On Wednesday, the Cardinals will release Kyler Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Those inclined to bet on propositions like a player’s next team regard the Vikings as the clear favorites to sign him.
On DraftKings, Murray’s odds have moved from -110 to -295. The next team is the Jets at +350.
The Dolphins are at +550, with the Falcons at +650. The Browns are +800. The Steelers are +1300, the Colts are +1600. The Rams are +2000.
The offensive rookie of the year and two-time Pro Bowler had three solid seasons in Arizona. The next four seasons, which were marred by an ill-advised homework clause and a torn ACL suffered in December 2022, did not go nearly as well.
Making Murray more attractive is the possibility that he’ll do a one-year, $1.3 million contract, with the Cardinals paying him $35.5 million.
The first question is whether he wants to play right away, or whether he’s content to join a team like the Rams as a backup, with the goal of hitting the reset button in advance of 2027. Given his skills, why spend a season on the sideline? He should be looking to play now, with the goal of playing well enough that another big contract will come his way next March, if not sooner.
Browns Clips
On draft day in 2025, all 32 teams began the first round with their original pick in place. This year is a whole lot different.
Five teams have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, and five other teams have none, after the Raiders got the Ravens’ 2026 and 2027 first-round picks by agreeing to trade Maxx Crosby.
The Raiders have their own first-round pick (No. 1 overall) and the Ravens’ first-round pick (No. 14).
The Jets have their own first-round pick (No. 2) and the Colts’ first-round pick (No. 16) from the Sauce Gardner trade.
The Browns have their own first-round pick (No. 6) and the Jaguars’ first-round pick (No. 24) from last year’s draft-day trade that allowed the Jaguars to draft Travis Hunter.
The Chiefs have their own first-round pick (No. 9) and the Rams’ first-round pick (No. 29) from the Trent McDuffie trade.
The Cowboys have their own first-round pick (No. 12) and the Packers’ first-round pick (No. 20) from the Micah Parsons trade.
Five other teams don’t have a first-round pick: The Falcons, Ravens, Colts, Packers and Jaguars.
The teams with two first-round picks all missed the playoffs last season and know they have some rebuilding to do. Those picks can be their building blocks.
The Browns have tendered restricted free agent Ronnie Hickman.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports the team has placed a second-round tender on the safety, paying him $5.8 million in 2026. The Browns will have the right to match any offer Hickman receives and will receive a second-round pick if they decline.
In his first season as a full-time starter, Hickman totaled 107 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups in 2025.
Hickman, 24, has spent the past three seasons with the Browns.
He has recorded 173 tackles, three interceptions and 11 pass breakups in his career.
New coach Todd Monken is making believers with the Browns organization.
Appearing recently on the Downs 2 Business podcast with Colts receiver Josh Downs and former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Browns running back Quinshon Judkins had high praise for Monken.
“It’s not what I thought it would have been,” Judkins said. “I say that in a good way. . . . I thought he was going to be like, more so like — because my past coach [Kevin Stefanski], he was like really even-keeled, like super quiet. I thought I was going to get that from Coach Monken, but it wasn’t that. Like, he was like a real player’s coach. Like, you know, like, ‘Give me a hug,’ like all that. So he was just super communicative of what he wanted from the team, what his goal is, what his objective is, what he wants to come in and do. And, you know, he knows exactly what he wants, and he has a vision. And I think that’s what’s important as a head coach, and especially being vocal about it, too. I think that’s what matters.”
Monken joined PFT Live last week in Indianapolis. And we agree with Judkins about Monken. He’s got an authenticity and energy that augments his knowledge of the game. While no coach can win without talent, plenty of talented teams can’t win because of coaching.
If the Browns don’t turn it around, it likely won’t be because of Monken.
The Browns are making a minor, expected move in advance of the new league year beginning next week.
Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are restructuring quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract for cap space on Friday.
Watson’s cap charge was set to be $80.72 million in 2026. With the restructure, the Browns will clear $35.76 million in cap room.
Coming off a twice-torn Achilles, Watson is currently expected to compete for Cleveland’s starting quarterback role for 2026. It is the last year of Watson’s fully guaranteed, five-year deal with the Browns. But given the number of restructures Watson has undergone in the last several years, Cleveland will be paying for Watson’s deal long after this season concludes.
Watson has played just 19 games for Cleveland since the club won out on trading for his services during the 2022 offseason. The Browns have gone 9-10 in those contests.
New Browns defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg knows how lucky he is to inherit a defense that has Myles Garrett in place.
