With a young, hungry, and hopefully rejuvenated Browns team, it’s never too early to start guessing at the Team MVP Award. Let’s take a quick, “way-too-early” look at the top five candidates.
MVP is an award that is simply unlike any other. In team sports, at least, it is easily the top award that an individual athlete can earn throughout the course of a season. It is also the award that undoubtedly garners the most debate, especially in the NFL and NBA.
What no one seems to talk about, though, is the all-important Team MVP Award. On any team, there is that athlete who goes above and beyond, helping his team on and off the field. Of course, that player should be noticed, and be given the Team MVP.
The Cleveland Browns are just so young, and this is no surprise. With an average age of about 24-years old, Cleveland has collected the youngest team in the NFL by a pretty sizeable margin.
More than any other team in the league, the Browns need that voice in the locker room. With a whole bunch of young talent, and a hole in the locker room where Joe Thomas used to be, the Browns need someone new to take the “best player and leader” mantle.
Thus, the Team MVP Award becomes one of the most important aspects of this 2018 Browns team. It is more than likely that Cleveland’s most important season since returning to the league is the one that is currently staring them right in the face.
As we draw ever closer to 2018 training camp, let’s quickly preview the top five candidates for the Browns’ 2018 Team MVP Award.
5. Nick Chubb, RB
Coming in at the number five spot is, to some I would suppose, a big surprise. Nick Chubb, as many suspected going into Draft Friday, will be wearing orange and brown come 2018. But, it may come as a surprise to many just how electric Chubb can be.
Following a successful surgery on his (frankly absolutely destroyed) left knee, many asked if Chubb would ever be the same again. Chubb looked those who doubted him right in the face, asked if they were sure about their doubts, and then had a shockingly great 2017 season.
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Alright, let’s slow down for a second. Did Nick Chubb have a solid, if not great, 2017? Yes, absolutely. With 1,345 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2017 alone, Chubb had a great final year with the Georgia Bulldogs.
But, did Chubb also become a victim of his backfield partner’s greatness? Oh, absolutely. Without question, Georgia’s other running back, Sony Michel, greatly hurt Chubb’s draft stock.
All of this has combined to, quite possibly, create the perfect storm of running back-induced fury. Nick Chubb is an angry runner, perhaps the angriest in the class. Everything Chubb does on the field is to prove people wrong, and this could fuel him to a great rookie season.
Soon enough, it is fair to predict that newly-signed Carlos Hyde will become mostly irrelevant. In the shadows of Chubb and third-down back Duke Johnson, Hyde may be the worst of the Browns’ three-headed running back committee.
Hopefully for Chubb, his knee is ready to go at the next level. Most of Cleveland’s recent offensive woes have come from not only bad quarterback play, but an abysmal running game. Let’s change that, shall we, to the tune of Chubb, Johnson, and Hyde.
4. Denzel Ward, CB
Denzel Ward, during his time at Ohio State University, became just another cornerback in a long line of cornerbacks. A long line of cornerbacks that the Ohio State Buckeyes would send to the NFL, that is.
If Ward’s proverbial bloodline is to be taken seriously, he should absolutely light the league on fire as a rookie. Since the turn of the decade alone, four “big time” cornerbacks have come from the scarlet and grey.
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With Bradley Roby, Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore, and Gareon Conley all coming before him, the pressure on Ward to perform is immense. To add to this, Browns fans have been clamoring for the team to draft at least one Buckeye over the past few years, even decades.
If there is one cornerback with a chance to completely change and reinvigorate this Browns secondary, it is Denzel Ward. Ward is young, yes, and a bit undersized at about 5-foot-10. But with the pedigree of Ohio State cornerbacks from the past few years, he could be the next in line.
In addition, Ward makes up for his slight build with blazing speed. With a 4.32-second 40-yard dash, Ward can cover most any wide receiver in the NFL. Ward’s ball skills are second to none in this class, and he can cover in both zone and man.
Gregg Williams is likely licking his chops at the prospect of having the uber-speedy Ward on this defense. Williams loves to blitz, and having a possible shut-down corner like Ward will ensure that if the quarterback does get the ball off somehow, that pass isn’t going for a completion.
