Which Position Groups Are Overrated In Cleveland?
Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been said often, but it’s very true: 2024 could very well be the make-or-break year for the Cleveland Browns. Not only could it dictate what happens to Deshaun Watson and the rest of his career, but it could also have a huge impact on the futures of Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski.
Clearly, all three of the men mentioned above have talent in their field, but all have a lot to prove during this campaign. Watson needs to prove he’s earned that fully guaranteed payday he demanded. Even though he will come out unscathed either way (at least financially), his reputation is on the line.
Stefanski also has his stature as an elite coach in the crosshairs. Yes, he’s won Coach of the Year twice with the Browns already, but not getting Watson to perform as he had in the past could paint a bad picture of him. He’s certainly the least likely of the three to lose his job in 2025, but you never know.
Berry has the most on the line this year. He’s made a lot of big moves and has manipulated the salary cap well, but if Watson doesn’t pan out and he’s forced to move on after giving up three first-round picks, then giving out a fully guaranteed contract, his seat will get very warm next offseason (even if it shouldn’t).
Consensus says that Cleveland is in great shape this year, but consensus doesn’t always line up with reality. There are still a few areas on this roster that are extremely overrated. Last year felt like a gift to make the playoffs, and if improvements aren’t made, this season could turn upside down quickly on the Browns.
Gaps In the Offensive Line
There is plenty of reason to be excited about the future of the Browns’ offensive line. After losing Bill Callahan, who joined his son in Tennessee, snagging offensive line coach Andy Dickerson from the Seattle Seahawks was a great pickup.
Dickerson has his work cut out for him more than most realize. The fact is that this group has underachieved for the last three seasons, compared to what it looks like on paper. If this group doesn’t pick up play in 2024, it could be a long season. You can easily argue that a lot of Watson’s struggles (and injuries) lead back to all the pressure he has faced.
Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin are the starting tackles, and both appear to be healthy at the moment. Each of them has faced a ton of injuries in the last few seasons, though, with Conklin being extremely limited in his action.
Dawand Jones was a huge bright spot last year before his knee injury, but we have yet to see if he can consistently continue the play we saw on a limited basis last year. We’ve seen glimpses of James Hudson playing at a high level as well, but the consistency has never been there.
If Jones, Conklin, and Wills can stay healthy, those three players can work in a way that makes each other better. The addition of veteran Hakeem Adeniji will also be massive for this group.
The interior line has also had its struggles at guard. Joel Bitonio, who we all loved, has lost a step, and Wyatt Teller is not a great fit in a pass-heavy scheme, as his athleticism is better served in the running game. The addition of Zak Zinter in the draft was good, and someone like Hudson could fight for some interior snaps, but the outlook is uncertain.
We know the interior offensive line can run block, but in this new Ken Dorsey offense, we need to see that they can be strong pass blockers. If this group can take a big step forward in 2024, you’ll see a massively improved Watson.
Questions at Linebacker
The defense looks solid from top-to-bottom, except for that linebacker position, which has a lot of unproven players, at least in Cleveland’s system. Yes, players like Devin Bush and Jordan Hicks have had success at other places, but until we see them perform at the Dawg Pound, we won’t quite know.
The rock of this group will be Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (a.k.a, JOK), but this organization saw Sione Takitaki, Jacob Phillips, and Anthony Walker all exit last season via free agency. This group was decimated by injuries last year, but still managed to perform, even after digging down the depth chart to put Mohamoud Diabate and Tony Fields on the field for a ton of snaps.
Hicks has a lot of experience in the NFL and should be just fine, but Berry is relying on the version of Bush we saw in Pittsburgh his first two years in the league versus the one we saw in Seattle last season, where he struggled to see the field.
Behind JOK, Hicks, and Bush the depth chart will be limited again with Diabate, Fields, and rookie Nathaniel Watson as the backups. If everyone stays healthy, this group should be okay, but JOK, Hicks, and Bush are getting a little too much credit in Cleveland before they’ve proven they can get the job done.
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