5 biggest concerns for the 2021 Cleveland Browns

4. The defense gelling

To say the Cleveland defense is getting a makeover would be a gross understatement. The unit will likely have eight or nine new starters, with Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward being the only holdovers guaranteed a starting spot.

In fact, of all the defensive players expected to play significant roles, 15 were either not on the team or missed much time in 2020. It is now a group loaded with talent at all three levels, and while the depth may not be excellent, the starting 11 matches up with any other defense in the league, but it may take a bit for the results to show up.

With so many new players, and many of those young and inexperienced, snaps are the only way the defense can come together and play as a cohesive unit. Personnel-wise, the Browns are far better suited to defend the Kansas City Chiefs than they were in January, but that is quite the challenge for the defense’s inaugural outing.

Things may be rough at first, but by the end of the season, as long as guys stay healthy, the Browns should have one of the better defenses in the league, and certainly one good enough to win it all.