5 Browns That Improved the Most in 2020
One of the reasons the Cleveland Browns were able to be achieve so much in the 2020 season was due to how much improvement they saw from individual players. It's also a big factor in why the Browns now appear poised to compete for the Super Bowl in 2021. Five players stood out the most in terms of their improvement this season.
5. David Njoku
The Browns signed Austin Hooper to headline the group and drafted Harrison Bryant to continue to add talent, but at the end of the year and in the postseason, their best tight end was Njoku.
After requesting a trade that made Njoku less popular with fans than he already was, Njoku answered the challenge from the coaching staff and became a fantastic blocker. Not simply winning, getting in the way, he was making at least one highlight block per game.
Njoku also played under more control as a pass catcher, enabling him to make tough catches and really shine with the ball in his hands. Given how he performed, it's a shame the Browns did not utilize Njoku more often including down the field. However, after just 213 receiving yards during the regular season, Njoku had five receptions on six targets for 66 yards in the playoffs. Hopefully, he's on the cusp of having a breakout season which coincides with a far better season from Hooper.
4. Sione Takitaki
The Browns minimized their investment in the linebacker position entering the season, but in his second season with the team, Takitaki firmly established his role with the team. He's a good, physical run defender that thrives near the line of scrimmage, able to deal with contact, locate the football and finish with strength.
Takitaki is not effective in coverage, but he was able to make a handful of impact plays, intercepting a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles and returning it for a touchdown as well as putting the final nail in the Pittsburgh Steelers coffin in the playoffs.
He may never be a great option in coverage, but when the Browns need to shift to packages that are focused on stopping teams with a heavy run focus or short yardage, Takitaki is their man.
3. Rashard Higgins
Higgins was a pleasant surprise in 2018, but was unable to build on it in 2019. Injuries and an incompetent organization contributed to seeing him do nothing for the team. Had they not replaced them, Higgins would've left. Wanting to play with Baker Mayfield and a new organization headed by Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry convinced him to come back, which proved valuable.
Higgins was not a major factor in the offense early and it wasn't until Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL that he took on a major role. From that point through the playoffs, 12 games in all, Higgins led the team with 661 receiving yards at an impressive 11 yards per target.
Higgins is the only pending free agent on the list, which is good news. The Browns have to decide if they will keep him, but everyone else is under contract for at least 2021.
2. Baker Mayfield
Mayfield entered the season with question marks due to a poor sophomore campaign and six games in, he wasn't providing good answers. Learning the new scheme with a truncated offseason had him managing games rather than winning them.
From week seven through the divisional round of the playoffs, Mayfield was as good a any quarterback in the league when it came to decision making and efficiency. After relying on the running game early in the year, the offense transitioned to relying on Mayfield as the primary driver. In the postseason, Mayfield was the best player on the team.
The belief the Browns can contend for the Super Bowl starts with Mayfield. If he stays at the level he played for the last 12 games of the 2020 season or improves, the Browns are as dangerous as any team from the AFC.
1. Wyatt Teller
Entering the season, four offensive line starters were locked up and it was a question of who would start at right guard. After John Dorsey traded for him as the 2019 season started, Teller had to flip from left guard to right guard and played the second half of the season. He was steady, but never stood out.
Teller's competition was to be Drew Forbes - an outstanding athlete with remarkable upside. Forbes opted out of the 2020 season, giving Teller the position by default. He responded by being the best player on an excellent offensive line. Functional strength was the biggest question mark with Teller and he answered it. He went from a player that won by position to a player that could win with power, dominating the competition. For much of the season, he was the focal point of the running game.
Teller was named 2nd Team All-Pro by the AP and the only reason that prevented him from being 1st team was injuries. He dealt with a calf strain that caused him to miss four games and an ankle injury that kept him out two more.
Honorable Mention - Chris Hubbard
After signing with the Browns as a major free agent acquisition to start at right tackle, he wasn't great. In 2019 in particular, he struggled. Perhaps he was playing hurt, but it was bad and the Browns responded by signing Jack Conklin in free agency.
Rather than being cut, Hubbard opted to take a major pay cut to stay with the Browns. He responded by becoming an extremely valuable sixth man for the group. Hubbard played both tackle spots and right guard over the course of the season. At right guard, he had some struggles as a run blocker as he simply lacks the heft to excel there.
None of that changes the fact that Hubbard was a major reason the Browns were able to enjoy stability up front, despite having enough issues to potentially destabilize the group. Sadly, he suffered a dislocated kneecap that ended his season, which was a significant disappointment given what he'd been able to bring the team.
