Category Archives: Browns

Browns talked to Kenny Pickett

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The University of Pittsburgh quarterback has stated that he has spoken with the Cleveland Browns.

Kenny Pickett to Cleveland? While that is definitely putting the cart before the horse here, it is not as impossible as previously though. Pickett stated that the Browns were one of the first teams he talked to during Senior Bowl week.

Of course there is some unknown information here, notably who initiated the conversation. But either way, the fact that the Browns and Kenny Pickett are linked (in a way) does provide some intrigue for the upcoming draft. Cleveland does have Baker Mayfield on the last year of this rookie contract, but the uneven play four years in leave a lot to be desired. Considering Pickett in the first round is an interesting proposition for a team that needs to address the position one way or another. Whether or not Pickett is available at 13 is a different story and Cleveland may have to trade up if their plan is to draft the Pittsburgh quarterback.

In his fifth and final season at Pittsburgh, Kenny Pickett completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions in 13 games. If the Browns are not able to acquire a new signal caller via trade or free agency, the draft could be their best bet and Pickett may be their selection in the first round.

Browns must consider trade for Kirk Cousins

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While the Cleveland Browns take the time to evaluate their quarterback position, considering a trade for Kirk Cousins should be on the table.

With the winds of change on the brink of blustering through the roster of the Minnesota Vikings, Kirk Cousins is a player who has been identified as a player possibly on the move. Minnesota has a coaching and GM vacancy and Cousins is in the final year of his deal which could provide the Browns with an opportunity to upgrade their own quarterback situation.

Things with Baker Mayfield have not quite worked out as expected after selecting him first overall in 2018 and a long term commitment between the two sides seems rather unlikely. Taking the opportunity to upgrade their own situation while giving Mayfield a fresh start elsewhere seems like a win-win. Kirk Cousins is not the most exciting quarterback option who may be available, but is much more attainable than the unlikely options of Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, or Russell Wilson.

Here’s the reality, Kirk Cousins is a better quarterback than Baker Mayfield, that is not really up for debate. The debate really comes up when discussing the amount of an upgrade he is versus what it would cost to acquire him. Cousins is at the top end of the tier of quarterback that Mayfield resides in, but is more consistent in his level of play. That consistency would go a long way for team that has lacked it not just during Mayfield’s tenure, but beforehand as well.

There is one more fact to consider in this equation. Browns vice president of of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is considered the favorite for Minnesota’s vacant GM position which would net Cleveland a compensatory third round pick in the upcoming draft and another in 2023. This follows a similar template from last season which saw Brad Holmes head to Detroit and subsequently trade Matthew Stafford to his former employer, the Los Angeles Rams. Kirk Cousins heading to Cleveland in a carbon copy deal is not as far fetched as it seems.

(Adofo-Mensah has since been hired as the Vikings general manager after this published).

Contract wise a new deal would be optimal as spreading out his salary over multiple seasons rather than take a massive cap hit for just one season would be more team friendly. This would also give the Browns flexibility to start Cousins for the next two seasons (and possibly a third) while allowing the team to address other needs in this draft that are not the quarterback position. Cleveland could then wait a year (if they wish) for what is perceived to be a better quarterback crop and hopefully draft the franchise quarterback that has eluded team for so long.

Does the addition of Kirk Cousins make the Browns a Super Bowl contender? Not necessarily, but it will allow for some growth in the offensive play-calling and a better idea of what the team has at the skill positions. Kevin Stefanski has been limited in what he has been able to do with Mayfield as his quarterback and has received criticism for what the offense has done on game day. Giving Stefanski a better quarterback would allow his offense to branch out in ways it currently cannot and finally provide the answer to which has been limiting the Browns offensively, the plays or the quarterback .Unfortunately for  a certain faction of Browns fans they will not like the result as the limitations of their current signal caller will only become much more apparent.

Baker Mayfield “quits” social media

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The Cleveland Browns quarterback has declared that he will be stepping away from social media for the foreseeable future.

