New, different Watson

Browns mandatory minicamp officially concluded Thursday after three days as Browns Nation was treated to vast amounts of praise from the coaches and positive footage through the various social media outlets.

So what conclusions should denizens of the Nation come away with? Yes, it's only three days and the players worked out in shorts and helmets, but you gotta admit the offense sure looked good in the seven-on-seven drills.

The Deshaun Watson we all saw was brilliant, connecting on pass after pass with his new receiving corps. Had to be an imposter. Looked nothing like the quarterback who staggered through the final six games last season after serving an 11-game league suspension for being a bad boy off the field. 

His timing was impeccable, exquisite in fact, bordering on flawless. Yep, that's how good he was. The media marveled at his accuracy. This, most likely thought, was the quarterback the Browns traded for a year ago. He was like a machine, connecting on throw after throw.

And the new receivers? If this group had played with the Browns last season, we'd be talking now about them returning to the playoffs for the second straight season. The arrival of Elijah Moore, rookie Cedric Tillman and Marquise Goodwin make Watson downright dangerous.

For three days, we saw Moore making sensational catches while lining up all over the formation; Donovan Peoples-Jones constantly making defensive backs look foolish with his moves; Amari Cooper being Amari Cooper; Tillman using his 6-3 frame to win 50-50 balls.

The argument Watson had no one in his face is valid. But neither did Baker Mayfield, Jacoby Brissett, Johnny Manziel, Barndon Weeden, Brian Hoyer, Cody Kessler or DeShone Kizer the last 10 years and none threw like Watson.

So am I getting excited about the coming season? Not really. Way too early, of course. But the little I saw from a distance strongly suggests this new offense will be capable of doing something last season's team could not do: Flat out outscore the opposition, much like the 2020 team that made the postseason.

If you recall, the Cleveland defense that season was abominably worse than the last two seasons. They were pitiably awful. Any kind of decent offense the last two seasons could have overcome the embarrassing defensive  lapses. 

With the current group, that will not be the case. We saw a sneak preview of that in this minicamp. The Browns with all that offensive talent this season will rarely, if ever, be out of games. They do not lack the ability to come from behind.

Combine that with a decidedly improved defense under new coordinator Jim Schwartz -- it certainly can't be any worse --- and the likelihood of duplicating the outcome of the last two seasons shrinks considerably. 

Watson finally faces the pass rush when training camp officially opens July 22 at The Greenbrier, a luxurious hotel resort in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., in the Allegheny Mountains. After a nine-day stay, they move back to Berea.

Of course, Watson will be a different quarterback with defensive linemen in his face. But unless I miss my guess, head coach/playcaller/wannabe offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski will occasionally turn his quarterback loose to pick up yardage with his legs to slow down the rush.

On paper, this is the most talented team the Browns have had since, well, since can't remember when. The last 25 seasons have been that dismal. That needs to change. And this team has the goods to change that.

As the late Marty Schottenheimer often said to his teams before games, "Deeds, men, not words. Deeds." Talk all you want, the former Browns head coach meant. Words mean nothing if there are no accomplishments to back them up. This team is in that position right now.

Helmets and shorts

So what exactly can coaches glean from mandatory minicamps around the National Football League? What can Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff learn in the next three days in Berea that will make a difference this season?

Correct answer? Not much really.

These sessions are nothing more than an extension of an earlier rookie minicamp and voluntary organized team activities. Key word: Voluntary. Read absolutely nothing into the absences of Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, David Njoku and Joel Bitonio. 

This minicamp is the final stage in getting the 90-man roster ready for training camp next month. It's a reintroduction to what lies ahead for the next seven months. Hopefully longer. 

It's also time to get to know your new teammates who have been acquired through different means, whether by the college draft, trades or free agency. Everything is relatively laid back. This is just a preview of what's to come later.

Not much coaches can learn watching players going through their paces wearing shorts and helmets. Contact is not permitted. All that good stuff comes later. 

This is as much an indoctrination to brand new coaching in all three phases of the game with new coordinators for the defense and special teams and a totally new offensive philosophy for an offense geared around a $230 million quarterback playing in his first full season with the club.

So what will the coaches be looking for? 

On offense, it's all about timing. That simple. Stefanski and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who share choreographing that offense, have no more excuses with an attack that is more loaded than last season. Teams with exquisite timing, whether on the ground and/or through the air, generally realize great success.

The Cleveland receiving corps has been greatly upgraded with a number of the newcomers who have never been on the receiving end of a Deshaun Watson forward pass. Establishing good timing in this phase is extremely important. 

