The Cleveland Browns are heading into training camp with a young roster that’s drawing real attention around the league, and the biggest question hanging over all of it is still the same one: what happens at quarterback?
That tension sits at the center of the Browns’ summer story. On one hand, the roster’s youth movement has put the team in a strong place overall.
On the other, the QB situation remains unsettled, with Deshaun Watson trying to hold off Shedeur Sanders for the starting job. At the end of voluntary minicamp in April, Watson had the edge in the two-way competition and the inside track to win the job because of his experience, his three-time Pro Bowl pedigree, and his better command of Todd Monken’s new offense heading into the offseason program.
Sanders, though, has made the race interesting. He gained ground during the offseason program, even if it may not be enough to stop Watson from opening the season as the starter.
Elsewhere on the roster, the Browns’ youth is being viewed as a major strength. As the team gets ready to open training camp, survey responses from NFL executives, scouts, and coaches point to a young core that already includes a lot of quality players. That’s a sharp turnaround for a roster that has moved up more than 20 spots in a year in those rankings.
A big part of that shift comes from the way general manager Andrew Berry has built the team through the draft. Players drafted in 2025 have not just made the roster - several have become starters and produced right away. The hope now is that the 2026 draft class can follow the same path.
That younger talent is showing up in specific position groups too. One area getting close attention is linebacker, where Carson Schwesinger is being looked at as a rising player who could take another step. The Browns will hold their first full-squad training camp practice on July 29, and the linebackers preview around the team describes the group as one being rebuilt around one of the best young talents in the NFL.
There’s also been plenty to like about the Browns’ offseason beyond the roster age. In the spirit of summer optimism, five moves from the offseason were singled out as reasons for fans to feel better about where things stand.
And while training camp is about what happens now, the Browns also have a little history in the mix. The origins of training camp go back to a simple idea: getting players back in shape after a long offseason away from the game.
Back then, players and coaches often had offseason jobs, including Vince Lombardi, who worked as an executive in a New York bank when he was the offensive coordinator with the New York Football Giants. He almost stayed there.
In Other News...
Browns 53 Man Projection Leaves One Camp Battle Feeling Wide Open
Rookies reported to Browns training camp on July 23, with veterans due by the following Tuesday, and that timing has already turned the early roster conversation into one of the first real tests of the summer. A fresh 53-man projection is out as well, laying out how the offense, defense and special teams could stack up after a busy stretch of change, and it gives a useful snapshot of where the roster stands before the pads even come on.
What makes the exercise especially interesting is how much room still seems to exist for one of the camp battles to swing either way. The projection reflects recent roster movement and invites a closer look at who is in, who is out and which position groups still feel unsettled, leaving Browns fans with plenty to debate as the full group gets into camp and the competition starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Monken Could Finally End One Browns Habit Fans Hate
Todd Monkens arrival as the Browns offensive coordinator brings a familiar question with it: can Cleveland finally stop digging itself into an early hole? Monkens Baltimore offense was one of the leagues better first-quarter units, and that matters in a place where slow starts have become part of the frustration around the offense. The personnel and the circumstances are different now, but the hope is simple enough - a cleaner opening script and better preparation could change the tone of games before the Browns are forced to chase them.
Clevelands problem has not been a lack of late-game effort so much as a habit of spending the first quarter trying to catch up, and thats the kind of trend a coordinator can influence quickly. Monken does not need to turn every opening drive into a touchdown to make a difference, but if his approach carries over the way it did in Baltimore, the Browns may finally have a chance to look like a team that starts on time instead of one that is always playing from behind. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Berrys Biggest Browns Draft Gamble Is About To Be Exposed
Andrew Berry has spent the last several drafts trying to reshape Clevelands roster, and the offensive line is where that work is about to be judged most closely. Since 2025, the Browns general manager has added 17 players, with roughly half of them projected to be Week 1 starters in 2026, but the line remains the clearest stress point because the team is still sorting through depth, veteran uncertainty and a group of rookies expected to carry real responsibility.
Spencer Fano, Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford are all being counted on to help stabilize that rebuild, which is a lot to ask of first-year players in a room where several veterans are already on shaky ground. Even one recent 53-man projection had a couple of established linemen on the outside looking in, while a reshaped contract for Dawand Jones showed just how much roster maneuvering is still going on behind the scenes, leaving Berrys biggest gamble on the line far from settled. [Read more 🡒]