The Deshaun Watson trade may cast GM Andrew Berry as a genius, or it may expose his shortcomings in roster building. (TheLandOnDemand)
The Deshaun Watson trade means Andrew Berry has to do better in middle rounds of the draft
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
There’s no denying the fact that Andrew Berry’s legacy as Browns general manager rests with the bold trade for Deshaun Watson.
If the quarterback comes through and leads the Browns to the Promised Land in the next four years of his contract, Berry will go down as the first Browns GM to construct a Super Bowl team. Yes, Watson can make Berry look like a very smart GM.
At the same time, the Watson acquisition could also expose Berry’s shortcomings in roster-building and drafting.
The $230 million guaranteed contract given to Watson will continually force Berry to make financial concessions in other areas of the roster. Also, giving up three consecutive first-round picks has put a premium on Berry hitting bulls-eyes in the middle rounds of the draft.
Berry did not give up second-round picks in the Watson mega-trade, but he has managed to trade them away in separate deals. Last year, Berry traded his second-round pick to Houston for extra picks in the third and fourth rounds. This year, Berry dealt his second-round pick to the Jets for wide receiver Elija Moore.
Thus, Berry’s first pick in this year’s draft is in Round 3, No. 74 overall. He also has a pick at No. 98 -- the second installment of compensatory picks awarded via the NFL’s Rooney Rule for the departure of minority candidate Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to Minnesota as GM of the Vikings.
For the purposes of this analysis, we define middle rounds of the draft to be Rounds 3, 4 and 5. Overall, Berry has six selections in the middle rounds this year – Nos. 74 and 98 (Round 3), Nos. 111 and 126 (Round 4), and Nos. 140 and 142 (Round 5).
How has Berry fared in these middle rounds prior to this year? Meh.
In three previous drafts, Berry made 15 of his total of 24 picks (62.5 percent) in Rounds 3-5.
Let’s take a closer look at those picks.
2022 draft
Third round: Cornerback M.J. Emerson (68th overall), defensive end Alex Wright (78th), wide receiver David Bell (99th).
Emerson inarguably was the team’s best rookie. He beat out Greedy Williams for the third cornerback spot and made six starts on the outside when Greg Newsome moved inside to the slot. Emerson was fifth in tackles and though he had no interceptions, he matched Denzel Ward with 15 passes defensed. He looms as CB2 if Newsome remains the top slot corner.
Wright played in all 17 games and started five at left defensive end when Jadeveon Clowney was injured and then was left home for the last game. He didn’t record a sack. He enters his second season as a backup, but not necessarily a part of the three-end rotation.
Bell missed the first two weeks of his rookie training camp with a foot injury. He wound up playing in 16 games and had 24 receptions for 214 yards and no touchdowns. His lack of speed inspired Berry to acquire Woods and Marquise Goodwin, dropping Bell to No. 5 receiver in the spring program.
Fourth round: Defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (108th), kicker Cade York (124th).
Winfrey’s roster status could be in jeopardy after an arrest in Houston on a misdemeanor assault charge for alleging causing bodily harm to his girlfriend. This incident followed less-serious instances of immaturity during his rookie year.
York’s 58-yard game-winning field goal in Game 1 set a high bar for his rookie season. He wound up missing 10 field goals and PATs – more than any kicker – but finished with 107 points, a record for a Browns rookie kicker.
Fifth round: Running back Jerome Ford (156th).
Ford saw little action at running back behind Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson, but he established himself as kickoff returner with a 24.1-yard average on 30 returns. He will take over Hunt’s role as the third-down receiving back and could be Chubb’s heir as feature back down the road.
2021 draft
Third round: Wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (91st).
Given numerous chances to be the speed receiver to stretch defenses, confidence issues resulting from repeated drops now threaten his roster spot. He’ll have to earn a role now, instead of being given one.
Fourth round: Offensive tackle James Hudson (110th), defensive tackle Tommy Togiai (132nd).
Hudson’s seven emergency starts in two seasons haven’t established him yet as a potential starter, though he begins his third spring season as OT3.
Togiai’s play over two seasons didn’t dissuade the Browns from adding three veteran players in free agency at a position severely lacking.
Fifth round: Linebacker Tony Fields (153rd), safety Richard LeCounte (169th).
Fields is a special teams core player who had a Pick 6 in the win in Houston last year but also a key roughing-the-kicker penalty in a loss to Cincinnati.
LeCounte is the only draft pick released among 24 chosen in the Berry era.
2020 draft
Third round: Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (88th), linebacker Jacob Phillips (97th).
Despite starting in all 17 games, Elliott’s third season fell short of a “breakout year.” He had 36 tackles (about two per game) and two sacks. Let’s see what new coordinator Jim Schwartz can make of him.
Phillips, of LSU, may be the poster child of Browns analytics. Athletic and fast, his production has been underwhelming due to repeated injuries (torn pectoral, torn biceps tendon).
Fourth round: Tight end Harrison Bryant (115th).
He’s been OK as a third tight end – 76 receptions for 710 yards and seven TDs in three seasons. He didn’t dissuade Berry from signing Jordan Akins in free agency.
Fifth round: Center Nick Harris (160th).
Pegged as the heir apparent to JC Tretter as the starting center, a major knee injury on the second play of the 2022 preseason ended his year in 2022. In his place, free agent Ethan Pocic emerged as a force and earned a three-year contract with a $10 million guarantee, virtually assuring two more years in the starting job. Further, the signing of free agent Wes Martin and re-signing of Michael Dunn puts Harris’ roster status in jeopardy in his fourth season.
Berry’s middle-round draft report card
Fifteen picks.
Three projected starters in 2023 – Emerson, York, Elliott.
Six backups in 2023 – Ford, Wright, Bell, Hudson, Bryant, Phillips.
Five on the roster bubble in 2023 – Winfrey, Schwartz, Togiai, Fields, Harris.
One released – LeCounte.
Berry has six swings in the middle rounds in this year’s draft. The Browns have three middle-round picks in 2024 – one in the third and two in the fifth.
