Deshaun Watson’s first preseason action against the Bears left Browns fans with a mixed bag, and Terry Pluto came away with the same kind of read you’d expect from a team still sorting out its 2026 roster. The favorable buzz was real, but so were the plays that should make people pause.
One of the clearer positives came before the ball was even snapped. The Browns were cleaner with pre-snap penalties than they’d been in training camp, a sign of progress for a group trying to tighten up the details. Still, Pluto pointed out that the coaching staff has reason to keep an eye on the unforced mistakes coming from veterans who are supposed to be reliable.
Pluto also liked what Todd Monken’s new offense did against Chicago. The scheme opened up space in the short-to-intermediate game, giving Watson more workable throws and helping the Browns move within the structure they want. That didn’t mean everything was smooth, but the design did what it was supposed to do.
Shedeur Sanders added another layer to the conversation with a more aggressive approach. He completed accurate deep passes and gave the offense a different look, one that stood out in a good way. In the same game, several depth players also made a solid first impression on an NFL field, including KC Concepcion, Spencer Fano, and Denzel Boston.
Concepcion, in particular, keeps flashing as a player who can change a game fast. Pluto described him as a promising, big-play weapon who can score on both kickoff and punt returns, which gives the Browns a potential spark plug in more than one phase.
There’s also a bigger evaluation coming Thursday, when the Browns hold a controlled, full-pad scrimmage against the Bills. Pluto sees that as a valuable chance for coaches to judge one-on-one talent more accurately than they can in a normal practice setting.
A listener question pushed the quarterback discussion even further: would it make sense for the Browns to start the season with Shedeur Sanders so the pressure doesn’t pile up on Watson right away? That idea came up as part of the broader debate about how the Browns should handle the position if they want to manage expectations and keep the offense steady early.
The episode also touched on a Browns fan in Los Angeles who is still upset about the Myles Garrett trade. Pluto didn’t leave that there, though - he offered some positives about what the future could still hold.
Beyond the Browns, the Guardians got plenty of attention for all the wrong reasons. Pluto said the slump has been fueled by late-inning mistakes and bullpen problems, and he noted that the club is among MLB’s leaders in leaving runners on base. That’s a bad combination, especially when Jose Ramirez is still dealing with a lingering hand injury that has taken a toll on his power and run production.
And on the Cavaliers side, Pluto addressed the reason behind the reason the team traded Dennis Schröder last week, adding another layer to a move that already had fans asking why it happened.
The podcast also included a surprising mention of one Guardians pitcher on a Top 50 player list.
In Other News...
Cavaliers May Have Just Opened The Door To A Bigger Wing Move
The Cavaliers have already made one roster move that matters beyond the immediate backcourt shuffle, agreeing to send Dennis Schrder to Charlotte for Tre Mann. On its face, it is a guard-for-guard deal, but the larger significance is financial: Cleveland is cutting into its salary cap commitments at a moment when every bit of flexibility can help shape the next move.
That is why the chatter around a larger trade framework has started to pick up. Cleveland is still reportedly looking to move Max Strus, and there is growing speculation that a four-team deal involving the Nuggets, Clippers and Hornets could give the Cavs a path to add a bigger wing. The talks are not finalized, but the structure suggests Cleveland may have just created room to chase a more meaningful swing on the perimeter. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Offseason Suddenly Hinges On One Trade They Need Done
The Cavaliers offseason plan has narrowed in a hurry, and the search for a starting wing now appears tied to a different name after things cooled around Jonathan Kuminga. Cleveland has pivoted toward Peyton Watson in sign-and-trade talks with Denver, a move that would give the roster the kind of athletic, defensive-minded wing it has spent the summer trying to find.
Pulling it off is the tricky part. The Cavaliers are also trying to create enough financial room by moving Max Strus and Dennis Schrder, which would help make the Watson deal possible and potentially open another lane for the front offices broader plans. For a team still trying to solve its wing depth, the whole offseason could come down to whether those separate pieces can be lined up in time. [Read more 🡒]
Tre Mann Gives Cavs A Useful Option In A Bigger Roster Decision
Tre Mann has given the Cavaliers something useful to think about as they sort through their backcourt and broader roster plans. The guard has shown he can help in limited minutes with steady shooting and active defense, and that kind of two-way competence matters for a team trying to balance short-term depth with longer-term flexibility.
Mann also arrives with a contract that makes him more than a simple end-of-bench piece, giving Cleveland a movable guard option if the front office decides another part of the roster needs attention first. For now, he looks like the kind of player every contender wants to have in hand, useful enough to keep, valuable enough to include in a bigger deal if the Cavaliers decide that is the better path. [Read more 🡒]