Q&A Part Trois

Time now for a look at the 2021 season for the Browns through a more specific lens . . . 

With all the positive reaction about this team by just about everyone in the National Football League universe, what is the likelihood of a gigantic letdown and a tumble back into mediocrity or worse?

Not this season and probably more than a few more after that. This team truly is too good to slip back. Too deep to slip back. Too loaded to slip back.

With what certainly seems to be the kind of front office and smart leadership this franchise has sought for the better part of two decades now firmly in place, the future glows brightly. Browns fans should have no problems getting used to winning games. 

They've suffered enough and are about to be amply rewarded for their loyalty, which had to be painful for the zealots who maintained their faith throughout the years. They had better make room for those who jumped off the bandwagon along the way but are clamoring to climb back on.

Now for some other questions seeking answers. Hopscotching around, let's begin with this: How much will the defense miss defensive tackles Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi?

More than you'd think, especially Richardson, easily the best defensive lineman against the run the last two seasons. I don't see anyone on the roster who can come close to what he meant to that aspect of the game.

None of the current defensive tackles played for Cleveland last season. Andrews Billings and Malik Jackson more than likely will open with rookie Tommy Togiai and Jordan Elliott in backup roles. It is also possible defensive coordinator Joe Woods will move edge rushers Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney inside on occasion.

But right now, gird yourself for a possible return to the days when the defense surrendered hundreds of yards on a weekly basis.

Why won't Stefanski give wide receiver Rashard Higgins a bigger, no make that much bigger, role in his offense? 

Beats me. For crying out loud, he surely has to know Baker Mayfield and Higgins have connected successfully on nearly 70% of their passes. Why tether him to the bench? He's clutch. He's reliable. And Mayfield loves him. He needs to see the field a whole lot more.

How much playcalling latitude will Stefanski give offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt this season?

He almost certainly will for the three exhibition games. But don't count on that once the regular season starts. Not certain whether it's a lack of confidence -- Van Pelt certainly did well in the playoff game victory in Pittsburgh last season when Stefanski was laid up with COVID-19 -- or having a tough time separating himself from those chores. 

He'll soon realize that the demands of being a head coach some day will force him to give up those duties so he can concentrate on the entire scope of a game. Like focusing on making the correct decisions on penalties, time management, making certain the correct moves are being made on defense and special teams as well. 

Speaking of defense, how long will it take for that side of the football to jell to the point of making plays on a sustained basis?

With a dozen new men who have never payed together, it could take as long as the first month before they start to click and Woods settles on situational packages best suited to the talents of the various players. It won't be easy, but the schedule is in their favor early on.

After the season opener in Kansas City, the defense will face Houston and Chicago at home and the Vikings in Minnesota in the next three weeks. If it takes longer than four games to achieve cohesion, trouble lurks. I don't see that happening.

Who will call signals on defense?

Two candidates: Middle linebacker Dwayne Walker and safety John Johnson III. Both possess strong leadership qualities. It will be interesting to see who Woods trusts to call signals, The guess here is Johnson, who can play either safety position and will play every snap. Walker most likely will be a two-down player and exit on obvious passing downs. Both men are huge upgrades over last season.

How long will Woods stay with his 4-2-5 base look?

Because the NFL remains a pass-happy and pass-heavy league and because the Browns now have quality personnel to be effective against the forward pass, get used to it. With some much versatility in the secondary this season, Woods can interchange cornerbacks and safeties in his nickel and dime packages and not be nearly as concerned as he was last season.

How hot is the seat Woods occupies?

Given all that talent, the temperature will start warm and rise and fall on a weekly basis. He got the mulligan last season with the penurious approach by the front office on defense.  There will be no such excuses this season.

What will be Stefanski's greatest concern on offense?

Keeping the line healthy, particularly at center. The quality quotient of the line drops dramatically if JC Tretter misses any time. Everything else falls into place if the trenchmen remain vertical from a competitive standpoint all season.

What can fans expect from Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt?

Lots more of the same. Production, production, production. And then more production. On the ground, Through the air. Enjoy it while you can because one of them won't be here in a couple of years. 

How much better will Baker Mayfield be this season?

He's just getting started in this offense. It took him half a season to climb on board last season, but once he did, the comfort and confidence levels were obvious. The amount of respect he gained from his huddle mates will pay big dividends this season. He is not the same quarterback who arrived in Cleveland in 2018.

Turning to special teams, how worried should Cody Parkey be about losing his job?

This club needs a solid placekicker. Parkey didn't exactly cover himself with glory in his second tour of duty in Cleveland. He missed four extra points, but made 19 of 22 field goals, the fifth-lowest field goal total in the league. He never attempted a field goal of 50 or more yards. He will be challenged by Chase McLaughlin, who has kicked for five teams in his two NFL seasons. The Browns can do better here.

What about punter Jamie Gillan?

Seemed to suffer from the sophomore jinx. His net average dropped four yards to 38.3 yards and he landed just 14 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, a 50% drop. All that despite punting a dozen fewer times than his rookie season. That needs to improve, Can't ignore the importance of field position. Interestingly, the Browns did not bring anyone in to challenge him.

And the return game?

Bad news all over the place. This franchise has not returned a punt for a touchdown since Travis Benjamin did it way back in 2015, He also returned two more in 2012 and 2013. (That does not include the 86-yard punt return by rookie Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi in a 2109 exhibition against Washington. He was cut a month later.) 

