The latest news about the Cleveland Browns and the NFL in today’s edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow, including the ongoing quarterback debate, draft profiles, draft intrigue, draft misses, and, if you are tired of draft talk, there are other stories to enjoy!
Dawgs By Nature:
Browns should not consider trading back into the 1st round (Curtiss Brown) – With the NFL Draft approaching rather quickly, the Cleveland Browns will have the second overall pick. There is a ton of speculation about what the team will do. Some believe that the Browns will take a player with the second pick, with all signs pointing to Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter, and eventually wait until Day 2 to make another selection. Others believe that the Browns will make their top selection, then trade back into the 1st round. Trading back into the 1st round should not be an option or considered.
NFL QB rumors: Should Browns make trade call for young QB now on the market? (Damon Wolfe) – The biggest mystery is what the Cleveland Browns will do to draft a quarterback early in the draft despite solidifying the room by adding Joe Flacco last week. Cleveland may now have a new option on the table. According to reports, the Seattle Seahawks are taking calls and are willing to trade backup quarterback Sam Howell.
Browns at No. 2: Who is the pick, and should there be a trade down? (Chris Pokorny) – See what fans thought about the two biggest question marks heading into the draft.
NFL Draft Profile: WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn (Thomas Moore) – If Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry is interested in improving the team’s depth at wide receiver, especially late on Day 3, then Auburn’s KeAndre Lambert-Smith is a name to keep in mind.
NFL Draft Profile: TE CJ Dippre, Alabama (Thomas Moore) – The Cleveland Browns are likely going to select a tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft. Fortunately for Cleveland, general manager Andrew Berry has 10 selections to work with, and if he wants to wait until Day 3 to address the position, a player to keep an eye on is CJ Dippre from Alabama.
NFL draft history: Where Jared was right, wrong about QBs in last 10 drafts (Jared Mueller) – I wanted to go back through the last 10 NFL draft classes and look at the quarterbacks that were drafted in the first round. While I won’t spend time proving my takes, I’ll be honest about what I thought about them as prospects coming out and then a quick statement about whether I was right or wrong in my projection.
Cleveland Browns:
Draft Day? More like Groundhog Day as Browns still seek quarterback (Browns Zone) – The best part about being the worst team in the NFL is you get the first pick in the NFL Draft. Technically, the Browns were not the worst team in the NFL in 2024. But if you saw them play last year, I mean, come on! I defy you to find another team that was worse.
Browns’ signing of Joe Flacco marks a complete rejection of last year’s failed strategy (Terry Pluto) – The Joe Flacco signing by the Browns isn’t just about quarterback depth – it’s a complete organizational admission of the Deshaun Watson disaster, Terry Pluto said on the latest episode of the “Terry’s Talkin’” podcast.
NFL draft intrigue likely to begin when the Browns go on the clock with 2nd overall pick (Associated Press) – Some years, the true intrigue about how the rest of the NFL draft’s first round could develop doesn’t happen until at least the third or fourth pick. This year though, it will begin with the Cleveland Browns, who have the second overall selection. It marks the first time since 2021 that the Browns have a first-round selection after the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade in 2022 sent three first-round picks to Houston.
NFL:
How John Spytek went from Michigan LB to Las Vegas Raiders GM (ESPN) – Two decades before he was running the Las Vegas Raiders, John Spytek got his foot in the door of an NFL franchise as an intern for the Detroit Lions. For six months in 2004, he was earning $250 a week assisting the operations staff, and occasionally spent time with scouts in the film room.
Cam Ward film study: Is he worthy of being the first pick? (The Ringer) – The Tennessee Titans seem locked in on taking Ward at No. 1. What sort of passer will they be getting? Let’s break down the tape.
Which teams picking outside top 5 in 2025 NFL Draft can find quickest roster fixes? (The Athletic) – No team can fix everything with just free agents, especially in the modern free agency landscape. That leaves many teams hoping and praying things fall their way on draft weekend. We’re going to look at seven teams sitting outside of the top-five picks that are in prime position to solve key roster issues through the draft.