Off-season thoughts (Vol. XXX)

Very few moves the Browns' front office make during the course of the year baffle me. I mean absolutely, head-scratchingly, didn't-see-that-coming moves with regard to monetarily rewarding personnel.

The news out of Berea the last couple of days reveals Andrew Berry somehow has come to the conclusion tight David Njoku has risen to at least Pro Bowl caliber. That one floored me.

How else can one explain why the Cleveland general manager is about to lavish a multi-year contract on the tight end for something in the neighborhood of $13 million a season?

What in the world has Njoku done in the last five seasons to warrant a contract that will make him the fifth-highest paid player at his position in the entire National Football League? I apparently seem to have missed when he became a star worthy of that kind of money.

I was either sleeping or in a delusional fog in those five campaigns because I don't remember much to get excited about with Njoku, who has given the word "mediocre" a whole new meaning. Is he a bust? No. But he's awfully darn close.

A general rule of thumb says statistics do not lie. Time to check that out.

In his five seasons, Njoku was a comparative afterthought in the Cleveland offense with just 240 targets, catching 148 for 1,754 yards and 15 touchdowns. (To be fair, he hardly played the 2018 season after climbing into head coach Freddie Kitchens' doghouse and remaining there most of the season.)

Now take those essentially four-year numbers by Njoku and compare them to an honest-to-goodness All-Pro at the position in Mark Andrews of the Baltimore Ravens, who has haunted the Cleveland secondary in his four pro seasons. (Cherry picking? You bet. My prerogative to make a point.)

Andrews, one of Baker Mayfield's favorite targets at Oklahoma, has accumulated 3.466 yards (nearly double Njoku's career total) and 29 touchdowns (ditto). Last season alone, he caught 107 passes for 1,361 yards, grabbing 70% of his targets. He is worth every penny of his $14 million a season.

So is it unreasonable to expect Njoku, when he ultimately signs his contract, to be be better than the 22nd most productive tight end in the NFL (last season)? Not at all.

It's difficult to understand when and how Njoku became good enough to earn the kind of money to join George Kittle of San Francisco, Travis Kelce of Kansas City, Dallas Goedert of Philadelphia and Andrews at the top of the tight end list. Where is the justification?

When the Browns signed Austin Hooper as a free agent in 2020 and made him the focal point in new head coach Kevin Stefanski's two- and three-tight end offense the last two seasons, Njoku was targeted just 82 times (only 29 in 2020). Why? Only Stefanski can answer that one.

On the plus side, Njoku refined his blocking. And now that Hooper has departed, I guess the natural move was elevating Njoku on the depth chart, giving him the chance to justify, albeit five years later, making him a first-round pick in the 2017 draft.

This is the guy, it would appear, the Browns want to be Deshaun Watson's top tight end target. Someone who catches just 61% of the footballs thrown in his direction. Hmmmm.

Truth of the matter is the most reliable tight end on the roster is Harrison Bryant, who has caught nearly 70% of his targets in two seasons and is very effective in the red zone. Why Stefanski hasn't targeted him more often (just 66 times in 33 games) is just as baffling as the kind of money being dangled with Njoku.

Unless Stefanski dramatically and surprisingly changes his offensive philosophy with his new quarterback and involves Njoku a whole lot more in what promises to be a a much heavier passing attack, all the pressure this season will be on the tight end to finally come through.

It will need to be seen to be believed.

Off-season thoughts (Vol. XXIX)

Sure has been a busy week for the Browns' front office as they add and subtract from the pre-season roster, loading up for OTAs, minicamp and training camp with a distinct emphasis on the defense.

With an obvious nod to the club's credo that you can never have enough cornerbacks (safeties, too) on your roster, the Browns added to a crowded field in the secondary with three more additions Tuesday and Wednesday to a roster that now totals 88 men (47 on offense, 37 on defense, four special teamers).

After claiming safety Luther Kirk and cornerback Reggie Robinson II off waivers Tuesday, they signed free agent corner Parnell Motley (presumably no relation to Browns Hall of Famer Marion Motley) the following day, swelling the secondary field to 16, nine of them corners. That's 43% of the defensive roster.

It sure appears as though General Manager Andrew Berry and his Ivory Tower buds are not totally convinced that area of the defense is adequately staffed with the kind of talent worthy of blunting the efforts opposing offenses. In reality it is. Explained later.

So why else would they continue to feed the defensive backfield when there are numerous other much more important areas that require help? Like the defensive line, where success -- or failure -- of the pass defense begins. 