You've got to go way back to 2009 to locate the last kickoff return for a score. Josh Cribbs had three that season, including two in week 15 in Kansas City in a 41-34 victory. Officially, the last kickoff return for a Cleveland touchdown was on Dec. 20, 2009. 

It looks as though returnee D'Ernest Johnson and rookie draft pick Demetric Felton will battle it out to be the return specialist with Felton also slated to show his versatility at running back and wide receiver.

And finally, who will be Browns' rookie of the year, most improved player and most valuable player?

Hybrid linebacker/safety Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah takes down rookie honors; defensive tackle Andrew Billings, a COVID-19 opt out last season, will show why the Browns signed him away from Cincinnati; and the offensive line becomes the collective MVP. 

More Q&A 

Round two of questions seeking answers. Today, the offense. As for what to expect from the Browns' offense this season, fewer questions seeking answers appear on the docket. Such as . . . 

What can fans expect from the unit that helped catapult the offense from average at best entering the 2020 season to one of the best in the National Football League?

Having the offensive line return intact us a huge plus. The only problem there is how long they will stay healthy and whether there is sufficient quality depth to plug holes when they arise. 

Last season, the line missed only eight games due to injuries. However, five of those eight belonged to right guard Wyatt Teller, arguably the best of the group, with knee and ankle problems.  Keeping him vertical and ready to play is essential this season.

From a quality depth stance. however, the player the line can least afford to lose is center JC Tretter, who hasn't missed a game since joining the Browns in 2017. His backup is smallish (barley six feet tall) Nick Harris, who filled in twice for Teller last season and was -- being generous here -- mediocre.

Veteran Chris Hubbard returns from late-season knee surgery to back up tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr., along with draft choice James Hudson; Michael Dunn and Blake Hance played briefly but well while filling in for Teller; and Drew Forbes returns after opting out last season (COVID-19).

Staying healthy is the No 1 priority up front, of course. But it's comforting to know the dropoff in talent won't be an issue, especially with peerless offensive line coach Bill Callahan around to make certain it isn't.

But what about Wills, whose run blocking left a lot to be desired last season as a rookie?

Can't deny that. But he also graded very well in pass blocking, which was surprising because that aspect of the game is difficult to begin with, particularly when switching from one side of the line to the other. He adjusted nicely.

Now that he has that down pat, he can concentrate on elevating his run-blocking skills by getting stronger at the point of attack. He was too often slow out of his stance and arriving too late to make a play. It's all about timing in the run game,

What can we expect from the others -- Tretter, Joel Bitonio and Conklin?

Pretty much what they've done over the last several seasons. Steady play, few mistakes, play in relative anonymity. The sort of stuff you don't realize until the game is over. It's a lunch-pail atmosphere in the trenches. And you can bet the so-called skill players appreciate it.

Bitonio turns 30 this year. Isn't that kind of old for an offensive lineman?

Not any more. Players along the offensive line are playing longer than ever before. It's not unusual to see them play well into their 30s. So based on that, Bitonio could be considered in the midst of his prime. Besides, he is one of the best pulling guards in the league. And he's having a ball now after toiling his first six seasons with some of the worst teams in NFL history.

Getting back to Tretter, what happens if he goes down?

Trouble,

Unless someone who doesn't immediately come to mind beats him out in training camp, Harris will be the man. That's a big problem. His small (vertical) stature makes it difficult for him to be effective against much larger and stronger defensive linemen. Still can't figure out why the Browns drafted him, Cross your fingers Tretter stays healthy.

Now the offense as a whole. What can fans look forward to this season after such a specular 2020?

It's easy to say why mess with something if it works. But that's pretty much what I look forward to this season. And then if opposing defenses stop it, that's when you change, But if you're good enough from an execution standpoint, that shouldn't happen too often.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski and quarterback Baker Mayfield joined each other on the same page roughly a third of the way through last season and just about everything seemed to click. No reason to think the same offensive philosophy won't work again.

But in the event it doesn't, Stefanski is wise enough and prescient enough to be ready for it and quickly make changes. In fact, it wouldn't surprise to see him incorporate a few new wrinkles this season in an effort to further expand what has proven to be the franchise's best offense since the days of Lindy Infante nearly four decades ago.

Bottom line: We'll still see equal parts run game/pass game. That is the Stefanski credo. Both aspects of the game sets up the other, especially with the quality talents of the pieces and parts within the offense. Game plan to their strengths and turn them loose.

And Mayfield?

He's the ringmaster, the linchpin. He makes it happen. Stefanski has designed an offense that caters to his quarterback's strong points.  As long as they stay linked, the results will be positive. There is no reason o believe -- or even think -- that will change with Mayfield approaching his prime.

The more comfortable he is in this offense, the more his accuracy with the forward pass improves. It rose more than three percentage points last season. He is just a few percentage points away from duplicating his college-career 68.5% accuracy rate.

And with terrific talent at wide receiver, tight end and running back, distribution of the football should further enhance his value to the cause. This is a loaded offense with someone who appears to be the right captain at the helm.

In what way will the aforementioned be factors?

Let's start with the tight ends because of their importance in a Kevin Stefanski offense. I see cast improvement from pro sophomore Harrison Bryant, who began hot last season, but faded. Look for him to become one of Mayfield's favorite targets on third down. 

Austin Hooper provided strong blocking on the perimeter last season, but is not a natural receiver. He and Bryant will be regulars in the base offense with David Njoku, who wavers deciding whether he wants to stay in Cleveland, seeing spot duty and decide he finally wants to leave. Again.

