Cleveland Browns: Where do we go from here?

The Cleveland Browns disappointed in 2021, but there is still clear direction for this team moving forward.

2021 was a disappointing year for the Cleveland Browns, but the sky isn't falling and the future is still bright.

The Cleveland Browns will wrap up one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Cleveland was eliminated from playoff contention ahead of their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, and were then promptly swept by their division rivals. The team will wind up either 7-10 or 8-9, a far cry from the Super Bowl aspirations from the preseason.

There are so many unknowns with this team, and there is plenty of uneasiness moving forward at some key spots, but there is direction. Head coach Kevin Stefanski isn't going anywhere, and despite constant outcries of emotion, is still an excellent playcaller who does a tremendous job at scheming open receivers in the passing game. His demeanor and leadership go without saying, and he'll be the one leading the Browns out onto the field in Week 1 of next season, with a seat that is cool as ice.

Injuries and COVID-19 and regression

Murphy's Law took hold of the Browns 2021 season and didn't let go. The team played a really nice opening game against the Kansas City Chiefs, and should have won, but came up just short. Things were looking up, as if Cleveland was ready to cement its place among the NFL's elite.

Then Baker Mayfield threw an interception the next week against the Houston Texans, and everything fell apart. The player who finished the 2020 campaign as one of the league's most prolific passers was nowhere to be found. A torn labrum, a shoulder fracture, rib and leg injuries, and a severe lack of confidence plagued him all year, and he was statistically one of the worst starters in the NFL. Not a good showing from a guy who was expected to secure a lucrative long-term contract extension.

Mayfield will be playing 2022 on his fifth-year option that will pay him nearly $19 million, with no dead cap if traded. The conundrum the Browns find themselves in is that they still do not know who Mayfield is on a consistent basis, he's in the final year of his deal, and he'll be 27 years old in April. It's nearly impossible to upgrade from the player he was late in 2020. It's very easy to upgrade from who he was in 2021.

Names like Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, and Aaron Rodgers have been floated around, but the most likely scenario continues to be that Mayfield plays out his rookie deal in Cleveland and then a decision is made based on his complete sample size over five years of starting, and his next contract, whoever it is with, will reflect his maddening and disappointing inconsistency and inability to string together quality weeks and seasons.

How much of Mayfield's issues were related to his injury? That's what's so difficult about the situation. It clearly affected him, but enough to excuse his extremely poor play, especially when it involved mental mistakes, which there were plenty of? The answer is probably somewhere in the middle, and only more tape can provide clarity. The worst part about this is that the Browns were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders this season while making a long-term decision on their QB, and now basically know the exact same amount about him as they did a year ago at this time.

Mayfield is the biggest question mark for this team, but he's far from the only one. There are plenty of pending free agents and holes on both sides of the ball, and the Browns do not have a treasure trove of resources to fill them. The team is currently slated to pick 13th overall, and could go as high as seventh depending on how the final week of the season shakes out.

On offense, Chris Hubbard, David Njoku, and Rashard Higgins are all unrestricted free agents who either did or would have played important roles over the past few seasons. Hubbard filled in for Jedrick Wills Jr. at left tackle in Week 1 before missing the rest of the season with a triceps injury. He had a great 2020 campaign and was arguably the most valuable backup in the NFL. He'll be 31 soon and may want to cash in one more time as a starter before being a reserve for the remainder of his playing career.

Njoku again finished behind Austin Hooper in targets, but did significantly more with his opportunities in the passing game in addition to his superior blocking. Njoku's stats do not reflect his ability or his impact, and he must be both retained and given a much larger role moving forward.

Higgins had an extremely strong 2020 but was missing in action for essentially all of 2021, an eerily similar result to what happened for him in 2018 and 2019. What began the season as the most expensive wide receiver room in football will end it as perhaps the worst, and it seems like only Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz will be retained. That group needs an injection of young, fast, cheap, dynamic talent in the absolute worst way. And it's probably not going to come via free agency, as the front office has likely had enough of underperforming and overpaid players at that position.

Like just about every draft class, 2022 is packed with some high-level talent at wide reciever, with big names like Garrett Wilson, Treylon Burks, and Jameson Williams headlining the group, along with plenty of depth. It would not be surprising to see Cleveland add two, or perhaps even three rookie targets this year.

