With road game in New Orleans, Las Vegas and possibly London, this will be one of the most anticipated Browns schedule releases in a long time.
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Hey Tony: Any update when the schedule will be released?
-- Bill, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Hey Bill: The big day could happen sometime next week. The NFL has not announced it yet. Usually, it’s the second week in May.
Hey Tony: This Brook Park stadium sounds amazing. How could they not move!?
-- Rocky, Olmsted Falls, OH
Hey Rocky: There are many hurdles to clear, but I expect by the end of the calendar year most people will be on board with a fixed-roof stadium in Brook Park as the best investment for the future of Northeast Ohio. The single image rendering leaked on social media, I believe, doesn’t do justice to the overall project. The Browns have enlisted the services of the same architectural firm that designed SoFi Stadium and US Bank Stadium. So I expect a creative and attractive edifice, with most of the stadium hidden below ground level. The key to getting this massive project done will be the percentage of private vs. public funding. I don’t believe a 50-50 split will be acceptable. The Haslams are going to have to fork up more.
Hey Tony: Do you expect anything different based on the new kickoff rules such as less injuries or more points scored. Increased YAC?
-- Mike, Smithville, OH
Hey Mike: I consider the hybrid kickoff format to be the most innovative and exciting NFL rules change since instant replay. I’m not exactly sure what it will look like, but I expect far more returns, far less touchbacks and injuries. Scoring per game has dipped slightly four years in a row, and that clearly contributed to the change. I do believe scoring will increase, as a result.
Hey Tony: The combination of the timing (immediately post draft) and the lukewarm endorsement ("We don't like to give away players with those skills") leads me to believe that the Browns simply extended Greg Newsome to buy more time. What say you?
-- Ryan, Ashtabula, OH
Hey Ryan: I disagree. I think picking up the fifth-year option is the first step in signing Newsome to a second contract, probably sometime in 2025. You are right to say it does buy the Browns a year to do so, but the fact they’re willing to guarantee him $13.37 million in 2025 is a clear indication of their intent to secure Newsome as a foundation player on their defense.
Hey Tony: Give me your best Hal Lebovitz story from back in the day.
-- Mark, Silicon Valley, CA
Hey Mark: When I joined The Plain Dealer as a sports intern in 1979, Hal was a larger-than-life figure to anyone who read the sports page as religiously as me. Hal received hundreds of letters every week asking him for rules interpretations and historical questions. I recall seeing a pile of opened letters on his desk as Hal recited answers to staff secretary Estey Wheeler once a week. I don’t remember Hal ever missing a day of work in my years with The PD. I shared an optometrist with Hal for a while and he told me he never had a patient like Hal who never needed eyeglasses, for reading or otherwise, well into his age 70 years. He was truly a giant among Cleveland newspapermen, a man of supreme integrity, one of the best journalists in the golden era when newspapers were the No. 1 source of sports news for every fan.
Hey Tony: What if the Browns wouldn't have traded for Watson but instead traded up in the 2023 draft and took CJ Stroud? What would the Browns look like today with that cap room and the 2022 picks?
-- APJ, Cleveland, OH
Hey APJ: Jay, why would you torture us with this question? I’m going to pass.
Hey Tony: Do you anticipate any Browns players wearing the halo helmet contraption during the regular season?
-- Ethan, Richmond, VA
Hey Ethan: The ‘guardian helmet,’ which is a rubber covering attached to the regular helmet, greatly reduces the incidence of concussions, per the NFL. The league this year will allow players to wear it in games. I wouldn’t expect receivers to wear them – they do add weight to the helmet – but linemen would be wise to opt in.
Hey Tony: What’s the most exciting part of having a 1st round pick again in 2025?
-- Andy, New Albany, OH
Hey Andy: Has to be the prospect of posting 10 mock drafts between the Coming in February to the draft in late April.