It is entirely possible Berry knows it's only a matter of time before Jadeveon Clowney finally acquiesces after deliberately skipping the OTAs and mandatory minicamp and signs on for a second season on the edge opposite Myles Garrett, allowing Browns Nation to breathe a little easier. 

Then there is the big problem at tackle with a half dozen inexperienced candidates at a position that screams to be addressed because the current group is not quite ready and too young to be savvy enough to blunt the running attacks of some very good teams on this season's schedule. 

The presence of at least one or two seasoned veterans in the middle of Joe Woods' defense -- there are still a few free agents out there who would fit nicely in his 4-2-5 base -- is almost mandatory. Losing Malik McDowell due to serious off-the-field personal problems during the offseason was a big loss.

While Berry continues to help the secondary, he seems puzzlingly content with two other areas mentioned here before -- the offensive line and wide receivers room - and I can't figure out why. If you can't have enough cornerbacks on your roster, where does it say you can't have enough quality receivers, emphasis on quality? Only Amari Cooper qualifies among the 11 on board.

At least the secondary has enough young talent to begin with where those others being signed right now seem to be nothing more than training-camp fodder. 

We know Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II are staples at cornerback and John Johnson III and Grant Delpit will handle the deep secondary with help off the bench from Greedy Williams, A. J. Green, rookie Martin Emerson Jr., Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Richard LeCounte III.

The wide receivers room and offensive line, seemingly vastly overrated by Berry and his men, are being ignored. Both areas lack the quality depth necessary to sustain a 17-game regular season and possibly beyond.

If the GM does not parrot his moves with regard to the defense with ones on offense, Deshaun Watson's initial season in Cleveland very well could be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Off-season thoughts (Vol. XXVIII)

Pounding away at a pair of trouble spots for the Browns this season, both on the same side of the football . . . 

The offense without question has been substantially improved with the addition of quarterback Deshaun Watson. On the surface, no problem there whatsoever. At least right now. But there are warning signs elsewhere.

The landscape could -- and probably will at some point  -- change when training camp opens up in late July and extends through the three-game exhibition season. Unless changes are made, the situation very well could prove deleterious for Watson and affect his performance.

To be successful, the $230 million man must receive massive help from his line and receiving corps. Right now, it appears the Cleveland front office is solidly behind -- foolishly I believe -- both aspects of Kevin Stefanski's offense. 

The line is nowhere close to being as dominant as the 2020 unit that protected quarterback Baker Mayfield zealously and provided Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt with enough running room to become genuinely one of the most dangerous offenses in the National Football League.

Not anymore. From the softness at left tackle with Jedrick Wills Jr. to the rawness at center with smallish (shortish?) Nick Harris to the uncertainty of whether Jack Conklin at right tackle fully recovers from major surgery, the newest unit from tackle to tackle is, at best, average. 

You can't count on the quality of Pro Bowl guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller to carry this group throughout the season. Too many glaring question marks even if Conklin regains his Pro Bowl form. Wills and Harris, taking over for the departed JC Tretter, are soft spots that will be exploited on a weekly basis.

In order for the line to be effective, it needs to be -- no, must be -- cohesive on every play. Work as a unit, not five pieces that sometimes operate independently. All it takes for a play to break down is one mistake.

A missed block, for example. A fraction late on assignment like a sloppy kick step in pass protection. Timing is everything on offense, particularly in the passing game, and it starts with the line at the snap. Bottom line, this is a very average offensive line.

As for the receiving corps, expected to carry the brunt of the offense with the arrival of Watson, there is little to get excited about once you get past wide receiver Amari Cooper. When third-round draft pick David Bell is your second-best pass receiver, you're in trouble. 

Bell should have no problem adjusting to the NFL. He's got the size, hands and knowhow of a veteran to succeed event though he hasn't played a down as the Browns' slot receiver. He's a larger Jarvis Landry and will be a chains mover as he helps improve the third-down conversion rate.

Beyond that, there ain't much about which to get excited. 

The rest of the wideouts are either unreliable, inconsistent or both. Donovan Peoples-Jones, playing as disappointingly for the Browns as he did as a five-star athlete at the University of Michigan, is back for another crack at trying to be a solid pro.

Once and for all, and not for the last time, Anthony Schwartz is a track star posing as a football player. The coaches and front office love his speed. Of course they all do. He is a world-class sprinter who has trouble running routes and doing what he's paid to do -- catch the football.

That's about it unless General Manager Andrew Berry has a veteran free-agent ace -- two would be better -- up his sleeve and there are quite a few on the street. 