On defense, it's all about aggression. Winning defense is nasty, opportunistic, fearsome. It is and has always been about aggression. That characteristic has been AWOL from the Browns for three long seasons under the departed Joe Woods.

New coordinator Jim Schwartz is the antithesis of his predecessor, whose laid-back approach to that phase of the game cost the Browns at least three games last season and a chance to return to the postseason. His goal is to always make the opposing offense feel uncomfortable.

General Manager Andrew Berry responded to the beat of Schwartz's drum by bringing in veteran linemen Dalvin Tomlinson, Ogbo Okoronkwo and Za'Darius Smith and third-round draft pick Siaki Ika (6-4, 360) to complement Garrett, the otherworldly quarterback punisher.

All they'll do this week, though, is just walk through many of the pass-rush schemes Schwartz is plotting. 

Aggression in the secondary will come in the form of much more man coverage and press coverage in the passing game. None of that zone stuff nonsense that seemed to confuse the secondary last season and resulted in too many embarrassing losses in games that should have been won.

What will be interesting to look for in this camp is how the new receivers fare against the new-look (at safety with veterans Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod Jr.) in the secondary with regard to the timing with Watson.

Warning: Don't get too excited about the news that comes out of this minicamp. Or take it seriously. Most of it will lean toward the positive. It should. After all, they're going up against each other in relatively slow motion in  helmets and shorts.

Don't think so 

OK, so DeAndre Hopkins in on the open market. Predictably, it is sending shock waves throughout the National Football League landscape.

An All-Pro wide receiver entering the latter stages of his prime years is now a free agent and the media is all over it, speculating almost wildly where his next stop will be. And whattaya know, the Browns have made that list.

And why not? After all it was Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson who combined with Hopkins for three seasons in Houston (2017-19) to put up spectacular, almost otherworldly, statistics before the Texans shipped the wideout to Arizona.

Fans have jumped all over it. Sure, they think, Hopkins would look great in a Cleveland uniform. Reuniting with his good friend would enable him to rekindle their phenomenal success in Houston. Pair them with the great running game and anything is possible. Right?

Normal speculation with regard to the Browns, whose wide receivers room has been reshaped and immensely improved by General Manager Andrew Berry since the end of last season, was assumed because of the previous connection between the former Clemson stars.

Took mere hours after the Cardinals cut Hopkins loose the other day for the Browns, as well as a major majority of the other 30 NFL teams, to respond to the possibility of removing Hopkins from the ranks of the unemployed.

It was met with mixed reaction throughout the league. At least a couple early contenders with Super Bowl credentials did not have the salary cap space to become proactive. Most of the others, including the Browns, officially chose a non-comital approach.

Watson, on the other hand, was all over it. "Of course we would love to have him, but that's kind of out of my range of things," he replied at a charity golf tournament the other day, deferring to the club's front office. 

Therein lies the rub. 

How seriously is Berry going to investigate the possibility of such a move? The Browns Friday will have roughly $15 million of salary cap space, which probably won't be enough to satisfy Hopkins unless he's willing to take a one-time hometown discount to reunite with Watson.

Then again, the GM might want to listen to his head coach, who seems to have fallen in love with his wide receivers room. Asked about the possibility of adding Hopkins to that room, Kevin Stefanski was downright ebullient. 

"I really, really like our wide receiver room," he said, one "really" away from practically gushing. "I love the guys in there." And why wouldn't he with the likes of Amari Cooper, Elijah  Moore, Donovan Peoples-Jones, rookie Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin and David Bell.

Why mess with that group? Unlike the the last couple of seasons, talent now abounds in that room. Good hands, terrific route runners, enough speed to keep opposing teams honest. Why spoil it?

Remember one thing about Hopkins: He needs to see the football. Often. In his career (145 games), he has been targeted an average of 9.4 passes a game with a catching percentage of 62.4. In his three campaigns with Watson, he was targeted 487 times -- that's 10.6 a game -- and grabbed 64.7%.

So if the Browns entice him to Cleveland, who is going to see his targets dwindle? More than a couple will. And not just a little, but significantly. Who? Cooper, Moore, Tillman, DPJ? Tight ends David Njoku and Jordan Akins? Nick Chubb? Taken away by a 31-year-old (next Tuesday) on the back side of his career.

Hopkins has also missed time the last couple of seasons because of injuries and league suspension. He is not the same player he was with the Texans, Fans of the Cardinals will attest to that. The life span of a receiver in the NFL, as a general rule, is not that long. He has booked 10 seasons.

Going after Hopkins would be foolish. Makes no sense. It would all but wipe out the offensive game-planning for the upcoming season. He would be much better off landing somewhere else in his quest to get back to the postseason.

Nothing more here than just another case of being very careful what you wish for.

