Cleveland Browns Offseason State of the Union
The Cleveland Browns' OTAs and minicamp are over, so it's a good time to take stock of each area of the team's defensive, offensive and special teams units to see where they stand heading into training camp. It's also a good time to see where the Browns' rookie class is a few months into their professional careers, as well as where things stand on the coaching side of things.
Think of this as a state of the union for the Browns as we head into training camp and the preseason.
Passing Offense
1 of 7
For now, it appears quarterback Josh McCown, whom the Browns signed in the offseason, has the edge for the starting job this year. McCown went into OTAs and minicamp as the uncontested No. 1, something head coach Mike Pettine had planned to be the case.
This won't change heading into training camp, with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo saying during last week's minicamp, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, that "I'm gonna echo coach Pettine's words, because he and I are on the exact same page about this. I don't see a change for right now going into training camp."
He added, "I think Josh is playing at a high level right now. I think Josh is doing the things we want him to do...I've been very, very impressed with Josh. Josh and I talk about it all the time. He's a better quarterback now than he was in 2007."
That doesn't close the door to Johnny Manziel eventually wresting that job away, though, with DeFilippo noting that, "There's a long time before we kick off against the Jets. There's four preseason games to play." He also said that Manziel has shown improvement this offseason, per ESPN.com's Pat McManamon.
No matter who is under center come Week 1, he will be dealing with a receiving corps that is much different than it was in 2014. Though Andrew Hawkins, the team's leading receiver last year, is still on the roster, it appears he will move back into the slot, with Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline the favorites to work on the outside.
The Browns need to also make room for receiver Taylor Gabriel, their second-leading receiver from 2014, as well as find a way to mix in rookie Vince Mayle, who has been limited in the offseason while he recovers from offseason thumb surgery. There's also the matter of tight end Rob Housler, whom Cleveland brought in to stretch defenses much like Jordan Cameron did in previous years.
Of the tight ends, Pettine said last week: "Just like the receiver room that I've talked about all those skill position rooms, you like to have diversity of skill set to allow you to do some different things so you're not one dimensional." He envisions Housler as a wide receiver-style tight end, Jim Dray as a blocker and Gary Barnidge as a hybrid of the two.
Though the Browns don't project to have a pass-heavy offense this year, one thing is certain—when they throw the ball, the quarterback will be well-protected. McCown praised the line for their football acumen in May and cited the line as a major reason why he chose to come to Cleveland this year. Even without center Alex Mack for much of the season, the Browns had the sixth-best pass-blocking offensive line in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Browns are making do with what they have when it comes to the passing part of the offensive side of the ball. While not the flashiest group, they do have players capable of moving the chains, especially behind such a solid offensive line.
Rushing Offense
2 of 7
The Browns will try to return to their run-heavy ways in 2015 and with much of the same personnel as last year. The running backs will work in a timeshare, with second-round players Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West splitting time with rookie Duke Johnson.
Last year, the run game took a turn for the worse when center Alex Mack suffered a season-ending leg injury. Though the Browns ranked eighth in rushing attempts per game last year, they averaged only 3.6 yards per rush. The saving grace was their ability to score rushing touchdowns—12 in all, led by Crowell with eight.
This year, things look to be better for Cleveland's run game, not only because Mack is healthy but also because of the addition of offensive lineman Cam Erving, taken in Round 1 of the 2015 draft. Erving, a center and left tackle in college, has been playing at all five positions on the line in OTAs and minicamp, and coordinator John DeFilippo imagines that the rookie will start out training camp as the team's right guard.
In all this, the rookie Johnson is the X-factor. According to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal, running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery envisions Johnson as both a runner and receiver, saying that "It's going to be all over the field. It's a 'Where's Waldo?' He gives you another dimension. He creates one-on-one problems."
Montgomery also downplayed Johnson—or any Browns back—becoming a bell-cow type runner this year, saying, "It's hard to have an every-down back in this league. There's too much punishment going on out there on the field."
So expect the run game to heavily—if not equally—feature Crowell, West and Johnson and to improve behind a line that is better suited to run-blocking for the trio.
Passing Defense
3 of 7
The Browns pass defense is made up of two components: the pass rush up front and the coverage in the secondary. The latter has been a strength of the team for years, something that should continue in 2015, while the former needs some work.
Safeties Tashaun Gipson and Donte Whitner both agree that the Browns' have a top-two—or just plain tops—secondary in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks had a league-worst passer rating when throwing against them last year, and the Browns as a whole combined for 21 interceptions.
