2025 Cleveland Browns Off-Season Updates Presented by GoldSheet | NFL Previews

Are three quarterbacks better than one? The 2025 Cleveland Browns are going to put that theory to the test. With Deshaun Watson likely to miss the season with an Achilles injury, the Browns will turn the offense over to a pair of rookies and a 40-year-old veteran.

2025 Cleveland Browns Team Preview

AFC North Odds

Team	SB LX Odds	AFC	Division	Win Total
Ravens	+700	+350	-145	11.5 (o -115 / u -105)
Bengals	+2000	+950	+230	9.5 (o -150 / u +125)
Steelers	+4000	+2000	+550	8.5 (o +110 / u -130)
Browns	+25000	+12000	+3000	4.5 (o -160 / u +135)

Odds above courtesy of DraftKings as of June 6. The Cleveland Browns went 3-14 straight-up, 4-13 against the spread last season en route to a last-place finish in the AFC North. Cleveland ended the year on a six-game losing streak, both straight-up and against the spread. The Browns went 1-6 straight-up, 2-5 against the spread with Deshaun Watson at the helm, then went 2-8 straight-up and against the spread without him after his Achilles injury.

Cleveland Browns Roster Moves

QBs on Roster: Deshaun Watson (Ruptured Achilles tendon, Not expected to play in ’25); Joe Flacco (2nd Year w/ Team); Dillon Gabriel (Rookie); and Shedeur Sanders (Rookie)

Coaching Changes: Kevin Stefanski enters his sixth season at the helm. Jim Schwartz will return to lead the defense, and Tommy Rees has been promoted from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator.

Key Acquisitions: Wide receiver Diontae Johnson; Quarterback Joe Flacco; Safety Rayshawn Jenkins; Offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas; Defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka; and offensive lineman Teven Jenkins

Key Departures: Quarterback Jameis Winston; Running back Nick Chubb; and wide receiver Elijah Moore. Left tackle Jedrick Wills is expected to miss the 2025 season as he recovers from a knee injury.

2025 Cleveland Browns Draft Picks: R1 P5 Mason Graham, DL, Michigan; R2 P33 Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA; R2 P36 Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State; R3 P67 Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green; R3 P94 Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon; R4 P126 Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee; R5 P144 Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

2025 Cleveland Browns Schedule

****GS Line represents our projected point spreads using our summer power ratings. Special thanks to Ralph Michaels (@CalSportsLV) for his assistance in putting the schedules together with rest disparities and DraftKings’ opening spreads.

2025 NFL Rule Changes

• Touchbacks on a kickoff will now give the receiving team the ball on the 35-yard line instead of the 30 in an effort to increase more kick returns and discourage touchbacks.
• The regular season overtime rules will now match the postseason overtime rules, as both teams will now have an opportunity to possess the ball regardless of the outcome of the first drive. Per Jon Ferrari of the Eagles, 37.5-percent of last year’s overtime games ended with a first-drive touchdown. The new rule will allow both teams to have the ball.
• The video review booth will have an increased role in assisting the on-field officials. The video assistants can’t put a flag on the field if they believe that the officials missed a call, but they can pick one up if an erroneous flag is thrown (i.e. a facemask penalty is called, but upon video review, it’s determined that the facemask was never actually grabbed).
• Artificial intelligence and lasers will be used to determine the remaining yardage for a first down. The officials are still responsible for spotting the football just like they always have, but technology will now do the job of the chain gang and they will no longer have to run in from the sidelines for a first down measurement. Once the official places the ball down, lasers will determine if the offense reached the first down line and/or how far away they are from reaching that mark.
• Teams that are trailing will now be able to attempt an onside kick at any point in the game from the 34-yard-line (instead of the traditional kickoff spot at the 35-yard-line). Previously, teams were only able to attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter.

2025 Football GoldSheet Early Bird Special

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WagerTalk Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the moneylines, point spreads, totals and betting percentages for all of the Cleveland Browns games from their release in May all the way through Week 1 in September. Find free NFL picks from season win total bets through Super Bowl futures on our free picks pages.

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