Dumb, dumb, dumb

For what it's worth, which right now ranks somewhere between head-scratching and total ignorance, a bonehead decision made about five weeks ago exploded ingloriously in my lap. 

Given that the Browns' roster decisions with regard to the National Football League draft and procurement of a less-than-exciting free-agent class, not to mention General Manager Andrew Berry's questionable decisions, I thought taking a pass was wise until all the dust settled.

After all, Berry's initial selection didn't arrive until midway through the third round after trading for malcontent New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore. And with his reputation of mediocre drafting in the latter rounds, it was difficult to generate any kind of excitement.

I couldn't have been more wrong for the most part and missed out on the fun of a Cleveland draft that has a terrific chance of winding up as the GM's best with only one brain cramp in the fifth round that kept it from being a smash hit.

In adding wide receiver Cedric Tillman and defensive tackle Seaki Ika to the roster in round three, offensive tackle Dawand Jones and defensive end Isaiah McGuire in the fourth round and center Luke Wypler in round six, Berry grabbed five players taken well below their original projections.

I've tried several times to understand why Berry grabbed quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and cornerback Cameron Mitchell in the fifth round with picks 140 and 142. He was well on his way to a dreamed-for finish, but stumbled. Badly.

Did the Browns really need another quarterback? Is there something we don't know about Watson? Is the GM hedging his bets on his $230 million prize, the face of the franchise? Should backup Josh Dobbs be worried because the rookie is certain to make the roster? 

Mitchell, yet another cornerback on a team that does not need another cornerback, will make the team, too. The Browns will open training camp overcrowded at the position with nine. What they have in Mitchell is yet another ex-Northwestern corner who is a stranger at the art of intercepting a forward pass.

Greg Newsome II has yet to pick off one in his first two seasons in Cleveland, He had only one in college. Mitchell swiped  only two in four seasons with the Wildcats. Turnovers are the life blood for a defense. The Browns need a transfusion. Mitchell won't provide it.

Clearly in the nature of a second guess, Antonio Johnson, a productive, hard-hitting free safety from Texas A&M was on the board at 140 and 142. The 6-2, 200-pounder would have looked nice on a team that needed safeties more than corners. Perhaps the recent signing of free-agent veteran safety Ray McLeod Jr. was the reason. 

The Jacksonville Jaguires (yeah, I know) grabbed Johnson, rated by more than a few draft pundits as the second-best free safety in this lottery, at 160. Worth keeping an eye on.

Bottom line: I reluctantly have rationalized DTR's selection. At least he was productive at UCLA in his senior season, running and throwing for 3.800 total yards and 39 touchdowns. 

Now the reasons for the unexpected and unbridled optimism for the 2023 NFL season. Strange feeling for this glass-half-empty observer. Not used to it. Positive thoughts persist.  

Berry has added quality depth -- and maybe a starter or two -- to a team that has not lived up to its talent quotient the last couple of seasons. 

The 6-3 Tillman has a terrific chance of opening the season opposite Amari Cooper with Donovan Peoples-Jones dropping into the WR3 slot, providing  quarterback Deshaun Watson a much better receiving corps than last season.

Ditto for Ika, a boulder of a defensive tackle certain without question to be better at stopping the run than anyone on the roster last season. He and veteran Dalvin Tomlinson are a huge upgrade that will force the opposition to throw the ball more.

I'd be stunned if the ridiculously massive (6-8, 370 pounds) Jones, who swallowed defensive ends with ease for the Buckeyes the last three seasons, will protect Watson by no later than the 2024 season opener. Possibly sooner.

McGuire, on the other hand, faces a more difficult road to playing right away, let alone starting, joining pro sophomores Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas behind veterans Myles Garrett, Ogbo Okorwonko and Berry's latest trading gem, three-time Pro Bowler Za'Darius Smith.

With Smith, a sack master with 55 on his eight-season résumé on one side and Garrett -- an amazing 75 sacks in just six seasons -- on the other, look for new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to employ his highly effective wide-9 look early and often.

Wypler is another of those "we didn't believe he would be there" selections, this time at 190 in the sixth round. The Ohio State center sparkled while anchoring the Buckeyes' line the last two seasons, making 26 consecutive starts as they challenged for the national championship. 

Reason he dropped, say those in the know, was he was not considered big enough at 6-3, 300 pounds. He might not be like 6-6, 320-pound starter Ethan Pocic, but he is smart enough to seriously challenge for a permanent role by next season and make smallish -- barely 6-1 and 293 pounds  -- Nick Harris an ex-Brown somewhere along the way, perhaps as soon at this summer.

