Few teams were more disappointing than the Cleveland Browns last year. If they falter again, changes are likely coming.
It was supposed to be the year for the Cleveland Browns. Instead, it became every other year.
Cleveland entered 2021 feeling great. Baker Mayfield looked like a franchise quarterback, Kevin Stefanski was reigning NFL Coach of the Year and the team had won its first playoff game since 1994, knocking off there hated Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card round.
In the offseason, the Browns had also done well to revamp their defense under general manager Andrew Berry’s watchful eye. Things were lined up for a deep playoff run.
And then, Cleveland finished 8-9 and in third place, missing the playoffs entirely.
The Browns were hit with a litany of issues ranging from Mayfield’s Week 2 injury which lingered throughout the year, to a bout of COVID-19 which cost them a game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17. Still, the bottom line was a poor campaign punctuated by releasing receiver Odell Beckham Jr., only to watch him sign with the Los Angeles Rams and win the Super Bowl.
Of course, if Cleveland is going to contend in the AFC North, it all starts with a better year from Mayfield. Last season, the former No. 1 overall pick played with an ailing shoulder and it showed, as he posted only 17 touchdown passes against 13 interceptions across 14 games (6-8). Just the year prior, those numbers were 26 and eight respectively.
Should Mayfield struggle again in the final year of his rookie deal, he could very well be looking to sign on elsewhere to compete for a starting job.
Entering this offseason, there’s much at stake. Cleveland is potentially losing receiver Jarvis Landry as a cap casualty while edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and tight end David Njoku are hitting unrestricted free agency. If the Browns lose Landry, they desperately need to add another receiver, as Donovan Peoples-Jones and Rashard Higgins aren’t enough.
Furthermore, Cleveland needs to not only replace by add pieces. The Browns have $24 million in cap space and should use it to add help defensively, perhaps bolstering the front seven while getting more depth at boundary corner behind second-year man Greg Newsome II and star Denzel Ward.
After a year of failure, the Browns now try to surprise by finding their way again. It begins over the next few weeks, as player movement dominates the NFL landscape.
