CLEVELAND, Ohio (TheOBR.com) Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans! Good morning on a not-so-random Tuesday, as the voters head to the polls and the Browns look to the future and possibly make a deal or two at today’s trade deadline. There’s some new stuff in Rumor Central, and keep an eye on that forum and Ask the Insiders as we react to news and the usual craziness today.
THE DAILY BLOVIATION
I’m going to be all over the place as there’s a lot going on.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski handed off play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator mid-season for the second straight year at the bye week. There seems to be someone out there keeping track of every weird stat, but I don’t think there’s a site tracking mid-season play-calling handoffs. If there were, I’m guessing they would tell us that this situation is pretty unique.The decision to hand off play-calling has some speculating that it’s a desperation move by Stefanski to hold onto his job. I agree with the OBR’s Pete Smith, who argues that if Stefanski were really concerned about his career longevity, he would hold onto play-calling duties for dear life, making sure that he was in control of his own destiny.I don’t expect the shift in play-callers to make much difference in terms of the offensive product. It’s more a matter of who says what on headsets as they decide on the call, since Rees has been deeply involved in it all year. Hopefully, it allows Stefanski to spend more time focusing on game management and coaching up players on both sides of the ball.Mike Hall freaked some people out, including me, when he briefly posted the word “Trade…” on Twitter, only to delete it minutes later. For a team aiming at 2026 and 2027, dealing off a young player on a rookie contract makes very little sense unless the return is an overpayment. While Hall has been injured and made less critical by the emergence of Maliek Collins, dealing off a second-round pick would need to bring some serious assets in return. We haven’t heard any buzz from inside the organization about trading Hall, but these things can happen at the last minute. I would look skeptically at anyone touting that a trade is likely. But clicks being what they are, I’m sure the story will continue today.Then, of course, Jerry Jones goes and teases a trade before the deadline. The Browns have certainly been talking to Dallas, and why not? Jones, playing GM because he can, has made idiotic trades before. This just added to the noise around Hall..The good news that the team has gotten recently is that Cedric Tillman appears healthy once again and is practicing. Tillman gives Dillon Gabriel a bigger target to throw to, and can help Isaiah Bond out by dropping him down the priority list for defensive backs. Tillman snagged a couple of touchdowns before he got hurt, and re-adding a wide receiver shown capable of catching the ball in the end zone is a plus for this offense. My expectations are limited, however, but Tillman’s return can’t hurt.One of our fine local beat corps wrote yesterday that “the last nine games appear pivotal for Berry and Stefanski to keep their jobs. I’m not buying into this, as I noted yesterday with respect to Andrew Berry, as I don’t think the Browns’ brain trust is behaving in ways that suggest they feel an urgency to keep their jobs. It’s only an option if the wheels fall off and the season descends into chaos, and I suspect that won’t happen to a degree that threatens Stefanski.(Drumroll) Here are the Bye Week Webdork Awards:
PLAYER I’M MOST EXCITED ABOUT: QB Shedeur Sanders. Yes, I know, I’ve been advocating for Dillon Gabriel to get a little more time, but I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what Sanders can do and what progress he’s made working behind the scenes. If Sanders proves himself capable enough that the Browns can skip on a high-first-round quarterback pick, the ripple effects are tremendous. The odds against that are high, but Sanders does have potential if he can correct the flaws of his college game.
PLAYER I’M MOST SURPRISED BY: DT Maliek Collins. He might be overshadowed on the defensive line by a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and a high-first-round rookie, but Collins is turning in a Pro Bowl season. I had no expectations for this when Andrew Berry signed his, and I thought he was mostly a placeholder for Mike Hall. He’s been a revelation.
PLAYER I’M MOST WORRIED ABOUT: WR Jerry Jeudy. He’s posted a very steep drop-off, which doesn’t mean he’s not getting open, but he’s dropping the ball in situations where he is targeted. He needs to get into a groove, which seems difficult given the team’s play-action issue, as the run game has faltered, and he is working with a rookie quarterback who has his own struggles. The conditions are not good for him to turn it around. Here’s hoping.
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
Trey Wingo: ESPN’s Shedeur Sanders coverage has been ’embarrassing’ – (awfulannouncing.com)
CLEVELAND BROWNS GOODIES
BROWNS VIDEOS
The Gang of Three: Bye-Bye Week – (youtube.com)
Cleveland Browns Two-Minute Practice Check-In: 11/3/25 – (youtube.com)
Browns 3D-Stefanski passes play calling onto Tommy Rees – (youtube.com)
BROWNS ARTICLES
Cleveland Browns 2026 Age Guardrails Draft Board November – WRITER
Browns Kevin Stefanski Turns over Play Calling Duties to OC Tommy Rees – WRITER
Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 113 The Architect for Better or Worse – WRITER
BROWNS MESSAGE BOARD POSTS
Dillon will play more freer and better?
Would a team play a player they are possibly gonna move?
Dillon will play more freer and better?
Offensive Tackle Problem Proposed Resolution
Offensive Tackle Problem Proposed Resolution
Is it likely we see more trades?
Why so many bad teams this year?
Record 68 Yard Field Goal by Jags vs Raiders
Back from the Bye: Fred Greetham on WTAM
Hope! Browns with a record of 2-6
LiveWire Thread for 113 – Twitter, Article, Videos
THE LIFTPositive news from the world of sports and beyond…
NYC’s first ‘free food vending machine’ dispenses eggs and fresh produce to people in need – (goodgoodgood.co)
I have a bad relationship with vending machines. They contain things I want and shouldn’t have, and make them easily accessible. Back in the old days, you had to have enough cash or coins on you to quickly snag a Snickers bar when no one was watching, but now they have credit card attachments, so the logistics of eating badly are greatly simplified. I am very, very happy to be working from home, where such temptations require driving a car somewhere.
In New York, a charitable group has set up a free vending machine with more nutritionally useful items available for anyone who needs them. There are still people in the US who can’t get enough to eat, and this is a great example of people cleverly filling the gap. Good work.
WRAPPING UP
When not finding himself now obsessed with buying a candy bar, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled.
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