Last season, the Browns lost at least three games due to monumental failures by the defense late in games, turning what should have been a 10-7 record and a return to the postseason into a 7-10 disaster that landed them back into the AFC North cellar.

Berry appears to have fixed (corrected?) that the last two months with decisions that should save his job after consecutive losing seasons. Props, with the one notable exception, for finally getting it right.

Random thoughts

This and that . . . 

It's time for the Browns to make a major decision on Jedrick Wills Jr. They have two weeks to decide whether the offensive left tackle is worthy of receiving a fully-guaranteed fifth season option of about $14 million.

Early indications point toward that eventuality if the endorsement of head coach Kevin Stefanski carries any weight. Of course it will.

"I think in the moment, in the season. you felt (good about Wills) because he was healthy and playing well," he said recently. "But as you go back and watch a lot of tape over and over, he's doing a nice job in the run game and the pass game.

"He's winning his one-on-one matchups. Never perfect because it's hard to be perfect at left tackle in this game. But he has played well. I really think if he stays healthy, the trajectory continues to ascend."

I'm not at all seeing what Stefanski is seeing. Wills has clearly been the weakest point of a pretty good offensive line in his first three seasons, during which injuries and mediocrity have pockmarked what should be the strength of that unit. 

Holding penalties and false starts have become rather common occurrences with Wills, often coming at critical junctures of games. That flies against what Stefanski sees. (I know, I know, he has forgotten more about football than I'll ever learn. Move on.)

I trust what my eyes see. And they see a a player who lacks quickness with his pass set, still works on an  inconsistent kick step and often times is bullied by opposing edge rushers. He occasionally does a nice job, but you want more, a lot more, than occasionally from a first-round draft pick.

The Browns had the opportunity in the 2020 National Football League draft to take Tristan Wirfs in the opening round. He was there, at 10 but General Manager Andrew Berry, reportedly at the behest of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, grabbed Wills. Wirfs was taken off the board three picks later by Tampa Bay.

(Browns being Browns?)

All Wirfs has done in his first three campaigns is boast of three Pro Bowl selections, two All-Pro nods and a Super Bowl ring. And a budding Hall of Fame career. Wills, meanwhile, struggles and yet is on the cusp of being amply rewarded. 

This quite possibly is as good as he is going to get. That's not nearly going to be good enough. One of these days, hopefully sooner rather than later, the Browns will discover that as Wills will have Deshaun Watson's back for conceivably the next four seasons. Buckle up.

For what it's worth, I have maintained ever since Wills was drafted that he should have been plugged in at right tackle, where he played his entire career, with Jack Conklin, an All-America left tackle at Michigan State, shifting over to the left side instead of forcing Wills to play a totally different position.

That Wills is still struggling slightly tarnishes Callahan's reputation as one of the best offensive line coaches in the league. 

***

I've been following the NFL's college draft for a very long time. Ever since Mel Kiper Jr.'s prodigious hairline boasted much more hair than it does now. I can't remember in those last few decades having as little interest in the lottery as I do now.

It was pretty much the same last season, when I lost interest immediately after Berry traded out of the second round. Admittedly, I don't do deep dives into the nether rounds because a vast majority of those players will not make final rosters or make major contributions to the cause.

And with the Browns' initial selection coming up late in day two at No. 74, I don't really care who they grab because most likely his chances of jumping right in and starting starts right around "not a chance" and gets worse, so why get excited?

Berry's record in the latter rounds is not covered with glory. How much has the general manager really improved the roster since his rookie season (2020) when the Browns shocked the NFL universe and qualified for the postseason?  Can't get excited about 8-9 and 7-10.

And we're going to get another one of those drafts next year -- thank you very much Jimmy Haslam III for messing with your team's future -- when the Browns sit out the opening round, completing the ignoramus-like Watson deal with the Houston Texans.

Looks like I'll jump back into the fun leading up to the draft in 2025. And it's anybody's guess where the Browns will be then.

***

Some Browns fans got a little bent out of shape after Baltimore became the latest stop on wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s journey around the NFL -- its now four teams in nine seasons, three in the last four  -- after signing a one-year contract for more money (around $15 million) than he deserves. 

Beckham, who spent two-and-a-half forgettable seasons (29 games) with the Browns following a brilliant five-season stint with the New York Giants, is not the same player he was mainly because of injuries (core muscle and knee) that caused him to miss numerous games in addition to robbing him of his former brilliance.

He almost certainly will open the 2023 season as WR1 with the Ravens with tight end Mark Andrews on the receiving end of most of Lamar Jackson's passes once the recalcitrant quarterback realizes no team will give him a Watson-type contract and return.  

