00:00there are a lot of questions a lot of things to see an offense that has a completely different
00:06feel to it because you have an all-new offensive line you have new wide receivers you'll have
00:12running backs coming back you have young tight ends to go along with Harold Fiannon who's a
00:17young tight end and who knows what a quarterback yeah that seems to be the story doesn't I don't
00:26know how we we shake that off I but the problem is is that if it's not then that probably
00:33means
00:33things are going in the right direction well maybe now we've had a lot of attention pointed at the
00:38offense and that goes from the front office as well with so many assets being put toward the
00:45offense in the offseason with draft choices and with free agency and everything else I'd wager to
00:51say the key to this team this year and he's going to be the defense can the defense be as
00:56solid as it
00:56was last year when the defense had Jim Schwartz as the coordinator and it had Miles Garrett as the
01:03clear-cut standout player on the defense and that means in Miles place Jared Verse needs to be
01:13what Jared Verse has been the first two years of his career which is a good defensive end I'm not
01:20none of us should none of us it's not right to say well he better be as good as Miles
01:26Garrett yeah
01:27okay Miles Garrett wasn't as good as Miles Garrett his first two years in the league you know you grow
01:32you develop you get better Jared Verse made the Pro Bowl already twice so he's going to be a good
01:40player here and I'm anxious to see him what I'm more anxious to see is what the overall defense looks
01:46like with Mike Rutenberg as the defensive coordinator and he came in from came in from the
01:53Atlanta Falcons good pedigree he's worked with some good folks in the past and I don't think enough has
02:01been mentioned about the fact that okay there is a new guy running this wonder what the scheme's going
02:07to look like wonder what the unit is going to look like how effective can they be will they be
02:14a unit that's as good as it was last year remember Schwartz was here three years first year was
02:19lights out second year was not very good in comparison in the third year pretty darn good
02:28I think we're I I don't expect the drop-off to be that great do you uh no I actually
02:35a lot of
02:35veterans to be pretty good yeah so you have a lot of veterans back on defense and good young players
02:41and good young guys yeah especially as backups like I think we have more defensively backups I
02:48would just say well that doesn't mean you're going to be any good then well no no no no I'm
02:53not saying
02:53I'm just that you've got draft picks you I mean there seems to be a war I mean your second
03:00round
03:00pick one of your second round picks I was hanging there as a backup to start the season behind Rodney
03:05Hickman so um and then you got you better have three safeties Justin Jefferson you brought him
03:10in too and then you've got I mean they've got a plethora of of guys that can play safety so
03:14but
03:15again um like I don't my question though because what is the drop-off on defense because you lost
03:22the coordinator that's well we don't know that's what that's what I think the question mark becomes
03:27during camp during preseason and then once they finally say hike during the regular season I don't
03:32think it's that like well I don't think that's what we're looking to find out though don't you
03:36think oh absolutely absolutely Jim Schwartz was very respected obviously before he came here had
03:41a great reputation I also coordinator I think it's beneficial for Jim Schwartz if the defense looks
03:46good this year because they're still they were good last year if they maintain being good then I
03:52think that elevates Schwartz too if he's trying to find another job right hey look what I did in
03:56Cleveland like the team did the record didn't show it but go back and look at the defensive
04:01effort that we saw go back and look at well you had my yeah but you know what you still
04:05they he had
04:06to put it together to at least the defense gave us chances in games last year that we might not
04:10have
04:10because the offense was stalling out so I think it's good for Jim Schwartz if the defense looks good
04:15this year too you might say oh I kind of wish Schwartz was a head coach maybe if they don't
04:20play well
04:20the the Browns front office and ownership will realize that they they made a mistake it's football kids
04:26it's football coaches coaches coaches come and go sorry to say yeah you know we all wish Jim Schwartz
04:31was probably still the defensive coordinator many wish he was the head coach yeah instead it's a
04:36different crew but no one's saying that now they'll own they'll only start saying that if Todd has
04:42trouble or things go sideways early on then they'll be like oh they hired the wrong guy you know that's
04:49I mean look when they hired monkey people were like oh they hired the wrong guy well maybe they did
04:53oh yeah we just don't know we don't know beauty of playing this thing that's and that's why I think
04:58one of the biggest questions is what is this defense going to look like with Mike Rutenberg as the
