After a 2019 season that started with hype and ended in disaster, how will the Browns respond in 2020?
Nobody wanted the 2010s over more than fans of the Cleveland Browns. Disaster would be an understatement to describe these teams. A two-year stretch where they went 1-31, the Johnny Manziel saga, and a long list of head coaches with short stints.
2019 looked like the year things would change with the Odell Beckham Jr. trade seeming like the final piece of the puzzle. Turns out many of us were wrong and the Browns once again ended up with a top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.
Now we move on to the future and believe it or not the foundation of Cleveland is very solid. Led by high draft picks such as Baker Mayfield, Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward. This Cleveland team has a great mix of young talent and experienced players who are proven in the NFL.
Jedrick Wills and Jack Conklin were brought on to stabilize an offensive line that struggled to stay consistent in 2019. Austin Hooper is yet another respected pass catcher in an offensive room that seems to can’t get enough of them. You can lay down many harsh criticisms on the Cleveland Browns franchise but you can’t say they lack talented players.
With the Browns looking poised for a better run, let’s take a deeper look at their 2019 season, 2020 offseason, and what lies ahead in 2020.
2019 Team Ranks
| Total Offense | 22nd (5455 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 22nd (3554 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 12th (1901 yards) |
| Total Defense | 22nd (5785 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 7th (3470 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 30th (2315 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 20.9 |
| PPG Allowed | 24.6 |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 23rd |
| Football Outsiders (Run Block) | 10th |
| Football Outsiders (Pass Block) | 18th |
Coaching Staff Changes
| Kevin Stefanski replaces Freddie Kitchens as HC |
| Alex Van Pelt replaces Todd Monken as OC |
| Joe Woods replaces Steve Wilks as DC |
| Bill Calahan replaces James Campen as OL Coach |
| Chad O’Shea replaces Adam Henry as WR Coach |
| Drew Petzing replaces John Lilly as TE Coach |
| Chris Kiffin replaces Tosh Lupoi as DE Coach |
| Jeff Howard replaces Joe Whitt Jr. as DB Coach/Pass game coordinator |
| Jason Tarver replaces Al Holcomb as LB Coach |
Offseason Additions
| Jack Conklin RT |
| Austin Hooper TE |
| Adrian Clayborn DE |
| Kevin Johnson CB |
| Case Keenum QB |
| Andy Janovich FB |
| Andrew Sendejo SS |
| Karl Joseph SS |
| Andrew Billings DT |
| B.J. Goodson LB |
| Jojo Natson WR |
| Evan Brown C |
| Donovan Olumba CB |
Offseason Losses
| Joe Schobert LB |
| Eric Murray FS |
| Christian Kirksey LB |
| Juston Burris S |
| Demetrius Harris TE |
| Damarious Randall FS |
| Justin McCray G |
| Travis Carrie CB |
| Eric Kush G |
| Ricky Seals-Jones TE |
| Bryan Cox Jr. DE |
2020 NFL Draft
| Round 1 (10) – Jedrick Wills OT Alabama |
| Round 2 (44) – Grant Delpit S LSU |
| Round 3 (88) – Jordan Elliott DT Missouri |
| Round 3 (97) – Jacob Phillips LB LSU |
| Round 4 (115) – Harrison Bryant TE Florida Atlantic |
| Round 5 (160) – Nick Harris C Washington |
| Round 6 (187) – Donovan Peoples-Jones WR Michigan |
2020 Schedule with record vs opponents since 2017
| Week 1 – at Baltimore Ravens 1 PM ET CBS | 2-4 |
| Week 2 – vs Cincinnati Bengals 8:20 PM ET NFL Network (TNF) | 3-3 |
| Week 3 – vs Washington 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 4 – at Dallas Cowboys 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 5 – vs Indianapolis Colts 4:25 PM ET CBS | 0-1 |
| Week 6 – at Pittsburgh Steelers 1 PM ET CBS | 1-4-1 |
| Week 7 – at Cincinnati Bengals 1 PM ET CBS | 3-3 |
| Week 8 – vs Las Vegas Raiders 1 PM ET FOX | 0-1 |
| Week 9 – BYE | |
| Week 10 – vs Houston Texans 1 PM ET FOX | 0-2 |
| Week 11 – vs Philadelphia Eagles 1 PM ET FOX | 0-0 |
| Week 12 – at Jacksonville Jaguars 1 PM ET CBS | 0-1 |
| Week 13 – at Tennessee Titans 1 PM ET CBS | 0-2 |
| Week 14 – vs Baltimore Ravens 8:15 PM ET ESPN (MNF) | 2-4 |
| Week 15 – at New York Giants 1 PM ET CBS | 0-0 |
| Week 16 – at New York Jets TBD | 2-1 |
| Week 17 – vs Pittsburgh Steelers 1 PM ET CBS | 1-4-1 |
Miscellaneous Notes
| Kevin Stefanski enters first season as HC |
| 14 starters drafted from 2017-2020 |
| 2019 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 59.6% |
| Rush – 40.4% |
| Kevin Stefanski 2019 Play Selection as OC with Vikings |
| Pass – 50.9% |
| Rush – 49.1% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2019 |
| 1. Nick Chubb RB 88.7 (Top Rated RB) |
| 2. Myles Garrett LE 86.5 |
| 3. Jack Conklin RT 80.5 |
| 4. Olivier Vernon RE 80.4 |
| 5. Austin Hooper TE 78.3 |
| Players who opted out of 2020 season |
| Colby Gossett LG |
| Drew Forbes RG |
| Drake Dorbeck RT |
| Andrew Billings DT |
| Malcolm Pridgeon LG |
Burning Question: Will Kevin Stefanski be able to make all this great talent mesh well?
Bottom Line: Cleveland has core players at two positions where you need them most: Their franchise quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive cornerstone Myles Garrett. Both have to prove that their abilities can translate to production and wins. The offense has elite level talent lead by Odell Beckham Jr. and Nick Chubb. Defensively, they have a great defensive line and a developing secondary that flashed signs of brilliance in 2019. However, those strengths are mixed with a linebacking corps that is depleted and reliant on unproven players.
I will be once again buying my ticket on the Browns hype train. Overall, this is a team that is too talented to have their potential unrealized. I believe that Baker and Myles lead the way to the Browns’ first playoff berth since 2002.
Predicted Win Range: 9-11
