The Cleveland Browns enter the 2025 NFL season with anticipation and renewed optimism. After years of ups and downs, the team is looking to build on recent successes and address lingering challenges. This preview examines the Browns’ coaching staff and roster.Coaching StaffHead coach Kevin Stefanski returns, bringing stability and a disciplined approach. The coaching staff has been revamped in key areas, including offensive coordination and defensive strategy, to maximize the roster’s potential. Patriots favorite Ross Ventrone has been elevated to Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator. Tommy Rees is the Offensive Coordinator and long time respected Defensive Coordinator is Jim Schwartz.Patriots Coaches with Links to Cleveland
Cornerbacks Justin Hamilton (2006)
Tight Ends/Pass Game Coord. Thomas Brown (2009-10)
EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf (2018-19)
Quarterbacks Ashton Grant (2020-24)
Head Coach Mike Vrabel (2024)
Vrabel has very good insight into how Head Coach Kevin Stepanski operates as he was on their staff last season as a consultant. QB Coach Ashton Grant has spent his entire 4 year NFL coaching career with Cleveland.Roster OverviewIt’s hard to win games when you have bad quarterbacks, but it’s even harder to win games when your cap is being held hostage by a bad quarterback (Deshaun Watson) who is not playing for you. Watson has a $36 million cap hit this year, which is only $36 million because the Browns restructured his deal and converted $45 million of his salary into a signing bonus. Next year’s cap hit is now $81 million with a dead cap of $131 million, so the Browns will likely restructure the contract once again. Watson is out again with a torn Achilles. They are hamstrung by the ridiculous contract they signed with Watson. In 2025 they were ranked #32 in Draft Capital and couldn’t make any splashes. They did make a smart trade with Jacksonville by trading the #2 pick for Jacksonville’s #5 pick this year and their 2026 1st round pick.Offense: 3WR 1TE
Starter
2nd
3rd
4th
QB
Dillon Gabriel
Shedeur Sanders
Deshaun Watson O
–
RB
Quinshon Judkins
Jerome Ford
Dylan Sampson
Raheim Sanders
WR
Jerry Jeudy
Malachi Corley
DeAndre Carter IR
–
WR
Isaiah Bond
Gage Larvadain
WR
Jamari Thrash
Cedric Tillman IR
TE
David Njoku Q
Harold Fannin
Blake Whiteheart
LT
Cam Robinson
KT Leveston
Dawand Jones IR
LG
Joel Bitonio
Teven Jenkins
–
–
C
Ethan Pocic
Luke Wypler
Justin Osborne IR
RG
Wyatt Teller
Zak Zinter
RT
Jack Conklin Q
Cornelius Lucas
KT Leveston
Dawand Jones IR
The Browns offense doesn’t scare me. They are 30th overall at 256.1 per game, 30th in Pass Offense 178.1 per game, and 28th in Run Offense at 92.6 per game. If the Patriots run defense plays as they have shown in all 7 games this season, they should put the clamps on the Browns run game and force rookie Dillon Gabriel to prove he is a passer. The Browns traded starting QB Joe Flacco after he was benched in favor of rookie Dillon Gabriel. The 5’11”, 205-pound QB out of Oregon played for Oklahoma and UCF in his 6-year college career. Gabriel is actually older than Drake Maye. He was drafted by Cleveland in the 3rd round (94). So far this year he has started 3 games with 3 TDs, 546 yards passing, 59.8%, and an 82.5 QB Rating. In those three games he rushed 6 times for 17 yards and has been sacked 10 times. His backup is the enigmatic rookie Shedeur Sanders.In the running game Quinshon Judkins has assumed the lead back role. The rookie from Ohio State was the other half of the running tandem with Pats Treyveon Henderson who was selected ahead of him. The 6’, 225-pound back has rushed for 467 yards, 4.3 YPC and 5 TDs. He also caught 9 passes for 62 yards, 6.9 YPC and 0 TDs. Judkins played at Mississippi for 2 years before Ohio State and was selected 1st Team All-SEC both of those years.Backup Jerome Ford is a very good back and one the Patriots should look at acquiring at the trade deadline. The 5’10”, 210-pound back played at Cincinnati and Alabama. In the 2022 draft he was selected by Cleveland in the 5th round (156). This season he has only rushed 21 times for 73 yards, 3.8 YPC and 0 TDs. He is a very reliable receiver out of the backfield with 20 receptions on 23 targets for 77 yards, 3.8 YPC and 0 TDs. Ford has a 4.48 40-yard dash time.Dylan Sampson, a speedy back out of Tennessee, is the third string back. The diminutive 5’8”, 200-pound back was selected in the 4th round (126) this year. He runs a 4.46 40-yard dash and was selected as a 2nd Team All-American and SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. He was a player I had my eye on for the Patriots, had they not taken Treyveon Henderson in the 2nd round. He has rushed for 51 yards, 2.0 YPC and 0 TDs and caught 15 of 17 targets for 104 yards, 6.9 YPC and 1 TD.The Wide Receiver room