Browns’ Draft? Not Excited, But Not Bad

We think everyone can agree that a draft without a first round pick cannot be considered sexy. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be impactful.

The Cleveland Browns traded its first round pick (and those for 2023 and 2024) for QB Deshaun Watson, and then traded down from the 44th pick, and the people who love the NFL Draft around town went crazy.

We still believe there is a portion of the fan base around the city who assume everything the Browns do is stupid and everything the Ravens and Steelers do is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Cleveland has a pretty solid roster and the likelihood that someone picked over the weekend would be projected to have a starting spot on the 2022 team was slim to begin with.

So, how did GM Andrew Berry and the local gridiron team do in the draft?

Their first pick was CB Martin Emerson of Mississippi State at pick #68. While cornerback was not a position of need for the Browns, in our view, you can never have enough good corners, and we know it will remain to be seen if Emerson is just that.

The scouting report on Emerson is that he is better in man-to-man coverage than zone, and it feels like the Browns don’t play enough of that style of defense. Maybe they will start, although that probably goes hand in hand with stopping the running game better.

The draftniks seems to like the next choice, 6’7″, 270 pound Alex Wright out of UAB. He will probably be a pass rusher in Cleveland. The problem for him according to scouts is inconsistency. Like cornerbacks, we feel you can never have enough guys to go after the opposing team’s passer.

We really like the pick of David Bell in the third round. We’ve seen a few Purdue games and he stood out. Does this translate to success in the NFL? That remains to be seen, but he played against big time competition and succeeded. And he’s a big target at 6’2″, 210 pounds. He seems like a slot receiver, which the Browns need.

Everyone loves the choice of Perrion Winfrey because the draft “experts” had him ranked as a second round pick, and the Browns got him in the fourth round. The scouting reports say he has great athleticism for a man his size (6’4″, 292 pounds). Earlier, we said the Browns needed help stopping the run. Hopefully, Winfrey can help there and put pressure up the middle on opposing QBs.

We can’t end this without looking at the most controversial choice, drafting K Cade York from LSU at #124. We saw one expert say this was not an area of need for the Browns, to which we would ask if he watches the games.

We have no problem with this pick. Chase McLaughlin was one of the worst field goal kickers in the NFL last season, and Cleveland lost six games by six points or less.

Does picking York this high make him a surefire success in the pros? Of course not, but he winds up being as good as Phil Dawson, it’s a great pick.

Think about this, if all of the current players were put into a draft today, where would the Ravens’ kicker, Justin Tucker go? He might go in the first round, he’s that much of a weapon.

Time will tell if any of the players drafted by the Browns this past weekend can contribute. Many will be special teamers at least for the first year.

It was a depth draft for Cleveland. Hard to get too excited.

The NFL Draft Not Really Big For Browns’ Fans This Year.

The annual NFL Draft takes place this week in Las Vegas and as a Browns’ fan, we can’t imagine it having any less buzz.

GM Andrew Berry traded his first round pick this year and the two years following to get QB Deshaun Watson from Houston. And as we have said before, despite anyone’s personal feelings about Watson’s situation, he is (in our opinion) a top five quarterback in the NFL.

So, no debates on what the Browns need to do about that position for several years.

When you take a broad picture of this football team, it’s a pretty solid roster right now.

Berry has seven picks at his disposal, the earliest being #44, and the Browns have two more selections in the top 100, the 78th pick and the 99th pick, both of those in the third round.

Cleveland could still use another wide receiver, even after dealing for Amari Cooper earlier this off-season, and probably get another tight end, to replace Austin Hooper, who was a salary cap casualty.

On the other side of the football, the defensive line needs bolstering, although the possibility still remains that Jadeveon Clowney could return to the team as a free agent.

Defensive tackle is a position of need, although it depends on whether the coaching staff thinks Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai can be starters next season. We would feel better if a high draft pick were to be used on this position.