Count on Stefanski, the playcaller, dialing up his tight ends often to take heat off the wide receivers. All of which gives Mayfield the kind of latitude he needs to keep defenses honest.

Now the wide receivers?

An interesting group to be sure. Interesting in that this group provided the most valuable contributions last season after the highest profile member of the group went down with a season-ending injury in game seven. If anything, that group got better in his absence.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s 23-game career in Cleveland has produced just seven passing touchdowns. He had 45 scores in five seasons with the NewYork Giants, which suggests he was far more successful and connected better with Eli Manning than Mayfield. 

A deep dive into the stats reveals Mayfield and Beckham have connected on just a shade more 55% of the time with the Browns. Mayfield's accuracy totals went up substantially and his interception totals down dramatically after Beckham's departure. Draw your own conclusions.

Rashard Higgins is not nearly as fast or quick or spectacular as Beckham, but he is far more reliable and open more frequently. He and Mayfield have connected on 69% of the passes directed his way in three seasons. In part-time duty, Higgins has scored nine touchdowns in 36 games with Mayfield. Again, draw your own conclusion.

Beckham will be back following ACL surgery, along with the much more reliable Jarvis Landry, KhaDarel Hodge, Donovan Peoples-Jones, who came on strong late in his rookie season, and rookie speedster Anthony Schwartz, a world-class sprinter.

The latter is interesting in that he (and OBJ) give the Browns a quick-strike threat, which is antithetical to Stefanski's philosophy of ball control. .Only one problem. Beckham at least can catch the football, often times spectacularly. Schwartz, who I believe is a sprinter masquerading as a football player, cannot. He is a one-trick pony, who might be used more often on jet sweeps or reverses. Or as a decoy.

All in all, it is a solid room. The only possible discord could be Beckham's possible unhappiness in not seeing the football enough. With all the talent at the skill positions, Stefanski must utilize him within the framework of the team and not force-feed him the ball.

Up next, the running backs?

Unquestionably the best tandem in the NFL in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. It is a luxury Stefanski does not take lightly. A perusal of last season's statistics offers ample evidence. To wit:

Chubb and Hunt combined for 2.362 yards (rushing and receiving) on 442 touches (only two fumbles), an average of 5.34 yards per touch. They scored 23 of the club's 48 touchdowns, 18 on the ground. And Chubb missed four early-season games with a knee injury.

Hunt, the more versatile of the two, is just as dangerous a receiver as he is a runner. He is valuable flanking out as well as lining up behind/next to Mayfield. Chubb, the north and south runner, is not twitch-quick but is deceivingly fast once he finds running room.

He is your typical between-the-tackle brute with quick feet who can bust a long scoring run with suddenness that needs to be seen to be believed and a threat to rip one off at any time. 

Based on how he used hisi prized duo last season, Stefanski's creative juices should flow as he conjures up new looks to take advantage of their unique talents. 

Next: General questions seeking answers

Q & A

Questions seeking answers as the Browns approach the beginning of training camp for unquestionably the most important season this iteration of the franchise has anticipated since the rebirth.

Coming off a never-expected-that season that captured the imagination of the entire National Football League, the Browns as a result enter the 2021 season with extraordinarily high expectations forecasts.

Just like that, they have become the darlings of the NFL elite after a stunning 11-5 season that came thisclose to being 13-3, and a short playoff run that seriously threatened to dethrone the defending Super Bowl champions.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, Super Bowl and Cleveland Browns in the same sentence is no longer oxymoronic. Wait'll next year has arrived with a team that has retained one of the league's most dangerous offenses and a defense that has been almost totally revamped for the better.

And yet questions abound, as they should. On both sides of the football and special teams. They seek answers that could help pave the way to playing a football game next Feb. 13 in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

After plodding through two decades of miserable football, it feels weird to type those words. The dream is always there, of course. And it always evaporated, of course. Until last season, when head coach Kevin Stefanski delivered phase one of that dream.

Okay, enough of the preamble. Time for questions.

Who will be working under the most pressure this season?

No, not a player. It's got to be Joe Woods, who took more verbal abuse last season that any other coach or player. To be fair, the defensive coordinator was working, with a couple of exceptions, with a ragtag group of players on that side of the ball. Their failure to make plays was alarmingly inevitable and depressingly often.

The same cannot be said this season. Not after General Manager Andrew Berry, whose revamp of the offensive line last season resulted in an explosive offense, turned his attention to the defense. The results will result in as many as nine new starters and/or major contributors via free agency and the college draft.

A cautionary note: Do not expect this new defense to come out of the chute and perform as though it were midseason. That's not going to happen. But it will be better on an exponential basis as the season unfolds.

The return of cornerback Greedy Williams and safety Grant Delpit, who missed the entire 2020 season with major injuries, will automatically improve the depth at those positions in a secondary that routinely  gave up big plays. 

With the addition of free agents Jadeveon Clowney and Takkarist McKinley, the drafting of Tommy Togiai and the return of Andrew Billings from last season's COVID-19 opt-out to help the great Myles Garrett, the defensive line ostensibly should be better despite the departures of edge rusher Olivier Vernon and tackles Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi.

At linebacker, the drafting of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and free-agent signing of Anthony Walker add speed and savvy behind the line. Walker solidifies the run game, while JOK most likely will be utilized as a hybrid linebacker/safety.