Though they lost starting cornerback Buster Skrine in free agency, they've managed to upgrade the position with free agent Tramon Williams, who joins veteran Joe Haden on the outside. The only question that remains is who will start at nickel cornerback—it could be Justin Gilbert or K'Waun Williams.
As far as the pass rush is concerned, the Browns made upgrades to their defensive line and linebacking corps that should pay dividends against opposing quarterbacks. They selected linebacker Nate Orchard in Round 2 of the 2015 draft. He posted up 14.5 sacks in 2014 and, according to Fox Sports Ohio's Fred Greetham, has been filling in for fellow linebacker Barkevious Mingo on the strong side while Mingo recovers from offseason shoulder surgery.
Also filling in for Mingo has been Scott Solomon, and head coach Mike Pettine has been pleased with him this offseason. He said, "Sometimes in the spring we've had to tone him back a little bit. He and playing in shorts isn't necessarily a very good matchup. He's a very physical, hands-on guy. That's a good example to set."
Returning to the starting lineup is also linebacker Paul Kruger, who led the team in sacks last year with 11. While Mingo is a question mark, simply because we haven't seen him on the field since his surgery, the Browns are in better shape as far as their group of pass-rushers is concerned. And there's nothing to worry about in the secondary. Cleveland could have one of the NFL's best pass defenses this year.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Rushing Defense
4 of 7
The Browns had the league's worst rushing defense last year. So it's no surprise that much of their focus this offseason has been improving that aspect of their game. They drafted nose tackle Danny Shelton in Round 1 this year and defensive lineman Xavier Cooper in Round 3. They also added veteran defensive lineman Randy Starks in free agency.
But what may help the run defense the most this year is the return of a number of veterans from season-ending injuries. Phil Taylor, Armonty Bryant, Desmond Bryant, John Hughes and Billy Winn are among the defensive linemen who missed significant time last year with various injuries, severely depleting the Browns' depth, their rotational ability and their ability to stop the run.
Defensive line coach Anthony Weaver has taken note of the return to full health, telling Scout.com's Fred Greetham,"It's a beautiful thing to keep guys fresh. We lost it last year when we were decimated by injuries [on defensive line]."
Weaver knows the importance of improving the run defense, saying, "Stopping the run [is important to us]. We realize we're the first line of defense. We have the mentality to get better."
It's not just the defensive line tasked with this, though—the linebackers must also step up.
And that's where Mike Pettine's praise of Scott Solomon comes in again, with the coach saying, "When you have guys that can set edges and are thumpers on the edges of your defense and can get that ball turned back in or at least get it bubbled back and force the running back deeper to allow secondary guys to get there—that's where your effectiveness will be in stopping the run," as he discussed Solomon's complete skill set.
The Browns seem in better shape to stop the run this year, now that so many key players have returned to health and the team has made key additions in order to do so. But it will be the execution of this plan that matters most—as well as the front seven's ability to stay healthy. So far, so good, but the proof won't really be there until Week 1.
Special Teams
5 of 7
The Browns chose to completely overhaul key positions on their special teams unit this offseason. They released kicker Garrett Hartley in favor of a competition between the untested Carey Spear and Travis Coons. They traded for former San Francisco 49ers punter Andy Lee and cut Spencer Lanning, and they let go of long snapper Christian Yount in favor of Charley Hughlett.
They are also still deciding on their kick and punt returners, after relying mostly on Travis Benjamin, Marlon Moore and bit of Shaun Draughn last year.
In a game that hinges first—and most often—on field position, it makes sense that the Browns would like to get any advantage they can get out of their kicking units. Spear, known as "Murder Leg" in college at Vanderbilt, seems to have at least a nickname that would benefit the Browns when it comes to kicking in the cold and the wind that is inevitable late in seasons.
But Spear and Coons are in a true competition, according to special teams coach Chris Tabor, who said last week:
"We're charting these kicks during the whole competition. This goes back to when we started the offseason. We kind of took a couple of weeks to get into the groove a little bit, let them get their swing and feel comfortable. Then we said, 'Hey the competition has started.' And we charted everything. We've kept a running tab on that and it's been a very close competition.
"
The punter switch makes sense too—for a 2017 seventh-round draft pick, the Browns added a Pro Bowler, one who averages 46.2 yards per punt on his career or two yards better than Lanning.
