CLEVELAND, OHIO (TheOBR.com) - Good morning, Cleveland Browns fans!
One reason I created the OBR back in the late 90s was that I felt that the local media looked down on fans. Hopefully, things have changed since the advent of two-way communication between fans and media in the Internet age, but back then, it was pretty obvious that the locals looked on the fanbase as easily-fooled rabble, capable only of criticism and noise. Nowadays, I think there's a bit more respect shown for fan opinions because media types know they'll get it with both barrels if they cross the line.
There are still some who deal with fans this way, and I don't tolerate them well. I won't call them out by name, but there are some who like to play fans for fools, with clickbait headlines and absurdly misleading features, but I tend to give them no attention at all.
All of which goes to say, that this long-time media cynic looks skeptically at assertions coming from those watching camp about the Browns starting quarterback battle, and who is ahead and who is behind. The media, after all, is afforded only short glimpses into the overall process.
THE QUARTERBACK COMPETITION: Wednesday, for the first time all offseason, Shedeur Sanders ran with the first team in the full view of the media. In virtually every competitive drill at Wednesday's OTA practice, Sanders was the guy taking the first reps. Not Deshaun Watson. Shedeur Sanders.
And the beat reporters noticed.
"I felt there was a paradigm shift today," said cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot on their podcast. "It just felt like things were different today."
Ashley Bastock added: "Any drill they were going at full speed, any team drill, it seemed like Shedeur was the one who was going first today."
Of course, even the most quarterback-competition-enthused among the local media know that the view they have of the team's practices is narrow and potentially not meaningful. Still, for better or worse, the coverage to-date had mostly indicated that Watson had been the clear front-runner through the first two open OTA sessions. He looked polished and experienced, like a veteran who's been doing this for a decade. And then Wednesday happened.
You can't ignore the timing. Mandatory minicamp starts next week. Head coach Todd Monken had said earlier this offseason that he'd hoped to have his QB1 identified by the end of minicamp. That's… no longer a certainty.
"We got two starting-level quarterbacks, and that's a great problem to have," Monken told the local media after practice.
Whether you buy that is up to you, but he wasn't done.
"Shedeur has a real command of the offense already. He's a smart kid, sees the field really well, and the ball comes out of his hand on time. … Deshaun, we know what we have with Deshaun. He's a proven franchise quarterback. The work he's put in this offseason is evident, and he's looking explosive."
And then the money quote: "I'm not going to put a timeline on it. When it's clear, it'll be clear."
Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders at Wednesday's OTA session. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Translation: buckle up. This thing isn't close to being decided — and it might not be until we see both of these guys in pads against a real defense. The concern is that a prolonged QB competition hurts a team installing a new offense with a new offensive line and new skill-position weapons.
One practice in June doesn't win a job. But it sure makes next week's minicamp a whole lot more interesting.
JARED VERSE FINDS SOME HELP: "Man, that boy can fly," Verse said of linebacker Carson Schwesinger, the Browns' 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year. "Nah, he can work. I like that a lot."
What Verse really lit up about, though, was what Schwesinger's presence means for his own game.
"I don't got much to worry about if something, you know, I can play freely because I don't have to worry if something gets by me," Verse said via NBC Sports' ProFootballTalk. "He's going to be able to handle that. He'll be able to clean everything up. So now that's the exciting factor of it."
That's a 24-year-old pass rusher who just realized he's got a 23-year-old eraser playing behind him. Verse called Schwesinger a "comfortable security blanket," and if you're a Browns fan, the idea of the last two Defensive Rookies of the Year — Verse in 2024, Schwesinger in 2025 — stacking together on the same defense should make you feel things.
The Browns defense was already the team's calling card, even in losing seasons. Now you've swapped out a 30-year-old Myles Garrett — future Hall of Famer, no disrespect intended — for a 24-year-old Verse with his best football ahead of him, paired with a linebacker who covers up mistakes like spackle on drywall. The ceiling here isn't just "still good." It's "we might be having a different conversation about this defense by November."
THIS SIDE UP DESERVES YOUR ATTENTION: Speaking of things that are good — I need to take a minute to talk about something happening right here on the OBR network.
"This Side Up" dropped Episode 16 this week, and I'm going to say something that might sound self-serving given that it's our show, but here goes: this is the best Browns video content being produced right now, and if you're not watching it, you're doing your fandom a disservice. Best of all, it's relatively unencumbered by webdorks, and it moves fast.
The show has found its voice. The production keeps getting sharper. The analysis isn't the same recycled hot-take slurry you get from the national shows — it's smart, it's specific, and it actually respects that Browns fans know football. When they broke down the Garrett trade and what Verse brings, they went deeper than "who won the trade" surface-level nonsense. They talked about scheme fit. About the defensive vision. About what Schwesinger unlocks for the front seven.
In an era where NFL coverage increasingly feels like it was generated by an algorithm designed to make you angry, "This Side Up" is what actual football conversation looks like.
Don't take it from me; listen to what "Cameron" said after last night's show: "This elfin' pod is blowing my mind. I mean quick, tight, all killer no filler intel bang bang bang bang. I friggin' loved it… Holy crap, someone cracked the code."
Watch Episode 16 on YouTube. Subscribe while you're there. This thing is only going to get better.
Have a good one! GO BROWNS!
Newswire Bloviation Archive
OBR GOODIES
OBR VIDEO
- This Side Up, Episode 16: Goodbye, Myles Garrett. Hello, Jared Verse. — The best Browns show on YouTube, and I'm not just saying that because it's ours. Smart breakdown of the trade, what Verse brings, and where this defense is headed.
OBR ARTICLES
- Updated: Cleveland Browns 2027 Way Too Early Roster Prediction
- Cleveland Browns News and Rumors June 4, 2026: Jared Verse In His Own Shoes
FROM THE FORUMS
ASK THE INSIDERS (VIP)
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- Does losing MG actually provide more opportunity others?
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- Jared Verse Evaluation
- Gabriel
- Rounding out the DE room
INSIDER DISCUSSION (VIP)
- Cleveland Browns News and Rumors June 4, 2026: Jared Verse In His Own Shoes
THE WATERCOOLER
-Parsons asking to be traded (YEAR-OLD THREAD!)
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- LiveWire Thread for 6/4 - Twitter, Video, Articles
THE LIFT
Positive news from the world of sports and beyond...
Ever feel like your brain is too small for the job? According to Nautilus magazine, bumblebees have demonstrated chimp-like problem-solving abilities — despite having brains the size of a sesame seed. Researchers found that bees can learn complex, multi-step tasks by observing other bees, something scientists previously thought was exclusive to animals with much larger brains. So the next time you feel out of your depth trying to understand Monken's offensive scheme, just remember: a bee with a brain smaller than a pencil tip can figure out puzzles that would stump most of us. Perspective is a wonderful thing. Nautilus
WRAPPING UP
When not getting way too excited about OTAs in shorts, Barry McBride is the Publisher and Founder of the OBR and bloviates this nonsense every morning. You can follow him on Twitter @barrymcbride or write him at barry@theobr.com if you are so compelled.
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