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.