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Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken had a playful warning for Lamar Jackson.

Todd Monken did not wait long to let Lamar Jackson know their relationship had changed.

Jackson was Monken’s quarterback in Baltimore, where the two helped drive one of the NFL’s most dangerous offenses. But after Monken left the Ravens to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns, the two became AFC North rivals.

Monken said Jackson reached out with a congratulatory message after he got the job. The response was pure Monken after getting a note from Jackson.

“Then I said, ‘Go (expletive) yourself. We are going to blitz you every third down,’” Monken said, via Nick Shook of NFL.com. “He laughed.”

The exchange was delivered in good fun, but it also captured the shift. Monken spent the past three seasons with the Ravens and helped Jackson win his second MVP award in 2023. Baltimore ranked fourth in scoring and sixth in total offense that season.

Monken’s system gave Jackson more answers in the passing game without taking away the stress he puts on defenses with his legs. The Ravens leaned into tempo, spacing and versatility, turning Jackson loose in a way that made Baltimore one of the league’s toughest weekly assignments. Now Monken has to see it from the other side twice a year.

Jackson will not have to worry about Myles Garrett anymore. The Browns traded Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster move that brought back Jared Verse and draft capital. But Monken made it clear that Cleveland’s plan for Jackson will not be passive.

Todd Monken Still Sorting Through Browns QB Battle

Monken’s biggest job in Cleveland is finding an answer at quarterback. The Browns entered the offseason with a complicated situation headlined by Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. Watson is trying to re-establish himself heading into the final year of his contract after injuries derailed his Cleveland tenure. Sanders is trying to prove he can be more than a developmental option after an uneven rookie season.

Watson and Sanders split first-team reps during offseason workouts but the Browns have not made a decision on the depth chart yet. Monken would have preferred more clarity by now, but isn’t upset they don’t have an answer.

“We’ll start off camp just like we’ve been doing. We’ll alternate those guys,” Monken said. “There’s still a lot to see — quarterbacks and the O-line, especially once we put the pads on.”

Monken also pushed back on the idea that Cleveland is hurt by not having a starter named before training camp.

“I don’t see it that way,” Monken said. “It would be if I didn’t think either one of them were capable of starting. It would feel different if I didn’t feel like their progression hadn’t gotten to this point where I think they both can start and play winning football. I’m convinced of it.”

The Browns also have Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green in the room, but the focus remains on Watson and Sanders. Monken’s decision will come down to production, not perception.

“I don’t care,” Monken said when asked about weighing the face-of-the-franchise element. “Whoever gives us the best chance to score, and I won’t know that till we play.”

Browns Trying to Repair Broken Offense

The quarterback decision is only one part of a much larger rebuild. Cleveland’s offense was among the worst in the NFL last season. The Browns averaged 16.4 points per game, ranking 31st. They also averaged 260 yards per game, ranking 30th. Their passing game was inconsistent, the offensive line was burdened by injuries, and the offense rarely found enough rhythm to support a defense that remained one of the league’s better units.

The Browns attacked the problem throughout the offseason. They retooled the offensive line through free agency and the draft, adding veteran help while also using a premium pick on tackle Spencer Fano. They added more juice at wide receiver, selecting KC Concepcion in the first round and Denzel Boston in the second.

Monken helped shape Jackson’s MVP season in Baltimore, built elite college offenses at Georgia and now gets a chance to rebuild Cleveland in his own image.

J.R. DeGroote Browns beat writer for Heavy.com. Covering the NFL and NBA since 2019. ASU Cronkite grad. More about J.R. DeGroote