With Free Agency coming up in a couple weeks, I have decided to take an all-encompassing look at the Browns roster and needs. Today, we take a look at the offense and in the coming days, I will look at the defense. Enjoy!

Quarterback

With Drew Stanton leaving in free agency and the Browns looking to improve the quarterback room, a veteran QB to guide and push Baker Mayfield in his pivotal third season should be strongly considered. Due to his experience playing for Kevin Stefanski as his quarterbacks coach during the 2017 season, Case Keenum seems like a solid option to fill this need. Keenum had a career year that season, leading the Vikings to the NFC Championship game and throwing for career highs in completion percentage and touchdowns. As long as a bidding war doesn’t ensue and the price is closer to $3-5M per season, Keenum seems like a strong option for the Browns on a 2-year deal.

Running Back

Whether running back is a need depends on if the team keeps restricted free agent Kareem Hunt. The Browns will likely tender him with a 2nd or original round (3rd) round tender, which would allow other teams to offer him a contract. The Browns would then have the opportunity to match the deal if they are comfortable paying him what he is offered. If the Browns are not comfortable paying up, they will be entitled to draft compensation based on the placed tender. My personal belief is if a team offers Hunt a contract, the Browns will be comfortable letting him leave and adding another day 2 pick in return.

Dontrell Hilliard and D’Ernest Johnson were underwhelming during the 2019 season and neither seems overly likely to return. One main reason is their struggles in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, out of all running backs who pass protected at least one snap during the 2019 season, Hilliard ranked 146th out of 148 backs in pass blocking grade on his 16 snaps in pass pro and Johnson ranked 141st on his 8 snaps. Although this is a small sample, it was obvious that the players were overwhelmed when they were tasked with pass protecting in situations where Nick Chubb needed a breather and Baker Mayfield was often pressured as a result (Hilliard gave up 3 hurries, 1 hit, 1 sack and Johnson gave up 1 sack).

If I had to choose which back has a better chance of staying around for 2020, I would choose Johnson because he is a more physical runner between the tackles, showed some good things in the pass game (particularly on a downfield catch week two against the Jets), and showed out as a kick returner in the season finale at Cincinnati, averaging 38 yards per return on two returns.

Overall, I expect the Browns to bring in a late round pick and/or multiple undrafted free agents who fit well in Stefanski’s wide zone scheme and have ability as receivers out of the backfield to compete for the spots at running back behind Nick Chubb and possibly Kareem Hunt in the event that no team offers him a contract in restricted free agency.

Wide Receiver

After Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, who are each rehabbing this offseason, the Browns have nothing proven on the roster at wide receiver. Rashard Higgins is an unrestricted free agent after barely seeing the field in 2019, Damion Ratley has never looked like a consistent threat, KhaDarel Hodge is a very good athlete who is at his best as a special teams cover guy as he continues to develop his wide receiver skills, and although the Browns may have found something in undrafted rookie DJ Montgomery, who had a huge 2019 preseason before missing the regular season with an injury, counting on him in a major role so soon would be a risk.

I believe a return for Higgins would be smart for both sides. If it happens, the Browns would hope that he can get back to playing like he did during the 2018 season and 2019 preseason before getting injured week one against the Titans. Higgins would benefit from returning due to his great chemistry with Mayfield on a short prove-it deal as he tries to get his market back to what it would have been after 2018. Also, Higgins is exactly the type of versatile wide receiver the Browns need behind OBJ and Landry due to his ability to play inside and outside to accommodate Landry primarily playing in the slot in 11 personnel (1 back, 1 TE, 3 WRs) and when the Browns want to move OBJ inside to exploit a mismatch (think 89-yard touchdown vs. Jets week two).

Even if Higgins is brought back and the team has high hopes for DJ Montgomery, the Browns would be smart to target another versatile WR that can complement OBJ and Landry in the mid-rounds of this historically talented wide receiver class. With the aforementioned duo rehabbing and the status for when they will return up in the air, it is important that the Browns have talented, playable wide receivers ready on the roster.

From a draft philosophy standpoint, drafting for needs a year ahead is always a smart way to attack the draft and it is likely the Browns will need a WR a year from now, whether Higgins returns for 2020 or not. Having a player who is ready to step in and play in 2021 after marinating in the system during the 2020 season is a good plan of attack for the long-term outlook on the position.

