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Training camp thoughts

In no particular order . . .

At the risk of sounding repetitious, the Browns’ offensive line holds the key to the success and/or failure of that side of the football this season.

Of the five men whose performance will make or break the skill players, only two – left guard Joel Bitonio and center JC Tretter – can be counted on as solid to the point where you really don’t have to worry about them.

On the other hand, tackles Greg Robinson and Chris Hubbard, both overrated, appear to be solidly plugged in at their positions. More on them later.

The new right guard, who will replace the departed Kevin Zeitler, has not been identified after five days of practice in Berea. Austin Corbett, Kyle Kalis and Eric Kush have rotated, by design, at the position.

It’s almost as though they are auditioning for new offensive line coach James Campen, a rather odd move that causes one to think that uncertainty is leading the parade at this juncture.

Corbett was a questionable selection by Browns General Manager John Dorsey at the top of round two in the 2018 college draft. He was so good, he languished on the bench for just about the entire season.

With the likes of James Daniels, Will Hernandez and Connor Williams still on the board, Corbett was the choice. Hernandez started all 16 games with the New York Giants last season. Daniels started 10 for Chicago, as did Williams with Dallas.

Corbett by now should be more than ready to step right in and replace Zeitler. The fact he hasn’t is an indictment on Dorsey’s apparent misread on his ability to step up and play at the next level.

He might eventually make that step, play well in exhibition games and win the job. But if the event he doesn’t, it will serve as a stain on Dorsey’s judgment with regard to offensive linemen.

As for Robinson and Hubbard, don’t for a minute think last season’s performance is a harbinger of what lies ahead this season. Yes, the offensive line permitted only five sacks of quarterback Baker Mayfield in the final eight games and they were key factors in that stat. Both are mediocre (being kind here) at pass protection.

The Browns last season led the NFL in offensive holding penalties with 42, a number that needs to be drastically reduced this season to keep Mayfield vertical. A dozen were declined.

The lumbering Robinson, who is routinely beaten by quicker defensive ends, holds on numerous pass plays (he was flagged six times), but is adept at disguising them. The former No 2 overall draft choice could be pushed by sixth-round pick Drew Forbes and veteran Kendall Lamm.

The fact Mayfield stepped up and praised Robinson’s work, added to the fact there was no one else good enough to replace him, no doubt led to his ability to hold onto the job last season.

Hubbard, on the other hand, is not as strong at the point of attack or pass pro on the strong side of the formation. Once the exhibitions begin and weaknesses start to become apparent, Dorsey might move to correct that and procure a veteran offensive tackle (with Washington holdout Trent Williams an outside possibility).

And with the NFL announcing it will crack down on offensive holding this season, including the so-called lobster block by offensive linemen (grabbing the torso or shoulders of defenders from behind to prevent progress from the backside), Robinson and Hubbard are that much more vulnerable.

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Mayfield’s normal pinpoint passing accuracy has been off somewhat thus far and has caused some concern. Not sure why. It’s way, way, way too early to make judgments like that.

Success in the passing game is dependent mostly on timing between the

quarterbacks and their receivers. They don’t just show up at training camp and voila, it’s just like last season. Doesn’t work that way.

Mayfield became a much better thrower last season in the final eight games as he and his receivers reconciled on the same page. It enabled him to set a rookie record for most scoring passes,

He’s too good and confident to let something like this bother him. It might not even show up in the games that don’t count, but that unerring accuracy will return when the games become more meaningful. Now if this was week four, that would be a legitimate concern.

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When the Arizona Cardinals released defensive end Robert Nkemdiche the other day, some Browns fans wondered if he would look good in a Browns uniform. After watching him for a few years here in Arizona, the correct answer is a resounding no.

The Cardinals’ top pick in the 2016 draft is an underachiever who has trouble staying healthy.. And when he is healthy, he does not produce. The Browns don’t need someone like that.

Besides, Cleveland defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and linebackers coach Al Holcomb, Nkemdiche’s head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively, with the Cardinals last season, know all about him and probably took a hard pass.

