Sanders Wins His Debut, Garrett Was The Star Again

We never criticize any team for beating a bad team. Our usual response when someone pooh-poohs a win like the Browns had over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday is asking that person if they would rather have their team lose?

Of course not. The Raiders are a mess right now and the Browns’ defense put on an incredible show and the offense, led by rookie Shedeur Sanders contributed enough big plays to end a road losing streak for Cleveland with a 24-10 victory.

Yes, the Raiders did have 268 yards of total offense, just two less than the Browns, but make no mistake, the Cleveland defense dominated this game, recording 10 sacks, three by the incredible Myles Garrett and 2.5 from Maliek Collins.

Garrett appears to be on his way to the NFL record for most sacks in a season, which is 22.5. He now has 18 with six games remaining. Incredibly, he has 13 in his last four games. There is no question he is the best defensive player in the history of the franchise and should also win his second Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Offensively, the Browns did enough. They had the splash plays that were missing all season long. Sanders’ three longest completions, the 66-yard touchdown on a screen pass to Dylan Sampson, the rollout toss of 52 yards to Isaiah Bond, and the 39 yarder to Jerry Jeudy, which he fumbled, were the three longest pass plays of the season for Cleveland.

There is something to be said for that.

All in all, Sanders was fine, completing 11 of 20 for 209 yards with an interception. In his appearance against Baltimore and in the preseason, he had issues retreating in the pocket when he was pressured, but as we recall, he did that only once in his first start. That has to be considered progress.

Moreso, he looked like an NFL quarterback. He has more size and a better arm than Dillon Gabriel, and although we feel the most important thing for a QB is the ability to read defenses, those things matter too.

We know Kevin Stefanski didn’t name a starter yet for next week against the 49ers, but logically, it should be Sanders getting another shot, and this time it will be against a good team.

The Browns have a playoff defense, and we think it doesn’t reflect well on the front office that all of the best players are on the defensive side of the ball. Look at Cincinnati, who seemingly put all their resources on the offense. Guess what? Their record is the same as the Browns at 3-8.

Why Andrew Berry decided to do this should also be brought into question. You can’t be successful just being good at one thing in any sport. Going back to Garrett, think about the narrative if Cleveland was 7-4 right now? He would be a league MVP candidate for sure.

And let’s not forget Denzel Ward and Grant Delpit. Ward is a perennial Pro Bowl player and has been in just three playoff games and he will be 29 next season. Will he still be a productive player when the Browns are playoff contenders again?

We know in the NFL things can change quickly, but we have also said with all of the holes on offense, can the Browns be a team that gets back to winning as early as next season.

And that’s the biggest question surrounding this franchise.

Somehow, The Browns Pull Out A Win

The Cleveland Browns pulled a rabbit out of a hat Sunday and upset the Green Bay Packers 13-10 when Andre Szmyt made a 55-yard field goal as time expired.

The 0-6 start that many people predicted for the Browns won’t happen. But we think we speak for everyone in saying that halfway through the fourth quarter, we figured Kevin Stefanski’s crew was not only going to lose, but they were going to be shutout.

The offense took advantage of some penalties and got the ball to the Green Bay one with five minutes to go but got pushed back and had to settle for Szmyt’s first field goal. We imagine fans all over northeast Ohio were shaking their collective heads when the first down play was a rollout pass to reverse offensive lineman Luke Wypler.

Another instance of Stefanski trying to get too cute.

But an ill-advised pass by Jordan Love resulted in the Browns’ first turnover of the year, an interception by Grant Delpit and this time Cleveland punched it in to tie the game.

Then, a contribution by the special teams. Shelby Harris blocked a field goal with :21 left on the clock and gave the Browns one last chance.

There was great execution on a short pass to David Njoku, not in the play design, but in getting the offensive line back to the line of scrimmage so Joe Flacco could kill the clock and leave time for Szmyt’s heroics.

Unbelieveable

The reality about this football team is as long as they stay relatively healthy, the defense is going keep this team in games. It’s that good. Green Bay put up 266 and 404 yards in their first two games, both wins, but picked up 230 yards against Cleveland.

Cleveland’s defense had five sacks, as the Packers went into the game refusing to let Myles Garrett ruin their offense, and that created opportunities for everyone else.

