Browns' Biggest Question Marks Ahead of 2021 Training Camp

The Cleveland Browns have a small margin of error in their quest for success in the AFC in 2021. 

Cleveland sits in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers expected to fight for playoff spots and the Cincinnati Bengals projected to get better in Joe Burrow's second season. 

Even if Kevin Stefanski's team wins the AFC North, it could have a hard time earning a top-two seed in the AFC with the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Kansas City all expected to play at a high level. 

Stefanski and his staff need to use training camp to figure out any depth issues on offense that might plague the team early on in the campaign as Odell Beckham Jr. works back from his ACL injury.

Defensively, the Browns need to make sure the new faces at linebacker and in the secondary are on the same page as Myles Garrett and Co. on the defensive line right away to pick up the best record possible. 

Wide Receiver Depth

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The Browns have plenty of intriguing players listed at wide receiver behind Beckham and Jarvis Landry, but they need to figure out who will lock down the roles behind the top two wideouts. 

Donovan Peoples-Jones had a strong finish to 2020, Rashard Higgins filled in well in Beckham's absence and rookie Anthony Schwartz brings a dynamic speed profile to the gridiron. 

Higgins and Landry were the only Browns wide receivers to record over 500 receiving yards in 2020. Beckham should easily eclipse that mark when healthy, and so should Landry.

The goal for the offensive staff is to get at least one more wideout over the 500-yard mark with Beckham and Landry on the field for 16 games. Beckham may take some time to put up big numbers as he works back from injury, but that should not hinder him for 16 games. 

Part of the pass-game production will be taken up by Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb, but an argument can be made that Cleveland has enough wide-receiver depth to take some of the pressure off the running backs in that aspect of the offense. 

Higgins should hold the edge over Peoples-Jones, Schwartz and KhaDarel Hodge at the start of training camp, but there is no guarantee he keeps that spot if the young wideouts improve with more practice snaps. 

How New Linebackers and Defensive Backs Adjust to New System

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The Browns improved their depth at linebacker and defensive back through free agency and the NFL draft.

Now the Browns defensive coaches have to put the pieces in the right places to succeed behind Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney on the interior. 

Anthony Walker should bring some more experience to linebacker after a few strong seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Second-round selection Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah should land plenty of snaps as well. The Notre Dame product was projected to be a first-round pick before the draft began. 

In the secondary, first-round pick Greg Newsome will be expected to provide stability on the outside opposite Denzel Ward. 

At safety, free-agent addition John Johnson III should bring more tackling bite to the secondary, while Grant Delpit and Richard Lecounte have chances to gain a starting role alongside the former Los Angeles Rams player. 

All of the new pieces look good on paper, but they have to fit right together for the Browns to contend for a high spot in the AFC standings.

If it all comes together, the Browns could look like one of the most dangerous teams in the AFC by the time December rolls around. 

Jadeveon Clowney

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The potential of a Clowney-Garrett pass-rushing duo wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks sounds delightful to Browns fans. 

However, Clowney comes into training camp off an OK season with the Tennessee Titans, and he needs to prove that he can stay healthy for the duration of a season. 

Clowney played 21 games in the last two seasons with the Titans and Seattle Seahawks. He only had three sacks in that span. 

Clowney will not be expected to return to his Houston Texans form, but if he can stay healthy, he could at least take away some attention from Garrett. 

At 28, Clowney still has plenty to contribute, but he will not be expected to be the top pass-rusher on the squad with Garrett on the other edge. 

If Clowney proves in training camp that he can be an effective pass-rusher once again, the Browns defense could enter the regular season as one of the league's most feared units.

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.