Tag Archives: Cleveland Browns

Browns “unlikely” to sign DeAndre Hopkins

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Things can change fast in a week. Once considered a “strong possibility”, the chances that Cleveland Browns signing DeAndre Hopkins are now trending in the opposite direction. When analyzing a potential fit in Cleveland for Hopkins and the chances it happens, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com provided an update in both areas.

But the Browns are happy with their current receiving corps, and aren’t looking to add a big-name, high-priced player such as Hopkins at this time. It’s currently unlikely to happen, but he’s also in the never-say-never category.

First off, of course they are going to publicly say that they are happy with their current receiving options. Only the most toxic of environments would see that type of statement come out in public. Cleveland added Elijah Moore, Marquise Goodwin, and Cedric Tillman to the already established group of Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and David Njoku. Even if some of this is just generic publicity speak, this group has improved and there is a reason to be optimistic in this area.

Additionally is the never-say-never aspect of it. Andrew Berry has been known to make big pushes for certain players. If Hopkins is still available a little bit down the line and Berry decides to be aggressive or if the Browns lose a receiver due to injury, it would not be entirely impossible to envision a scenario where DeAndre Hopkins ends up in Cleveland.

Browns should go after Dalvin Cook

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The Minnesota Vikings will be releasing 27-year old veteran running back Dalvin Cook, and yes the Cleveland Browns should be interested. Cook is coming off his fourth straight 1,000 yard season and has been a consistent presence in the passing game during his time in Minnesota. Before we get too far, this is not about moving on from or phasing out Nick Chubb in any way. This is about adding more depth to the Browns offense and giving the best running back in the NFL a productive backfield partner.

As things currently stand, the Browns backfield after Chubb is nothing impressive. There is hope that Jerome Ford can take a step forward and become a good backup to Chubb, but now is not the time for hope for Cleveland. Now is the time to add proven commodities to their offense in order to get them where they need to go. There is also the fact that Cook is a consistent threat in the passing game, an area that Chubb is not necessarily the strongest in. The past few seasons have seen the now departed Kareem Hunt attempt to fill that role, but he was never the best fit for what the Browns were doing offensively. Hunt was able to make the occasional splash play, but there was a lot of inconsistency and underwhelming results during his time in Cleveland.

Familiarity and a sense of urgency could play a role

It should also be mentioned that Dalvin Cook is familiar with Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as he was with Minnesota before coming to Cleveland. Stefanski’s lone season as Vikings offensive coordinator saw Cook break out for 1,135 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in addition to 53 receptions for 519 yards in the passing game. It seems pretty safe to say that Stefanski knows how to utilize Cook in an offensive scheme.

Another thing to consider would be limiting the wear and tear on both Chubb and Cook. Both are 27 and have a similar number of carries 1,210 – 1,282 respectively. There is a way to maximize the talents of both backs at the same time while prolonging the length of their effectiveness. Utilizing both players would help prolong the steep drop-off in play that comes for running backs their age and may even help them avoid it altogether.

The fact of the matter is that the Browns must continue to add to their team in order to close the gap between themselves and the championship contenders. Adding Cook would certainly help in that area and may in fact help them contend for the division. There is also the whole thing about putting another quality skill position player around Deshaun Watson, but that was a given.

The reality is that this is a defining season for this front office and coaching staff. They know their jobs are on the line if they do not win this season. With that in mind this regime should do anything and everything they can to avoid having another season with excuses attached at year’s end.

How disruptive was Myles Garrett in 2022?

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There is no question that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is one of the best in the league, but exactly how disruptive was he last season? The Top-10 disruptors of 2022 was put together by Nick Shook of NFL.com and Garrett made the list.

Myles Garrett checks in at number three as the second-highest defensive end. Garrett lead the list in turnovers caused by quarterback pressure, but this has been known for quite some time. Garrett was behind only Bosa in quarterback pressures (73-72) and sacks (18.5-16), while being second in quarterback pressure rate behind Parsons (16.4%-16.3%). 2022 was the fifth straight season of double-digit sacks for Garrett and the second consecutive tallying 16.