Watson won't get much help from the tight ends room with David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. The club slapped a franchise tag on Njoku, who has yet to play a season that can be labelled consistent. And  Bryant, a better receiver, hardly had the ball thrown his way last season.

Unless the front office sees the warts on offense between now and the season opener at Carolina and does something about it, looks like yet another bumpy and disappointing journey through the 17-week schedule.

Off-season thoughts (Vol. XXVII)

Today, we look at the Browns' wide receivers room as of this date and look at what two high-level members of the organization see and then break it down. 

First up, it's head coach and de facto offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, who couldn't hide his glee after watching his wideouts play pitch and catch for the first time during a Phase II workout a couple of days ago in Berea.

"I feel better even watching them throw finally," he gushed to a local radio station. "I think we have some different traits. Obviously Amari Cooper, his career speaks for itself. . . . And then seeing how the quarterback rhythms up with Amari. What you want ultimately is that route between the two of them where it's a gimme, it's a nine out of 10, we're going to take it."

Stefanski then turned his attention to the younger receivers. "I  like having the youth in there," he said. "I like having the competitive group in there. . . . It's a really, really smart group. 

"You break the huddle and with Amari and Donovan (Peoples-Jones) and Schwartzy (Anthony Schwartz) adding a young guy like David Bell who is really a smart, young player, it's a group that has a ton of good traits and you can move them around the formation."

Then there's Chief Strategy Office Paul DePodesta, responding to a question after the National Football League college draft last Saturday night. This is what he had to say in the form of an assessment.

"We feel like the room can sort of do everything," he began. "We have some speed. We have some great route runners. We have guys who are tough after the catch. We have guys who have contested-catch ability. In terms of building our concepts within our scheme. there's an awful lot we can do with these guys."

Well at least they're on the same page. Not certain it's the right page, though.

The concern here is they seem to have donned blinders and don't see the warts with this group. It's a room that needs to be improved dramatically for Deshaun Watson, who saw eminently better and more productive talent in his four seasons with the Houston Texans. 

Watching quarterbacks and receivers work with their timing is nice . . . when you're not in uniform. What solid conclusions can be reached watching them against zero defensive effort? Too early for that, you say? Of course it is. It's also too early for a coach to get that excited.

As for the talent in the room, hopefully DePodesta's generous observations are not shared by many in the Ivory Tower. It's clearly the wrong message.

Agree to a certain extent the room has speed. Anthony Schwartz is a world-class sprinter. But can he catch a football? That's kind of important. Getting open and making yourself available is, too. Schwartz had trouble doing both in his rookie season. He's a track phenom first, a football player second. Other than that, stretching the field will be difficult this season.

It's an indictment that Bell, a raw rookie, most likely will be WR2 behind the well established Cooper because he is better now than Peoples-Jones, a third-year pro whose sophomore season was disappointing even though he led the club in receiving yardage (a measly 597 yards).

Some great route runners, DePodesta bragged. Outside of Cooper and Bell. who would that be? DPJ? Nah. Schwartz? In his dreams maybe. Ja'Marcus Bradley? Practice squad material. Draftee Michael Woods II? Not yet. If (when?) GM Andrew Berry brings a veteran or two on board, I'll reassess.

I'll give the CSO the notion the room, for the most part, has players who are tough after the catch with the ability to win 50-50 balls. But that's it. Catching the football consistently helps. There are those in this group that lack that consistency. It is clear DePodesta sees something entirely different than what these veteran eyes see.

This situation carries a warning label titled "To Be Continued."

Off-season thoughts (Vol. XXVI)

It sure looks as though Andrew Berry is attempting to play anything but fast and loose with Jimmy Haslam III's money.

If reports over this past weekend are to be believed, the Browns' general manager had an opportunity to unload Baker Mayfield's pricey contract to the Carolina Panthers as the college draft unfolded, but couldn't come to terms regarding who would pay the quarterback's money and how much.

Berry is playing a tight-fisted game with his owner's money, a game that has little chance, at best, of winding up in his favor. He found that out in his dealing with the Panthers, one of only a handful of teams looking to improve their quarterbacks room.

Again reportedly, the two teams struck a deal but were not on the same page on how to divvy up paying Mayfield's $19 million salary this season. That's where Berry's reluctance to part with too much of the boss' dough queered the deal.

The Panthers, who had no picks between their first-rounder and round four, almost immediately traded back into the third round and took a quarterback when talk ceased. It slammed a promising door and kept Mayfield on the Browns' roster.

Due to circumstances he had control over only momentarily at one point but not any longer, this has become a a major challenge for Berry and a big story nationally on a daily basis. There seems to be no satisfactory solution that would satisfy both parties.

