Predicting Season Awards For The Browns
Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
The 2023 season is finally upon us, and despite national skepticism the expectations locally in Cleveland are high. The added talent all over the field and a shift in defensive coordinator has the Browns faithful not just eyeing their division race but the AFC as a whole. It should be a fun year for Stefanski and company. Here are our predictions for end-of-year awards for the 2023 Browns.
Offensive MVP – Nick Chubb
Yes, if Deshaun Watson returns to top form he can be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Yes, all signs indicate a shift in ideology from head coach Kevin Stefanski. But just because ideology shifts doesn’t necessarily mean production and importance will wane for Nick Chubb. With Kareem Hunt no longer in the mix, Chubb looks to have his first opportunity to prove himself as a bell cow and significant past catcher in the Cleveland offense.
Detractors will tell you a full season from Watson will hurt Chubb’s production, but look no further than the Brett Favre-led Minnesota Vikings to see what a successful version of this offense look like. For years the Vikings, led by Adrian Peterson, stumbled through an abyss of bad quarterbacks until the Hall of Famer joined up. Everyone insisted Peterson would take a hit. The opposite happened. An offense that had for so long relied on the All-World running back to create a passing game had now created a passing game to free up one of the best running backs anyone has ever seen. The Vikings immediately went from middle-of-the-pack to the verge of a Super Bowl. If this offenses clicking and Watson and his receivers are legitimate, defenses are going to have to pick their poison. This will allow the Browns to dominate in ways we have never seen before.
Defensive MVP – Myles Garrett
This one’s easy. If Myles Garrett is healthy, not only do we think he’ll be the defensive MVP of this team, we think he will win defensive player of the year in the NFL. With significant upgrades on the D-line in Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson ,look for Garrett to have a freedom unmatched in recent years. This could be a 20-sack year for the Browns’ superstar. He’s an absolute stud and the best player on the team. There’s no reason to think that is going to change.
Most Improved – Jedrick Wills
There’s a lot of Jedrick Wills hate our there. This has been an elite offensive line for quite some time, and to this point Wills hasn’t earned the sort of keep expected from the 10th-overall pick in the draft. But with elite pieces all over the offense and a quarterback looking to return to top form, there are no excuses left. This is a make-or-break year for the young tackle, and we think he’s going to make it (even if it’s only because we desperately want him too).
Rookie Of the Year – Cedric Tillman
It’s a little challenging to select a potential rookie of the year when a team doesn’t have any picks in the first two rounds. There’s a case to be made for each of the team’s three picks: Cedric Tillman, Siaki Iki, and Dawand Jones. The truth is each are going to need some sort of opportunity to make a difference. We believe with Jim Schwartz at the helm on defense Iki seems like the most likely candidate. Schwartz loves rotating his line to keep them fresh, and Iki has ample opportunity to earn his keep being that there’s not much depth behind Tomlinson and Shelby Harris.
Newcomer Of the Year – Dalvin Tomlinson
All the focus is on Za’darius Smith, and, to a certain degree, that makes sense. Smith is a sack monster who can elevate and free up his teammates. But having a monster run-stopping, block-eating defensive tackle is a game changer for a team that isn’t quite sure about its linebacking corps. Tomlinson has proven at every stop that he is able to not only do his job at a high level but shift the entirety of a defense by allowing his linebackers to run free and make plays all over the field. Look no further than Eric Kendricks’ production the past few seasons with and without Thompson on the Minnesota Vikings. The big man in the middle is going to make a big difference for Cleveland this year.
Most Likely To Be Gone – Kevin Stefanski
Despite what ownership says, if the 2023 campaign goes south, head coach Kevin Stefanski’s seat will be on fire. Maybe it’s unfair to expect Stefanski to put everything together given the weird circumstances of the past couple years, but such is life for a head coach in the NFL. Any inability to shift to a more modern style offense away from his run-heavy approach would only hasten the heat. All signs point to Cleveland to compete this season, but if they don’t, look for Stefanski’s job to be seriously in question at the end of the year.
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