Cleveland Browns 2023 Edition

[OldSoulon]

got to have a GOOD backup QB in the NFL... it's been proven this season. sign the 39 year old...NOW......

not sure where they are in contract with Conklin, but he has been hurt so much, if able to cut him, that would be a start....

I'd sign him, but not sure he would do it.

 

[OldSoulon]

They invested in DTR. It will be Watson and DTR.

DTR either can't throw downfield, or they won't let him throw downfield because he was a rookie.

 

[oldline70]

I'd sign him, but not sure he would do it.

This. At the right price I'd sign Flacco but only if.

 

[WJ-OSU-STEELERS]

I think as horrible as yesterday's game was, you need to put this season in perspective.

It is hard to believe that they will suffer the number of injuries to key players in 2024 that they did this season.
So I am pretty optimistic about the upcoming season.

And here's an interesting question: Looking at all of the teams who are in the playoffs right now, how many of them
would have still made the playoffs if they only had their starting QB for six games, lost both of their starting O Tackles for half
the season or so, lost probably the best RB in football in game 2, and lost both starting safeties for a good portion of the season?

And there is more than that that I haven't listed.

I bet at least half the teams still alive wouldn't be there.

One can spin it however they want but the Browns $230 million dollar qb has vastly underperformed and was outplayed by a 38 year old guy who was sitting in his couch. The Browns don’t go 11-6 with Watson at the helm all season.

 

[cjb5656]

One can spin it however they want but the Browns $230 million dollar qb has vastly underperformed and was outplayed by a 38 year old guy who was sitting in his couch. The Browns don’t go 11-6 with Watson at the helm all season.

Speculation. Totally unknowable. A healthy 2024 is what is needed to really know.

 

[OldSoulon]

One can spin it however they want but the Browns $230 million dollar qb has vastly underperformed and was outplayed by a 38 year old guy who was sitting in his couch. The Browns don’t go 11-6 with Watson at the helm all season.

If by under performing because he was hurt, I'd agree.

If he's healthy all next season, I would expect they make the playoffs again.

 

[jackson03]

One can spin it however they want but the Browns $230 million dollar qb has vastly underperformed and was outplayed by a 38 year old guy who was sitting in his couch. The Browns don’t go 11-6 with Watson at the helm all season.

I think you're being a bit too hard on Watson as he did go 4-1 (well, technically 5-1 but I'm not counting a game he barely played in) ... but a guy who cost 1% what he did also went... 4-1.

Jimmy and Dee have proven they'll never stop meddling. I do not like the position the Browns find themselves in as a middle aged team that should be at their absolute prime. I can't imagine there's a more motivated QB this weekend than Baker Mayfield.

 

[cjb5656]

He freakin hurt how can you.not know any football?

He’s repeated this pattern every year, Brian. Fast out of the gate, slow finish.

 

[WJ-OSU-STEELERS]

No went 5 1 so joe burrow a failure too?.

Do you watch the games? Do you really believe the Browns went 5-1 BECAUSE of DeShaun Watson’s play? If Watson didn’t get pulled after the 2nd series of the Colts game he’d have been 4-2 as a starter. Comparing Watson & Burrow….just stop the madness. If the Bengals figure out how to protect Burrow & he stays healthy the 3 other AFC North teams have Burrow problem for the next decade and can expect to go around 5-15 each vs the Bengals. The Bengals won & went to the Super Bowl two years ago in large part BECAUSE of Burrrow’s play and not INSPITE of his play. That’s the difference between Burrow & the Cleveland version of Watson over the last two seasons.

 

[clarkgriswold]

Flacco only came off of the couch for a chance to start. He'll have no chance to do that with the Browns next year. He's gone.

 

[bob99]

I would like to see the Browns with two healthy NFL quality tackles all season in 2024. Amazing what they did with their top 3 tackles out for the season.

 

[AEW Champion]

I know the Browns had some key injuries, but there still has to be a sense that this was a missed opportunity.

