dpCLEVELAND, Ohio — In this edition of Hey, Mary Kay! I answer questions about the outlook for the season, Deshaun Watson, and the receiving corps. All of the questions came from our Browns Football Insider subscribers. To become one, click the blue banner at the top of the cleveland.com/Browns page. Thanks for all of the great questions.
Hey, Mary Kay:
What’s the biggest concern for the Browns heading into this season? — Sean N., Chicago
Hey, Sean: The biggest thing in my mind is just the overhauled offense coming together quickly enough to be able to score the 22 or 23 points a game the Browns will probably need this season to win games. It will likely be the youngest offense in the NFL, and it’s learning a whole new scheme and terminology. It will have five new starters on the offensive line, including a rookie left tackle and probably a rookie center.
It will feature two rookie receivers, and then a handful of second-year starters such as Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr. and possibly Shedeur Sanders if he beats out Deshaun Watson for the job. What’s more, the offense will have to be able to win on the road, with six of the first nine games away from home. It’s a tall task for a first-time head coach in Todd Monken, but he must have the unit ready to play to remain in contention down the stretch.
Hey, Mary Kay:
Can you give a shoutout to my beautiful wife Lorna for just being an amazing wife and mom? Also, if Deshaun Watson returns to his elite form, do you see the Browns making a deep playoff run? — Alex in Chesapeake, Va.
Hey, Alex: Shoutout to Lorna! If Watson returns to his elite form, I could see the Browns contending for a playoff spot this season. If the offensive line jells and the skill players live up to their draft status and hype, the offense will be much-improved. I expect Fannin to elevate his game and Judkins to be able to carry the load. The two rookie receivers, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, have looked excellent in organized team activities, and Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman have all had strong offseason programs.
Watson has hit plenty of explosive plays over the past two weeks, and Jeudy raved about how much better he is than the last time he played in 2024, when he was coming off his surgery to repair a fractured shoulder. If he wins the job and plays well, and if the supporting cast comes through, the Browns have a chance to contend this season.
Hey, Mary Kay:
With Joel Bitonio likely gone, who, besides the starting quarterback, will provide veteran leadership on the offensive side of the team? — Gary from Melville, NY
Hey, Gary: With the offense being so young, some of the second-year players such as Fannin and Judkins will have to step into more vocal leadership roles. Some of the veteran offensive linemen, such as Tytus Howard and Elgton Jenkins, will also have to lead even though they’re new to the team. It’s a brand new offense and coaching staff, so everyone is on a level playing field. Jeudy can also become more of a vocal leader this season after his frustrating 2025 campaign.
Hey, Mary Kay:
If you measured quarterbacks by their performance in preseason games, then Deshone Kizer, Brady Quinn and Cody Kessler would have had long careers. So why are so many people in the media anointing Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback based on non-contact OTAs? — Mike Parker, Chester, MD
Hey, Mike: I don’t think the media is anointing Watson the starting quarterback as much as observing that he appears to be ahead in the competition based on his starting reps and his performance. Only two of the six practices have been open to the media, but in those sessions, Watson appeared to be serving as QB1 in many key drills. He’s also hit far more explosive plays in the two open practices, and sources have said it’s been similar on the closed days.
But it’s certainly not over yet. The QBs haven’t faced anything close to the starting defense yet, with key players such as Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit skipping all or most of OTAs so far. Even though Watson looks to be ahead, we don’t really know the discussion or strategy taking place behind the scenes. We do know that the staff has been very impressed with Shedeur Sanders’ progress since the voluntary minicamp, so anything can still happen.
Hey, Mary Kay:
Is it an overreaction to think that Denzel Boston could be a WR1 by midseason? — Robert from Raleigh, N.C.
Hey, Robert: I don’t know that he’ll surpass Jerry Jeudy as the Browns’ WR1, but I do think it’s possible that he’ll find himself on the field plenty of times when the Browns are in two-receiver sets. I also think they’ll play three receivers — or 11 personnel — a fair amount based on the strength of their skill players. In those formations, I expect Boston to be on the field most of the time. There will be a learning curve for the rookie receivers, but Boston (6-4, 215) is so good at contested catches and has such sure hands, he might be able to hit the ground running.
Hey, Mary Kay!
What is your assessment of Deshaun Watson’s mobility? Can he be more than a strictly dropback quarterback as he recovers from two Achilles surgeries? — Thanks, Steve Buzon, Alexandria Va.
Hey, Steve: Watson has taken off running on some option plays in OTAs, and has looked fast and mobile enough on those plays. He’s no Taylen Green, who runs a blistering 4.36 in the 40-yard dash, but he’s definitely quick enough to get the job done on some keepers and designed runs. The Browns have been pleasantly surprised with his mobility coming off two surgeries to repair the Achilles, and will account for it in the plays designed for Watson. But they also believe Sanders has plenty enough mobility to run many of the same plays.
