OK, just a disclaimer before we begin: We're actually not going to play the game where Jimmy and I make predictions for each of the Browns' 2018 games and talk ourselves into the team being like 8-8 or something like that. You'll get that on Friday on radio talk shows in town I'm sure.
However, it's useful when you have 'The Voice of the Browns' next to you to take an in-depth look at each game and figure out what will be some of the early storylines. That's the schedule game that we brought forth on Thursday's Donovan Live Postgame Show.
First and foremost, here is the link to the full schedule if you haven't seen it yet.
Here's my biggest takeaway from looking at the Browns' 16 games: They have to start winning at home and they have to start winning within their division.
This was a principle taught to me by Michael Reghi and I believe it's spot on. You aren't relevant, much less a playoff contender until you satisfy those two conditions. So for the Browns, they need to find a way to beat the Steelers on opening day. They need to beat the Bengals and Ravens. They need to figure out how to take down teams like the Jets, or the Chargers, or the Chiefs, or the Panthers when they come to FirstEnergy Stadium. You start winning those games and then you're making tangible progress.
I also asked Jimmy about what we learned from GM John Dorsey at his pre-draft press conference on Thursday. The answer is...not much.
Dorsey stated he wants to find a quarterback who has had a proven track record of winning. He also apparently is big on hand size for a QB.
One thing I thought was interesting was Dorsey said the Browns did not bring in Saquon Barkley, Bradley Chubb, or Minkah Fitzpatrick for pre-draft visits to Cleveland. Does that meant the team is definitely trading out of the fourth-overall pick? Of course not, but I do find that somewhat surprising.
We are now less than a week away from the NFL Draft. Anything is possible.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above