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Sione Takitaki became a different player when the Browns donned the pads for three straight practices, catching the attention of the coaches. The question is which of the linebacker positions is the rambunctious rookie best suited for?

He is listed third behind middle linebackers Joe Schobert and Adarius Taylor, who is also the lone listing at strong side linebacker on the initial depth chart revealed by the team Tuesday.

Takitaki always seems to be around the football and is fearless when it comes to sticking his nose and other body parts into the fray. There is no question he will make the final 53, but I wonder whether he has the discipline to play such a demanding position.

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Finally . . . Other young players catching the coaches’ eyes: Wide receivers Blake Jackson and Derrick Willies, running back Dontrell Hilliard and cornerbacks Greedy Williams, Lenzy Pipkins and Donnie Lewis Jr. . . . Chad Thomas, last season’s second-biggest disappointing rookie behind Corbett, finds himself listed behind Myles Garrett and Anthony Zettel at right defensive end. . . . Incumbent Greg Joseph appears to be winning the placekicking battle, at least in camp. He hasn’t missed a field goal yet, while fifth-round pick Austin Seibert is kicking at a .500 clip. The four exhibitions will determine the winner of that battle. . . . The Browns also seem to like the left leg of rookie punter/placekicker Jamie Gillan, a former rugby player, but it appears the Scottish Hammer needs to become skilled at holding for whoever wins the kicking job to be in a position to oust veteran punter Britton Colquitt.

A new look for the defense

If there is one certainty about the Browns’ defense this season, it is this: It will not lead the National Football League in missed tackles.

General Manager John Dorsey substantially addressed that malady in the offseason. It had to absolutely frustrate the former linebacker, who saw his club repeatedly miss open tackles and/or fail to bring down the ball carrier at the spot of contact.

Gone are linebacker Jamie Collins and defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah, among others, from last season. The fact Dorsey grabbed linebackers Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson in the college draft was a blatant sign that position has been upgraded.

Middle linebacker Joe Schobert racked up another triple-digit combined-tackle season, but was among the league leaders for the second straight season in missed tackles. The return of outside backer Christian Kirksey, who missed the final seven games with an injury last season, helps.

The defensive line, which gave up infantry yardage last season in massive chunks and made life easier for opposing quarterbacks (with the exception of the exceptional Myles Garrett), has been fixed with the arrival of Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson, a couple of young veterans.

No longer will the Browns look more like a sieve when they don’t own the football. No longer will the secondary have to stay with receivers for way too much time while the defensive line flails in attempt to drop the quarterback.

New defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, a much better coordinator than head coach, should have no problem with a defense that will be much faster and quicker than the last few seasons.

Wilks loves to blitz. His Arizona Cardinals last season were one of the blitzingest teams in the league. All of which means last season’s sack total of 37 (13½ by Garrett) is in all likelihood going to matched by as early as the 12^th game of the season and no later than game 14.

Wilks’ exotic approach to blitzing (lots of disguising) involves just about everyone on defense. The pressure is likely to come from just about anywhere.

Richardson is an upgrade at tackle over Trevon Coley, who drops back and strengthens the bench. Larry Ogunjobi, who will benefit most from his new partner, was stout all season despite an arm injury, registering 5½ sacks. That number will grow this season.

Vernon, who checks in with 51 career sacks, will be counted heavily to provide the kind of protection on the edge opposite Garrett, ostensibly giving his new teammate more opportunities to harass quarterbacks.

Wilks favors a 4-3 look for his base defense, but appears to be flexible enough to combat what has become a pass happy NFL with more one- and two-linebacker packages, taking advantage of a solid secondary.

Dorsey has loaded the training camp roster with 19 bodies in the secondary (12 cornerbacks and seven safeties) in an effort to give Wilks ample opportunity to put together arguably the best secondary the club has had in a generation. As many as nine or 10 defensive backs could make the final 53.

DEFENSE

Ends (8): Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon, Genard Avery (hybrid DE/OLB), Chris Smith, Chad Thomas, Wyatt Ray, Anthony Zettel, Jerrell Owens

Makes final cut: Garrett, Vernon, Avery, Smith, Zettel

On the bubble: Thomas (a huge disappointment as a rookie last season), Ray

Cut: Owens

Overview: A distinct improvement over last season. The acquisition of Vernon from the Giants and moving Avery to the edge for the most part means Garrett no longer will draw double and triple teams. It wouldn’t surprise to see Garrett sometimes line up inside with Avery and Vernon on the edges.

