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Have the Cleveland Browns built a strong foundation?

By Dan Justik

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 04: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the National Anthem prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 04: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the National Anthem prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Browns
CLEVELAND, OH – SEPTEMBER 20: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns celebrates after making a catch on a two-point conversion attempt during the third quarter against the New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 20, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Quarterback (1): Baker Mayfield

It is not hard to see that the Browns have found themselves a franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield. He has already shown his arm talent, but it is the intangibles that makes Mayfield such a great player.

Many of the current Browns see Mayfield as their leader, and that includes the veteran players. Even after throwing three interceptions in the first half against the Houston Texans, Mayfield continued to play aggressively and slinging the ball all over the field. He is not afraid to make plays, even after making mistakes.

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In ten games this season, nine of which were games he started, Mayfield has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,639 yards, 18 touchdowns, and ten interceptions. As the season has progressed, Mayfield has only gotten better.

For the Browns, they finally have found their quarterback and no longer have to spend a high draft pick every other year hoping to find their signal caller. They have their most important building block on the roster, and Mayfield seems prepared to be the face of the franchise.

Pass Rusher (2): Myles Garrett, Genard Avery

If there was one other player that could be the face of the franchise, that would Myles Garrett. Garrett has quickly become one of the most dominating presences in the NFL, and it is only his second season.

On the year, Garrett has compiled 32 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, 22 quarterback hits.

Garrett has been dealing with double teams all season, yet he is still making an impact. Pro Football Focus has credited Garrett with 50 pressures so far this season.

The other pass rusher on the roster was a toss-up between Emmanuel Ogbah, Larry Ogunjobi, and Genard Avery. However, Ogbah has struggled to stay healthy and maintain a dominating pass rushing presence, while Ogunjobi has not been able to get to the quarterback the way he was able to early in the season.

That is why Avery is the next best pass-rusher behind Garrett. Despite being a rookie, Avery has been able to create plenty of disruption in the backfield without playing the amount of snaps that Ogbah and Ogunjobi play.

This season, Avery has compiled 27 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and 11 quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus has credited Avery with 30 pressures, one less than Ogunjobi in 235 fewer snaps.

Dorsey found one of the steals in the 2018 NFL Draft by selecting Avery in the fifth-round. Once he plays more consistent snaps on the edge, he can prove to be one of the better pass rushers in the NFL.

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