Beckham admitted he chose Baltimore because he believed Jackson would eventually capitulate and remain with the Ravens, who refuse to meet the demands of a quarterback who has played in only 24 of his club's last 34 games. Predicting they'll settle sometime between now and the beginning of training camp.

Beckham's best days are behind him. He still has the good hands and the speed, but it will be just a matter of time before injuries interrupt his season.

***

Perrion Winfrey, whose greatest obstacle in his rookie season last year was learning how to be a professional, is slithering close to becoming an ex-Brown. The defensive tackle, whose bombastic and entertaining reaction to being drafted by Cleveland in the fourth round a year ago was received well by the fans, can't stay out of trouble.

Despite being  healthy all season, Winfrey missed four games for disciplinary reasons, but returned in the final month and flashed. A corner turned perhaps? Uh no.

He recently was charged by Houston police with misdemeanor assault on his girl friend. causing injury by grabbing her with his hand. Even though this has not yet been elevated to a felony, Winfrey is in big trouble because the NFL does not react well in the matter of domestic violence. Right Deshaun Watson?

It will be interesting to see whether the Browns' association with Winfrey has been damaged to the point he would be better off playing defensive tackle with another NFL team. 

***

I will be taking some time off -- using the upcoming dull draft for the Browns as a convenient excuse -- to get together with and spend a lengthy period of time with family members I haven't seen in quite a while. Guessing I won't miss too much. 

Pressure? What pressure?

Here's a bulletin that really isn't a bulletin about expectations in Berea this season with regard to the professional football team that makes its home in that southwest Cleveland suburb. Warning: They are lofty.

After keeping thoughts private about how the Browns fared last season, allowing their head coach and general manager to explain why they finished a disappointing 7-10, owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam III finally stepped forth the other day in Phoenix at the National Football League owners' meeting.

In a sit-down session with Cleveland-area media, Jimmy Haslam pronounced the entire organization "disappointed, very disappointed. None of us thought we'd be 7-10. . . . The desire to win in that building . . . is extremely high. We've got high standards, so we expect to do better."

Here comes the bulletin. It has thus reached the point with the Kevin Stefanski/Andrew Berry regime where nothing less than a return to the postseason after consecutive seasons of failing is not only expected, failure conceivably could trigger a recasting of the front office.

Since purchasing the Browns for a billion bucks in 2012, the Haslams have fired five head coaches, one interim head coach and five general managers. During that time, the Browns are 59-118-1 (33%). There is no such thing as job security at 76 Lou Groza Blvd.

And now with quarterback Deshaun Watson ready to play a full season for the first time since 2020, the pressure to succeed will be palpable all season for all concerned. Most of it will be on Watson and Stefanski. 

Watson for certain because this is why the Haslams brought him to Cleveland in the first place, bribing him with a fully-guaranteed $230 million contract with the fallout of that deal still reverberating angrily around the NFL.

Stefanski has no excuses now if this all fails. He's got his quarterback leading a pretty good offense for the entire season. His general manager has overloaded the wide receivers room, correcting a problem that plagued the club last season. Finding five shouldn't be a problem. And the coach wisely changed his defensive and special teams coordinators. (About time.)

Haslam did not come right out and declare that anything less than the playoffs is unacceptable. "I don't want to say that," he said coyly. "But I think we have expectations to go to the playoffs." Some might consider that speaking out of both sides of one's mouth.

He refused to be drawn into making an absolute declaration. "I'm not going to say if we don't make the playoffs, X, Y, Z happens because that will be the headline tomorrow," he said. After all his years in Cleveland, it's hard to believe Haslam is so thin-skinned as to worry about tomorrow's headlines.

Along the way, he hauled out an old truism. "There are 32 teams that think their team is going to win the Super Bowl," he said. "I can assure you this: From ownership to personnel to coaching to the support people in the building, nobody wants to win more than the group of people I just listed. Nobody works harder or cares more about it." So do the other 31 teams.

And where has it gotten them? Rhetorical question.

Haslam has to know the window of opportunity for the Browns is slowly closing. The reliable veterans are getting older -- especially on offense -- with just one playoff appearance to show for their efforts. And Berry hasn't done enough with the roster from a talent standpoint to assure the future will be not be a problem.

After gaining the playoffs for the first time in nearly 20 years in 2020, the Browns once again morphed back into the same old sad-sack team of the early 21st century. How the team fares this season represents a fork in the road. Going the wrong way could prove fatal for the fourth-year incumbents.

More work to be done

That's it? Can't be. There's got to be more.

Andrew Berry's annual foray through National Football League free agency in an attempt to improve the Browns appears to have slowed to a crawl. Maybe that's because the general manager is taking a breather at the annual owners' meeting in Phoenix. Yeah, that's got to be it. 

