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San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
From quirks to legends: The evolution of AP All-America college football teams over 100 years
A century of Associated Press All-America college football teams features plenty of great teams, great players and a host of of head-scratching quirks, reflecting how the game itself has evolved over 100 years. Let's start with the most important position: quarterback. In 1925, when the first AP All-America team was named, the quarterback position did not loom nearly as large. The forward pass had only been legal since 1906 and the required number of yards for a first down had changed from 5 to 10 yards in 1912. The notion of throwing the ball was still in its infancy. Of the 11 men on the 1925 team, three were listed as 'backs' and one as a 'running back.' It's not clear why Stanford's Ernie Nevers was labeled a running back. For the first 45 years, with two exceptions, quarterbacks were simply listed among the backs. For reasons unknown, Northwestern's Otto Graham (1943) and Michigan's Bob Timberlake (1964) were called QBs but Heisman Trophy winners Roger Staubach of Navy (1963) and Steve Spurrier of Florida (1966) were not. Quarterbacks have been specifically designated as such every year since Notre Dame's Joe Theismann in 1970. Through 1949, the All-America team was made up of 11 players (there were 12 in 1948). A short-lived move to two-platoon football began in 1945 with players no longer required play both offense and defense. The AP began naming 22 All-Americans in 1950. But in 1953, when one-platoon football returned, it was back to 11 All-Americans. In 1964, there were 22 men on the team even though unlimited substitution didn't return until 1965. Position titles were kept general into the 1970s, a holdover from those one-platoon days. Backs could be running backs and quarterbacks but also linebackers and defensive backs. Linemen were just linemen. Ends were positioned at the end of the offensive line and were blockers and receivers, or they could be defensive ends. Specialists weren't recognized until kickers and punters were first honored in 1981, and the first all-purpose player wasn't named until 1991. Notre Dame is the leader Since 1925, there have been 1,952 players named to the AP All-America first team. Notre Dame has had the most with 85, followed by Alabama with 83, Ohio State with 79, Southern California with 77 and Oklahoma with 75. This year's AP All-America team will be released in December. Where they're from The state of Texas has produced a nation-leading 256 AP first-team All-Americans through 2024. The Lone Star State is followed by California with 170, Ohio with 138, Florida with 133 and Pennsylvania with 111. Houston (33) ranks as the No. 1 hometown for first-team picks followed by Dallas (30), Los Angeles (27), Chicago (26) and Miami (25). 3-time All-Americans Twelve players earned AP All-America first-team honors three times, a truly elite group that represents fewer than 1% of the 1,949 All-Americans so far. Five played primarily offense and the other seven were on defense: RBs Felix 'Doc' Blanchard and Glenn Davis of Army, 1944-46; B Doak Walker, TCU, 1947-49; LB Richard Wood, Southern California, 1972-74; LB Jerry Robinson, UCLA, 1976-78; DB Kenny Easley, UCLA, 1978-80; DL Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-80; WR Anthony Carter, Michigan, 1980-82; RB Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-82; OL Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-84; RB Marshall Faulk, San Diego State, 1991-93; LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State, 2006-08. Notable position leaders last 50 years Over the past half-century (1974-2024), some notable bragging rights: — BYU leads the nation with five AP first-team All-America quarterbacks: Marc Wilson (1979), Jim McMahon (1981), Steve Young (1983) and Ty Detmer (1990-91). — Southern California has the most AP All-America running backs with five players honored seven times: Anthony Davis (1974), Ricky Bell (1975-76), Charles White (1978-79), Marcus Allen (1981) and Reggie Bush (2005). — Alabama has the most AP All-America linebackers with 12 players honored 14 times: Cornelius Bennett (1986), Derrick Thomas (1988), Keith McCants (1989), DeMeco Ryans (2005), Rolando McClain (2009), Dont'a Hightower (2011), Mark Barron (2011), C.J. Mosley (2012-13), Reggie Ragland (2015), Reuben Foster (2016), Will Anderson Jr. (2021-22) and Dallas Turner (2023). — Alabama also has the most AP All-America defensive backs with 11 players honored 12 times: Tommy Wilcox (1981), Antonio Langham (1993), Kevin Jackson (1996), Javier Arenas (2009), DeMarcus 'Dee' Milliner (2012), Landon Collins (2014), Minkah Fitzpatrick (2016-17), Deionte Thompson (2018), Patrick Surtain II (2020), Kool-Aid McKinstry (2023) and Terrion Arnold (2023). ___
