The Browns Are Looking Very Good In the Right Places
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
If you want to find out which positions matter the most to NFL general managers, follow the money. It’s usually quite obvious. To no one’s surprise, in a modern NFL where a high-powered passing offense is king, running backs have plummeted in value while quarterbacks and wide receivers soared.
According to overthecap.com, here are the top-five positions in the NFL per salary spent on starters.
1. Quarterback
2. Wide receiver
3. Edge Rusher
4. Left tackle
5. Cornerback
It’s impossible, in the salary cap era, to build a perfect roster. But shoring up as many of these five spots as you can is a good place to start if you’re trying to build a championship squad.
Despite what the national media and Las Vegas oddsmakers might think, the Browns have quietly amassed a talented group in Cleveland. Most importantly, in a year where Kevin Stefanski and company look to compete on a high level, they have stacked themselves well in four of the five areas that matter most.
Sneaky-Elite Defensive End Unit
Heading into 2023, Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns had a lot of work to do at defensive end with Jadeveon Clowney leaving the organization. Yes, Myles Garrett was still employed, but with no one else to take the attention of the offense, he could have easily become not as effective.
The first free-agent signing that Berry brought in was Ogbo Okoronkwo. The former fifth-round pick had really come on as a rush edge in Year 4 with the Houston Texans and the three-year, $19 million deal felt like a steal.
There was local hesitation that this filled the void of Clowney, but it was still a great addition to the roster.
The big pickup came later in the offseason when Berry made the trade for Za’Darius Smith. The former Pro Bowl defensive end was ready for a change, and a few late-round picks were all it took to acquire him.
This unit is as talented as anyone at the top and has great depth with Alex Wright, who showed a lot of promise as a rookie last year, and Isaiah McGurie, who showed a ton of improvement throughout four games of the preseason.
The NFL is built around rushing the passer, and the Cleveland Browns should be as good as anyone at it.
Rejuvenated Deshaun Watson
It wasn’t long ago that fans were sitting around waiting to see if Deshaun Watson chose to play for the Atlanta Falcons or Carolina Panthers, when, out of nowhere, he decided he wanted to come to Cleveland, signing a massive $230 million, fully guaranteed contract.
Although we didn’t get an extremely sharp Watson in 2022, we have already witnessed glimpses of the former Watson, who led the league in passing just a few seasons ago. During his limited snaps in the preseason, we saw the Watson who uses his legs not only to make plays on the ground but to get his wide receivers open and hit the big throw down the field.
Watson is still recovering from off-field issues that led to his 11-game suspension in 2022, but after being voted a captain for the 2023 season, it feels like his teammates are all-in.
With a crisp Watson, you’ll see this Kevin Stefanski offense evolve into more of a spread, and the skill players will continue to thrive. While there are certainly some concerns about his offensive line giving him time, all great teams have an elite quarterback. It appears the Browns should be in that class in 2023.
Huge Potential In the Reciever Room
Amari Cooper might be the most underrated receiver in football. All he does is put up reliable numbers year after year, despite who is throwing him the ball. Last year, with Jacoby Brissette at the helm for a majority of the season, he caught 78 balls for 1160 yards and nine touchdowns. The man is a quiet machine.
Having Donovan Peoples-Jones alongside him is a wealth of possession-receiver riches. The fourth-year receiver has grown with every season in the league, and, like Cooper, he stands to see a dramatic uptick with Watson calling the shots.
Where things go from good to potentially great in Cleveland is Elijah Moore. If the former New York Jets speedster can regain his rookie-year momentum, this offense could be devastating. With 4.35 40 speed and a keen ability to run the jet sweep, Moore provides options that the two possession receivers can’t. He gives Watson the scary threat he’s needed since his days with Will Fuller in Houston.
Perhaps the failure in New York was more on Moore than it was the quarterback situation and coaching staff, but if not, and the Browns bought low on a high-potential deep threat, this receiving game could shake teams to the core all while allowing one of the best running backs in the league more opportunity to crush.
Underrated Cornerbacks
Not only do the Browns have a strong starting three at cornerback with Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson, these three should also be elevated by the elite defensive end and the consistent pressure that is provided.
It may seem silly to think that a defensive end can elevate your corners, but think if you must chase someone for 10 seconds, or chase them for 20 seconds — which one would you prefer? If Garrett, Smith, and Co. are wreaking havoc in the backfield, these corners can tighten up coverage knowing the receiver won’t have enough time to run a deep route.
For the last three seasons, this secondary has been underutilized. I hate to knock on Joe Woods, but his system did not mesh will with the players at his disposal. Both Newsome and Ward thrive in man coverage, and far too often they were in a soft zone in run support, which is where they are at their worst.
Between a refresh with Jim Schwartz and the consistent pressure from up front, this secondary could thrive in 2023 if they can stay healthy.
Problem Area at Left Tackle
The nagging concern for Cleveland is tackle in general, specifically left tackle. Jedrick Wills was the No. 10-overall pick just three seasons ago, but things just haven’t panned out so far.
The struggle began with health concerns. Wills fought through ankle injuries and likely shouldn’t have been playing, but he did, and he really struggled in pass protection. Ever since then, he’s been inconsistent and looks slow out of his stance.
Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is touted as one of the best in the league, but he has struggled to develop Wills, who could be the biggest hole on the roster in 2023. But keep in mind that Berry appears to be aware of the situation as he continues to use draft picks to build depth. James Hudson from the 2022 draft still doesn’t appear to be ready as a starter but has shown promising signs. The rookie from 2023 is Dawand Jones, who really shined in the preseason. On top of that, Berry recently signed Alex Leatherwood to the practice squad, who is also a former first-round pick just a few years ago.
Hopefully Wills can get his act together and have a strong season, but it appears he is too slow out of his stance to defend the league’s elite speed rushers. Yet with all the backup plans in place, we shall see if he can maintain his job for the full season.
If, as Meatloaf once said, “Two out of three ain’t bad,” maybe four out of five is pretty darn good. In today’s NFL, where teams go years trying to find high-end studs at the most important positions, Berry has done a very good job putting the Browns in a position to compete at a high level thanks to his focus on great players at important positions.
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