#HeyTony: What if Marty Schottenheimer had not parted ways with the Browns?

Editor’s note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

Hey Tony: With Marty’s passing, wondering your thoughts on if he had stayed longer with the Browns, what might have happened? Titles, team moving, would we have Belichick/Brady? Thanks.

-- Jason, North Canton, OH

Hey Jason: If Marty had stayed, the Browns had the right alignment with Ernie Accorsi as GM and Bernie Kosar as QB to make multiple runs at a Super Bowl. I don’t know if they’d ever had made it. The X-factor was a meddling owner, Art Modell, who was not patient enough to leave them to do their jobs. When Marty left, the Browns were obsessed with defeating John Elway. So they turned to Bud Carson, whose defensive credentials as a lifelong assistant coach were impeccable. That didn’t work and the team got old fast, which led to the hiring of Belichick and a complete overhaul of the team.

Hey Tony: Could you explain for those of us who are younger why Marty left Cleveland?

-- Mark, Titusville, PA

Hey Mark: Marty considered the 1988 season his best year of coaching. He steered the Browns to the playoffs despite four quarterback injuries. When the season ended in a disappointing playoff loss to the Houston Oilers, Modell demanded changes on Schottenheimer’s staff. Marty felt disrespected and knew he would be in demand. He was virtually hired by the Chiefs in a matter of hours.

Hey Tony: The speed of the Tampa defense was a huge factor in the Super Bowl. If all of their players are healthy, do the Browns possess this type of speed, and if not will this be a deciding factor in their off-season acquisitions?

-- Leonard, Troy, OH

Hey Leonard: The return of Greedy Williams, Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison improves the speed on defense in the secondary. Linebackers Sione Takitaki and Jacob Phillips have speed. Suffice to say, every acquisition on defense will add to overall team speed.

Hey Tony: If the Browns do end up pursuing a marquee player such as Richard Sherman, J.J. Watt, or another in the same vein, what's the general timetable for a deal like that getting done? Any time from now until the draft?

-- Dan, Salt Lake City, UT

Hey Dan: The 2021 NFL business season begins on March 17. Trades can be negotiated at any time, but they don’t become official until March 17. Negotiations for free agents begin March 15, but can’t be completed until March 17.

Hey Tony: Who are the two top free agent targets for the Browns this offseason? Are they both on defense?

-- Bryan, Hillsborough, NC

Hey Bryan: I would expect the biggest expenditures to be on defense, yes.

Hey Tony: Do the Browns go DB, LB or D-Line w/their 1st round pick?

-- Nick, Naples, FL

Hey Nick: Best available defensive end or cornerback. I wouldn’t be averse to adding best linebacker, also, but I don’t think the Browns agree.

Hey Tony: Browns drafting late first round. Let's say they like somebody at 15. How much would it take to move up and would the Browns consider it?

-- Tom, Santa Monica, CA

Hey Tom: I don’t believe trading up is in the cards. Let the draft come to them at No. 26.

Hey Tony: Will the Browns have to overpay for defensive free agents considering other teams like the Chiefs also need to improve?

-- Leroy, Parma Heights, OH

Hey Leroy: Every team, including the Chiefs, will OVERPAY for defensive free agents. That’s the nature of free agency.

Hey Tony: Twenty-five years ago today it was decided that the city of Cleveland would retain its football team colors, name and records. What do you remember about that day?

-- Chad, Erie, PA

Hey Chad: I remember thinking it was a unique “global agreement” that probably was the best possible solution to a horrible situation. The NFL knew it could not block Modell from moving his team. The courts would not side with the NFL in a legal fight. By securing the name, colors and records, the NFL and city of Cleveland preserved a future Browns team – as long as the city built a stadium and the business community invested in future suite sales, season tickets, and corporate sponsorships. Another factor was that Browns legendary alums – Dante Lavelli, Lou Groza and others – did not want to follow Modell to Baltimore. They worried about their legacies. The global agreement assured the Browns alumni would always be Cleveland Browns and not Baltimore Browns.

Hey Tony: Do you think Odell Beckham Jr.’s return next season will be a negative or positive since they did well without him?

-- Bill, Port Clinton, OH

Hey Bill: That is a $15 million question that we can’t answer until we see a healthy Beckham rejoin the new and improved Baker Mayfield on the field again.

Hey Tony: Since analytics usually doesn’t value expensive contracts for RBs, do you think Nick Chubb will be a Brown for more than the one year he has left on his contract?

-- Josh, Galena, OH

Hey Josh: I can’t conceive of a scenario in which Chubb doesn’t get a second contract from the Browns.

Hey Tony: Where does Marty Schottenheimer rank to you in the Browns all time coaches?

-- Kris, Tampa, FL

Hey Kris: He took the Browns closer to the Super Bowl than any coach, had four non-losing seasons and four playoff appearances in four full seasons. No coach has approached that record since. In my opinion, he ranks behind Paul Brown and Blanton Collier. And nobody else comes close. Yet.

Hey Tony: Is J.J. Watt a realistic option for the Browns? Or is he too old? Thanks.

-- Rick, Burton, OH

Hey Rick: Reggie White was 32 years old when he signed with the Green Bay Packers in 1993. White proceeded to play six years with the Packers and missed one game while earning one defensive player of the year award and one Super Bowl championship. Watt will be 32 this coming season. I think he is a realistic option for the Browns to pursue.

Hey Tony: Why is no one talking about Kyle Rudolph as a FA pick up. Good TE pick up who knows the scheme.

-- Jake, Charlotte, NC

Hey Jake: Last I checked, Rudolph was under contract through 2023. Plus, the Browns invested $42 million in Austin Hooper last year. Rudolph will be 32 in 2021. Hooper turns 27 in 2021. I don’t get it.