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
From quirks to legends: The evolution of AP All-America college football teams over 100 years
A century of Associated Press All-America college football teams features plenty of great teams, great players and a host of of head-scratching quirks, reflecting how the game itself has evolved over 100 years. Let's start with the most important position: quarterback. In 1925, when the first AP All-America team was named, the quarterback position did not loom nearly as large. The forward pass had only been legal since 1906 and the required number of yards for a first down had changed from 5 to 10 yards in 1912. The notion of throwing the ball was still in its infancy. Of the 11 men on the 1925 team, three were listed as 'backs' and one as a 'running back.' It's not clear why Stanford's Ernie Nevers was labeled a running back. For the first 45 years, with two exceptions, quarterbacks were simply listed among the backs. For reasons unknown, Northwestern's Otto Graham (1943) and Michigan's Bob Timberlake (1964) were called QBs but Heisman Trophy winners Roger Staubach of Navy (1963) and Steve Spurrier of Florida (1966) were not. Quarterbacks have been specifically designated as such every year since Notre Dame's Joe Theismann in 1970. Through 1949, the All-America team was made up of 11 players (there were 12 in 1948). A short-lived move to two-platoon football began in 1945 with players no longer required play both offense and defense. The AP began naming 22 All-Americans in 1950. But in 1953, when one-platoon football returned, it was back to 11 All-Americans. In 1964, there were 22 men on the team even though unlimited substitution didn't return until 1965. Position titles were kept general into the 1970s, a holdover from those one-platoon days. Backs could be running backs and quarterbacks but also linebackers and defensive backs. Linemen were just linemen. Ends were positioned at the end of the offensive line and were blockers and receivers, or they could be defensive ends. Specialists weren't recognized until kickers and punters were first honored in 1981, and the first all-purpose player wasn't named until 1991. Notre Dame is the leader Since 1925, there have been 1,952 players named to the AP All-America first team. Notre Dame has had the most with 85, followed by Alabama with 83, Ohio State with 79, Southern California with 77 and Oklahoma with 75. This year's AP All-America team will be released in December. Where they're from The state of Texas has produced a nation-leading 256 AP first-team All-Americans through 2024. The Lone Star State is followed by California with 170, Ohio with 138, Florida with 133 and Pennsylvania with 111. Houston (33) ranks as the No. 1 hometown for first-team picks followed by Dallas (30), Los Angeles (27), Chicago (26) and Miami (25). 3-time All-Americans Twelve players earned AP All-America first-team honors three times, a truly elite group that represents fewer than 1% of the 1,949 All-Americans so far. Five played primarily offense and the other seven were on defense: RBs Felix 'Doc' Blanchard and Glenn Davis of Army, 1944-46; B Doak Walker, TCU, 1947-49; LB Richard Wood, Southern California, 1972-74; LB Jerry Robinson, UCLA, 1976-78; DB Kenny Easley, UCLA, 1978-80; DL Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-80; WR Anthony Carter, Michigan, 1980-82; RB Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-82; OL Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-84; RB Marshall Faulk, San Diego State, 1991-93; LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State, 2006-08. Notable position leaders last 50 years Over the past half-century (1974-2024), some notable bragging rights: — BYU leads the nation with five AP first-team All-America quarterbacks: Marc Wilson (1979), Jim McMahon (1981), Steve Young (1983) and Ty Detmer (1990-91). — Southern California has the most AP All-America running backs with five players honored seven times: Anthony Davis (1974), Ricky Bell (1975-76), Charles White (1978-79), Marcus Allen (1981) and Reggie Bush (2005). — Alabama has the most AP All-America linebackers with 12 players honored 14 times: Cornelius Bennett (1986), Derrick Thomas (1988), Keith McCants (1989), DeMeco Ryans (2005), Rolando McClain (2009), Dont'a Hightower (2011), Mark Barron (2011), C.J. Mosley (2012-13), Reggie Ragland (2015), Reuben Foster (2016), Will Anderson Jr. (2021-22) and Dallas Turner (2023). — Alabama also has the most AP All-America defensive backs with 11 players honored 12 times: Tommy Wilcox (1981), Antonio Langham (1993), Kevin Jackson (1996), Javier Arenas (2009), DeMarcus 'Dee' Milliner (2012), Landon Collins (2014), Minkah Fitzpatrick (2016-17), Deionte Thompson (2018), Patrick Surtain II (2020), Kool-Aid McKinstry (2023) and Terrion Arnold (2023). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
