4 best pairings on the Cleveland Browns roster in 2022

The Cleveland Browns are going into this upcoming season with several pairings of players that will lead this team to a potentially great season

There’s been much to talk about if you are a Cleveland Browns fan over the past several months. The ongoing chatter about new Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson off the field issues and the speculation on where Baker Mayfield will be heading are certainly hot topics but it’s also important to recognize this current Browns team has a lot going for it as they enter the 2022 season.

For starters, they have head coach Kevin Stefanski returning in his third season and he’s not going to be at risk of losing his job because of his poor performance so far. He guided the team to a playoff appearance in his first season as the team managed an 11-5 record. Last year was a bit of a setback in terms of not being able to get back to the postseason with a team record of 8-9, but it wasn’t a completely wasted season.

Cleveland brought in a couple of new rookies a year ago in linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and cornerback Greg Newsome II that fit in nicely to the team’s plans at being a competitive and deeper team regarding depth. The Browns were also able to attract free agents such as safety John Johnson III and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. This year, they added wide receiver Amari Cooper as well.

With these new upgrades to the team in recent years, they should be ready to tackle a new season with more urgency if they can avoid things like injuries and factors like team chemistry.

The team chemistry issue seemed to be a factor as the season dragged on a year ago. However, this offseason the team leaders like defensive end Myles Garrett, cornerback Denzel Ward, and Watson have already taken more of an effort into team-building activities, including trips to the Bahamas and  Florida.

It’s important when building a team, that you can build on that team chemistry as the season gets moving. The Browns have already established a few pairings of players that have shown great success and a couple more that look to get even stronger in the forthcoming season. Let’s look at four of these that are already going strong or could pick up steam in this next season.

Browns Pairing No. 4: Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, RBs

This duo has played together since 2019 and has been the most reliable pair on the team to date. Chubb has been close to the lead league in rushing yards every season while Hunt is such a versatile player, able to run the ball but also catch screen passes or wheel routes that have most opponents scared to death when they face off against Cleveland.

Last year, Hunt was injured and missed nine games which certainly played a factor in the team’s overall performance.

Cleveland’s backs have been ranked as the No. 1 group in the NFL going into this season by PFF. The combo of Hunt and Chubb is such a strong pairing because they do a little bit of everything when used in tandem. Chubb will get you that 1,000-yard season and Hunt will make all the other plays that make opponents frustrated because of that one-two punch.

Both players are in their prime and seem to enjoy playing together. Hunt recently suggested he wanted to stay in Cleveland and play out his career. They also each have very different personalities but it seems to have bonded the two even more. While Chubb is the quiet one and doesn’t like the attention, Hunt is the opposite and loves to talk and draw attention to his desire to play football.

Both are fierce competitors and it’s why the team has had so much success in recent memory.