Cleveland Browns offseason earns a B+ from MMQB

The Cleveland Browns offseason earned a solid grade from Monday Morning Quarterback. How do they stack up against the rest of the AFC North?

The Cleveland Browns open their mandatory three-day veteran minicamp on Tuesday, which will give the coaching staff a look at the rebuilt roster all together for the first time.

It has been quite an offseason for the Browns, as they were active in free agency by signing center JC Tretter, guard Kevin Zeitler and wide receiver Kenny Britt, while also resigning linebacker Jamie Collins and extending the contracts of linebacker Christian Kirskey and guard Joel Bitonio.

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Cleveland also had a highly regarded draft weekend by adding a pair of potential playmakers to the defense in defensive end Myles Garrett and safety Jabrill Peppers; a talented option in the passing game in tight end David Njoku; and a group of players, most notably defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi and quarterback DeShone Kizer, who may make an impact on the field this fall.

Finally, the team was active in the trade market, acquiring quarterback Brock Osweiler and safety Calvin Pryor in deals that very few people saw coming.

Balance those additions with the players the team lost, none of whom will really be missed on a major level, and the past four months have been considerably better than the four preceding months.

It was also the best offseason for any of the four teams in the AFC North, at least according to Robert Klemko at Monday Morning Quarterback, who gave the Browns a B+ for their efforts:

"Put simply, it’s the Cowboys model; Take an outstanding offensive line, a 1,500 yard runner, and watch your rookie quarterback flourish. The Cowboys just happened to find the line, runner and QB in the span of six drafts and the Browns have been putzing around since choosing Joe Thomas to anchor the offensive line in 2007."

"As much as Browns fans would like to see some adequate quarterback play for once, this season should be about finding the right solutions for longterm success on the offensive line with two new high-profile starters, and finally putting an end to a porous run defense that has made Cleveland the AFC North’s doormat long before Jackson showed up. If those units can jell early, consider the 2017 offseason a success."

It’s a fair assessment, especially about continuing to build for longterm success. This fall will be another one that will not be judged solely on wins and losses (although a few more wins is always appreciated), but rather on the harder-to-define benchmark of “progress.”

Get the defense settled down so it stops being the league’s punching bag, establish an identity on offense (head coach Hue Jackson has it in his power to stop “beating himself up” about not running the ball) and keep everyone moving the same direction and the Browns fans should start seeing some more-definable success starting in 2018.

Next: Joe Thomas set for another high mark in NFL Top 100

As for the rest of the division, Klemko gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a B-, the Baltimore Ravens a C and the poor Cincinnati Bengals, who can’t seem to get out of their own way, a D.

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