The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of a revival and there are four players who absolutely deserve to be considered as a member of the AFC Pro Bowl team.
Not considered yet due to injuries; Nick Chubb, Wyatt Teller
Right now, Nick Chubb and Wyatt Teller could still be Pro Bowlers but have missed too much time on the season right now to justify considering them, yet. That’s not to say they aren’t talented or aren’t players who can still get their way into the Pro Bowl, it’s just to say that they currently aren’t there yet. They need more body of work. If the end of the year comes, and they’re both still dominating and healthy, then you can absolutely add them to the conversation. Unfortunately, they’ve missed too much time right now.
So with that, let’s get to the most obvious selection first.
Myles Garrett
Even though he’ll miss two weeks’ worth of games due to contracting Covid-19, Myles Garrett isn’t someone you can’t consider. His play has been consistent most of the year and has improved from past seasons where he’d disappear for long stretches of the year. That really hasn’t been an issue in 2020, outside of the first few games. He’s near the top in every pass rush stat or sitting comfortably at number one. He’s on pace to set career highs in every category but that’s if Garrett can avoid missing too much more time. Garrett has a history of missing games for one reason or another, and unfortunately, that trend continues in 2020.
Jack Conklin
Jack Conklin has been playing at a Pro Bowl level since he joined the team. He’s part of the reason why the offense has been so good, while he and Wyatt Teller have been one of the more stellar duos on this team or in the league as a whole. Through the first few weeks to start the season, the Browns had their most success running through their side of the line, and with Teller’s emergence as an All-Pro caliber guard, he and Conklin are arguably the best guard/tackle combo in the league right now.
Through the Browns’ first nine games of the NFL season, he’s only had one penalty called against him, and PFF claims that he’s only given up one sack so far in 2020 across 570 snaps. That’s pretty impressive.
Even though the offensive line is more of a unit than any other in the NFL, for Conklin to stand out is proof positive why he’s worthy of a Pro Bowl spot. Hopefully, when it’s all said and done, Teller can remain healthy and finish out the year, as both men are more than deserving to go to the Pro Bowl. Conklin was a big free agent get in the offseason, he’s never been to the Pro Bowl in his career. Hopefully, that changes in 2020.
J.C. Tretter
J.C. Tretter is another player that has played lights out for the Browns in their 2020 revival season, and this season of good fortune is exactly what Tretter deserves. Coming in a year after Alex Mack left, Tretter re-certified the center position; something Mack did so well at during his time in Cleveland. Tretter came into Cleveland after a year with Cameron Erving as the starter in the middle because the Browns knew they needed someone better. So they signed Tretter fresh off of his time in Green Bay. His first year in Cleveland was the disastrous 0-16 season. Despite that hellish experience and the two seasons that followed, Tretter has remained loyal. Now in his fourth year with the team, Tretter has the chance to be apart of the Browns’ history, by going to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years.
Navigating the offensive line in the team’s first season under offensive line coach Bill Callahan, and playing for his third head coach in four seasons, Tretter has been nothing but near perfect. Throughout the whole year, he’s only given up one sack and has only one bad snap to his name. He’s also only committed one penalty so far this year as well, proving that he’s very capable of playing in the zone-blocking scheme and at a high level.
Tretter, like Jack Conklin, has never been to the Pro Bowl before, and while this year’s event is going to be different than years past, being named a Pro Bowler is still an honor. One that Tretter has earned.
Denzel Ward
It’s hard to argue against Denzel Ward being a Pro Bowler at this point. He’s leading the league in passes deflected, with 15, and has emerged as a clear cut challenger for Myles Garrett’s claim of being the best defensive player on the team. Slowed early on due to lingering injuries, Ward has come out strong over the last four games, really making an impressive showing to all those who had doubts about him following the 2019 season.
Ward, who went to his only Pro Bowl so far as a rookie, is looking to overtake Joe Haden as the best defensive back in modern Browns history but the only way he can do that is if he continues to play well and gets recognized for his play. While Ward doesn’t have much help around him, especially with second-year player Greedy Williams being essentially done for this year (and who knows how long after), Ward has still isolated an entire third of the field as his domain.
He’s become an elite-level, shut-down cornerback the Browns had hoped when they drafted Ward out of Ohio State and bringing the young man back to the city that he grew up in. The hometown kid could turn into so much more if he can just stay healthy. Something that has become a growing concern with Ward, who may miss time in 2020 after a recent injury following the Week 11 win over the Eagles.
Dark Horse – Baker Mayfield
Right now, I would argue Baker Mayfield is not in. Yet, look at his competition in the AFC. The North won’t be sending Lamar Jackson back to the Pro Bowl this year. Ben Roethlisberger is probably going to go, as is Patrick Mahomes. The West has Derek Carr as but Denver’s not going to send anyone and the Chargers’ Justin Herbert is a rookie on a losing team. The East has only one player worth going, Josh Allen, while the South has Deshaun Watson and Ryan Tannehill.
Assuming three quarterbacks are going to be selected, with spots reserved for Mahomes and Roethlisberger, that means that Mayfield would need a winning record, a playoff appearance, and at least 25 touchdowns to warrant real consideration. We can rule Watson out as competition, due to losing teams rarely ever sending quarterbacks to the Pro Bowl. Carr’s a potential threat, but his team has struggled a lot and may not even make it to the playoffs.
That leaves only Allen and Tannehill as legitimate threats and the Browns will have a shot at Tannehill in Week 13 when the Browns take on the Titans in Tennessee. The travel should help Mayfield pad his stats, as he’s going to need some clear skies and dry games to really showcase what he can do. The three game stretch in early-to-late November really hurt his numbers. To be fair, it hurt Watson, Carr, and Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz too.
This is a dark horse pick, admittedly, meaning that no one disagrees with the notion that things need to break differently for Mayfield to get to the Pro Bowl. Some help will be needed to get him there, but it’s still entirely possible. It’s just that he remains on the outs for right now.