Finally, Garrett Has Some Help Rushing The Passer

For much of Myles Garrett’s career with the Cleveland Browns, he’s been a one-man gang in terms of rushing the passer. Last year might have been the best example of that. Garrett led the team with 16 sacks and the next best total was Taven Bryan who had three.

This is Garrett’s 7th season in the league, and on paper, this is the best group of defensive linemen Garrett has ever been surrounded with and probably the most accomplished defensive coordinator the Browns have had in his tenure (with all due respect to Gregg Williams).

It is interesting that the years where Cleveland had a decent pass rusher to pair with Garrett were the bad seasons the Browns have had since he was the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

In his rookie season, the Browns had the 14th ranked defense and although Garrett played just 11 games, he led Cleveland in sacks with seven. Ranking second was LB James Burgess, and the next best defensive lineman was fellow rookie Emmanuel Ogbah, who had three.

The next two seasons, the best pass rusher to compliment Garrett was DT Larry Ogunjobi who had 5.5 sacks in both 2018 and 2019. Garrett had 13.5 in ’18 and dropped to 10 in ’19, which of course was the year he played only 10 games because he was suspended.

When the Browns finally made the playoffs in 2020, there finally was pressure coming from the other side at defensive end as Olivier Vernon had nine sacks to go along with Garrett’s dozen. And the following season, Cleveland went 8-9 with Jadeveon Clowney contributing nine sacks and Garrett getting a career high 16, which he matched last season.

Williams liked to put pressure on the opposing quarterback, but as we noted before, it seems Joe Woods’ philosophy was if Myles doesn’t sack the passer, then we need to go to Plan B.

That’s not Jim Schwartz’ plan.

This off-season GM Andrew Berry brought in several defensive linemen, basically overhauling the unit outside of Garrett. Part of this was brought about by Cleveland’s dreadful performance against the run in 2022, but Schwartz loves to have depth so he can rotate lineman and keep them fresh.

They brought in Za’Darius Smith, who has 54.5 sacks in his career and has accumulated at least 10 in three of his last four seasons. That total would be the highest by any Garrett teammate since the former Texas A & M standout arrived on the shores of Lake Erie.

Another pass rusher acquired by Berry is Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who had five sacks in his first full season in the league last year for Houston.

And during training camp, the Browns signed Shelby Harris as a free agent. Harris only had two sacks last year for Seattle, but had two seasons (’19 and ’21) in Denver where he got to the QB six times.

Add in DT Dalvin Tomlinson, whose 2.5 sacks for the Vikings last season would have tied him for third on the team in Cleveland a year ago. Tomlinson was brought in primarily to be a run stopper, but he can get to the QB as well.

Former Browns’ GM Ernie Accorsi used to say the two most important positions on the field were quarterback and guys who can get to the opposing QB.

The Browns should have found some help for Myles Garrett in that regard this off-season.

It’s The Steelers Again This Sunday.

It dawned on us last night that the Browns’ last two playoff games have come against the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, this will be Cleveland’s third straight post-season contest against our neighbors just a couple of hours away.

After beating New England in 1994, Bill Belichick’s squad was bounced by the Steelers for the third time that season, 29-9 at Three Rivers Stadium. The most memorable thing to us in that game was QB Vinny Testaverde getting called for intentional grounding…on a fourth down play.

In 2002, the brown and orange’s most recent playoff appearance, Cleveland was again beaten twice in the regular season, and then lost at Heinz Field, 36-33, in a contest where the Browns had a 24-7 lead early in the third quarter.

This year, the two AFC North rivals split their two meetings, and have to play in consecutive weeks. That same scenario occurred in 1988, when the Browns had to beat the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) 28-23 at old Municipal Stadium with Don Strock at quarterback to get in the playoffs.

The following week, Mike Pagel was at the helm on the lakefront, as Bernie Kosar was hurt, but the Browns dropped a 24-23 decision. That was also Marty Schottenheimer’s last game as head coach of the team.

While some may be disappointed in Sunday’s 24-22 victory which put Kevin Stefanski’s squad into the playoffs because the Steelers sat several regulars, including QB Ben Roethlisberger, it still was a win, and it was the 11th of the season.

We understand the special feeling we have in northeast Ohio for Pittsburgh backup QB Mason Rudolph, but he did play very well Sunday (22 of 39, 315 yards and two touchdowns), and the starting wide receivers for Mike Tomlin played as well.

