Wade Payne / Associated Press
The Cleveland Browns are coming off their best season in a quarter-century – an 11-win campaign in 2020 that includes a dominant win over rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round. But it was clear after the off-season that if the Browns were to build on the success, the franchise urgently needed to upgrade an below-average defense around star Myles Garrett.
Cleveland has already done well in this regard, by adding impact players in the defensive backfield, upgrading the lineout corps and bringing in a recent pick in the first round and a former Pro Bowler along the defensive line.
General manager Andrew Berry struck again on Wednesday, signing another potential impact player in forward Jadeveon Clowney. In doing so, Cleveland reaffirmed its status as the most balanced team in the AFC North. The one to beat in the section.
And a threat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
The Browns kicked the tires on Clowney in the free agency last year, and then again a few weeks ago. But according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the defender’s second visit to Northern Ohio did the trick – the 28-year-old signed a one-year deal with Cleveland that could be worth up to $ 10 million.
This includes Clowney’s courtship to be heard goes back to when Berry was in the Philadelphia Eagles personnel department, according to Yahoo’s Charles Robinson. The Browns offered the No. 1 pick in the draft multiple treaty in 2020, but eventually signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans.
That season in Nashville was an injury – just 19 total tackles and no pockets in eight games before a meniscus injury ended his campaign. Injuries were definitely an issue as he missed 29 games in seven seasons. And Clowney has never fulfilled the ridiculous potential he had with plays like his dehelmetation of Michigan fullback Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl.
Watching the play never gets old.
But while Clowney has yet to have a 10-sax season, he has undertaken three Pro Bowl trips. If he is healthy, he is one of the fiercest incidents of the league. And before last year’s decline, he has missed no more than three games since his rookie year.
Berry said in a statement that he expects Clowney to make a big impact in his new home:
“We like his relentless playing style. He’s one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think he’s going to add an element of robustness to our defensive line and will do well with a lot of the guys we already have on the roster, The other thing we like about Jadeveon is its versatility, its ability to play across the front and influence the game, regardless of its alignment … Jadeveon’s play-to-play impact on the game, or it “Now the run-game as a rusher, set up as a triathlon or as an end, is something we really appreciate. We think he will be really beneficial to us in our defense system.”
In 2017 and 2018, while with the Houston Texans, Clowney averaged 53 total tackles and piled up 18.5 bags. Now, for the first time since leaving Houston, he will play opposite an elite talent in Garrett. In fact, Cleveland’s defensive line is discussed by some overall choices.
After a phenomenal off-season from Berry and the Browns, the Cleveland defense is about much more about Garrett – or Clowney.
As Jeff Schudel reported for the News Herald, Berry said the Browns entered the free agency with the aim of aggressively upgrading the roster where possible:
“The general attitude to enter free agency every year is to try to be opportunistic and address all aspects of the roster. I think we were in a position where we had enough flexibility from the perspective of a cap, if we would feel that there was a player who brought in line if our skills matched what we want to do in our scheme and it fits the profile of smart, tough, accountable, young, durable, then we can aggressively go and attack the player. ‘
They achieve the goal on defense.
In addition to bringing Clowney ahead of Garrett, the Browns signed Takkarist McKinley, the first round of 2017, to add pop to the pass rush. They also signed veteran suit Malik Jackson to help bolster the middle of the line. When Cleveland takes the field in Week 1, all four front-runners (Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Jackson and Clowney) will have Pro Bowl seasons to their name.
David Berding / Associated Press
In the secondary series, the team signed one of the top assists in this year’s free agent class in John Johnson III of the Rams and then again selected Los Angeles’ pocket by agreeing to corner kick Troy Hill. A shaky lineout corps received a significant boost with the addition of Anthony Walker.
And Cleveland could add another impact player on the side of the ball with a draft pick like Miami forward Jaelan Phillips, Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins or Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. with the 26th pick.
The Browns did not add a bunch of offenses to the free agency, but that’s because they did not have to. After a shaky second season, fullback Baker Mayfield bounced back in 2020. In Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the team probably managed the league’s best one-two to run back.
Pro Football Focus ranked Cleveland’s offensive line in 2020. And with Rashard Higgins back and Odell Beckham Jr. presumably healthy after a torn ACL, the Browns’ pass weapon arms compare favorably with the other teams in their division.
Oh, and Cleveland has an offensive captain in Kevin Stefanski, who was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2020.
As Robinson wrote, it’s not just that the Browns are performing significantly better. How Berry’s upgrade of the roster is almost as important:
“It’s not the talent of free agencies retained by the (Tampa Bay) Buccaneers. Nor is it the abundant spending of the (New England) Patriots that has wiped out this off – season budget. for relatively little money. The display of a smart, patient and impressive off-season that continues a new trend of the Browns, like a franchise that suddenly knows what it’s doing. ‘
Johnson turned down more money to join the Browns, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Hill signs for a more than reasonable $ 4.5 million a year. McKinley, Walker and Clowney were all brought on one-year deals.
It was not a panicky move. The Browns are both better in the short term and are flexible in the long run. It may seem strange to see competence and Cleveland in the same sense, but the Browns did not commit the mistakes that plagued the front office for so many years.
Tony Dejak / Associated Press
While the Browns were getting stronger and addressing weaknesses, the Steelers got hit by worries – Pittsburgh lost one of its leading riders (Bud Dupree) and cornerbacks (Steven Nelson) and had a significant turnover on the offensive line. The Baltimore Ravens lost their two leading drivers (Yannick Ngakoue and Matthew Judon) and (with all due respect to Sammy Watkins) brought a high goal in the attacking game.
At least on paper, the Bruines look like the favorites in a division that picked out three playoff games last year. But this group must set its sights even higher in 2021. After two consecutive conference championships, the Chiefs are the kings of the AFC until someone pushes them off the seat. A 13-3 season and AFC title game earned the Buffalo Bills the status of best competitor to do so.
But the Browns gave Kansas City everything in its power to handle in the division round last year, and Cleveland did more to improve than one of the clubs in the off-season. Assuming the momentum takes place in the 2021 draft (it looks like Berry’s first draft class will be in 2020), the Browns will only be there with the AFC’s big boys when the regular season begins.
In 2019, more than a few experts predicted that the Bruines would be on their way to a Super Bowl run after beating them 8-7-1 the previous year. The team imploded and was 6-10 under first-year head coach Freddie Kitchens.
That hype machine shoots up again. But this time it feels different. This time it is about more than just a talented list that has short-sighted weaknesses.
As Cleveland’s fantastic off-season showed (an off-season signed by Clowney), the people who run the team this time around are just as talented as the players on it.
And a light spot in Super Bowl LVI is a realistic possibility.