3 impacts of COVID-19 for the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 season

Gelling of the team:

Perhaps the biggest obstacle for the Browns this offseason will be the overall meshing of the new coaching staff. Remember, the Browns didn’t just hire a new general manager and head coach, the entire coaching staff is brand new in 2020. Not only that, but the Browns will also have at least three new starters on both offense and defense.

While first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski has proven to be a strong leader early in his campaign, this will be his biggest challenge yet. With two new offensive tackles on offense and two new safeties on defense, everyone must be on the same page to give this team a chance at success.

A virtual offseason will give players the ability to meet their new coaches, but it just can’t replace the face to face interaction and instruction. While all teams will face this same challenge, no other team in the AFC North had as much turnover as the Browns from 2019 to 2020.

To make things worse, the Baltimore Ravens kept most of their coach staff and roster intact, which is who the Browns open with on week one.

While it isn’t a must-win game, a thrashing could suck the confidence out of the locker room and lead the Browns down an all too familiar path of failure.