Browns GM Andrew Berry wouldn't rule anything out, but sounded content about finding the team's QB1 from Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. (TheLandOnDemand)
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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
Takeaways from Andrew Berry’s press availability at the NFL Combine …
1. When it comes to the Browns’ quarterback situation in 2026, a lot is “to be determined.” That was a frequent answer to QB questions posed to Andrew Berry. There’s no doubt Berry will add at least one quarterback to join Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel. While it may come from the draft, Berry offered a strong hint that the organization is not going to invest the travel time in the position it did last year, when Berry, owner Jimmy Haslam and coach Kevin Stefanski traversed the country to attend pro days and conduct private QB workouts. “We're in maybe a little bit of a different position, [and there’s] a little bit of a different class,” Berry said. “We're not picking two, although we are picking six. I think the quarterback class is different than it was in terms of when guys may go off the board … but needless to say, we will devote a lot of time to the passers like we do every year.” Just not to the extent of last year, though.
2. As for the veteran QB market, Berry coyly wouldn’t rule anything out, but he sounded lukewarm about pursuing a veteran quarterback who would come in certifiably ahead of the others in the room. “I think there's always the possibility, but we have a long way to go before we get to that point,” he said. “We expect to have a competitive room and that's important to us, but what that looks like, I can't exactly define that as we sit here today.” In other words, tap the brakes on talk of pursuing Malik Willis, Mac Jones, Kyler Murray, et al.
3. My theory is the Browns are content to let Watson and Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel, to an extent, compete for the starting job, and they would expect Watson to win it. But they are cognizant of the fan backlash that exists with the very thought that Watson might displace fan-favorite Sanders. “I think any player on our roster we would want to compete,” Berry said. “We believe in competition at every spot. That's no different than quarterback. Deshaun's been working really hard, he's been working his tail off. And like I said, we're excited to go in April with all of our players across the roster because competition is something that we really believe in.”
4. Berry had three opportunities to commit Sanders a year ago, and refrained each time. First, he drafted him 50 picks after Gabriel. He stood back and watched Sanders receive no reps with the first team in training camp. And when he traded Joe Flacco, Berry made Sanders wait his turn behind Gabriel. He still is not willing to commit to Sanders even as offseason QB1. “I think the biggest thing that we want to see from Shedeur is just continued growth,” Berry said. “I think he grew a lot from start one to start seven. I think certainly playing more efficiently … not putting the ball in harm's way as much would be important while maintaining the ability to produce out of structure and generate explosive plays. You're not going to see all that in the upcoming months because we're not on the field. So the biggest thing that he can do is learn the new offense, get in with the coaching staff once our offseason program starts, continue to work on his body physically and then make strides when we actually get on the grass.”
5. While it appears that a Watson v. Sanders competition for QB1 is the most likely to happen, don’t count out Gabriel. Berry isn’t. “I'd say this: He may be forgotten externally, but he's not forgotten to us,” Berrry said. “Dillon, he's working like he's going to handle everything that's within his control and, look, we love all of our players on the roster. Dillon's a guy that has a bright future in this league and we're going to continue to work with him.”
6. For weeks we’ve been touting the Chicago Bears 2025 template as the one to follow in rebuilding the Browns’ offensive line in one offseason. For the first time, Berry cited the Bears as an example he might follow. “I actually think what [Bears GM] Ryan Poles did last year is a really nice model. If you think about it, they did a combination of internal development, veteran additions and draft, right? You had [2023 first-round pick] Darnell Wright, who really came into his own at right tackle this past year. They traded for Joe Thuney, they traded for Jonah Jackson, they signed Drew Dalman in free agency, and they drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. So it's a nice mixture of youth and experience and I think that we would look to take a similar approach if the player markets line up for us.”
7. Speaking of offensive linemen, Berry said he’d “absolutely” welcome back left guard Joel Bitonio, but he will give Bitonio “the time and space” to make his decision whether to come back for a 13th season. Actually, the deadline for a Bitonio decision is March 10. Also, Berry said he expects two linemen whose 2025 seasons ended with injuries – tackle Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler – to be “ready to go” when field work resumes and expects them to “factor in” the remake of the offensive line.
8. To me, the biggest surprise I heard from Berry was his noncommittal to bringing back cornerback Martin Emerson, whose 2025 season ended with an Achilles tendon tear in August. Emerson rehabbed all year and Berry restrained from re-signing Emerson and keeping him under contract. Berry termed Emerson’s future with the team “unsettled.” “He's doing a nice job with this rehab. Obviously, he's coming back from an Achilles injury. His contract is up, so we'll have to see what that looks like in the next few weeks,” Berry said.
9. Contrary to public opinion, Berry doesn’t foresee an overhaul of the receivers room. Adding a veteran and/or a draft pick feels obvious, but Berry is not ready to give up on Jerry Jeudy and he shouted out Isaiah Bond and Malachi Corley as future contributors. “Jerry is gonna be a big part of it and we're pleased with Isaiah's rookie year, but that doesn't mean we can't add to the arsenal,” Berry said. “Malachi, he carved out a nice role.” More love for Jeudy came when Berry compared his 2025 season to that of Jacksonville receiver Brian Thomas Jr. “They were the two first ballot Pro Bowlers a year ago and both of those guys had down seasons,” Berry said. “It does happen, but we have a lot of confidence in Jerry. For a guy to produce how he did [in 2024[ and at 25 years old break all the [franchise] records and play to his ability, we think if we can make our offense a bit more operational we can expect a bounce back.”
10. The Browns added Dom Capers as a senior defensive assistant. Capers, 75, is a native of Cambridge, OH, who served as head coach of the Carolina Panthers (1995-98) and Houston Texans (2002-05). Capers has made a second career as a senior defensive assistant in recent years with Jacksonville, Minnesota, Detroit and Denver.