But we would say there is no expectation any player drafted next weekend will be starters when Cleveland kicks off their season in September. Even if a wide out is picked at #44, no one will be concerned if the rookie starts the year as a third receiver.

That shows how talented this current roster is. And Berry has set up contracts so the Browns still have plenty of cap space despite the moves for Watson and Cooper, the presence of Myles Garrett, and even Denzel Ward’s new deal.

There are national writers who believe the Browns may have the most complete roster in the NFL, even though they finished 8-9 last season.

Think about it, they have arguably the best pass rusher in the game in Garrett. They may have the best running back in Nick Chubb. And they have a top cornerback in Ward.

They have perhaps the best guard tandem in the NFL in Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.

And now, they have a top passer in Watson.

One area they still need to address is kicker. Chase McLaughlin was one of the worst field goal kickers in the league last year. When you lose six games by six points or less, that weakness is even more noticeable.

Also, they are in a division where the best in the league resides in Justin Tucker of the Ravens, and the Steelers and Bengals also have more than solid guys.

It’s something Berry needs to fix. The Browns have to know when they get inside the opponents’ 40-yard line, they are going to come away with points. It’s been awhile since that’s been the case. You have to go back to Phil Dawson.

We wouldn’t be shocked if a later round pick is used to bring one in.

It’s been a long time since Browns’ fans haven’t been obsessed about the NFL Draft. Not having a first round pick does that.

Cleveland will likely be observers on Thursday night, but the fun begins on Friday, when all fans become amateur GMs.

Watson Is Very Good, But It Doesn’t Make It Easier To Take

It was a bold move, a controversial move made by the Cleveland Browns a few days ago. The front office, including the Haslam family ownership, felt the team was a quarterback away from championship contention.

So, they went out and traded a boatload of draft capital for a QB who didn’t even play last season in Houston’s Deshaun Watson. The price was three first round picks and a third and four round selections over the next three years.

Watson’s on-field talent is undeniable. Last year, when trying to determine exactly where Baker Mayfield ranked among the league’s signal callers, we said the former Texan quarterback was one of the top five at the position in the NFL, along with Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers.

The last year he played, 2020, we know the Texans went 4-12, but it wasn’t the quarterback’s fault. The former Clemson standout completed 70.2% of his passes for a league leading 4823 yards, 33 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions. And he led the NFL in average yards per pass attempt.

They gave up 29 points per contest. That’s why they went 4-12.

He also ran for 444 yards. He’s a true dual threat at QB.

However, there is another side to the story. Although Watson was not charged by a Grand Jury, he does face civil suits from 22 women alleging sexual misconduct. It’s like the Browns sold their soul to the devil in order to cure their QB issues.

There are fans in Cleveland who somehow feel the Cavaliers title in 2016, the ONLY championship by a professional sports team in northeast Ohio since 1964, is somehow tainted because LeBron James returned home via free agency and the Cavs put together a “super team”.

First, it is the job of any professional sports franchise to put the best team they can on the field and if they can do so within the rules, it’s legitimate. And no one on that team had any issues legally.

We were not in favor of trading for Watson, feeling it would be a tough sell for any team, not just the Cleveland Browns. Especially for women fans of the Browns. Still, it should appall everyone. It wasn’t one or two females making these claims, it was 22. We doubt it was a smear campaign against the Texans’ QB.

But when it happened, we did feel excitement that GM Andrew Berry pulled off acquiring one of football’s premier passers.

Who knows, Watson may never have another instance in this regard, and while it won’t be forgotten, winning has a way of making people overlook things.

What feels a little grimy is Watson’s contract was structured to prevent a large hit monetarily from a probable suspension, which would figure to be between six and eight games.

And the Browns also had to give him the largest guaranteed money in the history of the league to get him to waive a no trade clause to come to Cleveland.

We said any team dealing for Watson would need a solid backup because he will likely miss games in 2022, and Berry did that by signing Jacoby Brissett, who has 37 starts in his career, including five this year with Miami.

