4 Burning Browns Questions, Including What To Do With Nick Chubb's contract?

With Super Bowl LVIII in the books, the Browns have a number of questions to address and attend to as the entire NFL shifts into offseason mode. Here are this week's burning questions facing the franchise.

The 2023 season reached it's finale on Sunday with the Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII and now fans brace for six months without football. For the Browns, some major decisions loom large as they build a roster for next season. Each week we'll answer the burning questions that face the franchise as they build for 2024. Let's tackle four right now!

Does Cleveland even have a shot at winning a Super Bowl as long as Patrick Mahomes is playing?

In the aftermath of Patrick Mahomes winning a third ring in five seasons I get the sense there isn't quite as much universal "hope" from Browns fans and other fan bases about next year being "their teams year." Mahomes mere existence in the NFL is becoming a frustrating reality for the rest of the league as he continues to reduce AFC and NFC opponents to footnotes in NFL history. 

It's pretty remarkable to watch really. I mean this was meant to be a reloading year for Kansas City and it showed on the offensive side of the ball specifically. And yet, there Mahomes was on Sunday hoisting another Lombardi trophy. I can understand why Browns fans may wonder what the point even is with Mahomes, Andy Reid, Travis Kelce and company to go through in this conference. But they play the games for a reason. Ultimately, Cleveland's ability to topple the Chiefs rests largely on the ability of Deshaun Watson to get back to being a Top 10 QB. If he can, this window doesn't have to go to waste for the Browns. If he can't well, then yeah. Cleveland will likely be left kissing Mahomes rings for years to come.

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What will the Browns do about Nick Chubb's pricey contract as he returns from injury?

First and foremost, based on VP of Football Operations and general manager Andrew Berry's comments at the team's end of the season presser, I don't think Nick Chubb is going anywhere. Yes, the team can save a lot of money by releasing Chubb, but as Berry noted nobody wants to see that gruesome knee injury be Chubb's last play with the franchise.

That said, Chubb is on the books for $15.8 million next season and it's hard to know if he'll be the same player coming off that knee injury. For that same reason, Cleveland can't really explore an extension with him until they're sure he can still perform at a high level. I'd assume some sort of restructure gets worked out, potentially with some incentives worked in if the 28-year-old can hit some checkpoints throughout the season. That restructure may also pave the way for another extension if he performs at a high level. Bottom line expect Chubb back in Brown and Orange next season.

What should fans expect Andy Dickerson to bring to the offensive staff?

On Friday, Kevin Stefanski joined Ken Carman and I on 92.3 The Fan and talked about Dickerson's hiring. While he didn't elaborate fully on everything that he brings to the table, he is very familiar with the west coast offense from his previous stops in Seattle, Los Angeles and elsewhere. Stefanski also made it clear that they're not expecting him to fill the shoes of Bill Callahan who is one of the best O-line coaches of all time.

Don't expect some massive change in philosophy with this move or anything. Like many of the other offensive staff additions, it's about bringing in new perspective.

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What players could be in line for a restructure in the coming weeks?

This will be one of the first strategies Berry will execute this offseason as he works to get Cleveland under the cap. I mentioned in last week's burning questions that Watson is an obvious restructure candidate, even though Berry seemed to suggest they don't necessarily need to move money around with their QB. Seems inevitable.

Up top I mentioned Chubb as another one. So is Amari Cooper, who is on the books for $23 million next season. Cleveland could consider an extension and push some money into the new years of a contract. The team restructured Myles Garrett last summer and will likely consider doing so again this year. Also, Dustin Hopkins is on the hook for $3 million in 2024 but none of it is guaranteed. Normally that could make him a cap casualty, it's more likely he gets an extension though and the money gets moved around. $3 mil may not seem like a lot but every bit counts.