After a disastrous 3-14 record last season, the Cleveland Browns have made plenty of wholesale changes for the upcoming season.
The theme for those changes has been simple: returning to what the Browns did best under their head coach.
For Browns insider Tony Grossi, Cleveland’s latest move to reunite with veteran quarterback Joe Flacco is the team’s most recent admission of how poorly their previous decisions were.
Including the team’s decision to part ways with Flacco after the 2023 season, Grossi laid out four mistakes that Cleveland is now admitting to with the franchise’s offseason moves.
Browns admitting recent mistakes:
* Shouldn't have changed OL blocking schemes. ✔️
* Shouldn't have changed offensive scheme. ✔️
* Shouldn't have made trade for Watson. ✔️
* Should have brought back Flacco. ✔️— Tony Grossi (@TonyGrossi) April 11, 2025
Grossi first pointed to the team’s decision to change the offensive line’s blocking schemes, going away from what legendary line coach Bill Callahan had built during his tenure with the team.
Cleveland fired offensive line coach Andy Dickerson immediately after their 2024 season finished, and the team has replaced him with Mike Bloomgren.
Bloomgren worked with Callahan while both were members of the New York Jets coaching staff nearly two decades ago.
The second mistake Grossi suggested was changing the team’s offensive scheme, promoting a pass-oriented offense that Ken Dorsey implemented during his one season with Cleveland.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski fired Dorsey, promoting Tommy Rees to his position.
Rees used a run-oriented scheme during his tenure as an offensive coordinator with Alabama and Notre Dame.
The Browns also have admitted to their error in trading for Deshaun Watson, mortgaging their draft picks over the last three years for a player who has participated in only 19 games since 2022.
Owner Jimmy Haslam recently acknowledged the decision to trade for Watson was his call, and he admitted the move had failed.
NEXT: Shedeur Sanders Sends Warning To Browns About Passing On Him
