How the Cleveland Browns can go from good to great
By Greg Newland
![Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator watches Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warmup during the before an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns Extras 8](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fdawgpounddaily-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F15421295-850x560-b45e914e70a0d896afdd20234dd7c9122db74d161e7511ee37566b27298b1bfe.jpg "Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator watches Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) warmup during the before an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns Extras 8")
A true man beater at Wide Receiver
It’s crazy to think that the Cleveland Browns need to add another wide receiver to the roster, but, when you look at the money spent on the position, that’s the weakest spot on the roster. Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham will eat up over $30 million in cap space in 2021, and unless Beckham is healthy, the team doesn’t have a guy that can win in man-to-man coverage.
One of the biggest reasons the Browns struggle so much vs. the Baltimore Ravens twice per season is their ability to play press coverage and make receivers work to get open. Landry and Rashard Higgins are both great players, but they are built to sit down in zone coverages, not to run by defensive backs.
If Beckham can stay healthy and get on the same page as Baker Mayfield in 2021, this likely isn’t really an issue. But the fact that Beckham hasn’t been healthy the last three seasons, it’s tough to get too excited about his future in Cleveland.
Unless the Browns find a trade partner for Landry or Beckham (which I believe is unlikely this season), they won’t have the money to spend big in free agency. That means the Browns will have to draft a receiver or find a mid-tier free agent that overachieves.
Because of some major holes on defense, look for the first two rounds of the draft to be focused there, but because of the issues at receivers and Higgins being a free agent, look for the Browns to draft a receiver, even if they sign a free agent.
I know a lot will think this is a bad take, but this is a hole on the team that can no longer be overlooked. When the team was horrible in 2017 and there were low expectations in 2018 it just didn’t draw as much attention. Now that team is close, a change will have to occur before 2021 if they want to compete for a championship.