Last season, Woods had a convenient excuse for the Browns' constant failures on defense. He will not have that luxury this season. Not with the talent Berry has accumulated. He must get it right.

What about returnees like Jordan Elliott, Jacob Phillips, Sione Takitaki, Malcolm Smith and Mack Wilson? Where do they fit in? Or do they fit in at all?

Most will fit in. But at least one of that group will be an ex-Brown. Perhaps two. The drafting of Tony Fields II puts Smith, Takitaki and Wilson in jeopardy at linebacker. More-so the latter two, who have not distinguished themselves in two seasons. Elliott faces tough competition with the return of Billings and the signing of veteran Malik Jackson.

The secondary is very crowded. Ten cornerbacks and seven safeties. What gives?

Denzel Ward, top pick Greg Newsome II, free-agent signee Troy Hill and Williams are locks at cornerback. So are the trio of John Johnson III (free agency). returnee Ronnie Harrison and Delpit at safety. M. J. Stewart Jr. and Robert Jackson will serve as depth at corner, while the drafting of Richard LeCounte could pave the way for the release of safety Sheldrick Redwine.

So what kind of a pass rush can fans expect this season?

Unless Woods incorporates more blitzes in the defensive playbook, most likely not as many as last season's 38 sacks. The signing of Clowney will enhance the run defense for certain. He is is not much of a pass rusher. Neither is McKinley, who was a four-season disappointment for the Atlanta Falcons. The Brsowns will miss Vernon's nine sacks last season.

Garrett can expect to see double teams most of the season unless Clowney and/or McKinley can miraculously find different ways to get to opposing quarterbacks. The hope is rookie Curtis Weaver, picked up on injury waivers at the beginning of last season, comes through. The smallish (6-2, 265) Weaver, a college standout at Boise State, is roughly the same size as Vernon.

Next: A look at the offense and questions in general.

DL no longer strength

When the Browns began the 2020 season, it was generally agreed the strength of the defense resided up front. Iffy at linebacker, uncertain at cornerback except for Denzel Ward and cross your fingers at safety.

After that side of the football regurgitated points at an alarming pace throughout the season, that certainly proved to be the case, And then General Manager Andrew Berry went to work.

This season, the strength of the defense lies not with those dudes up front, but behind them. More on that in a bit.

The back seven, at least on paper, will be markedly better with the addition of safeties John Johnson III and Grant Delpit, who missed all last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon; slot cornerback Troy Hill; rookie corner Greg Newsome and Greedy Williams, who missed last season with shoulder nerve damage; and linebackers Anthony Walker and rookie Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

The same cannot be said about the defensive line, defensive tackle in particular. It is now the weakest element of the group in charge of preventing the opposition from scoring and keeping leads provided by the offense safe.

Myles Garrett, of course, is a stickout on the edge. The only problem there? He is the only stickout. The addition of the highly overrated Jadeveon Clowney and underachiever Takkarist McKinley will not help. Neither man is Olivier Vernon, whose valuable contributions last season will be sorely missed.

Tackle is even worse. Not even arguably the worst single unit on that side of the ball. Only one of the eight candidates -- half will make the final roster -- suited up for the Browns last season. ONE!! Let that sink in.

Jordan Elliott, a third-round draft pick last season, is the lone returnee at tackle. Gone are Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi, who ate up 74% and 60% of the 1,078 2020 snaps, respectively. Their absence will be felt all season.

Elliott started only one game, played just 307 snaps, or 28.47%, and received mixed reviews. He banked only 15 tackles (six solo) with no sacks, tackles for loss or quarterback hits. He is expected to seriously challenge for a starting role, especially since it's wide-open with Richardson and Ogunjobi elsewhere.

Newcomers include Andrew Billings, a COVID-19 opt out last season; Sheldon Day; Damion Square; fourth-round draft pick Tommy Togiai from Ohio State; nine-year veteran Malik Jackson; undrafted rookie Marvin Wilson; and Malik McDowell.

McDowell arrives with off-the-field baggage. He was initially drafted in the second round by Seattle in 2017, but never played a snap. He was injured in an ATV accident, ultimately released by the Seahawks, tried out with Miami and had subsequent numerous run-ins with the law.

"We are aware of Malik's past," said Berry. "We believe he is now in a good place personally. He is committed to taking advantage of the support network in place to become the best version of himself . . . and we will support him as he attempts to make his return to football." In other words, a gamble.

Wilson a projected third-rounder this year, dropped out of sight in the lottery and then the Browns pounced, giving him a $30,000 signing bonus and a $163,000 guaranteed base salary. They apparently envision the 2018-2019 version of Wilson, whose solid play portended a high pick this year.

He for whatever reason was a totally different player this past season. Pro scouts soured on him as he consistently failed to produce. He became an afterthought all the way to free agency. Another second chance project (and another Berry gamble) for defensive coordinator Rod Woods.

Billings, signed as a free agent last year, and Jackson, who has played with Denver, Jacksonville and Philadelphia, most likely will get the most of the reps this season unless one of the younger hopefuls such as Elliott, Togiai or McDowell step up in training camp and take the job.

Cohesion is a big factor along the line, especially in the run game, knowing exactly what the other guy is going to do in a given situation. With so many newcomers at tackle, it might take some time before the inside portion of this unit achieves that cohesion.

Defense to the rescue

Last season, the Browns pretty much offensively bullied their way into the National Football League postseason, rescuing a defense that pretty much underperformed the entire season.

