It’s been a momentous few days for the Cleveland Browns. Not one but two major trades with the New York Giants have reshaped the team, and some free agents have come and gone as well.
After bringing in Odell Beckham Jr., Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon while saying goodbye to Kevin Zeitler, Jamie Collins and Jabrill Peppers (among others), the first edition of head coach Freddie Kitchens’ Browns under GM John Dorsey is taking shape.
Here are five things I believe I know about the 2019 Browns after the first week of free agency.
Wide receiver is no longer a big need
The Browns now have the highest-paid duo in the league with Beckham and Jarvis Landry. The former LSU teammates should (should!) be among the best one-two punches in the league.
With Rashard Higgins coming back as a restricted free agent and Antonio Callaway entering his second season with more promise as a downfield weapon, the top four spots on the depth chart appear set. Breshad Perriman begged out of returning because there simply isn’t playing time available.
There is still some need for a quick, over-the-middle slot receiver, but with Landry such a physical presence in the slot, it’s something Dorsey can address late with a developmental type of draft pick.
The offensive line is a much bigger concern
The Browns offensive line was arguably the best in the NFL two years ago, and the team went 0-16. Now the strength of the offense in recent times is suddenly the biggest question mark.
Zeitler was probably overpaid at right guard, but he was a consistently solid starter and an unheralded asset in helping right tackle Chris Hubbard in passing situations last season. His replacement figures to be 2018 second-round pick Austin Corbett.
I like Corbett. I was a big proponent of the Browns drafting him last April, and I still like his potential. But he’s never played guard and he’s never played on the right side of the line. There will be growing pains. Hubbard is an average right tackle on his best day, and not having the steady Zeitler inside makes that spot more vulnerable, too.
There are no concerns with the center/left guard tandem of J.C. Tretter and Joel Bitonio. Both are Pro Bowl-caliber talents.
Then there’s Greg Robinson at left tackle. He was perfectly fine in his eight-game starting stint last year, and given how he accomplished that (improved technique and attitude), it should carry over. However, Robinson was one of the worst linemen in the league for his entire career before that, a colossal draft bust. Forgive me if I want some insurance there.
Signing Kendall Lamm is worthwhile, but I watched him up close in Houston in 2017 and he was less reliable than Desmond Harrison’s stint as the overwhelmed starter last fall prior to Robinson taking over. At least one tackle with higher-end potential is still needed.
Dorsey is all in on winning in 2019
Trading for two players who were signed for over $175 million total by the New York Giants indicates Dorsey believes this team is ready to win now. It’s the kind of move that cannot be made once Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett require their sure-to-be-massive second contracts.
The aggressive stockpiling of premium talent is a stark new reality for Cleveland. Being a desirable destination for players who want to win is a great thing for the city and for the Browns. But it does amp up the pressure level considerably. Let’s see how the team handles it with a rookie head coach and not a lot of internally established veteran leadership. It looks great, but Dorsey has taken some risks here in pushing all in so quickly.
The secondary is in need of reinforcements
Peppers is now in New York, and jack-of-all-trades reserve Briean Boddy-Calhoun is in Houston. E.J. Gaines is gone, too.
The depth has taken a major hit, even with reserve CB Phillip Gaines re-signing. That depth was an issue last season when injuries to starting corners Denzel Ward and Terrance Mitchell hit hard.
If Dorsey has another trade move up his sleeve, importing a game-ready veteran No. 2 corner to play opposite Ward and put less reliance on Mitchell and T.J. Carrie in their CB roles would be a nice one to play. And while Derrick Kindred can handle Peppers’ role in the run game, the new de facto starting strong safety isn’t close to Peppers in coverage ability.
It’s weird not caring about mock drafts
There is no first-round pick in 2019 for the Browns. It’s already been used to help bring in Beckham. That means the vast majority of mock drafts that proliferate over the next five weeks won’t even mention the Browns other than a “from CLE” designation on the Giants’ No. 17 overall pick.
That’s a radical change for a team that has had the No. 1 overall pick in the last two drafts and has made five first-round selections in the last two years.
Mock drafts aren’t accurate, of course; that’s largely not the point. They do show how the team and its needs are perceived. Mocks also reveal where pundits believe prospects are generally ordered and apt to come off the board within a few picks. It’s a lot easier to accomplish that in the first 25 picks than it is when the team’s first pick is in the high 40s.
Since I’m a longtime draftnik, I can’t resist …
Current projection for the Browns’ first pick at No. 49 overall: Washington safety Taylor Rapp.
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