05:02defensive coordinator there's a piece on the athletic and it was written by Jordan Rodrigue and
05:11she went through and named a coach to watch on all 32 teams and the title of the piece assistant
05:19coaches who could break out in 2026 and she actually for the Browns said Mike Rutenberg and
05:27the fact that you picked one from every team okay you had to pick somebody I would think Rutenberg is
05:32a
05:32good choice there and just said he's you know as a key assistant for the Falcons and his ability to
05:38teach plus his schematic roots talking about working with Robert Sala Jeff Ulbrich
05:44uh with the Jets will be the subject of much interest I agree completely with that you know
05:51if Rutenberg comes out and does a good job Andy maybe the defense is better than it was under Jim
05:56Schwartz you have young guys who are going to step up you know you hope Mason Graham is better than
06:02he
06:02was last year as a rookie you hope Mike Hall finds it Carson Schlesinger should do nothing but get
06:09better true you brought in McNeil Warren maybe he beats out Ronnie Hickman you know there there are a
06:17lot of things that could happen on this defense to make it better than it was and that's that's
06:23nothing against you know Miles Garrett or Mike Schwartz or Jim Schwartz excuse me but Mike Rutenberg
06:29just might have the right guys at the right time
06:33yeah I mean they could be Rutenberg could have been just gifted a defense here you know that's the
06:38beauty of the whole thing right and so again if they're going to win it's going to have to start
06:43with defense first and then fill in the the blanks on the other side and hope that you know Boston
06:48and Concepcion can light that offense on fire by getting the ball from a quarterback who can deliver
06:55I the greatest part about now is that you just don't have to you you can dream and and go
07:00laugh this works if this works if this is dream that's what we're the best dreaming franchise
07:04in the history of the NFL they all turned south during the season and then you get halfway through
07:12it you're like oh I wonder if they're trying to lose games so we can get a better draft pick
07:16I hate those seasons I can't stand those I don't but I feel like we're destined to have that this
07:21year
07:22because the answer of the great quarterback controversy for the Cleveland Browns isn't going
07:27to come to rest anytime soon I don't know what kind of defense Mike Rutenberg is going to play
07:32they can talk all about it they can say we're going to do this say we're going to do that
07:35I
07:35want to see it on the field and let's find out turnovers would be good one thing about teams
07:40they get a lot of turnovers Andy sometimes they give up a lot of big plays you know well because
07:47yeah because they're going for it they're going for it yeah and but that's okay you know try to make
07:52especially on interceptions that you're like how many times have you watched a defensive back go
07:55oh yeah and that's and that's what we're going to find out with Rutenberg you know what type of
08:00defense does he want to play do they want to be overly aggressive go for the big play do they
08:06want to you know bend and not break what do they want to do and that's you know that's what
08:11we're
08:11going to find out I just can't wait for this thing to start I'm going to be honest with you
08:17this feels
08:17like this has been the longest month of July other than just it could just because I want to see
08:21what
08:21they look like I want you know you got to the camps and we're going through all these OTAs and
08:25we're
08:25now we're almost there September right we're what we're not really going to see it till September
08:30is that what you're asking yes I think you're going to see it more with this team offensively
08:34than you do with most teams I I'm just really much hoping and because everything seems to be
08:40projecting this way that it's not a camp cupcake for any of the you know the veterans every day
08:44like I kind of I'm nothing against miles but and I didn't need to see miles in practice during
08:49training camp at all because we know how good he was uh while he was here I I think when
08:56you
08:57walk into a regular season prepare not prepared it shows week one and let's face it I mean we're
09:05talking about two steamy games early on in the year in Florida where it's going to be hot
09:12and they need to be ready and they need to practice in this heat uh in August to be ready
09:16for the start
09:17of the season because there's nothing worse than jumping out there and starting the season 0-2 0-3 0
09:23-4
09:24and you're already looking at next year that is the last thing I want but they just they need to
09:30be
09:30ready and prepared for the beginning of the season I felt like too many times these training camps have
09:35been so soft I understand that they've been you know reworked because of the NFLPA I get it and that
09:43they don't have the same like two days don't really exist anymore right so but they better be ready
09:48this year I it's just be ready please
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