From quirks to legends: The evolution of AP All-America college football teams over 100 years
A century of Associated Press All-America college football teams features plenty of great teams, great players and a host of of head-scratching quirks, reflecting how the game itself has evolved over 100 years. HT Image Let's start with the most important position: quarterback. In 1925, when the first AP All-America team was named, the quarterback position did not loom nearly as large. The forward pass had only been legal since 1906 and the required number of yards for a first down had changed from 5 to 10 yards in 1912. The notion of throwing the ball was still in its infancy. Of the 11 men on the 1925 team, three were listed as 'backs' and one as a 'running back.' It's not clear why Stanford's Ernie Nevers was labeled a running back. For the first 45 years, with two exceptions, quarterbacks were simply listed among the backs. For reasons unknown, Northwestern's Otto Graham (1943) and Michigan's Bob Timberlake (1964) were called QBs but Heisman Trophy winners Roger Staubach of Navy (1963) and Steve Spurrier of Florida (1966) were not. Quarterbacks have been specifically designated as such every year since Notre Dame's Joe Theismann in 1970. Through 1949, the All-America team was made up of 11 players (there were 12 in 1948). A short-lived move to two-platoon football began in 1945 with players no longer required play both offense and defense. The AP began naming 22 All-Americans in 1950. But in 1953, when one-platoon football returned, it was back to 11 All-Americans. In 1964, there were 22 men on the team even though unlimited substitution didn't return until 1965. Position titles were kept general into the 1970s, a holdover from those one-platoon days. Backs could be running backs and quarterbacks but also linebackers and defensive backs. Linemen were just linemen. Ends were positioned at the end of the offensive line and were blockers and receivers, or they could be defensive ends. Specialists weren't recognized until kickers and punters were first honored in 1981, and the first all-purpose player wasn't named until 1991. Since 1925, there have been 1,952 players named to the AP All-America first team. Notre Dame has had the most with 85, followed by Alabama with 83, Ohio State with 79, Southern California with 77 and Oklahoma with 75. This year's AP All-America team will be released in December. The state of Texas has produced a nation-leading 256 AP first-team All-Americans through 2024. The Lone Star State is followed by California with 170, Ohio with 138, Florida with 133 and Pennsylvania with 111. Houston (33) ranks as the No. 1 hometown for first-team picks followed by Dallas (30), Los Angeles (27), Chicago (26) and Miami (25). Twelve players earned AP All-America first-team honors three times, a truly elite group that represents fewer than 1% of the 1,949 All-Americans so far. Five played primarily offense and the other seven were on defense: RBs Felix 'Doc' Blanchard and Glenn Davis of Army, 1944-46; B Doak Walker, TCU, 1947-49; LB Richard Wood, Southern California, 1972-74; LB Jerry Robinson, UCLA, 1976-78; DB Kenny Easley, UCLA, 1978-80; DL Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-80; WR Anthony Carter, Michigan, 1980-82; RB Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-82; OL Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-84; RB Marshall Faulk, San Diego State, 1991-93; LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State, 2006-08. Over the past half-century (1974-2024), some notable bragging rights: — BYU leads the nation with five AP first-team All-America quarterbacks: Marc Wilson (1979), Jim McMahon (1981), Steve Young (1983) and Ty Detmer (1990-91). — Southern California has the most AP All-America running backs with five players honored seven times: Anthony Davis (1974), Ricky Bell (1975-76), Charles White (1978-79), Marcus Allen (1981) and Reggie Bush (2005). — Alabama has the most AP All-America linebackers with 12 players honored 14 times: Cornelius Bennett (1986), Derrick Thomas (1988), Keith McCants (1989), DeMeco Ryans (2005), Rolando McClain (2009), Dont'a Hightower (2011), Mark Barron (2011), C.J. Mosley (2012-13), Reggie Ragland (2015), Reuben Foster (2016), Will Anderson Jr. (2021-22) and Dallas Turner (2023). — Alabama also has the most AP All-America defensive backs with 11 players honored 12 times: Tommy Wilcox (1981), Antonio Langham (1993), Kevin Jackson (1996), Javier Arenas (2009), DeMarcus 'Dee' Milliner (2012), Landon Collins (2014), Minkah Fitzpatrick (2016-17), Deionte Thompson (2018), Patrick Surtain II (2020), Kool-Aid McKinstry (2023) and Terrion Arnold (2023). ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns vs. Lions: 5 memorable games
