The Cleveland Browns have made some pretty sizeable moves this offseason.
I’ll say this until I’m blue in the face, I am not overly impressed with the Cleveland Browns’ offseason moves as a whole, but I am impressed with the fact that Andrew Berry was able to get out there and turn over the most problematic positions the team has. Were they good moves? Well, we’ll see. It’s far too early to say one way or another.
That said, there’s a chance these are upgrades over what the Browns had before, so Berry gets credit for trying. Did he succeed? Well, we don’t know for sure, but we’ll find out pretty fast because this team is going to hit the ground running.
For a refresher, the Browns needed huge help at receiver and defensive line, while needing to bolster the linebacking corp and the safeties. As of right now, the only position that the team hasn’t added talent to is the linebacking corp. The team has opted to just run it back with their three starters, who, to be fair, was playing very well as a unit last year until injuries started to mount.
All three of the Browns’ starting linebackers missed time last year due to injury and two of them, Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker missed significant time due to significant injuries. So it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that the Browns would prioritize getting some depth at the position. They’ve opted to focus on other positions, however, and let the linebackers be. Will that work?
We’ll find out.
So let’s take a look at the Browns players that were added this year that we think will make the biggest impact on the squad.
Note:
If the Cleveland Browns do end up landing DeAndre Hopkins, who as of this writing is still a free agent, he’d be number one.
No. 5. Drafted center Luke Wypler.
The Cleveland Browns opted to re-sign Ethan Pocic to a three-year deal, and Pocic to his credit had a good year run-blocking for the Browns. His pass-blocking game, however, leaves much to be desired. Pocic won’t see the life of his contract, and will likely be cut after the 2024 season, due to budgetary issues.
There’s also a chance that Pocci gets exposed after a full season of tape on him has been studied, allowing teams to blitz him more effectively in 2023. If he does end up struggling or not, the Browns have options beyond him. They ended up drafting Luke Wypler late in the draft and while you usually don’t want to lean on late-round picks to become stars for you, that usually very solid rule of thumb doesn’t really count towards the offensive line.
Wypler could end up becoming a very good, inexpensive option at center for a few years as the Browns try to readjust and compensate for the massive contract that Deshaun Watson will carry with him in 2024. Getting someone like Wypler, who frankly was (on paper) a steal at the end of the draft, will only help the team be ready for the future.
No. 4. Re-signed Sione Takitki and Anthony Walker
The Cleveland Browns were wise to re-sign Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker, two men who are very skilled at covering the pass. With the Browns running a Wide-9 scheme now, the focus on the defensive line is going to be to get dept and apply pressure on opposing offenses. This will force the linebackers to step up and fill on rushing plays, something Takitaki can do very well.
Walker and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are a bit smaller, so they’re not going to be as great as Takitaki stepping up and applying weight and force on runners. But Owusu-Koramoah and Walker will be a bit quicker at getting to the edge to stop any scrambling. That’s the hope at least, as Walker and Takitaki have to prove they’re healthy after each man suffered a massive injury in 2022.
While we were hoping to see more depth added to the linebacking room in the draft and free agency, the fact that the Browns are running back a unit that looked very good in 2022, when healthy, wasn’t the worst move they could make and it will hopefully boost the defense’s ability to stop the pass.
Now, can the defense, as constructed, stop the run? Well, hopefully, but not due to the linebackers, but due to the next addition.
No. 3. Drafted defensive tackle Siaki Ika
The Cleveland Browns made the right call getting Siaki Ika in the 2023 NFL Draft. Ika isn’t going to be a huge playmaker like an Aaron Donald. He’s not going to be the guy who can chase after quarterbacks and has explosive plays in the backfield often. That’s not why he was drafted. No, he was drafted for one specific reason, to eat up space. And at 6’4, 375 lbs, space he will eat.
Ika is a prototypical nose tackle, who’s going to occupy by the A-Gaps, and hopefully, force the opposing center and either guard to pay attention to him. This will free up linebackers to move about freely, and maybe, dare I say, even blitz.
Not only will Ika help open up gaps for blitzing, but he’ll also force the rest of the line to block one-on-one with the other guys unless a tight end doubles down on Myles Garrett. Yet, even if they do decide to double up on Garrett, they’ll be unable to spare any extra help for another recent Browns acquisition, which we’ll talk about later.
Hopefully, due to Ika, the opposing offensive lines won’t be able to double up on two key pass rushers anymore, and that’s what Ika brings to the table. The ability to make opposing offensive lines focus on him just due to his size alone.
No. 2. Signed defensive tackle Delvin Tomlinson
The Cleveland Browns signing Delvin Tomlinson was a move that needed to happen. The team was in dire need of landing someone like him, a defensive tackle who can get depth on the offensive line and either blow up a play in the backfield or follow the running game to the edge of the line.
The Browns had no one like him in 2022, or even 2021. And by no one like him, I mean reliable. Tomlinson will likely not end up being a Pro Bowler, let alone an All-Pro, but even if he’s not great, he’s going to be a huge upgrade over the players the Browns have had/currently have.
With his arrival, the Browns are likely to cut one, if not two of the past few draft picks. Guys like Jordan Elliot and Perrion Winfrey make the most sense to cut, as Elliot is entering year four and just isn’t a good player. Winfrey, on the other hand, is a handful to deal with and is constantly getting himself in trouble. Neither guy is reliable for various different reasons, and their departures will only free up cap space and roster space for better players.
If another defensive tackle lands in Cleveland, that may and will likely cause the end of the tenure for Tommy Togiai. As he’s only entering year three, after not playing much at Ohio State, I feel if anyone deserves a chance to prove his worth, it’s him.
No. 1. Traded for defensive end Za’Darius Smith
I can’t stress to you how important the trade for Za’Darius Smith really was for the Cleveland Browns. He, unlike Jadeveon Clowney, is an elite pass-rusher who can actually cause havoc in the backfield. Whether it’s via the pass rush, or filling in the gap to stop the run, Smith is a huge addition to the team.
The Browns were lucky to get him and for the price they did. Sure, if you ask Minnesota Viking fans, the guy isn’t the most beloved ex-member of the Purple People Eaters, but this is a profession. I don’t need him to love Cleveland. I need him to play well in Cleveland.
That’s something he has a history of doing very well at. If he can bring the same level of production to the Browns in 2023 as he did in Minnesota in 2022, the Browns will finally be able to see what Myles Garrett can actually do with some serious help on the line.
With Siaki Ika gobbling up two blockers on his own, and Za’Darius Smith deserving extra attention as well, Garrett will finally get a lot of those looks he’s been complaining about not getting; those one on ones that he and others believe will finally get him into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.
The addition of Smith will give Garrett all the opportunities you can imagine while also ending the complaints about not having help. So it’s now on Garrett to finally take advantage of his situation because the Browns literally can’t do better than landing someone like Smith to bolster their defense.