Ashley Bastock: There’s a lot that Deshaun Watson’s going to have to contend with this season

0:00You can listen to the fan anytime anywhere on the free Odyssey app or by telling your smart speaker to play 92-3 the fan and now you can find the fan on YouTube including the Ken Carman show with Anthony Weima, 16-10am, Basque and Phelps 10-A-M-2, afternoon drive, Nick Wilson, myself, John of the Peter one. We go from 2-7 each and every weekday on the fan's YouTube channel. Subscribe to our channel for free. Watch all the best content from your favorite shows in the fan live and on demand now. Nick and JP back with you Ross Tucker. Rejoins the show. Football is nigh and that means our guy, Ross Tucker, joins us every single Wednesday once again at 4 o'clock. But our next guest doesn't just wait for football season to show up. She's been with us all year long and she continues her excellent coverage of the Cleveland Browns on Cleveland.com, the Orange and Brown talk podcast and right here on the Y-Sharp right. We make it right call Kyle Wright hotline Ashley. Best ock is with us. Ashley, welcome back to football town.

1:00Let's get it. Oh my gosh, you guys are right. I'm here all year, but thank goodness we have some real football to talk about coming up here. Well, that's where we're going to start talking about DeShawn Watson, reasonable expectations for DeShawn on Sunday against Jacksonville. Yeah, I think that's what's hard to kind of predict right now. And for me, I think the hardest part is just how is he going to look after these multiple season ending injuries that he had suffered? I think it's not just coming back from the two Achilles. It's the fact that he's working his way back from a shoulder injury that he suffered in 2023. That is pretty rare. I mean, so rare that at the time we couldn't find another quarterback that had suffered this specific kind of fracture. So I mean, I think right now the most realistic expectations for him knowing that are doing the game management sort of stuff. It would be like what we saw in Chicago for that two series of action that he got in that first preseason game.

2:02It's important, I think, to not turn the football over. That's the most important part of managing the game. But I don't know exactly where fans should place their expectations, but I think for me, that would be considered a decent enough outing for him as they go this route and he works his way back. The Sean was asked about that Buffalo game and the fact that he kind of seemed like he forgot about the Buffalo game for a second there. And then it is like, oh, yeah, the Bill's game. Does that kind of speak to the Browns job and how they've done this where they've just tried to make them have goldfish memory and just kind of forget everything that happened? Is that even possible with someone like the Sean and how bad that was two weeks ago? Yeah, I mean, I think so. I took it as genuinely he was confused for a second as someone who was standing right there in that scrum when they said Buffalo game. He's like, what Buffalo game? You know, they played the bills a couple of times in recent years. So I think he genuinely didn't understand what he was being asked about. But I do think it kind of illustrated the mindset that Todd Monkin wants with these guys.

3:06But look, I do think it's an interesting question. Others, a guy like to Sean Watson capable of that. We're going to have to wait and see because obviously that outburst after that Buffalo game and that press conference was certainly significant. And I think it's not going to be the first adversity key bases from other fan bases or even his own fan base. It's a weird situation. It's a lot for a guy to have to put in the back of his mind. But I do think that mental challenge part of it is also going to be key to his season. If he's able to hang on to the starting job, there's a lot he's going to have to contend with. So it's easy to talk about having a goldfish memory and even for getting today, you know, he's not had to play in a game since then. I do think like I said, it was genuine, but there's been some space from that moment. So what's this going to be like week after week? And if he is still getting pushed back, especially from his own fans, I think that's just an unknowable thing right now, but definitely something to keep an eye on. Ashley, outside of quarterback, what are you most intrigued or most interested to see

4:07on Sunday from the Browns? Oh, well, I think on the offensive side of the ball and most intrigued to see how this offensive line holds up. I mean, it's kind of flown under the radar, kind of not the fact that this team has five new starters on its offensive line. They have a rookie left tackle in Spencer, Fano. We'll see if they also have a rookie guard in in Austin, Barbara. If he can make this late push here, or if it'll be Kevin Jenkins, and that would leave Spencer as the lone rookie. So I think to me, if they can have success as an offense, and if they can score points and be explosive, so much is going to rest on this new old line and how they look together. So that for me is one of the biggest keys. And on the other side of the ball, I'll have to give you guys two. The other big key is what's this defense going to look like post-miles, Garrett, and Jim Schwartz. It's a very broad question. I think we have some idea. We know it's going to be an attack front. I think there's a lot of mystery still in the secondary.

