CLEVELAND BROWNS (11-6)
OPEN CAMP: July 23, Berea, Ohio
LAST YEAR: Injuries threatened to wreck the Browns’ season before a rescue from a couple of unexpected names: QB Joe Flacco found the Fountain of Youth from the futon and turned in a borderline miraculous four-game winning streak backed by Cleveland toothy defense and the 1-2 punch of Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt. Flacco had three 300-yard games in five regular-season starts and averaged 323.3 passing yards with more than 2.5 TD passes per game. He took over when PJ Walker and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson failed to impress in trials as Deshaun Watson’s replacement. Watson, who has one three TD game and zero 300-yard passing games with the Browns, was forced out of the lineup by a shoulder injury that required surgery. The Browns had already lost bell-cow RB Nick Chubb (knee) to a season-ending injury. With the NFL’s No. 1 passing defense — and top-ranked unit on third and fourth downs — the Browns were able to hold the line until a mulligan-worthy showing in the playoffs.
KEY ADDITIONS: LB Devin Bush, RB D’Onta Foreman, DT Michael Hall Jr., LB Jordan Hicks, RB Nyheim Hines, OL Germain Ifedi, WR Jerry Jeudy, QB Jameis Winston, K Cade York, OG Zak Zinter
KEY LOSSES: QB Joe Flacco, CB Mike Ford, WR Marquise Goodwin, C Nick Harris, RB Kareem Hunt, LB Sione Takitaki, LB Anthony Walker Jr.
CAMP CHECKLIST: Considering Watson and Chubb weren’t with the team for the second half of the 2023 season, the relative view of the roster “additions” requires an asterisk. Getting them back up to speed and healthy are obvious camp concerns head coach Kevin Stefanski said will be day-to-day.
The Browns didn’t have a first-round pick again and drafted 54th after the playoff appearance, nabbing needed D-line help in Ohio State’s Hall Jr., then rolling the dice on possible value selection in Zinter, who was a 13-game starter at guard for national champion Michigan before breaking his leg blocking Hall Jr. and the Buckeyes in November. Jeudy caught 54 passes with five touchdowns last season with the Broncos and immediately fits as the sidekick to Amari Cooper in the WR pecking order.
2024 EXPECTATIONS: Worlds of pressure rests on Watson’s shoulders with the Flacco measuring stick as a reference point for what the Browns can achieve with a downfield passing game. Watson said he’ll be full go in training camp with no pitch count, but the Browns are more concerned with where he’ll be physically in September when the regular season begins. Ford and Hunt, who wasn’t resigned in the offseason, combined for 18 total touchdowns. Hines missed last season recovery from a knee injury during a jetski accident and Chubb figures to be worked back into the mix slowly.
PRESEASON SCHEDULE:
vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 10
vs. Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 17
at Seattle Seahawks, 10 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 24
–Field Level Media
