Crimson Tide NFL Team Rundown: Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns were a popular pick in 2022 to make the postseason once quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to action, yet they finished last in the AFC North. How can the Browns have success in 2023, and how can Crimson Tide alumni help?

Once quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to action following his 11-game suspension, the Cleveland Browns were a popular pick to make a postseason run last season. Instead, they finished last in the AFC North and had no first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. 

Yet, the Browns are not a popular pick to be a bad football team in 2023. Most oddsmakers have the team finishing with around 9-10 wins, and above .500. 

This is primarily due to who the Browns have in their offensive backfield. Watson is coming off his first full offseason with the team, giving him a chance to get fully acquainted with his surrounding players. Cleveland also has one of the top running backs in the NFL,  Nick Chubb, who can almost keep the offense going in almost any game by himself. 

The Browns also have one of the better wide receivers in the NFL, former Alabama standout Amari Cooper, who had 1,160 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns in 2022. What might he be able to do with Watson, now that they've had a chance to develop some on-field chemistry? 

Defensively, the Browns are led by their star pass rusher Myles Garrett. The Browns also added another standout (at least when he's healthy), Za'Darius Smith. Smith's best years of his career came in 2019 and 2020 with the Green Bay Packers, where he had 26 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two passes defended, and 107 total tackles. Smith chose to sign with Minnesota after being released from the Packers with a back injury, and he subsequently had ten sacks in 2022. Smith could complement Myles Garrett well in the pass rush. 

The Browns also have a solid secondary, led by a couple of former Big 10 cornerbacks, Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome II. Both excel in man coverage, allowing safeties Juan Thornhill (2023 free agency addition) and Grant Delpit (2022 second-round pick) to guard against the deep ball by staying over the top of the defense. 

The Browns currently roster three former Crimson Tide players: Cooper, offensive lineman Jedrick Wills Jr., and defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson. 

The most popular name among Alabama fans is Cooper, who over three years with the Crimson Tide totaled 3,463 receiving yards and 31 total touchdowns, and was a first-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft to the Oakland Raiders. Cooper played four seasons with the Raiders, before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in October 2018. He was then traded from Dallas to Cleveland in March 2022. 

If the Browns plan to be successful in 2023, then they will rely heavily their top wide receiver, who is hoping to secure his sixth 1,000-yard season. But naturally a lot will depend on pass protection, and Wills covers Watson's blindside as the starting left tackle. A top-10 selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, he played three seasons for Alabama, where he was voted second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC in 2019. Wills has struggled somewhat in the NFL but has improved every year and the Browns have shown a willingness to work with him. They picked up his fifth-year option, guaranteeing Wills $15 million in 2024. 

Dalvin Tomlinson is arguably one of the most underrated players in the NFL. Tomlinson, a second-round pick in 2017 to the New York Giants, is currently slotted as the Browns starting defensive tackle after spending four years with the Giants and two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Overall, he's posted 288 total tackles, 13 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and seven passes defended. While Tomlinson has never been selected to the Pro Bowl or first-team All-Pro, he's considered an every-down starter in the NFL and has only missed three games in his career. 

The Browns went 7-10 in 2022, going 4-7 without Watson. When he returned to the starting roster the quarterback hadn't played in over a year so it was understandable that he might have some rust to shake off. Watson threw for 1,102 yards, seven touchdowns, and had five interceptions in six games.

If Watson can return to form, Cleveland should compete with Cincinnati and Baltimore for the division title in 2023. More than likely though, Cleveland will be battling for one of the top wild-card spots in the AFC playoff race. 

Active Cleveland Browns

#2 Amari Cooper, WR
#94 Dalvin Tomlinson, DL
#71 Jedrick Wills Jr., T

Unrestricted Free Agent
#19 Reggie Ragland, LB

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