Andrew Berry's decision to buy or sell at the trade deadline will send a message to his locker room either way.
#Hey Tony: Would the Browns make any changes for the second half of the season if they beat the Bengals?
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Hey Tony: Considering the Browns have lost 4 games by 3 points or less, if they manage to win on Monday against the Bengals, should they feel good about overall status quo going into the second half of the season? Or are noticeable changes coming regardless?
-- Eric, Columbus, OH
Hey Eric: I think at 3-5 overall and 2-1 in division, they feel they still can make a run. I wouldn’t expect any major changes if they win.
Hey Tony: Are we going to be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? Does it really all come down to if we beat the Bengals on Monday?
-- Andy, New Albany, OH
Hey Andy: I don’t think they’re buyers either way. The Deshaun Watson trade left GM Andrew Berry with fewer resources to buy. If anything, he’d like to recoup some picks. If they lose, there is a chance of unloading somebody for something.
Hey Tony: While I know player for player trades are rare, but would the Browns be willing to trade someone like Hunt for a return specialist. Seems that would help more now than a future 4th or 5th.
-- Michael, Byron, NY
Hey Michael: That would be ideal. But the chances of finding a team with a need for a running back and a surplus at returner are slim.
Hey Tony: Why is Joe Woods still our D coordinator? Short follow up: Is there any chance Coach K turns over the play calling to Van Pelt in order to focus on game management? We should need it.
-- Fred, Tampa, FL
Hey Fred: Coach K? I don’t think Stefanski has the temperament to fire a coach, especially one who’s had a long relationship with him. As for turning over play-calling, Stefanski said he doesn’t feel the need to do that. I think it would help him work through his game management issues, but he doesn’t acknowledge there are issues.
Hey Tony: What would it take for Kevin “I’m not gonna be results-based. I’m gonna always fall back on our process” Stefanski, Berry and DePo to re-evaluate their process?
-- Mike, Las Vegas, NV
Hey Mike: They would say they re-evaluate their processes every year. I don’t foresee them straying from them.
Hey Tony: Where has D’Ernest Johnson disappeared to?
-- Bill, Dallas, TX
Hey Bill: The only way the Browns would keep four running backs active on game days is if two of them are key players on special teams. Before he suffered an ankle injury, rookie Jerome Ford won the kickoff return job, so that kept Johnson inactive. Recently, Johnson has been active as the kick returner, but he hasn’t had many opportunities because of all the touchbacks. Johnson only played on offense the previous two years because of COVID- or injury-related issues with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
Hey Tony: It is excruciating continuing to follow the Browns this season and witnessing all of their losses, can you give us some reason to hold out hope?
-- AJ, Avon, OH
Hey AJ: All I’ve got is to hang on to see how Deshaun Watson performs in this offense.
Hey Tony: How are we (fans + organization) gonna feel/react if Browns go 2 and 14 and Houston has the #1 pick?!
-- Mark, Orrville, OH
Hey Mark: That won’t happen. Still, it’s going to be tough to sit back and watch Houston take a player in the top 10 with the Browns’ pick. There’s always next year. Wait, no. They have the Browns’ pick in 2024 too.
Hey Tony: Are the Browns front office calling this year a wash or counting on Moneyball to work out for them?
-- Brian, Brooklyn, NY
Hey Brian: Never have the Browns considered this year a wash because of the Watson suspension. They always believed they would navigate through the 11 games to be in position to make the playoffs when Watson became eligible. The 2-5 record may be more a shock to them than to the rest of us.
Hey Tony: Why is Josh Dobbs not getting any consideration for playing time? The guy has a knack for making good things happen his whole career.
-- Brian, Knoxville, TN
Hey Brian: I think the Browns may incorporate a Dobbs red zone package of plays soon. I would rather see him play a game from the start. He was the most pleasant surprise of training camp. As we’ve seen, Stefanski is extremely loyal to his starting quarterback. I don’t see him pulling Jacoby Brissett for performance.
Hey Tony: Let Stefanski go at the break, hire Callahan? Why not give him a shot, he's an ex- head coach, right? Could the Browns do any worse?
-- Thomas, Santa Monica, CA
Hey Thomas: The thought of old-school Bill Callahan taking over intrigues me if Stefanski were let go. But I don’t see that happening and I am not advocating it. Yet.
Hey Tony: Is Myles Garrett overrated? I get it: he's a physical freak and an Adonis. Other teams game plan for him. He's really good. But while other star pass rushers wreck games, he seems to accumulate stats. I can't recall a critical game he dominated. Am I crazy?
-- Ryan, Ashtabula, OH
Hey Ryan: You hit on the biggest reason Garrett has never received a single vote for defensive player of the year. It doesn’t mean he’s not a really good player with great skills. But he hasn’t been a player to take over a game like Aaron Donald, T.J. Watt or J.J. Watt. Especially in the final month of the season.
Hey Tony: With obviously no worth to this team, why isn’t Anthony Schwartz at least returning kicks and punts with all that speed?
-- Don, Concord, OH
Hey Don: Schwartz wasn’t well-served at Auburn. They didn’t train him as a returner. The Browns tried, but it didn’t work out.
