3 biggest offseason needs for the Cleveland Browns

1. Secondary

Andrew Berry took a risk in the 2020 offseason with multiple one-year deals to guys who needed to resurrect their careers. Cornerback Kevin Johnson and safety Karl Joseph were okay players for the Browns this season, but safety Andrew Sendejo was a nightmare. All three of those guys are out of contract and Johnson is the only one with a chance to return.

What also didn’t help were the injuries. Denzel Ward missed multiple games and Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit never even played a snap. While all have tremendous talent, there is a real concern on if these injuries are a fluke or a pattern that will keep occurring.

The best move by Berry was trading for Ronnie Harrison, who was tremendous and has another year left on his deal. So that leaves Harrison, Delpit, Ward, and Williams as your 2021 starters, which isn’t bad, if no one gets hurt. Terrance Mitchell has been a great Brown, but I would also expect him to move on as his contract is up.

Look for the Browns to go secondary with their first pick in the draft. Defensive coordinator Joe Woods want to run the 4-2-5 scheme if he has the personnel, so Berry may get him that with another shutdown corner that would likely move Williams to nickel and Jonson (assumed re-signed) as the backup. We can’t forget about Sheldrick Redwine who likely deserves one more year to prove he belongs on the roster.

The Browns secondary will be great on paper, but they must stay healthy. While the offense certainly could use some pieces, the big focus in 2021 will be building a championship-caliber defense to go with a well-balanced offense.