Some Realistic Thoughts on the Browns a Few Days Into 2018 Training Camp

By Nick Broulis

The Broulis Beat Report is back on NEO Sports Insiders and just in time for football season. Let’s talk about my realistic thoughts on the 2018 Cleveland Browns.

Coming off of the worst season in team history, 0-16, the Browns knew they had a lot of work in front of them after their season ended in 2017.

FIRST UP

Cleveland had to shake up the front office a bit. Gone is now former GM Sashi Brown. Cleveland Owner Jimmy Haslam wanted to go in a different direction. Haslam wanted a “football guy”. That’s where new GM John Dorsey comes in.

John Dorsey played for the Green Bay Packers from 1984-1989. Dorsey then became an administrator for the Packers, Seahawks and Kansas City.

Since becoming GM in Cleveland, Dorsey has shown that he is aggressive, especially when it came to adding talented veteran help such as QB Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

While Cleveland added multiple veterans, the Browns are still the youngest team with an average age of 24.

NEXT

Head coach Hue Jackson proved over the last two seasons that he wasn’t capable of wearing both the head coach and offensive coordinator hats. This led to the Browns hiring Steelers OC Todd Haley. The best thing Jackson can do now is let Haley do his thing for the most part.

Todd Haley won’t have the offensive fire power here in Cleveland that he did in Pittsburgh, but his options won’t be as limited as they would have been if Haley were here last season.

I expect the running game to be much improved. Isiah Crowell is gone and now the Cleveland backfield features Duke Johnson, Carlos Hyde, rookie Nick Chubb and Matt Dayes.

Another position that should see some improvement is the wide receiver core. I, personally, think Josh Gordon will be back, but time will tell. Trading for Landry gave this position a major boost. This is also a make or break year for Corey Coleman. He must stay healthy and make plays.

FINALLY

The Cleveland Browns are hoping that Taylor can stay healthy and productive all season. This would keep rookie QB Baker Mayfield on the sidelines and learning.

The defense received some help in the secondary by bringing in Damarious Randall, EJ Gaines and Travis Carrie. DC Gregg Williams is moving Jabrill Peppers from free safety to strong safety. This will put Peppers closer to the action. I expect Peppers to play better this year.

Despite not winning a game last year, Cleveland faces the fifth most difficult schedule in the NFL. Of course, that’s all based off of last year’s stats.

This year, the Browns need to focus on two things that actually tie into one. Win at home and win within the AFC North. Week 1 has Cleveland hosting Pittsburgh.
Hue Jackson is on the hot seat despite anything you’ve heard or read from Jimmy Haslam. If the Browns start out 0-4, Jackson will be gone.