(Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Few analysts believed that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam would move on from GM Andrew Berry or head coach Kevin Stefanski after Cleveland’s miserable season in 2024.

Analysts suggested Haslam craves stability, and Cleveland owned an overall winning record during Berry’s tenure ahead of 2024.

Despite their poor 2024 record, the Browns are only four games below .500 over the past five years, hinting at Cleveland’s improvement during Berry’s tenure.

Fixing the issues from last year’s roster could take longer than one year, the reason behind Browns insider Tony Grossi’s surprising belief that Cleveland’s top executive isn’t approaching the draft with his job on the line.

“I’m beginning to believe that this mulligan that these guys received this year after a 3-14 season is a two-year mulligan, meaning they’re in for two years. As an organization, they might have looked at this draft and explained to Haslam, ‘unless we get Cam Ward, we’re not going to find the answer here in this draft’ … They’re not drafting for their jobs,” Grossi said.

Tony on the Browns front office & the coaching staff. pic.twitter.com/OJBRwEN8nd

— Emmett Golden (@egoldie80) March 19, 2025

Grossi believes the Browns covet Miami’s Cam Ward, the prospect perceived as the top overall quarterback in this year’s draft class.

The insider furthered the conversation, teasing that Cleveland may take a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft and add other assets around him in preparation to build the roster for a strong 2026 season.

That prospect is certain to upset the Browns’ fanbase looking to win in 2025, especially after the organization made two playoff appearances in Berry’s first four seasons.

Cleveland is also handicapped by the team’s salary cap, and the threshold prevented the franchise from making a splash during the free agency period.