The Cleveland Browns aren’t ready to make any big changes to leadership, but general manager Andrew Berry doesn’t have a great deal of rope left.
Owner Jimmy Haslam spoke with media members on Monday, March 31, during which he bemoaned the team’s “swing-and-miss” move of trading three first-round picks (and then some) for quarterback Deshaun Watson, then signing him to a five-year deal worth $230 million that is fully guaranteed.
Cleveland brass has been careful not to criticize Watson, or what one can argue was the worst trade, followed by the worst contract in the history of the NFL. That Haslam did so Monday is a clear indicator that the team is moving on from Watson.
What wasn’t totally clear was where Berry stands with ownership after executing the dual Watson debacles, though Haslam offered clarity on the topic Monday.
“Browns owner Jimmy Haslam doesn’t hold GM Andrew Berry accountable for the Deshaun Watson trade … but ‘he’s got to nail’ the 2025 draft,” Tony Grossi of The Land on Demand posted to X.
Successful Browns Draft Could Mean Several Different Players Drafted at No. 2 Overall
What constitutes hitting a bullseye in this year’s draft is liable to be a moving target, and it doesn’t necessarily mean that the Browns have to select a QB with the No. 2 overall pick who blows up immediately in his rookie campaign.
“It would be great if we could get ‘the quarterback,’ but we’re not going to force it,” Haslam said, per 247 Sports. “We’re going to be patient, and we’re going to try to accumulate as many really good football players as we can.”
Cleveland should have essentially every move at its disposal following the No. 1 pick. Most draft analysts expect that either the Tennessee Titans will select Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with that selection, or will trade down with a team that intends to move up to acquire Ward.
That means the Browns can potentially select Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, his teammate cornerback/wide receiver and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter or Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter at that spot. All three are potentially excellent picks for Cleveland, though Carter and Hunter grade out higher than Sanders by a wide margin on most big boards. Each of them also play a position(s) that are more likely to translate immediately at the NFL level.
Kevin Stefanski’s Future Potentially Tied to GM Andrew Berry
Head coach Kevin Stefanski may share the same fate as Berry, or Haslam may judge him separately.
Stefanski is 40-44 in the regular season across five years with the Browns. The team has made the playoffs twice over that stretch (2020, 2023), winning 11 games both times. Stefanski also earned NFL Coach of the Year honors after each campaign.
Bringing in Sanders may ultimately be the play given the excitement he could provide for the future if he stepped into the starting role at some point next season with reasonable success.
However, a player like Carter could explode onto the NFL scene lined up across from Myles Garrett and may have more of an impact game-to-game across a 17-contest season than Sanders would. Hunter, who could play both sides of the football for Cleveland if he lands there, offers some of the same immediate upside that Carter does, which Berry (and potentially Stefanski as well) may require if he hopes to remain employed by the Browns in 2026.
