Browns’ Todd Monken gets brutally honest on having to make difficult roster decisions

Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken is faced with important decisions regarding the team’s depth chart following Dillon Gabriel’s impressive performance in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots.

The Browns concluded their exhibition schedule with a decisive 37-13 victory over New England, highlighted by an outstanding performance from second-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The former third-round pick completed 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and threw three touchdowns without any turnovers. Both Gabriel and rookie dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green made strong cases to remain on the final 53-man roster. However, Monken noted, as reported by The Athletic’s Zac Jackson, that he and general manager Andrew Berry have yet to determine how many quarterbacks the team will ultimately carry behind their top passers.

Navigating the challenges of trimming the roster down to 53 players reveals the difficult reality for coaches. Regarding the upcoming deadline for roster cuts, Monken expressed his empathy for the emotional toll it takes to release players who have dedicated themselves throughout training camp. News 5 Cleveland reporter Camryn Justice captured Monken’s candid remarks at the podium: “Asked about roster cutdowns due tomorrow, #Browns HC Todd Monken said, ‘It is hard to make those decisions and to let guys go, but it’s the nature of the beast. We can’t keep everybody. And I’ve been really proud of the way our guys have practiced since I got here.'” Monken emphasized that while making roster cuts can be painful, constructing a competitive and balanced team requires making difficult sacrifices across multiple deep position groups.

In addition to finalizing the bottom of the roster, Monken has taken decisive control over the team’s most significant personnel decision at quarterback. Following the announcement that Deshaun Watson will start in Week 1 over rookie sensation Shedeur Sanders, longtime ESPN Cleveland insider Tony Grossi reported that Monken was solely responsible for that decision. Grossi suggested that if ownership had intervened, Sanders might have been the preferred choice due to his fan appeal, indicating that Monken has complete autonomy to make decisions based purely on football considerations.

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