Maliek Collins had a sack and a half, Alex Wright had one, Garrett and rookie Adin Huntington shared one, and the rookies also shined.

Carson Schwesinger continues to impress. He got his first sack and was in on 10 tackles. Mason Graham teamed up with Collins on a sack. And the defense allowed just 81 yards on the ground.

Right now, you can make the case they are the best defense in the league. And they haven’t faced any opponents that didn’t have solid, if not, high powered attacks.

Another rookie, RB Quinshon Judkins was a key in the fourth quarter, ripping off a 38-yard run in route to gaining 94 yards on the day.

The offensive line still appears to be a concern. Dawand Jones left the game in the first quarter and Jack Conklin missed the game again, so most of the way, the Browns were playing with Cornelius Lucas and KT Leveston were playing outside.

Flacco heard boos during the game as the Browns couldn’t muster much of an offense, maybe due to the offensive line play, and maybe because Stefanski has preached not putting the ball in harms’ way.

Right now, he is checking down virtually every pass play. The longest pass plays were a 17-yard toss to Jerry Jeudy and another to Isaiah Bond. There was a 13-yard play to Harold Fannin Jr., where he basically carried defenders to get that much yardage.

If we were defending the Browns, we would put nine in the box to stop Judkins and dare Flacco to air it out. And if defenses do that, it makes it difficult for Stefanski to establish the ground game.

However, a win is a win. The gauntlet doesn’t get any easier with a visit to Detroit, another high-powered offense next week.

Another Breakdown, This Time Results In A Loss

Cleveland Browns’ fans should be celebrating the first 2-0 start to a season since 1993 this morning, but instead, they are incensed the team blew a 13 point lead with under two minutes to go at home against one of the three AFC teams no one is projecting as a playoff contender, the New York Jets.

Last week, in discussing the Browns win over Carolina, we said the breakdowns in the secondary have to be fixed, as it just didn’t happen in week one, it occurred many times in the 2021 season as well.

Wouldn’t you know, it happened again.

The long pass to cut the lead to 30-24 was bad enough. The defense simply cannot let the opponent score that quickly. And it appeared Denzel Ward thought he was supposed to get help deep, and he didn’t, so someone was on the wrong page.

However, it also happened at the end of the first half, when no one thought to pick up Breece Hall coming out of the backfield and allowing the Jets to tie the game going into the half.

Again, if this was a one time thing, it can be excused. It’s not. It happens over and over and over again, and if we were Kevin Stefanski, Joe Woods would have to come up with a good reason that it happens along with a course of action to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

It’s not like there is no talent in the secondary, it is loaded with high draft picks, so that would seem to us that GM Andrew Berry is also not happy with Woods.

Ward and Greg Newsome are first round picks, Grant Delpit is a second rounder, and Martin Emerson is a third rounder. John Johnson III is a high priced free agent. That’s a lot of draft capital and financial commitment involved to accept play like this.

Look, the reality is the Browns have dominated each of their first two games and should have won both by 10 or more points, but they are a Cade York 58-yard field goal miss away from being 0-2 despite that.

The offense has operated just as everyone expected coming into the year without Deshaun Watson. And they’ve scored 56 points in the two games. There is nothing to complain about there.

After a rough start against Carolina, Jacoby Brissett was very good last Sunday, completing 22 of 27 passes for 229 yards. Amari Cooper caught nine balls for 101 yards and Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 187 total yards.

We know David Njoku dropped a pass, but overall, we can’t think of anyone on offense who had a poor game. Everything operated according to plan.

However, all of that was erased because the defensive secondary can’t get its act together.

Maybe Stefanski has to give up the play calling responsibilities to make sure he’s more involved with the defense. But something needs to change going forward, starting Thursday night against Pittsburgh.

The breakdowns simply have to stop. At a certain point, Stefanski needs to tell Woods he doesn’t want excuses, just results. After all, this is professional football. There are no moral victories.

Even With Injuries, We Are Still Optimistic About Browns

Apparently, Browns’ fans were optimistic about the 2021 edition of the brown and orange until they had one bad game. Some of the stuff we read and heard following last Sunday’s loss to Arizona made us chuckle.