It's been 12 days since Berry began his whirlwind roster restructuring during which he has added 14 brand new faces to the roster and brought back five contributors from last season who had become free agents. He's got to be exhausted.

The current active roster stands at 71, 19 shy of what it will look like when training camp begins in late July in Berea. 

Thirty-six of those operate on the offensive side of the football, That includes a whopping 13 wide receivers in an effort to strengthen a distinct weakness last season and what can be interpreted as an admission a mistake was made.

Another dozen comprise the offensive line  (five tackles, five guards and two centers), which is beginning to look as though it could use an infusion of youth. Four tight ends, five running backs and three quarterbacks round out offense.

On defense, an even bigger mistake was made last season at tackle, a position that could be considered, in hind sight, as marginal at best, downright awful at worst. To that end, Berry has stacked the roster with nine tackles, including the big catch in free agent Dalvin Tomlinson.

He is going to need more there, a lot more because the rest of that room does not engender much in the way of hope. Jordan Elliott, penciled in now as a starter, had produced next to nothing for three seasons. And he's the best of that lot.

The entire defensive line is comprised of 13 men,  along with nine linebackers, and 10 defensive backs (six corners). But Berry still hasn't provided help for Myles Garrett in the wake of Jadeveon Clowney's rather interesting departure. 

Edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo flashed briefly for a moment in his four-year professional football career. He is a situational player. And second-year man Alex Wright found the NFL was a lot harder than college. A budding bust.

There is clearly more work to be done. 

Lying directly ahead is the college football draft late next month. Berry has eight selections, but won't make his initial one until day two of the three-day affair in Kansas City, roughly midway through round three with pick 74. 

Considering Berry seems to enjoy bartering with his fellow GMs as the draft unfolds in hopes of collecting future draft capital along the way, there is at least an even-money chance he will make at least one move that involves the future.

In no particular order, he needs at least two defensive linemen (one tackle and one edge), a couple of safeties, at least one offensive lineman, a tight end and a running back. Wide receiver can wait until next season when Amari Cooper most likely becomes an ex-Brown.

Need for speed satisfied

For those out there in Browns Nation who make the National Football League college draft the biggest event of their year, relax. Settle down. You're going to have to wait until the third round for the second straight year to find out who falls into their lap.

They will never admit it, but the Browns acted out of desperation when they shipped their lone second-round selection this year to the New York Jets (No. 42) Wednesday for speedy wide receiver Elijah Moore and the Jets' third-rounder (No. 74), which ostensibly (with General Manager Andrew Berry, you never know) will be their initial pick of eight overall selections.

Why desperate? Because the free-agent wide receiver apparently did not appeal to them. Because the new wide receiver draft class is unusually weak. And because the Browns need a third receiver who can stretch the field and keep opposing defenses honest. 

Berry last season shipped pick 44 in the second round to Houston for a third (cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.) and two fourths (defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey and kicker Cade York). Emerson stepped right in and did not disappoint, even though he was picked on most of the season. He proved an excellent tackler.

Winfrey, who won many fans with a garrulous reaction to being drafted by the Browns with a social media bombast, found that transitioning successfully to the NFL required a lot more than putting on a show before putting on a uniform. York, who arrived with the pressure of expected to be near perfect because of his impressive college resumé, had a humbling rookie season. 

Berry, forced to turn to calling his fellow GMs after he finally discovered how weak he was at wide receiver, reportedly put Denver wideout Jerry Jeudy in his crosshairs, but the Broncos, again reportedly, demurred. That's when Moore more prominently entered the picture.

Moore, who requested to be traded last season when he believed he was being misused as a slot receiver and slowly wore out his welcome, finally had his wish granted when the Jets procured wide receiver Mecole Hardman from Kansas City Wednesday to replace him.

The newest Brown, who checks in at a half inch under 5-10 and about 180 pounds, was drafted second by the Jets in 2021 and should fit right in and provide the kind of production Berry expected from Anthony Schwartz, who has produced next to nothing for the last two seasons.

Expecting the next Tyreek Hill, the Browns instead got a world-class track athlete (4.25 in the 40) masquerading as a football player. The Browns should just admit they blew it with Schwartz and move on, making him an ex-Brown in the process.

Moore, who has banked a 4.32 in the 40, is a football player who happens to be quick and fast. He scored nearly half of his 188 career receptions, 16 career touchdowns and 2,400 career yards in the final of his three seasons at Ole Miss.

He arrived in the NFL with the reputation of playing anywhere. Good hands, smooth route runner, twitchy, not afraid of running crossing routes and, best of all, extremely competitive. Sounds like a younger, smaller, faster Jarvis Landry.

