graham and Maliek Collins lined up as the likely starters. The rest of the group is where the real evaluation begins, because Cleveland is trying to build more than just a serviceable rotation inside. Kalia Davis, signed this offseason, is part of that effort after being brought in to help fill the void left by Shelby Harris, while Adin Huntington gives the staff another developmental body to work with as the depth chart takes shape.
Mike Hall Jr. is the swing piece in all of it, and the Browns have to sort out whether he can become a meaningful part of the plan or remain more of a name than a factor. If the room stays healthy and the younger pieces settle in, there is a path for this group to look a lot better by 2026 than it does right now. If not, Cleveland may be back in the familiar spot of wondering whether the talent inside ever quite matches the promise. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Face An Uncomfortable Cornerback Question Right Now
Terrion Arnolds sudden availability has created an awkward football conversation around the league, and it lands in Cleveland at a time when the Browns are still sorting through their cornerback and nickel depth under new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. The former Detroit Lions draft pick was waived after his arrest in Florida, then released on bond and cleared to keep working out for NFL teams, a rare setup that leaves clubs weighing talent against everything that comes with it.
Arnold has already been in front of the Houston Texans and has more workouts lined up with the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets, which only adds to the sense that a market is forming even before any team publicly shows its hand. For the Browns, the question is less about whether another corner could help than whether this is the kind of situation they are willing to entertain at all, especially with no official interest confirmed and the off-field backdrop still hanging over the players next move. [Read more 🡒]