Well it’s over.  2024 goes down as one of the most agonizing in Browns lore, 3-14 and lucky to be that good.  When this season began, I figured them winning about 7 games.  I wasn’t a believer in their direction on offense, and I didn’t think the defense would play as well as 2023.  I was shocked to constantly hear local sports media touting the Browns to win the division and host a playoff game.  Some had them starting like 6-0 and others said we would win 13-14 games.  The overestimating of this roster always puzzles me. But in fairness no one saw 3-14 coming.  This was a disaster of the first order, going 2-4 in the division and 1-10 against everyone else.

So start firing and scapegoating those who were questionable hires. Those who remain will try to pick up the still steaming pieces of this explosion of a season, and try to get it right in 2025.  This feels worse than the 1-31 we went through.  That was a bunch of bad players over matched at the NFL level.  This is worse with lots of good players but a wrong direction on offense with marginal skill players, and the dismantling of our running game.  And now – Salary Cap Hell is here. 

They have a mess on their hands with no one to blame but themselves. Thinking one player was worth six, paying him a kings ransom and guaranteeing it angering every owner in the NFL, who will be in no hurry to do us any favors.  Plus the anger of the fans is palpable too.  No one on or off the field wants to root for what’s on the field, especially knowing all that QB money has been wasted with the Browns having the highest payroll in the NFL.  How did we get here?  An expensive team, that can’t win, with an unpopular QB.  Then a revolving door of assistant coaches, players, and others cut or fired having gigantic success in other cities. 

And now here comes the news Watson had a second surgery on his Achilles.  Word is he “rolled it” and re-injured it while in Miami.  We’ve all seen his Instagram, and how “serious” he seemed to be taking his rehab on it.  Lucky for all of us, he has taken his final snap as a Brown.  The Browns will now explore new QB options because they have to.  They’ll pay Watson, which is ludicrous, but he’ll be out of our sight and mind and the Browns can sign a retreaded, aging QB for the next couple of years.  Maybe Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, possibly J.J. McCarthy, Jimmy Garopolo, could be traded for or heck Aaron Rodgers may be out there.  That’s IF they decide to draft high a new QB.   Keep your eye on Cousins and Daniel Jones.  Both will have limited interest and will deal for a starting job anywhere. 

Then there’s the draft.  We have the second pick, and I feel you may need to brace yourself for the dreaded “trade down”, as that’s always a favorite of this bunch –  because it’s worked so well here.  I know there are arguments on both sides, but maybe it’s time to start taking the picks that others do that DO work out well.  Maybe it’s time to quit whiffing and watching the ones we pass on that have great success other places.  A fact that no one wants to acknowledge, we had high draft picks in big time QB rich draft classes and even picked one at #1 with Baker.  But the front office ran him out of town, and this season he passed for 42 of the the Bucs 59 total TD’s!   As a team WE only scored 27 offensive TD’s all year.  Another brutal fact that’s laughably embarrassing.

The next few months will be interesting to watch.  And they need to know, they will be watched.  As tolerant as some have been, this is it for them.  And for the first time, I think they know it.