The Browns found their left tackle of the future, but they may be easing off the gas a little too early.
Spencer Fano arrived with the kind of pedigree Cleveland wanted, the top-rated offensive lineman in the Class of 2026 and the team’s first of two first-round picks. On paper, that looked like a clean fit for a club searching for stability on the edge. In camp, though, the Browns have taken a slower route, splitting first-team snaps between Fano and Dawand Jones at left tackle over the first couple of days.
That approach is familiar enough for a rookie, even one taken in the first round. But this is one of those cases where caution may be costing the Browns valuable time. Fano needs reps, and he needs them now.
Head coach Todd Monken made it clear that the rotation will continue. He said the rookies have to prove themselves before they’re handed jobs, even ones with the draft status Fano carries.
“I don’t think it’s fair that every day a young player, unless they’ve proven it, goes with the ones, even as highly drafted as Spencer was,” Monken told Cleveland Browns Daily. “The same with the wideouts.
They’ve got to earn it. And they’ve all done a great job.”
That logic makes sense in a vacuum. It’s a development-first stance, and Monken is applying the same standard with the likes of KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
But the Browns’ offensive line isn’t operating in a vacuum. It’s brand-new, and the only way that unit gets sharp is by building chemistry through repetition.
That’s where the concern comes in. The Browns don’t need to slow-play every piece of this.
They need the starting group working together as much as possible, because offensive line play is all about timing, communication, and trust. Every snap matters.
There are also the questions that followed Fano into the league. Some scouts and analysts worried about his short arms and wondered whether he’d wind up being a better fit on the interior.
Others questioned how quickly he’d adjust to the left side after spending most of his college career at right tackle. Those doubts won’t disappear until he’s tested against NFL competition.
And that’s exactly why the Browns should be leaning into his first-team work, not trimming it back. The only real way to learn what Fano is is to put him with the starters and let the tape tell the story.
Jones is part of the picture, but the situation around him is different. The source of the issue isn’t whether he can contribute; it’s that he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. In that light, the Browns should be thinking about Jones as someone competing for a roster spot, not the job at left tackle.
To be fair, it’s still early. Training camp is just getting started, and it’s difficult to picture Fano being anywhere but with the starters by Week 1. He’s already getting a chance to go against Jared Verse in practice, which is no small thing.
Still, the Browns can’t evaluate this position in isolation. Fano is trying to get in sync with four new teammates, and they all need to be on the same page by Sept.
- Right now, the safest path may be the one that gives him the most first-team reps, not the fewest.
In Other News...
Browns Quarterback Battle Just Became A Bigger Deshaun Watson Question
The Browns quarterback situation already had enough intrigue with Deshaun Watson working through early training camp and rookie Shedeur Sanders trying to make his case, but it picked up another layer when former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum floated a different direction on the Pat McAfee Show. His suggestion was simple enough: Cleveland should at least consider Sanders as the starter instead of continuing to treat Watson as the obvious answer, especially with Watson in the final year of his contract and the team still sorting out its long-term plan under center.
Sanders has the recent college experience and a small sample of pro-style pressure already behind him, having started seven games and gone 3-4, while Watsons status only gets more complicated as Browns coach Todd Monken works toward naming a starter soon. Monken has said the decision is coming, though he has not attached a firm timeline, and that leaves Cleveland in the kind of quarterback limbo where every practice rep seems to matter a little more than the last. [Read more 🡒]
Browns QB Battle Took A Sloppy Turn At Camp Friday
The Browns fourth training-camp practice on Aug. 1 offered another look at a quarterback competition that is still very much taking shape, with Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders both meeting with reporters before taking the field. The session had the usual camp mix of red-zone work, line play and player evaluation, but it also came with some early reminders that this is still a team sorting through rotation, health and execution as the quarterback battle unfolds.
Fridays work did produce some brighter notes, with defensive lineman Mason Graham drawing attention for a strong showing, but the overall tone of the practice was uneven. Several players were absent or limited, including guard Teven Jenkins, and the quarterbacks had their share of rough moments in a session that kept the focus on how quickly this offense can clean up the details while the competition remains open. [Read more 🡒]