Head Coach Todd Monken (8.27.26)
Opening Statement:
“I’m really proud of our guys. It’s been an honor to work with these guys every day. We’re at that point of the year where we can’t keep everybody, and a lot of guys have made it hard on us. But like I said, it’s been an honor coaching these guys. From the moment I got here, just spot the ball, and our guys love to practice and play and be around each other. Guys that came on board along the way. I couldn’t ask for more from a group of guys. It was fun to watch those guys compete. We talked at halftime about playing two halves. The first two preseason games, we played relatively well in the first halves, and it doesn’t matter who’s out there. When you’re wearing your name on your back or the Browns helmet, we expect that we play our rear ends off and the expectation of your position and the team. I think we got that in the second half tonight. Defense shut them out. We didn’t play as clean offensively, but we were backed up a couple times and didn’t take advantage of a couple of turnovers, but I’m proud of our guys.”
What can you say about the job Dillon Gabriel did for you tonight?
“That’s great for him. I know it’s been hard, let’s be real about it. But, he’s a prideful guy who’s had a lot of success in his career, and all he does is prepare. That’s all he does. He comes to work every day and prepares like a pro. You can see he can really operate; he gets what we want to do, and he has a certain confidence about him when he takes the field. I’m fired up. We had a chance to meet before the game and talk about the things he wanted called and what he felt comfortable with, it’s like having a coach. He’s easy to explain things like this is what I likes, this is what he doesn’t like. Like I always say, we don’t need more plays, we need plays you feel comfortable with. I’m really happy for him.”
What about Taylen Green in his first time out there?
“I told you somewhere there was going to be a 20-yard play, I just didn’t know how. I didn’t expect to be backed up, almost get a safety, but that’s what he is, just a tremendous that is highly intelligent. You saw it. There’s a lot to work with there, and we’ve just got to refine it. I’m happy for him that he got the chance to play, he doesn’t get a ton of reps. Just doesn’t. So, it’s not all his fault, you can rep everybody. It’s just the way it goes.”
Do you feel like these are two guys you hope to keep on the 53 and continue to develop?
“Sure. That’s why we played both of them, to try to help us a little in terms of where we’re at from a roster standpoint. We’ve got a lot to talk about, because I thought they both did some really good things. I really think the way they played was how I thought they would play. Dillon was very poised within himself, and then Taylen was going to have some splash plays, get him on the perimeter, use his athleticism, and keep working to refine his passing. It was fun to watch him play. But just like every position, we’re going to have to cut it down. We can’t keep everybody.”
Take us through what was going your mind during that play where Taylen almost getting a safety. How did that unfold?
“It’s a lot easier in a preseason game. Your heart isn’t racing nearly as fast. You’re not screaming as much. Didn’t surprise me one bit. It didn’t surprise me, because that’s what you saw when you evaluated him for the Draft and that is what you saw, a player that has got elite size, speed and arm talent. You saw that. That’s what we saw tonight. He has arm talent. He’s really worked on his mechanics, and you’re going to get those athletic plays from him.”
Todd overall, what did you think of his operation and decision-making back there?
“Excellent. Other than that third-and-11 throw, not ideal, but we were going to throw it, let him play and see. We were backed up, he had that run, it’s like, I’m going to throw it here, what am I going to do, just run it and not see him play? For the most part he operated well. It’s still hard, because would I have liked to be quicker into the huddle, but heck the guy has hardly played. There is not a lot many times he’s heard me through the headset or his helmet really to be honest. So, processing all of that and getting to the line of scrimmage, I thought he did an unbelievable job.”
Is there anything that happened tonight that affects the QB1 and QB2?
“No, I don’t see it that way.”
Todd, can you see a world where you keep all four quarterbacks?
“I’m not going to get into that right now. Andrew (Berry) and I haven’t had a chance to really talk about it.”
Obviously, it was exciting to see Luke Floriea get into the end zone a couple times these last two games.
“He almost got three. If he hadn’t drifted on the end cut, he gets the touchdown for God’s sake. He’s got three game balls, pretty cool. I know I keep cutting you off. Is that not cool as hell? For that kid, in this state, with the Browns, that’s something he’ll remember forever, and I’ll remember it forever, too. We’re all human. Just to see your players smile and have success after all the work they’ve put in. That’s really cool. I’m just so happy for him that I couldn’t let you talk. Sorry.”
Is it especially gratifying to see the way Dillon and Taylen, with very few reps over the past few weeks, go out there and operated and managed things the way they did tonight?
“Yeah. Hell, they didn’t get reps this week. They got the walkthrough reps, but when we practiced, we practiced good-on-good, Deshaun (Watson) and Shedeur (Sanders) got most of those. Dillon got inside run, he got nine-on-seven. That ought to tell you how those guys are wired. Great job by Coach (Mike) Bajakian and Matt Baker has done with those guys and how they’ve stayed locked in. Real credit to them.”
Todd, I know so much goes into whether a guy makes the roster, but when a guy like Luke scores three touchdowns in two games and nearly a fourth, how far can that go in helping him secure a roster spot?
“All you can ask of your players is to work their rear ends off to keep sharpening their skills, and as coaches, what we ask our coaching to do is our job is to maximize a player’s measurable skill set, we’re in the development business. Their job as players is to make it as hard as they can for us, and then do as good a job as they can showcasing their ability for the other 31 teams, because there are only 32 of these teams. So, has Luke made it hard on us? Of course he has. That’s what you’d hope, that when the lights are brightest, a player shows up. And he has.”
How good was it to see Justin Jefferson make that interception, especially with the reps he’s worked through during camp?
“It’s fun for him, it’s fun for the defense. The other interception was kind of crazy fun, too. You can see our guys really enjoy playing with each other, they really do and taking the field together. You can see that in their celebrations. It’s not only a celebration for him, but for their teammates and for the defense.”
Based on some of the talks you and Andrew have had leading up to tonight, roughly how many roster spots do you think are still up for grabs?
“There are still a few spots still up, and there are still spots in terms of the practice squad. That’s changed a lot over the years, it used to be eight spots, hell, that’s doubled since COVID, and you can keep some veteran guys. That’s changed a lot over the years. Every team goes through it. And they’ve got roster cutdowns and everybody is looking at everybody else’s roster, trying to put together the best 53 and the best practice squad you can. We’ll be doing the same.”
Now that you’re in the head coach’s chair, do you have a new appreciation for how hard it is to let go of some of these guys who have given you their heart and soul all summer?
“It sucks. There’s no other way to put it. Even when I was a position coach. Now it has changed in college. Guys left because they wanted to leave, they graduated, or there was some other reason — this is completely different in the NFL. It’s never easy to tell somebody that you’re letting them go. I don’t care who you are, you have to be hardened to tell people that their dream is possibly over. I don’t know who enjoys doing that, because they gave you so much. I told the players last night I have so much respect for NFL players, especially in training camp. I don’t come to work every day with four other head coaches for my job. I’m not competing every day, I have the job. I don’t have to compete and be like you finish third in coaching so you’re gone. For wideout coaches, it’s not like we have five. The players go through that every day. I have a lot of respect because every day, like man it was gradually, and now suddenly it’s here, and that’s just what we do. It doesn’t make it any easier. That’s I give those guys a ton of credit for what they do and for laying it out there tonight. They gave it their all.”
We haven’t seen you since Michael Coats Jr. was carted off the other day. Do you know if that is a long-term issue?
“I don’t anticipate it being long-term. I’m not going to get into that, but it doesn’t appear that it’s going to be long-term.”