That will not be the case this season, believe head coach Kevin Stefanski and his boss, who kind of recreated that side of the football with numerous shrewd moves during the offseason. 

For the first time since can't remember when, the Browns this season will be balanced on both sides of the football. The explosive offense returns all its starters. The new defense will start nine men who did not suit up with them last season.

The results on defense clearly will be better mainly because they couldn't be any worse than 2020. And that is why most pundits speak of the Browns in ways their fans haven't heard since they were the original Browns from 1946 to 1995.

The words "Super Bowl" are not being tossed around casually. There is ample evidence to back up the notion 2021 could be the year the Browns fully awaken from a deep slumber and make the big move after slowly emerging and rubbing their eyes last season.

General Manager Andrew Berry signaled the start of the defensive remake in mid-March by pilfering half the Los Angeles Rams secondary in free agency. No question free safety John Johnson III and slot cornerback Troy Hill are infinitely better than anyone last season.

There was no better NFL defense last season than the Rams'. First in total yards gained; first against the pass; first in touchdown passes allowed; first in net yards gained against the pass; third against the run; third in rushing yards per attempt.

Yep, that's what the Browns, who allowed 50 touchdowns (31 via the forward pass) last season desperately need. By contrast, the Rams permitted only 33 touchdowns last season, just 17 -- roughly one a game -- through the air.

Don't expect that to translate to success with the Browns. Johnson and Hill will find it a bit more difficult to do their jobs with Cleveland. They thrived with the Rams pretty much due to the contributions of one man. 

Not just any man. Aaron Donald is unquestionably the best defensive player in the NFL and the best thing to happen to any secondary. The defensive tackle  makes the Rams' defense better on every play and in every way. He is the secondary's best friend.

He is that rare football player at his position who is dangerous against the run and the pass. He is double- and sometimes triple-teamed and still makes plays. He makes everyone else on the field that much better.

Donald is most valuable pressuring the pocket, disturbing and disrupting the timing of quarterbacks from a position that rarely penetrates that close. It, in turn, makes it easier on the secondary with regard to coverage.

The Rams dropped opposing quarterbacks 53 times last season -- 13.5 by Donald -- just three behind league leader Pittsburgh. (The Browns had 38.) His relentless approach has netted 85.5 sacks over a seven-year career, 46.5 in the last three seasons. 

The Browns don't have anyone like Donald on the roster. No, not even Myles Garrett, who is brilliant as a pass rusher, but so-so as a run defender. He doesn't makes teammates better. He is not the overall difference maker Donald is. Johnson and Hill will miss him.

It's safe to say, however, the Browns will not bleed points on a weekly basis this season. With the new look on defense, the days of 42-37, 38-35 and 34-31 games are over. Entertaining perhaps, but gone.

OBJ or Julio?

Looking for a good pick-me-up during this lull in your NFL life? Still feeling the afterglow of the didn't-see-that-coming 2020 Browns season and need something to breathe new life into it?

Sure, the college draft accomplished that to a degree recently, but its shelf life is relatively short until the Browns hit the field in earnest, and that might not eventuate until a few months from now.

Need something to latch on to, to sustain talking about this finally-relevant football team until then? How about this?

The Atlanta Falcons and Julio Jones are in the midst of a divorce. The 10-year -- and seven-time Pro Bowl -- wide receiver wants out and the new Atlanta front office is trying to accommodate him. "Right now, I wanna win," he said the other day.

Finding a fit is proving somewhat difficult for Falcons General Manager Terry Fontenot. He is asking for a No. 1 pick. Not gonna happen.

Jones is still among the best wideouts in the NFL, but he is 32 years old. Fontenot is looking for someone to pick up the final year of his contract. That's $15.3 million.

Most teams would shy away from money like that. The Browns probably would be one of them. Except for one thing.They have a bargaining chip.

Why deal a high draft choice for Jones when you can trade something just as valuable, if not more valuable, to get him into a Seal Brown and Orange uniform? Like a player who would fit perfectly from a fiscal and talent standpoint?

Who would you rather see playing opposite Jarvis Landry, Julio Jones or Odell Beckham Jr.? Thats right, a straight-up swap of high-profile wide receivers. Jones wants to win? Taking a close look at what happened last season on the southern shores of Lake Erie might convince him. 

Both men will earn in the $15 million neighborhood this season. There's your fiscal equivalent, although the 28-year-old Beckham still has three years left on his deal. Fontenot would get three contract years in exchange for someone anxious to leave.

Both men ostensibly would fit in nicely with their new team. At 6-3, 220 pounds, Jones would give Baker Mayfield the large (and reliable) target that would help elevate his game. And Beckham would flourish with Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. He certainly hasn't with Mayfield.

For whatever reason, the two have not bonded and become the ideal combination the front office envisioned when then-GM John Dorsey obtained Beckham from the New York Giants before the 2019 season. It's not an accident Mayfield has connected more with Landry and Rashard Higgins.

The only holdup on the possibility of at least discussing such a deal would be Beckham's current physical status. According to reports, his rehab from a torn ACL in week seven last season has gone well and he should be ready for the season opener.

Does Browns General Manager Andrew Berry want to go through a third season trying to solve that mystery or seriously think about bringing Jones to Cleveland, where he should have been for the last 10 seasons?

