CLEVELAND, Ohio — Since the Browns made the decision to hire Todd Monken as their next head coach, the biggest talking point has been about fixing the offense. Monken was the choice over defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in part because of his chops on that side of the ball and a proven track record of successful offenses.
Whether Monken will succeed is anyone’s guess, just like with any new head coach, but talking about fixing the offense and actually fixing the offense are two very different things.
Monken can’t do it on his own.
He comes to Cleveland with a reputation as a “players over plays” type of coach, emphasizing getting the ball in his best playmakers’ hands in ways they can be successful.
The hope is Monken’s approach will yield more fruit than what former head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense did over the last two seasons, when it felt like his system had become rigid and much of the flair that made his offenses hum, especially in 2020 and 2023, was gone.
Of course, the “players over plays” philosophy requires having the right players. Monken had Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry as headliners in Baltimore. While he was calling plays at Georgia, he had the talent of a high level SEC school at his disposal.
That’s not a mark against Monken. It’s a reminder that personnel matters just as much as scheme. Blend the two correctly and you can make some beautiful music on offense.
Fixing the offense is easy to say, but to actually do it takes hard work.
Today’s 10 takes column continues with the things the Browns need to do and the mistakes they need to avoid repeating.
2. Focus on the offensive line
This could be a big offseason for the “anything-but-a-quarterback” crowd.
The Browns, simply because of a lack of options, might have to focus on fixing everything but quarterback this offseason.
That starts up front.
Four of their five Week 1 starters on the offensive line in 2025 are free agents. The fifth, Dawand Jones, is coming off his third consecutive season-ending injury.
Left guard Joel Bitonio is once again contemplating retirement. Center Ethan Pocic suffered a season-ending Achilles injury against the Titans in Week 14. Right guard Wyatt Teller was essentially benched, rotating with Teven Jenkins over the final six weeks of the season when both were healthy. Right tackle Jack Conklin played in just eight games.
As for some of the depth on the line, Jenkins could be an option to take over at one of the guard spots. Guard Zak Zinter, a third-round pick in 2024, was a healthy scratch for much of the 2025 season. Luke Wypler was the backup center last season, but the former sixth-round pick suffered what appeared to be a serious injury in the season finale against the Bengals.
In other words, the offensive line, now led by George Warhop, considered one of the best offensive line coaches in the business, could be up for a complete remake this offseason.
It’s boring to build up the trenches, but the Browns should consider investing a good chunk of their financial resources into the unit and using multiple picks on the first two days of the draft to add young linemen.
3. Get aggressive at receiver 
Can Jerry Jeudy rebound for the Browns in 2026?Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Browns GM Andrew Berry has had success trading for wide receivers.
He acquired Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy in deals involving Day 3 draft picks. Cooper had two of the best wide receiver seasons in Browns history while Jeudy had a promising first season in Cleveland.
Jeudy’s 2025 season was disappointing, but the Browns aren’t in a position to give up on him given the immediate extension they handed him after acquiring him in 2024. He still might be able to find success away from the No. 1 receiver spotlight.
Berry, however, has always seemed to leave the wide receiver room thin and, predictably, they end up lacking playmakers at the position as the season wears on.
There should be value for them if they choose to go receiver with their second first-round pick — it’s worth noting that Berry has preferred linemen with his high first-round picks as Browns GM. There should be quality play-making available on Day 2, as well.
Just like offensive line, the Browns should enter this offseason ready to use trade assets, money and picks to beef up a wide receiver room that needs help.
4. Have a clear quarterback plan
Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson could be part of a battle for the Browns’ starting quarterback job.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
The four-man quarterback competition last season made for great content, sure, but it didn’t actually help anyone get ready to play real football games.
The winner, Joe Flacco, could have used more time on task, though he did manage well enough when he got to Cincinnati and had some weapons to work with.
Rookie Dillon Gabriel started much earlier than he should have because the Browns traded Kenny Pickett before the season started. At least Gabriel got some first-team reps during training camp.
Shedeur Sanders spent much of his spring and summer on a field by himself working with players who either wouldn’t make the team or would populate the practice squad or bottom of the roster.
The Browns can’t go into this offseason program with the same approach as last year.
There needs to be a clear pecking order and if there is a competition, it needs to be narrowed down as much as possible.
5. Make young players earn their roles
Dawand Jones started the 2025 season as the Browns’ starting left tackle, but moved back to the right side before he got hurt in Week 3.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
The Browns made two decisions with young players last year that ultimately left them short at both positions.
First, they all but handed Jones the left tackle job. Jones, to his credit, showed up in shape and ready, despite his hesitation to move to the right side, but an injury ended his season after Week 3. The Browns had moved him back to the right side for that game after two weeks on the left.
They also left the No. 2 wide receiver position open for Cedric Tillman. He showed flashes in 2024 before a concussion ended his season early, leaving an incredibly small sample size.
Tillman once again had moments in 2025, but missed four games and it is hard to say where he fits in the receiver pecking order moving forward.
Jones and Tillman should certainly be in the plans for 2026 and in the mix for starting jobs. Isaiah Bond deserves a longer look. But the Browns would do well to create as much competition as possible on the offensive side of the ball and make young players earn their roles.
6. Let’s talk Jim Schwartz
The Browns are currently doing a dance with their defensive coordinator who is under contract and not thrilled he got passed over for the head coach job.
Who can blame him for being upset? Who can blame the Browns for wanting to hire an offensive coach instead?
It has made for an awkward situation and maybe owner Jimmy Haslam’s checkbook can fix things in the immediate future, but the Browns might be wise to take some advice from a former coach of a rival team in navigating this situation.
7. Volunteers, not hostages
Among many notable Mike Tomlin-isms is the line, “We need volunteers, not hostages.”
The defensive coordinator pool is starting to dry up and it’s hard to know what jobs are out there for Schwartz if he moved on, so maybe this would end up as a marriage of convenience.
A setup like this, though, feels tenuous for an organization that hasn’t been able to manage forced pairings in the past.
What happens if the Browns get off to a slow start, especially on offense? That’s a reality for a team with quarterback questions and likely playing a lot of young players in key positions. What do Schwartz’s Thursday press conferences sound like if the record isn’t what it should be and the offense isn’t holding up its end of things? What about Myles Garrett’s friday sessions with the media?
More importantly, what happens behind the scenes?
The Browns appear to be holding firm now because Schwartz is their best option on paper.
In practice, there are scenarios where this thing could turn ugly if the Browns don’t win and we’ve seen this movie before with this team.
Let’s wrap up today with three random takes:
8. The salary cap rising north of $300 million will help the Browns free up more space, but that’s about it. They’ll have money to spend, but it doesn’t create any more advantage for them because every team will benefit from the spike.
9. Does David Njoku become the Browns’ most intriguing free agent now that Monken is here? He uses tight ends a lot and was here in 2019 with Njoku. He has struggled to stay healthy and his production has dropped, but would Monken want to keep him around with a significantly lessened workload behind Harold Fannin Jr.?
10. I’m still leaning Seattle in the Super Bowl, but the more time passes, the harder it is to go against Mike Vrabel, who I think is one of the best coaches in the league.
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