At returner, it appears the Browns are trying out rookie running back Duke Johnson on kickoffs and receiver Taylor Gabriel on punts. But a number of players have the experience and/or talent to do either job, so expect the return battle to remain somewhat open through training camp and the preseason.
Rookies
6 of 7
The Browns' 2015 rookie class is making progress, as all first-year players around the NFL are at this point in the offseason. But without any padded practices or contact allowed, we can only speak of their on-field impact in hypotheticals. Many things can change when the team practices at full speed and simulates true, in-game situations.
But for now, most of the reports coming out about the Browns' key rookies have been positive. Defensive line coach Anthony Weaver said of Round 1 pick Danny Shelton that he "plays the game with the type of energy that you can't fake. He plays every snap like it's his last play. Guys that big [are rare]. You cannot just manufacture that [effort]," per Fred Greetham of Scout.com. He also noted that Round 3 pick Xavier Cooper is "learning from Starks and the other vets" this offseason.
Meanwhile, another Round 1 pick, offensive lineman Cam Erving, has showed significant versatility while working with the first team this offseason. He's played all five positions on the line and should settle in as the starting right guard in training camp, though the Browns have not ruled out right tackle for him this year either.
A pair of injured rookies have been taking mental reps during OTAs and minicamp—wide receiver Vince Mayle and tight end Randall Telfer. Mayle expects to be cleared to practice following offseason thumb surgery in time for training camp, while Telfer is holding out hope that he can play at some point this season.
Veteran receiver Dwayne Bowe has taken Mayle under his wing. The rookie told the Plain-Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot that Bowe is "teaching me what he learned when he was young. He's also teaching me what he knows now, so I don't have to go through that learning curve that he had to go through."
Rookie running back Duke Johnson, meanwhile, has been carving out a niche for himself as "the most impressive" of Cleveland's running backs, according to ESPN's Adam Caplan, who said Johnson's "explosiveness and versatility shows" as both a running back and a receiver.
The Browns managed to select a good cross-section of players on both offense and defense in this year's draft. Some, like Johnson, Shelton and Erving, will be major contributors right away. Others, like Mayle and Telfer, will need to get healthy before making an impact.
Others, like tight end Malcolm Johnson and cornerback Charles Gaines, both taken in Round 6, will need to prove themselves on special teams or else be practice-squad prospects, if not off the team entirely by the end of August.
But the Browns seem to have made the most of the draft picks that count. We'll see how that looks, though, once the pads come on in July.
Coaching
7 of 7
The Browns, in true-to-form fashion, couldn't go from 2014 to 2015 without some level of coaching changes. But it wasn't a firing that led them to this point, but the willing departure of former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan that precipitated the changes.
Now, John DeFilippo is the offensive coordinator, with Joker Phillips coming in as wide receivers coach and Kevin O'Connell as quarterbacks coach. As such, the Browns offense has been behind the defense in OTAs and minicamp this year as it works to get the new offense installed.
DeFilippo, speaking with the media after last week's minicamp, detailed the progress the offense is making:
"We are always one step behind because they have so many wrinkles in their defense that they come out and then you have to get it fixed. Once we've kind of caught up to them, and I think we've kind of reinstalled everything for a second time in this mandatory minicamp... The last two or three practices, I think you've seen it come together. It's not where we want it to be yet, but I've liked the progress we've seen in the last three practices.
"
He added that the offense is "about 90 percent" installed at this point, and that "the only things that really haven't been installed yet are the things that you do in training camp—the special situation type things, like end of game."
Head coach Mike Pettine also said that the defense had been ahead of the offense this spring: "Offensively, we had a lot of ground to cover. Defensively, they were kind of on different agendas, but I thought the coaching staff handled it well, was very organized."
Of his second year as head coach, he said, "Looking back, I learned a lot of valuable lessons in Year 1, been able to apply them in Year 2. I think that's not just me, that’s the support staff, that's the coaching staff, that's the players as well. Anytime you have continuity and you know what the expectations are, things tend to run a lot smoother."
Cleveland has had continuity on the defensive side of the ball that has allowed them to go more in-depth on a defense that was installed a year ago. The offense, though, is catching up. We'll see just how much once training camp begins.
The thing to watch is whether Pettine and his staff wind up on the hot seat this year. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has already proved impatient once, firing head coach Rob Chudzinski, most of his staff and most of the front office after only one season. Pettine and his crew don't yet seem like they feel like they are fighting for their jobs, but if the team gets off to a rough start this year, there may be rumblings of a disgruntled owner in Cleveland.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
