The 2023 Cleveland Browns had Super Bowl aspirations. The team was successful enough to return to the playoffs for just the third time this century. However, they would have gotten a lot farther if not for a near-apocalyptic series of injuries. Unlike most NFL teams whose injuries seem to spread among the whole group, Cleveland’s were focused on three areas: Quarterback, running back, and offensive tackle.
The Cleveland Browns Have Learned Some Hard Lessons
Even though the team’s season was saved by a magical stretch run led by a fresh-off-the-couch Joe Flacco, general manager Andrew Berry has learned his lesson when it comes to having plenty of reserves at these three key positions. The Browns have focused a lot of attention on the spots thus far in free agency.
Quarterback
Entering year three of the quarter-billion-dollar investment that is Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns have not gotten much of a return for their money or the three first-round picks they sent to Houston. They knew that 2022 would be a write-off when it came to No. 4 due to his suspension, but they expected great things in 2023. It didn’t happen.
The team under-invested in Watson’s reserves, and after a horrific preseason from Joshua Dobbs, they opted to roll the dice and go with untested rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. That experiment failed epically the first time, and Thompson-Robinson got hurt the second. Hence Flacco. The Browns would wind up starting five different quarterbacks for the year.
It looked like, for a time, Cleveland would bring back either Flacco or 2022 QB2 Jacoby Brissett. When Brissett followed former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to the New England Patriots, it seemed fait accompli that Flacco would be back in the orange and brown. But the team pivoted to former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston at the last moment. Though many of the Browns faithful lamented the loss of Flacco, Winston is likely a better fit. He’s nine years younger and has a lot more mobility. He’s also likely a better season-long fit if Watson’s shoulder doesn’t heal as scheduled.
But Berry wasn’t done yet. A few days later, the team announced the addition of former Baltimore Raven Tyler Huntley. The Huntley signing is a head-scratcher. First, that the Browns got him for supposedly the veteran minimum is shocking in and of itself. Huntley has played reasonably well in relief of Lamar Jackson. But all the more surprising was that Huntley would join a team with such a crowded quarterback room. Is this signing insurance for Watson’s shoulder or Thompson-Robinson’s development?
Running Back
While the team and all observers expect Watson to be back at full strength well ahead of its offseason activity (Watson reportedly is ready to start throwing), the status of Cleveland’s biggest star offensive weapon is much more in doubt. Running back Nick Chubb suffered a horrific knee injury in Week 2 that required multiple surgeries. His rehab is supposedly on track. But given Chubb’s age (28) and the fact that this is his second massive knee injury, it’s hard to call him anything other than a question mark at this point.
Like at quarterback, Berry failed to sign a veteran backup at the spot in 2023. Instead, the Cleveland Browns opted to go with the athletic but untested Jerome Ford. Ford’s 2023 was mixed. He proved he can play in the league. But he also conclusively proved he’s not a first-down back. Too many of Cleveland’s drives were derailed because Ford only gained a yard or two on first down.
To that end, Berry has brought in two veteran reserves. First, the team added Nyheim Hines, late of the Buffalo Bills. Like Chubb, Hines is returning from a significant knee injury. But his happened earlier: In July, in a jet ski accident. That should put him months ahead in his rehab. Hines adds a big receiving threat, twice having hauled in more than 60 receptions in a season. Hines also is a solid kick and punt returner.
He’ll be joined by another 2024 addition in D’Onta Foreman. Cleveland will be Foreman’s fifth team in his seven-year career. Though it took him a little while to get going, Foreman’s become a key role player in recent years. In the last three seasons, he’s rushed 445 times for 1,905 yards and 12 touchdowns. That’s a solid 4.2 yards per carry average.
Offensive Tackle
Unlike quarterback and running back, the Cleveland Browns already have a key reserve at offensive tackle in Dawand Jones. Jones was a fourth-round pick for the team in 2023. He was pressed into service as a starter after right tackle Jack Conklin went down with a knee injury in the first game. Jones had a solid freshman season, earning a spot on the 2023 Pro Football Writer’s Association all-rookie team for his efforts. That was all the more remarkable given that Jones was also lost with several weeks to go in the season.
Cleveland has also added veteran offensive tackle Hakeem Adeniji to its stable of blockers. The Cincinnati Bengals selected Adeniji in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. While there, he made 15 career starts and has played in 43 games in four seasons. Though he’s mainly played a reserve role, he’s graded out better than both of the offensive tackles Cleveland won with down the December stretch last season.
What’s Next for the Cleveland Browns Offense in Free Agency?
The Cleveland Browns haven’t so much retooled their offense. Instead, their strategy seems closer to reloading. Their biggest addition so far has been a trade for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy figures to be Cleveland’s WR2, slotting between star receiver Amari Cooper and slot/gadget man Elijah Moore. Cleveland also has a pair of consecutive third-round picks in Cedric Tillman (2023) and David Bell (2022), and they hope at least one of them takes a big jump this season. Figure on Cleveland adding one more veteran to the mix, likely a speedster who can run deep routes and get behind the opposing secondary.
Cleveland is also likely to add another veteran reserve – or perhaps even two – on the offensive line. The Browns could use another tackle who can specifically play on the left side, as both Conklin and Jones are more adept on the right. They’ll also probably seek another center/guard swing player to replace Nick Harris, who signed with the Seattle Seahawks.
Though the Browns do not have a first-round pick this year, they do hold several Day 3 selections. Berry is adept at augmenting his bench late in the draft and focuses heavily on the offensive front.
Main Photo: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