His best year was with the Colts in ’19, going 7-8 as a starter, throwing 18 TDs against six picks, completing 61% of his passes.

When Watson takes the field as a Cleveland Brown, there will be a mixed feeling. While we will root for the Browns, it will be tough to support the quarterback. That’s a shame.

Other teams, notably the Raiders (no matter where they play) have had an outlaw image, and it has been supported by their fans. Cleveland is different. We aren’t used to playing that role, the closest was with Albert Belle in the mid-1990’s.

But Belle was drafted here, the Indians didn’t trade for him.

It’s a conundrum to be sure. Watson’s actions were reprehensible. They weren’t made less appalling because he wears a Cleveland uniform.

Browns Don’t Take Part In QB Carousel. Oh, The Humanity!

It was a very difficult day for the irrational Browns’ fan on Tuesday when Aaron Rodgers agreed to stay in Green Bay, and Russell Wilson was traded by Seattle to Denver for a king’s ransom.

Didn’t those guys feel obligated to play in Cleveland?

After seeing the reaction of these zealots, one would think the Browns’ front office should contact Roger Goodell’s office and asked to be removed from the 2022 NFL schedule because they have no chance.

The reality of the situation is Paul DePodesta, Andrew Berry, and Kevin Stefanski don’t think that way. It’s why they have jobs in an NFL organization and the rest of us are fans.

We commented on social media about the price the Broncos paid for Wilson, who will be 33 next season. The Browns first and second round draft picks in 2020 and 2021 were starting tackle Jedrick Wills, safety Grant Delpit, starting corner Greg Newsome and starting linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Would you trade all four for Wilson? And remember, Denver threw in more than that.

We understand quarterback play is important in the NFL, and the performance of Baker Mayfield last season simply doesn’t get it done. However, if your front office is good at drafting players, and Berry seems to be, is giving up four prime draft picks a good idea?

If your team is bad at picking players, then go ahead and trade the picks. That’s understandable. The draft is a good way to pick up good players cheaply. And if you continue to draft well, your forays in the free agent market, where you overpay for players, can and will be minimal.

And from what we can see, Berry and DePodesta value the draft.

We also know that the two best QBs in the league right now, Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have combined for two Super Bowl victories. Wilson has a ring as well, that coming in 2013, eight years ago.

Reality tells us more teams have questions at the position than do not, and the people who run those organizations can’t just throw in the towel, they try to win with what they have.

Come on, how many truly great quarterbacks are there in the NFL right now? Rodgers, Mahomes, Wilson, Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford? It was reported that the Browns didn’t think Jimmy Garoppolo was much of an upgrade over Mayfield, and they are probably right.

The same can be said of Derek Carr, Ryan Tannehill, and a few others.

We often wonder what the thinking around town would be if Mayfield would have been ruled out for the season after injuring his shoulder in week two. Browns’ fans and media would be skipping around town with thoughts of a healthy Mayfield behind center in 2022.

However, he played, he didn’t play well, and the organization has to wear that.

Don’t forget, the free agency period hasn’t started yet, and the draft will not take place until the end of April. Our guess is Berry isn’t going to let the team get worse. They will upgrade the areas of weakness, with particular attention to the defensive line and wide receiver.

And they will probably bring in another quarterback, perhaps in a trade to replace Baker Mayfield before the season.

The majority of teams in the NFL are in the same boat as the Cleveland Browns. As we’ve said before, getting an elite QB isn’t easy.

The Landry Situation Is Normal In A Salary Cap Sport

You would think making the playoffs in 2020 would have cured the insanity that affects some fans of the Cleveland Browns, but we guess until they win a Super Bowl, the crazy thinking by many will continue.

On Tuesday, WR Jarvis Landry put out a series of tweets explaining that he was never fully healthy after his knee injury in week two, he cut back his media availability because of it, and said his contract situation was now in the Browns’ court.