Tackles (7): Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson, Trevon Coley, Carl Davis, Daniel Ekuale, Devaroe Lawrence, Brian Price

Makes final cut: Ogunjobi, Richardson, Coley, Davis

On the bubble: Price

Cut: Lawrence, Ekuale

Overview: Another vast improvement. The presence of the veteran Richardson will have a profound impact on Ogunjobi’s continued improvement. Coley, who disappointed last season, drops back to a fill-in role, which should help his production.

Outside linebackers (6): Christian Kirksey, Sione Takitaki, Ray Ray Armstrong, Adarius Taylor, Genard Avery, Anthony Stubbs

Makes final cut: Kirksey, Takitaki, Taylor, Armstrong, Avery (see above)

Cut: Stubbs

Overview: A lot depends on how much Wilks utilizes his linebackers in the pass-happy NFL. It wouldn’t surprise to see him operate with a 4-2-5 base defense with multiple variations and sub packages. That means Kirksey, who missed significant time last season, will see lots of snaps. If he can stay healthy and the rookie Takitaki lives up his advanced billing, this should not be an area of concern. The addition of the veteran Taylor provides added quality depth.

Inside linebackers (4): Joe Schobert, Mack Wilson, Willie Harvey, Dedrick Young II

Makes final cut: Schobert, Wilson

Cut: Harvey, Young

Overview: Schobert, who also missed time last season, needs to improve his tackle game. He needs to make tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage, not five or more yards downfield. Wouldn’t be surprised to see the rookie Wilson, who played his college ball under Nick Saban at Alabama and is fundamentally stronger than Schobert, make it interesting.

Cornerbacks (12): Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell, Greedy Williams, Phillip Gaines, Robert Jackson, Tavierre Thomas, Juston Burris, Donnie Lewis Jr., JT Hassell, T. J. Carrie, Lenzy Pipkins, Jhavonte Dean

Makes final cut: Ward, Mitchell, Williams, Gaines, Burris, Carrie

On the bubble: Thomas, Jackson

Cut: Lewis, Hassell, Pipkins, Dean

Overview: Too many ifs to get excited about here. For example, if Ward stays healthy (he already has suffered two concussions) and learns how to tackle, he will be an All-Pro. If the rookie Williams, who will probably beat out Mitchell for the starting job opposite Ward, overcomes his reputation of limiting his talents to just defending against passes and supports the run, he will be just fine. Quality depth at the position will enable Wilks to be creative with his packages.

Free safeties (3): Damarious Randall, Sheldrick Redwine, Tigie Sankoh

Makes final cut: Randall, Redwine

Cut: Sankoh

Overview: Randall is one of the best free safeties in the conference, if not the entire NFL. Great nose for the ball. A contract problem might be the only negative here. It might affect his play. The rookie Redwine lends toughness to the position.

Strong safeties (4): Morgan Burnett, Jermaine Whitehead, Eric Murray, Jermaine Ponder

Makes final cut: Burnett, Whitehead, Murray

Cut: Ponder

Overview: Burnett most likely wins the job. He’s bigger, stronger and savvier than Whitehead, the hot offseason pick to surprise in training camp. Misused last season as a part-time linebacker (box safety) in Pittsburgh last season. Whitehead and Murray provide solid backup. The X-factor is whether Dorsey gambles and invites Eric Berry to camp. The veteran has played only a handful of games the last two seasons with Kansas City because of injuries.

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Beware the offensive line

This is one side of the football Browns fans will never have to worry about this season as long as Baker Mayfield is the chief engineer.

No matter how the defense and special teams play, the Browns will never be out of a game from a scoring standpoint because they are, quite frankly, loaded. They have become a defensive coordinator’s nightmare.

Talent resides at every skill position. Not just ordinary talent, but talent that pushes the boundaries of almost unstoppable. But there is a caveat when the Browns own the football.

