The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Both sides of ball need improvement
As the Browns settle in for training camp, Jeff Schudel looks at some of the top issues they will be trying to resolve, including getting Baker Mayfield on track, the linebackers and more.
The Browns will need more than a rebound season from Baker Mayfield to be contenders in the AFC North this season, although fixing Mayfield is a good place to start.
Aug. 3 marked the first time Coach Kevin Stefanski can have his entire team together, excluding those on the reserve/COVID-19 list (although Stefanski is planning split-squad workouts to assure social distancing).
Here’s a look at what has to improve for the Browns to jump from their 6-10 finish last season and finish over .500 for the first time since 2007 when they were 10-6.
It starts with Mayfield
All reports on Mayfield so far have been positive.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt raved about the way the thirdyear quarterback and first choice in the 2018 draft was “all-in” during the virtual coaching sessions April through June. NFL players were banned from training facilities due to the novel coronavirus until they reported for training camp July 28.
“His work ethic is great,” Van Pelt said during an offseason Zoom conference. “He jumps into other meetings that are not required, and he will sit in the receiver meetings when they have them and will sit in running back meetings from time to time, as well. He’s all-in.”
Mayfield is changing his stance to receive the ball from center J.C. Tretter in the shotgun formation. Van Pelt wants Mayfield to put his left foot forward. Mayfield used to be in a right foot-forward stance. Van Pelt said the stance is better for the offense the Browns will run, and Mayfield isn’t fighting the transition.
Other things should help Mayfield more, starting with Stefanski being head coach. Stefanski is demanding and has plans to help Mayfield schematically. Mayfield won’t be expected to hold onto the ball as long as he did last season with then-head coach Freddie Kitchens calling plays.
“I have a different approach to this year,” Mayfield said during a Zoom conference in the offseason. “Right now, it’s kind of moving in silence, which is fine with me. That’s how I used to do it before getting on a bigger stage, so I’m happy to get back to those roots and get back to the fundamentals to where I can accomplish the goals when the season comes around.”
Touchdown passes for Mayfield last year were down from his rookie year — 27 in 2018 and 22 in 2019 despite playing two more games last season. His interceptions were up — 14 as a rookie and 21 last season. His completion percentage was down — 63.9 in 2018 and 59.4 last year.
Wills on fast track
The Browns should be improved at right tackle and left tackle, and that should make Mayfield better.
He was sacked 40 times last season. All the blame for last year’s offensive line problems isn’t at the feet of Chris Hubbard, who started 13 games at right tackle, and Greg Robinson, who started 14 games at left tackle, but the Browns replaced both players as quickly as they could this offseason.
Jack Conklin was signed the first day of free agency to play right tackle. The Browns used their firstround draft pick, No. 10 overall, on Jedrick Wills, who played right tackle at Alabama. He will play left tackle for the Browns.
Wills, in particular, would have benefited from preseason games. He blocked for left-handed Tua Tagovailoa as a right tackle, so he is accustomed to protecting a quarterback’s blind side, but he is still learning a new position with the Browns.
“We are keenly aware that we have a young player over there at left tackle,” Stafanski said July 30 on a Zoom conference. “Trust me, his development is something that we will be very much on top of. We just have to work.
“We have to make sure every one of these days count. Every one of these periods and every one of these lifting sessions, you have to make them all count. It is a shorter runway, but I think we can really get to where we need to get to just like we would in a normal training camp.”
Hubbard is still on the team and capable of playing either tackle spot — just in case.
Seeking linebackers
NFL teams emphasize rushing the passer and finding shutdown cornerbacks, but linebackers seem to be an afterthought in building defenses.
The Browns gave up an average of five yards a carry last season and decided to let leading tackler Joe Schobert leave in free agency. Schobert signed a five-year contract with Jacksonville.
The Browns also released outside linebacker Christian Kirksey, who signed with Green Bay.
Linebacker B.J. Goodson, formerly of the Packers, signed a one-year contract and will challenge for Schobert’s spot.
Defensive coordinator Joe Woods has to count on second-year player Mack Wilson, second on the Browns with 81 tackles last season, and rookie linebacker Jacob Phillips. Sione Takitaki, a thirdround pick last year, made only 16 tackles last season.
This is clearly the weakest unit on either side of the ball.
Big contract, now big plays
Myles Garrett signed a five-year, $125 million contract extension in mid-July to keep him in a Browns uniform through 2026.
Garrett has put up some gaudy numbers in the first three years of his career —30.5 sacks, 104 tackles and six forced fumbles in 37 games. There is no disputing that.
The next step for Garret is to make game-changing plays in the fourth quarter. Sacks in the second quarter on third-and-12 look nice on the stat sheet, but fans might recall the game in Denver in 2018 when Jabrill Peppers sacked Case Keenum on fourth down with 39 seconds remaining to secure a 17-16 Browns’ victory. It was Pepper’s only sack of the season, but a very memorable one. Now it is time for Garrett to come through at crunch time.
Likewise, the Browns need more from Olivier Vernon — their other starting defensive end.
Former general manager John Dorsey traded starting right guard Kevin Zeitler to the Giants for Vernon in March of 2019. Dorsey knew he was giving up an excellent guard, but the trade still looked good for the Browns on paper.
Garrett and Vernon would be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks, but that dominance never materialized. So while it is easy to focus on Mayfield, the Browns need more from their star defensive ends.
Vernon agreed to take a pay cut from a scheduled $15.5 million to $11 million with a chance to earn $2 million more in incentives. He had career lows last year in games played (10), tackles (26) and sacks (3.5).
Vernon is 29 years old. He should be hungry with unrestricted free agency beckoning in the offseason. He hasn’t played a full season since 2016.
The Odell Beckham Show
Odell Beckham Jr. caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards but scored only four touchdowns last season, while Jarvis Landry caught 83 passes for 1,174 yards and six touchdowns.
Both played injured and did not reach their own high standards.
Landry began training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list, which simply means he hasn’t recovered from his offseason hip surgery enough to be cleared for practice. If Landry is still unable to practice once the season starts, he would be placed on the reserve/PUP list and have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the regular season.
The Browns reported Landry is on schedule to be ready for the start of the season. The seventhyear veteran has never missed a game in his NFL career.
Beckham is coming off abdominal surgery will likely be eased into practice when players start wearing pads during training camp on Aug. 17. Beckham and Landry, as with Wills and Conklin, will make Mayfield better if they play to their standards.
The Browns were obsessed with getting the ball to Beckham last year. Mayfield too often either tried too hard to pacify OBJ and missed open receivers, or misfired when he was open.
Dorsey liked to make splash moves when he was general manager. Acquiring Beckham from the Giants definitely made a splash, but not all for the good.
Kitchens was not up to the challenge of handling Beckham. Time will tell if Stefanski is up that challenge.
Get greedy, Greedy
Greedy Williams broke up only two passes as a rookie last season and had no interceptions. On the other hand, he was targeted 62 times but did not give up a touchdown in the 12 games he played at right cornerback.
Williams missed four games with a hamstring injury. Getting his hands on the football more often and improving his tackling is next for Williams to make the secondary better.
Reach Schudel at JSchudel@News-Herald. com. On Twitter: @jsproinsider