The Cleveland Browns made a lot of moves this offseason, but these five additions will have the most impact from the day the 2018 season begins
There’s been no shortage of moves for the Cleveland Browns during the 2018 NFL Offseason. New general manager John Dorsey had more draft stock and cap space than any team at the onset and he used that to his best advantage to remake the Browns roster.
He wasn’t just set with a singular goal either. Instead of looking at just how to win now or building for the future, Dorsey aimed for a way to accomplish both tasks while not hindering the other.
To improve the team now he added quarterback Tyrod Taylor in a trade with the Buffalo Bills and also signed a trusted backup in Drew Stanton in free agency. To help in the future, he drafted Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 overall pick to ensure they had a franchise guy down the road.
Similar moves were made in the running back department as Carlos Hyde was lured over in free agency, but a second-round pick was spent on UGA’s Nick Chubb. They did the same with bringing in veteran corner E.J. Gaines, while also drafting Denzel Ward at No. 4 overall.
That kind of thinking covered the Browns for years to come, but let’s be honest, the ones that help now will be the most fun to watch. Here we will look at those moves and rank the top-5 moves Cleveland made based on their ability to impact the 2018 NFL Season.
5. E.J. Gaines, Cornerback
E.J. Gaines was already mentioned above and his signing was a really smart move. It allows them to put a trusted veteran on one side while still getting Denzel Ward into the action as a rookie. Gaines comes in as a highly respected player, but also one who knows the system.
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He and current Browns defensive coordinator Gregg Williams were on the same team early on in Gaines’ career with the St. Louis Rams.
Gaines was a rookie under Williams’ tutelage in 2014 and had 70 tackles with two interceptions and 15 pass break ups.
He has struggled some with injuries however, which could be why the talented corner was able to be signed for just $4 million while other corners with his skill set have earned significantly more. On the flip side, the Browns did only lock him up for one season.
It’s a double-edged sword that they had to work with. Gaines came in cheaper than his market suggests, which protects them should he continue with the injury troubles that cost him 26 games since his rookie season. It could also mean they risk losing him as he can drive up his price in the offseason by playing 16 games.
That’s not what we are looking at here though. For 2018, this was one of the better moves and is key to the Browns secondary being much better this season than last.
4. Mychal Kendricks, Middle Linebacker
The winner of the most ‘interesting’ signing of the offseason has to go to the acquisition of Mychal Kendricks. For some reason the Philadelphia Eagles have wanted to move on from him for the past couple seasons and after failing to find a trade partner time and again, they released one of their more talented players and it didn’t take long for him to find a suitor.
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Several teams were interested, but then word broke that Kendricks was coming to Cleveland on a one-year deal. After NFL Insider Ian Rapoport broke the news, it was quickly denied by Kendricks himself. That led to several retractions, but the watch was still on.
By the next day it seemed to be official that Kendricks really was joining the Browns and eventually the terms were announced as he came over on a one-year deal worth $3.5 million. Kendricks looks ready to start at middle linebacker with Christian Kirksey and Jamie Collins on the outsides.
While linebacker wasn’t a position of great need, the addition of Kendricks turned it from an average position to one of the best in the NFL. They’re also incredibly deep now with it looking like Joe Schobert will be a backup and they also got a potential draft steal in Genard Avery.
3. Todd Haley, Offensive Coordinator
The next big addition isn’t a player, but a coach. Last season the offense was run by head coach Hue Jackson — which made sense considering his background was in this area. However, doing this in addition to his role as a head coach seemed to be too much for him.
Jackson often abandoned any actual plan in favor of a pass-heavy desperation attack. He also struggled to adapt what he called to what his players did best. The result was an 0-16 season that saw players frustrated with their roles and not used correctly.
This is why the addition of Todd Haley is so vital. Most recently Haley served as the play caller and offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and will have the same role in Cleveland. Unlike what Hue has done in the past two seasons, Haley has been great about having his system fit the skill of the players.
Cleveland surely added a lot of firepower to their offense, which is exciting. In addition to their new players, running back Duke Johnson is locked up and happy and receiver Josh Gordon is back with a full offseason under his belt.
Haley gives the Browns hope that each new player and returning weapon will be utilized correctly. He won’t have extra tasks added to him like Jackson, but instead will be all about maximizing the players on the offensive side of the ball.
2. Jarvis Landry, Wide Receiver
The No. 2 addition in terms of instant impact this offseason for the Cleveland Browns is wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Acquired in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, Landry led the NFL in receptions a season ago, but was available for trade when Miami balked at offering him a long-term deal.
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Cleveland had no issues there, putting pen to paper on a deal that will pay him $75 million over five seasons, with $47 million of that guaranteed. The deal itself is worth questioning. While Landry did lead the league in catches last year, he was often on the other end of a check-down pass.
On the season, Landry averaged an unimpressive 8.8 yards per reception, which made many wonder if he’s worth the top-five receiver salary he received. As for the Browns, they are banking on him being underutilized in the Miami offense with the hope that Todd Haley will maximize his speed and great catch radius.
Even if Landry proves to be nothing more than a possession receiver like he was in Miami, his addition will be key to their 2018 season. As a trusted player that can make catches over the middle of the field, Landry is sure to draw safety attention. Once he does, Josh Gordon — and hopefully Corey Coleman — will be able to take advantage.
This is the most talented group of receivers Cleveland has fielded in years and Landry is a huge part of the puzzle.
The best addition when considering just the 2018 NFL Season for the Cleveland Browns is hands-down Tyrod Taylor. The former Bills quarterback looks to go into the record books as he ended the longest playoff drought in the NFL by taking Buffalo to the post season last year. He now would love to do the same in Cleveland for the Browns, as they take the unwanted title of the team with the longest streak without a post season berth.
After ending Buffalo’s 17-year playoff drought, the team shipped Taylor to Cleveland where he aims to give the team a leader on offense. Taylor isn’t a player who will ever compete for the NFL MVP award, but he’s a solid starter that specializes in taking care of the football.
In 2017, he had just four interceptions in 420 pass attempts. He did however play in a run-heavy offense as Taylor accounted for just 2,799 yards passing in his 15 games — with 14 starts. He did add another 427 yards and four touchdowns on the ground though, showing he can help in an offense in more ways than one.
Looking ahead to 2018, it’s easy to get excited about Taylor. He made the most out of a limited roster in Buffalo and has much more to work with now that he’s in Cleveland.
Having a smart, veteran quarterback like him with a starting offense that includes Landry, Gordon, tight end David Njoku and running back Carlos Hyde is reason for extreme optimism with the Browns.
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Now maybe we can start to discuss him ending that post season drought Cleveland has been dealing with since 2002.