Where does Za'Darius Smith rank on our list of 25 reasons to expect a big Browns' season? (TheLandOnDemand)
Twenty-five reasons why the Browns should expect a special season
You must have an active subscription to read this story.
Click Here to subscribe Now!
Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
The Browns begin three days of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday, which is the final event of their offseason program. Afterwards, coach Kevin Stefanski will send off his team to summer recess.
When the Browns return to training camp on July 22, the pressure to reverse two years of losing will be undeniable.
The team has hired new defensive and special teams coordinators, acquired a plethora of new players in an aggressive transaction season, and have nurtured $230 million quarterback Deshaun Watson through a stress-free second season so far devoid of controversy.
Hopes are high for the Browns in their 25th season since reborn as an expansion team in 1999.
So here are 25 reasons to expect a Browns season like none other in the last quarter-of-a-century.
25. The Jim Brown factor. The team’s most celebrated alum passed away on May 18. Dedicating the season to Brown’s memory could spur a year-long positive vibe.
24. The Joe Thomas factor. What better way to kick off a season than to celebrate the first alum of the expansion era enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
23. The Browns don’t close the season in Pittsburgh. Everyone knows that finishing a season in Pittsburgh is a death sentence for Browns head coaches. If the Browns need a win in their last game to capture their first division title, their chances are better in Cincinnati, where the 2023 regular season ends.
22. Elijah Moore. Every indication is that Moore will be the team’s slot receiver in so-called 11 formation – one back, one tight end, three receivers. The Browns have not had a legit slot receiver since Joe Jurevicius in 2006.
21. Grant Delpit. After a shaky start, the safety quietly led the Browns in tackles and interceptions last year in his second complete season. The next step up for him is to affect more games with disruptive plays. New coordinator Jim Schwartz could take Delpit’s game to that next level. A difference-making safety is something the Browns haven’t had since Eric Turner in 1994.
20. Jordan Akins. The free agent tight end played his first three seasons with Watson in Houston. While Watson has pined for former teammates such as Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins, Akins at least gives him one familiar target in the offensive reconfiguration.
19. Jakeem Grant. He was signed last year to transform the return game. An Achilles tendon injury running a pass route in an August practice ended his season and made him a forgotten man. Now he’s healthy. He can be a weapon. Grant had six return touchdowns in six seasons with the Dolphins and Bears. He had four seasons of averaging 11+ yards on punts and two seasons of averaging 25+ yards on kickoffs.
18. Andrew Berry’s changed thinking. The GM showed signs of allowing football expertise to overrule analytics mumbo jumbo. The hiring of Schwartz signaled a new emphasis on the defensive line while analytics gurus previously espoused good pass defense begins in the secondary, not up front. Berry upgraded the size at defensive tackle after somebody in the building previously professed lighter and quicker was better.
17. Cade York is a year older and wiser. As a 21-year-old rookie, he missed 10 kicks last year -- PATs and field goals. Eight of the misses came at home. Few Browns kickers since the legendary Phil Dawson have made it to a second season in Cleveland and have been able to conquer the unique obstacles of kicking in Browns stadium.
16. Za’Darius Smith. In Myles Garrett’s six seasons, the complementary defensive ends have been Emmanuel Ogbah, Olivier Vernon and Jadeveon Clowney. None came to the Browns with the resume of Smith, who’s had three double-digit sack seasons in the last four years and three Pro Bowl berths. In fact, Vernon was the only defensive end to have a double-digit sack season upon joining the Browns.
15. Less Garrett should mean a better Garrett. Garrett has played about 80 percent of the Browns’ defensive snaps over the course of his six seasons. That includes the year he was suspended for the last six games for hitting Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph on the head with his helmet. Schwartz wants to reduce Garrett’s snap total so that he is fresher in the fourth quarter of games and in the fourth quarter of the season. The addition of Smith and free agent Ogbonnia Okoronkwo should help Schwartz achieve that goal.
14. Fresher legs behind Nick Chubb. Kareem Hunt was a fan favorite because he was a local product who ran with an untamed ferocity. The fact is, Hunt labored in 2022. His yards-per-carry of 3.8 was more than a yard less than the year before and his yards-per-reception of 6.0 was almost two yards less than the year before. Second-year back Jerome Ford will revitalize the backup and third-down back role.
13. Healthier linebacker room. Losing Anthony Walker for the year in Game 2 shouldn’t have devastated the defense, but it did. His leadership was missed badly. He’ll be ready for the season opener. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is healthy again after a foot injury. Jacob Phillips is healthy again after a torn pectoral muscle. Sione Takitaki might not be ready for the season opener after suffering an ACL tear late last year, but he should give the position group a boost after Week 6.
12. Rodney McLeod. The veteran safety is the only defensive player who’s played for Jim Schwartz. He will be invaluable in schooling his new teammates on the nuances of Schwartz’s defense and also should be an upgrade over Ronnie Harrison as the third safety.
11. More points. In March, Stefanski said his target on offense was for the team score over 25 points a game. Why would he choose that number? In Stefanski’s three seasons, the Browns are 14-5 when scoring 25 points or more.
10. Receiver upgrade. The addition of Elijah Moore, Marquise Goodwin and Cedric Tillman means Stefanski can now field three- and four-wide receiver formations to better suit Watson’s needs in the pass offense. While Stefanski still may employ multiple tight ends on occasion, there is no doubt that the new receivers will enable the Browns to get more speed and pass-catching ability on the field. With starters Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, Watson has a more diverse blend of experience, speed and physicality at the receiver
position.
9. Nick Chubb. At his current pace, Chubb will surpass Mike Pruitt and Leroy Kelly and move into second place behind Jim Brown on the franchise all-time rushing list at the end of the 2023 season. Brown had 12,312 yards in 118 games. A typical season for Chubb would leave him at 7,609 yards through six seasons – 335 yards ahead of second-place Kelly. Chubb is under contract through 2024. He will make the most of his dwindling time with the Browns.
8. Bubba Ventrone. The new special teams coordinator has a passion for the franchise for which he played from 2009 through 2012 and a resume to expect immediate improvement in a severe problem area of the team. Ventrone contributed to the acquisition of special teams core players Mike Ford and Matthew Adams in free agency.
7. Bill Callahan. Stefanski’s best hire to his original coaching staff probably ranks on the list of 10 best assistant coaches in the NFL. If the offensive line becomes unglued with injuries, Callahan will patch together an emergency lineup.
6. Cornerback depth. In Denzel Ward, M.J. Emerson, Greg Newsome, A.J. Green and rookie Cameron Mitchell, Schwartz has the top-end quality and back-end depth to have the confidence to call more man coverage when he wants to load up with five-man defensive fronts.
5. Defensive line depth. Schwartz wants to keep his defensive front fresh by employing waves of rushers. He has the numbers now after Berry loaded up in free agency and the draft with tackles Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst, Trysten Hill and Siaki Ika; and ends Smith, Okoronkwo and Isaiah McGuire.
4. Drama-free football. Stefanski’s three seasons as coach were marked by drama that undermined the team. Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Jadeveon Clowney, and Kareem Hunt are now gone. Watson’s legal problems appear to be mostly behind him. Stefanski can now just coach.
3. Jim Schwartz. The new defensive coordinator has redirected focus to the relatively-ignored defensive line. His no-nonsense approach is needed to hold the defense accountable for underperforming. His experience as a head coach also could be a great resource for Stefanski.
2. Deshaun Watson. With his legal troubles mostly behind him, Watson can focus on restoring his place among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. He is motivated to do that and regain the stature he enjoyed in his first four seasons with the Houston Texans.
1. There are no excuses.
