Todd Monken arrives in Cleveland with one part of the Browns’ offense already looking better on paper: the opening quarter.
For years, Cleveland has spent too much time digging out of early deficits, a bad habit that was especially punishing without an elite quarterback. Those sluggish starts became a familiar problem under Kevin Stefanski, when the Browns often needed the first 15 minutes just to settle in and find a rhythm.
That’s where Monken’s track record stands out. NFL analyst Warren Sharp pointed out on X that Monken’s offense with the Baltimore Ravens was one of the league’s best at getting going early, a sharp contrast to what Cleveland has been dealing with.
Sharp’s numbers show the Ravens ranked fifth in first-quarter offense over the past three years, while the Browns sat 29th. The study was based on regular-season play only and measured points scored per drive in the opening quarter.
That doesn’t mean Monken automatically fixes everything the second he walks in. Football doesn’t work that cleanly, and the personnel in Cleveland is different from what he had in Baltimore.
Still, the numbers do highlight a real strength: Monken knows how to script a game and get his offense ready to play from the first snap. That matters. Fast starts can change the mood of a game, build momentum, and give a team something to lean on before the pressure starts piling up.
The Browns clearly tried to set him up to succeed. They added familiar assistant coaches and brought in players who fit what he wants to do, giving him a foundation to work with.
The quarterback situation remains unresolved, and that conversation isn’t going away no matter who starts in Week 1. But coaching and preparation still count for plenty, and Monken gives Cleveland a better chance to come out sharp than it’s had in a while.
He inherited a long list of offensive problems from the previous regime. Based on what he’s done before, slow starts should be one issue the Browns can finally put behind them in 2026.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]