The Cleveland Browns and general manager Andrew Berry were extremely aggressive this offseason in order to make substantial upgrades to the roster. Starting with the additions of defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and pass rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo in free agency, Berry then made two splashes in the trade market, landing Za’Darius Smith and Elijah Moore as well.
And national outlets have taken notice. The newest outlet to give the Browns praise is ESPN, as they have given Berry and his team a top-10 roster grade as Cleveland looks to get back into the playoffs in 2023.
Here is what ESPN’s Mike Clay and Seth Walder had to say about the Browns:
Strongest Unit:
“Offensive line. Cleveland will return all five starters to arguably the league’s best offensive line. Tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin are terrific pass blockers, center Ethan Pocic was elite in both the pass and run game last season, and guards Joel Bitonio (who didn’t miss a single snap last season) and Wyatt Teller are terrific. — Clay”
Weakest Unit:
“Defensive tackle depth. This roster is, at least, solid across the board, leaving me to choose a position at which Cleveland added a high-impact player (Dalvin Tomlinson). That addition is huge, but depth remains problematic, with Jordan Elliott, Perrion Winfrey, Maurice Hurst and rookie Siaki Ika among those battling for work. This is a concern for a defense that ranked 31st in rushing EPA allowed in 2022. — Clay”
X factor for 2023:
“QB Deshaun Watson. Obvious, sure. But the range of outcomes here is absolutely massive for both Watson and the roster, which is otherwise strong outside of the huge question at quarterback. If Watson can get back to his level of play even from 2020, when he led the Texans to a 4-12 record but had a 63.7 QBR, the Browns could be Super Bowl contenders. — Walder”
Nonstarter to know:
“DT Siaki Ika. The third-round pick played mostly at 0- and 2/2i-techniques at Baylor, according to Sports Info Solutions tracking, and he generated 30 pressures from those spots over the past two seasons — second most among all FBS players in that span. — Walder”