The Cleveland Browns will visit their personal house of horrors when they face the Detroit Lions in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. The Browns have won just one time in 13 tries as the road team against the Lions in a series that dates back to 1952. Detroit leads the all-time series 19-6, which includes a 3-1 mark in NFL Championship Games. Advertisement Related: Browns 2025 Schedule Primer: Week 4, Detroit Lions Here is a look at five of the most memorable games between the Browns and Lions. December 28, 1952: Lions 17, Browns 7 Cleveland hosted Detroit in the NFL Championship Game, looking to avenge a loss earlier in the season, but it wasn't to be. The Browns had 384 yards of total offense to Detroit's 258, but struggled to score, thanks in part to two turnovers. Trailing 14-0 in the third quarter, Cleveland finally got on the scoreboard thanks to a seven-yard touchdown run by Chick Jagade. The defense forced a punt on Detroit's ensuing possession, and Otto Graham drove the offense to Detroit's five-yard line with a chance to tie the game before the drive stalled with an incomplete pass on fourth down. Advertisement Cleveland had one more chance as the defense forced another punt. But returner Ken Carpenter fumbled the ball, the Lions recovered, and a 36-yard field goal by Pat Harder closed out the scoring and handed Cleveland a second consecutive championship game loss. December 27, 1953: Lions 17, Browns 6 It was a repeat engagement for the Browns and Lions as they met again for the NFL Championship, this time at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Otto Graham had a brutal day for Cleveland, completing just two of 15 passes and turning the ball over three times, including a fumble that led to Detroit's first touchdown. The Browns worked their way back into the game by scoring 13 consecutive points at one stretch, and after Lou Groza converted a 43-yard field goal, Cleveland led 16-10 with a little more than four minutes remaining. Advertisement But Bobby Layne led the Lions on an 80-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jim Doran. Graham tried to rally the Browns, but his second interception of the game allowed the Lions to run out the clock and hand the Browns their third consecutive title game defeat. December 26, 1954: Browns 56, Lions 10 Cleveland finally broke through and took down the Lions in convincing fashion in the NFL Championship Game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. After spotting the Lions a 7-0 lead on a 50-yard run by Bill Bowman on the game's first play, the Browns exploded for 35 points in the first half as Otto Graham took over and redeemed his poor play from the previous title game. Two touchdown passes to Ray Renfro, one to Pete Brewster, and a pair of touchdown runs by Graham helped the Browns take a 35-10 lead into halftime. Advertisement The Browns added 21 more points in the second half as Graham closed out the game with three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. Cleveland's defense tormented Bobby Layne all afternoon, picking him off six times and forcing nine turnovers in total. The win snapped Cleveland's three-game losing streak in the championship, was their first victory over the Lions in franchise history, and is the second-largest margin of victory in a title game in NFL history. December 29, 1957: Lions 59, Browns 14 For the fourth time in the decade, the Browns and Lions met in the NFL Championship Game. And for the third time, the Browns came out on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Advertisement Cleveland was favored by three points as the Lions were playing without Bobby Layne and were coming off a tough win over the San Francisco 49ers in a Western Conference playoff game. But six first-half turnovers by the Browns helped the Lions build a 31-7 lead at halftime as Tobin Rote, filling in for Layne, rushed for a touchdown and threw for another one, part of a day that saw him pass for 280 yards and four touchdowns. The game was Cleveland head coach Paul Brown's final appearance in an NFL Championship Game, and remains the last title the Lions have won. September 11, 1983: Browns 31, Lions 26 With only five regular-season wins against the Lions, it is a bit hard to pick a memorable one, so let's go with Cleveland's only road win. Advertisement Led by four touchdown passes from Brian Sipe and 137 rushing yards from Mike Pruitt, the Browns built a 28-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But the Lions fought back on a 15-yard touchdown pass by Gary Danielson and a safety when Sipe was tackled in the end zone to trim Cleveland's lead to 28-26. Cleveland's Mike Whitwell picked off Danielson, and Matt Bahr followed with a 25-yard field goal to push the lead back to five. The Browns defense had to hold the Lions one more time and finished off the day by stopping Detroit on downs after Danielson drove the Lions to Cleveland's 38-yard line with a minute remaining. The Browns allowed 435 yards of offense to the Lions and committed 16 penalties in the game, but balanced that out by forcing five turnovers to earn their first, and to this day only, win against Detroit as the road team. What is your most memorable game between the Browns and Lions? Have your say in the comments. Advertisement More from