Shook mentioned the improvements from Garrett year over year in these areas while adding the following note about the Browns pass rusher.

As it stands now, he’s among the best and most disruptive defenders in the NFL. That’s no longer debatable. Most of the players in these rankings change with each passing year, but Garrett always finds his way into the top 10 for good reason: He’s as reliable as they come.

Nick Shook on Myles Garrett

If anyone has not yet realized that Myles Garrett is one of the best players in the league, now is the time to do so. Film backs that up. Stats back that up. Advanced stats back that up. At this point it is impossible to argue anything different. Garrett is the Browns defense and statements like that only apply to the best of the best. Continuing to make lists such as this one will only solidify his place among the NFL’s elite defenders.

Donovan Peoples-Jones just misses Top-10 of NGS list

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2022 was the best year so far in the young career of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Finishing last year with 61 receptions for 839 yards and three touchdowns, Peoples-Jones was the Browns best receiver besides Amari Cooper. This impressive jump from Peoples-Jones was enough to have him considered for a Top-10 list, but not quite crack it.

Appearing as one of six players in the “Just Missed” category, Donovan Peoples-Jones was on the outside looking in of the Top-10 of Catch Rate Over Expected according to NFL Next Gen Stats alongside DK Metcalf, Noah Fant, Keenan Allen, Tyler Lockett, and Justin Jefferson.

There is something interesting to note about this metric, as the author of the article Nick Shook states:

“The players who qualify for this list and boast higher CROEs have consistently made difficult, unlikely catches more often than the rest.”

This factoid right here makes Peoples-Jones’ presence on this list make a bit more sense. Peoples-Jones is not great at creating separation and does not possess breakaway speed. Many of his catches have been tough and come with little to no separation between him and a defender. While it is very impressive, the long-term sustainability of that style is fairly questionable.

Another thing to consider is that Donovan Peoples-Jones did have 11 games with Jacoby Brissett throwing him the ball compared to just six with Deshaun Watson. Peoples-Jones had eight games with less than five targets last season, equally split between Brissett and Watson starts. Considering that is four of 11 versus four of six, that is quite the drastic difference in regards to quantity of targets. Also noteworthy is the catch percentage dropped from 64.6% with Brissett to 61.3% with Watson.

Donovan Peoples-Jones has shown the ability to make up for a couple areas in which he does not excel and that is why he is just outside this list. However, there is a reason Elijah Moore is now here and are still in the mix to sign DeAndre Hopkins. It really seems like that even though Peoples-Jones is great in the catch rate over expected department, that they are looking for a different type of receiver long term. That is unless a contract extension comes, but there has been no real mention of that possibility up to this point.

2 former Browns noted as having big upside

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There are plenty of free agents still available that could help their new team should they sign. Alex Kay of Bleacher Report put together a list of five players and on that list appears two former members of the Cleveland Browns, Kareem Hunt and John Johnson III. Kay provides some background on players before adding some notes towards the end.

On Kareem Hunt

“Despite Cleveland’s beliefs, the 27-year-old may still have enough tread left on his tires to serve as a viable pass-catching and backup running back at this stage in his career. He’ll likely get one more shot to prove himself on his next contract and could surprise his doubters with a bounce-back year.”

On John Johnson III

“On the bargain contract he’s likely to command for his next team, Johnson could pay dividends thanks to his wealth of experience and skills. At worst, he’ll be a great backup, but he’s a potential starter with the upside to become a high-end piece again with the right club.”

Let’s get one thing out of the way first. It is very possible that both players were misused by the Browns. Hunt’s time in Cleveland was really a disappointment, never living up to the expectations that many had when the team signed him after his release from Kansas City. Having possibly the best running back in the NFL in Nick Chubb as the primary ballcarrier did not help his case, but more was expected than what he produced in 49 games as a Brown.