Tight End

On paper, the Browns have three talented young mismatch weapons at tight end in David Njoku, restricted free agent Ricky Seals-Jones (who I expect to be tendered and return for 2020), and Stephen Carlson. The question with each of them is if they will buy in to being coached up on blocking assignments, giving consistent effort in that area, and embracing attention to detail.

Looking at what the team needs at tight end, it is easy to see they could use more of a physical presence as an in-line tight end to complement the aforementioned trio while they develop as blockers. This player would need to be more comfortable blocking defensive ends in the run game and executing in pass protection on the occasions where the team is in 12 personnel (1 back, 2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers) with one tight end flexed out or releasing into a vertical route with the in-line TE helping in pass protection.

It is important to remember the few good in-line tight ends who double as dynamic receivers, like Rob Gronkowski or George Kittle, are outliers in the NFL. Teams universally prioritize receiving skills at the position because that is what is most valuable to putting points on the scoreboard and winning games. The blocking aspect for most modern tight ends comes down to knowing their assignment and simply doing enough to get in the way. Although the team could use another tight end if the opportunity presents itself at the right value in free agency or the mid-rounds of the draft, I like the trio currently on the roster for the modern NFL and hope tight ends coach Drew Petzing does a great job of developing them.

Offensive Tackle

With Greg Robinson gone and Chris Hubbard likely to be cut this offseason, the Browns are in need of starters at both tackle spots. Athletic swing tackle Kendall Lamm is a playable option in the wide zone scheme if he can stay healthy so I anticipate him being given a chance to compete with other tackles who are brought in for a starting job. I also expect the team to bring in another playable vet option to also compete.

The question is if the Browns are in the market for an expensive vet who would start immediately like Jack Conklin or Brian Bulaga or if they are more interested in value signings to compete with rookies and provide depth along the lines of former Minnesota swing tackle Rashod Hill, former Tennessee swing tackle Dennis Kelly, or former Colts versatile backup Joe Haeg.

In the draft, I expect the Browns to target one of the many talented offensive tackle options in the first round and then draft another tackle later on in the event that Conklin or Bulaga are not signed. If one of the two high dollar free agents are signed, that frees up the Browns to focus more on addressing other positions with their day 2 and day 3 picks.

In the event that two rookies are drafted, I doubt either will be handed a starting job right away, but if they go the first round route, it is safe to predict that player will beat out Lamm or another “value vet” for a starting job. At the other tackle spot, a vet seems more likely to start with the later round rookie learning and developing in the swing tackle role for 2020 before stepping in as a starter in 2021. If both rookies dominate in camp, proving they deserve to start right away, that is a less realistic best-case scenario for the Browns.

Interior Offensive Line

Right guard is a need that could absolutely be upgraded in free agency (and some are predicting they will target high dollar options like Joe Thuney), but my gut says the team will let Wyatt Teller and Drew Forbes battle it out for the starting job. Teller took the job from Eric Kush week 9 and had an up and down season, but improved from week 13 on. Forbes was drafted in the 2019 6th round and missed most of the regular season with an injury. He did not play a snap on the offensive line although he returned from injured reserve on November 14th. During the preseason, Forbes was up and down, playing 108 snaps at right guard and 8 snaps at left guard.

It is hard to predict how the right guard position will shake out, but in the case that they do not sign a free agent starter and Forbes wins the starting job, I could see a scenario where Teller is the backup interior offensive lineman at both guard spots. If JC Tretter were to ever go down, Forbes would slide over to center (former coach Freddie Kitchens hinted that they liked him there last year and complemented his snapping) and Teller would come in at right guard. This setup would be similar to back when the Browns used John Greco as their starting right guard and backup center to Alex Mack for multiple years. If Forbes is unable to provide depth at center, the Browns will need to find a cheap interior option who can backup Tretter this offseason.

Fullback

The key with utilizing a fullback in the modern NFL is making sure the player is a true threat in the pass game while also being able to handle the necessary traditional blocking duties of the position. The Browns have already added the athletic, former college quarterback and Vikings fullback Johnny Stanton, and I anticipate more competition is coming. Expect more athletic, versatile, cheap talent to be added this offseason to compete for the fullback job in Stefanski’s offense. Keep in mind that with so few teams using fullbacks in the modern NFL, the best prospects at the position are often available in undrafted free agency.