Joe Burrow was injured and missed the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence missed the playoffs. Justin Herbert missed the playoffs. Kansas City doesn’t have their usual firepower. The Bills have had key defensive injuries and have looked vulnerable at times. Pittsburgh is still wading through the QB abyss. There’s rarely going to be this open of an AFC to get through.

The Browns seemed to have found lightning in a bottle with Joe Flacco. The defense was pretty good. And then the defense gets shredded by the rookie-led Texans offense while Joe Flacco closes the coffin with two pick-sixes.

Adding to the indignity is that Deshaun Watson’s former team is the one who dealt the fatal blow to the Browns. They have rebounded quickly from the ugly end of the Watson and Bill O’Brien era, now finding themselves with a clear-cut Top 10 QB and a very bright future. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Watson remains as cloudy as ever for the Browns, who are locked into a very expensive, seemingly mediocre QB and face a deficit of high draft picks to add cheap, high-impact talent.

 

[WJ-OSU-STEELERS]

I know the Browns had some key injuries, but there still has to be a sense that this was a missed opportunity.

Joe Burrow was injured and missed the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence missed the playoffs. Justin Herbert missed the playoffs. Kansas City doesn’t have their usual firepower. The Bills have had key defensive injuries and have looked vulnerable at times. Pittsburgh is still wading through the QB abyss. There’s rarely going to be this open of an AFC to get through.

The Browns seemed to have found lightning in a bottle with Joe Flacco. The defense was pretty good. And then the defense gets shredded by the rookie-led Texans offense while Joe Flacco closes the coffin with two pick-sixes.

Adding to the indignity is that Deshaun Watson’s former team is the one who dealt the fatal blow to the Browns. They have rebounded quickly from the ugly end of the Watson and Bill O’Brien era, now finding themselves with a clear-cut Top 10 QB and a very bright future. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Watson remains as cloudy as ever for the Browns, who are locked into a very expensive, seemingly mediocre QB and face a deficit of high draft picks to add cheap, high-impact talent.

Everything is just about 100% spot on in this post.

 

[Wildcat97]

got to have a GOOD backup QB in the NFL... it's been proven this season. sign the 39 year old...NOW......

not sure where they are in contract with Conklin, but he has been hurt so much, if able to cut him, that would be a start....

They won't do it. Can't have princess be worried

 

[Stirred not Shaken]

Can't win when you can't run the football.If nick Chubb and tackles were healthy.could made the super bowl.Last team to beat the ravens.deshaun Watson.With a perfect half of qb play.with a bad shoulder.

Not with that defense, Garett with his pressure makes up for lots of sins on the browns def. esp. the secondary. Tunsil along with Stroud were the best players on the field vs the browns.

 

[cjb5656]

They won't do it. Can't have princess be worried

C’mon, it was fun while it lasted, squeaking out wins over poor to mediocre teams, but extrapolate Flacco’s stats over a season and you would get roughly 28TDs and 20 ints. That’s not sustainable. If you want to find a more qualified back up than DTR I’m good with that, but enjoy the Flacco era for what it was…lightning in a bottle…and let it go. It’s Watson’s team.

 

[oldline70]

I know the Browns had some key injuries, but there still has to be a sense that this was a missed opportunity.

Joe Burrow was injured and missed the playoffs. Trevor Lawrence missed the playoffs. Justin Herbert missed the playoffs. Kansas City doesn’t have their usual firepower. The Bills have had key defensive injuries and have looked vulnerable at times. Pittsburgh is still wading through the QB abyss. There’s rarely going to be this open of an AFC to get through.

The Browns seemed to have found lightning in a bottle with Joe Flacco. The defense was pretty good. And then the defense gets shredded by the rookie-led Texans offense while Joe Flacco closes the coffin with two pick-sixes.

Adding to the indignity is that Deshaun Watson’s former team is the one who dealt the fatal blow to the Browns. They have rebounded quickly from the ugly end of the Watson and Bill O’Brien era, now finding themselves with a clear-cut Top 10 QB and a very bright future. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of Watson remains as cloudy as ever for the Browns, who are locked into a very expensive, seemingly mediocre QB and face a deficit of high draft picks to add cheap, high-impact talent.