First of all, it is not as though the Browns are playing horribly on a weekly basis. Their three losses are to the defending AFC Champion Chiefs (currently 3-3), the Chargers (4-2), and the NFL’s lone undefeated team, the 6-0 Arizona Cardinals.

They held fourth quarter leagues against the first two teams listed.

Now, we understand you are what your record says you are and Kevin Stefanski’s team is 3-3. We also understand this team is pretty beat up right now. Still, we think this is still a solid team and right now, we aren’t very worried about the immediate future.

Yes, that could change with a loss tonight to the Denver Broncos, who have beaten the Giants, Jets, and Jaguars, three teams with one win each, but have lost to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Las Vegas. So, even with the key players out for Cleveland, it’s a reasonable thing to think that the Browns can win.

They then have some extra time off to get ready for Pittsburgh on Halloween. Perhaps some of the injured players can return for the Steelers.

The defense needs to get better and quickly, like tonight. Joe Woods’ unit has allowed 84 points the last two times it has taken the field. That’s completely unacceptable, and despite fans trying to twist it, giving up 42 points in an NFL games usually puts that contest in the loss column.

We thought the reason GM Andrew Berry brought in players like Ronnie Harrison, Grant Delpit, Greg Newsome, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koamoah was to defend mobile quarterbacks, yet it seems like the defense plays those type of QBs tentatively.

And they are paying a price for that.

We felt at the beginning of the season it would take time for the defense to gel, and was fooled by the performances against the Bears and Vikings, particularly the latter. Now, with key pieces on offense missing, would be a good time for the unit to come together.

Part of that would be getting some turnovers. The Cleveland defense has come up with just four takeaways on the season, ranking 29th to date. By contrast, the unbeaten Cardinals have produced 13 turnovers. Playing complementary football is always a good thing.

One thing the Browns have going for them under this regime is organization. Last Sunday, was the first time there was a little breakdown in that, but we think no matter what, the game plan will be to try establish the running game. Even with Case Keenum calling the signals, we would guess the plan won’t change.

Our concern is Keenum’s arm strength. It isn’t the same as Baker Mayfield’s, so the offensive coaches will no doubt take that into account. Look for a more quick hitting passing game.

Stefanski doesn’t like to make excuses and we won’t either. The Browns should win the football game tonight, and if they don’t then they have a problem.

If they can get a win and then comeback and win at home against the Steelers, we are sure the doomsayers will dissipate.

The Cleveland Browns have a solid roster and have built some depth the past few years. It’s time to show that off.

Not All Wins Are Works Of Art, Browns’ Fans

When it comes to winning in sports, we think sometimes fans don’t understand how difficult it really is, especially at the professional level.

It is even more difficult to do coming off a loss, something Ohio State fans saw on Saturday, and Browns viewed Sunday afternoon at First Energy Stadium. There is a certain lethargy that goes with losing the previous game, and sometimes it takes a quarter or a half to shake the staleness that goes with losing away.

There is no question the Cleveland Browns are a better football team than the Houston Texans, but it took Kevin Stefanski’s team a little while to show it.

Still, a win is a win, and the Browns, along with the rest of the AFC North are sitting at 1-1 after two games, so it now becomes a 15 game season, we guess.

Here are some impressions following the win in the home opener–

**We said before the season started the defense would be a work in progress, and shouldn’t be truly evaluated until week five or six, and we haven’t changed that opinion. There are so many new pieces involved and it takes time to trust your fellow defenders.

That said, it was a little troubling to see the lack of pressure on Houston quarterbacks. The only sack came from blitzing S Grant Delpit, who looked good in his NFL debut. Myles Garrett still gets held quite a bit though, and drew a penalty towards the end of the first half.

You would think Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome would be a solid corner combo, but the Browns seemed reluctant to put either in press coverage last Sunday.

However, it’s still early. The unit should get better with experience.

**Nick Chubb is the best running back in the NFL. We know around here that is stating the obvious, but Chubb is fifth in the league in rushing yards, despite being 19th in carries.

The Browns are not going to give Chubb the 25 carries per game so he could pile up the huge yardage needed to get notice nationally. First, they have an excellent back in Kareem Hunt to team with Chubb, and also they want Chubb to play with the Browns for a long time. They are prolonging his career.

Now, when they get to the playoffs, and need the fourth year pro out of Auburn to tote the rock 25 times, he will be fresh. And that time may come at the end of this year.