Baker Mayfield has decided to step away from social media, or at least that is what he is saying. The Browns quarterback made the below post Tuesday night stating his intentions. This comes just days after his usual passive aggressive tactic of liking a negative tweet about him and not too long after unnecessarily going after Mary Kay Cabot.

If anyone actually believes that Baker Mayfield is actually stepping away from social media they probably also believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. The reality is that Mayfield is unable to help himself when it comes to online activity. Even if he is not actively posting, there is a very real possibility he is doom scrolling and seeing what everyone is saying about him. That is before acknowledging that he is currently recovering from shoulder surgery and has a lot of down time. As anyone with a phone knows it is very easy to get lost in the internet when there is nothing to do and Baker Mayfield is not immune from that.

Garrett Wilson to Browns in CBS Sports mock

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A CBS Sports mock draft has the Cleveland Browns selecting the Ohio State receiver 13th overall.

If there is one area that the Cleveland Browns need to improve in it is the wide receiver position. Wit hate uncertain future of Jarvis Landry in addition to only having Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz under contract next season they need some help in this area. Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Browns selecting Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State 13th overall in his latest mock draft. Wilson provided insight into the selection.

“The Browns have needs at wide receiver, for sure, but the talking points in the coming months will likely concern the QB position. We think Baker Mayfield is much better than he showed last season, in part because he wasn’t healthy. Wilson is one of the the most dynamic players in college football and he’ll give Mayfield another downfield option now that Odell Beckham Jr. is in L.A.”

Wilson mentions Cleveland needing to find a downfield option and identifies Garrett Wilson as a solution to their problem. The 21-year old receiver finished his junior season at Ohio State with 70 receptions for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns as he showcased his ability to make big play after big play for the Buckeyes. The latter fact should be a major concern to the Browns considering how dynamic the offenses of the Chiefs and Bills were Sunday night and the fact they nowhere near their level of firepower.

Sliding Garrett Wilson into the Browns starting lineup would be an instant upgrade to a passing attack that needs a lot of help. Granted they will need Baker Mayfield to take a massive step forward in his fifth season, adding a quality receiving target should make that task just a bit easier for the Browns signal caller.

Chiefs-Bills show how far away Browns are

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The thrilling back and forth between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs Sunday shows that the Cleveland Browns are far from their level.

The final 2 minutes saw the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs combine to score 24 points including three total touchdown passes from Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. This includes 194 yards of offense after Buffalo temporarily took a 29-26 lead, highlighted by a 64-yard Tyreek Hill touchdown, a 19-yard strike from Allen to Gabriel Davis, and a the Chiefs moving the ball 44 yards and scoring a field goal in just 13 seconds. Watching all of this unfold one thing is abundantly clear, the Cleveland Browns are nowhere near their level.

The difference between the Browns and these two teams is clearly obvious, the quarterback position. Allen and Mahomes are two of the best at their position and fall into the category known as elite. Meanwhile Cleveland has Baker Mayfield who is far from that distention. While observing the Bills and Chiefs trade touchdowns it was quite clear that if Cleveland was in that position they would have no shot at matching this level of offense. There has been the occasional moment in time that Mayfield has conjured up a quick scoring drive, but not often enough to believe he could do it more often than a few times a season much less multiple times in a row during the same game.

A lot of this does fall on the quarterback, however it is not all on Mayfield. The Browns receiving group leaves a lot to be desired. Considering there is a chance the team moves on from Jarvis Landry this offseason (a mistake if there ever was one), that leaves the receiving group in an even more dire situation. Donovan Peooples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz are the only non-Landry receivers under contract for next season at the moment. Peoples-Jones is very inconsistent and cannot be counted on to produce at a reliable rate at this moment in time. Schwartz has a lot of work to do to not be considered anything more than the fourth wide receiver on the roster currently. Both need to improve for either player to relied upon week in and week out next season.

Between Mayfield and their receivers they just do not have the firepower to keep up with teams like Buffalo and Kansas City. Better receiving targets are required to compete with these teams, but so is a better quarterback. Mayfield has been given plenty of quality receiving targets with not enough success coming from his end. The Browns have a lot of catching up to do in multiple areas of their offense, not just quarterback or receiver. Not making improvements across the board will result in settling as an also-ran while other teams continue to pull away from Cleveland.

