Ranking the Cleveland Browns 4 worst moves of the 2023 offseason

As a whole, the Cleveland Browns had a great offseason in 2023. They made some necessary changes to the coaching staff and continued to build their roster around Deshaun Watson — which is what teams do when they pay an elite quarterback.

They even did a great job not only patching holes on defense but also upgrading key positions. While all of that's true, there are some areas of concern that remain. Here, we focus on those with the four worst offseason moves — or lack thereof — during the 2023 offseason.

Cleveland Browns worst moves of the offseason

4. Staying the course at linebacker

Cleveland was wise to retain both Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker, Jr. Each was a free agent and had done well when given opportunities. The problem is, they're both coming off injuries, as are Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jacob Phillips.

This isn't an abnormal issue either as the Browns have been far from durable at linebacker. On top of that, even when their linebackers are all healthy, this unit is far from one of the best in the NFL.

For those two reasons, it would have made a lot of sense to add depth — as well as competition. We can praise Takitaki, Walker, and the rest of the corps all we want but none — outside of JOK — has proven they deserve to have an unchallenged position.

As it stands, it appears the coaching staff believes a stronger defensive line will be the key to unlocking the potential at linebacker. The thought is sound, as they expect the defensive tackles to eat up blocks while the athletic linebackers make plays.

Even so, a little competition never hurt anyone, and entering 2023, there's very little competition at one of the weakest spots on the roster.