5:09And I think production wise, they're going to have to obviously make up some sacks with no more miles here. So those are the couple of things that I'm very, very curious about and watching outside of the quarterback situation. All right. As you maybe you can help me. I just feel like I don't understand Tom Bucking sometimes. Todd comes out and starts this whole thing about tailing green potentially being the backup quarterback and gives life to that and gives air to that. And then today's like, yeah, should our Sanders and the backup quarterback? Yeah, you know what? I do think it's not coincidence that he says that on Wednesday when I'm assuming the Jaguars have done most of their game planning already. That's kind of the cycle, the life cycle of a game week. You do most of those things on Monday and Tuesday. So he gave them a little something extra to think about today, but what we're going to have to ask Todd on Friday, because what wasn't in that answer about Shador being the backup and he's that's what he anticipates. And obviously, you know, Shador Sanders is number two on the depth chart. He didn't say if tailing green would still possibly be active and if he would have a package of plays.

6:10And I'm curious if they'll answer that or if that's not an answer, we're going to get until 90 minutes before pick up when they release their inactive. But I mean, I do think I took it as, hey, a head coach is going to go for any competitive advantage they can find. And if he disrupted the Jaguars early week prep even a little bit, it was probably worth that for him. All right, actually, Denzel Ward announced to say minority owner of the guardians today. And there's been a lot of debate over what you actually get out of that. I have rather selflessly offered if the guardians want to give me, let's say, $500,000 worth of ownership. It's very noble of neck. I will do that to open up a new avenue of celebrity local celebrity part time owners. Sorry, partial owners as it were called part time owners. I would be part time very myself. What does Denzel Ward get out of his minority ownership? Yeah, I think I'm really curious to see what this looks like if it will be kind of along

7:12the lines of what we saw with Miles Garrett and the cab that he sort of was this fun face. He got to sit courtside. He's obviously like promoting a little bit what they're doing. So I do kind of wonder if that's the same thing for Denzel Ward on top of what sound like is a lot of sentimental value for him in owning the childhood baseball team that he grew up watching, being part of that ownership group. Now, I thought today when we talked to him, it was kind of cool to see him reflect in real time when he got asked, like, did you ever envision owning any part of any sports franchise? And he said that was something that never really crossed his mind that he wasn't thinking that big. But now he is. So I do think like the Guardians get some cool promotion from a guy who is very much embedded in the city. Denzel Ward gets to be a part of that. We know he loves Cleveland. He loves Northeast Ohio. He grew up here. He went to Nordonia, went to Ohio State. So I just think it's kind of a cool story all around. And I do think it's mutually beneficial for sure.

8:15Nick has locked in as Jacksonville wafes this weekend. He thinks the Browns take game one. I know I might be like, I'll give you time, Ashley. You can think about it a little bit more. We got a lot to do, but this has also been like six month lead up. So for maybe just this week, have you already given your prediction to Cleveland.com? And if not, can we hear it? Guys, I have not picked this game yet. So I will, I won't give you a prediction. You're putting me on the spot. I haven't thought about it. But, you know, I think I'm just going to go with my gut and I'm going to pick the Browns in this game. There we go. Wow. Wow. I know. I think people are, you know, the Jaguars, I know I was looking for my own purposes yesterday. And I know the Jaguars this week are a popular survivor pool pick along with the chargers as they take the Cardinals. But I'm going to go with the Browns. I do think they have, you know, some competitive advantage. And no one really knows what this defense is going to look like.

9:15How Mike Rutenberg is going to call a defense. I think that's going to help them. I'm kind of relying on some Dishon Watson vintage performance against the Jaguars. He's trying to go eight and elegance them for his career here. He's never lost. He's very familiar with Everbank field. So I think maybe this offense with the rookies too has a chance to surprise some people. So I am going to pick the Browns for right now. I'm going to say weird is score 26 to 24. 26. I will take 26. I'll take that though. Now is does that involve a safety in there somewhere or like a missed extra point? Yeah, maybe let's go with the mixed extra point, but they did a missed extra point. They did have a safety, of course, the last time they played there, but Alex right won't be on the field to try to do that again. So it's a tough ask, I think. Ashley, what do you consider to be the Browns X factor in 2026? Ooh, the Browns X factor. You know, I'm going to go with if they can get defensive production without mild

