After 2017 NFL Draft, Browns Have the Potential to Build Something Truly Special
Because the NFL provides substantial benefits to those who continually suffer losses on and/or off the field, it's almost impossible—especially in the age of the salary cap and free agency—for bad teams to remain bad for long periods.
The Cleveland Browns have for many years been an exception to that rule. They haven't won their division since it was called the AFC Central in 1989, haven't won a playoff game since 1994, haven't participated in one since 2002 and haven't posted a winning record since 2007.
| Cleveland Browns | 24 |
| Detroit Lions | 23 |
| Buffalo Bills | 21 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 17 |
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The Browns have been a laughingstock for a quarter-century, but that's about to change.
It's no secret that the newest Browns regime, led by general manager Sashi Brown and chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta, has been hoarding prime draft picks in an attempt to rebuild Moneyball-style.
That strategy naturally devalued veterans in its early stages, which explains why we've yet to see results on the field. Cleveland knew it had to get worse before getting significantly better, and that has certainly been the case. A team that won seven games in 2014 has since lost 28 of 32 and is coming off a 1-15 campaign.
| Cleveland Browns | 4-33 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8-29 |
| Chicago Bears | 9-28 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 10-27 |
| San Diego Chargers | 11-26 |
But look at the depth chart and you'll see results in a different respect. You'll see a team that isn't good in terms of its track record but looks good in terms of its talent.
You'll see a roster with three athletically marvelous rookie first-round picks: game-changing top selection Myles Garrett on the edge, freakish tight end David Njoku on offense and versatile safety/linebacker Jabrill Peppers pretty much wherever you want him.
You'll also see an offensive line that in one offseason has gone from major liability to tremendous asset thanks to the addition of two primo free-agent interior O-linemen in Kevin Zeitler (the third-highest-rated right guard at Pro Football Focus last season) and JC Tretter (a 26-year-old center who was often dominant last year before suffering a midseason knee injury).
Stud left guard Joel Bitonio will also be healthy again after missing the majority of the 2016 season due to a foot injury, and don't forget about future Hall of Fame tackle Joe Thomas on the blind side.
And you'll see more talent in the offensive backfield than folks in Cleveland have been accustomed to.
They still might not have a long-term solution at quarterback, but just a year ago Brock Osweiler was the prince of the open market. He signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Houston Texans and had a horrible first season there, but the Browns had more than enough cap space to take a talented, physically promising 26-year-old off Houston's hands. They also drafted enticing quarterback prospect DeShone Kizer in Round 2 this year, and 2016 third-round pick Cody Kessler had a surprisingly strong rookie campaign.
They might even have themselves a franchise running back for the first time since, I dunno, Greg Pruitt? Isaiah Crowell averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a 23-year-old last year and appeared to get better as his third season wore on. He rushed for 110-plus yards twice in the final month, and only three backs had more 15-yard carries despite the fact his O-line stunk and the rest of that offense wasn't very good.
No team had fewer rushing attempts than the Browns' 350 last season. With more support elsewhere, they could provide balance for Crowell and whoever wins the quarterback job.
Look at that depth chart and you'll notice that said quarterback will actually have weapons. Njoku should make an impact right away, but at wide receiver they have 2016 first-round pick Corey Coleman ("a big play waiting to happen," according to PFF's Sam Monson) and veteran free-agent addition Kenny Britt (coming off a 1,000-yard season despite playing with the NFL's second-lowest-rated group of quarterbacks in Los Angeles).
That is not the offense of a 1-15 team, and a defense led by Garrett, Peppers, emerging 2015 first-round defensive tackle Danny Shelton, veteran Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins, underrated cover man Jamar Taylor and two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden should also be a lot better.
That unit ranked 30th in terms of points allowed last season, but Garrett and Peppers had yet to arrive, and Collins didn't show up until the team acquired him from the New England Patriots midway through the season. That D raised its level of play with him on board. After surrendering 25-plus points in each of the first 10 games of the 2016 campaign, the Browns gave up 24 or fewer in three of the last six.
| DT Danny Shelton (1) | WR Corey Coleman (1) | DE Myles Garrett (1) | TBD (1) |
| OL Cameron Erving (1) | DE Emmanuel Ogbah (2) | S Jabrill Peppers (1) | TBD (1) |
| DE Nate Orchard (2) | DE Carl Nassib (3) | TE David Njoku (1) | TBD (2) |
| RB Duke Johnson (3) | OT Shon Coleman (3) | QB DeShone Kizer (2) | TBD (2) |
| DT Xavier Cooper (3) | QB Cody Kessler (3) | DT Larry Ogunjobi (3) | TBD (3) |
I know, we're still talking about a franchise coming off a one-win season, but it isn't uncommon for teams to experience huge growth spurts directly after particularly sorry campaigns. The New York Jets put together a winning season in 1997 after going 1-15 in 1996, the Miami Dolphins made the playoffs with an 11-5 record in 2008 after going 1-15 in 2007 and the Carolina Panthers made the 2003 Super Bowl despite going 1-15 just two seasons prior to that.
The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals appear vulnerable in the AFC North. The Browns could make a major leap, immediately.
And even if they don't, it won't be time to panic.
Assuming they don't trade any early draft picks next year, the Browns will enter the 2018 season with eight players who were selected in the first round in the previous four years, and 20 first-, second- or third-round picks since 2015. That's about twice as many premium prospects as an average NFL team.
If the draft is indeed a crapshoot, the Browns could afford to bat .300 and would still hit more often than the rest of the teams in the league. That's huge. Even if they underachieve, they're bound to get a lot better relative to their counterparts because they have far more draft assets than everyone else.
And that's without considering free agency, where they've utilized a conservative approach in recent years and as a result have more salary-cap space than anybody else in the AFC. They used some of that money on Zeitler, Tretter, Britt and Osweiler in March, but they'll have plenty left to spend when reassessing the roster in offseasons to come based on how some of those high draft picks have panned out.
The high-value youngsters are the cake. Free agents are the icing. The Browns will have plenty of both, for years to come.
Your time is finally coming, Browns fans. You can see it. Just look at that depth chart.
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