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Browns' 3 Biggest Priorities to Start the Offseason

While the Cleveland Browns have a lot that they need to improve upon this offseason, putting these three priorities on the backburner would be a major mistake.

By Devon Platana

The Browns have three major priorities to address at the beginning of the NFL offseason.
The Browns have three major priorities to address at the beginning of the NFL offseason. / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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2. Browns Must Cut/Trade Nick Chubb

I'm bracing for the pitchforks for this one, but just let me explain myself.

For starters, I like Nick Chubb. I think he's one of the best running backs in the NFL and his accolades speak for themselves. Since Chubb debuted for the Browns in 2018, Derrick Henry is the only player who's rushed for more yards (8,268) than the ex-Georgia Bulldog (6,511) over the last six seasons. For comparison, Ezekiel Elliott is third with 6,290 yards in 18 more games than Chubb.

Having said that, Chubb's future in Cleveland isn't as straightforward as some might think.

After all, the 28-year-old rusher suffered a season-ending knee injury just two games into the 2023 campaign. Any injury is bad on its own for a football player, however, the knee that Chubb injured was the same one that sidelined him for the majority of the 2015 NCAA college football season.

Chubb was eventually able to bounce back to become a 2018 second-round pick, but that was when he was only 20 years old. He's now nearing 30 — the age where RBs typically drop off, regardless of injury — and potentially won't make the same full recovery he made nearly a decade ago.

Spotrac lists the Browns as being about $20.6 million over the salary cap this offseason and the quickest way to free up a ton of cash is by cutting or trading Chubb. He's scheduled to carry a $15.825 million cap hit in 2024, however, $11.825 million comes off the books if he's moved/waived at any point in the coming months.

Losing Chubb would bum out a lot of fans, but the Browns will be fine. After all, they still averaged 118.6 rushing yards per game (12th) without him last season.

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