Former Browns' exec believes the team is purposefully tanking the season

Former Cleveland Browns executive Joe Banner took several shots at the organization on a recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show”.

Banner, who served as CEO from October of 2012 until February of 2014, didn’t hold back any punches regarding the Browns’ disastrous 2025 campaign.

“At this point, I think they’re trying to end with the highest pick as they can,” said Banner, basically accusing Cleveland of tanking the season. “It doesn’t make any sense to me trading [Kenny Pickett] and [Joe] Flacco. I know they were upset when they traded him in the division, but why wouldn’t they? That means they lose another game when they play them”.

While Banner was on board with the decision to play a rookie quarterback in third-rounder Dillon Gabriel this year, he doesn’t have high hopes for him nor fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders.

They can’t get the benefit of his talent versus young guys. I mean, they’re doing the right thing in seeing if any of the young quarterbacks have what it could take, or they have to pick somebody this year. I don’t think either of them [Gabriel and Sanders] have what it takes, in my opinion anyway...” stated Banner to Eisen during the interview.

Banner was also tough on the direction the club is headed under current leadership’s drafting philosophy.

“And listen, they could lose all five of their offensive linemen at the end of the season if they decide that they are not good enough. They just had a draft that, at least in Cleveland, was covered as a great draft, without picking one offensive lineman, even at the end of the draft, to possibly develop. I just don’t understand. That’s just a way off-base team building philosophy,” warned Banner of Cleveland’s 2025 crop, one that included standout offensive weapons Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr., as well as linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a candidate to take the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Banner also expressed some pessimism regarding the talent on the roster outside the quarterback position, which has been dominating the headlines in Cleveland.

"I think [Kevin] Stefanski is actually a good coach, not a great coach, but a good coach. But he’s had six years now. I think Andrew Berry is a smart, hard-working good guy. But, I think he has had a fair chance to really demonstrate that he can build a roster that, if they fix the quarterback problem, can go a long way. I don't think they're there yet either.”

And while he did have some praise for the defense, Banner doesn’t consider it an elite unit, either.

“I think the defense is a B, B+. I don’t think it’s an A, either. But, it’s a very good defense. It’s in the top, maybe third, of the defenses in the league. So, I don’t know. To me, they need to get back to basics. They need to make some front office changes. They gotta get to the point where they can dominate those lines.

Sign up Banner as one of those who thinks the Browns should take a quarterback high in the first round of next year’s draft, as well.

“Hopefully, they get a high enough pick that one of the quarterbacks that’s there is their answer.”

Of course, the Browns are on a trajectory to pick very high in next year’s first round, when they should have multiple options to choose from at the quarterback position. But given the team’s history of not being able to develop passers at the next level, there’s no guarantee that just picking up the right prospect -- if they actually do so -- will lead to success for Cleveland.