Many fans remember the 2011 college draft when the Browns surrendered the sixth overall pick in exchange for the Falcons' first-, second- and fourth-rounders that year and a first and fourth in 2012.

That turned out to be defensive tackle Phil Taylor, wide receiver Greg Little, fullback Owen Marecic, quarterback Brandon Weeden and linebacker James-Michael Johnson. Each forgettable in his own way.

The Falcons got a wide receiver who has caught 848 passes for nearly 12,900 yards (15.2 yards a grab) in his distinguished career. Sure would have looked nice in a Browns uniform in that span. And now there is an opportunity, slim perhaps, to finally make that happen.

As for the previous question -- who would you rather see playing opposite Landry, Julio Jones or Odell Beckham Jr.? -- I'll go with  Jones with the following recommendation:

According to Michael Giardi of the NFL Network, quoting an AFC executive, "If you think you have a chance to win big, you have to make that call. If you think you have a chance to have a chance, pick up the phone. (Jones) can change the entire calculus of your offense."

That's good enough for me.

Not bad at all

Now that the 2021 National Football League schedule is no longer a mystery, time to break down what the Browns will face this season.

First of all, it is not as bad as I imagined it would be. Here's why.

Only one of the eight road games (the Los Angeles Rams in week five) is more than one time zone away, necessitating a later start (Cleveland time) on the road. 

This is also a schedule that has the Browns playing on Halloween and Christmas. Nothing really interesting or shattering there. Just thought I'd throw that in because it might be a first in club history. Too lazy to look it up.

Moving along . . . .

Only three prime time games (all on the road), which usually mess with the rhythmic timing of the season, is a welcome sight. One is a Thursday night, sort of setting up a mini-bye week between games; the next is on Christmas day (a Saturday); the third is the following week on a Monday night.

Speaking of byes, this season's week off arrives in week 13, which gives head coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff three whole months to assess what went wrong and what worked. The last time the Browns byed in week 13, they finished 1-15 under he who shall not be named here.

An oddity creates what amounts to an NFL Oreo schedule sandwich for the Browns involving the Baltimore Ravens. The teams meet in week 12 at Baltimore and again in week 14 in Cleveland following the bye. The Ravens take on Pittsburgh in week 13.

Other than that, most of this season is comprised of games that start at 1 p.m. local time, which is more helpful to the coaching staff than one would ordinarily think. Goes back to that previously mentioned rhythm thing.

The Browns' reward for their 11-5 finish last season? The ninth-toughest schedule in the league this season. They play nine of their 17 games against teams that failed to make the playoffs last season. Of the other eight games, half are against division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

That's the bad news. The good news is the Steelers and Ravens own the top two spots in that category and Cincinnati is tied for sixth.

The league must have liked what happened so much in the AFC Divisional round when the Browns' playoff chase ended in Kansas City last January, it scheduled a rematch for the season opener in Missouri.

Really makes no difference where or against whom the season opener is for this iteration of the Browns, though. They have splendidly flunked games that begin seasons since they reemerged in 1999. They are 1-20-1 since, the lone victory at home over Baltimore in 2004.

(It would be 2-19-1 had linebacker linebacker Dwayne Ruud not tossed his helmet in celebration with the Browns holding a 39-37 lead in the 2002 season opener at home against the Chiefs, thinking the game was over with no time left on the clock. He was penalized by referee Ron Blum for removing his helmet on the field  (unsportsmanlike conduct), setting up a short Morten Andersen game-winning field goal.)

For all the preparation the last 22 versions of this franchise put in for game number one, they might as well have declared a forfeit and moved on to game two. For those who believe that won't happen Sept. 12, be advised Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II is healthy.

Mahomes carved up the Browns' secondary last season before leaving with a concussion and turf toe. Should be a good litmus test for the almost totally revamped Cleveland defense. 

After that, the schedule softens somewhat with five of the next seven games at home, where the Browns were 6-2 last season. That includes back-to-back games (Houston and Chicago) and three in a row (Arizona, Denver and Pittsburgh). They play consecutive games at home on three occasions. 

They then hit the road for three of the next four games (Cincinnati, New England and Baltimore) and finish with three of the final five games at home, including the season finale against Cincinnati.

Along the way, that new Cleveland defense will face a minefield of high-octane quarterbacks like Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers (probably), Matthew Stafford, Ben Roethlisberger in what most likely will be his final season, Derek Carr and Kyler Murray, Maybe Deshaun Watson in Houston if he clears his off-the-field problems.

By and large, it is not a killer schedule. It is quite the opposite of last season's soft schedule that helped produce the 11-5 and a playoff victory in Pittsburgh. This team, as constituted by General Manager Andrew Berry, is now good enough on both sides of the football to hold its own against some of the NF'L's elite as they strive to join them at that level.

It's a twisting road to the finish line that could have been much, much worse.

It's still befuddling

Color me baffled as to why so many people, including some savvy National Football League draft gurus, liked the Browns' third-round selection in the college draft a few days ago.

With so many other options on the board, General Manager Andrew Berry went for speed. In this case, breathtaking speed. Record-like speed. Don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-him speed.

There is fast, faster and fastest. And then there is Anthony Schwartz, one of the planet's fastest human beings. He has run a 10.07 100-meter dash. The world record, Usain Bolt's 9.58 seconds, was set in 2009.

With speed like that in a track uniform, the former sprint star might be better off training for this summer's Olympic Games and winning medals for the United States in Tokyo instead of trying to win a spot on the Browns roster this summer. He is a track standout who can play football.

