Cleveland Browns: Sashi Brown deserves no credit for turnaround

Trades: Fair and Foul

If there was something Brown did, it was nix the trade for A.J. McCarron. He failed to send the trade to the league on time, saving the Browns a second and third-round pick. I’ll admit, it was frustrating at the time because the Browns looked like fools.

No return on those saved picks though, as Dorsey turned those selections in Austin Corbett and Chad Thomas.

There’s also the acquisition of Brock Osweiler, but that brings into question chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta. How much power does he have?

After a report surfacing this offseason regarding the Browns’ coaching situation, you might think its more than one would’ve guessed after analytics produced a 1-31 record over two seasons.

The trade for Brock Osweiler, which also set the Browns up with a second pick reaks of Podesta’s moneyball style. That pick became running back Nick Chubb.

There’s also the aforementioned trading down in the 2017 draft. The Browns could’ve had Watson, but by trading down, Cleveland got Jabrill Peppers and then Ward a year later. It’s looking good for now, but only because of Mayfield.

It’s always been mysterious as to how Brown was the only front office fall guy as the Browns embarked on their “perfect season,” especially since Hue Jackson didn’t even get fired after the “perfect season.”

But he was. And when John Dorsey took over the job, the draft all of a sudden became more productive.

Four players became instantly productive in Mayfield, Chubb, Ward and Antonio Callaway. The draft may yield more in Corbett and Denard Avery.

Someone had to make those picks, and it wasn’t Brown. It was Dorsey getting the Mayfield pick right. If he hadn’t, all Sashi’s actions would mean nothing.