Asking away

Questions looking, seeking, sometimes begging for answers as the Browns now take time off until late next month when they reunite in Berea to prepare for the 2019 season . . .

With not even arguably the most star-studded roster in at least three decades, the biggest concern is whether first-time head coach (at any level) Freddie Kitchens can handle all that talent and the obvious pressure of living up to lofty expectations and predictions.

The easiest answer is why not? His casual, down-home approach in OTAs and minicamp suggest he is quite comfortable in his new role.

The honest answer is we won’t know until at least midseason. How Kitchens handles the unevenness of the first half of the schedule, which will wreck the seasonal rhythm players like, will be a factor.

Getting his team to play games on national television three times in the first five weeks will be a challenge. It’s not at all like preparing a team to play every Sunday afternoon at 1 o’clock. Preparing a National Football League team to play is a meticulous exercise that requires exquisite timing.

We don’t know how he will handle game management, clock management, personnel groups (don’t forget he’s calling the plays on offense) and tactical and strategic situations during games. He’s a blank slate in that regard.

He is being counted on to succeed by a fan base that has fallen in love with his honesty and sense of humor. That will change as the season unfolds. His toughest job, besides making certain his team in ready to play, will be keeping an even keel.

This question will be adequately answered by the bye week in week seven.

Are fans expecting too much from this team?

Based on the overwhelming positive vibes emanating from Browns Nation around the globe, a resounding yes. Anything less than a division championship will not be acceptable, especially after finishing so strong in the second half of last season.

Unrealistic expectations?

Absolutely.

And what if the club gets off to a bad start in the first half dozen games? It’s entirely possible.

That will test the mettle of everyone connected with 76 Lou Groza Blvd. How the team reacts to that will be the key to how they finish.

Breaking down the team, where are the strengths on both sides of the football?

On offense, it’s clearly at the skilled positions. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has become the unquestioned leader on and off the field. He has become the face of the franchise (Odell Beckham Jr. notwithstanding). He has shown maturity and leadership skills well beyond his years.

As he goes, so will go the Cleveland offense. It is incumbent on that offense to make certain he plays 16 games this season. There is no reason to believe he won’t with the war chest of talent General Manager John Dorsey has assembled around him.

Whereas as the Browns owned the worst set of receivers in the NFL (not even arguably) for a couple of seasons not long ago, they now own the best group with wideouts Beckham, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins and tight end David Njoku.

They also boast one of the best running backs rooms in the league with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt (once he returns at midseason from suspension) and either Duke Johnson Jr. (if he is not dealt) and/or Dontrell Hilliard. The only weakness on that side of the ball will be dealt in just a bit.

Defensively, Dorsey has made sure that new defensive coordinator Ted Wilks will have a much stronger unit with which to work than Gregg Williams had last season.

Defensive end Olivier Vernon is clearly a step up in talent from the departed Emmanuel Ogbah and will make a perfect partner for Myles Garrett. Look for plenty of parties at opposing quarterbacks this season from those two. Sheldon Richardson, meanwhile, is the perfect complement for Larry Ogunjobi inside.

The secondary will be the big beneficiary because of a much better pass rush. Wilks now has two lockdown corners in Denzel Ward and rookie Greedy Williams, which allows him to unfurl his dark side – the blitz.

Because of the quality depth in the secondary, it would not surprise to see
Wilks show a 4-2-5 look frequently in the pass-happy league the NFL has become the last decade. It also would enable him to better utilize his numerous blitz packages.

And the weaknesses?

Both reside in the trenches. The more problematic lies on the offense.

This is not a high quality offensive line. Gone is the Browns’ best lineman last season, Kevin Zeitler, who went to the New York Giants in the Beckham-Olivier trade. Whoever replaces him will be a definite downgrade.

If Austin Corbett isn’t that guy, consider him a leading candidate to labeled a bust after being taken at the top of round two in the 2018 college draft, although he might be wind up ay center when JC Tretter eventually leaves.

Can Corbett play up to the standard set by Zeitler?

That’s asking too much. Replacing one of the league’s best interior linemen with a rookie – he barely played last year – is a huge challenge. Fans should be satisfied if Corbett takes over at right guard and is at least decent.

What about the tackles?

They’re also worrisome. Greg Robinson, who signed a prove-it kind of contract after upgrading left tackle in midseason last year, is a Mayfield favorite. But he is also a holding penalty waiting to be called. And Chris Hubbard was a major disappointment last season at right tackle.

Yes, the Browns permitted only five sacks of Mayfield in the final eight games last season. And yes, Robinson also committed a flurry of untimely penalties in doing so. The only saving grace there is new offensive line coach James Campen, considered by many around the league as one of the best.

Dorsey must be somewhat suspicious of the line’s quality, too, signing veterans Kendall Lamm, Eric Kush and Bryan Witzmann as free agents in the offseason. If nothing else, there is quality depth along the line, if not quality itself.

Defensively, the line has some standouts, but quality depth at tackle (missing out in the Gerald McCoy sweepstakes didn’t help) is also a situation that will be watched carefully. How the Browns perform in the trenches on both sides of the ball will determine where they finish.

When the team reconvenes late next month, what will be training camp’s best battles?

Corbett vs. probably Kyle Kalis at right guard; Williams vs. Terrance Mitchell opposite Ward at cornerback, the rookie vs. the wily veteran; placekicker Austin Seibert vs. Greg Joseph, the fifth-round pick against the third-year man; Morgan Burnett vs. Jermaine Whitehead at strong safety; Trevon Coley (coming off a down year) vs. Carl Davis and Brian Price at defensive tackle; and draft picks Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson at linebacker vs. veteran Joe Schobert at middle linebacker. Polar opposites: Takitaki is the high-motor guy who flies undisciplined around the field; Wilson is the Nick Saban-coached disciplinarian who is readier for the NFL.

What about Genard Avery? Where does he fit in? He looked like he belonged last season.

Might be used as sort of a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end. Could line up on the edge on one play and drop back in pass coverage on the next. He’s solid at both facets of the game.

Overall, as previously mentioned, trench warfare – winning a majority of the battles along the line of scrimmage – is what will be the guiding light as the 2019 season approaches.

(More questions tomorrow)