The offensive line, that group of plug uglies whose job it is to make certain those skill players perform at a supreme level, is clearly the weak link in this potential scary machine.

This is a weaker group up front than the one that stunned the National Football League last season, permitting a hard-to-believe five sacks in the final eight games. That will turn out to be an aberration.

Too many question marks at three of the five positions help pump the brakes on the early enthusiasm displayed for this offense. And because the quality of offenses and defenses rests in the performance in the trenches, tapping those brakes is in order.

If the engine up front struggles, it will have a domino effect on the rest of the train. That is where the danger resides. The line must play well in an effort to make certain all the dominoes fall into place.

The Browns are strong at left guard with Joel Bitonio and center with JC Tretter. That’s it. Uncertainty abounds everywhere else.

The tackles are (trying to be kind here), barely acceptable. No. Make that less than mediocre. Left tackle Greg Robinson is effective only when he is holding an opponent (hoping an official doesn’t see it.) His numerous flags killed many promising drives last season when he took over at the midway point.

Chris Hubbard on the other side hasn’t mastered the art of holding. He just gets flat out beat much more often than Robinson in pass protection and isn’t much better in the ground game.

The front office would love to see Austin Corbett, who flamed out as a rookie and barely saw the field last season, step right in at right guard for the departed Kevin Zeitler. It would justify his lofty draft selection at the top of round two in 2018.

Even then, it would still be a significant drop in quality from Zeitler, clearly the club’s best offensive lineman last season.

It’s the one major blunder General Manager John Dorsey committed in the offseason. To compensate, he signed average free agents in Kendall Lamm, Kyle Kalis, Eric Kush, Bryan Witzmann and drafted Drew Forbes. More numbers and depth than solid talent.

Mayfield is blessed with the talents of Nick Chubb and, eventually, Kareem Hunt at running back; Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins at wide receiver; and David Njoku at tight end.

But unless he has the time to throw, opposing defenses can neutralize Mayfield. And if the holes aren’t there in the running game for Chubb and Hunt, the pressure to succeed slips back to whether the young quarterback can adjust.

If head coach Freddie Kitchens and offensive coordinator Todd Monken think they can win with a weak offensive line, good luck with that. As with most good teams, winning begins in the trenches.

The only possible saving grace might be James Campen, the outstanding offensive line coach pirated away from Green Bay. Campen has a reputation of taking what is thought to be mediocre talent and developing top quality performers. He’ll need to in order to make this entire machine function at a top level.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (4): Baker Mayfield, Drew Stanton, Garrett Gilbert, David Blough

Makes final cut: Mayfield, Stanton, Gilbert

Cut: Blough

Overview: The success or failure of not just the offense, but the entire team, runs through Mayfield. As the face of the franchise, the pro sophomore is the walking talking, breathing reason the Cleveland Browns have become the Most Interesting Team in the NFL. Quite literally, as he goes, so goes this team. He stays healthy and prospers, so do the Browns. Sophomore jinx? Nah.

Running backs (6): Nick Chubb, Duke Johnson Jr., Dontrell Hilliard, Kareem Hunt, Trayone Gray, D. Ernest Johnson

Makes final cut: Chubb, Duke Johnson Jr., Hilliard; Hunt (suspended first eight games)

Cut: Gray, D. Ernest Johnson

Overview: Now that the NFL has discovered him, Chubb will carry a bull’s-eye on the back of his uniform. His abundant talent should overcome any obstacles that stand in his way of recording a 1,000-yard season. His amazing jump cuts should produce numerous chunk-yardage runs. And when Hunt completes his half-season suspension, the Browns will own the best running backs tandem in the league. Hilliard will take Johnson’s reps once he is traded.

