The Cleveland Browns were an extreme disappointment in 2022, but these four terrible decisions handicapped them from the beginning.
The Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski era started out as a dream for all Cleveland Browns fans. In 2020 the team went 11-5, won their first playoff game in over 25 years, and Baker Mayfield looked like the franchise quarterback.
A year later and the Browns were shopping Mayfield and licking their wounds after an 8-9 season and no trip to the playoffs. It soured again in 2022 as the Browns finished fourth place in the AFC North and finished a disappointing 7-9.
With Deshaun Watson now past his suspension, the pressure is on for the Browns to finally perform to expectations in 2023. I wouldn’t say the seat is warm for Berry or Stefanski, but fans will turn quickly if things go anything like 2022 again. Before we move on to 2023, let’s look at four of the worst decisions made by the Browns in 2022.
Browns Terrible Decision No. 4 – Playing Anthony Schwartz
One of the biggest question marks coming into the 2022 season was who would be the third receiver? Anthony Schwartz, David Bell, and Michael Woods would all be given a shot, and truthfully all of them would end up striking out.
What was beyond frustrating was continuing to see Schwartz get snaps each game. In 11 total games, he had four receptions for 51 yards, yet it felt like he was in the game at least 10 or 15 snaps per game just eating repetitions for the younger guys.
Schwartz has an extremely limited route tree, struggles to catch the ball, and doesn’t even have the ability to return kicks. The only threat he posed was an end-around, which teams instantly queued on when he went in motion.
Berry has a lot of pride in drafting Schwarts in the third round, but it’s time to let this one go and finally get someone some snaps who has a chance to fill the void.
Browns Terrible Decision No. 3 – Holding Kareem Hunt
Without being in the Cleveland Browns front office, it’s tough to say how much trade value Kareem Hunt really had in 2022, but it’s hard to believe the phone wasn’t ringing with offers. We saw the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets both trade for running backs, and many other injuries left the league hungry for guys with experience carrying the ball.
Hunt was a tremendous player for the Browns, but depth at running back was the least of the teams’ issues. If they could have traded Hunt for a fourth or even fifth-round pick to help make up for what they gave to get Deshaun Watson, it would have made a ton of sense.
Hunt had an expiring contract, there’s next to a zero percent chance that the team brings him back, and his value was extremely high with all the injuries around the league at the position. There were multiple rumors of teams wanting Hunt and being willing to give up a young receiver in return.
I think Berry believed the team was going to turn the corner and he wanted Hunt as an insurance policy. I can’t blame him for being overzealous, but he definitely missed out on a great opportunity.
Browns Terrible Decision No. 2 – Extending David Njoku
Hindsight is always 20/20, but when Andrew Berry gave David Njoku a massive contract extension, my first reaction was that seemed silly. After initially franchise-tagging the talented tight end, Berry eventually gave Njoku a four-year deal worth nearly $55 million.
Njoku has all the talent in the world, but with injuries, we’ve never seen him have a year with more than 639 yards receiving or four touchdowns. With six years of experience, the numbers and the contract amount never added up.
Njoku had a good year in 2022 with 628 yards and four touchdowns, but he missed three games with injuries, and never really made a play that changed a game. I know being one of the highest-paid tight ends is less valuable than a wide receiver, but it still seems like the franchise tag was a way smarter move.
Had Njoku played on the tag, there is a great chance the Browns could have got him for less money this offseason. And if Njoku ended up leaving, they certainly could find someone talented for more than $14 million a year.
This isn’t me questioning the ceiling of a guy like Njoku. I’m the first to admit I think he could be a top-five tight end in the league. He’s a freak athlete, has great hands, and has really improved his in-line blocking to be a versatile player on the field. But I’ll still make the argument that the money should have been spent somewhere else last year.
Browns Terrible Decision No. 1 – Not fixing Defensive Tackle
For three years I have watched the Cleveland Browns struggle at defensive tackle, and the team had a chance to fix it in 2022 and they didn’t.
Not only did Berry have the money to spend in free agency, but he also had plenty of draft picks and he chose to ignore not having a run-stopping defensive tackle on the roster.
Instead, he doubled down and signed Taven Bryan, a former first-round pick who has been criticized since entering the league about his run support. And he took Perrion Winfrey in the later rounds of the 2022 draft who is a hybrid defensive end/defensive tackle and truly a pass-rushing specialist.
So, for an entire season, fans had to watch this defense get torched up the middle for what felt like seven yards per carry every time the opposing team handed off the ball. I know the NFL is all about passing the ball, but when you can’t stop the run, you don’t have a chance to be a real competitor for a title.
Now we head into 2023 and Berry is limited on cap and draft picks, but the hole at defensive tackle is bigger than ever. I don’t care how he fixes it; I just want to see the issue fixed in 2023.
3 former Cleveland Browns who failed with their new team in 2022
There were several Cleveland Browns playing in new homes in 2022 and these three failed to live up to expectations, proving the team right in moving on