The Browns are heading into another season with plenty of skepticism hanging over them, and CBS Sports just poured more fuel on that fire. In its “triplet” rankings - which stack every team’s starting quarterback, running back, and top pass-catcher against the rest of the league - Cleveland landed in dead last.
That’s a brutal spot, especially when even the Miami Dolphins, after stripping their roster down so far the panel couldn’t even settle on a name for the pass-catcher spot, were ranked ahead of the Browns.
The message from the outside is pretty clear: nobody is buying Cleveland as a real threat in 2026. But the Browns will have a chance to push back through the play of Shedeur Sanders, new head coach Todd Monken, and a young group that has to come together fast if this thing is going to turn.
Sanders starting over Deshaun Watson would qualify as a surprise, but the case for it is easy enough to see. Watson’s recent play has been rough, while Sanders has shown enough flashes to suggest he deserves a longer runway. If he gets that opportunity, the Browns believe he can make something out of the weapons around him.
Quinshon Judkins is part of that equation. He faded late last season, but he still looks like a strong between-the-tackles runner and could push for 1,000 yards if he stays on the field for all 17 games. Harold Fannin Jr. also gives the offense a real jolt after emerging as one of the steals of the 2025 Draft, with enough receiving upside to project as a starting tight end for years.
Monken may be the most important piece in all of this, even if he doesn’t always get treated that way in the conversation. He just helped Lamar Jackson win an MVP, and his NFL track record points to one of the league’s better vertical passing-game minds. That matters for Sanders, who was at his best in college when he was attacking downfield with his accuracy.
If Monken and Sanders click, and if the Browns get meaningful production from Judkins, Fannin, and rookie wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, there’s at least a path to a much better offense than most people expect. The source of optimism is there. Now Cleveland has to prove it can actually put it together.
In Other News...
Browns May Be Headed For A Dillon Gabriel Outcome Fans Hate
Dillon Gabriels first Browns season has already taken a turn, and the bigger question now is what Cleveland wants his role to be going forward. The third-round pick opened the year ahead of rookie Shedeur Sanders, only to lose that spot early, and the Browns still have enough uncertainty at quarterback that keeping Gabriel around remains very much on the table.
Beat reporter Zac Jackson has pointed to a roster picture that could get crowded if Cleveland decides to carry four quarterbacks, with Gabriel part of that conversation depending on how the rest of the room performs. Rookie Taylen Green adds another layer, since his raw athleticism gives the Browns another developmental option to weigh as camp and the late-August roster crunch approach, leaving Gabriels immediate future tied to a decision the team may not be ready to make just yet. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Hit With Another Brutal National Label Before 2026 Begins
Clevelands offseason has already been defined by sweeping change, from hiring Todd Monken to reworking the offensive line around first-round pick Spencer Fano. Even with all that movement, FanSideds Jason La Canfora still slotted the Browns at No. 30 in his preseason power rankings, a reminder that outside observers are not buying the idea that a reset automatically translates into respect.
The bigger issue is that the roster still feels unfinished, with the quarterback situation unresolved and the competition expected to carry into training camp. After a year of bold decisions and a front office willing to remake key parts of the team, the Browns are still trying to convince anyone outside the building that this version is ready to be more than a placeholder in the AFC. [Read more 🡒]
A Familiar Browns Standard Just Vanished At The Worst Time
For years, the Browns could count on at least one familiar name showing up when ESPN rolled out its annual offensive line rankings. Since the top-10 interior linemen lists began in 2020, Cleveland had been represented every season, a small but meaningful sign that the teams front still carried league-wide respect even as the roster around it changed.
That run is gone in 2026, and it comes at a time when the Browns are already bracing for major turnover up front. Cleveland is expected to open Week 1 with five new offensive linemen, an overhaul that may be unprecedented in NFL history, and even the presence of established rsums on the roster was not enough to keep the streak alive. For a team that has long leaned on line play as part of its identity, the timing makes the omission feel like more than just a rankings quirk. [Read more 🡒]