Don’t forget. The AFC was stacked this season with eight teams getting 10 or more wins, including Miami, which didn’t make the post-season tournament.

The Browns didn’t back their way in to the playoffs. They won 11 games, the franchise’s most since that 1994 squad.

And while the Steelers are the Steelers, which means they are always tough, and they have a great head coach and a future Hall of Fame quarterback, remember they started 11-0, and finished 12-4, so they haven’t played their best football since Thanksgiving Day.

The biggest question for the Browns is since the game will be played Sunday night, what will be Denzel Ward’s status? Ward is on the COVID-19 list, and depending on several things in the protocol, could be ready to go for the playoff game.

His presence would be much needed since DE Olivier Vernon, who played tremendously in the second half of the season, tore his Achilles tendon in the last game of the season, and obviously will not play.

That means most of the burden to get to Roethlisberger falls on Myles Garrett, who no doubt will be double and triple teamed by the black and gold.

We expect next Sunday’s game to really have no resemblance to the season finale. We are sure both coaches will have some wrinkles to use. Stefanski was pretty vanilla with his offense on Sunday, so could we see Jarvis Landry limbering up his throwing arm again?

And on the Pittsburgh side, can Roethlisberger make the downfield throws Rudolph made? Remember, the Steelers had three completions over 40 yards downfield.

It’s nice to talk about playoff football once again, and we have a hunch, this isn’t a one year deal for the Browns. The organization is set up for sustained success, and the defense is far from what anyone would call a finished product.

It’s a fun time to be a Browns fan. Finally.

Browns Changing Their Defensive Personnel. And Why Not?

The Cleveland Browns have made several moves so far this off-season, most of them involving players on the defensive side of the football.

When you look at it, it seems to make sense. Cleveland ranked 21st in the NFL in defense a year ago, and against the run, it was even worse. The Browns were 30th (third worst) in the league in allowing rushing yards.

Why wouldn’t the new front office, led by GM Andrew Berry, want to fix the worst part of the team?

Now, you can argue about how they’ve gone about it, such as letting Joe Schobert, who made two Pro Bowls, walk away in free agency, but our view is let’s wait and see the approach of the personnel department in trying to fix the defense.

Yes, we understand the defense looked much worse last season after Myles Garrett’s suspension, but one player, even a great one like Garrett, shouldn’t impact that side of the football so much.

They need to get better without Garrett so he can get rest during games without the threat of the opposition going 80 yards in four plays with him on the sidelines.

Schobert was a solid linebacker against the pass, but he didn’t make a huge impact in the running game, really no one did. My guess is the front office didn’t want to pay a Lexus price for a Ford player. We will find out if they are right.

It could also be as simple as Schobert not fitting the mold of a middle linebacker that new defensive coordinator Joe Woods wants.

As for Christian Kirksey, his problem was availability is an ability too, and out of 32 games the past two seasons, Kirksey played in nine.

According to reports, the Browns tried to reach an agreement with Kirksey, but he wanted more money than Cleveland thought a man who played in less than 30% of the games over the last two years was worth.

The next order of business for the front office is the fate of Olivier Vernon, who came over in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade with the Giants, and is making big money while missing more games in the last three seasons.

Vernon missed four games in 2018, five games in 2019, and six contests with the Browns in 2019. If he isn’t willing to take a reduction in salary, he likely will end up on the unemployment line.

In addition to linebacker and depth on the defensive line, the Browns also need help at safety.

When Sashi Brown was GM and Berry was part of the front office, the organization looked for young players coming off their rookie contracts in free agency. You would have to assume that will be the philosophy again.

Three of the top NFL free agents (according to The Sporting News) fit that criteria: Kansas City DT Chris Jones (25 years old), pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney (26), and Denver safety Justin Simmons (26). We would all be happy if the Browns signed two of these three players.

The best inside linebacker is the Rams’ Cory Littleton (26). He would seem to be another target for the Browns.

We view the Cleveland Browns as a playoff contender in 2020 and they have plenty of room under the salary cap. It’s time to use it to upgrade the team where it needs help.

The new regime has some work to do starting March 18th.

The Beckham Dilemma

Odell Beckham Jr. might be the most talented wide receiver in the NFL. He has speed, tremendous hands, and was the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

He has played six years in the league, and in five of them, had over 1000 yards receiving. The only year he didn’t accomplish this milestone was 2017, when he played only four games due to injuries.

