Browns GM Andrew Berry Talks Garrett, QBs, and 2026 Draft at NFL Meetings

The Busy Season for Andrew Berry

PHOENIX — This is the middle of Andrew Berry’s biggest time of the year. The Browns general manager is three weeks into the new league year, meaning he can — and has — pulled off both trades and free-agent signings. The draft, meanwhile, is less than a month away, starting April 23.

Berry joined the rest of the top decision makers around the NFL in Phoenix for the start of the league’s annual meetings at the Arizona Biltmore on March 29. As those meetings were getting underway, he sat down with a small group of Browns beat writers, including the Beacon Journal, for a roughly 30-minute interview.

Here’s a look at what Berry said during that availability:

Myles Garrett: A Career Brown

“Myles is a career Brown. He is one of the faces of our organization. I think we’ve been very clear both past and present in terms of our goals. I understand all the questions. I’ll be honest, I don’t really want to waste a ton more breath on the topic.”

Contract Adjustments and Trading Myles Garrett

“So I think you guys know, like standard practice, I don’t comment on player contracts. I guess probably the easiest thing to say is if, you know, if we wanted to trade Myles, we wouldn’t need to make a contract adjustment, so it doesn’t have anything to do with that.”

Offseason Moves and the Offensive Line

“What Andrew Berry said about Browns initial wave of offseason moves

“Good so far, obviously still a lot of work to be done. I think as we look specifically with that offensive line group, good players, but also very versatile. And particularly like with Elgton and Titus, both of those guys are players who can play at a quality starting level. at both positions across the offensive line. And that’s super helpful because it really is a war of attrition with that position group. I think something like we looked at it as either 23 or 24 teams last year played less than 50% with their starting five. Of course, we were one of them. And so to have that resiliency built into a position group where you have guys that can start all across the line of scrimmage, it’s really important, in addition to the flexibility it gives you going into the draft.”

Short-Term vs. Long-Term Considerations

“Yeah. I think we’re probably just more focused on performance and best players. Certainly time horizon factors into that, but just with any veteran player, there’s no rule against extending the player’s contract if they perform and they do well. So I wouldn’t necessarily box it into any one approach. It really will be performance-based.”

QB Competition: Shedeur Sanders vs. Deshaun Watson

“Yeah, I’d say as we sit here on March 29th, and nobody has touched the grass, nobody has really worked with our coaching staff, I wouldn’t handicap it for anyone. I think everyone in that room deserves opportunity. And so we’ll certainly know a lot more as we get to the spring. We’ll know even more as we get to camp. But I think honestly, we wouldn’t be doing the right thing for the team, We wouldn’t be doing the right thing for that position if we didn’t go in with it eyes wide open.”

NFL Rules Proposal: Trading Picks 5 Years Out

“In terms of the impetus, we’ve largely been believers in, I guess, easing restrictions in terms of how teams can use their resources. So this is like in a similar vein and really giving more flexibility to teams in terms of volume and creativity of transactions. As we look at it, our league relative to the other major leagues, in basketball you can trade picks seven years out. Hockey, I don’t think there’s any limitation. Obviously baseball’s the most restrictive, where you can’t trade picks at all. To us, three years is really probably more of like an arbitrary marker in terms of like how far out you can deploy your future assets. Honestly, I think a lot of the perhaps resistance is this idea that a desperate general manager, a desperate head coach could leverage a team’s future irresponsibly. I think that’s a little bit more rooted in fear than reality though.”

2026 Rookie QB: Ty Simpson

“So I guess I’ll start with the first question. I think it’s wholly realistic. In terms of them competing for the starting job, anyone we bring in, we want to compete. But a large part of that will be, for any young player, will depend on their acclamation to the NFL and their readiness to play, and that’s really done on a case by case basis. In terms of Ty specifically, I think you can understand we wouldn’t necessarily comment on specific prospects. I have spent time with Ty. I think that’s obvious and we’ll continue to do so. But I think he has a bright NFL future.”

Joel Bitonio’s Future

“Joel’s going to take the time that he needs to make the decision for the next step in his career, and like, he should, right? It’s a pretty big life decision for him. I don’t think that we can operate under the assumption that he’s absolutely coming back because he hasn’t said that in any space. And I do think that there’s a little bit of like an indefinite time period in terms of where he’s going to make that decision, because it’s a major one for a person. We respect that and can appreciate it.”

Wide Receivers

“I’d say that we have a group of individuals that we like internally, that we’re excited to see as they come back into the off season program. I would imagine that at some point in the off season, we’ll add some external talent, but like I said, it’s March 29th, we’ve got probably another five months in the heaviest period of the acquisition season, so we’ll see where it goes.”

Denzel Ward: A Key Player

“Yeah. I mean, we’ll always do what’s best for the organization, but we’re generally in the business of keeping the elite players as opposed to trading them.”

Todd Monken’s Impact

“Todd’s awesome. And I think you guys have experienced it with your interactions with him. He’s really smart. He’s authentic. He’s hired an excellent staff. He’s great to work with, and I think we’re both really excited to get going on April 7 when we get back. But I feel very, very strongly that as you all and our fans continue to see him work and any interactions with him, that he will very much endear himself to this fan base.”

2025 Draft Trade with Jacksonville Jaguars

“Yeah, I think it’s something that made sense for both organizations at the time. I think for us, the ability to realistically draft Mason (Graham), Draft Q (Quonhon Judkins) and then obviously be sitting here with Pick 24, it made sense for where we are in our team’s life cycle. And it’s a way, maybe a little bit to Tony’s question earlier that you’re able to manufacture assets or resources without necessarily trading away a venture player. So it was an opportunity that came about and we were fortunate for what we were trying to achieve. And we do think that it puts us in a good position with what we’ve also added already.”

Potential Trade Back from No. 6 in Draft

“I think it really just depends on the prospects that are available. Look, this is what i would say. I don’t know that, but I would tell you guys, I don’t know that we are going to be picking six at the end of April, and if we are picking six, I have no idea what we’re going to take at this point. And so we try and remain flexible as we go into draft weekend, and we want to use the asset in the best way possible, whether that’s sitting and picking, trading up, trading down, trading it for a veteran player. I know I said this last year and people thought it was just GM talk, but it really is the truth.”

Quinshon Judkins’ Recovery

“Yeah, he’s progressing really, really nicely. I’d imagine that we’re going to see him in some form or fashion this spring and knock on wood, should be for full go camp. (no lingering league issues)”

Martin Emerson Jr.’s Future

“Love MJ. Absolutely love MJ. Both as a person and as a player. Selfishly would love to have him back. I think we’re also realistic that with MJ and the injury that he’s coming off of, to reach his personal goals, he’s also got to be in a position where he has maybe a strong opportunity to compete for a starting spot. That’s probably a little bit harder with how we’re configured with Denzel and Tyson. But certainly if that changes in terms of (inaudible), we’d love to have him back.”