With four games left to play in 2023, the Cleveland Browns are in line for their second playoff berth under head coach Kevin Stefanski. Their 8-5 record is beyond impressive considering the adversity they've faced this year. Star players such as Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson, and Jack Conklin have hardly seen the field due to injuries, yet they continue to roll.
Knowing how well they've done with depth pieces taking over at so many spots, the Browns know they're close to being perrennial contenders. To make sure they get over the hump and become a legitimate threat to win the title, they need to focus on these four goals in the 2024 offseason.
4. Re-load the defensive line
Cleveland did an excellent job loading up talent on the offensive line but several of their additions will be free agents this offseason after signing one-year deals. Za'Darius Smith, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris all fall under this category. They will also have to decide on Jordan Elliott, their third-round pick from 2020 who is also scheduled for free agency.
General manager Andrew Berry has been a fan of one-year deals for role players, which is how he’s kept the salary cap from getting out of control. It’s also how he’s been able to lock up so many of their key starters. The one downfall is how often they have to negotiate to keep a player, or go out and replace him.
With this group, they’re likely to let most walk in free agency. They’ll still have stars such as Myles Garrett and Dalvin Tomlinson as well as Ogbo Okoronkwo. But they’re going to have to add at least one more starter on the defensive line. They’ll also need to find suitable backups, knowing how often they’ve suffered injuries. They do have Siaki Ika and Elijah McGuire, two rookies who have been developing on the bench, but they’ll still need to get their depth back up before kicking off the season.
3. Find more depth behind Nick Chubb
Entering this season, the Browns were content with running the ball less and focusing on the passing game with Deshaun Watson. That led to some frustration among the fan base since they knew just how dominant Nick Chubb is. Still, Cleveland expected Chubb to get the ball often but the hope was to preserve him — rather than run him into the ground.
With that philosophy, they neglected to add any real depth behind Chubb. Jerome Ford came in with slightly more than a handful of carries and they added Pierre Strong behind him. That depth would have been fine if Chubb played all season but as we know, he was lost to a knee injury in Week 2.
They were fortunate to still be able to sign Kareem Hunt who has seven touchdowns, but he’s averaging just 3.3 yards per rush. He’s still an effective short-yardage back but he’s not the game-changer he once was. Ford has been more explosive and has 698 yards and three touchdowns. The problem is that he can be feast or famine and often gets slowed down late in games.
That’s why Andrew Berry needs to get serious about the depth behind Chubb. They hope that he returns in 2024 but it also doesn’t sound like he will be there right away. They still won’t need a star but a day-two pick wouldn’t be a bad idea. They could also target a few free agents capable of starting a few games with Damien Harris, Antonio Gibson, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire all serving as potential signings.
2. Completely overhaul the WR corps
For several years now, the receiving corps in Cleveland has underwhelmed. To their credit, they’ve been attempting to fix this problem but so far, the group continues to underwhelm. They do have one player who continues to step up, which is Amari Cooper.
Added in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys last year, Cooper had 1,000 yards receiving while working with Jacoby Brissett and Deshaun Watson. This year, he’s approaching the mark again with 876 yards — while averaging a career-high 15.4 yards per catch. Beyond that, there’s been a lot of inconsistency.
Elijah Moore is the No. 2 wideout with 50 receptions for 543 yards but he’s been guilty of disappearing at times. He’s also only been able to get into the end zone one time. That’s also been an issue for Cooper, who has just two touchdowns. Both Cooper and Moore should be in the plans going forward, but there might be a conversation about Cooper’s salary. What the front office needs to do, however, is make some massive changes behind them.
The receivers further down the depth chart have been largely non-existent with Cedric Tillman recording 11 catches, David Bell pulling in seven, and Marquise Goodwin with three grabs. There was tangible excitement around this group heading into the season and while quarterback issues have played a part, they need some youth that can stretch the field and put pressure on the vets ahead of them.
1. Figure out how to work with Deshaun Watson
Without trying to start any controversy, it needs to be stated that Joe Flacco has looked more comfortable in his first two games with Cleveland than Deshaun Watson has in 12. Last year, the issues were shrugged off as rust and he was supposed to be better in 2023. Overall, he was, but he still was up and down — and started games out slow.
He did begin to turn it around in the win over Tennessee but was then out with a shoulder injury. When he returned, he had another solid game against the Ravens, but that included a slow first half. Then, he was sent to the IR with a broken bone in his shoulder.
There are those who are done hearing about Watson and all the struggles this team has had getting him rolling since he was added last year. Despite such feelings, Watson isn’t going anywhere thanks to the five-year, $230 million deal he signed — which is fully guaranteed. That means for the next three years, he’s the starter when healthy.
During the 2024 offseason, their primary goal needs to be figuring out how to make this relationship work. It seems Kevin Stefanski works better with a pure pocket passer but has to find ways to work with Watson, who is an improviser. Watson also needs to figure out how to be a leader for this team, since that’s what he’s being paid to be.
Cleveland has proven they can win with their staff and this roster. Getting Watson to perform at an average level will make them a playoff team for the next three years. Getting him to play up to his potential would make them Super Bowl contenders.