Where Are The Browns Going? What Do They Need To Get There?

Coming out of the bye week, the Cleveland Browns are certainly better than in previous years, but their holes are obvious and their path to improve may involve some significant changes, particularly on defense.

The Cleveland Browns are coming off of their bye week 5-3 with a good opportunity to make a run at the postseason, but as much as they have improved this season, there are obviously issues that need to be addressed if they are going to be a stronger team in 2021 and 2022.

Offensively. general manager Andrew Berry really hinted at keeping what they have going into next season, which was set up before the year began. The entire starting offense is under contract through the 2021 season. There are some pieces around the periphery that can make a big difference, but based on the comments from Berry, they seem comfortable with what they have.

That means that despite the ACL injury to Odell Beckham, they are comfortable with both he and Jarvis Landry next season. And he may feel more confident than the public does about Baker Mayfield as their quarterback.

Offensive line-wise and their running backs, tight ends are in great shape. The entire group line will be back, but their depth should improve if the NFL landscape is safe enough for the return of Drew Forbes. They have Chris Hubbard under contract through 2021, which was a prudent move and while Kendall Lamm is unlikely to return, the Browns may have their next man up there in rookie Alex Taylor, currently on the practice squad.

The tight end position is an embarrassment of riches that needs to be further utilized on offense. The running backs, particularly Nick Chubb, are driving that side of the ball.

It's been wide receiver and quarterback where it's always a question whether they are enough. But even if they love Beckham, Landry and Mayfield, they need more at the receiver spot. And it's not just talent, but a wider range of skill sets.

Rashard Higgins might be extremely valuable to Mayfield, but the coaching staff just doesn't love the idea of having him be on the field with the other two. They need more speed and someone that can stretch the field consistently. To this point, it's been KhaDarel Hodge. Donovan Peoples-Jones might offer potential. 

They could really use a burner that can allow for some deep shots while Beckham is working elsewhere. It's just too easy to defend the Browns offense when Beckham is their lone deep option. Another burner, even just used situationally, could create more space on the field, allow for more explosive plays and create more favorable matchups.

Defensively, there is far more work to do. The Browns may need around five to six more players on defense. Some of that is due to ineffectiveness. Much of it is a product of pending free agents, who were employed largely as stop gaps while the Browns got their bearings and could focus their attention on that side of the ball after putting so much attention on the offense the previous offseason.

It's a virtual certainty that Olivier Vernon will not be back, which means the Browns have to find a starting caliber defensive end opposite Myles Garrett. Adrian Clayborn is a good rotational option and pure pass rusher, but he's not suited to be a full time starter and limits their ability to move Garrett around, since Clayborn can only play on the right.

Larry Ogunjobi might have the most pressure on him to perform the second half of the season other than Mayfield. Fresh, coming out every season, he's impactful and makes a bunch of splash plays. As the season rolls along, he tends to pick up an injury he then plays through at a compromised level of performance. It's not easy to place a dollar value on that in free agency.

Ogunjobi needs to move to the 3-tech and be a rotational player behind Sheldon Richardson. Undoubtedly, potentially getting Andrew Billings would be huge for the Browns in 2021, but Ogunjobi is still more of a versatile rotational option with Richardson there.

Again, that's difficult to value. If other teams want to pay Ogunjobi more, the Browns will likely let him walk. The best thing for Ogunjobi staying in Cleveland might be the fact that the Browns don't want to have to replace so many positions on this defense and they opt to keep him for another year. 

Meanwhile, Jordan Elliott should move to the nose. The fact he can operate at the three is valuable if the Browns want to go with more of a run stopping focused front, but he can hold the point of attack and should only improve with time.

So if the Browns don't retain Ogunjobi, they'll need another defensive tackle. And it's likely going to be someone like Elliott. Size to protect the second level in what is likely to be a defense that gets smaller, but with ability to collapse the pocket.

Linebacker has been a train wreck, but not all hope is lost. Malcolm Smith has been useful. The Browns will have to decide if they want to sign him again in the offseason, keeping him for another year. Right now, that looks like a pretty good option.

Sione Takitaki can't cover. It just hasn't happened to this point. It doesn't mean the Browns necessarily have to give up on him from that standpoint, but it's not happening now. The good news is he can function as a subpackage run stopper. That really should be his full time role, essentially taking over the role of B.J. Goodson, but taken out more liberally than Goodson has been.

With presumably Billings back, the Browns can put Takitaki on the field and get significantly bigger on their nickel package to take away the run, forcing teams to pass. That may not be what the Browns had in mind when he was drafted, but that is a useful role. Think Vince Williams with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If Jacob Phillips can get on the field, stay healthy and play well, that would be helpful giving the Browns hope they don't need to go chasing linebackers in free agency or the draft. He was arguably the best as a read and react linebacker in training camp. An offseason should allow him to continue to get stronger, but in a perfect world, he translates and becomes the one linebacker that never comes off the field. They only need one.

The secondary is another big area of focus for the Browns with a number of decision to make. It's difficult to see Karl Joseph coming back unless they put him at the rover spot, which he has not done really at all to this point. Ronnie Harrison took the starting strong safety spot, so Joseph isn't doing anything.

Grant Delpit hopefully recovers fully and can take the starting free safety spot where he was slated to play this season. The Browns would still need depth there, but they need to find the rover position if it's not on the roster now. To this point, it's not.

That rover position is significant, because it requires the Browns find someone that can function in the box and make tackles, but can get out and play effectively in coverage. They don't need to be a shut down coverage player, but they can't be liability.

At corner, maybe the Browns try to sign Kevin Johnson for a longer term deal. He's been really effective this season in coverage, able to operate from the slot. Terrance Mitchell, if he's willing to take a cheap deal could be back as well to play the boundary.

If not, the Browns need to find two starting corners. Greedy Williams could come back this year from the shoulder and still contribute, but it's really difficult to hand him anything at this point.

The Browns will have a boatload of salary cap space, even with what is likely to be a reduced salary cap. They also have a number of draft picks, so they can be aggressive both in signing as well as trading for established players to fill the holes on their defense in addition to making draft picks. Nevertheless, the Browns defense could be dramatically different from the one that started this season.