Recent Developments Turn Up the Pressure On Andrew Berry
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
With a full week of camp in the books and the Hall of Fame Game closing in, the NFL season is getting closer and closer. As we now enter Year 3 of the Deshaun Watson Era for the Cleveland Browns, you can feel the tension in the air as they try to make things work.
The Browns overachieved last season. They went through four different starting quarterbacks and still found a way to make the playoffs, thanks to one of the best defenses we have seen in the last five or ten years. The Joe Flacco ride was certainly a blast, but we quickly saw how important an elite quarterback is during the Wild Card Playoff game in Houston, where the Texans pummeled Cleveland.
This doesn’t just feel like a make-or-break year for Watson, though. His general manager, Andrew Berry, would also likely be on the hot seat after a disappointing year, as he was the one who decided to give up so many picks and a guaranteed contract for Watson in the first place. Cleveland has missed out on the first round in the last three drafts because of this deal, not getting a first-rounder until next offseason.
But the Watson trade might not be what’s keeping Berry up at night right now. That part of things is done, whatever happens with Watson is going to happen, and there’s nothing Berry can do to change it. Instead, these two recent developments can turn into long-term headaches for Berry this season.
Cooper Betting on Himself
One of the most surprising parts of Cleveland’s offseason is the fact that we didn’t see Berry lock up Amari Cooper past this year. Instead of a multi-year extension, Cooper got his base salary fully guaranteed, plus some major incentives that could earn him an additional $5 million in the 2024 season.
Berry and Cooper (and his agents) will likely be the only two who actually know what the hold-up was in getting a deal done, but reading between the lines, it seems like Cooper wanted money in the ballpark of A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, or Tyreek Hill.
As good as Cooper has been, he’s probably not worth $30 million per season. If he thinks he’s at that level, then finding a way to keep him happy for one more season was the perfect compromise. Cooper appears to be at home with the Browns and could still potentially sign another deal if he and Watson click and he has another big season.
If Cooper proves indispensable for Watson as Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore struggle, however, then it becomes time for Cooper to cash in his chips from the bet on himself. From there, either Berry has to hold his nose and sign a more expensive version of the extension he didn’t want to sign this offseason, or he’s the guy who let Watson’s best weapon walk. It could easily be a lose-lose situation.
Stefanski Still Set to Call Plays
Perhaps the most puzzling piece of information to slip out around training camp is that Kevin Stefanski still plans to call plays. This is despite the addition of former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, and the installation of his offense. Stefanski is a good play-caller, of course, but as the head coach, it’s better for him and the team to focus on the big-picture stuff on game day. For this offense to flourish, Dorsey should be calling the plays.
It’s also surprising that someone with Dorsey’s resume, who had so much success in Buffalo, would be willing to accept the job without the promise to be able to call plays. Now, maybe this is all a ploy and Dorsey will still take over play-calling before the start of the regular season, or perhaps around Week 3 or 4.
What might be the most interesting dynamic is if Berry starts to add a little heat to the fire. If a slow start, highlighted by a discombobulated offense, or perhaps a controversial play or two happens, what does Berry do? Does he demand that things need to change mid-season, even against Stefanski’s wishes? What would something like that do to the locker room, or the cohesion between coach and front office?
That’s a thorny future, but Berry might have no choice but to step in, as the hot seat is going to crank up. Just as Cooper bet on himself, Berry has pushed all of his chips into the pile of the 2024 season. Not a single person will argue that point. While the Browns certainly can win 11 or 12 games, compete for their first AFC North title, and go on a deep playoff run, it will certainly get very interesting, very quickly if things don’t go according to plan.
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