5 offseason moves to make Browns GM Andrew Berry look like a genius

During the 2023 season, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry made a comment that irritated some of their fans. Berry said he wanted fans to 'enjoy and Lean into the process' as they build their team. Not long after that, they caught fire and finished the year 11-6 — without Deshaun Watson.

That makes it easier for fans to trust that process, now that they've seen the depth rise to the occasion. But that doesn't mean the work is done. Instead, the Browns need to strike while the iron is hot. Their roster has several key pieces but they need to shore up a few areas to become Super Bowl contenders. With that being the case, here are five moves Berry can make to improve the team and come out looking like a genius.

5. Upgrade their backup LT with Cam Fleming

Jedrick Wills, Jr. will be under contract in 2024 to the dismay of some. He did improve as this past season went on but some have had a hard time ignoring the poor body language and perceived lack of effort throughout the 2022 campaign and the start of 2023.

Despite his lack of popularity, Cleveland picked up the fifth year of his rookie contract which means his deal is fully guaranteed this year. That doesn't mean the Browns shouldn't look for help at the position — and there's a pending free agent who should be on their radar.

Cam Fleming, who spent the past two years in Denver, has played for four different teams and has 62 starts and 117 appearances. He's played right tackle as well as left and would be a major improvement as the backup left tackle over James Hudson. That's why he's someone who should be brought in to help shore up their offensive line — which was a problem late in the year.

4. Land Braelon Allen or Audric Estime on Day 2

Cleveland is hopeful Nick Chubb will return to form but it's going to be a tough ask for him. Chubb is already 28 which isn't young at all for a running back and had to go through two separate surgeries to repair both his MCL and ACL. This is also the second serious knee injury he's had after tearing three ligaments in his left knee — the same knee that was injured in 2023.

Chubb proved he wasn't a normal human when he returned to Georgia following his awful injury as a sophomore and dominated but then went on to star in the NFL. During his five years — and one and a half games in 2023 — Chubb has 6,511 yards and averages 5.3 yards per rush. Still, expecting him to bounce back and be the same player right away might be too much. Plus, the Browns already think he won't be ready in Week 1.

With him out, the ground game was decent but had far too many runs that resulted in a loss of yards. They also went A.W.O.L. down the stretch this year. That's why Andrew Berry should make sure to land someone who can carry the load if needed — while also being an excellent No. 2 should Chubb prove to be a superhero once again.

That doesn't mean they have to sign a high-priced free agent but they need to use a Day 2 selection on someone who can start. Two excellent options would be Braelon Allen from Wisconsin or Audric Estime from Notre Dame. Allen is a massive player at 6-2 and 240 pounds and had 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons.

Estime didn't get as many touches but had 1,341 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior. Listed at 6-1 and 215 pounds, he's not as powerful as Allen but had more yards after contact and is very evasive. Either could be the back of the future and would be an upgrade over Jerome Ford.

3. Re-negotiate Amari Cooper's contract

Amari Cooper deserves a lot of praise for what he's done over the past two seasons. Despite Cleveland struggling to find consistency under center, he's recorded 2,410 yards and 15 touchdowns on 150 catches. He's also the first player in team history to haul in 1,000 receiving yards in consecutive campaigns. Only Ozzie Newsome ever did this more than once but even he didn't do it in back-to-back seasons.

As good as he's been, Cooper has also been struggling to stay healthy. While he hasn't missed a ton of games, he's been slowed at times due to nagging injuries. This past season, he was out in the final two weeks — but likely could have gone in Week 18 if there was something to play for. He returned in the playoffs but was clearly limited by his heel injury.

This doesn't mean he needs to be released but the Browns can't go into 2024 without doing something to help the offense gain some more explosion. That can't happen without creating some cap space and Cooper will be key in this regard.

Currently accounting for $24 million against the cap, the Browns need to find a way to lower that hit. The easiest way will be to extend his deal and work in some void years, which is Berry's specialty. That will end up costing them down the road but it's better to try and keep the stars they do have rather than creating more holes.

2. Swing a trade for Jonathan Allen

Once again, there's a lot of change coming to D.C. The Washington Commanders moved on from Ron Rivera and will be looking for their next head coach. They might have some hope that they will finally find the right coach but it's going to be hard to convince some of their veterans to stick around.

One player in particular has already started to show signs of exhaustion. Jonathan Allen, who was the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama, vented his frustrations this year. Allen said he was "getting tired" of seven years of losing — which was before Washington traded away Chase Young and Montez Sweat.

With Allen already annoyed with the team, it would make sense to assume he might want a fresh start. And the Commanders might be willing to let him go since they don't want him to become a problem.

If Cleveland was able to land him, they would be getting a player with two years remaining on his deal. However, he's also making more than $21 million in each of those seasons, so it would make sense for them to work out a new deal as well to make it all fit.

Allen, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, has 382 tackles and 39 sacks in his career. He's capable of playing the 3-tech but can also slide outside if needed. For Jim Schwartz, he would have another versatile weapon that could help improve an already-loaded defense.

1. Sign Michael Pittman Jr.

If Andrew Berry is able to get Amari Cooper to re-work his deal, that will be key for the Browns to try and get him some more help at receiver. They hoped Elijah Moore would be their No. 2 wideout and he did well overall. He finished 2023 with 640 yards on 59 receptions but he had several games with very low output.

While Moore is decent, we saw with him and Cooper out in the second half of the win over the New York Jets that the rest of the receiving corps struggles to get open. That's why it would make sense to bring in another pass-catcher and the big name in free agency will be Tee Higgins.

The Cincinnati wideout is likely going to draw a lot of interest and while he might be an excellent fit in this offense, he's not the player the Browns should target. Instead, they should look for someone who can be a No. 1 wideout if needed but won't completely break the bank. That's why Berry should target Michael Pittman, Jr.

Currently with the Indianapolis Colts, Pittman has been their top target for the past three seasons. He's gone over 1,000 yards in two of those campaigns including 2023 when he had 109 receptions and four touchdowns. He's also not had a quarterback with the talent of Deshaun Watson. Nor has he had complimentary weapons like Cooper, Moore, and Njoku to take off some of the pressure.

At just 26 years of age, Pittman can also help Cleveland transition from Cooper when they need to make that move. He's also not going to be in the way of someone such as Cedric Tillman who can still develop as the No. 4 wideout.