He came to the Browns this season in a deal which sent guard Kevin Zeitler, safety Julius Peppers, and a first round draft pick to the New York Giants. Cleveland also received DE Olivier Vernon in the transaction.

Yet, there are plenty of people in Cleveland who wouldn’t mind saying goodbye to the one time All Pro wide out after his first year with the Browns.

Looking at the numbers, there is no question Beckham’s career in on a downward path. He blaming Eli Manning for his declining stats while in New York, but his numbers dropped again playing with Baker Mayfield and the Browns.

His lowest receiving yardage was in 2019 in Cleveland.

After averaging 96 catches and 1374 yards in his first three years in the NFL, the last two complete seasons in the league have yielded an average of 76 receptions and 1044 yards.

That’s quite a drop-off, and you have to wonder did the broken ankle suffered in 2017 with the Giants take that much away from his game?

If so, that’s unfortunate. Since being drafted, only one wide receiver picked that year has caught more passes (Jarvis Landry) and only one has more receiving yards (Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans). That’ the kind of talent we are talking about.

Or is it his dedication to the sport where he gained his fame.

From wearing a watch during the season opener vs. Tennessee, to wearing the wrong visor in a game, to wearing a pair of shoes not permitted by the NFL’s dress code, you have to wonder what Beckham’s primary goal is right now?

And if we were Paul DePodesta, whoever the new GM will be, and Kevin Stefanski, that’s what we need to know.

Does Beckham want to be the best at his position in football, win a Super Bowl, and eventually get a gold jacket, or does he want to be just another famous athlete?

The incident at the National Championship game was just another attempt to make himself the center of attention, which should have gone to the players on LSU’s title team.

If the ankle injury did take its toll on his body, and he can no longer be someone who dominates at the wide receiver spot, then there isn’t much that can be done. The Browns traded a precious first round pick for someone who isn’t even the best wide receiver on the team.

Because right now, that’s Landry, who 83 balls for a career high 1174 yards in 2019.

A dedicated and healthy (and we might say a top fit) Beckham that can catch close to 100 passes in a season can be a huge part of Stefanski’s offense. The player we saw in ’19, who never seemed to be on the same page as the QB, and had to be told where to line up, even in the later stages of the season, well, we don’t know.

That latter guy is more of a distraction than an asset, and if there is one thing the Cleveland Browns don’t need is a player who takes away from the focus of winning football games.

That’s the decision Odell Beckham Jr. needs to make this season, and so does the Browns’ front office.

A Trip To The Playoffs Starts Today.

Today, the Cleveland Browns kickoff the 2019 season, and for the first time in four years there are expectations to live up to.

Fans expect this football team to make the playoffs, something the team hasn’t done since 2004. Cleveland went 5-2 to end the season a year ago, and the last loss, in the final game of the season, ended with Baker Mayfield through an interception with the Browns driving for a go ahead score.

That was the last time we saw this team in a game that counts.

While the Browns didn’t beat any winning teams in that seven game stretch, they did give several a battle early in the season when Hue Jackson was at the helm.

They tied the Steelers in the season opener last year.

The tied the Saints with a little over a minute to go in New Orleans in week two, and a missed extra point could’ve given them a 19-18 lead. The Saints kicked the winning field goal with 21 seconds left.

They played four overtime games in 2018, going 1-2-1, beating the Ravens, their only win over a winning team.

This is a very young football team. As we said a week ago, there are only five players on this roster over 29 years of age, and two of them are backup quarterback Drew Stanton and long snapper Charlie Hughlett.

The thing about a young football team is it will get better with experience. Baker Mayfield should be better, Nick Chubb should be better, Denzel Ward should be better, and Myles Garrett should be better.

But that wasn’t good enough for GM John Dorsey. He wanted more help for his two franchise cornerstones, first overall picks Garrett and Mayfield.

He accelerated the progress by trading for Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon, an elite wide receiver to help Mayfield and another pass rusher to aid Garrett. He also signed DT Sheldon Richardson as a free agent.

Remember what former Browns GM Ernie Accorsi said were the two most important positions in football. The quarterback and people who can get to the quarterback.

Mayfield and Garrett. Mayfield and Garrett. Mayfield and Garrett.

Dorsey also understands this is a passing league now, and so in addition to the pass rushers, he loves secondary people.

Ward was his first defensive draft pick, and if he can stay healthy (he had two concussions a year ago), he looks like he can be the shutdown cover corner good teams need.

