#HeyTony: What type of head coach do the Browns need?

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.

Hey Tony: With the way the team is now, do you think we need an established disciplinarian coach or a younger innovative coach? Which do you feel has a better chance of success for our beloved Browns?

-- Art, Bellefontaine, OH

Hey Art: I think the situation demands an established disciplinarian coach. Remember what Denzel Ward said. He said the team needs “assertiveness … accountability … we have to play complementary football.” It doesn’t need to break in another up-and-comer getting his first crack at head coach.

Hey Tony: Are you on board with the idea of getting a younger not as proven coach like Grant Udinski or Nate Scheelhaase? If not this year these guys will be hired as HCs or OCs in the near future. What are your thoughts on taking a swing at these guys?

-- Bryson, Newport Beach, CA

Hey Bryson: They are legit, interesting candidates, as is Dan Pitcher of Cincinnati. I would vet them to know them better, but I couldn’t choose one over the other without full face-to-face interviews. Just because they are young and come from the offensive side does not automatically make them geniuses-to-be.

Hey Tony: Would you sign up for a coaching staff of Grant Udinski HC, Nate Scheelhaase as OC and Jim Schwartz DC & Asst HC?

-- Bryan, Chicago, IL

Hey Bryan: I would be interested in any combination that keeps Schwartz in the building. Pairing Udinski and Scheelhaase isn’t in the cards, however.

Hey Tony: Is the starting QB for 2026 currently on our roster? If not, should we wait until the loaded ‘27 QB draft to get our guy?

-- Andy, Bloomington, IL

Hey Andy: It’s premature to speculate on anything regarding the quarterbacks until a head coach is selected.

Hey Tony: How would you grade the performance of the 3 Browns starting QBs in the 2025 season?

-- Dave, Cedar Park, TX

Hey Dave: Joe Flacco: Inc. Dillon Gabriel: C-minus. Shedeur Sanders: C.

Hey Tony: You wrote in a previous Hey Tony that “if Watson does not play in 2025 because of injury, the Browns would receive a $44 million credit on their salary cap in 2026.”  So can you now confirm that report given that Watson never played this year. 

-- AJ, Avon, OH

Hey AJ: My understanding is the insurance refund is one thing and the salary cap credit is another. The cap credit will be a fraction of the insurance refund, I’ve been told. But those exact figures are not yet known.

Hey Tony: What will the Browns send the Raiders for the first pick, now that Dante Moore is staying in school?

-- Darnell, Miami, FL

Hey Darnell: I don’t believe Fernando Mendoza will be obtainable, similar to Cam Ward last year.

Hey Tony: How aggressive do you think the Browns will be in free agency?

-- Bill, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Hey Bill: I think they will be selectively aggressive on the offensive side. Meaning, they won’t blow their budget on the highest-priced, say, offensive tackles, but will seek to fill multiple offensive holes in free agency.

Hey Tony: Will the Browns get rid of analytics now that Paul DePodesta is gone?  Going for it on 4^th down in Q3 at your own 30 down one score should not happen again ever.

-- Eddie, Independence, OH

Hey Eddie: They won’t get rid of analytics. Hopefully, they will play a less influential role because, frankly, what they’ve been doing the last 10 years is not working. I’m sure the degree to which analytics will influence football matters is a topic discussed in the head coach interviews.

Hey Tony: What are your expectations for next season? I expect us to do better with a coach who can expand the offense something Stefanski just couldn't do. If we had a reasonable good offense we'd have probably 4-5 more wins this season.

-- Le'Quan, Cleveland, OH

Hey Le’Quan: Before setting expectations, let’s see who they hire as head coach and how his assistant coaching staff takes shape. Not only do they need massive improvement on offense, they need a special teams they can count on to avoid negative plays and provide positive plays.

Hey Tony: Do you think Bill Callahan will be willing to come back to Cleveland this offseason or will Stefanski try to scoop him up wherever he ends up? Our (future) line could use him.

-- Mike, Batavia, NY

Hey Mike: I’d never say never, but I wouldn’t expect Callahan to return. Maybe there is a head coach the Browns hire that Callahan would like to work with. But he’s as old-school as they come, and I don’t see him meshing with these young, up-and-comers preferred by GM Andrew Berry.

Hey Tony: Is Deshaun Watson a well-kept secret for our 2026 roster? Do you think the progress he made in his rehabilitation is being overlooked by most people? Or do Browns view him as a failed experiment that they're ready to move on from, in your opinion?

-- Eric, Columbus, OH

Hey Eric: Andrew Berry said he envisioned Watson on the 2026 roster, but added that there’s a long way to go for that to happen. By keeping Watson for a final, fifth season, the Browns can tap into his contract and create 2026 salary cap room at the expense of kicking the can full of dead cap charges down the road for another year. It’s a “rob Peter to pay Paul” dilemma. And since they’re committed to a final, guaranteed salary of $46 million, they may see him as the “veteran” in the room instead of having to find another.