Lists are confining. There's always a plethora of reasons why something did or did not happen for an unsuccessful team in the NFL, and most of those reasons are never truly defined properly. Between a poor run game, or a poor offensive line, or even just a poor coaching job, there are a ton of things that can go awry for a team and lead to a season like the Cleveland Browns just had.
But, the Browns season was especially stinging because of the expectations set for them to begin the year. They had their key defenders in Denzel Ward and Myles Garrett returning, a healthy Deshaun Watson seemingly ready to finally live up to his contract, and excellent receiving options in Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper for Watson to succeed in the pass game.
Of course, that all fell apart.
Luckily for Cleveland, a lot of their issues stemmed from pretty identifiable and fixable players and positions. And, that'll be the few that they need to address to avoid yet another three win season in 2025.
3 changes the Browns must make to avoid disaster in 2025
1. Trust in Dawand Jones at LT, but draft several versatile linemen anyway
If there was one glaring issue with this Browns team, it was their complete lack of a run game. It was more jarring having come off one of their best seasons on the ground back in 2023. Of course, with no Nick Chubb, it was anticipated that the run game would suffer. But, with zero support or run blocking consistently from their O-line, it was impossible to get anyone going in the backfield.
Dawand Jones, who subbed in for Jedrick Wills Jr. after he benched himself in Week 8, was an excellent starter at left tackle before he went down with a season ending injury. If he's able to come back fully healthy and ready to train towards being a starter again, he should get the nod. But, Cleveland must prioritize drafting as much O-line talent as possible this offseason.
Read more: Browns take best QB in class at No. 2 in latest ESPN NFL Mock Draft
Assuming the Browns go quarterback with their No. 2 overall pick, they can still take players like Grey Zabel, Armand Membou, or Donovan Jackson in the second or third round.
2. Re-sign Nick Chubb, but aim to sign more reliable RB to back him up
Chubb is likely to return on a team-friendly deal in 2025, as he's expressed that he wouldn't want to play anywhere else and as the team has expressed they're already planning on placing him on the teams' Ring of Honor.
But, Chubb is 29 years old and now coming off his second lower leg injury in three seasons. Granted, this recent injury to his foot didn't require surgery and was nowhere near as serious as his previous knee injuries, but it's still scary considering how important his health is to the teams' offense and run game.
Chubb should and will be re-signed - but, the team has to also look to free agency and the trade market to see if they can snag a more reliable, younger running back to back him up in 2025. If they can manage to draft a running back like Omarion Hampton or Cam Skattebo, that would be even better. One thing is for sure, though - Cleveland must invest in their ground attack again.
3. Get Denzel Ward help in secondary
Ward had one of the more underrated seasons in the secondary in 2024, but he was thankfully recognized for that season with a Pro Bowl selection. His 19 passes defended stood for first in the league, and while he didn't get as many takeaways as he would have wanted to - just two interceptions and one forced fumble - he was a premier cornerback for Cleveland.
You cannot say the same about essentially any of the rest of the team's secondary from 2024. Juan Thornhill had one of the most underwhelming seasons you could have expected, while Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson Jr. couldn't stay healthy and consistent with Ward on the field throughout the year.
That led to a much younger and more inexperienced secondary getting major snaps, but no one really stood out from the pack. Ward is going to need one of two things next year - Thornhill to finally step up as a defender, or for Cleveland to invest in signing or trading for a reliable cornerback to slot in alongside Ward. Someone like D.J. Reed from the NY Jets should be the Browns' target this offseason.
Cleveland's turnover ratio in 2024 of 23 interceptions to just four Cleveland picks was unacceptable, and led to a lot of close losses.