Schwartz was that puzzling -- at least to this curmudgeon -- choice by Berry. Puzzling because of the GM's obvious need for someone who can stretch the field. Schwartz certainly can do that, but his pedigree is somewhat suspect.

I am not quarreling with the pick. My main beef is when Schwartz was taken off the board. Third round is for players expected to be significant contributors. His qualifications do not come even close to warrant such a lofty selection. He is not the 91st best player in the lottery.

Other than speed, there is nothing in the ramp-up process to the draft that elicits anything more than a nod and if he's there in the fifth or sixth round, get him.

Yes, he was a starter at Auburn, a school noted more for sending successful running backs (Bo Jackson, Joe Cribbs, Brandon Jacobs, James Brooks) to the NFL than receivers. It is not exactly a wide receiver factory. Sammie Coates, Frank Sanders and currently Darius Slayton of the New York Giants are the most notable former Tigers who have played well in the NFL.

It's always best, though, to steer clear of Auburn wideouts. The Browns tried with Ricardo Louis a few years ago. That went south in a hurry. Louis lasted two seasons, catching 45 passes for 562 yards and zero touchdowns. The Browns cashiered him after the 2017 season. No one else picked him up.

Now it's Schwartz's turn. It will be interesting, perhaps even fascinating, this summer at training camp to watch how head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt work the speedster into the playbook. 

Schwartz is a one-trick pony. He can run a straight line and get to point B from point A much quicker than any defensive back. But with today's much more sophisticated defenses, it is rare you see successful quick-strike bombs. 

He might be able to run the route tree, but the only branch the Browns got him for was the fly route. It certainly wasn't the 18-yard out. 

Speed was the main reason Schwartz scored more career touchdowns (7) running the football than catching it (6). Five of those seven scores arrived in his freshman season, when he picked up 211 yards on 27 carries. He tailed off to just two running scores as a sophomore and bottomed out at zero last season.

That's probably because the Auburn offensive staff realized the gimmick plays installed for Schwartz weren't working anymore because opponents were prepared for them. He lost six yards on only four carries.

It would appear gadget plays -- sweeps, reverses, etc.  -- is arguably the reason he is now employed by the Browns. It sure doesn't appear he will get many game reps. Not with the likes of Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., KhaDarel Hodge and Donovan People-Jones available, not to mention the tight ends and running backs. (Quick reminder, he was a third-round pick.) 

When Schwartz is on the field, it won't be as a decoy. It will be for one reason, and one reason only. Somehow, the football will wind up in his hands. And opposing defenses will know it.

Next time Berry needs a wide receiver, he hopefully has learned his lesson this season and avoids Auburn at all costs at least until the latter rounds. It has been proven they generally do not translate well to the NFL at all.

Out of the Woods

Last season, the most verbally abused member of the Browns did not wear a uniform. That abuse came from the fans. It was reserved the entire season for defensive coordinator Joe Woods.

Yes, the Browns made the playoffs for the first time since 2002. But, said the fans, it wasn't because of Woods' contributions to the cause. Far from it, in fact. 

What stood out most about last season was how the Browns won games. They did so by bludgeoning opponents. They scored 34 or more points in six of their 11 regular-season victories and another 42 in a loss. It took 48 points to knock off Pittsburgh in the playoffs.

With Woods' defense underachieving on pretty much a weekly basis, no lead was safe. The offense almost routinely shifted into rescue mode in an effort to insure Kevin Stefanski's rookie season as head coach ended successfully.

To be fair, the beleaguered Woods operated with what amounted to spare parts working on the cheap. Most of the defense was comprised of players who were either on the downside of a career or hadn't started with previous teams. Several played under fiscally restrained one-season, prove-it contracts.

They were thrust into what amounted to an impossible situation. They played up to the level of their talent, which was mediocre at best, dismally predictable at worst. The only members of that sad group who belonged were Myles Garrett, Olivier Vernon and Denzel Ward.

Woods had no chance to be successful and bore the brunt of the fans' anger and disgust. A few probably wondered why management chose to retained his services. General Manager Andrew Berry and Stefanski knew they were unfair to Woods from a talent standpoint. 

All that changed when Berry launched a mission to address the situation on that side of the football after successfully correcting the offense last season.  It has taken him just a couple of months to almost totally revamp the defense to the point where last season is just a bad memory.

As a result of his success in free agency, and the selection of cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with his first two picks in the college draft, Woods now has some glossy talent with which to work. It will make his job easier and much more satisfying.

Eleven members of that 2020 defense are gone, replaced by 10 men who did not wear a Cleveland uniform last season and will be significant contributors this season. Each level has been dramatically improved. Its youth, versatility, speed, quickness and much better talent will enable Woods to mix and match much more readily without losing strength. 

It is entirely possible the new Cleveland defense will include at least nine new starters -- Garrett and Ward the only incumbents -- to complement an offense that no longer will be required to pump out points at a feverish pace to win games. From the trenches to the secondary, this is a much, much better defense.

It is assumed -- and I can say this with much more assurance than I ever could last season -- that leads the offense produce this season will be in much safer hands this season. The days of the 42-37 and 49-38 outcomes are over.

No longer will fans have to sit on the edge of their seats wondering how the defense will screw up. Not if . . . how. That's how bad they were. This new group will take the mystery out of the equation and live up to Garrett's recent boast that the Browns' defense this season will be "scary."