This is about as good an assessment as any I've read on here.

 

[cjb5656]

This is about as good an assessment as any I've read on here.

It’s all been said several times in the various Browns threads since the game ended. And it will all be repeated again until the draft, because there will be nothing new happening between now and then.

 

[oldline70]

It’s all been said several times in the various Browns threads since the game ended. And it will all be repeated again until the draft, because there will be nothing new happening between now and then.

I think what the original post conveyed so well, and what registered most with me, was the sense of missed opportunity for the Browns.

 

[cjb5656]

I think what the original post conveyed so well, and what registered most with me, was the sense of missed opportunity for the Browns.

Yes, he is right about the AFC…and NFL…being wide open, but as soon as the Ravens clinched that home field and the Browns were doomed to the road in the playoffs all the signs were there that the season was over. They were a different team on the road. They couldn’t run the ball. Flacco threw too many picks. The D played awful on the road. All that stuff was there, but nobody wanted to see it. Had they got the home field they might have won a playoff game or two, but the road was their weakness.

 

[cjb5656]

Another telltale sign that was ignored was the Browns D was first in yardage allowed, as in allowing the fewest yards, BUT they were last in the NFL in red zone D. If you reached the red zone on the Browns D you scored.

 

[eaglesfan216]

Hope Jimmy and Berry are watching Baker tonight….

 

[Raider6309]

Baker just tied the Cleveland Browns in playoff wins in Tampa

 

[y2h]

The Browns far exceeded expectations in 2023 considering the injuries they sustained throughout the year. After the Watson season ending shoulder injury, I said the ceiling for the Browns was a one & done playoff appearance. I never imagined Flacco would come in & do what he did. The Browns could have beaten the Texans but the wheels simply fell off this evening - the defense let them down in the 1st half.

For the younger Browns fans (1999 to current), by far the best season in your lifetime.
For the middle aged Browns fan, best year since the AFC championship years with Bernie Kosar or the Browns Cardiac Kids with Brian Sipe.
For you old Browns fans like OldSoulon…..it’s going on 60 years since you last saw a championship team.

The 2024 Browns season has a lot of question marks, concerns & challenges:
* a 2nd place schedule that has in addition to the AFC North the Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, Giants, and Dolphins visiting Cleveland while they will travel to play at Broncos, Raiders, Eagles, Commanders, Jaguars, and Saints.
* No 1st rd pick in the 2024 draft and no 1st rd pick coming into their 3rd season or 2nd season. The Watson trade is a cumulative effect of a loss of top end, inexpensive talent.
* No cap space, currently the Browns are $12.6 mil over the projected 2024 cap.
* What to do w/ Chubb who will be 29, coming off a ACL injury & cost $16.2 mil against the cap but has a $12.2 mil cap savings if cut prior to June 1st….great guy, tough rb but could/should/probably will be a cap casualty.
* What to do w/ Flacco? Assuming he still wants to play, do the Browns resign him to say a 1 year, $5 mil deal? Flacco will be 39….will he really be worth a contract in 2024? How would Watson react to Flacco being resigned?
* Watson will be your starting qb in 2024 w/ a cap hit of $63.9 mil….is this a good or bad thing?

It is going to be extremely tough for the Browns to duplicate their 2023 success in 2024. Congrats on a great Browns season in 2023.

I guess we'll ignore the season the Browns destroyed the Steelers in Pittsburgh
making Big Ben cry and then went toe to toe with the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

Of course you'd want us to cut the best back in the game. Enjoy Najee

 

[y2h]

Chubb should be released. An expensive RB is an unnecessary luxury in today’s NFL. No way do they bring back Flacco. It’s all on Watson. The schedule in 2024 will be daunting.

Luxury? Nonsense. With a healthy Chubb this year this team wouldve been a legitimate threat.

