Cleveland Browns: Two new faces named Best Newcomers in AFC North
Out with the old, and in with the new; The 2018-2019 Cleveland Browns have new faces everywhere, much to the delight of fans of the team. Two of those players were recently named Best Newcomer in the AFC North by the writers for the respective teams at ESPN.
Each team’s beat writer at ESPN was asked to name the best newcomer in their division. While one reporter stated Michael Crabtree was the best new face in the AFC North, the other three writers had two familiar names to Cleveland Browns fans, in quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry.
Both players come in at positions of need for a franchise that has struggled for offensive success under head coach Hue Jackson. New general manager John Dorsey isn’t one to be patient, so he made bold moves to help bring in talented players, no matter the cost.
Nothing is more evident in that then how Dorsey handled the quarterback room upon his arrival. Not only did he trade away the team’s second round pick, quarterback Deshone Kizer, but he also traded away the other two quarterbacks on the roster from the 2017 season.
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Dorsey made the trade for Tyrod Taylor to help bolster his new look offense.
Taylor comes in from Buffalo, where he led an offense with no name receivers and an aging running back in LeSean McCoy to the playoffs in 2017.
His former team did everything they could to take the job from him, including sitting him in the middle of a playoff run for a rookie who would end up throwing five interceptions in the first half.
Being a true professional, Taylor didn’t let that affect him or his play. He has brought that same professionalism to Cleveland, winning over his teammates and coaches in the early practices this offseason.
The other newcomer to the Browns to be named by ESPN was wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Landry signed a five-year, $75 million deal with Cleveland following a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Landry brings an immediate boost to a wide receiver core that looks to be one of the most talented in the NFL in terms of skill.
Not only will the three time Pro Bowler contribute with his play, he’ll help force opposing defenses to focus on someone other than fellow wideout Josh Gordon and the new look backfield of running backs Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb.
With the splashes Taylor and Landry have already made in a Browns uniform, it’s not surprise that both are named by writers who follow the division closely as the best newcomers in the AFC North.
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Between Taylor’s spectacular ball security and Landry’s ability to make plays in the middle of the field, the Cleveland Browns and their fans have many reasons to look forward to this season, and many seasons beyond 2018 as well.