Oh, and by the way, the only running back in Browns’ history better than #24 wore #32.

**We all knew the Browns had plenty of offensive weapons coming into the year, and we still haven’t seen Odell Beckham Jr. But GM Andrew Berry looks like he added two more in this year’s draft in WR Anthony Schwartz and RB/WR Demetric Felton, each of whom has been a factor already this season.

Felton scored his first NFL touchdown on a great run after catching a short pass on Sunday, and made a great move after another reception.

Also, you have to give Stefanski credit for trusting these rookies, because some veteran coaches would not. Trusting players regardless of experience is the mark of a great coach in our book.

**We still don’t understand why folks don’t think Baker Mayfield is the answer at QB. Again, because of the way the Browns run things, he’s never going to be someone who throws for 300 yards on a weekly basis.

But he’s a leader and he shows toughness. And for those who questioned his accuracy in the past, he’s completed 81.6% of his passes in the first two weeks. He only has one touchdown pass, but again, that’s because of the running game.

If you don’t think the Browns’ offensive is running well, consider that Jamie Gillan has punted three times in two games. That used to be his total for for a half. And Chase McLaughlin has attempted one field goal.

That’s efficiency.

Don’t Be Disappointed In Browns’ Lack Of Activity

At times, we think fans of the Cleveland Browns are so used to losing, they don’t know how to react now that the organization has a sense of order to it.

We were reminded of it against this week when the legal tampering phase of NFL free agency started and GM Andrew Berry signed only two players: S John Johnson III, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, and DE Takk McKinley, a former first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons, who forced his way out last season.

Johnson is a stud, just 25 years old, ranked among the top 20 free agents by several publications who rank these things. He has eight career interceptions and has two seasons where he had over 100 tackles. His defensive pass rating was 71.9 for the 2020 season.

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods likes to run a 4-2-5 alignment, and having three safeties in Ronnie Harrison, Johnson, and hopefully a healthy Grant Delpit will allow him to have the correct personnel to do it. Remember, the way to combat the Chiefs’ offense, and a Lamar Jackson offense, is with speed.

Berry continued his pattern of signing free agents coming off their rookie deal, meaning he is interested in getting players just entering their primes, which seems logical, but many teams chase the big names, getting players who may have one good year left. In Browns’ history, those would be guys like Donte Whitner or Karlos Dansby.

McKinley is a wild card, and we doubt the front office considers him the sole solution to getting help for Myles Garrett in getting to the quarterback. He did have at least 10 QB hits in his first three seasons with the Falcons, and added seven more in the four games he played in 2020.

Because Berry made a splash early in the process a year ago, inking Jack Conklin and Austin Hooper, the anticipation was he was going to do it again, and when the Browns didn’t get Carl Lawson, Romeo Okwara, Bud Dupree, or Trey Hendrickson, fans were questioning the organization.

First of all, we are sure that among the people who think the Browns need another pass rusher is Andrew Berry. We also know training camp doesn’t start until late July or early August, so he has plenty of time to upgrade the position.

Remember, Cleveland also has nine draft picks in next month’s NFL Draft (to be held right here in Cleveland). He could be working on a deal for a edge rusher, or he could wait to see who becomes available if and when other teams release players due to salary cap considerations.

Or he may go off script and do a one year deal for a player he thinks might have one good year left, especially if used on passing downs.

We understand Berry has really been a GM for one season, but under his watch the Browns did make their first playoff appearance since 2004 and won their first playoff game since 1994. So, while he apparently hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt from everyone, he has from us.

We also trust ownership to spend money when the time is right, and with Baker Mayfield still under his rookie contract, that time might be now. We don’t think Cleveland will enter the 2021 campaign with a ton of cap space.

It’s sexy to make a big splash early in the free agency process, particularly in northeast Ohio, where the Indians don’t spend, and the city isn’t a destination point for NBA free agents since LeBron James no longer wears the wine and gold.

This front office will get it done. Don’t lose faith.

What Will Browns Do In Free Agency?

In less than two weeks, the NFL league season starts anew and with it becomes the beginning for free agency. Cleveland Browns’ fans were all excited when J.J. Watt was released, and visions of him lining next to Myles Garrett danced in their heads.

