Orange and Brown Talk: Cleveland Browns Podcast

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson took time on Tuesday at the Browns charity golf outing in Rocky River to lobby for his former teammate, DeAndre Hopkins to come to Cleveland. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe discussed Watson’s comments on Tuesday’s Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. Does Hopkins make sense for the Browns and could it happen? Is there such a thing as too many receivers? Is there any concern about his age? Then they get into what Watson had to say about re-establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the league and whether he could do it in 2023. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Cardinals released DeAndre Hopkins on Friday and Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe started our weekend edition of the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by discussing whether the Browns should try to bring Hopkins to Cleveland reunite him with Deshaun Watson. Then they answer fill-in-the-blank questions from Football Insider subscribers. What freshman or sophomore player will make an impact? Which "Browns cold case" would they love to solve? Which coaching position would they sign up for? Then they look ahead to Sunday's series finale of "Succession" and talk about their preferred outcome, the outcome they'd be most disappointed by and more. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How many games will the Browns win this season if Deshaun Watson is a Top 10 quarterback? How many will they win if he isn't? Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe answered fill-in-the-blank questions from our Football Insider subscribers on Thursday's Orange and Brown Talk Podcast., starting with one about Watson's performance and how many wins it will lead to if he returns to form. They also discuss what the defense needs to do for the Browns to win the division and return to the playoffs, which players aren't getting talked about enough and they get into the thought -- or, in Dan's case, lack of thought -- that goes into choosing their wardrobes for videos. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wednesday was the second Browns practice of OTAs and the first practice open to the media, giving our Browns crew their first opportunity to see the team and some of its new additions on both sides of the ball. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe recapped the day in Berea on Wednesday's Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. They discuss the arrival of pass rusher Za'Darius Smith and what he had to say during his press conference. They also discussed what Elijah Moore had to say when he met with the media as well as safety Juan Thornhill. Then they got into some of the players who were absent on Wednesday and whether or not they should attend. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns kicked off OTAs on Tuesday and we will get our first look at them on Wednesday when they have their first session open to the media. Before they get to watch them in action, Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastocck and Dan Labbe discussed what they will be watching when they get eyeballs on the team over the coming weeks. From how the defensive line looks to how Deshaun Watson and his new receivers look, they dig into all the things they're watching. Where does Greg Newsome II line up? How are the safeties deployed? There won't be answers to everything, but a few secrets will be revealed. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns lost a legend last week when Jim Brown, the team’s all-time leading rusher, the greatest Browns player of all-time and arguably the greatest running back of all-time, died on Thursday night. Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe start the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast on Monday by remembering Brown and their interactions with him and how the Browns might honor him. Then they get into some Hey, Mary Kay! questions from our Football Insider subscribers. How would Joe Woods have done with the talent the Browns have added this offseason? What factors go most into the Browns having success this season -- excluding quarterback and injuries? Is the AFC North as tough as it’s ever been? Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Browns legend Jim Brown died on Thursday night at his home in Los Angeles. Brown leaves a complicated legacy behind as a football player, as an activist and as a man who faced multiple accusations of violence against women. Dave Zirin, author of the book 'Jim Brown: Last Man Standing,' joined Dan Labbe on the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast on Saturday to discuss his book. He talks about Brown the football player and athlete and why he believes Brown is the greatest athlete of the 20th century. He discusses Browns' activism and why he feels descriptions of it are inadequate. He also discusses the accusations Brown faced. Dave talks about his conversations with Brown and answers the question, "Who was Jim Brown?" You can buy Dave's book here. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns have rebuilt their roster on both sides of the ball to varying degrees, adding weapons for Deshaun Watson on offense and revamping their defense for new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. After all the moves, where does their roster rank in the AFC North? Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe offer up three questions about the Browns and answer them on Thursday’s Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. How many 1,000-yard receivers could the Browns have in 2023? Which not-so-obvious defensive player will benefit most from playing for Schwartz? They get into all of those questions and even do a preseason schedule draft. Because why not? Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns have added 13 new players to their defense for new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. It’s a major defensive overhaul and represents an opportunity for the Browns to put their struggles from last season behind them. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe started off by discussing the new additions to the roster and a draft broke out because that’s what they do. They draft the acquisitions made by GM Andrew Berry on the defensive side of the ball, including free agent additions and draft picks. The No. 1 pick was pretty obvious, but see the order they put the acquisitions in and why they’re choosing them on Wednesday’s Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Expectations are sky high for the Browns heading into their first full season with Deshaun Watson at quarterback and with new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz taking over the other side of the ball. What happens, then, if the Browns manage to have a good record but miss the playoffs? It’s one of the questions our Football Insider subscribers had for Mary Kay Cabot on another Hey, Mary Kay! edition of the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. Mary Kay Cabot joins Dan Labbe to discuss how the Browns will manage expectations, if Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry are joined at the hip if the team falls short of expectations, if there’s a position group on the roster that has gotten worse and more. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns made big addition to their pass rush over the weekend, agreeing to acquire Za'Darius Smith from the Vikings. How will Smith fit alongside Garrett and Ogbo Okoronkwo once he's in the fold? It's one of the questions our Football Insiders had for Mary Kay Cabot as she joins Dan Labbe for a Hey, Mary Kay! edition of the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. They also discuss what new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz could do with the pass rush as well as how the linebackers fit in the mix. They answer a question about which position groups where the Browns might rank No. 1 in the NFL and discuss which quarterback they would pick if they were a GM and could choose anyone for the next five years. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns agreed to acquire edge rusher Za’Darius Smith on Friday, a deal that gives new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz another weapon to get after the quarterback. Smith has double digit sacks in three of the last four seasons. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe reacted to the trade in a special emergency edition of the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. They discuss why the Browns made the trade to get Smith and what it means for the defensive line and the rest of the Browns pass rushers, including Myles Garrett and some of the young pass rushers. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns opened up rookie minicamp on Friday and we got our first look at the team’s 2023 rookie class. We had a chance to talk to the offensive draft picks and had an opportunity to watch the entire class practice alongside undrafted free agents and tryout players. Following practice, Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe discussed what they saw and heard on Friday’s Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. They discuss how some of the rookies looked, like Dawand Jones, Cedric Tillman and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. They also discussed the Browns staying in LA after their trip to Denver this year and why Kevin Stefanski is doing it. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns schedule is out. They open and close the season against the Bengals and have two prime time games. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe got together after the schedule release and reacted to all of it. They offer up their initial reactions to the overall schedule. Then it's our annual schedule power rankings draft. They pick all 17 games, ranking them from the most interesting to the least interesting. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The NFL will release its schedule on Thursday night and we'll know when and where the Browns are playing in the fall. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe took their best shot at predicting the Browns schedule. They start with Week 1 and each person takes a week to slot one of the games -- including the bye week -- and lay out all 18 weeks. First, they discuss Deshaun Watson again taking his offensive teammates on a trip this year, this time to Puerto Rico. What do they hope to accomplish? Do we make too much of these trips? Why is it important for Watson to do this? Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With post-draft power rankings starting to come out, it's becoming clear people aren't quite ready to jump on the Browns hype train. Why? Could the Browns surprise people? Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe start off another Hey, Mary Kay! edition of the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast by answering those questions and more from our Football Insider subscribers. How much will Deshaun Watson play in the preseason? Will the Browns keep Dawand Jones at right tackle? Will Andrew Berry go running back shopping between now and training camp? Mary Kay and Dan get into all of that and more on today's podcast. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Browns GM Andrew Berry completed his fourth draft, a rare feat for a Browns GM, and Berry has always made it clear he is looking years down the road when he picks his players. A few years removed from his first drafts as Browns GM, how would we judge those first two drafts? It's one of the questions our Football Insider subscribers posed to Mary Kay Cabot on our weekly Hey, Mary Kay! edition of the Orange and Brown Talk Podcast. Mary Kay joins Dan Labbe to discuss Berry's drafts, head coach Kevin Stefanski's ability to build an offense around Deshaun Watson, Alex Van Pelt's role and more. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns added veteran safety Rodney McLeod, and underrated move which could end up being very important for the defense. Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe start off our weekend podcast by talking McLeod and why adding him will matter to the defense and the locker room. They also hit some other Browns headlines, including Ashley's story about Mike Ford Jr. and why bringing him in was so important for the special teams. They even spend some time on Juan Thornhill's Brownie the Elf tattoo. Lastly, they do another edition of "Succession" power rankings. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Browns drafted seven players last weekend in the 2023 NFL Draft. We're bringing back Tim Bielik and Lance Reisland for one more draft podcast, this time looking back on the players the Browns added. Tim, Lance and Dan Labbe go through the Browns draft pick-by-pick, sharing thoughts and analysis on every player the Browns drafted. Then Tim and Lance answer questions about the draft: Who was your favorite pick? Which was the most head-scratching pick? Who is one player you wish the Browns would have drafted? Is there a player who went after Elijah Moore you would take over Moore? Who had the best draft? Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the remaining two civil suits against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson could go to trial. It's a reminder this story isn't over. What impact would a potential trial have on Watson and the Browns? Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe discuss it on Wednesday's Orange and Brown Talk Podcast where they get into three Browns topics. They also talk about Anthony Walker Jr. coming back from injury and what he had to say this week. Lastly, they get into Dawand Jones and reports he told teams he wanted to play in the NBA, which he quickly pushed back against on Twitter on Wednesday. Want to get involved in Football Insider? Click here for more info and to sign up. Music credit: Ice Flow by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3898-ice-flow License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices