Cleveland Browns: 4 biggest questions heading into the 2020 season

Will the free agents live up to their contracts?

Getting Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper, and others were things that needed to happen. Let’s not assume that free agents always live up to their deals or even play out the length of them. Josh Norman, Jimmy Graham, Albert Haynesworth, Paul Kruger, Andre Rison, Brock Osweiler, Matt Flynn (maybe not entirely his fault), David Boston, Deion Sanders; they all ended up becoming huge busts for the teams that eventually signed them. Ironically, three of them (Norman, Haynesworth, Sanders) were signed by Dan Snyder.

Color me surprised.

This isn’t any slight against the men signed to the Browns in 2020, only an acknowledgment that sometimes guys don’t pan out as they should. That’s just how it is sometimes.

Is this offense truly ready to succeed?

You have four offensive Pro Bowlers at the skilled positions, possibly five if Baker Mayfield can ascend. Another two offensive Pro Bowlers on the offensive line for a total of six of 11 players offensive starters who have Pro Bowl credentials. The team acquired, in theory, the best free agents for their system, and acquired some great prospects in the draft. Will they all pan out? Will they gel and become the top-10 offense the team should be?

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky thinks so. Does that mean anything to anyone? No, not right now. Though it is a sign that the “experts” think the Browns offense should be great this year. Maybe, just maybe this team is ready to step up. Guess we’ll find out.