Immediately, the critics were out. The locker room has a huge problem, the front office doesn’t know it has a problem, and the ability of GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski was called into question.

Look, we understand that Landry is very popular among the fans and the media, he’s always been a stand up guy. His speech on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” about the attitude his teammates needed to play with was epic and helped change the loser mentality that permeated the franchise.

We are sure the organization would love to have Landry back with the team in 2022.

However, there is a glitch with doing this.

Landry’s contract would be a cap hit of $16.4 million next season. He’s also 29 years old and coming off an injury plagued season, in which he put up the worst numbers of his career.

The front office would probably love to rework the wide receiver’s deal to either pay him less next year, or perhaps to extend his current deal and spread the money out (or maybe even add more) over more seasons.

Landry knows there is likely no other NFL team that is going to pay him that kind of money at his age and coming off the 2021, so while he says the ball is in the Browns’ court, it really is in the wide receiver’s.

He’s the one that has to make the decision to stay and take a pay cut or go somewhere else for less cash.

And we get that he may not want to stay in Cleveland for less money. Why would you stay in the same place and get paid less? It could be an awkward situation. If the Browns were a Super Bowl favorite, we understand it might make getting less money palatable.

Although we think Kevin Stefanski’s squad can make the post-season in 2022, calling them a Super Bowl threat would be a stretch.

It’s a not a matter of the organization being unhappy with Landry or not being grateful about his role is changing the losing attitude within the team. It’s simply the reality of running a team in a salary cap sport.

If Berry wants to improve the current roster, he simply cannot have the highest paid players on the team not performing at a high level. And before you quote Baker Mayfield’s salary for 2022, it’s different for quarterbacks. Not saying it’s fair, but it’s different.

And there will be other tough decisions to be made as well. Case Keenum probably will not be back, and there is a very good possibility J.C. Tretter won’t return to give the Browns more salary room to work with.

It does not mean the front office doesn’t know what they are doing. In fact, it’s just the opposite. They are doing the right thing.

However, the ball isn’t in the Browns’ court, it’s Jarvis Landry who has to make the big decision.

Football 2021 Is Over, Browns Look Towards ’22

The Super Bowl is over and thankfully, a team from the AFC North did not win. Although the new league year doesn’t arrive until March 16th, the off-season has arrived and everyone should be turning their attention to the 2022 season.

First, the Cleveland Browns are not a terrible football team, in the same class as Jacksonville, Houston, etc. They didn’t go 4-13 or 5-12 during the 2021 season, they went 8-9, and with a little luck, they would have made the playoffs.

Still, having good luck isn’t a strategy any more than hope is. And there is no doubt you are what you record says you are, and the Browns were a below .500 football team.

The first challenge Andrew Berry, Paul DePodesta, and Kevin Stefanski have to do is get the roster united and cohesive. There was a little bit too much happiness for Odell Beckham Jr. being a Super Bowl champion among the current players.

On the other hand, there is a difference between being a good friend and a good guy and being someone the coaching staff can trust. Being cool among players is one thing, but for coaches and front office types, a player can be a different story.

Perhaps Beckham challenged Stefanski’s authority or complained every week about the style of football the coaches wanted to play. Maybe that’s why the wide receiver wasn’t “a good fit” here.

We aren’t going to rehash the quarterback situation again, but we will say this–the passing game as a whole has to be better. The wide receiver and tight end positions need to be addressed and improved. They need more separation, or in old school terminology, the Browns need receivers who can get open.

We would also like to see Stefanski use Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt together. They are two of the best players the team has, and using just one at a time seems foolish. Make opposing defenses account for both, and that brings us to another question.

Why not get Chubb more involved in the passing game? We understand it is a good way to keep the Pro Bowl back fresh, taking him off the field in passing situations, but the defense knows this as well.

And having Chubb catch a short pass in the secondary where he doesn’t have to contend with defensive linemen should be a benefit, no? It doesn’t seem like he has bad hands, so why not incorporate this into the offense?