Baker Mayfield can’t help himself

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The Cleveland Browns quarterback was unable to help himself, passive aggressively like a tweet.

By now everyone is very much aware just how online Baker Mayfield is. After four years in the NFL and countless spats with media, local and national alike, Mayfield again found himself unable to control himself. This time it was a tweet from Dustin Fox that drew the attention of Mayfield.

 

This tweet came during the absolutely wild game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs that showcased the excellent play from Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Nothing that Fox said here is wrong, because the fact of the matter is that Baker Mayfield is not even close to being at the level of either of those two players and he is in fact not good enough. As has been his pattern throughout his career up to this point, Mayfield decided to do  his underdog, slighted, chip on his shoulder shtick which has long grown stale.

Mayfield then decided to send a tweet calling social media toxic.

While Baker Mayfield is correct about the toxicity of social media, anyone expecting a social media break from the Browns quarterback will be disappointed. There is a very good chance that Mayfield will continue to use Twitter, but not interact, giving the illusion that he is staying away from social media. Perhaps Mayfield could engage using burner accounts much like Kevin Durant. Only difference is that Durant is one of the best players, if not the best player in his respective league while Mayfield is a replacement level player who appears destined to part ways with the team that drafted him.

Malik McDowell arrested in Florida

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The Cleveland Browns defensive tackle has been arrested in Florida.

Malik McDowell has been arrested in Florida on multiple charges. According to reports, McDowell was walking naked near a school in addition to resisting arrest and attacking a police officer.

Off the field issues are not a new development with Malik McDowell. McDowell has dealt with off the field issues since being drafted in 2017 which prevented him from making his NFL debut until this past season. McDowell appeared in 15 games for the Browns in 2021, finishing with 33 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, three sacks, and one fumble recovery. Appearing in 65% of defensive snaps, McDowell was more a replacement level player who was afforded opportunities due to other options at the position being subpar.

Not that the Browns should have prioritized Malik McDowell in free agency to begin with, this most recent off the field incident should make the decision not re-sign him significantly easier.

What to do with David Njoku?

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With unrestricted free agency on the horizon, what should the Cleveland Browns do when it comes to David Njoku?

There have been discussions on top of discussions on top of discussions when it comes the future of David Njoku in Cleveland. Coming into the league Njoku was a raw prospect who had athletic gifts, but needed to refine his route running, blocking, and catching. While he has improved in certain areas, the reality is that he is still a player who relies on his athletic gifts rather than technical skills on a regular basis.

In five seasons, David Njoku has 148 receptions, 1,754 yard, and 15 touchdowns over 65 career games. Njoku’s best season came in 2018, catching 56 passes for 639 yards and four touchdowns. Since then Njoku has totaled just 60 receptions for 729 yards and seven touchdowns. While there are plenty of factors in play over his carer, most notably injuries and simply not being part of the game plan, his numbers when examined on a per game basis are hardly impressive.

Over his career David Njoku averages just 2.3 receptions, 27 yards, and 0.23 touchdowns per game. Austin Hooper, a player that is on the cusp of being run out of town, has averaged 2.9 receptions, 27 yards, and 0.24 touchdowns in 29 games with the Browns. Interesting that one player is being championed for a new expensive deal while another has become the poster child of swing and miss signings by this regime with near identical statistics. The key difference is that Hooper has shown he is significantly more productive than this in the three prior seasons in Atlanta. From 2017-19 Hooper averaged 4.3 receptions, 43.8 yards, and 0.29 touchdowns per game (195 receptions, 1,973 yards, and 13 touchdowns total). This is in addition to Hooper being a significantly better blocker than Njoku has any hope of ever becoming.

Cleveland must identify which is the path towards improving the team next season and whether or not signing another tight end to a big contract is in their best interest, regardless of whether or not Hooper is still on the team. With how inconsistent David Njoku has been over the course of his career and the fact he has requested a trade multiple times, perhaps it would be better for the Browns to let the soon-to-be 26-year old walk. The team could then allocate any funds that may have been used on a contract extension for other, more pressing positions of need such as multiple wide receivers, defensive tackles, and defensive ends. Shoring up those areas would make a significantly larger impact on their success over keeping a marginal tight end for nostalgias sake.