That’s why he took CB Greedy Williams as his first pick (second round) in the 2019 draft. Williams was heralded for his ability to pick off passes in college, and the brass hopes eventually he will team with Ward to have a pair of corners to rival the 80’s duo of Hanford Dixon and Frank Minniefield.

Yes, the Browns have a new coach, and yes, that coach was only a coordinator for seven games last season.

We don’t know how Freddie Kitchens will do in terms of clock management, etc. (the things media and fans focus on), but we do think the players respect him and like playing for him.

He seems like to right guy to lead this football team.

Everyone may be singing a different tune in about a month, but optimism reigns as the Browns take the field this afternoon, and it should.

Barring injuries, the talent is there. Now it’s time to put the talent into use.

Dorsey And Kitchens Reeling In Expectations

Yesterday, Browns’ GM John Dorsey said he didn’t like the hype surrounding the 2019 edition of the team.

After second round draft pick Greedy Williams proclaimed the Browns were going to the Super Bowl after they drafted him, head coach Freddie Kitchens told people he was going to talk to the rookie and explain that his team wasn’t going to behave like that.

Really, both Dorsey and Kitchens were telling everyone, fans included, not to get carried away.

And they are right.

We get it. The Browns have been a doormat for so long, people are excited that finally there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Since Bernie Kosar was released in 1993, Cleveland football fans have waited for a franchise quarterback, and it appears they picked one last year in Baker Mayfield.

Mayfield’s a natural born leader, and he can play the position as well, throwing for an NFL tying record of 27 touchdown passes, as well as displaying uncanny accuracy.

On the other hand, he’s started all of 13 games, and the only playoff team he guided the team to a win against was the Baltimore Ravens. And the score of that game was 12-9 in overtime.

This isn’t to doubt Mayfield. We believe he will develop into one of the top passers in the NFL and it could be as early as next season. But those are the facts.

Without question, the Browns have added a lot of talent from last year’s roster, which did make a quantum leap to 7-9 from 0-16 in 2017.

Dorsey acquired an elite wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr., a very good pass rusher in Olivier Vernon, and a solid defensive tackle in Sheldon Richardson. Those were the biggest additions in the free agent/trade market.

And the expectation is the rookie Williams will team with Denzel Ward to give the Browns a pair of shutdown cornerbacks, which is a great thing to have in today’s pass happy NFL.

We like Kitchens too, and he did a great job with the offense in the second half of last season, but he’s never been a head coach at the NFL level, so he is another unproven commodity.

We do like that he did things the players were comfortable with and putting the players in positions where they can succeed is one of the basic rules of coaching.

But how does he handle losing two games in a row, or three out of four. Does he keep the team together and maintain the players’ faith in him.

We feel Kitchens will handle it fine, but until it happens, it is up for question.

The biggest thing the GM and the coach are guarding against is a sense of accomplishment. Despite all of the excitement around the area and the country, the Browns are still a team that has made one playoff appearance since 1994.

The fans should be excited. This promises to be the beginning of a renaissance for a once proud franchise, one of the NFL’s flagships up until the franchise was moved.

On the other hand, for the players, this is a squad with something to prove. They’ve done nothing. No playoff wins for 25 years.

Dorsey and Kitchens want to remind them it takes a lot of work to become a playoff team. And that’s what they should do.

Plenty Of Time For Browns To Address Remaining Holes.

Since the Browns’ surge in the second half of the 2018 season, fans are chomping at the bit for training camp to start.

This feeling was intensified by the trade in which GM John Dorsey picked up All Pro wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr, and pass rusher Olivier Vernon from the Giants.

That move, along with the free agent signing of DT Sheldon Richardson, and of course, the drafting of Baker Mayfield, have the Browns going from the doormat of the league in 2016 and 2017 to media darlings.

However, it is time to maintain calmness.

Not in thinking the Browns should be a good football team in 2019, on paper, it says they should, but in wanting the roster to be complete…right now!

Dorsey traded starting safety Jabril Peppers in the Giants trade and last week cut the presumed starter, Derrick Kindred, who was picked up by Indianapolis. He traded for Eric Murray from Kansas City, sending Emmanuel Ogbah to the Chiefs.

Then, on Friday, he signed former Steeler and Packer Morgan Burnett as a free agent. Do we believe the front office is satisfied they replaced Peppers, who played very well in the second half of the season? No, we are sure they aren’t.