is led by Jerry Jeudy the 6’1” 195-pound wideout. Last season he was selected to the pro Bowl. In college at Alabama, he was 2x All-American, 2x All-SEC, and the Biletnikoff winner. Cleveland acquired Jeudy from Denver at the start of last season. In 2020 he was Denver’s 1st round (15) selection. On the season he has 22 catches on 52 targets. Just 42% catch rate when targeted. Poor QB play is a big part of this problem.The number 2 receiver is Isaiah Bond a speedy (4.35) UDFA out of Texas and Alabama. The 5’11”, 180-pound receiver has 11 catches on 26 targets (another receiver under 50%) and 0 TDs. The dropoff is significant after the top two. With Cedric Tillman on IR, Jamari Thrash is the 3rd receiver. The 6’190-pound receiver out of Louisville and Georgia State has 8 catches on 11 targets for 76 yards and 9.5 YPC, and 0 TDs. Thrash a 2024 5th round (156) pick by Cleveland. Malachi Corley rounds out the receiving corps and has just 2 catches on the season.The Cleveland TEs can hurt you. David Njoku is an established pass catcher. The 6’4” 246-pound TE was drafted by Cleveland in the 2017 1st round (29) out of Miami. In his career, he has 351 receptions, 3,769 yards, 10.7 YPC, and 30 TDs. This year, he has 23 catches on 36 targets, 223 yards, 9.7 YPC and 1 TD. Njoku was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to play in Sunday’s game. Rookie TE Harold Fannin is more a big WR than an inline TE. He is a matchup nightmare, especially for the Patriots who have a hard time covering TEs. The 6’3” 241-pound TE was selected by Cleveland this year in the 3rd Round (67). The Bowling Green product leads the Browns in receptions with 32 catches on 43 targets, for 290 yards, 9.1 YPC, and 1 TD.According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) the Browns have the worst Offensive line in the NFL. LG Joel Bitonio is still one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. The 34-year-old, 11-year veteran was the 2nd Round (35) pick of Cleveland in 2014. Bitonio, has been selected as a 1st Team All Pro twice, 2nd Team All Pro 3 times, Pro Bowl 7 x in his career. His PFF Grade is 76.3, 3rd amongst all Guards. On the year he has given up 0 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, 9 Hurries and 10 Pressures. How the mighty have fallen.Cam Robinson, the 6’6”320-pound Tackle from Alabama was selected by Jacksonville in the 2017 Draft 2nd round (34). He has disappointed at every stop with 4 Teams. On September 29th this year, Robinson was traded by Houston with a 7th Round pick to Cleveland for a 6th Round pick. His PFF grade is 45.9, 99th amongst tackles. So far this season he has given up 2 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 2Hurries and 7 Pressures. At Center is Ethan Pocic, the 6’6”, 320-pound Center played at LSU where he earned 1st Team All SEC and 1st Team All-American honors. The 2017 2nd round (58) selection by Seattle has a PFF Grade of 59.4. 37th amongst Centers. On the season he has 2 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 7 Hurries and 11 Pressures. Pocic was sick and did not practice on Thursday. This should be monitored to see if he travels with the team on Saturday.Wyatt Teller is the Right Guard. The 30-year-old was drafted by Buffalo in the 2018 draft 5th Round (166). The 6’4”, 315-pound Guard was selected 2nd Team All-Pro 2 x and 3x Pro Bowl. His PFF Grade is 63.5 good for 78th amongst all guards. For the season he has given up 2 Sacks, 1 QB Hit, 13 Hurries and 16 Pressures. Right Tackle has been a huge problem for Cleveland. Starter Dawand Jones has been on season-long Injured Reserve after suffering a LCL knee injury in the 3rd game of the season.Jack Conklin was the original replacement, but he has played only one full game. Conklin missed last week’s game versus Miami with a Concussion. He has cleared Concussion Protocol and practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to play on Sunday. The 6’6”, 308-pound Tackle out of Michigan State was selected by Tennessee in the 2016 Draft 1st Round (18). His PFF Grade is 58.1 good for 72nd. On the season he has given up 1 Sack, 1, QB Hit, 4 Hurries and 6 Pressures in just 129 snaps in 3 games.Backup Tackles KT Levenson and Cornelius Lucas have been turnstiles at RT. They have given up 5 and 3 sacks apiece. Levenson PFF Grade is 44.3 (101) and Lucas 42.9 (105) out of 116 graded players. Leveston has generally struggled in pass protection this season. His 16.7% pressure rate allowed ranks last among all offensive linemen.Defense: 3-4The defense remains a strength under Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz. Anchored by a formidable defensive line and talented secondary. The addition of new linebackers and safeties is expected to improve run defense and coverage schemes, making the unit more versatile.
