Rookie safety Grant Delpit ranks high on our list of the most valuable Browns. (si.com)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
The full roster of Browns finally convenes Monday in coronavirus-free team headquarters in Berea for the official start of the precarious 2020 NFL season.
It’s the first time new coach Kevin Stefanski will lay his eyes on his full team since taking the job on Jan. 13. Everyone will be wearing masks on their faces and contact tracing devices on their wrists.
There’s no guarantee the season will start on time or be uninterrupted. All of that will hinge on everyone making the right decisions when they leave the building and abiding by stringent protocols to keep the environment virus-free.
“To me, it is a shared responsibility,” Stefanski said. “It is something that it is not just one person’s responsibility to stay on top of. We are really going to be counting on our veterans to show some good leadership here.
“We talk so much about being a good teammate, and one of the ways you can be a good teammate is when you leave this bubble and go into your own bubble, just making sure that you are making really sound decisions. Ultimately, you are taking care of your teammates when you do that – your teammates and your coaches.”
Stefanski is the Browns’ third full-time head coach in three years and fourth in six years. He inherits a loaded roster bolstered by some adroit acquisitions in free agency and the draft by first-year General Manager Andrew Berry.
If expectations are blunted by the truncated offseason and elimination of preseason games, the fact remains that Stefanski has more weapons at his disposal -- particularly on offense -- than any of his predecessors.
Below are our rankings of the most valuable Browns.
How do we define most valuable? The impact on the team if the player turned in his best possible season.
The most valuable Browns
1.Baker Mayfield, quarterback
Stefanski’s play-action passing game automatically will improve Mayfield’s numbers across the board. That’s a given. What’s more important to gauge Mayfield’s growth is whether he makes the play to extend a drive or win a game against a good team. When the quarterback does that, the Browns will be a contender.
2.Myles Garrett, edge rusher
His ability to impact a game is undeniable. The next step for him is to make the plays at the end to defeat Ben Roethlisberger in Heinz Field. Really. It’s time for that.
3.Odell Beckham Jr., wide receiver
At his best, he is on a different plane than the other offensive playmakers. It’s a plane he hasn’t reached in four years, however.
4.Nick Chubb, running back
Hard to imagine he could do more than last year. Stefanski’s offense, in fact, may decrease his touches – given all the other weapons. But his home run ability should have a huge impact on Stefanski’s play-action game.
5.Jedrick Wills, left tackle
His value is best measured by the answer to this question: What happens if he doesn’t come through?
6.Jarvis Landry, wide receiver
His consistency should not be taken for granted. Every quarterback needs a go-to receiver on third down, and Landry has been that for two years with the Browns.
7.Grant Delpit, safety
He has the skills to be coordinator Joe Woods’ knight on the defensive chessboard. He can roam center field, he can play in the box as a third linebacker, he can cover a slot receiver, and he can blitz the quarterback.
8.JC Tretter, center
He is the glue to the entire offense, the most indispensable starter on the offensive line.
9.Austin Hooper, tight end
His numbers should naturally inflate in Stefanski’s system. More than that, his presence and dependability in the red zone should have a profound positive impact on the quarterback.
10.Olivier Vernon, defensive end
Garrett can’t do it alone. A big year – a healthy year – out of Vernon would complete the pass rush.
11a and 11b.David Njoku, Harrison Bryant, tight end
A second reliable receiver at this position is imperative in Stefanski’s offense. Given the Browns’ commitment to Njoku, and his recent turnabout to be “all in,” you’d figure he’ll get a long look as the No. 2. Bryant was a dependable pass catcher at Florida Atlantic, but all rookies have a steep climb in this pandemic season.
13.Karl Joseph, strong safety
In four years with Oakland, he started more than 10 games only once. So he never led his team in tackles. He’s the leading contender with the Browns, if he can stay healthy. He should also lead in tone-setting hits. All of which would help the perennially poor run defense.
14.Denzel Ward, cornerback
A shutdown cornerback would complete the defense. Ward is closest to being that guy.
15.Greedy Williams, cornerback
As a rookie, he allayed concerns about his tackling. In fact, he compiled three more than Ward. Now he has to get his hands on more balls. He had two passes defensed and no interceptions in 696 defensive snaps. Ward had 11 and two in 767 snaps.
16.Mack Wilson, linebacker
Somebody has to take the reins of the linebacker group after Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey were allowed to leave. Wilson’s the leading contender. Those are high hopes for a second-year player. He has a gift for interceptions and could lead the league among linebackers.
17.Donovan Peoples-Jones, return specialist
The Browns haven’t fielded a feared return specialist since Travis Benjamin left in 2016. Concentrating Peoples-Jones on that role is the best way to break him in as a rookie. What a boost he could be.
18.Austin Seibert, kicker
He has to figure out the secret to converting kicks into the Dawg Pound end and eliminate missed PATs. Those haunt a team more than missed field goals.
19.Chris Hubbard, offensive lineman
It’s possible he’ll be first off the bench to fill any of four positions on the line. He may be more valuable in that role than as the starting right tackle.
20.Case Keenum, quarterback
Mayfield missed only eight offensive snaps in 16 starts last year – fourth-best among NFL quarterbacks. If that good fortune continues, Keenum’s greatest value will be in tutoring Mayfield on the nuances of Stefanski’s offense.