Mississippi used him mostly from the slot, but threw to him often unlike the Jets, who targeted him just 65 times last season. He responded with 37 receptions for 446 yards, one touchdown and 22 first downs.

With Deshaun Watson throwing to him now instead of Zach Wilson, Mike White or Joe Flacco, the Browns no doubt expect those figures to improve. It will also take pressure off Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

***

More good news arrived with the return of middle linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who signed a one-year contract after testing the free-agent market. Good news because the Cleveland defense was never the same after Walker suffered a torn quad tendon in game three last season.

The locker room lacked a presence, a leader. No one stepped up to fill the void. Walker fits that mold. He was the signal-caller on defense. For whatever reason last season, that defense played on its heels in his absence. The lack of aggression was palpable.

If he has fully recovered from the gruesome injury, Walker's return definitely will make a big difference in the defense this season, especially with new coordinator Jim Schwartz taking full advantage of what the veteran does best. 

With Walker's return, the Browns now appear fairly well set at linebacker with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jacob Phillips, Sione Takitaki, Tony Fields II, Deion Jones and possibly Reggie Ragland returning. Caution: That doesn't mean Berry won't take one in the lottery if the board dictates otherwise.

Odds and ends

Whilst perusing the dwindling list of National Football League free agents over the weekend, I noticed one in particular who hung on and thought he'd fit in nicely with the Browns' new aggressive approach on defense. 

He fit the profile for the Cleveland secondary from a physical standpoint (5-11, 210 pounds). Starred at an SEC school (Florida). Developed a reputation as a ballhawk with Philadelphia last season (tied for the NFL lead in interceptions, six in only 12 games). Plays with a decided edge.

Thought this 25-year-old free safety was the kind of player Jim Schwartz would love to coach. Yeah, I know the Browns grabbed Kansas City's free safety Juan Thornhill on day two of free agency. So? The Browns like to say you can't have enough cornerbacks. Why not enough free safeties?

C. J. Gardner-Johnson, who spent his first three seasons in New Orleans before being dealt to the Eagles, was still there as of late Saturday. The Browns dawdled. And dawdled. Until the Detroit Lions swooped in and signed him to a one-year contract at the bargain-basement price of $6.5 million with incentives. 

Time to play frivolously with Haslam's billions. With the exception of the bloated contract for defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who is past his prime, Cleveland General Manager Andrew Berry has played penuriously, relatively speaking, with that money.

Scrounging up  $6.5 million for at least one season -- I'd have given him $8 million guaranteed -- on a young four-year veteran wouldn't have harmed the salary cap that much, if at all. Besides, Gardner-Johnson is a converted cornerback and it seems to me the Browns practically worship versatility.

He is a baller, a battler. He also has a reputation of owning an abrasive personality. Now it's entirely possible Schwartz, on whom Berry is relying heavily to fix a broken defense, said no. If so, that's an error in judgment. (I know, I know. He's forgotten more about football than I'll ever know. Move on.)

He surely had to notice his new team swiped a paltry 11 passes last season. That's got to change. If the Browns are going to be aggressive this season when the opposition owns the football, that number must climb significantly. 

***

The Browns, as you might expect, feel good about their haul thus far. (What else did you expect?) Many fans have latched on to their belief, their enthusiasm. Nothing wrong with that. It's a new year with new faces, new attitude, new hopes. After all, the Browns are currently unbeaten. 

As you might expect, I see it a very different way. 

The most significant signing, actually a resigning, was getting Ethan Pocic back at the pivot on the offensive line. The thought of little Nick Harris over the ball was somewhat frightening. Kudos to Berry for convincing the 6-6 center to stay.

As for the rest of the new group, here's the way I see it. 

They picked up an undersized situational edge rusher (Ogbo Okoronkwo), who had one good half season in his four years as a pro; a free safety (Juan Thornhill) who isn't any better than his predecessor; a tight end (Jordan Akins) hoping to catch some magic reuniting with his former quarterback in Houston; two young defensive tackles (Maurice Hurst and Trysten Hill) who will have trouble making the team; two returning linebackers (Sione Takitaki and Jordan Kunaszyk); cornerback/special teams ace (Mike Ford Jr., the self-proclaimed "best gunner in the league"), who signed Monday for $2.25 million; returning cornerback A. J. Green; and the aforementioned Tomlinson.

That's 11 players, seven of whom will wear Seal Brown and Orange for the first time. It's a group that has garnered high praise throughout the NFL landscape. 

