In 1970, the Cleveland Browns had a problem. Sure, they won the NFL title just six years earlier, and went to the championship game in ’65, ’68, and ’69, but after Bill Nelsen’s knees were starting to fail him, and the Browns needed someone to turn the reins over to.
They made a decision that would haunt them for several years, when they traded All Pro receiver Paul Warfield, who averaged over 20 yards per reception the previous four years to the Miami Dolphins for the 3rd overall pick in the draft, which they used to take Purdue QB Mike Phipps.
Warfield became an important piece to two Super Bowl titles for the Dolphins, made five Pro Bowls and two All Pro teams with Miami, and eventually went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Phipps played seven years in Cleveland, going 24-25-2 as a starter, but did guide the Browns to the playoffs in 1972, throwing five interceptions in a loss to, you guessed it, the Dolphins.
That was the only playoff appearance for the Browns, an NFL power from 1950 to 1970, until the Kardiac Kids season in 1980, with Brian Sipe at the helm.
Now, the Browns have their quarterback in Baker Mayfield, and made the reverse Warfield trade Tuesday night, getting WR Odell Beckham Jr. from the Giants for a first round and third round pick in next month’s NFL Draft and former first round pick Jabrill Peppers.
You can make an excellent case that Beckham is the Warfield of today.
His first three years in the league, he averaged 96 catches for 1374 yards and 12 touchdowns. He missed much of 2017 with an injury, but played 12 games last season, catching 77 passes for 1052 yards.
Remember, that his QB, Eli Manning, is on the downside of his career, while Mayfield is ascending.
We heard the rumors that it would take two first round picks to get the wide receiver, so in our opinion, getting him for just one, is a big win for John Dorsey and the Browns.
We will not minimize the loss of Peppers, who played very well in the second half of last season, but remember, his big supporter, former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has departed, and new coordinator Steve Wilks may want something different from his strong safety.
Besides, don’t forget Derrick Kindred is still on the roster, and he was a starter when Peppers was playing free safety during his rookie season.
And the third round pick Dorsey moved wasn’t even the Browns’ choice, it was New England’s, as a result of the Danny Shelton trade.
Look at the weapons at Mayfield’s disposal when training camp starts in July. He has a solid running game in Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson, and that’s not even taking Kareem Hunt into account, because he will likely be suspended to start the season.
He’ll have Beckham, who is a threat to take any play to the house, with Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins at wide receiver, and David Njoku, who we feel is a budding star, at tight end.
The defensive line has been bolstered with the trade for Olivier Vernon, and the free agent signing of Sheldon Richardson. The linebackers and secondary could still use some depth, but the Browns still have a lot of picks in the draft too.
Make no mistake, the Browns have entered into “win now” mode. Anything short of a playoff berth in 2019 should be viewed as a disappointment, not just to Dorsey and coach Freddie Kitchens, but to the fans as well.
You can’t help but be excited.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 