As the Cleveland Browns look to improve in 2023, these three players should see more playing time while there’s one who should not
When a team goes 7-10, there’s plenty of blame to go around. However, the Cleveland Browns also had their share of positive moments as well during the 2022 season — even if it’s hard to remember them sometimes.
Here, we take the time to look at three players who proved during the year that they deserve an expanded role in 2023, as well as one who should see less time.
3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role and 1 who should not
Expanded role needed: Sione Takitaki, LB
First, the Browns need to re-sign Sione Takitaki. The fourth-year linebacker is entering free agency and even though he’s rehabbing from a torn ACL, he needs to be a priority this offseason.
This past season, the Browns lost one linebacker after another. Eventually, Takitaki went down as well but before he did, he moved to the MIKE Linebacker spot and crushed it. He’s always been a sure tackler and an underrated player but he surpassed all expectations when asked to change his role.
For what it’s worth, Takitaki has said he wants to come back to Cleveland and they might end up coming to terms on a shorter deal in order for him to rehab his knee while truly figuring out his market value. If he plays anywhere close to the level we saw in 2022, that would be a huge boost for the entire defense.
Expanded role needed: Perrion Winfrey, DT
Early in the season, Perrion Winfrey was headed in the wrong direction. Heading into their Week 2 meeting with the New York Jets, Winfrey was disciplined by head coach Kevin Stefanski and Myles Garrett spoke out publicly.
While Garrett didn’t get into the specifics, he said the rookie needed to “learn how to be a pro.”
"“We’ve used our voice a couple of times and at the end of the day, he’s got to learn how to be a pro. [Coach] Kevin [Stefanski] took it into his own hands and he felt like that was the right thing to do, and I’m behind my coach’s actions totally.” — Garrett on Winfrey"
Making matters worse, when Winfrey was on the field, he wasn’t making much of an impact. He was a liability in the run game, which was never his strong suit, but also didn’t show much when rushing the passer.
His numbers weren’t eye-popping with 22 tackles, a half-sack, and three quarterback pressures but he was starting to jump off the film. His speed was evident and Winfrey seemed to be playing more freely while thinking less.
Cleveland isn’t exactly deep at defensive tackle so they’re going to need Winfrey to take a leap in 2023 and they need to give him the chance to do exactly that.
Expanded role needed: Jerome Ford, RB
For the past four seasons, the Browns have had one of the best running back combinations in the NFL with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. When both were on the field and healthy, Cleveland’s ground game was nearly impossible to stop.
However, Hunt struggled some this past season. He ran for 468 yards and had another 210 as a receiver but scored just four touchdowns. He also had a career-low 3.8 yards per attempt.
Now a free agent, Hunt is likely on the way out which opens the door for Jerome Ford, who deserves more opportunities to run the ball.
A fifth-round pick out of Cincinnati, Ford hardly saw the ball on offense. He ended up with just 12 yards on eight carries but showed off his playmaking ability when he was used as a kick returner. With 30 runbacks on the season, Ford went for 723 yards with a long of 48.
Originally a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Ford transferred to Cincinnati and had a monster senior campaign with 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. He’s a shifty runner that doesn’t shy away from contact and while he might not be at the same level Hunt was in his prime, he can do a lot of the same things if given a shot in the RB2 role.
Lesser role needed: Anthony Schwartz, WR
In need of someone with the ability to stretch the defense, the Cleveland Browns added Auburn wideout Anthony Schwartz in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Schwartz possessed sub 4.3 speed but was far from a finished product.
The Browns believed they could teach him proper route running and at first, it seemed as though they would get a solid return on their investment.
In his debut against the Kansas City Chiefs, Schwartz was filling in for an injured Odell Beckham, Jr. and hauled in a 44-yard pass on his very first target. He ended up with 69 yards that day on just three receptions.
However, he fell off the map after this. He had just seven more receptions for 66 yards for the rest of the season. Then in 11 games in 2022, he had just four receptions for 51 yards.
Now, after two seasons in the NFL, there are already serious questions about Schwartz. While it was known that he would be a developmental player, he has yet to take a step in the right direction. And without a deep wide receiver corps, he could be taking the place of someone who really might be able to contribute one day.
That’s why even though his role was short in 2022, Schwartz needs even less time in 2023.
3 contracts holding the Cleveland Browns back right now
As the Cleveland Browns look to improve their roster in 2023, they could find themselves held back by these three contracts