The Browns were not selected as one of five teams to "host" game abroad in 2023.
#HeyTony: Why didn’t the Browns receive a game in London or Germany in 2023?
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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: Is this the year of the Browns' London game? My passport is ready and we can't continue to put it off forever.
--Jay, Warrensville, OH
Hey Jay: I thought there was a chance one of the Browns’ nine “home” games would be assigned abroad, but that was not the case. The NFL announced the teams that will be “home” teams in games abroad in 2023 are Buffalo, New England, Tennessee, Jacksonville and Kansas City. The Browns don’t have any of those teams on their road schedule in 2023, so they won’t be “crossing the pond” next season. I guess they were not considered “worthy” of showcasing the NFL product abroad. Maybe in 2024, when they have nine road games. They could easily be chosen next season as a road team for one of the international games next season.
Hey Tony: Should we be concerned with the fact Jim Schwartz both won't hire his own staff and referred to the Jimmy Haslam as "hands-on" owner? This screams micromanagement, quite possibly by Paul DePodesta.
-- Ryan, Ashtabula, OH
Hey Ryan: I wouldn’t be concerned. Schwartz pointed out the Eagles hired him as coordinator last after hiring all defensive position coaches in 2016. They made it work and helped the Eagles to the Super Bowl championship in their second season together. Schwartz has been rolling with the punches for 20+ years. This is not his first rodeo. He was the best hire for the job.
Hey Tony: Seems Kevin Stefanski rushed his way through the Schwartz intro, emphasizing he didn’t know Schwartz prior to the process. 1. Do you see a sincere connection there? 2. Did Stefanski or Andrew Berry hire Schwartz?
-- Mark, New York City, NY
Hey Mark: I wouldn’t read too much into the Schwartz hiring process. Stefanski is smart enough to see he was the best candidate. Don’t make too much of Berry’s one-year association with Schwartz in Philadelphia.
Hey Tony: Will the Browns make a splash in free agency this year at wide receiver?
-- Kayla, Shipshewana, IN
Hey Kaylan: The splash in free agency will be made on the defensive line. There may be only a ripple at wide receiver.
Hey Tony: Which player entering free agency or coming up on the last year of his deal do you see the Browns trying to re-sign or extend this offseason?
-- Chris, Mastic, NY
Hey Chris: Center Ethan Pocic.
Hey Tony: Do you think it was a good idea to extend Jack Conklin at right tackle? Money could have been spent on defensive front four in the offseason.
-- Eric, Sheffield Village, OH
Hey Eric: Conklin’s contract extension was a reward for being an exemplary team player and working extra hard to be ready for the 2022 season, and for taking a paycut in 2022. I don’t believe Conklin’s new deal will impede the Browns from making improvements at other positions.
Hey Tony: Do you see Schwartz, Van Pelt and Stefanski coming together to improve the Browns in 2023? The dreaded follow up question that all Browns fans are asking: Will Stefanski finally capitulate play-calling in 2023 to focus on game day decisions and the team?
-- Fred, Tampa, FL
Hey Fred: The two men with the most impact on the 2023 season, in my opinion, will be Deshaun Watson and Jim Schwartz. Why would Stefanski give up play-calling with Watson holding the coach’s fate in his hands?
Hey y Tony: What is the responsibility of an offensive coordinator if the head coach is calling plays?
-- EK, Myrtle Beach, NC
Hey EK: Alex Van Pelt, offensive coordinator, runs all the offensive meetings during the week and has a big voice in the makeup of the game-plan. I honestly don’t know what are Van Pelt’s responsibilities on game days.
Hey Tony: Why was Jerome Ford not utilized more? He showed spark and flashes every time he touched the ball. He looked much quicker than Kareem Hunt.
-- Eric, Sheffield Village.
Hey Eric: Ford will be new third-down back. Hunt is expected to find a new team via free agency.
Hey Tony: After Jim Brown, who is best all-time Browns running back -- Leroy Kelly or Nick Chubb?
-- Dave, Cedar Park, TX
Hey Dave: Leroy Kelly is a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but I believe Chubb will leave no doubt, before his time in Clevenand is over, that he should be regarded as the next-best running back to Brown in the history of the franchise.