"I wouldn't say it's any more challenging than really a lot of situations that cross a general manager's desk," Berry said recently. "It's a fluid situation. We'll deal with it day-to-day."And then he turned to the draft. "We are pleased with the weekend and with the guys we added," he said. Of course he did.

The list of teams even remotely interested in Mayfield seems to have dwindled to just one, the Seattle Seahawks, and that interest has reached only lukewarm status. 

Unless someone is lurking in the shadows with secret interest in Mayfield and waiting for the best opportunity to strike and go public, it has reached the point now where Berry probably is better off waiting and continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis.

This little soap opera -- A Divorce in Progress or Slow-Motion Divorce, take your pick -- will most likely have legs through mandatory minicamp and OTAs right through to the beginning of training camp in late July. Look for Mayfield, still recovering from shoulder surgery, to be excused from all activities until then.

That's when the story should regenerate to daily status. It very well could reach the point where Berry might have no choice but to tap deeply into the boss' extreme wealth and pay up to move his recalcitrant quarterback.

It's either that or flat-out releasing him and I don't see that happening. That way, any team could grab him. That, of course, would delight Mayfield the most. By loosening the pocket book, at least the Browns can dictate where he lands.

*** 

The Browns signed 14 free agents following the draft, eight of them on offense. They include two linemen, a couple of tight ends, three wide receivers and a quarterback. The defense includes a linebacker, safety, two tackles and two cornerbacks. Don't get excited. They are basically training camp fodder.

***

They also signed one college basketball player who quit playing football as a high school freshman to concentrate on basketball and invited another player, a local product with no football experience, to rookie minicamp. Both are big tight ends. 

Marcus Santos-Silva, a 6-6, 260-pounder, played five years of collegiate basketball before deciding he'd like to try football again. He joins Malik Smith, a 6-6, 265-pounder who played basketball at Cleveland Heights High School and just one year in college.

Smith, older brother of former Ohio State defensive lineman Tyreke Smith (drafted over the weekend by Seattle), got the invite from the Browns after impressing scouts during Ohio State's pro day last month.

Perhaps the Browns are hoping to get lucky with one of them as the San Diego Chargers did at the beginning of this century with Kent State basketball's Antonio Gates, a virtual certainty to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame within the next few years.

NFL draft wrapup

Final thoughts on the what the Browns did in the 2022 National Football League college draft . . . 

He has shepherded three drafts now for the Browns and I still haven't figured out Andrew Berry's philosophy of his selections. Is it best player, need or entirely something else? Leaning toward the latter.

Trying to figure out which direction he'll go when it's time to make a pick is daunting at best unless it's so blatantly obvious. It's damn near impossible to climb inside his thought processes and be correct even just a few times. Take his opening shot, for example, near the top of round two of the latest draft Friday night.

The goals, perceived or otherwise, were wide receiver or defensive line, whichever position was highest on the Browns' board at the time. When pick 44 arrived, so did Berry's quick-trigger impulse to trade down (this time with Houston). Twenty-four spots down to the top of the third round!

In doing so, he subtlety gave middle fingers to the well-regarded talents of wide receivers John Metchie III, Skyy Moore, Alec Pierce and George Pickens, as well as defensive linemen David Ojabo, Drake Jackson, Josh Pascal and Nik Bonitto. (The Texans took Metchie with the selection Berry surrendered.)

Something tells me the Browns will regret passing on Ojabo, a solid first-rounder before rupturing his Achilles heel at pro day several weeks ago. The Baltimore Ravens immediately jumped all over him right after Berry traded down, knowing he'll be there ready to roll after his recovery. (The Ravens should send Berry a thank-you note.)

Now when the Browns were placed on the clock at 68, defensive tackle Travis Jones and offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann were still available. Jones is a huge run stuffer at 325 pounds and Raimann a rapid riser. That's when Berry produced the ultimate swerve by selecting Martin Emerson, a modestly-regarded cornerback from Mississippi State.

No wide receiver, No defensive lineman. And a whole bunch of Browns Nation denizens shaking their collective heads in amazement. A short while later, the club announced the trade of nickelback Troy Hill back to the Los Angeles Rams for a future draft choice. 

It was almost as though the Emerson pick then made perfect sense. He would move right in to replace Hill and everything would be just fine. What's the worry? Berry said he liked Emerson's length (a half inch shy of  6-2) and ability to play any kind of coverage. 

