Todd Monken's been interviewed mostly by the team's in-house media department. At the Combine, he'll face the national and local media. And so will GM Andrew Berry. (Cleveland Browns)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
The first two days of the NFL Scouting Combine have come to be reserved for NFL GMs and coaches in the media room while the first wave of players checks in and tends to physicals and measurements.
Thus, Browns GM Andrew Berry and head coach Todd Monken will take questions for the first time since their partnership was consummated with Monken’s hiring on January 28.
Berry steps to the media podium on Tuesday for his 15-minute session with national media, followed by a semi-private scrum with Northeast Ohio media. Monken does the same on Wednesday.
Now that Monken’s introduction has passed and his coaching staff has been assembled, attention can be devoted more specifically to issues on the team irrespective of the coming draft.
It’s no guarantee frank answers will be given, but these are some of the issues that may be presented to Berry and Monken.
For Andrew Berry
1. You’ve stated you will make a significant investment in the offense this year, particularly at receiver and offensive line. Given your track record in drafting receivers, do you feel more comfortable and confident upgrading that position group in free agency or trade rather than in the draft?
2. It’s been reported that Tom Telesco, the former Chargers and Raiders GM, was used as a consultant during the coaching search. Will he continue in that role, or in another role, during the draft process?
3. If, say, Mike Vrabel asked for permission to add departed defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz as a part-time consultant in 2026, would the Browns allow it?
4. Center Luke Wypler injured a knee in Game 17 in Cincinnati. Did he need surgery and what is the prognosis for his recovery?
5. Do you consider Wypler, Dawand Jones and Zak Zinter viable contenders for starting jobs in 2026, or do you expect to have to find essentially five new starters?
6. Was moving the void date on Joel Bitonio’s contract to March 10 done to give him more time to contemplate returning for a 13th season? If so, is he coming back or not?
7. Quinshon Judkins had two serious injuries on his right leg in late December – a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. When is it realistic for him to return to full work on the field?
8. It’s inevitable a fourth quarterback will be added. Do you envision him being a viable competitor for the starting job, a developmental rookie, or a veteran insurance backup?
9. Last year, you, owner Jimmy Haslam and coach Kevin Stefanski traveled to five or six pro days of quarterback prospects. Do you anticipate spending that kind of effort on the quarterback prospects this year?
10. Martin Emerson rehabbed all of last year from an Achilles tendon tear in early August. You elected to allow his contract to run out. Is he in the team’s plans for 2026?
For Todd Monken
1. What other positions on your coaching staff need to be filled?
2. Now that the main positions are filled, have you and the new coaches been able to familiarize yourselves with the players you’re inheriting?
3. Somebody has to take the first snap from center when you get to OTAs. Do you anticipate designating an offseason QB1 at some point?
4. Dillon Gabriel’s been a forgotten player since he gave way to Shedeur Sanders as a result of a concussion in the second Baltimore game last year. What is Gabriel’s future with the team?
5. If you’ve had time to fully digest the QBs you inherit, what is the type of QB you prefer adding to the room? Do you need a legit starter, somebody to compete with the others, a veteran backup, or a developmental rookie?
6. How would you characterize your discussions with Jim Schwartz when you met with him? Did you try to persuade him to stay? Did you feel it wouldn’t work out even if he had stayed?
7. How important is agility and mobility in your offensive linemen for the run game system you intend to run?
8. How active will you be in player acquisitions in free agency and the draft?
9. Do you anticipate using a lot of multiple tight end sets like you did in Baltimore?
10. Is it a good idea to start two rookies on the offensive line?