The season is approaching. The editorial staff of DNA of Sports invites you to take stock of the strengths and weaknesses of the 32 franchises. Today, the Cleveland Browns 2023. You can find all the presentations by clicking on this link.
A year and a half ago, the Browns went all-in to reclaim controversial Deshaun Watson, who was suspended for most of the season (11 games) thereafter.
In a strong AFC North division, limiting damage in the absence of their superstar proved to be mission impossible, and when Watson was finally able to set foot on the pitch in week 13, the Browns were already pointing to 4 wins and 7 losses. : prohibitive for any hope of play-offs. Worse, Cleveland’s level of play did not see a significant improvement during the handover from the honorable but limited Jacoby Brissett to Deshaun Watson.
After this 2022 season to be put on hold, 2023 is the moment of truth for the Browns: Jackpot or Bankruptcy in Ohio?
Last season: 7 wins – 10 losses, last in AFC North
Movements in the off-season
Notable arrivals: Za’Darius Smith (DE), Dalvin Tomlinson (DT), Elijah Moore (WR), Marquise Goodwin (WR), Juan Tornhill (S), Mike Ford (CB), Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (DE), Maurice Hurst Jr (DT), Rodney McLeod (S), Wes Martin (OG), Jordan Akins (TE), Joshua Dobbs (QB)
Re-signings: Ethan Pocic (C), Sione Takitaki (LB), Anthony Walker (LB), Jordan Kunaszyk (LB)
Draft: Cedric Tillman (WR), Siaki Ika (DT), Dawand Jones (OT), Isaiah McGuire (DE), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB), Cameron Mitchell (CB), Luke Wypler (C)
Notable losses: Jadeveon Clowney (DE), Jacoby Brissett (QB), Kareem Hunt (RB), Greedy Williams (CB), Taven Bryan (DT), Deion Jones (LB), Chris Hubbard (OT), Jesse James (TE) , Hjalte Froholdt (OG), D’Ernest Johnson (RB)
The offseason has been eventful in Ohio. Even if he must undergo the pressure of expectations linked to his record contract, there is no question of resting the entire Browns building on Deshaun Watson. Football is indeed played on both sides of the ball, and in an AFC North renowned for its defenses, Cleveland honored tradition by injecting new blood into its defensive squad.
First of all, exit Joe Woods, defensive coordinator since 2020. To replace him: the experienced Jim Schwarz arrives from Tennessee. Cleveland also says goodbye to the invading Jadeveon Clowney, frustrated with his role last season, but does not lose the change by recovering Za’Darius Smith. All defensive curtains have also been considered, with the signing of veterans such as Dalvin Tomlinson on the first curtain, the re-signatures of Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki as linebacker, or the arrival of Juan Tornhill and Rodney McLeod in the backfield.
Less considered, the attack still received reinforcements, especially in the diversity of aerial targets for Watson: the tall Cedric Tillman (1m90) via the draft, the twirling Elijah Moore in an exchange with the Jets or the supersonic Marquise Goodwin for deep games are all additional weapons to support Amari Cooper who was sometimes quite alone last season.
The strong points)
Relying mostly on superstar Myles Garrett (16 sacks) last season, Cleveland’s defensive line is intimidating on paper when you add the hulking Dalvin Tomlinson (6’10”, 147 kg) and Jordan Elliott (6’93”, 137 kg) at center , and the ghost Za’Darius Smith (Comeback Player of the Year in 2022, 10 sacks) as second edge rusher. Better, like the great recent defenses of the league (Eagles, 49ers), Jim Schwartz will be able to give free rein to his imagination with a provided bench: Ogbo Okoronkwo (5 sacks in 2022), or even the rookies Siaki Ika and Isaiah McGuire should come up with an interesting rotation.
If the defensive line is potentially scary, Cleveland’s offensive line has already proven its worth. By re-signing Ethan Pocic, the Browns have made the choice of stability, an advantage often underestimated when it comes to the offensive line and therefore of automatisms between five players who must be one. They thus keep the same quintet of colossi on the line: Jedrick Wills – Joel Bitonio (All Pro in 2022) – Ethan Pocic – Wyatt Teller (Pro Bowler in 2022) – Jack Conklin.