The good folks at Pro Football Focus liked it so much, they awarded the Browns an A-, as did 24/7 Sports; The Sporting News checked in with a straight A; Sportsnaut.com gave it a B-;  Fox Sports lowers the average with a C+; I lower it further with a C-. Still waiting for that WOW! moment; for the needle to move a lot higher. Don't see it happening. Yet.

***

Finally . . . With Akins now aboard, shouldn't be long before Harrison Bryant becomes an ex-Brown. It was difficult for the three-year veteran tight end to produce when his head coach/playcaller seemingly refused to throw him the football much -- only 108 targets in 48 games, catching a very respectable 70% of them.. . . It sure looks as though new special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone is in Berry's ear with regard to what his units will look like this season. The return of Green, Takitaki and Kunaszyk, who was cut a few weeks ago, plus the Ford signing sure points in that direction. Takitaki will also get his share of reps at linebacker. . . . The current active roster stands at 66 with 11 more listed as unrestricted free agents, including linebackers Anthony Walker Jr., Deon Jones and Reggie Ragland, running backs Kareem Hunt and D'Ernest Johnson, safety Ronnie Harrison Jr., offensive lineman Chris Hubbard and tight end Jesse James.

Scoreboard

Keeping score on the comings and goings for the Browns as National Football League free agency rambles on.

WELCOME

Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who left Minnesota for a four-year, $57 million deal.  

Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo, lured from Houston by a three-year, $19 million contract.

Free safety Juan Thornhill, who left the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for a three-year, $21 million contract.

Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst left San Francisco for a one-year (prove it?) contract.

Defensive tackle Trysten Hill departed Arizona for pretty much what Hurst got.

Scorecard: Notice a trend here? Sure you do. Five new faces, all for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. It sure looks as though General Manager Andrew Berry is throwing lots of stuff against a wall in hopes some sticks. Tomlinson and Thornhill are surefire starters.

WELCOME BACK

Center Ethan Pocic is rewarded for his solid performance last season with a three-year, $18 million pact.

Linebacker Sione Takitaki returns with a one-year, $2.43 million deal.

Cornerback A. J. Green is back with a one-year, $1.4 million contract.

Scoreboard: Pocic is making more than a few fans not miss JC Tretter. Green is a solid dime back and valuable special teamer. And Takitaki, another special-team standout, flashed at linebacker when injuries hit the position hard.

STILL OUT THERE

Linebackers Anthony Walker Jr., Deion Jones and Reggie Ragland; offensive linemen Chris Hubbard and Michael Dunn; tight ends Jesse James and Pharaoh Brown; running back D'Ernest Johnson; cornerback Greedy Williams; safety Ronnie Harrison Jr.

Scorecard: A torn quad in week three last season shelved Walker for the entire season. If healthy, he returns and makes a difference calling defensive signals. Dunn and Johnson are most likely back, too. All the others are iffy, if not gone.

SEE YA

Free safety John Johnson III won't be out on the street for long. His reputation alone will land him somewhere very soon. He was hampered (victimized?) in Cleveland by a poor coordinator.

Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney came to the Browns a couple of years ago with the reputation of being a fecal disturber. After a productive and quiet first season, that reputation emerged and greased his exit late in season two. He's someone else's problem now.

Defensive tackle Taven Bryan didn't come even close to making a difference. He was the poster boy for the Browns' weakest position. The Indianapolis Colts will find that out this season.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett did a nice job warming the position for Deshaun Watson and made a lot of fans in the process. He should do well with the Washington Commanders.

Offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt filled in nicely when Wyatt Teller and Pocic missed several games last season. He has a decent chance to break into the Arizona Cardinals' starting lineup.

Linebacker Jason Kunaszyk, who remains a free agent, should land somewhere this summer. He's good enough to stick due to his strong special teams play.

Defensive end Chase Winovich, now with Houston, spent a significant portion of last season -- his first and only in Cleveland -- with a cranky hamstring.

Scorecard: The only quarrel I have with this group is letting Froholdt go. He provides much, much more quality bench depth than Hubbard. 

Overall, I see only moderate (trying to be kind here) improvement because of Tomlinson and Thornhill. Still looking for the WOW! deal. The one that really excites people. The needle has started to move a little, though. It needs to move a lot more.

It's nice to see Berry finally address a weakness that all but begged to be fixed throughout last season and was totally ignored: Stopping the run. He needs more than Tomlinson to complete that task. The defensive line room in general has plenty of faces, but little talent.

Yes, it's still too early to draw conclusions on what lies ahead this season. With the free-agent market down, for the most part, to scraps, it shouldn't be long before the GM flexes his trading muscles and pulls off a deal similar to the one that brought Amari Cooper to Cleveland a year ago

Current overall scoreboard: A notch above meh.