Johnson’s contract had bust potential written all over it from the jump. Andrew Berry massively overpaid for his services in a quest to overhaul the defense. Add in the fact that Joe Woods was the defensive coordinator and it not surprising to see things play out the way they did. Woods did not do Johnson, or any other defender for that matter, any favors. But again, Johnson was incredibly bad by the time the team decided to part ways.

It is very possible that both players end up someplace new and are bigger contributors than what they have shown over the last few seasons. Equally possible is that their time as a big time player in the NFL has passed and this is what they are now. Only time will tell.

Where does Myles Garrett rank among NFL’s best defensive linemen?

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There is no doubt that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is one of the best defensive lineman in the league, but where is he ranked when put up against others in the league? According to Gilberto Manzano’s list of the Top-10 defensive linemen in the league right now, fourth.

From those ranked on this list, only Garrett can say he’s been a No. 1 pick in an NFL draft. After taking Garrett first in 2017, the Browns have been rewarded with five consecutive seasons of 10-plus sacks from the four-time Pro Bowler. The 6’4″, 272-pound Garrett has combined his strength and athleticism to become a matchup nightmare for opposing offensive lines. He’s coming off back-to-back seasons of at least 16 sacks and had an impressive 33 quarterback hits in ’21. The 27-year-old Garrett also paced all edge defenders last season with a 92.5 defense grade from Pro Football Focus.

Those ranking ahead of Myles Garrett? Micah Parsons, Aaron Donald, and Nick Bosa. Ranking Parsons ahead of Garrett is an interesting choice considering he is really more of a pass rushing linebacker according to Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Still valuable and an important part of their defense, but not a true defensive lineman. Semantics aside, Garrett being ranked fourth in the NFL is pretty impressive considering the volume of players at the position and the only three ahead of him being some of the best defensive players in the league.

The Browns clearly have a good one in Myles Garrett and it is lists like this (and others) that back that up. Now it is up to the rest of the defense and new coordinator Jim Schwartz to provide the adequate support that has been mostly absent during Garrett’s time in Cleveland.

Is Nick Chubb the NFL’s best running back?

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Seems like a pretty easy question. Is Nick Chubb the best running back in the NFL? Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus believes so. In a list of the Top 32 running backs in the league, Sikkema places Chubb atop the list.

Sikkema’s reasoning for Chubb’s position is pretty sound.

“Chubb takes the top honor here for his consistency. He’s never posted a rushing grade below 80.0, and his most recent grade of 90.7 in 2022 was a career high. Along with being one of the most physically gifted backs, he regularly forces missed tackles at one of the highest rates in the NFL and ranks near the top in yards-per-carry average.”

PFF grades aside, it is hard to argue the placement of Nick Chubb on this list. The Browns running back is routinely in the top three in rushing year-in and year-out. The only exception being 2020 when he was limited to just 12 games, but 2019 (1,494 – 2nd), 2021 (1,259 – 2nd), and 2022 (1,525 – 3rd) has Chubb in his rightful place among the top rushers in the league.

If there is one area that could have dinged Nick Chubb a bit is his production in the passing game. Chubb’s best season as a receiver came in 2019 with just 36 receptions for 278 yards. Since then other backs have seen use pass catchers under Kevin Stefanski. The majority of passes to running backs have gone to others such as Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson in recent seasons. This is more than fine as it makes play-action much more effective with Chubb in the game.

Even though Hunt and Johnson will not be returning, do not expect a sudden uptick in this area for Chubb. Cleveland added Elijah Moore, Marquise Goodwin, and Cedric Tillman to upgrade their passing attack. And with Deshaun Watson at the helm, expect those new faces in addition to the already present options including to handle pass catching duties on a regular basis. It is the threat of Chubb running the ball which makes things easier for Cleveland’s pass catchers. Do not expect that to change with the upgraded receiving room and continuous rumors of DeAndre Hopkins coming to town. Chubb is what makes this offense go and for good reason, he is the best running back in the league.