Because the Browns have their quarterback, people seem to forget there is a little something at the end of this month called the NFL Draft. It used to be the highlight of the spring for football fans here.

But since Cleveland dealt its first round pick to New York, it feels like we are forgetting about the selection process, and we have no doubt Dorsey will be looking to upgrade the safety position and probably the linebacking corps in the draft.

We would also expect another quarterback to be brought in via the draft or a trade. Dorsey keeps telling everyone that Drew Stanton is the back up, but the former Michigan State QB hasn’t played since 2017, and hasn’t completed over 50% of his passes since 2014 when he went 5-3 as a starter with Arizona.

While the Browns don’t have a first round pick, they do have three fifth round picks, which Dorsey may use to move up in the second or third rounds to get a player he feels fits on the Cleveland roster, perhaps a safety or a linebacker.

As for the quarterback, that could come later, perhaps even as late as after teams cut down to 53 players before week one of the season.

Also, the Browns did ink the best QB in the newly defunct Alliance of American Football (AAF) in Garrett Gilbert, who had the most passing yards in the league and was with the Carolina Panthers last season.

The fans need to use patience. The excitement is real and understandable, but the schedule hasn’t even been released as of yet, so the campaign isn’t starting next week.

There is plenty of time to fill out the Browns’ roster, and we doubt John Dorsey is satisfied with the personnel on his squad. There will definitely be more to come.

We can all watch the draft differently this season, and the GM’s history shows he is not afraid to make moves. So, the Browns may be very active that weekend.

Just don’t go crazy because safety hasn’t been addressed, or outside linebacker, or left tackle. There is a lot of time between now and July when this edition of the Cleveland Browns takes the training field.

Deal For Beckham Ushers In New Browns’ Era?

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.

Browns Make A Trade And Use Patience

The legal tampering period in the NFL started yesterday, so the NFL rumors will start flying around over the next couple of days.

The Browns did make a move ahead of the league’s new year, trading guard Kevin Zeitler to the New York Giants for pass rusher Olivier Vernon.

We will spare you the whole “trust in Dorsey” stuff, but we will say we do believe the Browns have a pretty good idea of what they have in last year’s second round pick Austin Corbett, and wouldn’t have made the deal without a staunch belief he will be more than a adequate replacement for Zeitler.

Remember, Corbett was a few picks away from being a first rounder last season.

As for Vernon, our opinion defensively is the same as former Browns executive Ernie Accorsi, who said the most important positions on the field are quarterback, and guys who can get to the quarterback.

That means you can never have enough pass rushers, and the Browns needed someone opposite Myles Garrett, who could pressure opposing passers.

Vernon had 22 sacks in his 39 games with the Giants. Contrast that to Emmanuel Ogbah, who has had 12.5 sacks in his three year career, spanning 40 games, with the Browns.

Ogbah’s high total in sacks for a season was 5.5 in his rookie year, the season he played without Garrett as his bookend. We are sure Dorsey and the coaching staff didn’t love that Ogbah didn’t make opponents pay for double teaming the former first overall pick.

It’s a risky deal because Zeitler is a quality player, but the Browns had a replacement for him on the roster, and used a strength to fill a weakness. We wish other teams who play in Cleveland would do the same thing.

Outside of pass rushers, the other thing good defenses can’t have enough of is cornerbacks, and that’s an area we believe Dorsey will continue to build on in the off-season.

We wouldn’t be surprised if a corner was drafted in either the first or second round in the upcoming draft, nor would it be a shock to see one signed in free agency, perhaps Steven Nelson, who played with Kansas City (Dorsey factor) last season.

With the release of TE Darren Fells, no doubt a tight end will be sought too. Fells is 33, and we know Dorsey prefers younger players who still have an upside.

It’s hard to believe with all of the two tight end sets the Browns use, they will go into the season with just David Njoku, Seth DeValve, and Orson Charles, who really played H-back, on the roster.

We also believe the team knows they need to upgrade the defensive tackle position. Larry Ogunjobi needs someone next to him who will make offenses pay for double teaming him too. Today’s signing of Sheldon Richardson will help there too.

Remember, when Dorsey strikes, there aren’t a lot of rumors attached signaling a move. That’s how he operates.

We do believe the general manager at his word that the Browns won’t go crazy in free agency, but we do feel he will make two or three solid roster additions in this market.

The organization isn’t going to go “all in”, but they know the time to take the playoffs has arrived. That will drive the GM’s aggressiveness.