The Cover 2 podcast from the Akron Beacon Journal is coming to a close. Well, at least for hosts Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar. Nate is transitioning off the Browns beat full to focus on writing in-depth features on Northeast Ohio athletes from all walks of life.  The exact date it started is nebulous, but the podcast has gone several hundred episodes covering the good and mostly bad of the Browns — with plenty of movie and food takes sprinkled in.  The final episode from Nate and Dan is a retrospective of sorts. Get your tissues. Here's a little bit of what was talked about on this epis ..read more

The Cleveland Browns have now gone through two weeks of voluntary organized team activities with new franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. Although the media has only been allowed to view two practices, there is still plenty to learn. On this edition of the Cover 2 podcast, Browns beat writer Nate Ulrich explains how Watson looks effortless throwing the ball in Berea. As good as Watson has looked, the defense — specifically the secondary — is challenging the quarterback. Although you can’t judge too much because it’s spring practices, the most you can glean is from watching the pass catchers g ..read more

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson’s legal situation is as complicated as he is talented. Acquired earlier this year in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Texans, Watson thus far has had more depositions than practices with the Browns. Watson’s case took a turn last week. The 26-year-old quarterback is being sued by 22 women for accused sexual misconduct during massage sessions that took place in 2020 and 2021. During a pretrial deposition last week, one of the encounters with a massage therapist reportedly ended with the woman crying. Watson followed up the incident by texting the woman an ap ..read more

There are always storylines baked into the NFL schedule release. There are specific matchups the league wants. There are games where a star player plays against his former team. Those are obvious. Not so obvious is what the NFL says about a team based on the schedule they lay out for them. Specifically about the Browns — who have just two prime-time games on the schedule — the NFL is clearly saying they're cautious about the Browns. That's probably due to the uncertain situation involving quarterback Deshaun Watson. What else did we learn about the Browns schedule? Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar ta ..read more

The 2022 NFL Draft is here, and the biggest issue surrounding the Browns is the fate of estranged quarterback Baker Mayfield. We all know Mayfield's days as a member of the Browns is winding down. But the question is where he will end up, how he'll get there and when it will happen.  Could it happen this week during the 2022 NFL Draft? Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar are back with the Cover 2 podcast to try and get a grasp on Mayfield's future, and why Browns General Manager Andrew Berry will need to be get creative with a trade. They also talk about the positions the Browns will be targeting w ..read more

If there is a quiet portion of the offseason for the Browns, it is happening right now. The big rush of acquisitions resulted in the Browns acquiring quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Amari Cooper. There was a string of cuts that saw wide receiver Jarvis Landry and center JC Tretter let loose. After all the fireworks, what is next for the Browns? The Cover 2 podcast with hosts Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar is finally back to map out what the Browns could be targeting in this month's NFL Draft. What the positions and who are the players the team could be targeting beginning with the No ..read more

After a long sabbatical, we're finally back with the Cover 2 podcast brought to you by USA Today Sports+. On this episode Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar offer their thoughts on the Browns giving tight end David Njoku the franchise tag.  For Cleveland, the move is a risky one. While the 25-year-old Njoku is loaded with talent, he's been inconsistent throughout his career.  In 15 games last season, Njoku had 36 receptions for 475 yards and four touchdowns. He had four or more receptions in just two games and had one or zero receptions in five games.  Nate and Dan also discuss what the ..read more

Get your fancy dresses and tuxedos, because Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar are handing out the annual Cover 2 podcast awards to the Cleveland Browns. There are some obvious choices when it comes to the best offensive and defensive players for the Browns this season, but the awards run deep. What was the best play of the season? Should Greg Newsome II or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah be named the team's best rookie? Who is the team's most underrated — or even underutilized — player? The guys hand out their awards with a few surprises mixed in. Before the awards show starts, Nate and Dan talk about the hir ..read more

After a disappointing 8-9 season, Browns players, coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry met with the media this week. On this edition of the Cover 2 podcast, Nate Ulrich and Dan Kadar discuss the most important topics that were touched on.  That starts with quarterback Baker Mayfield. In his fourth year, Mayfield struggled with injuries, inaccuracy and interceptions. Is he really the future of the franchise? Based on what Berry and Stefanski said, Mayfield is at least for 2022. For now, at least. Nate breaks down why the coach and general manager said what they said about Mayfield, an ..read more

The Cleveland Browns closed a disappointing 2021 season with a win against the AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals. Steve Doerschuk, Marla Ridenour, George Thomas and Nate Ulrich break down the game and what comes next for the Browns. That starts with the relationship between quarterback Baker Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski ..read more