Trench Report SOS & 32 in 32: Cleveland Browns
Scott Seidenberg goes over our NFL Preseason Trench Report rankings and Strength of Schedule. Plus we continue our 32 teams in 32 shows previews with the Cleveland Browns.
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🏈 THE TRENCH REPORT STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE IS LIVE
Part 1 went out to all subscribers yesterday — free to the public at BettorDay.com and on the BettorDay mobile app. (NFL tab → NFL HQ → NFL Articles, or right on the homepage.)
How It Was Built
The method: Take the final 2025 Trench Report rankings, then account for 2026 roster turnover
The caveat: Rookies can't be graded yet. Rookie grades come during the preseason once they have snaps.
For reference, the FINAL 2025 rankings (in NFL HQ for Insider/Premium): Rams 1, Broncos 2, Seahawks 3, Vikings 4, Bills 5.
PRESEASON 2026 TRENCH RANKINGS
The Top 10 (All in the Green)
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 3 | Denver Broncos |
| 4 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 5 | Houston Texans |
| 6 | Indianapolis Colts |
| 7 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 9 | Baltimore Ravens |
| 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
Note: Tampa's grades change significantly if Vita Vea gets traded — it hits both their run defense and pass rush.
The Bottom 5
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 32 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 31 | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 30 | Green Bay Packers |
| 29 | Miami Dolphins |
| 28 | Arizona Cardinals |
THE STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Most DIFFICULT Trench Schedules
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2 | Dallas Cowboys |
| 3 | New York Giants |
| 4 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
On Arizona: "There's a reason they have the lowest win total and are projected for the worst record. Their terrible run defense has to face the Rams' top run-blocking unit twice AND the 49ers twice. They are up against it."
Easiest Trench Schedules
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Lions |
| 2 | New York Jets |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings |
| 4 | New England Patriots |
| 5 | Miami Dolphins |
Note: The AFC East clusters here — though Buffalo sits ~16th, essentially dead even.
THE HEADLINE PROJECTION
Rams 17-0. Bengals 0-17.
The Rams are favored in the trenches in every single game on their schedule. Toughest test: Philadelphia.
The Bengals lose the trench battle every single week. Their best week: Miami.
Scott: "That doesn't mean the Rams win 17 games — but based on the preseason trench report, they're ahead of every opponent they face."
The Schedule-Shape Angle
The full article also breaks down front-loaded vs back-loaded trench schedules — teams with brutal starts that soften late are buy-low candidates once they drop a few early games and the adjusted win totals move.
📄 PART 2 DROPS FRIDAY
Insider and Premium exclusive: Recommended bets built off the preseason trench SOS — season-long stat projections, player props, and awards markets.
🏈 32 IN 32: CLEVELAND BROWNS
The Market
| Market | Line |
|---|---|
| Make playoffs | +700 |
| Win total | 5.5 (over -130) |
Total Transition
| Position | Change |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Kevin Stefanski → Todd Monken (Stefanski to Atlanta) |
| Defensive coordinator | Jim Schwartz stepped away after being passed over → Mike Rutenberg |
| Edge | Myles Garrett traded to the Rams for Jared Verse |
On the trade: "Jared Verse is a very nice pass rusher, young, under control. He is not Myles Garrett. This defense takes a hit — as any team would losing a player of that caliber."
The flyer: Jared Verse +3000 DPOY — "If you think he can replicate what Garrett did for this defense, maybe that's worth it."
The continuity note: A lot of Schwartz's position coaches remain, so the system may stay similar.
Yesterday's news: Denzel Ward gets a 2-year, $62.2M extension — now the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. At least the secondary has an anchor.
The Quarterback Question
Watson or Shedeur?
Scott's read: "I think Watson has the leg up — because you've got to try to get SOMETHING out of him."
The context: Watson has played 19 games since Cleveland acquired him and missed all of last season with a torn Achilles. He's still only 30 years old. Now he gets an offensive-minded head coach opening the competition.
The strategy: "This contract was a complete waste and set the organization back years — but you might as well salvage something. You're drafting a quarterback next year. Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel is not the future of this team. A new regime is going to want THEIR guy. So see what Watson can get you — and maybe you trade him mid-season to a contender if a quarterback goes down somewhere."
Watson is +5500 Comeback Player of the Year.
The Weapons
Not a bad supporting cast: Quinshon Judkins back from injury and good to go, Harold Fannon Jr. showed he can be a top-tier tight end, plus Jerry Jeudy outside.
THE INTERESTING BET: Division Wins
Browns Over 1.5 Division Wins — Juiced to -140
The book's stance: Cleveland wins TWO division games.
The precedent: Even in last year's disaster, they played Baltimore tough (lost by a possession) and beat both the Steelers and Bengals to end the year — 2 of their 5 wins were in-division.
Scott leans NO. Here's why:
"They don't have the cupcake game at the end of the year. Their final game is against the Bengals — a team competing for a wild card who will NEED that game. You don't get the respite where an already-clinched opponent rests their starters in week 18. That's the free win you'd want on this schedule, and it isn't there."
The Schedule Quirk: A Month at Home
Open: Two straight road games in Florida (at Jacksonville, at Tampa Bay).
Then the sweet spot: After a road game at New Orleans on November 8th, the Browns don't board a plane again until December 20th at the Giants.
| Date | Game |
|---|---|
| Nov 15 | vs Houston |
| — | BYE |
| — | vs Las Vegas |
| — | vs Cincinnati |
| — | vs Atlanta |
| Dec 20 | at Giants |
Scott: "Over a month without leaving Cleveland. Winnable game against Vegas, maybe they steal one from Cincinnati or Atlanta. If they benefit from that stretch, maybe they exceed 5.5."
📅 Coming Up
32 in 32
- Thursday: Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North finale)
- Friday: Houston Texans (AFC South begins)
Friday
- Trench Report SOS Part 2 — Insider/Premium exclusive with recommended bets
Today
- Off the Board: Colby & Jake live on YouTube/Twitter
August 13th
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