Strong possibility Browns land DeAndre Hopkins

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A report Friday morning from Aaron Wilson suggests that the Cleveland Browns have a good chance at signing free agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Wilson also mentions that a Texans reunion is not necessarily on the table.

Signing with Cleveland would reunite Hopkins with his former Texans teammate Deshaun Watson. Hopkins and Watson were quite the duo in Houston, but it is worth noting the last time the two were in the same uniform was 2019. Memory lane is fun and all, but the time between then and now combined with aging and injuries in addition to Watson missing the large chunk of time he has all adds up. There may still be that same connection, but it would not entirely be surprising to see it less effective than it was previously.

Another thing to consider is how DeAndre Hopkins landing in Cleveland would impact their current group of wide receivers. The Browns already have Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Donovan Peoples-Jones as their top three receivers with Marquise Goodwin being their deep threat. Cleveland also has Nick Chubb in the backfield and David Njoku at the tight end position. Adding in Hopkins to this group is going to take away touches from other players. There is also that next group of wide receivers who are not starters that Hopkins would all but eliminate their contributions such as David Bell and Cedric Tillman.

It would be one thing if Hopkins was filling an immediate need vacated by a departed free agent or injury, neither are the case at the current moment. It is going to come down to how the front office views some of the current players under contract and how they want to construct this roster long term. While adding Hopkins into the mix does provide an immediate talent boost, it would also say a lot about players who many have projected to not be here next season in Cooper and Peoples-Jones. Signing Hopkins would be the first domino to fall in what could be a very different looking wide receiver room next season.

Browns: Watson and Goodwin developing deep ball connection

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The Cleveland Browns have been missing something for a few years, a reliable deep threat. In search of a possible short-term solution, Cleveland went out and signed Marquise Goodwin to a one-year deal. While it is only OTAs, there is a connection building between Goodwin and Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Watson would connect with Goodwin on a deep ball more than once Wednesday.

It is usually best to temper expectations when it comes to situations like this where nothing counts. But considering where the Browns have been and where they need to go, it is easy to understand the excitement here. If Cleveland is going to live up to the lofty expectations and for everyone in a position of power to keep their job, this connection (and others) will have to be a common occurrence once games that mean something are played.

Just how explosive is Nick Chubb?

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Nick Shook of NFL.com released his list of the Top 10 most explosive runners in the NFL and Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb finds himself in special company. Chubb comes in at sixth overall with an explosive score of 86. Noted are Chubb’s 47 rushes of 10 yards or more, the most in the NFL. Shook goes into detail noting that he was initially higher on the list before settling on six for Chubb.

“Chubb’s numbers remain impressive, but Cleveland’s offensive struggles certainly contributed to his sixth-place ranking on this list. Initially, I put him in the top three, partially because of his league-leading 47 runs of 10-plus yards. But a deeper look into his production reveals a symptom of Cleveland’s deficiencies: His success rate was lower than some of his peers on this list, due in part to Cleveland’s blocking giving him an expected yards per carry below four (3.8), and he received the second-most carries (302) among runners in this group. As many know, his top-end speed doesn’t quite stack up with some of the faster backs in this group, either — although his top gear packs some sneaky get-away burst.”

Shook also mentioned that Nick Chubb was the only qualifying running back to have 10 or more first downs over expected (14). This is in addition to his 22 rushes of 10 yards or more.

2022 was the best season in the five-year career of Nick Chubb. Chubb was dominant last season, rushing for a career-high 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns (tied for career-best) in 17 games. The Browns offense has revolved around him in some capacity since being drafted and rightfully so. Chubb is one of, if not the best running back in the league. Utilizing an elite talent in this manner is just smart offensive strategy. Especially when that talent plays a position with relatively short shelf life.