If you thought OTAs were supposed to be light, low-pressure practices where everyone goes through the motions and builds chemistry, Todd Monken would like a word with you.
The Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator didn't mince words Wednesday after watching his unit stumble through what he called an "embarrassing" practice session. And honestly? Good for him.
"I despise crappy football," Monken reportedly said, per Browns Nation. "On Wednesday I watched some of it, and I was not quiet about how I felt."
That's the kind of accountability that's been missing in Cleveland for years. Too often, coaches sugarcoat bad performances, especially in the offseason. "We're just installing the system." "It's early." "We'll clean it up." Not Monken. He saw something he didn't like, and he let everyone know.
Now, we don't have all the details about what specifically went wrong. Was it the offensive line missing assignments? Receivers running sloppy routes? Quarterbacks making poor decisions? Whatever it was, it was bad enough that Monken felt compelled to go public with his frustration.
And that tells you something about the standard he's trying to set. The Browns have been mediocre for too long. They've had flashes of competence followed by stretches of incompetence. Monken isn't here for that. He wants excellence, and he wants it every single day.
OTAs are supposed to be about building, learning, and developing chemistry. But if you're not executing the basics, if you're not taking it seriously, then what's the point? Monken clearly believes that the habits you build in May carry over to September. And if you're practicing sloppily now, don't expect to magically flip a switch when the games count.