Asked what it means to him to arrive in Cleveland and get to coach the reigning defensive player of the year, Rutenberg said it’s special to get to coach a player like Garrett.
“I don’t think I could be more excited,” Rutenberg said of coaching Garrett. “I’m beyond fired up. I can’t wait to see all of his superpowers, learn about his superpowers and figure out what’s best for him to help him continue to achieve those superpowers.”
Rutenberg was hired after the departure of Jim Schwartz, who was popular in Cleveland and was considered a strong candidate to be the Browns’ next head coach. Rutenberg said keeping the Browns’ defense at a high level is less about the scheme he’s going to run than about the attacking mentality his players will have.
“It’s always going to be style over scheme, no matter what” Rutenberg said. “The way we play, how hard we play, playing for each other, how fast we play and how violent we play. And that’s always going to be over scheme. Us going after the ball and then putting our players in the best positions to be successful, it’s always going to start with the front. It forever and always will in the history of football. And we’re going to continue to do that.”
With Garrett leading the defense, Rutenberg knows that expectations will be high in his first season on the job.
The Browns are getting going on their pre-draft visits with a pair of offensive players.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, receiver Carnell Tate and quarterback Ty Simpson are both taking top 30 visits with the organization on Thursday.
Cleveland has two first-round picks in 2026 at No. 6 and No. 24 overall, which the club could theoretically use to select both players.
At the scouting combine last week, Simpson said he would love to play for the Browns under new head coach Todd Monken, as the quarterback has known Monken for years as a family friend.
Myles Garrett can’t drive 55. Or 65. Or 75. Or 85.
Via WKYC-TV, the Browns defensive end and the 2025 NFL defensive player of the year was cited last month for driving 94 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone.
The incident occurred on February 21, on Interstate 71 in Wayne County.
In 2022, Garrett escaped serious injury after he flipped his Porsche three times after swerving to avoid an animal.
Said Garrett at the time: “This will be definitely a wake-up call for me, just try to be smart overall with driving. Don’t take anything for granted. Be grateful that I’m still able to be here and just take my time.”
Garrett’s eighth citation happened last August. He declined to discuss the situation with reporters.
Let him who has never exceeded the posted speed limit cast the first stone. That said, at some point the lesson presumably will be learned. For Garrett, nine tickets and one crash that could have ended far worse than it did haven’t prompted him to opt for cruise control.
Browns offensive coordinator Travis Switzer isn’t sharing any hints about who the team’s quarterback will be come September, but he said on Wednesday that it will be just fine with him if it is one of the options already on the roster.
Switzer told reporters that “you don’t take a job if you’re not excited about quarterbacks that are in the building” before moving on to discuss those quarterbacks. The Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders last year and both of them started games with Sanders closing out the year with the job. The Browns also have Deshaun Watson heading into the final year of his contract after missing all of last year due to Achilles tears.
Watson’s injury and lack of success throughout his time in Cleveland has led some to believe that the team would prefer to move in a different direction, but Switzer said his overall history means that he will be in the picture.
“We’re excited about Dillon,” Switzer said, via Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com. “We’re excited about Deshaun. Anytime you have a guy who has had the success that he’s had, he’s got to be part of the equation as far as when we talk about competing for that job. And then Shedeur, what he was able to show last year. He’s still young. He has a lot of growth that he can still achieve, especially year one to year two, he only started what, six, seven games last year. So yeah, I think there’s a lot to be excited about in that room.”
Switzer said that there is no current timeline regarding when the Browns will make a decision about their starter and that he believes “players win spots and they have a way of kind of working themselves out.” They have not worked themselves out in a positive way all that often for the Browns in the past, but Switzer and new head coach Todd Monken will be trying to change that history.
The Browns announced that they have tendered six of their exclusive free agents on Wednesday, including kicker Andre Szmyt.
Szmyt signed to the team’s practice squad late in the 2024 season and won the kicking job last year. He was 24-of-27 on field goals and 25-of-26 on extra points while appearing in all 17 of the team’s games.
The Browns also tendered tight end Brenden Bates, wide receiver Malachi Corley, linebacker Winston Reid, long snapper Rex Sunahara, and wide receiver Jamari Thrash.
Bates has four receptions for 48 yards in 16 career games, Corley had 13 catches for 127 yards with Cleveland last year and Thrash had 10 catches for 107 yards. Reid played in 16 games during the 2024 season, but missed all of last year with a back injury. Sunahara handled the snapping duties in every game during the 2025 season.
