Browns GM Andrew Berry said he was "embarrassed with the results that we’ve had as a team this year." (TheLandOnDemand)
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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.
Takeaways from Andrew Berry’s season-ending press conference …
Andrew Berry rarely volunteers new information, particularly if it’s bad news.
Which made the Browns' GM's news drop concerning Deshaun Watson at the end of his opening remarks very interesting.
“Yesterday, as we went through our normal player medical process, we did learn that he did have a setback in his Achilles recovery,” Berry said matter-of-factly. “We don’t have all the details and everything yet, but it’ll obviously extend the recovery process for him. It is new information just learned in the past couple hours, so I don’t have everything yet. But did want to make you all aware of it before opening it up for questions.”
The next seven questions were about Watson. Berry’s answer to the first one might have laid out the Browns’ intentions in how they step away from the Watson nightmare.
Asked if the setback takes Watson out of the running to be ready for the 2025 season, Berry said, “One thing I will say I have learned from this year is I don’t want to rule out anything with a major injury.”
This “setback” from a major Achilles injury – coinciding with last week’s news of a restructuring of the “dummy years” previously added to Watson’s contract – appears to give the Browns the “out” to accelerate the process of removing the Watson franchise albatross without disrespecting him, as did the Houston Texans in 2021.
The exit pathway may now look like this, as previously outlined by Spotrac founder Mike Ginnitti:
1. A bonus-conversion of Watson’s 2025 base salary, finalized sometime in the coming season, reduces his cap number from $72.9 million to $37 million this year.
2. Watson spends all or most of 2025 on an injury list.
3. The Browns designate him a post-June 1 release in March of 2026.
4. Browns take dead cap hits of $46 million in 2026 and $89.5 million in 2027.
In any case, Berry left the impression that Watson would not impede the franchise’s desire to rebuild the quarterback roster next season.
The quarterback position
“I think the reality of it is that room … will look different next year,” Berry said.
Incredibly – and instructively – the name Jameis Winston was never brought up by media or Berry when discussing this topic. So you can scratch him from consideration as a “bridge” quarterback, or else Berry would have raised Winston as a possibility.
I asked Berry if he believes the Browns have to change their “process” in evaluating and selecting quarterbacks.
“We want to make sure that we’re eyes wide open in terms of what we’re doing across football operations,” he answered. “That being said, we have good people, we have good coaches, we understand how important the quarterback position is and that’s obviously going to be a primary goal as we enter the offseason.”
It’s obvious the Browns need to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency and draft one, either with the No. 2 overall pick or their next pick, No. 33 overall, at the top of the second round.
On this topic, Berry said, “I think there’s opportunity every offseason. I wouldn’t necessarily constrain us to any one way of attacking, whether it’s the quarterback position or any position across the roster. We’ve always prided ourselves on being opportunistic. And there are probably also opportunities that we don’t see today that will pop up over the next several months. So, we’ll be flexible in that regard.”
Veteran quarterbacks to watch: Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, Justin Fields, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Carson Wentz, Mac Jones.
Draft-eligibles to watch: Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe, Drew Allar, Jaxson Dart, Carson Beck, Quinn Ewers.
Pick a player at No. 2 or trade down?
“We will be positioned moving forward both from a cap perspective and -- I hate how we got here -- but with having the second pick in the draft, whether we select a player or use it to maximize in another way, it gives us an opportunity to really pivot if we need to,” Berry said.
He couldn’t bring himself to utter the words “trade down,” but you got the feeling that it might be irresistible to Berry and the analytics department to trade the No. 2 pick – especially with No. 33 in their back pocket -- if they don’t fall in love with Ward or Sanders or Colorado receiver/cornerback and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
The Las Vegas, picking at No. 6, are expected to be open to move up. Their preferred choice could be Sanders.
Myles Garrett’s future
Asked if a roster “teardown” is necessary, Berry said, “I don’t envision an offseason where we’re moving on from a ton of core players. I do expect there to be some turnover on the roster. But the idea that we would get rid of some of our cornerstone players, I don’t necessarily see that as a viable path.”
Specifically on Garrett, Berry said, “My anticipation, expectation, is that he’ll have a direct ticket from Cleveland to Canton at the end of his years and expect him to be here and retire as a Brown, quite frankly.”
Look for the Browns to make Garrett one of the highest-paid defensive players in the league, which would dissuade him from demanding a trade.
Nick Chubb’s future
This was interesting.
I’ve assumed the Browns would take care of Chubb and assure that he ends his career with the Browns, which was Chubb’s stated goal in his last media appearance.
But Chubb’s recovery from two knee surgeries in 2023 ended abruptly when he suffered a broken left foot against Kansas City in Game 14. Chubb, 29, now has to rehab an injury once again on the same leg on which he has suffered three knee surgeries in his athletic career.
As usual, Berry paid homage to Chubb, professed his love for him, and said he’d be admitted some day in the team’s Ring of Honor.
And then:
“It’s always a challenging situation when one of your cornerstone players, their contract is up. That’s probably maybe a little bit different situation this year relative to relative to last, where there is maybe perhaps a little bit less control on the club side with it. In terms of the short term, that’s something that quite honestly, we just have to work through over the next several weeks.”
For the first time, I have a sinking feeling that either Chubb will retire or the Browns will not bring him back.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s future
Information on the four-year cornerstone linebacker has been cryptically scarce since he suffered a severe neck injury meeting Baltimore running back Derrick Henry head-on in the Browns’ win on October 27.
The most insight was given by linebackers coach Jason Tarver a week ago. Tarver said JOK was traveling to see other doctors. It was assumed from that information that JOK was seeking multiple opinions on whether he can continue his career.
At his season-ending press conference on Sunday, coach Kevin Stefanski said, “He’s getting all the information he can get and we’ll update you guys when appropriate.”
Berry said, “I’ll be honest, I don’t have anything other than what Kevin told you guys yesterday. You know, he’s still working the rehab, and when we have a meaningful update, we’ll make sure we share it.”
Asked if he expected JOK to be back next year, the answer was ominous.
“That’s our hope for sure,” Berry said. “But again, with these long-term injuries, I really don’t have a crystal ball with it.”