Reassessing Cleveland's Offseason Plan and Breaking Down What's Left to Address

The Cleveland Browns had a downright terrible season in 2013 but have since taken many steps to improve. They've found a great head coach in Mike Pettine and have added much talent throughout their team.

Don't get me wrong: There are certainly still holes in the roster. However, the Browns are a lot closer to being a competitive franchise than they were at the conclusion of last season.

They signed their starting running back in Ben Tate, filling a huge need while also adding talent to their offense. The Browns firmed up their defense with the signing of Donte Whitner, someone who should be a big help to them on the back end of their defense.

Cleveland's done well through free agency but will need to take full advantage of the NFL draft in May.

The Browns are fortunate enough to have two first-round picks thanks to the Trent Richardson trade last year, and they must use one of those picks on a quarterback.

While Cleveland should definitely be drafting their quarterback of the future, it would be prudent of them to also sign a quarterback in free agency. Admittedly, the pickings are pretty slim, but they'll want to have a backup plan should their drafted quarterback be unprepared once opening day rolls around.

Cleveland needs to keep up with their calculated offseason decisions in order to really gain some momentum heading into training camp, and it will have the opportunity to do so soon. 

Give the Franchise a New Direction

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The Cleveland Browns were one of the most laughable franchises in the NFL a year ago. From top to bottom they were a mess, and it was clear change was needed—big change.

When the Browns made Mike Pettine their newest head coach, they took a giant step in the right direction. While he is unproven as a head coach in the NFL, Pettine has shown much promise during his time as a defensive coordinator with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.

He gives this team a bright outlook for the future, and he will help usher in a new era of Cleveland football. Pettine has already done a good job with bringing in new talent so far, but the draft will be the most telling of his skills and intuition as a coach.

The Browns have made much progress through the first part of free agency and are certainly on the right track because of the work Pettine has been putting in. 

Find a Workhorse Running Back

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One of the most underrated signings of this free-agency period was Ben Tate by the Browns, a pickup that will pay dividends sooner than later. Cleveland struggled through last season with Willis McGahee as their main runner, but it now has one of the youngest and most talented runners that the NFL has to offer in its backfield.

Tate showed flashes of greatness in a minimized role during his stint with the Houston Texans, but I believe he will prove his worth as an NFL starter once the 2014 season begins.

He will finally be given the chance to be the feature back and will more than likely take advantage of it. Of course there's no way of knowing for sure, but it's looking like Tate is set up for a quality career in Cleveland.

He will become an important piece of the offense from the get-go and will surely make the quarterback's job easier, no matter who that ends up being. 

Find a Receiver to Complement Josh Gordon

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The Browns really nailed it when they selected Josh Gordon in the supplementary draft a couple of years ago, but it's time they found someone to help him out on the opposite sideline.

Enter Nate Burleson.

The 12-year veteran was just signed on Sunday (via Ryan Maquinana, NFL.com) and will likely slide into the No. 2 receiver role. While he is getting up there in age and has struggled with injury recently, Burleson is a quality receiver when healthy and was a contributing part of the Detroit Lions offense during his four years with the team.

He's only with the team on a one-year contract, but it's more of "prove it" deal than anything; if he performs well, then it could turn into a short extension.

Regardless, the Burleson signing will also be of benefit to whomever is throwing the ball for the Dawgs, as he's a pretty reliable receiver with solid hands and good routes. Overall, bringing in Burleson was a smart and economical choice by the Browns. 

Solidify the Secondary/Make Up for Loss of T.J. Ward

Elaine Thompson

The Browns' secondary took a big hit when they lost T.J. Ward to the Denver Broncos but definitely helped themselves by signing Donte Whitner. They likely saw Ward's departure coming, as he was expected to reel in a hefty deal, and signing Whitner was one of the best moves they could've made to make up for the loss of Ward.

The Browns were pretty solid against the pass last year (ranked eighth in the NFL), but things will change now that they have Whitner instead of Ward—and not necessarily for the worse.

Like Ward, Whitner is a respected hitter that does have an athletic advantage. Despite his age, he's still a very efficient defender and makes this secondary a lot better.

While Whitner's the headliner of the defensive backs that the Browns signed, they did also bring in a young corner in Isaiah Trufant.

He's obviously not the best defender in the NFL, but he adds depth to their cornerback group and does come from the impressive Trufant bloodline, so at worst he's chock-full of potential. He also contributes on special teams, a place where Cleveland lacked a bit in 2013.

Overall, the Browns avoided a big hindrance when they made up for the loss of Ward and even improved their corps a bit. 

Sign the Quarterback for Now, Draft the Quarterback of the Future

Timothy D. Easley

Cleveland is in a very interesting and confusing position as May's draft approaches. It currently sits at fourth overall and 26th overall, two pretty favorable spots for a rebuilding team. There's much speculation as to how the first five to 10 picks will play out, which could leave the Browns' hands tied once they're on the clock.

They desperately need a new quarterback—that much is clear—but they may not find a quality enough player to draft at fourth overall.

If you're taking a quarterback that high, he better be the definitive quarterback of the future and not the next Christian Ponder. Or Blaine Gabbert. Or Jake Locker. 2011 was a weird first round of quarterbacks, huh?

Anyway, Blake Bortles and Teddy Bridgewater are two of the top quarterback prospects of this year's class and are my choices as the safest picks at the quarterback position in the top 10. Johnny Manziel is a huge hit-or-miss prospect (as so eloquently outlined by fellow B/R writer Michael Schottey) and is not who I would select with the fourth overall pick.

If Bridgewater and Bortles are gone, the Browns should opt for the best player available and nab a passer later in the first round. They could address another position of need, then use the 26th overall pick to select a talented second-tier passer like Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo.

Regardless of who and where they draft a quarterback, it would be wise of the Browns to supplement that draftee with a veteran passer that could start for them right away if needed. They've had their fair share of bad luck with quarterbacks before, and I'm sure they'd rather have a backup plan or two than be forced to do what the Jets did last year.

Although I'm a fan of Geno Smith, he clearly wasn't ready to start, yet the Jets had no other choice after Mark Sanchez went down with an injury. The Browns aren't far away from being a good team, but they need some consistency, talent and competition at the quarterback position.

If they are able to get Bridgewater of Bortles, then that's great, but they should still invest in a veteran passer to, at the very least, mentor their drafted quarterback and help show him the ropes of the NFL. That's not to say Brian Hoyer did a bad job for the team last season, but he's still earning his stripes as an NFL starter and is coming off of a major injury.

A reliable upgrade is needed at the quarterback position, and the Browns will have a chance to do just that when draft day hits.