These playoffs should also show the front office the importance of having a reliable field goal kicker.

In the AFC North alone resides the most accurate kicker in the Ravens’ Justin Tucker (94.6%) and the 10th ranked, Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell (90%). Cincinnati’s rookie Evan McPherson didn’t miss a field goal in the playoffs, making two game winners.

Chase McLaughlin? He ranked 32nd in the league at 71.4%. Having a reliable field goal kicker changes how you coach and manage the game.

It doesn’t matter if it is through the draft or a free agent, the Browns have to get a more reliable field goal kicker, someone they feel comfortable with from 50 yards and in. They’ve been without one since Phil Dawson left.

When you are 8-9 and the division winner finished at 10-7, you better believe the little things, including having a solid kicker, make a big difference.

The “Not Baker” Option Isn’t A Legit Option

The craziness of this Browns’ off-season has now reached the college draft phase with the Senior Bowl being played yesterday.

So, the quarterback envy has extended to men who have yet to play a down in the NFL.

Let us be clear, so we will repeat our stance on Baker Mayfield. We are not a “Baker Bro”, but we do recognize that he was the quarterback when the Browns made their first playoff appearance since 2002 last season, and his play was one of the reasons why.

If you can find someone who is better than him, and by that we mean better by a consensus, go ahead and make a move and get that guy. The cost may be excessive, but if the Cleveland front office believe it is worth the payment, we trust them.

However, we take umbrage with argument that anyone not named Baker Mayfield is a better solution. And that’s an argument many people, both fans and media, try to make.

One example of this line of thinking is someone who advocates the team signing Mitch Trubisky as a free agent (the love of local guys returns) and then drafting a passer with the 13th overall pick in this spring’s draft.

Trubisky was the QB for a 12-4 Bears’ team in his second year in the league (2018), but the following two seasons, the Chicago offense was one of the worst in the league. He doesn’t throw as many interceptions as Mayfield, but his yards per attempt is also much less, an indication that he’s a dinker and dunker.

And we cannot say more emphatically the Browns have more pressing needs than quarterback to address with their first round pick.

We have pointed out since the latter parts of the season that Cleveland needs to do better at stopping the run, so we would feel better about getting an interior defensive lineman or perhaps another edge rusher, because Jadeveon Clowney could very well be playing for another team when free agency hits.

We also haven’t mentioned the wide receiver position, which we think everyone would agree is a glaring need.

It is doubtful the Browns would start a rookie QB next year, so drafting one would just be to develop him for the 2023 season, and for a team that just missed the playoffs this past season, how do you pass on adding a player who can help you immediately.

Besides, in reviewing several draft sites, ranking players by talent, not where they believe they will be drafted, only one signal caller appears in the top 15, if one appears at all. So, more than likely, the Browns wouldn’t be taking one of the 13 best players in the draft with their selection.

Yes, we know guys like Dan Marino and Aaron Rodgers dropped significantly the years they were selected, but we haven’t read anyone mentioning Matt Corral, Kenny Pickett, or Malik Willis in the same breath as those two all-time greats.

We will listen to alternatives to Baker Mayfield but find someone decidedly better than the current Browns’ QB. And we wouldn’t just look at numbers either. Use the eye test.

For example, Teddy Bridgewater had a better passer rating than Mayfield. Does anyone think he’s a better quarterback?

We doubt Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski will settle for the “not Baker” option. Their job is to improve the team, not just at QB, but every position.

By the time the draft rolls around, we will know where they stand on Mayfield.

Browns’ Dysfunction? We Don’t See It.

A lot of things have been said about the Cleveland Browns after they missed the playoffs this season with an 8-9 record, but to us, the weirdest thing is saying the dysfunction that was a trademark of much of the last 20 years, has returned to Berea.

Quite frankly, we don’t see any evidence of it.