If Berry wanted length, though, higher rated (but not on the Cleveland board) Tariq Woolen of Texas-San Antonio was there at 68.  He stopped growing at a lofty and legit 6-4 and is blessed with speed, running a blazing 4.26 40 at the Indianapolis Combine. The Seattle Seahawks scooped him up in the fifth round.

Berry recovered slightly at the end of the third round by taking wideout David Bell, who is not nearly as highly regarded as Moore, Metchie, Pierce and Pickens. Bell's calling card is his reliability when targeted; having dropped fewer than 10 passes in his three years at Purdue. Speed? Only in his dreams.

Round four produced two starters in defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey and placekicker Cade York (that  just sounds liked a kicker's name). Sort of restored my faith in Berry finally making intelligent picks. If nothing else, Winfrey will bring fire and energy to the defensive line. And York will bring energy to the fans when he drills 50+ yard field goals throw blizzards.

My only quibble with Berry thereafter was his ninth and final pick midway through the final round. With Ohio State defensive tackle Haskell Garrett surprisingly still on the board, the Cleveland GM must have fallen asleep and allowed someone else to choose center Dawson Deaton, who has less than no chance of making the final roster. Imagine two Garretts playing together on the D line. 

Several draft sites designated Garrett, projected to go as high as the fourth round, the top undrafted free agent. The Tennessee Titans couldn't sign him quickly enough. How in the world did the Browns miss that opportunity? We'll probably never know.

So in the end, did this draft help? Marginally, A little along the defensive front, a little in the passing game and yet to be determined on special teams. It produced three starters or major contributors, some special teamers and a few not quite ready for the NFL.

***

It will be interesting to see what Berry has in his back pocket between now and training camp this summer. He can't be comfortable with his wide receivers room. It needs a lot of help for new quarterback Deshaun Watson, whose receiving corps at his last stop in Houston included DeAndre Hopkins, Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller V, the latter now a free agent.

Right now, Amari Cooper is WR1 by far with newcomer Bell and Donovan Peoples-Jones jockeying for WR2. Anthony Schwartz, draftee Michael Woods II and Ja'Marcus Bradley round out the room for the time being. That's not going to cut it for Watson. Beyond Cooper, there isn't a Hopkins, Cooks or Fuller in that room now.

As good as Watson is, he needs help. Veterans like Antonio Brown, Julio Jones. T. Y. Hilton, Jamison Crowder, Emmanuel Sanders, A. J. Green and, yes, Jarvis Landry are looking for work. For many of them, it will be a final stop in their careers.

The Browns the last couple of seasons have lured veterans with moderately priced prove-it contracts for  a season. What's the harm in extending such deals to any of the above? Rhetorical question.

***

Here's an interesting question: How many of Berry's nine picks this year will make the final active roster? Care to guess? Here's a clue: He selected 15 young men in his first two Cleveland drafts. Every one of them is still on the active roster. Another clue: There will be at least one this year.

By way of comparison, the previous two drafts, conducted by John Dorsey, produced 16 new faces. Only six remain, including Baker Mayfield. The others are Nick Chubb, Greedy Williams, Sione Takitaki, Denzel Ward and Drew Forbes, who has barely contributed and will probably be a casualty this year.

***

Berry evenly divided his picks among the groups, taking four for the offense and four for the defense with one special teamer. Only one of the four on offense was a lineman, an area that, it says here, is not nearly as good as it was two years ago.

Injuries shut down right tackle Jack Conklin after seven games last season and severely affected and then limited left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.'s performance all season. His performance as a rookie when healthy also left a lot to be desired. Only the middle troika of center JC Tretter and guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller delivered standout games. And Tretter is gone.

Problems lurk, though. Either little (barely six feet tall) Nick Harris or big (6-6) Ethan Pocic will replace Tretter and the quality of this important position will suffer as a result. On the plus side, Conklin is reportedly going to be ready to go this season. So, too, is Wills. 

The problem there is while Conklin is an All-Pro tackle, Wills has struggled both seasons to keep his quarterback vertical on passing downs. When Bitonio, a tackle in college, moved over and replaced Wills in one game late last season when Wills tested positive for  COVID-19, he graded higher that Wills ever did.

Thinking out loud here: Why not move Bitonio permanently to left tackle and slide Wills inside to guard where he can be more comfortable and effective? Wills is better in the run game and athletic enough to be effective at pulling and leading the likes of Chubb, Kareem Hunt and D'Ernest Johnson.

***

How drastically will head coach and de facto offensive coordinator  Kevin Stefanski change his offense this season? It sure looks as though that offense will operate with only two tight ends on the active roster -- David Njoku and Harrison Bryant. That means more yardage through the air and less on the ground. And more fun for the fans.