Here are the Browns 3 best moves of the 2023 offseason

The Cleveland Browns have made some strong moves to improve the roster this offseason. Andrew Berry knew he needed to add talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and he did.

Cleveland heads into this year with one of the most complete rosters in the NFL, leaving no more excuses. With a plethora of players added this past offseason let's take a look and the best moves made by the front office.

3. Juan Thornhill

The Browns defensive backfield had some issues in the 2022 season, but the biggest was the lack of a centerfielder that could cover plenty of ground. Juan Thornhill has been doing that for the reigning Super Bowl Champs for the past four years.

Over that time, he had eight interceptions and 20 passes defensed. His coverage ability is by far his greatest asset and will improve a secondary that had a lot of lapses last season. It also doesn't hurt that the numbers are there, as he had the third-highest forced incompletion rate in the NFL per Pro Football Focus(subscription required). 

Thornhill brings the speed, 4.4 in the 40, and intangibles to help lead, what is still a young secondary. He has shown to be a vocal leader already and plays with an aggressive nature that can be infectious. Adding speed, leadership, and aggressiveness to the secondary might make you think Thornhill was the best move by Berry but a couple of other moves rate just a bit higher.

2. Za'Darius Smith

The next move on the list may be debatable by most, as Andrew Berry went out and got some pass rush help in the form of former Minnesota Viking Za'Darius Smith. Smith would come to Cleveland in a trade with former Browns' executive Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for fifth-round picks in 2024 and 2025.

Cleveland would also receive picks in the sixth and seventh rounds of the 2025 draft. Smith may be the best defensive end we have seen in The Land for a long time outside of Myles Garrett. 

Smith can impact games to the level of anyone in the NFL. Before a knee injury slowed him down in 2022, there was Defensive Player of the Year rumblings based on the eye-popping numbers he opened the year with. By the end of October last year, Smith had racked up 8.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, and even had one pass defensed. He was the NFC Player of the Month in November for his great early play. 

After the knee injury, Smith continued to suit up but didn't have the same production in the sack department with only 2.5 the rest of the year. He still wreaked some havoc after the injury, as he had 12 quarterback hits and four tackles for loss.

All of this is to say that the Browns have, if healthy, a special player who has never played opposite talent like Myles Garrett before. Could they both be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year in 2023?

1. Dalvin Tomlinson

If anyone watched the Browns last year, then you know why Dalvin Tomlinson was not only the best move made, but possibly the most important one. The defensive tackle play last year was awful, to put it mildly, and needed an impact player if this defense was to take the next step. Tomlinson is that player.

Last season for the Minnesota Vikings Tomlinson racked up 42 tackles, three for a loss, ten quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks. But those numbers don't tell the entire story of how much impact Tomlinson can make against both the run and pass.

The biggest asset Tomlinson brings is his run defense as last season he had 24 stop tackles and has graded out as a top 16 run defender since 2017 per Pro Football Focus(subscription required).

"Tomlinson has been shuffled around on the interior after playing mostly nose tackle with the New York Giants to start his career, with Minnesota lining him up more as a three-technique when playing alongside Michael Pierce (in 2021) or Harrison Phillips. Tomlinson has never missed more than five tackles in a season, and his 83.0 run-defense grade since 2017 is a top-16 mark at the position.

While Tomlinson missed Weeks 9-12 due to injury, he managed to post a career-best 79.1 pass-rush grade and a sixth straight season to start his career grading above 74.0 overall. He’s a better fit as a zero- or one-technique, with his 55 tackles for loss or no gain since 2017 the third most among interior players and with his pass-rush upside better deployed as an added benefit but not the primary feature. "

By Brad Spielberger Mar 13, 2023

Tomlinson can also provide some solid pass rush ability up the middle as he is one of 10 defensive tackles to have 60 defensive stops against the run and have a pass rush win rate of over 10 percent over the last three seasons.

While most don't view Tomlinson as a pass rusher, the numbers show he can bring some heat up the middle. Tomlinson has all the tools the Browns need to help strengthen the front four and help take Myles Garrett's game to the next level. It also doesn't hurt that he is excited to play next to Garrett. 

The Browns needed help up front, so Andrew Berry got some help in the form of maybe the best all-around defensive tackle on the market this past offseason. Now we see if Tomlinson's impact can help this defense take their game to the next level.