This line certainly knows how to open breaches, but above all there is no better than Nick Chubb in the NFL to exploit them (1525 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in 2022). With an average of 5 yards per carry, Chubb is the all-risk insurance that the Browns’ offense will progress on the ground. Above all, this permanent threat forces opposing defenses to “fill the box”, ie put more linebackers on the field to the detriment of defensive backs: a boon for Deshaun Watson and his receivers.
The weak spots)
The group of cornerbacks of the Browns is not devoid of talent, far from it. On the other hand, it is a group accustomed to physical glitches: Greg Newsome has already suffered several concussions since his arrival in the NFL in 2021, while Denzel Ward has simply never completed a full season out of the five he has. already disputed. Behind these two strong but fragile men, the workforce is not brilliant: AJ Green III, Martin Emerson or even Mike Ford have never held a starting position.
The group of linebackers did not move either. If the young Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah can continue to develop, few hopes are to be placed in the two other holders who were nevertheless re-signed in the off-season: Anthony Walker is coming back from a quadriceps tendon tear which ended his season after 3 weeks in 2022, while Sione Takitaki seems to have reached his ceiling and remains confined to the role of SAM Linebacker (traditionally the most “simple” and less visible role in a 4-3 defense). Bad news at the last minute, replacement Jacob Phillips is already absent for the season after an injury in preseason (torn pectoral muscle).
X Factor: Deshaun Watson (QB)
He has no more excuses. Deshaun Watson will have a complete preparation this season with the same offensive playbook as last season, an honorable and diversified receiving squad, a good offensive line and a superstar runner to turn the attack. Extra-sporting affairs, and the associated popular pressure, also seem to have moved away from the Gainesville native. With the efforts made by the Browns, both financial (biggest guaranteed contract in history) and sports (3 first round draft picks and 3 other draft picks sent to Houston), Watson is there to bring back a championship ring in the league. ‘Ohio.
To bring back this ring, it will be necessary to do much better than what he showed during his 6 tenures in 2022: 58% completion for 1102 yards (or 183 yards per game), 7 touchdowns, 5 interceptions. Statistics light years from his last season in Houston (70% completion for 4823 yards, or 301 yards per game, and 33 touchdowns for 7 interceptions).
Player to watch: Myles Garrett
At almost 28 years old, Myles Garrett is at the peak of his career. After two consecutive seasons at 16 sacks, the former first draft pick has the talent to finally win the title of defender of the year. In 2022, he finished fifth in this prestigious ranking behind Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons, Chris Jones and Haason Reddick. Four players who played in the playoffs, unlike Garrett, proof that collective performance will always influence individual trophies.
With an improved offense, Browns opponents should find themselves running behind the score more often, and therefore forced to throw: the dream for an edge rusher of Garrett’s quality.
In 2022, Myles Garrett was the pass rusher most prone to double-takes in the league (about 30% of the time), but despite this, only two NFL players (Reddick and Parsons) had a higher success rate of knocking out their opposite. The arrival of Dalvin Tomlinson but especially that of Za’Darius Smith on the other edge rusher position will force the opposing attacks to consider only Myles Garrett in their block diagrams.
In 2023, Myles Garrett has all the cards in hand to assert himself as the best defender in the NFL.
2023 Cleveland Browns Schedule
Bengals, @Steelers, Titans, Ravens, BYE, 49ers, @Colts, @Seahawks, Cardinals, @Ravens, Steelers, @Broncos, @Rams, Jaguars, Bears, @Texans, Jets, @Bengals
The audio preview of the podcast
In summary
After a 2022 season from which it is difficult to draw conclusions, 2023 will be the year of revelation. Cleveland certainly plays in a complicated AFC North division, but the calendar (which crosses the AFC South and the NFC West) is rather favorable to a good record and a qualification in the play-offs.
The Browns pulled out all the stops to surround their stars (Watson, Chubb, Garrett), and built a strong and balanced team. Enough to return to the play-offs? Possible. To dismiss the behemoths of the AFC (Chiefs, Bills, Bengals at a minimum) and reach the Superbowl? Probably not.
