Cleveland Browns March Madness: The good, the bad and the ugly

The Cleveland Browns are playing their own March Madness tournament before our very eyes and the good, the bad and the ugly are on full display

Weeks like this continue to remind Cleveland Browns fans to prepare for anything. Not all of what happened in the first week of the new season has been bad, but the everyday soap opera can be draining on those that follow the team with a passion. There have been many mixed messages from the various decisions the team has been making this week.

Some of the player cuts and trades could be considered pretty good moves, while there were others that were made that were just bad, especially from a public relations standpoint. The ugly became more evident in the last day as the team’s quarterback Baker Mayfield demanded a trade and the Browns returned fire by saying no.

So, a line has been drawn in the sand. Who started drawing the line is still up for debate as it was announced earlier in the week that the Browns front office was going “all in” on trying to trade for the Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson who recently became available after a year of off the field activity, that caused him to miss last season.

We’ll discuss that ugly side of the story soon, but first, let’s review a few good decisions by the team.

Cleveland Browns: The Good

The Browns began this entertaining time of free agency, trades, and releases by franchise tagging their tight end David Njoku. They also decided to part ways with their other pricey tight end Austin Hooper. The two players have been splitting time over the last couple of seasons. You add in the third tight end Harrison Bryant and it was a very crowded and expensive part of the team.

This will likely give Njoku a confidence boost and will help his production for the team.

Cleveland also announced that they would be resigning linebacker Anthony Walker and offensive lineman Chris Hubbard, both of who are solid veterans. They also made a good trade midweek when they sent linebacker Mack Wilson to New England for their linebacker Chase Winovich.

Another big piece to salary cap savings was the team going ahead and releasing wide receiver Jarvis Landry this week. This move has been met by some fans with anger, but it was a financially responsible move for the team long term.

All of these moves weren’t totally unexpected nor were they blockbuster deals that it seems every Browns fan is always hoping for when this March Madness starts up. What happens next is any ones guess but let’s all cross our fingers for more good moves.