10:18Garrett. I think especially that production up front to me, that's so important. Just because this defense has been a leap really for the large majority of the last three years. They've led the NFL in numerous statistical categories in that time frame and losing mild Garrett is a big deal, right? And you're going to need to be able to successfully get to the quarterback. I think give a young offense some breathing room. So that to me is very, very important for this team's offense at success is if the defense can sustain some semblance of the production they were at over the last three years. You know, it's funny. Monkin was talking about him doing the intro before the game and trying to get everyone fired up. And then he was saying to himself, he's like, well, I was trying to figure out what Harbaugh does, but I was always in, I went up to the box. So I never really saw what Harbaugh does and I was asking what Harbaugh does. And then I was thinking about the team captain side of things where he did the same thing that the Ravens did last year. Only a couple teams in the NFL do where they go week by week instead.

11:19And I just, a part of me wonders, are we getting a little bit too much of a Harbaugh clone, so to speak? Do you feel like Monkin's maybe adopting too much from Harbaugh if that's even such a thing? I don't think so. I honestly don't really think it's that much of a thing. And I do think John Harbaugh is a great coach. So it's unsurprising. He's had a ton of influence. And the guy who was his coordinator the last three years and who he wanted to be his off and his coordinator in New York. So I don't think it's too much like John Harbaugh, but that just maybe I'm just being too nice to John Harbaugh. And I'm sure some Raven fans over the last few years would have some things to say about that and some of the decisions those two made together. But I think there are worse people to emulate for sure. Actually, I can't recall if you follow me on TikTok. Nick Wilson says, TikTok, Emma said TikTok. I'm not going to put you down. But I did put out my division predictions today. And at the bottom, the bottom of my predictions, it seems to be where I've incensed the most amount of people. Brown's fans are furious that I've called for this to be an eight and nine, eight and

12:25nine team, whereas Steelers fans are furious that I have them at seven and ten. So I will ask you, what is the hotter take? The Browns are eight and nine or the Steelers at seven and ten. I mean, maybe I'm just too close to the Brown side of things, but I do feel like the Browns at eight and nine is the hotter take. Like I've said on here before that eight wins is kind of my feeling for this team right now that everything we've seen. I think that means everything's going right. You're getting really serviceable quarterback play. Your lines are staying healthy. All of those things. And Ashley Wilson on board here. Yeah. Pretty good. A week one win, eight wins. My goodness. I didn't swear. I didn't watch Nick's kick talk either. So I've been put on the spot here today and we're just, I don't know, thinking along the same lines, I guess, but I think the Browns at eight wins is a very, very hot take. I mean, the biggest line hasn't at five and a half still, I think. So how can that not be the hotter take? Inmentation is this sincerest form of flattery.

13:25I heard that somewhere once. Yeah. All right, Ashley. Great stuff. We appreciate you. I decided to have football back and excited to keep talking about it all football season long. All right. Thanks, guys. I gotta say last weekend, last week, rather, we really went off the rails at the end of the Ashley interview. We pulled it together for the regular season opener. But we're getting near the regular season going, you know, and I know like that's when you got to lock in. I mean, this is if not now, then when we probably won't walk in. Yeah. And I also feel like we let down our listeners by not being like, and we go out to the wise heart right, we make it right, call Kyle Wright hotline and allow Ashley's boyfriend to propose. We got to make it happen. Yeah, we got to get in his ear and convince him this is a great idea. Maybe it's a maybe he's a Diego. I don't know what his name is. He's a DA. It's Diego Pavia. It's right from Vanderbilt to Ashley's heart. I would I would be furious with her. Those Pavia brothers are wild. Yeah. Imagine marrying into the Pavia brothers. I can't because they're all going to be in jail and five years. Yeah, I mean, their real life is basically just GTA six.

14:27Yeah. But not in a good way. I would say maybe Ashley's into that. I don't judge. I don't judge. And we don't judge in there. Well, we actually judge a lot on this show, but we don't judge that great step with Ashley on the wise heart. Right. We make it right. Call Kyle right hotline. We'll react to what she had to say and talk about pressure this weekend in one of the great pressure cookers of all the sports in five minutes on 90.