The offensive line will likely be added to as well, with J.C. Tretter and Jack Conklin both potentially departing and with no proven replacement on the roster. Wills dealt with nagging injuries all year which prevented him from taking a step forward at LT, while Joel Bitonio filled in admirably for two games in emergency relief. An All-World guard who is improving with age, Bitonio's value for this team is at guard because of the type of quarterback currently under center. If that quarterback were to change, perhaps the team would consider moving Bitonio to LT and Wills to RT to replace Conklin, or even just having Bitonio become an RT. Even if that doesn't happen, Bitonio's ability to provide high-level tackle play in a pinch only makes him more valuable.

Nick Harris would seem to be the replacement for Tretter, and had an impressive outing in his first career start against the Kenny Clark and the Green Bay Packers. Harris's size will always be an issue for him, but that was a very encouraging performance to say the least.

James Hudson was the team's fourth-round pick in 2021, began the season incredibly raw and borderline unplayable, and ended the year in the same state despite logging 237 snaps and two starts. If Conklin is not playing RT in 2022, it's difficult to see the team being comfortable with Hudson there.

Defensively, there will be more moving parts but with less significance. The core pieces will remain, while the complementary positions will need addressed. Jadeveon Clowney had a strong year playing Robin to Myles Garrett's Batman and is a really good fit in Joe Woods' defense. It would be great to keep him for at least one more year, but it has to make sense financially and it's entirely possible another team would offer him more than the Browns would be willing to.

Takk McKinley performed well as the third EDGE until tearing his Achilles' late in the year, robbing him of a nice contract on the open market. The Browns need to make sure they get a quality starter to play opposite Garrett along with at least one starting-caliber depth piece, and ideally one of those players doubles as the long-term starter at EDGE2. It's a good EDGE class so expect the Browns to take advantage at some point during the first two rounds.

Defensive tackle is a huge need. Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell began the year well but the group as a whole was exposed on a weekly basis. Jackson will almost certainly not be back, while McDowell makes a ton of sense to keep around. Jordan Elliott did not take a step forward as expected, and rookie Tommy Togiai spent most of the year inactive and looked like a rookie nose when he did get snaps. Togiai should be perfectly fine moving forward, but the group needs more young talent and at least one quality veteran.

Anthony Walker had a strong season as the starting MIKE and was a clear upgrade over B.J. Goodson. The question will be whether or not he is brought back, and that depends on how the team feels about Jacob Phillips, who will be entering year three, but who missed almost the entire 2021 campaign with a biceps injury. He has superior physical traits and instincts over Walker, but just hasn't seen the field enough to refine his craft. Whoever starts at MIKE next year will be playing next to Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was excellent as a rookie, making highlight-worthy plays on a weekly basis. If Malcolm Smith can be had for another minimum contract, he is worth keeping around as depth.

The secondary will look a bit different. Ronnie Harrison, in a contract year, had a very disappointing season and his future with the team is in doubt, though he is capable of very good play in a role very well suited to his strengths in this defense. Troy Hill had a solid year manning the slot and should be back for 2022, as will Denzel Ward (pending an extension), Greg Newsome, and Greedy Williams. John Johnson III and Grant Delpit grew more comfortable as the year went on and should be one of the league's best safety tandems in 2022. Richard LeCounte is the lone depth piece right now and the Browns should be expected to add a safety in free agency and in the middle rounds, with one of those additions replacing Harrison if he is not retained.

The defense ended the year showcasing more and more of its potential, though for much of the season it was inconsistent, and both injuries and COVID-19 played roles in that. It's still a young group that is designed for the modern game and has proven its ability to slow down some potent offenses, including that of the Baltimore Ravens. A third year in the Woods system along with some better talent especially in the middle of the defensive line should help continue the improvement shown in 2021.

There is no denying that this season was incredibly disappointing for the Browns. And yet, with everything that happened, and the 7-10 or 8-9 record, they are still just a healthy roster and a healthy QB away from being Super Bowl contenders once again. 2021 was a setback for sure, but the sky is far from falling, and the window is still open as long as the quarterback position is solidified, one way or another.