We knew the Cleveland Browns had a tough road without Watson in 2022, but these three players not performing has certainly not helped.
The Cleveland Browns are now four games into the 2022 season which in the past would have been the quarter way point of the season. With the 17th game, it’s now not quite that, but it’s still a good point to look and reflect on where the team is. It’s worth mentioning that we are also through four games of the 11-game suspension for Deshaun Watson.
At 2-2, some fans may be happy, but this team could easily be 4-0. On top of that, they have played the four easiest teams on their schedule which were all games they needed to win in order to have a shot at the playoffs once Deshaun Watson returned.
It hasn’t been all bad, but this team needs guys to step up in Watson’s absence if they want to stay competitive. This roster was supposably loaded with talent, but these three guys have been disappointed through the first four weeks.
3 Cleveland Browns who have disappointed
No. 3 – David Njoku, TE
The Cleveland Browns not only franchised David Njoku for the 2022 season, but they also eventually signed him to a massive four-year deal worth up to $54.75 million. Don’t get me wrong, losing Njoku would have been a hit to this roster, but I’m not sure he was worth half of that money.
Njoku has all the talent in the world and has the potential to be a top-five tight end in the league, but his best season was his second year when he accumulated 639 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Other than that, Njoku doesn’t have a season with more than 475 receiving yards.
The pass-catching tight end has improved the last two weeks with 89 yards and 73 yards with a touchdown, but he had a fumble vs. the Falcons that was extremely costly to this team. I’m hoping he is on the upswing and those 75–100-yard games will come, but to this point, he has been very underwhelming for the money he was paid.
No. 2 – Grant Delpit, S
In 2020 the Cleveland Browns believed they found a hidden gem when Grant Delpit fell to pick No. 44 in Round 2. Had Delpit left LSU the year before, there is a good chance he would have been a top-15 pick in the draft. Injuries and a loaded draft class in 2020 allowed the star safety to fall into the Browns’ arms.
After missing all his rookie year with a ruptured Achilles, fans got their first look last season, but the Browns did use him sparingly at times to make sure he adjusted well. In 15 games of action Delpit had 66 tackles and a sack while really starting to look good towards the end of the year.
Delpit is a perfect fit in the Joe Woods dime scheme, it gives him the ability to move around the line of scrimmage and use his big body in running down situations. However, it appears through the first four weeks of the season that Delpit is continuing to overthink on the field and slowing down his gut instincts.
It’s tough to say who’s to blame for all the defensive back miscommunications that have occurred, but from a glance, it appears that Delpit is usually involved in the mishap. Delpit is still young and has time to improve, but many were expecting a huge leap this year which we have yet to see.
No. 1 – Denzel Ward, CB
Speaking of massive deals, in the last year the Cleveland Browns also signed Denzel Ward to a six-year deal worth nearly $115 million. After ending the 2021 season on a tear, not many questioned the money shelled out by Andrew Berry as Ward appeared to be a top-five cornerback in the league.
I don’t want to act like he has been terrible, but he’s been picked on a lot in 2022. Too many times he’s soft in coverage and gives up an easy first down, and he had two huge mental errors in the Jets game that both led to touchdowns. He bit on the slant in cover two which left the running back in the flats wide open before the half and then looked to be in the wrong coverage on the deep ball late in the game to give the Jets hope.
My biggest disappointment in Ward is his willingness to tackle and his constant defense of himself. After the Jets debacle, he not only avoided taking any ownership for his mistake, but he doubled down and said he was only targeted once that game. To me, that’s a guy that only cares about stats and not the team.
Ward certainly has the ability to return to form, but I hope he hasn’t lost motivation since he got his major payday. The Browns spent a lot of money and put a lot of faith that Ward would be a lockdown corner for years to come. We have yet to see him at his best in 2022.
5 takeaways from Browns loss to Falcons in Week 4
The Cleveland Browns lost to the Atlanta Falcons, falling to 2-2 on the year. Here are five takeaways from the frustrating loss.