Most of the noise surrounding the Browns have come from the media, the front office has been largely silent.

It’s the media and fans who are saying the team is deficient at the quarterback position and coming up with crazy scenarios to get some of the best QBs in the game in a Cleveland uniform.

And apparently at least one media member believes Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski should have anticipated a wide receiver coming off a season ending knee injury would ask out of town and when he didn’t get his wish, would put less than a sterling effort on the field.

We are sure the organization thought the player would be excited to come back to a playoff team, and try to help it toward the next level or two of the post-season.

What the Browns should be doing right now is a self audit, looking at what went wrong AND also what went right in an effort to be better next season. And with Berry, Paul DePodesta, and Stefanski handling this, we are sure it is being done without emotion.

By the way, that’s the correct approach, despite what the fans and media want.

To us, the dysfunction would be if we heard rumors that ownership was unhappy with the hierarchy in the organization or Stefanski’s job was in jeopardy because he didn’t follow up a post-season appearance with another one.

Instead, things are relatively quiet.

In fact, the Minnesota Vikings hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the vice president for football operations with the Browns, as their new general manager. And Adofo-Mensah went out of his way at his introductory press conference to call Berry a “rock star” and thank him for what he learned in Cleveland.

Sounds like it’s a crazy atmosphere in Berea, no?

We have said this before, we are sure the front office is doing everything it can to improve this football team so the absence from the post-season ends at one season. And they are looking at every position for improvement, including quarterback.

The dysfunctional thing to do would be to act with emotion, make a knee-jerk reaction to a season that fell short of expectations, and start making wholesale changes as soon as the season ended.

We didn’t see any of that. The only move made was a special teams assistant coach was let go. Defensive line coach Chris Kiffin left to join his brother’s staff at Ole Miss, but we would believe that has more to do with working with his brother than a bad atmosphere in the organization.

As for Odell Beckham Jr., the organization did right by him. They could have told him to go home and stay there when his unhappiness reached a crescendo, but they worked out a settlement so he could play somewhere else.

So people are finding fault with that as well.

What we don’t see is conflicts between the head coach and the front office, or between the owner and the front office.

We guess after this season, dysfunction is defined as not going crazy and firing or cutting coaches and players.

The narrative for some keeps changing…

The Never Ending Story (Baker Mayfield Edition)

No one ever said football fans were rational, and supporters of the Cleveland Browns are no different.

The Browns’ season ended just two weeks ago and the amount of discussion on the quarterback position in both the media and on sports talk radio is to the point of saturation. We think in the next few weeks there will be condemnation of what Baker Mayfield eats for breakfast, what beer he drinks, and probably his brand of underwear.

We get it. Browns’ fans are disappointed by the 8-9 record after last year’s playoff appearance. We would bet the organization is also not happy by the finish, but they won’t go out and make crazy moves.

And we want to make it clear we don’t consider ourselves a “Baker Bro”. Our stance is simple. if you can find someone that plays the position better than Baker Mayfield, and the cost to get that guy is not prohibitive, then go get him.

If it makes the Cleveland Browns better, then so be it.

Keep in mind that we are currently in the playoffs, so these are the best teams in the league for this season, and it would figure the signal callers for those teams are among the better ones in the NFL.

This should be remembered if your QB preference for next season’s edition of the Browns is just someone not named Baker Mayfield. There are plenty of guys in the league who it can be debated would not be any different to Mayfield if they were under center next year in Cleveland.

Do you really want Carson Wentz, Teddy Bridgewater, Jared Goff, or Ryan Tannehill? If you do, fine. But we don’t see much of a difference or upgrade over Mayfield. You would just be making change for change sake, and you can’t ignore how #6 played in the second half of last season or the first few games of this season.

We have even seen talking heads saying the watching the games over the weekend shows how far away the Browns really are. Really? Remember the Bengals were 4-11-1 a year ago and Sunday they will play for a chance to go the Super Bowl.

