The Browns drafted two quarterbacks last year, had six of them in training camp and saw a rotating cast of starters during the season, including veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Sanders. It’s a position still drawing attention on an offense in need of an overhaul under new head coach Todd Monken.
“I think any player that we have in that room, we would expect to compete to earn a role,” Berry said. “Those two (Watson and Sanders) would be no different.”
Watson, who had been accused of sexual misconduct before agreeing to a five-year, fully guaranteed contract with the Browns, has struggled to stay healthy and has been inconsistent in his performances when he has been available. He missed all of last season due to a second Achilles surgery on an injury that initially occurred in October 2024.
When asked why he believes Watson has a legitimate chance to win the starting job, despite not playing a full season since 2020, Berry said the 30-year-old quarterback has been “working his tail off.” He looks forward to seeing that competition play out beginning in April.
Sanders, a fifth-round pick in last year’s draft, took over as the starter in November and threw for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions across eight games. Berry said he’s looking for continued growth in Year 2.
“I think he grew a lot from start one to start seven,” Berry said. “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.”
Even though the Browns drafted two quarterbacks last year, Berry said that doesn’t put any restraint on their approach this time around. He would be open to drafting one every year because of how valuable the position is, noting he doesn’t think “you can invest in it enough.”
This year’s draft is light on the quarterback side, though, and Cleveland has plenty of other positions to address, as well.
The offensive line room might be in need of a total rebuild. Wyatt Teller, a pending free agent, already said his goodbyes on social media, left guard Joel Bitonio is still deciding whether he is retiring or not, and three others – Cam Robinson, Jack Conklin and Ethan Pocic – all are set to hit free agency.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Berry said he envisions attacking that position group in similar fashion to how Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles did last year when he used a combination of internal development, veteran additions via trade and free agency and draft picks.
“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,” Berry said.
Cleveland has two first-round picks, including No. 6 overall. Berry said there’s no fixed number of rookies that would be considered “too many.”
Monken, the former Baltimore offensive coordinator who also will call plays for Cleveland’s offense, has said he doesn’t have a particular scheme, but he plans to fit that around the talent. Berry said the Browns can look no further than Baltimore’s offensive line to get an understanding of what is needed: “Enough of everything to be scheme versatile.”
Berry said whatever the approach to rebuilding the offensive line and offense as a whole, he would anticipate being more aggressive in free agency than last year.
“It’ll be targeted and opportunistic,” Berry said. “I think realistically we may be one more offseason away from being hyper-aggressive in that window, but if there’s something that fits us, fits our roster, fits our timeline, then it’s certainly a swing we’ll take.”