Well, Watt signed with the Arizona Cardinals, so the Browns will have to look elsewhere to bolster a roster that advanced to the playoffs and won a game in the post-season tournament. Based on history, if GM Andrew Berry is going to ink a long term deal with a free agent, it will be one coming off their rookie contract.

Make no mistake, the Browns need help on the defensive side of the football. Cleveland could have an many as eight new starters on that side of the ball, and depending on if Sheldon Richardson is retained, it could be nine, with Garrett and Denzel Ward as the only holdovers.

Some of the new starters could come as players returning from injury and/or guys who opted out of last season due to COVID 19. For example, if Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit have recovered from injuries that sidelined them the entire 2020 season, they could be starters.

So, based on the model from the past, even though Tampa Bay LB Lavonte David was incredible in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl win, at 31 years old, he’s not the type of guy Berry has gone after in the past.

Could the Browns look at a wide receiver in free agency? There’s always a possibility, but with both Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. both on the roster, it is doubtful. Besides, the offense looks like a completed work right now, so any additions there, both in free agency and the draft, are likely going to be more like depth pieces.

However, there are some safeties on the market, notably Justin Simmons from Denver (age 27), Anthony Harris from Minnesota (29), and Marcus Williams of the Saints (24). Either of this trio would be an upgrade to the Cleveland back seven. Remember, coordinator Joe Woods likes to play a 4-2-5 alignment, so secondary players are very important.

If the Browns let Richardson go, they will likely be looking for three new starters, because it is doubtful DT Larry Ogunjobi. One of those spots will likely be filled by Andrew Billings, who was signed last off-season, but opted out of the 2020 campaign. He figures to be at tackle.

Maybe Leonard Williams of the Giants (26) fits in at the other tackle spot. Still, Woods’ defense needs another pass rusher to go with Garrett. The problem is other teams value players at this position too, so if you have one, you don’t want to let him go.

Cincinnati’s Carl Lawson and Tampa’s Shaq Barrett are both free agents, but figure to be signed or franchised by their current teams. Do the Browns go after Yannick Ngakoue (26), who has been with three teams in the past calendar year? Another name linked to the Browns is New Orleans’ edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (26), who had the best season of his career last year.

Of course, Berry could also swing a big trade using from draft capital, the Browns have two third round picks, giving them four in the first three rounds. Could they use, say two of those picks to bring in a veteran from a team looking to get younger through the draft? That would not be a surprise either.

We have no doubt the Browns will be aggressive this off-season, starting with free agency in two weeks. They may not make a bunch of signings, but we would bet on one big move, especially to improve the defense.

Making the playoffs is one thing, staying there is a another challenge for the Browns front office and coaching staff.

Browns Can Make Playoffs, But A Defensive Trade Would Give Them A Push

There is no question that fans of the Cleveland Browns, and maybe all professional football teams, are a different lot. Every time they lose, someone must be held responsible.

According to many, the 16-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders was due to Kevin Stefanski being out-coached or it was because of a frequent scapegoat, QB Baker Mayfield.

In reality, the reason for the defeat was the 208 yards rushing by the Raiders. As Browns’ fans saw first hand in wins over Cincinnati in week two, and Dallas in week four, when you gain over 200 yards on the ground, you usually win.

The best defense for a good offense, and the Browns have scored over 30 points in all five of their victories this season, is to keep them off the field. The Raiders did that to Cleveland on Sunday, keeping the ball for 37 minutes, compared to 22 for the brown and orange.

Stefanski wasn’t out-coached by Jon Gruden, but the latter’s team out executed the Browns. Mayfield has just six drives for the game, and he had chances to score on three of them, and had the ball in Las Vegas territory when rookie TE Harrison Bryant fumbled in the first quarter.

The difference was Gruden’s defense was kept fresh and got a couple of stops, and in one case where Jamie Gillen was called upon to punt, it was after David Njoku dropped a pass for a first down and a drive could have continued.

As for Mayfield, he wasn’t spectacular like the prior week in Cincinnati, completing 12 of 25 passes for 122 yards in very tough conditions, and he added 29 yards on the ground. But again, he only had six opportunities.

