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In 2018, the Cleveland Browns had their most successful season since 2007, finishing with a 7-8-1 record. But the record improvement was secondary to the discoveries the team made about their players; most notably, the Browns had finally found a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield.
New head coach Freddie Kitchens engineered one of the most effective offenses in the league for the second half of 2018, and will have a new toy to play with in Kareem Hunt. With the Cincinnati Bengals on the verge of a rebuild and the Pittsburgh Steelers imploding, Cleveland has a chance to compete for the AFC North crown for the first time in what feels like forever. The Browns own 10 draft picks and over $70 million in cap space, and if this offseason is anything like the last, Cleveland will be legitimate playoff contender. Here are a few ways they can do that.
Add an X wide receiver with #1 potential
Around this time last year, the Browns' receiving corps had the potential to be the best in the league. Josh Gordon had looked solid for the few games he played in 2017, and with a full offseason of conditioning, perhaps he would be back to his dominant self from 2013.
New addition Jarvis Landry was arguably the best slot receiver in the NFL, and third-year speedster Corey Coleman was primed to break out. Add in the reliable if unspectacular Rashard Higgins and the troubled but talented rookie Antonio Callaway, and Tyrod Taylor had some serious weapons.
Things didn't go nearly as planned. Gordon stepped away from the team to deal with his mental health, and after playing the first game of the season for Cleveland, was traded to the New England Patriots. Coleman was traded to the Buffalo Bills during the preseason due to attitude issues and was cut shortly thereafter. Landry spent the season as the Browns' #1 WR, and while he played well, his lack of size and elite speed made it difficult for him to consistently create separation.
What the Browns need is a true X receiver to play the boundary, catch jump balls, and be a consistent red zone threat. Fortunately, there are many prospects in this year's draft class that fit that description. Guys like Kelvin Harmon, JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Hakeem Butler, David Sills V, and Preston Williams can be had outside of the first round.
Williams is the most intriguing prospect of the bunch, and is considered by many to be the best WR prospect this year. He is still very raw, but stands 6'4 210lbs with solid speed, excellent route running, and fantastic physicality. His issues are off the field, but John Dorsey is no stranger to taking character risks, as he has proven with Tyreek Hill, Callaway, and Hunt. Williams would fill a hole immediately and has the potential to develop into an elite target for Mayfield.
Upgrade the offensive line
Losing the great Joe Thomas to retirement hurt the Browns in a major way. Many different combinations of players were tried in an attempt to find a solid replacement, including moving Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio to tackle. Eventually, the coaching staff settled on undrafted free agent Desmond Harrison, a physical specimen of a prospect who played at West Georgia and missed much of training camp with an injury.
Harrison had some impressive moments, but it was clear he was overmatched at this point in his career. Once head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were fired at midseason, former first-round bust Greg Robinson replaced Harrison at LT, and the results were incredible. Over the final eight games, the Browns allowed a total of nine hits on Baker Mayfield, while playing against the potent pass rushes of Kansas City, Houston, and Denver. The Indianapolis Colts allowed the second-fewest QB hits during that time-frame, with 29.
Given Robinson's career history, it wouldn't be wise to fully commit to him after a half-season of solid play. He still struggled in the run game. But with Robinson re-signed on a one-year deal, the LT spot is filled for this season and will be reevaluated in 2020. The other side of the line can be addressed now. Cleveland gave Pittsburgh backup Chris Hubbard a five-year deal worth over $36 million to play RT, and Hubbard struggled.
He can be cut for $3.2 million in dead cap this offseason, so he can easily be moved on from. While the Browns shouldn't take an OL high, they should still be on the lookout for one on Day 2. Oklahoma's Bobby Evans seems like a perfect fit. He is a very good athlete with excellent feet and has experience playing both tackle spots. His tape at LT is solid, but his performance at RT is exceptional. He would be an instant starter on the right side, and Baker Mayfield would probably be thrilled to have an old teammate protecting him again.
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Revamp the defensive line
The front seven is Cleveland's biggest weakness. They have three excellent players in Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, and Joe Schobert. Other than that…not so much. Trevon Coley started next to Ogunjobi in the middle, and is a fine run stopper, but provides essentially zero pass rush. The same goes for Garrett's edge-mate, Emmanuel Ogbah. Both players would be better server to play a rotational role, which means upgrades must happen.
Most of the premier pass-rushers available have been franchise tagged by their respective teams, but New England's Trey Flowers was not one of them. If he isn't set on playing for one of his former coaches in Detroit or Miami, Flowers should be Cleveland's top target next week. He is a force against the run and the pass, generating consistent pressure and disruption. He will be expensive, but he will be worth his contract.
DT should be addressed in the draft. This is one of the best DT classes in recent memory, and even though Quinnen Williams and Ed Oliver will most likely be gone by the team Cleveland picks at 17, there are still plenty of other excellent prospects, including Clemson's Christian Wilkins, and Mississippi State's Jeffrey Simmons, a top-10 talent who will fall due to a torn ACL and character issues. With how important interior pressure is in today's NFL, Cleveland should come out of the first two days with two rookie DTs to rotate in and out constantly, in order to keep everyone fresh and reduce the risk of injury.
Upgrade at linebacker
Schobert is one of the NFL's best coverage linebackers, but he struggled in run support last season. Christian Kirksey is a solid player, but is better as a 3-4 ILB than he is as a 4-3 OLB. Jamie Collins has flashes of elite play, but doesn't give consistent effort, and is overpaid at $12 million for 2019. Adding one of the top free agent linebackers should be a priority; any one of Jordan Hicks, CJ Mosley, Kwon Alexander, KJ Wright, or even Anthony Barr would make the defense significantly better, and by moving on from Collins, that upgrade would only cost maybe $2 million or $3 million per year.
Finding a better starter would be great, but Cleveland also needs better depth. Fortunately, this draft class is deep at linebacker. Joe Giles-Harris, Khalil Hodge, Gary Johnson, Blake Cashman, and Tre Lamar would all be excellent options. Both Kirksey and Schobert missed time last season, and Collins missed 10 games in 2017. Having a capable backup would make an unfortunate injury much more manageable.
Add size in the secondary
Denzel Ward is a fantastic cornerback, and as long as he can stay healthy, he will lock down the opponent's top receiver. Terrance Mitchell, E.J. Gaines, T.J. Carrie, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun were all solid last year, but the Browns need a long-term solution opposite of Ward. The only DBs on the roster who are over six feet tall are Howard Wilson, who has never played a game, and Justin Burris, who has a total of two tackles in four games for Cleveland. JoeJuan Williams, Justin Layne, and Jamel Dean are all mid-round options who would fill the hole of a large CB on the Browns' roster. Minnesota's Trae Waynes is also on the trade block and would be a fine addition, provided that Cleveland is able to find a decent contract agreement.
Baker Mayfield is coming off of a season in which he set the NFL rookie record for touchdown passes in just 13.5 games. As long as he continues to improve, the Browns will be competitive, and following these five steps this offseason will put them on track to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