 

[y2h]

Just to punctuate how crappy the Browns franchise is, the Texans were brought into the NFL in 2002 to balance the league at 32 after they let the Browns back in as the 31st team in 1999.

The Browns have made the playoffs three times and won one playoff game. All wildcard appearances.

The Texans have made the playoffs seven times, won seven division titles and have won five playoff games and counting.

Just to really illustrate how bad the Browns have been for so long, since the NFL went to divisions in 1967 the Browns have nine division titles and have won seven playoff games. That’s just two more division titles and two more playoff wins than a team that’s only been around for 22 years…and they can still win more playoff games this year thanks to their pantsing of the Browns.

Hapless franchise due to terrible ownership, from Modell to the Lerners to the Haslams.

Now put the Texans in the AFC North and see how many division titles they'd have.

 

[y2h]

One can spin it however they want but the Browns $230 million dollar qb has vastly underperformed and was outplayed by a 38 year old guy who was sitting in his couch. The Browns don’t go 11-6 with Watson at the helm all season.

I'm no Watson fan boy but he was 4-1 as the starter including torching the consensus best team in the league on the road with a broken shoulder and the Browns won games with a rookie and a guy who's barely good enough for the XFL starting at QB. To say they couldn't have gone at least 11-6 with a healthy Watson is a bit of a stretch.

 

[WJ-OSU-STEELERS]

I guess we'll ignore the season the Browns destroyed the Steelers in Pittsburgh
making Big Ben cry and then went toe to toe with the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

Of course you'd want us to cut the best back in the game. Enjoy Najee

Best back in the game, guess you have never seen Christian McCaffrey play. Chubb has been the a great player for the Browns but how many rb’s are the reason their team goes to the Super Bowl in today’s game?

I hope the Browns do keep Chubb at his current contract - it would be a very poor business decision to have a 29 year old rb coming off of a major knee injury having the 5th highest rb contract with a $16.2 mil cap hit. But….its not as bad of contract as your starting QB’s contract is it?

Najee Harris will be in his 4th year of his rookie deal at a $4.2 mil cap hit. He’s serviceable and has been available in his first 3 years. The Steelers will not pick up his 5th year option. Jaylen Warren will be in year 3 of his rookie deal at a cost of just under $1 mil. 1/3 the cost and Chubb will be fortunate if he is ready to go week 1 in 2024.

 

[y2h]

Do you watch the games? Do you really believe the Browns went 5-1 BECAUSE of DeShaun Watson’s play? If Watson didn’t get pulled after the 2nd series of the Colts game he’d have been 4-2 as a starter. Comparing Watson & Burrow….just stop the madness. If the Bengals figure out how to protect Burrow & he stays healthy the 3 other AFC North teams have Burrow problem for the next decade and can expect to go around 5-15 each vs the Bengals. The Bengals won & went to the Super Bowl two years ago in large part BECAUSE of Burrrow’s play and not INSPITE of his play. That’s the difference between Burrow & the Cleveland version of Watson over the last two seasons.

The Browns own Burrow so there's that.

 

[y2h]

Best back in the game, guess you have never seen Christian McCaffrey play. Chubb has been the a great player for the Browns but how many rb’s are the reason their team goes to the Super Bowl in today’s game?

I hope the Browns do keep Chubb at his current contract - it would be a very poor business decision to have a 29 year old rb coming off of a major knee injury having the 5th highest rb contract with a $16.2 mil cap hit. But….its not as bad of contract as your starting QB’s contract is it?

Najee Harris will be in his 4th year of his rookie deal at a $4.2 mil cap hit. The Steelers will not pick up his 5th year option. Jaylen Warren will be in year 3 of his rookie deal at a cost of just under $1 mil. 1/3 the cost and Chubb will be fortunate if he is ready to go week 1 in 2024.

And a 1/3 the production as well. The Steelers lack of a consistent running game is well noted.

The Steelers are so scared of Chubb they had to cheap shot him as he was running all over the Steel Curtain.

Who says he'll come back at the current contract? Berry is working on a restructured contract as we speak you can be sure.