The Jadeveon Clowney conundrum

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The Cleveland Browns must determine how they will go forward when it comes to pending free agent Jadeveon Clowney.

When the Cleveland Browns were finally able to complete their multi-year pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney, no one was quite sure what exactly he would provide. For several years prior a mixture of injuries and underwhelming performance have marred what was once a promising prospect reducing him to name recognition only. What Cleveland was able to get from Clowney this past season nobody could have realistically expected.

The 2021 campaign saw Jadeveon Clowney finish with nine sacks, 19 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, and 37 tackles total. These were the best numbers that the former number one overall pick had posted since his final year in Houston (2018). One-year stints in Seattle and Tennessee did not result in much of an impact as his production declined in addition to dealing with injuries, a recurring theme throughout his career. Considering how Clowney has gotten to this point, how should the Browns approach his pending free agency?

This is the moment in time where the Browns must identify that their one-year $8 million dollar gamble worked and now is the time to walk away from the table. Understanding how Jadeveon Clowney got to the point where he was last off-season and why Andrew Berry was able to end his Joe Dumars-esque Allen Iverson type pursuit. Clowney obviously outperformed his contract with the Browns as the secondary pass rusher making pass rusher money. With the promotional tour of Clowney about to begin with this eyes set on an even bigger payday, the Browns should bow out of these talks.

It is about understanding the total body of work (injuries included) and whether or not his performance is repeatable. That’s before the salary is accounted for and if they would be better off taking that money to improve multiple positions and not spending heavily on two defensive ends.

Grading the Browns 2021-22 season

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The Cleveland Browns fell short of expectations during the 2021-22 NFL season and their grades will reflect that. Part of going from an average team to a good or even great team is having certain standards that are met. After going 11-5 last season, Cleveland regressed resulting in a disappointing 8-9 record.

Offense: D

Offensively the Browns were challenged for the majority of the season. Cleveland barely eclipsed the 20 points per game barrier (20.5), ranking 20th overall in the NFL. A five point drop-off from last season, this was not an offensive unit that struck fear in the heart of defenses. A large part of that was the regression in the play of Baker Mayfield. While Mayfield did deal with injuries, they were not the only reason for the decline in performance. The only reason this unit does not get an F grade is that Nick Chubb is still a fantastic running back who can make game changing plays.

Defense: C+

There was one area on the Cleveland Browns that was a glaring issue last season, defense. Cleveland went out and added some much needed talent on that side of the ball. By signing John Johnson III, Jadeveon Clowney, Troy Hill, and Anthony Walker in addition to drafting Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Greg Newsome, this defense was able to take a step forward. Cleveland’s defensive DVOA took a massive jump from 25th last season to 11th this season. Even still, this was not a unit that was enforcing their will on their opponent in the manner that is thought of when dominant defenses are discussed.

Specials Teams: F

The less said about this unit, the better. This team still has kicking issues (kicker and punter) and the return game was a disaster from the start. More turnover in this overlooked unit should be expected this offseason as they are not currently close to having the answer in this department.

Coaching: B-

Kevin Stefanski was about as close to perfect during the 2020-21 season. Stefanski’s near perfection resulted the Browns best season in decades. Unfortunately, perfection was the only way that this team would get back to where they were last season. The reality is that it is just an unfair expectation to thrust upon a coach. While Stefanski was not perfect and did struggle in some areas this season, a lot of that has to do with being hamstrung on the offensive side of the ball. Dealing with subpar quarterback play and a wide receiver who was let go midseason did not help. Stefanski put together a good scheme and game plan for the majority of the season. The problem was that while plays were there to be made, the team failed to execute when called upon.

At the end of the day this team was not good enough. Part of that is team construction while another is not being able perform on a weekly basis. There is only so much this team can do as currently constructed and changes will be needed if they want to achieve their loftiest goals next season.