Wide receivers (12): Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, D. J. Montgomery, Damion Ratley, Ishmael Hyman, Blake Jackson, Jaelen

Strong, Damion Sheehy-Guiseppi, Derrick Willies, Dorian Baker

Makes final cut: Beckham, Landry, Callaway, Higgins

On the bubble: Strong, Willies, Ratley

Cut: Montgomery, Hyman, Jackson, Baker, Sheehy-Guiseppi

Overview: From the worst corps of wide receivers in the league as recently as two seasons ago to one of the best in the NFL: That’s the story of this season’s wide receivers room. The only question here is whether Beckham can stay healthy enough to play an entire season, something he’s done only once in five seasons. He’ll love playing with college teammate Landry. Opposing teams will have a difficult time concentrating on either of these two standouts, Callaway and Higgins providing Mayfield with ample opportunities for big plays. If Strong and Willies stay healthy, they will help.

Tight ends (6): David Njoku, Demetrius Harris, Orson Charles, Seth DeValve, Stephen Carlson, Pharaoh Brown

Makes final cut: Njoku, Harris

On the bubble: DeValve, Charles

Cut:  Brown, Carlson

Overview: Numerous pundits forecast a bust-out season for Njoku, the beneficiary of an exquisite set of wide receivers. He can be All-Pro caliber once he corrects inconsistency in catching the football. He makes the tough catch and drops the easy ones. Harris provides stronger blocking in the run game and has decent hands in the aerial game. DeValve could be a training camp casualty with the return of Charles.

Centers (4): JC Tretter, Kyle Kalis (hybrid center/guard), Willie Wright, Lo Falemaka

Makes final cut: Tretter, Kalis (might start at guard)

Cut: Wright, Falemaka

Overview: Tretter is tough, solid, dependable. Played half of last season injured. Kalis, pushing for the starting job next door at right guard, is a solid backup for Tretter should he lose out.

Guards (5):  Joel Bitonio, Austin Corbett, Eric Kush, Bryan Witzmann, Kyle Kalis (see above)

Makes final cut: Bitonio, Corbett, Kush, Kalis

Cut: Witzmann

Overview: They don’t come any more solid or reliable than Bitonio, easily the best on this line. Not even close. The front office would like Corbett to step in at right guard and replace the departed Zeitler after missing virtually the entire 2018 season despite being a high draft choice. He doesn’t nail down the job and he automatically becomes a draft bust. No matter who wins, the position is a clear downgrade.

Tackles (7): Greg Robinson, Chris Hubbard, Kendall Lamm, Brad Seaton, Drew Forbes, Ka’John Armstrong, Brian Fineanganofo

Makes final cut: Robinson, Hubbard, Lamm, Forbes

Cut: Seaton, Armstrong, Fineanganofo

Overview: The strongest unit on this side of the football at the end of last season was the offensive line. That will not be the case this season. Robinson and Hubbard will anchor each side of the line as they did the last half of 2018. Both are better at run blocking than protecting the quarterback., which sounds ludicrous since Mayfield was sacked only a handful of times in the final eight games. But Robinson, who signed a prove-it contract this season, is a penalty flag waiting to be thrown. Nothing can strangle a drive quicker than yellow laundry. And Hubbard is scary on the other side. Wouldn’t be surprised if the rookie Forbes or Lamm make a move in training camp to remedy that.

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It will be different this year

For the last two decades, Browns Nation has complained about the treatment their team has received from the media.

Ever since the rebirth in 1999 of what used to be one of the National Football League’s stalwart franchises, forced unfairly to take a three-year break, it has been a performance and media disaster.

Not nearly enough coverage of the Browns, fans cried out. And they bitched and moaned the attention they received was all negative. The media hates the Browns., they thought. Wrongly because this franchise was run as poorly as possible.

That’s not the way it was supposed to be the last 20 years. No one would have forecast this franchise, hampered annually by dysfunction and mismanagement, would struggle and find winning to be foreign.

The last two decades have produced a 95-224-1 record (a .298 winning percentage), 15 double-digit loss seasons, 15 cellar finishes in the division, only one double-digit winning season (10-6 in 2007) and just one playoff game (a loss in 2002).

The Browns were consistent in only one department – losing. Losing year in and year out wore out the dwindling faithful. It was so bad, hopes often faded after the season opener (they have won only one in those 20 years).

It is arguably the worst 20-year record of any team in the history of the NFL. It includes, sadly and embarrassingly, only the second 0-16 record in league history. They unbelievably complied almost as many losses (94) in the first nine seasons as they have victories (95) in the last 20 seasons.

