CLEVELAND, Ohio (TheOBR.com) Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
THE DAILY BLOVIATION
Well, I said yesterday that it’s getting weird out there, and it is. If anything, it’s getting weirder.
Let’s start with the news that actually matters: Wyatt Teller looks to be gone (Cooler discussion). The 31-year-old guard posted an emotional farewell to Cleveland on social media yesterday, effectively closing the book on seven seasons and three Pro Bowls in orange and brown. Teller wrote that he “wish[es] things were different and this is hard to put into words,” which, frankly, sums up life and aging in general.
Nothing lasts forever, not even you and me, and the short careers of NFL players are no different. Teller had a terrific run in Cleveland, but it had to end at some point, and now it will as the Browns look to become younger and cheaper on the offensive line.
Teller played out the final year of his four-year, $56 million contract last season, starting 101 games for Cleveland since arriving via trade from Buffalo in 2019. He was one of the only members of the front five to start all 17 games last season, playing the vast majority of offensive snaps while injuries ravaged everyone around him. Unfortunately, he ended the season in Week 17 with a calf injury himself and was placed on season-ending IR on New Year’s Eve. And now he’s limping into free agency, leaving the Browns with a gaping hole at guard.
The Browns’ situation on the offensive line is pretty grim at this point, with Joel Bitonio potentially retiring, Teller as good as gone, Cam Robinson heading to free agency, Pocic doing the same while dealing with injury, and Jack Conklin both a free agent and so injury-prone that it’s a surprise when he’s able to play. The team has some interesting young players (Dawand Jones, Luke Wypler, K.T. Leveston) who could potentially step in, but Jones is injury-prone, and both Wypler and Leveston are unproven.
So, Andrew Berry has his work cut out for him.
So naturally — naturally — the big conversation this week is about trading for C.J. Stroud.
I’m holding Todd McShay accountable here. He floated the idea on his podcast, saying the Browns could pursue a blockbuster trade for the Texans quarterback, whose value has cratered after back-to-back years of declining production and a disastrous playoff performance (seven turnovers in two games). Local media ran with it. People are actually debating whether Cleveland should send the No. 24 pick and Dillon Gabriel to Houston for a QB whose own fanbase was calling for his backup. Some have even suggested the Browns trade the sixth pick.
Here’s the thing: I get it. The quarterback position is a black hole, and when you’re desperate, you start floating ideas that make zero sense on paper. Plus, it’s the offseason, and people are desperate for content to get their beloved clicks and listeners and try to stay in business. QB rumors sell. In fact, I think I’ll use Stroud as my photo for this story. Maybe that will lure some people on Xitter over to read this silliness. I’m quite the marketing strategist.
Regardless, the notion of C.J. Stroud starting over in a new spot has some intrigue to it, but nowhere near the cost it’s likely to incur. The notion of C.J. Stroud running for his life behind a makeshift offensive line dampens that intrigue quite a great deal. Plus, the Texans don’t seem eager to let him go.
Down in Houston, the legendary beat writer John McClain of the Houston Chronicle has now publicly declared that he will walk naked through the streets of town if the Texans trade Stroud. Since McClain is aged and somewhat larger than normal (like me), I don’t think that this is an outcome that the citizens of Houston are likely to welcome. The notion of my being naked and walking through the streets of Cleveland is as big a nightmare for me as it is for the innocent citizens of Northeast Ohio. (Shudder). I will make no such pronouncements, being as it would be Mutual Assured Destruction for my ego and your eyeballs.
Yep, it’s getting weird out there, folks. Buckle up.
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
OBR GOODIES
OBR ARTICLES
– Two Day Three Wide Receivers that Could Be Good Values for Cleveland Browns – Pete
– Cleveland Browns News and Rumors 2/18/26: It’s Getting Weird Out There – Barry
FROM THE FORUMS
– What is the overall feeling of Rutenberg’s plans for d staff?
– Lane
– JOK
– Question for lane- Qb1 not on the roster?
– Question to lane- adding quality pass catchers
– Pete: Day Three WRs follow up
– Is Red Murdock a good day 3 selection?
– Barry ,how do i attach a photo to a reply?
– Offseason outlook WR follow up
– Where would Rutenberg possibly make changes to the def staff?
– When it comes to The Haslam Corruption Dome
– Richie Incognito “Bullygate”/Shannon Sharpe Stephen A. Smith
– The best draft prospect list
– Sounds like Wyatt Teller is gone.
– Trade idea floated Jags OT: Walker Little
– OT: Stats and pics of the D Day fleet
– LiveWire Thread for 2/18 – Twitter, Video, Articles
– No Dog or Cat? Post a pic of?
THE LIFT
Positive news from the world of sports and beyond…
Why organisms are more than machines
I tell people that artificial intelligence is only scary in careless hands. AI models often do things their human controllers don’t intend. In the wrong hands, or lazy hands, yes, it can be dangerous. For most of us, though, it can be a useful tool, but not a replacement for human beings. So, I’m not panicking about AIs becoming sentient, hating their masters, and taking over the world. I do think the jobs of tomorrow will look very different from those of today, so if you want to be scared about something, try that on for size.
These “models” are just a well-trained imitation of how brains work and break down problems. You’re not getting Andy Reid, you’re getting Frank Caliendo imitating Andy Reid. It’s useful, but if you think it has a soul, you’re wrong.
At best, it’s a well-drawn Bob Ross painting of little trees. The trees are not happy, or anything else.
WRAPPING UP
When not making sure he’s fully clothed, 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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