CLEVELAND -- Following one of the most high profile offseasons in franchise history, the new era of Cleveland Browns football is finally here.
Well, kind of.
On Thursday, the Browns will play their first of four preseason games when they host the Washington Redskins in an exhibition at FirstEnergy Stadium.
While it remains to be seen how many of Cleveland's stars -- new and old -- will play on Thursday, the matchup nonetheless marks the first on-field action for the Browns against an opponent from another team. With that in mind, here's everything you need to know about Cleveland's preseason opener and what it might mean for the team's highly anticipated 2019 campaign:
Game info, how to watch on TV:
Date: August 8, 2019
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio.
TV channel: News 5
Radio: ESPN 850, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX, La Mega 87.7 FM
Betting line: Washington -1.5
Over-under point total: 35.5
Storylines
To play or not to play?
For the first time in recent memory, the Browns enter a season laying claim to a bevy of star players expected to help Cleveland live up to its billing as the front-runner of the AFC North.
But with Thursday night's matchup merely being an exhibition, head coach Freddie Kitchens will have to decide whether it's worth risking injury by playing the likes of Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward -- among others -- vs. Washington.
If Kitchens' quotes this week have been any indication, he appears to be leaning toward sitting his stars against the Redskins, pointing to a joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts as being more important to the team's development. Nevertheless, the possibility exists that Beckham Jr. could be making his unofficial FirstEnergy Stadium debut as a member of the Browns following the blockbuster trade between Cleveland and the New York Giants this past offseason.
Speaking on Tuesday, Kitchens said he was yet to make a decision regarding who will won't play vs. Washington. He did, however, say he wouldn't reveal his decision publicly, leaving the rest of us to find out what he chose on Thursday night.
Still battling
Even if the Browns stars don't play, there will be plenty of on-field intrigue to be found on Thursday. In particular, two position battles within Cleveland's starting lineup remain unsettled -- although they come at two of football's less glamorous positions.
In the battle to replace Kevin Zeitler -- who was traded to New York for pass-rusher Olivier Vernon -- Austin Corbett is still fighting to fend off Eric Kush and Kyle Kalis. According to the team's unofficial depth chart, Corbett will get the nod with the first-team on Thursday, although his status as the team's starter is anything but secure.
As for Cleveland's kicking battle, neither incumbent Greg Joseph nor fifth-round pick Austin Seibert have done much to inspire confidence to this point in Training Camp. And if those practice field woes carry over to the preseason games, Browns general manager John Dorsey may have no choice but to consider his options elsewhere prior to the start of the regular season.
Back in the Buckeye State
Assuming the Browns star players don't play, perhaps the most intriguing storyline in Thursday night's exhibition is the preseason debut of Washington rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
Although he's currently slated to backup Redskins starter -- and former Browns signal-caller -- Colt McCoy on Thursday, it remains realistic -- if not likely -- that Haskins will begin his NFL career as Washington's top QB. Selected with the No. 15 pick of this year's draft, Haskins enjoyed a standout sophomore season at Ohio State in 2018, completing 70 percent of his passes for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions.
How the Heisman Trophy finalist fares in his return to Ohio on Thursday could determine how much ground he has to make up in order to supplant McCoy. To this point, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden has stated he'd like to "slow play" Haskins development. But a big showing vs. the Browns could force him to speed up his process.
What's on the line
As Browns fans learned two years ago, when an undefeated preseason preceded an 0-16 campaign, the only record that matters is the one that's kept during the regular season.
Still, while the preseason may be more about evaluating players than teams, you'd rather your team put together a strong, disciplined showing rather than a sloppy, mistake-filled performance.
With so many of Cleveland's key players likely to sit out, evaluating the Browns vs. Washington will be difficult, if not futile. Perhaps most importantly, Cleveland just needs to stay as healthy as possible between now and the regular season -- something it appears Kitchens may take preemptive measures to ensure.