No, the problem was the defense. Actually, they had been decent against the rush coming into the game, ranking in the top ten in the NFL, but you wonder if that had more to do with the fact it is so easy to pass on the unit, that opponents don’t attempt to run.

Opposing teams are going to start considering not suiting up their punters, as the Browns’ defense has forced just one punt over the last two games.

We understand that there is no trade available which is going to make Cleveland a top 10 defense, but perhaps upgrading in a couple of spots will make that unit a little less sieve-like.

This team isn’t a Super Bowl contender, because they aren’t on par with the Chiefs, Steelers, or Ravens, but after 18 seasons of pretty miserable football, a playoff appearance should be the goal. And being able to get off the field defensively now and again, would make that achievement more attainable.

The bigger goal should be a Super Bowl berth, so we wouldn’t make any move involving high draft picks. We’ve seen serviceable players going for 6th and 7th round picks in the past couple of weeks, and certainly that is a reasonable price to pay to get an upgrade right now.

Someone not named Myles Garrett who can put pressure on a quarterback would be nice, as well as some help in the secondary. We understand the defense has had some devastating injuries, particularly to rookie S Grant Delpit and starting CB Greedy Williams.

And DT Andrew Billings opting out of the 2020 season didn’t help the depth of the unit.

The bye week is a perfect time to add some talent and get the players up to speed for the second half of the season, and presumably a playoff push. So, while we wouldn’t say GM Andrew Berry should go all in, he should dip his toe in the trade waters.

MW

Browns Draft For Talent And Need. The Way It Should Be.

Coming into the NFL Draft, we thought the Cleveland Browns were a good bet to trade down, out of the 10th overall pick.  The only way they wouldn’t, we thought, was if someone like Chase Young or Isaiah Simmons dropped to ten, or the tackle they thought was the best was still there.

The latter came about, and the Browns didn’t hesitate to take Jedrick Wills Jr. from Alabama.  Now, the naysayers pointed out right away that Wills played right tackle for Nick Saban, and the Browns are playing him on the left side.

Since we started looking at mock drafts back in January, pretty much everyone didn’t think it would be a big deal for Wills to make the switch and be Cleveland’s left tackle for a long time.

Plus, Wills was projected by most draft ratings as a top 15 pick, so it isn’t like GM Andrew Berry reached for him at #10.

We preface all draft analysis by saying no one knows until the players get on the field, so to analyze, you have to look at two things:  1). Was the player chosen ranked a lot lower by the people who put grades on the players?  or 2).  Was the player chosen not fill a need for the team? (i.e. Green Bay taking a quarterback).

In the second and third rounds, the Browns did the same thing, it doesn’t look like they reached and they filled more positions of need.

Their second round pick was S Grant Delpit from LSU, who was projected as a first rounder before the season started but had some injury problems.  If those problems are behind him, he should receive a lot of playing time next season.

The formula was followed with the next two picks in DT Jordan Elliott from Missouri and run stopping LB Jacob Phillips from LSU.

Along with free agent signee Andrew Billings, Elliott could give new defensive coordinator Joe Woods a chance to give starters Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson rest at the defensive tackle spot.

As for Phillips, if you didn’t like Joe Schobert being a pass defender first and foremost at middle linebacker, you will like Phillips, who is most definitely is a run stopper.  He will need to work on covering backs out of the backfield.

The first curious selection was TE Harrison Bryant from Florida Atlantic, which makes you wonder about David Njoku’s future with the team.  On the other hand, Kevin Stefanski loves tight ends.

And the scouting reports say Bryant likes to block too, and he did win the Mackey Award as the best tight end in college football.

The last two picks were a little curious considering the defense could still use another defensive end and some linebacking help.

Instead, they took an offensive lineman in center Nick Harris.  While not an area of need, you can never have too many good players in the trenches.

The last choice was probably “this guy is too good to be here” in Michigan WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, who was projected to go in rounds 3-5, and Cleveland got him with a 6th rounder.

The Browns do need another wide out, so it’s hard to be too critical of the pick.

Actually, it’s hard to be angry about any of the picks.  What we can say is the “analytics” people don’t appear to have botched the entire process, and they took players most draft analysts figured to go around where they went.

The next step is to see them in uniform and playing other teams in exhibition play.  Hopefully, all of these players can be contributors to the 2020 Cleveland Browns.

MW