Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry had a listing. Properly, extra so a handbook. It contained jots and notes and mainly all the things that went unsuitable with the 2025 season. The problems arose as a result of previously two seasons, the Browns misplaced 26 mixed video games.
Dropping 26 out of 34 video games ain’t good. That alone can get of us fired from their jobs, and in reality, head coach Kevin Stefanski was canned. And when the pinnacle coach is let go, all of his assistants are additionally launched. Speak about an upheaval. Sure, the incoming head coach can retain any of the assistants, however the brand new teaching workers is normally the blokes the brand new boss has introduced in as a result of he has labored with them earlier than on different groups.
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Berry was on a mission. And with this endeavor, he needed to boldly go the place the profitable GMs within the league went. Good selections had been a should, and there have been loads of selections to be made.
The roster wanted fairly a little bit of change.
The final description of the offense? Stink, stank, stunk. They ranked #30 general. The protection was at a premium and solely required a tweak right here and there. And with particular groups? Everyone returned.
There’s a obvious participant who no one is speaking about relating to particular groups.
Browns lengthy snapper Rex Sunahara (50) Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos
Rex Sunahara, age 29, is the Browns’ lengthy snapper. It’s not an attractive place, and one that basically no one discusses till one thing unhealthy occurs. It’s really an invisible place whereas the sport is ongoing.
Sunahara got here to Cleveland in the direction of the conclusion of the 2024 coaching camp and competed in opposition to long-term veteran Charley Hughlett. Sunahara was waived on the ultimate cutdown after which signed to the apply squad. When Hughlett was injured in October with a extreme rib harm, Sunahara was elevated to the principle roster.
LINK: CHARLEY HUGHLETT INTERVIEW
Hughlett had signed a four-year, $5.7 million contract extension in 2022. On the time of the announcement, his signing bonus, assure, and general value turned the most important lengthy snapper deal in NFL historical past.
However after he was cleared of his harm, the Browns determined to go together with the cheaper assist and launched him. Plainly put, Hughlett spent 10 seasons in Cleveland, and it was a stunning resolution for the fanbase. Hughlett had dealt with snapping duties in each sport because the begin of the 2015 season and was a reliable tackler.
And so, the Sunahara reign started. He performed in 12 video games in 2024 after which each sport this previous season.
Throughout this offseason, he inked a one-year, $1.075 million contract. That elevated his wage a smidge after he had gotten a two-year deal initially value $1.755 million, which had paid him $877,500 a season.
Every thing in Sunahara’s universe is rosy and candy.
For the partial exhibiting in 2024, Sunahara was ranked because the league’s #33 lengthy snapper. Hughlett, who had been snatched up shortly by the Philadelphia Eagles, was ranked #9.
However all of that modified in 2025. Sunahara’s play improved, and he was ranked the league’s #3 lengthy snapper and had essentially the most tackles for his place with seven.
Sunahara grew up as a basketball participant on his highschool workforce after which on the College of Rhode Island. He’s an Ohio child, having grown up in Bay Village, Ohio, simply west of Cleveland. He was a walk-on with the Rhode Island soccer workforce and have become the workforce’s lengthy snapper. He transferred to West Virginia and once more was a walk-on with the soccer squad. Over the following two seasons, he turned their lengthy snapper.
Faculty soccer has an annual honor given out to the nation’s finest lengthy snapper. This prestigious accolade is entitled “The Patrick Mannelly Award.” Sunahara was a semifinalist following the 2019 season. He then garnered invitations to the NFLPA Collegiate All-Star Sport, plus the Hula Bowl.
As with each lengthy snapper, he went undrafted within the 2020 NFL draft and signed with the Miami Dolphins. They reduce him throughout coaching camp; he had a exercise with the Pittsburgh Steelers however was not supplied a contract, after which signed to the Dolphins’ apply squad. Sunahara was a late coaching camp reduce, then was signed to the Steelers’ apply squad, which reduce him twice.
He then discovered a house within the XFL in 2023, signing with the San Antonio Brahmas. When the XFL and USFL merged into one league and had been now referred to as the United Soccer League (UFL), Sunahara signed to play one other season for 2024. After a profitable season that concluded in June, he inked a coaching camp contract to compete at Browns camp after which ended up on the apply squad.
This labored out completely for each the participant and the franchise when Hughlett turned injured. The Browns teaching workers merely slid him into the beginning lineup, and Sunahara was now enjoying in actual NFL video games with an elevation in pay.
Sunahara is one among many gamers from the UFL that Berry has signed. Most notable is one other specialist, kicker Andre Szmyt, who was enjoying for the St. Louis Battlehawks.
Different UFL gamers that Cleveland has signed sooner or later embrace TE Sal Cannella, RB Toa Taua, LBs Marvin Moody and LB Charlie Thomas, and CB Keenan Isaac.
So, how do the Browns seem with their particular groups?
Kicker Andre Szmyt #25 of the Browns celebrates with Rex Sunahara #50 (Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
Szmyt was re-signed for an additional season. So was punter Corey Bojorquez. Gage Larvadain and Isaiah Bond are listed because the punt returners, whereas Malachi Corley and Dylan Sampson have been penciled in on the depth chart as kickoff returners. Through the offseason, Berry inked particular groups return guru Tylan Wallace away from the Baltimore Ravens to change into the principle return specialist, so we’ll see.
LINK: COREY BOJORQUEZ INTERVIEW
Szmyt was ranked the #9 subject aim kicker in subject aim conversion proportion (88.9%). Bojorquez ranked because the league’s #26 punter in common (45.8), however because the offense was so unhealthy, he had essentially the most punts (93). Larvadain had 24 returns for 167 yards and a 7.0 yards per return common. Corley returned 21 kickoffs for 492 yards with a 23.4 yards per return common. Neither returner had a superb rating.
Cleveland’s bread and butter have been its protection. The franchise is thought for having elite defenders.
Final yr, this group was ranked #4. Nevertheless it has one thing that’s one higher: the #3-ranked lengthy snapper in Sunahara.