Is it any wonder the Browns became a national joke, the punch line for every joke about sad sack losers? Perhaps that’s why the national media, for the most part, virtually ignored and treated this franchise like the stepchild it actually was.

Fans at or below the age of 20 for the most part have no idea of what winning football is in Cleveland. Same for those on the precipice of joining the millennial crowd. They can only imagine, mainly through their parents’ stories of the legacy of this franchise, what is was like back in the day.

Well, all that is about to change.

In just 18 months, General Manager John Dorsey has transformed the Browns from a national laughingstock into one of the most talented and talked-about franchises in the league.

Whenever conversations about the 2019 NFL season is the main topic, the Cleveland Browns vault to the top of those discussions, Many pundits are predicting the Browns to actually win the AFC North this season.

No longer will Browns Nation complain about its team being neglected or ridiculed.. The NFL landscape, they believe, is about to witness what has caused Browns fans to be more justifiably excited than at any time since the Bernie Kosar era more than 30 years ago.

The national media has glommed onto the 2019 Browns, due mainly to the architectural brilliance of Dorsey, who has assembled one hell of a roster. It has the potential to be a juggernaut.

Most major national news outlets will be in Berea for the opening of training camp tomorrow (Thursday) morning in Berea. The Browns have become the NFL’s sexiest franchise.

No longer will NFL fans be able conflate bad football with the Browns. No longer will the stain of ugly football be associated with City of Cleveland. A gigantic national spotlight lurks just around the corner.

A whole new generation of Cleveland fans, most of whom have no institutional knowledge of just how good this franchise once was, have either hopped on board the bandwagon or are seriously considering doing so.

The major networks have hopped on board, too, scheduling the Browns for four nationally televised evening games (three in the first five weeks of the season) with the distinct possibility of being even more later in the season when networks have the discretion of switching games if they become more meaningful.

They want to give as much exposure to the likes of Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry on offense and Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward on defense.

The Browns boast quality depth on both sides of the football, courtesy of Dorsey’s moves. There are a few weaknesses the veteran coaching staff can scheme around.

Some skeptics among the many pundits assessing what the immediate future holds for the Browns cite one major weakness, or one they perceive as a weakness: Head coach Freddie Kitchens, the stunning hire by Dorsey.

The affable Alabaman has never been a head coach at any level. He was hired technically as Cleveland’s associate head coach and running backs coach last season. The highest he has ever risen was as the Browns’ interim offensive coordinator following the firing of Hue Jackson and Todd Haley midway through last season.

Being a head coach, pundits point out, is an entirely different world.  Coaching 53 men is radically different than being a position coach. The responsibilities are much more complex and varied

No one knows how Kitchens will react once the season commences, whether he’ll be able to successfully handle the complex chores of a head coach. This is a brand new world for him. There is no question, however, that he is a players’ coach.

Looking at the total picture, his success depends a lot on how he handles griping players. How will he deal with the little fires that are bound to break out during the season? Everything team related will travel through his office.

Kitchens has wisely surrounded himself with smart and very creative coordinators in Todd Monken on offense and Steve Wilks on defense. That counts as a decided plus.

The big question now is how Kitchens will handle the possibility of his men stalling and staggering out of the starting gate and finding unexpected and disappointing underperformances. Sure it’s a hypothetical, but the first half of the schedule is easily more difficult than the final eight weeks. Unrealistic expectations? Perhaps.

You can also lump Browns Nation into that unrealistic expectations camp. A great many of those fans expect, not hope, expect the Browns, capitalizing on last season’s strong second half, to blow out of the gate. That is not a given. Far from it.

The Browns surprised just about everyone last season, winning five of their last eight games and finishing 7-8-1. This season, they will wear sizable bull’s-eyes on the backs of their uniforms. They will catch no one by surprise.

The key to whether the Browns will experience the postseason for the first time in 17 years depends largely on how well the players play respond to and play for their neophyte head coach.

At this point, everyone is sanguine about the situation, which means anything is possible.

Tomorrow; breaking down the offense and defense and predicting roster cuts.