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The Cleveland Browns are on the rise after a successful first season and playoff victory under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski. The Browns made their first trip to the playoffs since 2002 and beat the rival Pittsburgh Steelers 48-37 after rushing out to a 28-0 lead.
Baker Mayfield had a great year, and the talented running back duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were among the best in the league. Mayfield threw for 3,563 yards and 26 touchdowns with a career-low eight interceptions, down from the 21 he threw in 2019.
Chubb and Hunt were a formidable force to stop as the pair combined for 1,908 yards and 18 touchdowns as they led the Browns team to many victories in 2020.
The Browns finished the regular season with an 11-5 record and held their own against the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round but came up short by a score of 22-17.
Nonetheless, the future in Cleveland is finally bright, after years and years of different head coaches and the famous quarterback jersey with all the names of the signal-callers who wore a Browns uniform in the recent years.
The Browns roster doesn't have too many holes, but there will be moves to be made in the offseason, whether its via trades or free agency.
In order to make room for more money, here is one player that the Browns might cut to free up some cap space, especially with the cap number going down due to the pandemic.
Sheldon Richardson
The Browns could end up cutting or trading Jarvis Landry or Odell Beckham Jr., but bringing back that talented pair of receivers would help Mayfield continue to grow as a quarterback.
As far as Richardson goes, he hasn't panned out like Cleveland thought he would after he came over from the Minnesota Vikings, and the addition and rise of Myles Garrett make this decision a lot easier for them.
Richardson's contract for 2021 is currently at $12 million, which isn't a huge number, but cutting him would allow the Browns to use that money to upgrade their team in hopes of another playoff run and perhaps an AFC North title.
The former Defensive Rookie of the Year played four seasons with the Jets and made the Pro Bowl in 2014, but he faced some issues off the field, and the Jets felt it best to move on from him.
Sheldon Richardson has been one of my favorite DTs to scout. Incredibly active, explosive, and good with his hands. Very good block destruction ability and one of the best backside run-defenders I’ve seen this year. pic.twitter.com/yzwQb36DzK
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) December 28, 2017
He then spent a year with the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings before signing a three-year, $36-million deal with the Browns, and there's a high likelihood that he suited up for his final game as a member of the Browns. He also is approaching the latter half of his career as he turns 31-years old in November.
💪 Sheldon Richardson 💪 #Browns
📺: #CINvsCLE on @NFLNetwork
📱: Watch free on NFL App // Yahoo Sports App: https://t.co/VR50LZIQwH pic.twitter.com/um74Hto5uj— NFL (@NFL) September 18, 2020
Richardson can still play well, although he hasn't been able to find much success since joining the Browns.
The Cleveland offense is in really good shape and so is the defense, and if they decide to part ways with Richardson they could end up using that money to make some upgrades on a team that looks to make their second straight trip to the playoffs.
Adrain Clayborn and Olivier Vernon played huge roles for this defensive front, and Larry Ogunjobi could slide right into Richardson's role in 2021. Ogunjobi recorded 2.5 sacks with 23 tackles and a forced fumble in the 2020 season, while Richardson put up 4.5 sacks and 35 sacks while playing in all 16 games for Cleveland.
The roster isn't in need of any major upgrades and Stefanski will want to make this team as good as possible so they can continue to make playoff trips. The wide receiver core needs improvement, and the status of both OBJ and Landry remains up in the air as far as trades go.
Rashard Higgins was second on the team with 599 yards and Landry led the team with 840 yards, so maybe spending that money for a pass-catcher would be helpful for Mayfield and the Browns offense.
For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Browns won't be picking in the top-10, and even more surprising is the fact that they don't have a bunch of holes and needs heading into the offseason.
After the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown and limited fans, the cap number is almost destined to take a serious hit, so any money they can save would be highly beneficial for the Browns and every team across the league.
The excitement is finally brewing in Cleveland, and the Browns look to continue to make their playoffs and not have to wait for another couple of decades before making another appearance.