MVP is rarely ever a defensive award these days, but Team MVP could fit No. 4 overall pick Denzel Ward perfectly. A physical corner with incredible speed, Ward should look to reform Cleveland’s secondary and reclaim the Dawg Pound backfield in 2018.
3. Baker Mayfield, QB
Taking the bronze medal on this proverbial podium, we come to Mr. First Overall, former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback, Baker Mayfield. Mayfield was a bit of a surprise pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, going of course, No. 1 overall to our beloved Cleveland Browns.
Perhaps Mayfield would be higher on this list if not for Tyrod Taylor (more on that later). It feels like Mayfield might not start this year, and rather sit behind Taylor and Drew Stanton for his rookie season. Whether this is a good move or not remains to be seen, but the fact is that it might be the course of action head coach Hue Jackson takes anyways.
John Dorsey saw his guy, he knew that his guy was his guy, and he took his guy. Although he kept it a secret during the draft process, it looks like the Baker clues were sitting in front of our eyes the whole time.
Not only did Dorsey love Baker Mayfield, but so did Alonzo Highsmith, Eliot Wolf, and Scot McCloughan. Three out of those four men had a hand in drafting Aaron Rodgers. The other took Alex Smith first overall in the same draft.
Needless to say, this pick may have been unconventional, but it could be the right pick after all. Should it be the right pick, it might be best to play Mayfield sooner, rather than later. If Baker plays early this season, he could have a good shot at the Team MVP Award in Cleveland.
2. Myles Garrett, DE
Browns fans already know that defensive end Myles Garrett is a freak of nature. Not only that, but his intelligence on and off the field played a huge role in his success as a rookie. Even through an injury, Garrett found his way to seven sacks, one forced fumble, and 31 tackles in 11 games.
Early in his shortened rookie season, Garrett mostly came onto the field as a specialty rusher on third downs. As he got healthier throughout the year, Garrett had a huge impact on every single game he was in.
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Hopefully, he can stay healthy for the entirety of his sophomore season. Garrett will be turning 23 this December, and if he can stay healthy, he certainly should be the Team MVP in 2018. Again though, the one worry about Garrett is his health.
Ankle injuries have plagued Garrett’s career, both in college and at the NFL level. He wants to play, and he has made it known that he wants to play, but his physical limitations have hindered him, at least health-wise.
The Browns needed someone like Garrett last year, and they need him maybe even more this year. With a more talented team, Cleveland has to get Garrett on the field to complete their possibly monstrous front seven.
The Cleveland Browns of old included freaks like Garrett, anchoring down a horrific defense. The Browns need to get back to those old days, and with this current front line, they have a chance. Let’s just hope the Browns can get back to those days, and Garrett can get back to the football field full-time.
1. Tyrod Taylor, QB
Number one is Tyrod Taylor, without a doubt, and let me tell you why. Taylor, really, is considered by many to be just above average as a quarterback. Taylor can move, and he does not turn the ball over. But, he will not, unless under extraordinary circumstances, take your team to the promised land.
And yet, Taylor is quite easily the best quarterback the Browns have had since returning to the league in 1999. When looking at the stats, that distinction comes down to him and 2004 starter Jeff Garcia.
Whereas Garcia was a three-time Pro Bowler, Taylor was more efficient as a quarterback. Additionally, Taylor’s playmaking abilities with both his arms and his legs make him a huge threat for any offense, and give him the slight edge over Garcia.
Now that the debate is settled, let’s talk about Taylor in terms of what he can bring to the Browns. Taylor, as mentioned before, can make plays with his arm and with his legs. While not Michael Vick-levels of athletic, Taylor can definitely move and extend plays.
Taylor does not take too many chances, and he makes sure he knows what is doing on the football field. Although he takes few chances, Taylor can still lead a team down the field with short to moderate passes.
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Tyrod Taylor, a shorter quarterback, can be the perfect mentor to the 6-foot-1 Baker Mayfield. If he can be the guy to usher in the franchise quarterback the Browns have sought after for two decades, then he absolutely deserves the Team MVP award.