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cleveland Browns' One Big Question: So, Who's the Quarterback?
Cleveland Browns' One Big Question: So, Who's the Quarterback? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. In this offseason series, Athlon Sports' Doug Farrar asks the One Big Question for all 32 NFL teams — the primary discussion point that will measure ultimate success (or not) for every franchise. We continue our AFC North discussion with the Cleveland Browns, who have tried very hard since their re-inception in 1999 to find their franchise quarterback. Between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders, who has the best opportunity? Advertisement The Cleveland Browns came into the NFL from the old All-America Football Conference in 1950 completely set at the game's most important position. They had Otto Graham, probably the greatest quarterback of his era, and throughout their history, quarterback generally wasn't a problem. Graham, Frank Ryan, Brian Sipe, and Bernie Kosar kept the franchise championship-conversant for the most part until the team moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens after the 1995 season. But since the Browns became the New Browns in 1999, they have been quite cursed at that position. The jerseys tell the story best, but since 1999, 40 different quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Browns, and most have done so with very little distinction. Baker Mayfield, selected with the first overall pick in the 2018 draft, has been the best overall, but the Browns jettisoned Mayfield in favor of Deshaun Watson in 2022 in what turned out to be the worst trade in NFL history. Cleveland gave up three first-round picks and a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract for a guy who has been a disaster both on and off the field, and they've paid for that accordingly. Advertisement Now that even team owner Jimmy Haslam has admitted that the Watson deal was a "swing and a miss," the Browns are trying to make chicken salad out of the quarterback position in the short term. There are now four contestants in the running for the title of Browns Starting Quarterback in 2025. Joe Flacco, who played with some distinction for the team in 2023, and turned 40 on January 16; Kenny Pickett, who played with very little distinction for the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Steelers selected him with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft, and then played very little at all for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024; Dillon Gabriel, who the Browns took with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2025 draft; and Shedeur Sanders, who the Browns took with the 144th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 draft. Most likely, Flacco's best days are in the rearview mirror. Pickett's best days may not be a factor; he's not been an obvious NFL starting caliber quarterback at any point in his career. Gabriel is a left-handed, 5-foot-11, 205-pound quarterback, which is why he lasted as long as he did despite a collegiate career of some distinction, and Sanders is a raw, talented quarterback prospect whose iffy pre-draft meetings with NFL teams most likely doomed his position in the draft before it began. Last season for the Indianapolis Colts, Flacco was a perfectly serviceable spot-starter level quarterback while Anthony Richardson dealt with injuries and his own rough NFL transition. Flacco completed 162 of 248 passes for 1,761 yards, 12 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a passer rating of 90.5. Flacco won't win you a lot of games, but he's less likely to be the reason you lose more often than not. Pickett is the great unknown, even if you still believe in his NFL potential. In two years with the Steelers before he was traded in-state in 2024, Pickett completed 446 of 713 passes for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a passer rating of 78.8, With Pickett, the idea was always that he could be a good point guard/ball distributor type, but when you're distributing as many interceptions as touchdowns, something's obviously wrong with the paradigm. Advertisement As for Gabriel, he's always been underrated because of his size, but this could be a guy to watch. Last season, Gabriel was among the FBS's