In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, the Browns compiled a record of 1-31 under the “leadership” of head coach Hue Jackson. Cleveland was the butt of every joke and named the worst franchise to root for as little as 11 months ago.
The days of being the laughingstock of the NFL are over. The rich get richer is not a phrase often associated with the city of Cleveland, but god dammit, in 2019 it is. The Cleveland Browns have arrived.
Cleveland acquired star wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., from New York in exchange for a 2019 first-round pick (17th overall), a 2019 third-round pick (95th overall) and safety Jabrill Peppers. Considering Antonio Brown only netted the Steelers a 3rd and 5th round pick in return, this deal may seem like a lot. However, generational talents in their primes do not become available often. This is a steal for Cleveland.
Beckham is four years younger than Brown and already signed to a long term deal. Beckham’s contract keeps him with Cleveland through the next five seasons at a bargain price, although it’s unlikely Beckham plays out the entirety of the deal without renegotiating. Still, Beckham’s current contract will pay him less than what the Chiefs will pay Sammy Watkins (3 years, $48 million).
The Browns offense looks poised to become one of the league’s best in 2019.
Baker Mayfield flourished after the promotion of Freddie Kitchens last season. In eight games with Kitchens calling the shots, Mayfield completed 68% of his passes for 2,254 yards and 19 touchdowns. Over a full season, that would equate to 4,508 yards and 38 touchdowns, roughly similar to the numbers that Andrew Luck posted last season and Matt Ryan posted in his 2016 MVP season. Mayfield’s adjusted yards per attempt during that same stretch (8.65) would have ranked 7th in the league over the course of the season, placing him squarely between Matt Ryan and Jared Goff.
We know Mayfield plays with a chip (or, as he says, a boulder) on his shoulder. He’s been doubted his entire life, from walking on at Texas Tech, to being benched, then walking on at Oklahoma. He keeps a list of the people who’ve doubted him. The hype is building in Cleveland, but Mayfield is the perfect quarterback to handle the rising expectations.
Head coach Freddie Kitchens and offensive coordinator Todd Monken will create one of the league’s most innovative and explosive passing games. The Browns offense exploded under Kitchens last season, as showcased by a 5-3 record and Mayfield’s stellar finish.
Monken spent last season as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers, engineering the league’s third-best offense and career highs in completion percentage and quarterback rating for both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston. Monken, an Air-Raid disciple, has been quoted saying “Who needs more 5-yard plays? How can we be explosive?”. Kitchens and Monken will look to create an offensive scheme that will rival the Chiefs and Rams in terms of creativity and explosiveness.
The Browns’ receiving corps oozes of talent with wide receivers Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and tight end David Njoku. Through his first 59 career games, Beckham compares favorably to Jerry Rice, the game’s undisputed G.O.A.T. at wide receiver. Landry struggled at times in his first season as a Brown, but Kitchens and Monken will find ways to get him in open space. Landry and Beckham were teammates at LSU and have openly expressed interest in becoming teammates again at the NFL level, so the common conception that one receiver could become jealous of the other’s success is inconsequential in this case.
Callaway was an uber-talented prospect, but various off-the-field issues caused his draft stock to plummet. As a number three receiver facing single coverage at all times, Callaway is in a position to make big plays for the Browns this season. Njoku is one of the most athletic tight ends in the entire league and became one of Mayfield’s favorite targets last season.
In the backfield, Cleveland features Nick Chubb, Duke Johnson Jr. and former Chiefs star Kareem Hunt. Chubb ran for nearly 1,000 yards in only nine starts as a rookie last season, including a spectacular 92-yard touchdown run against Atlanta. (He also carried my fantasy team to victory in my league, which automatically makes him the best running back in the league.) Johnson could be one of the better receiving backs in the league, but has never seen the targets or carries to prove it and seems to be on his way out of Cleveland.
The Browns took a beating for the signing of Hunt and rightfully so. Hunt was cut from the Chiefs following an assault case and lying to the team about the incident. Hunt’s talent is undeniable, however. Chubb and Hunt could become one of the league’s premier running back tandems when Hunt returns from an inevitable suspension.
There are questions about the offensive line, especially after GM John Dorsey traded starting right guard Kevin Zeitler to the Giants. However, it’s still only March; Cleveland has time to patch any holes in the roster. With all of the talent at skill-positions, the offensive line just needs to be competent for Cleveland’s offense to take off.
Cleveland did not make the leap many expected on the defensive side of the ball in 2018 under Gregg Williams, but there were signs of great things to come. The Browns allowed the 5th lowest opposing quarterback rating at 83.4, tied for 5th in interceptions with 17, tied for 6th in forced fumbles with 18 and tied for 1st with 14 fumble recoveries.
Cleveland features significant talent, as well. The Browns defensive line of 2017 number one overall pick, Myles Garrett, and Emmanuel Ogbah on the outside and Larry Ogunjobi in the middle is one of the better collections of young talent in the league.
A lack of depth on the defensive line last season forced the starters to play too many snaps and limited their effectiveness as the season wore on. This offseason, Dorsey added 2018 Pro Bowl Olivier Vernon and former Pro Bowl Sheldon Richardson to that mix, creating one of the league’s most devastating defensive line rotations.
In the secondary, cornerback Denzel Ward was named to the 2018 Pro Bowl in his rookie season. Rumors indicate that the Browns are looking to replace Peppers with a big-name talent (hello, Eric Berry).
The Browns hired former Arizona Cardinal head coach, Steve Wilks, to replace the departed Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator. Before his brief stint in Arizona, Wilks served as the Panthers defensive coordinator in 2017 and was an assistant for many years in Carolina before that.
The Browns have enough firepower on offense that they don’t need an elite defense to win games. Last season’s’ conference finalists finished with defensive DVOA rankings of 11th, 16th, 19th and 26th. All Wilks needs to do is establish an above-average defense that can create pressure and turnovers.
Heading into the 2019 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are the clear favorites in the AFC North. The Steelers barely edged out the Browns last year and have moved on from stars Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell this offseason. The defending AFC North champs, Baltimore Ravens, have let four starters from last season’s elite defense walk (Eric Weddle, C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs, Za’Darius Smith). The Bengals, well, they’re the Bengals.
On paper, the Cleveland Browns have the potential to contend for a Super Bowl this season, only two years removed from an 0-16 season. Not even the most optimistic of Browns fans thought that was possible.
Despite the abundance of talent, the Browns success is not guaranteed. Freddie Kitchens excelled as an offensive coordinator last season, but how will he handle the challenges of being a first-year head coach? How quickly will the offense develop chemistry? How will the personalities in the locker room coexist?
Now is not the time to worry about those questions. It is time to admire the roster John Dorsey has put together. It is time to look back on the tenure of former Browns GM, Sashi Brown with more appreciation and respect. It is time to celebrate the Browns finally have their quarterback of the future. It is time to enjoy the fact that football is not only relevant in Cleveland, but exciting.
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