The Cleveland Browns seem to have all the pieces in place to at least remain on the fringes of contention for an AFC playoff berth this season. Most of their top-ranked defense, led by award-winners Myles Garrett and Carson Schwesinger, returns, and their offense has an influx of talent that could result in as many as nine new starters.
However, one of those potential starters could provide the key to the entire season. Whoever emerges from the competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders will ultimately determine what the Browns can reasonably accomplish this year.
With that in mind, analyst Adam Gerstenhaber made a case for a big Browns’ season, calling the rest of the team “definitely at least average.”
“I could see the argument more this year than last year for a potential eight-to-nine-win season. It totally depends on who you think the quarterback is going to be and how good you think that guy is going to be. The rest of the team, minus the quarterback, is definitely at least average. The defense is enough to raise the rest of the offense to average or close to it. The question is the quarterback play. That’s it,” Gerstenhaber said.
Sanders started the final seven games for the Browns last season, when they ranked near the bottom of the league in most of the important statistical categories. So, new head coach Todd Monken is looking for improvement at quarterback, be it from Watson’s reemergence or Sanders’ potential development.
Cleveland had to rebuild its entire offensive line this season, and in the process may have improved it significantly. The Browns now have so many competent linemen that they can experiment with their alignments in an effort to get the best five players on the field at the same time.
They also addressed their issues at wide receivers, a group that ranked last in the league in catches, yards and touchdowns last season. Rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston could take over the depth chart right away, and with Harold Fannin Jr. poised for a key role, they should be able to help the quarterback succeed, whoever it might be.
The Browns also have one of the easiest schedules in the league, although it comes with some unique stretches of home games and road games that could prove difficult to navigate. That includes playing six of their first nine games on the road.
Cleveland will need everything to come together at the right time, but the opportunity to challenge for a playoff berth looks to be legitimate.
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