Will the Browns finally start 1-0? How many prime-time games? When is their bye week? Answers coming Wednesday. (Cleveland Browns)
#HeyTony: Will the 2021 schedule finally result in a 1-0 start?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Hey Tony: I know the schedule release is tomorrow, and there haven't been any leaks. But do you think the Browns might finally get an opener NOT designed to have them start 0-1?
-- Mark, Shelburn, IN
Hey Mark: They've had their chances. They've been scheduled at home for 17 of their 22 season-openers since 1999 and have won exactly one of them. Here's the roll call:
1999: Pittsburgh 43, Browns 0, home
2000: Jacksonville 27, Browns 7, home
2001: Seattle 9, Browns 6, home
2002: Kansas City 40, Browns 39, home
2003: Indianapolis 9, Browns 6, home
2004: Browns 20, Baltimore 3, home
2005: Cincinnati 27, Browns 13, home
2006: New Orleans 19, Browns 14, home
2007: Pittsburgh 34, Browns 7, home
2008: Dallas 28, Browns 10, home
2009: Minnesota 34, Browns 20, home
2010: Tampa Bay 17, Browns 14, away
2011: Cincinnati 27, Browns 17, home
2012: Philadelphia 17, Browns 16, home
2013: Miami 23, Browns 10, home
2014: Pittsburgh 30, Browns 27, away
2015: NY Jets 31, Browns 10, away
2016: Philadelphia 29, Browns 10, away
2017: Pittsburgh 21, Browns 18, home
2018: Browns 21, Pittsburgh 21 (tie), home
2019: Tennessee 43, Browns 13, home
2020: Baltimore 38, Browns 6, away
Hey Tony: We hear about the importance of the schedule but how much of a factor is it really? What would the difference in wins be (if any) for the most optimal schedule vs the least?
-- Phil, Corvallis, OR
Hey Phil: I always say it's not who you play, it's when you play them. Who's healthy, who's not, etc. The first things I look at in the new schedule is the date of the bye week, and the schedule around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the opener, and the prime-time games and where.
Hey Tony: The last three times the Browns came off decent seasons and were rewarded with more prime-time games, they’ve fallen flat, in ‘03, ‘08, and ‘19. Will 4th time be a charm?
-- Dave, Fairlawn, OH
Hey Dave: It's a new era. None of that matters.
Hey Tony: Will this season be Browns' biggest offensive explosion ever???
-- Russ, Lexington, KY
Hey Russ: Their 408 points in 2020 were their most ever in a 16-game season. (The Browns scored 415 in 14 games in 1964.) With a 17th game this year, I think it's a safe bet the Browns will set a franchise record for points scored.
Hey Tony: Where do you think the Browns would be now had they listened to Paul DePodesta and hired Kevin Stefanski two years ago?
-- Tom, Broadview Heights, OH
Hey Tom: It's an interesting question. Even Stefanski admitted he grew professionally by serving as Vikings offensive coordinator alongside Gary Kubiak in 2019 when he was passed over as Browns coach for Freddie Kitchens. Would the Browns have done better than 6-10 with Stefanski at the helm? You might answer "of course," but we'll never know.
Hey Tony: Who is the biggest name you see being cut as of today? Could it be a big name TE to save money?
-- Tim, Pataskala, OH
Hey Tim: I'd say "biggest names" on the bubble entering training camp would be Mack Wilson, Chris Hubbard, and D'Ernest Johnson. If you're referring to tight end David Njoku, his $6 million salary was guaranteed in March. So he's not going anywhere.
Hey Tony: It sure seems like the Browns, for once, will retain the most key players & continuity in the division. Do you agree & how big of an advantage will this be?
-- Jeff, Saint Augustine, FL
Hey Jeff: The continuity of retaining all coaches and offensive and defensive systems -- for the first time in the expansion era -- is something Pittsburgh and Baltimore are used to. For the first time, the Browns will have the same advantage as their rivals. Now, the Browns' productive transaction season helped close the gap on those perennial powers.
Hey Tony: Is it good for the Browns to play division rivals early in the year to gauge where they're at, or all games later in the season when the Browns may be playing better?
-- Tom, Santa Monica, CA
Hey Tom: I don't think it matters one way or another.
Hey Tony: Anymore talk about Sheldon Richardson being back in orange and brown next year?
-- Craig, Akron, OH
Hey Craig: Please stop. They have eight defensive tackles. That's more than enough.
Hey Tony: Don't you think Jarvis [Landry] is in line for a restructure/extension as the Browns extend their younger players?
-- Chuck, Columbiana, OH
Hey Chuck: Landry is entering the fourth year of the five-year, $75.5 million contract he signed after being traded to the Browns. He'll earn $14.753 million this year and $16.553 million in 2022. That 2022 cap number is really high and could be lowered by an extension, a restructure, a paycut or a release. In Landry's case, I would think a restructure or minimal extension might be the way to go.
Hey Tony: Let’s say Juice & OBJ play all 17 games — who is WR3 Week 1? Follow up: is it a different name come December?
-- Ace, Cleveland, OH
Hey Ace: I'm guessing Rashard Higgins in Week 1. Come December, who knows who will be healthy and not healthy.
Hey Tony: It seems like the surprise addition on this years starting lineup might be Andrew Billings? What is his ceiling in your opinion?
-- Jason, Weeki Wachee, FL
Hey Jason: Solid. Dependable. Approximately 650 snaps, 58 percent play time. A couple sacks, 30 or so tackles.
Hey Tony: Has Baker Mayfield done enough in his 3 years to be in your top 5 Browns QBs of all time?
-- Josh, Galena, OH
Hey Josh: My top 5 Browns QBs of all time are: 1. Otto Graham, 2. Frank Ryan, 3. Bernie Kosar, 4. Bill Nelsen, 5. Brian Sipe. Mayfield can crash that party this year.
Hey Tony: How important do you think it is for Anthony Schwartz to come into his rookie year working alongside guys like Jarvis Landry and OBJ?
-- Jeremy, Parma Heights, OH
Hey Jeremy: It's a great situation for him. If I were Schwartz, I'd also follow the examples of Higgins and KhaDarel Hodge and Donovan Peoples-Jones, too.