Starter
2nd
3rd
LDE
Myles Garrett
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Cameron Thomas
NT
Maliek Collins
Shelby Harris
–
RDE
Mason Graham
Mike Hall Q
Adin Huntington Q
WLB
Isaiah McGuire
Alex Wright
LILB
Mohamoud Diabate
Jerome Baker
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah O
RILB
Carson Schwesinger
Nathaniel Watson
SLB
Devin Bush
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
Winston Reid IR
LCB
Denzel Ward
Jarrick Bernard-Converse
Anthony Kendall IR
SS
Grant Delpit
Rayshawn Jenkins
FS
Ronnie Hickman
Donovan McMillon
Damontae Kazee
RCB
Tyson Campbell
Dom Jones
Tre Avery
NB
Myles Harden
This may be the best Defense the Patriots have faced since the Minnesota Vikings in the pre-season. They are ranked #1 overall, giving up 256.1 Yard per game. Their Pass Defense is 3rd at 173,1 per game and the Run Defense is stout is #4 at 82.4 per game just behind the Patriots. It all starts with Myles Garrett. The Browns ranked first in pressure rate last season but lagged behind a bit with 41 sacks. The biggest offseason move was the long term extension for Myles Garrett, who at one point appeared destined to leave via trade. Last season, Garrett led all qualified pass rushers with an 18.4% pressure rate and finished second with 14 sacks. He has recorded at least 10 sacks in seven straight seasons. Garrett was the #1 overall pick by Cleveland in the 2017 draft. At Texas A&M, he was selected to the 1st Team All-SEC twice and 2nd Team once. 4x All-Pro 1st team, 2x All-Pro 2nd team, 6x Pro Bowl and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. His PFF Grade is 91.6 good for 3rd amongst Edge players. For the season he has 27 Tackles, 6 Sacks, 4 QB Hits, 17 Hurries, and 10 TFLs. The 30-year-old Maliek Collins is having a career year. The Free Agent acquisition this off season stands 6’2”, 310-pounds and has played for 4 other teams in the league. In 2016 he was selected by Dallas in the 3rd round (67) of the draft out of Nebraska. His PFF Grade is 89.8 #1 amongst all DTs. For the season he has 15 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, and 11 Hurries. Mason Graham was their 1st round pick #5 overall this year. The 6’3”, 320-pound DT out of Michigan was a 2nd Team All-American and 2x 1st Team All-Big 10 selection. His PFF grade is 62.8 good for 52nd amongst D-linemen. For the season he has 17 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit, and 10 Hurries. Backup D-linemen – Mike Hall was a Full Participant in practice and Adin Huntington Did Not Practice.Rookie Carson Schwesinger has been outstanding. The UCLA product is a 6’2”, 242 – pound linebacker. He was selected in the 2nd Round (33) of this year’s draft. In 2023 he was selected as an All-American and 1st Team All-Big Ten. His PFF grade is 72.2, 19th amongst linebackers. For the season he has 39 Tackes, 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits, and 0 Hurries. Isaiah McGuire is listed as an Edge player in the 3-4 alignment. The 6’4”, 271-pound Edge played at Missouri. In the 2023 Draft he was selected in the 4th round (126) after being selected 1st Team All-SEC. His PFF Grade is 74.6 good for 27th amongst Edge players. For the season he has 9 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits, and 9 Hurries. Mahamoud Diabate is the other inside Linebacker. The 6’4” 225-pound Backer played at Utah and Florida. He went Undrafted in 2023 draft. In limited playing time he has a PFF grade of 58.5 good for 95th. On the season in just 79 snaps he has accumulated 10 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, 0 Hurries. