Browns predicted land young offensive star in trade that will cost a haul of draft picks

Browns predicted land young offensive star in trade that will cost a haul of draft picks originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Cleveland Browns are starting over yet again with Todd Monken taking over as head coach in 2026.

Monken has proven himself as one of the smartest offensive play callers in the NFL but other teams weren’t exactly beating down the door to land an interview with the 59-year-old longtime assistant. Regardless, Monken is now responsible for revamping an offense that has held the Cleveland Browns back from contending for more than two decades. There have been a few bright spots, like in 2023 when Joe Flacco took over at QB at the end of the season and led Cleveland to a (4-1) finish which earned the Browns a spot to the playoffs with a (11-6) overall record.

But even during that season, the Browns were carried by the top defense in the NFL, finishing the year allowing the fewest yards in the league (270. 2 per game). If the Browns had a capable offense for the past 25 years, they would likely have more than three winning seasons in that same span.

The biggest issue plaguing Cleveland has come at the quarterback position. The awful decisions by ownership and general managers over the years are almost baffling, from the decision to draft Johnny Manziel to the choice to move on from Baker Mayfield. Of course there’s no larger misstep than when the Cleveland Browns decided to give Deshaun Watson an unprecedented 5-year $230 million deal with every dollar guaranteed that included a no-trade clause.