And this happens in the NFL all the time. Teams improve, get a couple of breaks and they make the playoffs. Heck, you can make an argument (and a solid one) that Kevin Stefanski’s crew could have easily been 10-7 instead of how they finished.

We also wince when we hear “statistically” Mayfield was the worst quarterback in the NFL this season. First of all, it’s not true, Sam Darnold was worse among the non-rookies, but this determination is done by looking at the league’s passing efficiency statistic.

Just playing with these numbers, if Mayfield’s last pass of the season, which was picked off in Pittsburgh was simply incomplete, his rating goes up a full point.

We also know once the Browns get inside the red zone, they like to run the football. So, let’s say you add five touchdown throws. His rating goes up by five points.

By the way, the only team with more rushing touchdowns than Cleveland and that had over 30 touchdown passes was Buffalo, and although we didn’t endorse drafting Josh Allen the year he and Mayfield were in the draft, we would freely admit Allen is the better player.

Being dissatisfied with the play at quarterback is one thing, finding a better alternative is a different matter all together. Besides it’s not like Mayfield has never played well. It’s a matter of finding consistency.

Can that happen in 2022? The best option for the Browns’ front office might just be to find out.

Where Browns Need To Get Better (Non-QB Categories)

Believe it or not, and based on the conversation in northeast Ohio over the past couple of weeks, the latter seems to be what fans think, there is more wrong with the Cleveland Browns than Kevin Stefanski’s play calling or Baker Mayfield’s ability to play his position.

We know, hard to believe, right?

But here are other things GM Andrew Berry and Paul DePodesta need to address before training camp starts in late July.

We understand the offensive tackle spots were ravaged by injuries from the opening game of the season, when Jedrick Wills hurt his ankle, but Cleveland needs better play next season out of the position.

We are confident in Wills, who just finished his second season in the NFL. Losing some of his mobility because of the ankle hampered his performance to be sure. And as for RT Jack Conklin, you can make a strong case the Browns’ running game took a big hit when he was basically lost for the year in the Chargers’ game.

The Browns averaged 187.6 yards on the ground through their visit to Los Angeles, and that figure dropped to a still respectable 154.5 the remainder of the season. That includes six games they were held under 100.

Primary reserve Chris Hubbard was also hurt early in the season, so the brown and orange were down to the 4th tackle on the depth chart most of the time. If rookie James Hudson improves and can take Hubbard’s (he’s a free agent) role. That would be a big help.

The team also needs an improvement in the receiving corps.

Jarvis Landry’s 52 receptions led the team and no other wide receiver caught more than Donovan Peoples-Jones’ 34. And the latter led the squad in receiving yards with a paltry 597.

We understand the Browns use a tight end heavy offense, but they didn’t stand out either, with Austin Hooper catching 38 balls and David Njoku right behind him with 36 receptions.

Without question, the passing game missed Kareem Hunt, who led running backs with just 22 catches. We understand WR Anthony Schwartz should get better as well as his fellow rookie Demetric Felton, but it looks here like several players will need to be added to shore up this unit.

Although the defense got better as the year went along, in the last 11 contests, the Browns allowed more than 20 points just four times, there was an area the team could improve, and that is in stopping the run.

Over the last eight games, the defense allowed 137 yards per contest on the ground. If they could control the ground game better, imagine how good the defense would have been?

And maybe, with more long yardage situations, they would have more opportunities to really dial up some pressure on quarterbacks via the blitz.

Cleveland has very good cornerbacks and the safeties got better and better as the season went on. But if it easy to gain a good chunk of yards on first down, the offense has more options in terms of how they want to play.

That’s why Stefanski likes to throw on first down with short passes. There are more options to guard against when it is 2nd and 4, than when it is 2nd and 9.

It’s not all about the play calling and the QB, although that’s what the radio talk shows will hammer you over the head with.

We are sure the front office knows these things as well, and will work for improvement. That’s what you do every off-season.