And Woods, in all likelihood, will be looked upon differently by the fans now that he has bullets in his proverbial gun and a sizable gun belt.  Berry has now provided him the weapons he needs to gain that trust and prove his appointment as defensive coordinator was not a mistake.

Starting and finishing

There is an old saying in sports that rings true most of the time. Goes like this: It's not how you start that counts; it's how you finish.

Let's examine that with regard to how the Browns fared in the college draft that concluded Saturday as the City of Cleveland did a masterful job of showing itself off to a national television audience on three major television networks.

The Browns, whose brilliant offseason captured the imagination of the National Football League universe and boosted them into championship conversation this season, got off to a sensational start in the first two rounds, taking cornerback Greg Newsome II and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah off the board.

Both young men will be making vital contributions to that side of the football for a long time, injecting a dimension that has not been seen in Seal Brown and Orange for a long time. Combined with the offseason acquisitions, the Browns will field at least eight players on defense who did not suit up for them last season.

Well-deserved kudos poured in from around the league and all points of the media map as General Manager Andrew Berry artfully applied the finishing touches to what can only be described as an almost total remake of the defensive side of the ball.

After those two picks, the Browns are now in position from a roster and talent standpoint to be considered legitimate contenders to play football well into early 2022. No longer is the Super Bowl a dream, a fantasy. With this roster, it has become a reality.

Unfortunately, the draft is a seven-round exercise that all teams -- save perhaps the Seattle Seahawks, who seem to shun it like the plague -- participate in. It meant Berry took six more swings (five on Saturday)  and came up wanting. Those chosen are nowhere close to matching the quality of the first two selections.

In order, he took Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz in round three Friday night; University of Cincinnati offensive tackle James Hudson and Ohio State defensive tackle Tommy Togiai in round four; West Virginia inside linebacker Tony Fields II and Georgia strong safety Richard LeCounte in round five; and UCLA running back Demetric Felton in round six.  

Newsome and JOK are plug-in starters. Newsome will partner with Denzel Ward; JOK will bounce between linebacker and most likely strong safety depending on the situation on a full-time basis. None of the other six are even close to starting or, in many cases, making major contributions.

Berry appeared to lose his magic touch on day three following his blunder with the speedy Schwartz in the third round Friday night. If you want speed,  Schwartz is your man. If you want production, look elsewhere. He will be, at best, a very limited part-time player.

He does get props, however, for his self confidence. "I take a lot of pride every time I touch the ball," he told the Cleveland media Friday night. "I want to score and it doesn't matter how I'm going to do it. I am either going to run through you . . . run around you or I'm just going to burn you." Can you say rude awakening?

As for the other five choices, the only one with a shot at more than minimal contributions is Togiai, the ex-Buckeye who will be given the opportunity to provide relief for interior defensive linemen. Hudson, Fields, LeCounte and Felton are nothing more than training camp fodder with an opportunity for a few to contribute on special teams.

At the time they were selected, other higher-rated players were eschewed by Berry and his staff. Hudson, for example, was lower ranked than 6-8, 320-pound Tommy Doyle of Miami of Ohio and Iowa's Alaric Jackson, an All-Big Ten first-teamer at 6-5, 320. One cannot go wrong with selecting an Iowa offensive linemen.Defensive linemen, too.

In the same round, Berry ignored another Hawkeye, higher-ranked defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon when he selected Togiai. Nixon went a round later to Carolina.

Round five produced Fields and LeCounte. Unless the Browns decide to cut returnees Mack Wilson, Sione Takitaki, Malcolm Smith or Jacob Phillips loose, Fields' best shot is special teams. The linebackers room -- don't forget defensive coordinator Joe Woods generally plays just two linebackers in his 4-2-5 base -- is getting awfully crowded.

Berry can correct the Fields pick by signing Alabama's Dylan Moses, who went undrafted. (This just in: Too late on Moses, who signed with Jacksonville. But the Browns did sign Florida State defensive tackle Marvin Wilson.)

LeCounte joins an equally crowded secondary. Berry ignored higher-ranked Hamsah Nasirildeen of Florida State, who at 6-3, 215 pounds dwarfs the 5-11, 195-pound LeCounte. A torn ACL limited him to only two games last season. The New York Jets grabbed him at the top of round six.

Berry silently signaled his satisfaction with the pass rush by ignoring edge rushers. Jonathan Cooper of Ohio State and Miami of Florida's Quincy Roche were still available. By selecting Felton, he apparently is looking for some competition for D'Ernest Johnson. 

This annual exercise is all a matter of judgment of course. Those who selected these young men do it for a living. They are challenged every year to unearth that gem in the later rounds. The sixth-round Tom Bradys of the NFL draft world.

Every year, I look for that late-round surprise who just might be that guy, that burst-through player who plays well above his drafted slot. Donovan Peoples-Jones, for example, was a sixth-rounder who surprised last season with his clutch performance, He stepped right in and flourished after Odell Beckham Jr. tore up his knee.

I don't see anyone like that this year. Togiai on the surface appears to be the closest. Nixon would have been even better had he been Berry's choice.

The final grade will be divided into two parts. The first two picks and the last eight. They were so diametrically different.

The first two selections without question were dynamite. I can't put enough plusses next to the A.

Everything else is a disappointing fail. I wouldn't be surprised if one or two fail to make the final roster. Awarding a C- is being extremely generous.

The finish wasn't nearly as strong as the start. Overall grade: C+.