After years of seemingly being lost from a philosophical and personnel standpoint, the Cleveland Browns appear to be going back to their offensive roots, embracing what made the organization want to bring in Kevin Stefanski in the first place.
The wide-zone scheme is popular across the NFL, as it can be tailored to fit the particular skill sets of the players involved. Based on the way the Browns have approached their roster construction this offseason and the footage seen from rookie minicamp, it certainly appears they are leaving the spread and speed concepts of the failed Deshaun Watson era behind them and going back to basics.
The basics are Cleveland's path back to success
Expect a heavy dose of the run game and plenty of play-action bootlegs from Cleveland's signal callers. It is an incredibly effective way to put together an offense, and it helps them get the most out of a quarterback room lacking an elite signal caller. Leaning on a couple of rookie running backs may not be the most appealing prospect, but Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson should be more than capable of being productive ball carriers in Stefanski's offense.
When it comes to their passing attack, Jerry Jeudy is clearly the primary ball catcher for whichever quarterback is on the field at that time (ideally, Joe Flacco to begin the year and Dillon Gabriel later if the season has become an uncompetitive one). While it would have been nice to see the Browns bring in an additional receiver to the mix, the fact that they did not was a signal that their offense was going back to what it once was rather than what it had become.
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Instead of drafting a receiver or signing one that actually matters, the Browns brought in another tight end to complement what they already have in David Njoku. Cleveland drafted Harold Fannin Jr. in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Bowling Green.
Fannin Jr. was coming off a year that saw him finish with 117 receptions for 1,555 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Falcons, making it pretty obvious that the Browns view him as a threat in the passing game instead of being another tight end where blocking is their primary source of value.
The Browns returning to what they know was absolutely necessary
The Browns have been lost ever since their playoff defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2020 season. Instead of trying to improve upon the formula that got them there, Cleveland's decision-makers attempted to alter their recipe for success to resemble high-powered offenses like Kansas City's more. This was their undoing as every step they took got them further away, but now, they appear to have recognized their mistake and have taken the proper steps to rectify it.
Will these steps that Cleveland has taken lead to success in the wins and losses department? That's hard to tell, but it is encouraging to see them get back to an offensive philosophy they know how to run proficiently. This should result in the Browns being a competent team offensively and show that there are true foundational pieces in place, even if they end up on the wrong end of the final score more often than preferred.
It is about having something they can genuinely build upon moving forward, and for the first time in a long time, the Cleveland Browns might be able to say that they confidently do by season's end.