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been lost for the year after sustaining a neck injury versus the Ravens. Devin Bush is having a fine season. The 5’11” 234-pound Linebacker from Michigan was selected in the 1st Round (10) by Pittsburgh in the 2019 Draft. The 27-year-old is coming into his own with a PFF Grade of 86.7 good for 6th amongst Linebackers. On the year he has 36 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit, and 1 Hurry.In the secondary Denzel Ward the 5’11”, 190-pound veteran played at Ohio State. He was drafted in the 1st round (4) of the 2018 Draft by the Browns. He is a 4 x Pro Bowl selection. His PFF grade is 53.5 good for 86th amongst CBs. On the season he has 20 Tackles, 0 sacks, 0 QB hits and 1 Hurry. The Safety tandem in Cleveland may be the best in the league. Grant Delpit, the 6’3” 208-pound Strong Safety was a 2020 draft choice of Clevland in the 2nd round (44). The former LSU player was 2x All-SEC 1st team. His PFF grade is 78.6, 5th in the league among all Safeties. For the season he has 37 Tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB Hit and 1 Hurry. Ronnie Hickman is the Free Safety out of Ohio State. The 6’, 209-pound Safety was an Undrafted Free Agent find by Cleveland. His PFF grade is 79, good for 3rd amongst all Safeties. He leads the secondary with 42 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 QB Hits and 0 Hurries. Both safeties are sure tacklers in the open field and are quick to come up and support the run. Tyson Campbell is the RCB. The Georgia product stands 6’1”, 195-pounds and was drafted by Jacksonville in 2020 2nd round (44). His PFF grade is 60, good for 58th amongst CBs. On the year he has 7 Tackles and no Sacks, QB Hits and 12 Hurry. The Nickel back is Myles Harden. The 6’, 200-pound DB out of South Dakota will have big responsibilities trying to cover Stefon Diggs and Pop Douglas in the slot. Harden was a 2024 find in the 7th round (227). His PFF grade is 63.6 good for 46th. So far this season he has 20 Tackles with no Sacks or QB Hits, and 1 Hurry.Special Teams
Starter
2nd
3rd
4th
PK
Andre Szmyt
–
–
–
P
Corey Bojorquez
–
–
–
H
Corey Bojorquez
–
–
–
PR
Gage Larvadain
Isaiah Bond
–
KR
Dylan Sampson
Jerome Ford
Malachi Corley
Jamari Thrash
LS
Rex Sunahara
Special Teams will be crucial in what I believe will be a close game. The loss of DeAndre Carter has really crippled the Kickoff and Punt Returns. Jerome Ford is now the principal Kickoff returner and ranks 50th amongst all returners in the league. Punt returns are pretty bad as well with Gage Larvadain averaging just 7.6 yard per return on his 5 Punt Returns. He doesn’t qualify for a ranking. Andre Szmyt the kicker out of Syracuse, handles the Field Goal duties. He is ranked 21st in the kicker rankings making 10 of 12 FG attempts and all 16 of his Extra Points. Beyond 50 yards he is 2 of 3. Former Patriot Corey Bojorquez is their Punter. He leads the league with 38 punts but his Net Yards per Punt is 37.3, 30th in the league.Game PredictionI expect this to be close low scoring affair. The Over/Under betting line as of Thursday is 40.5. The Cleveland Offense should be held in check by the Patriots defense playing at home. They cannot come out of the gate slow. The Browns defense is the real deal and should give Drake Maye fits by disguising coverages and blitzes.Jim Schwartz is a master at deception. The key matchup is rookies Will Campbell and Jared Wilson against Myles Garrett who will line up all over the Defensive Line. He might even take a crack at Garrett Bradbury too. It will be interesting if they play two high safeties or bring up one in the box to stop the run. Maye will not have the time to throw that he has enjoyed the last few games. Turnovers and Special Teams will play a huge role in this game. I am picking the Patriots to win 17-13 in a low-scoring affair.
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About Mark MorseMerrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.View all posts by Mark Morse
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