best quarterbacks when throwing outside the pocket, when throwing under pressure, and when throwing deep. Overall, Gabriel completed 326 of 451 passes for 3,854 yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 114.6. This after a 2024 season at Oklahoma in which Gabriel completed 264 of 383 passes for 3,655 yards, 30 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer rating of 118.9. He's not a one-year wonder at all. And then, there's Shedeur Sanders. The Browns were taking a flyer on Colorado's quarterback where they got him after the most news-worthy draft slide in recent memory, and it was pretty clear from the post-draft quotes from head coach Kevin Stefanski and executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry that the people in the building were a lot more excited about Gabriel's fit in Stefanski's ideal offense than what Sanders might bring. 'It's a good question," Stefanski said of Gabriel's height. "Obviously, there's guys that have come before Dillon. There are guys that will come after him that don't have the quote unquote 'ideal height'. But hasn't held him back in his career. You know, he's been that height for a long time. He finds a way to get it done. And, you know, that's so important. There's quarterbacks, different shapes and sizes. You have to be able to move in the pocket. You have to feel the pocket, you have to find throwing lanes, you have to change arm angles. All that comes innately, I think, to players based on how they've kind of played the game their whole life.' Advertisement When it came to Sanders, the comments were more generic, which tells you who everybody really wanted. 'I just say the biggest thing for us, you know, we live by our board," Berry said of the Sanders pick. "We felt like he was a good, solid prospect at the most important position. We felt like it got to a point where he was probably mispriced relative to the draft. Really, the acquisition cost was pretty light, and it's a guy that we think can outproduce his draft slot. So, I wouldn't say it's any more than that. Obviously, Shedeur has kind of grown up in the spotlight, but our expectation is for him to come in here and work and compete. Nothing's been promised. Nothing will be given. So, I may hesitate to characterize it as a blockbuster. That's not necessarily how we thought of the transaction, but we are excited to work with him.' Sanders backed into some bad habits at Colorado behind an offensive line that had him running for his life more often than not — most clearly a terrible tendency to drift outside the pocket against his own momentum — and when you factor in his reported unpreparedness for NFL meetings before he was drafted, and the inevitable drama that comes with the Sanders name, it's a tougher sell. There are traits that could determine NFL success, but Gabriel is the more consistent player based on the collegiate body of work. Related: How Shedeur Sanders' NFL Team Can Transform Him From Question Mark to Exclamation Point It's unknown how things will shake out at quarterback for these Browns, but here's the thing: The clock is ticking. On the surface, this team appears to be stacked at most other positions, but in 2026, contractual void years kick in for (deep breath) offensive tackle Jack Conklin, offensive guards Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, and Tevin Jenkins, center Ethan Pocic, tight end David Njoku, edge-rushers Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, linebackers Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush, and interior defensive lineman Shelby Harris. Advertisement That's a lot to replace in a year, and because of the Watson deal, the Browns won't have much to work with. They're already more than $36 million over the salary cap for the 2026 league year, primarily because Watson's cap number balloons to an absolutely insane $80,716,514, and even if they were to release Watson after June 1, 2026, the dead cap hit would be exactly the same. So, maybe the plan here is to see what Flacco can still bring to start the season, hope that one of the rookies shows out enough to take over as things progress, and re-evaluate everything in what will be a very tough 2026. The best possible outcome for the Browns is that one of the rookies or Pickett proves to be of starting quality even as everything else falls apart in the short term. Which would be quite the role reversal for a franchise that finally got everything together at all the non-quarterback positions over the last few seasons, just in time for rabid uncertainty where it matters most. Related: Cincinnati Bengals' One Big Question: Can Al Golden Fix the Defense Without His Best Player? Related: Baltimore Ravens' One Big Question: Can Lamar Jackson Finally Transcend Postseason Demons? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
