Locked On Browns - Daily Podcast On The Cleveland Browns

The Browns had just put up the best half of offense they would during Deshaun Watson's six games as the starting quarterback. Amari Cooper, who had been talking about seeing "fireworks" from the offense all season, was asked if the show had finally started. Cooper, in his understated yet matter-of-fact way, wasn't ready to brag about pyrotechnics. "Nah, I don't think so," Cooper said after the Browns scored three second-half touchdowns in a Week 17 win at Washington. "Trust me. Especially not with me, like trust me. Nah, not yet. We're going to get there, though." Those fireworks never transpired for the Browns, at least with Watson. The burning question as the offseason passes the one-week mark remains, however: Will they show up in September when the Browns return to the field? It's the $230-million question that hangs daily over the Browns, now that they've taken care of the most immediate concern of hiring Jim Schwartz as their next defensive coordinator. It's the reason why they mortgaged their near future in draft capital and sacrificed public relations some 10 months ago to swing a trade with the Houston Texans to bring Watson to Cleveland. The return on that investment was never going to be fully judged based upon the small sample size produced in Watson's first season with the Browns. Once his suspension by the NFL due to the more than two dozen allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct during massage appointments was raised from six games to 11 through a settlement, that became almost a foregone conclusion.

However, there's no question the Watson the Browns saw in the final six games of the season did not produce the "fireworks" of which Cooper spoke. He completed just 58.2% of his 170 pass attempts for 1,102 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.“Of course, I didn't meet the expectations," Watson said a day after the season ended. "Of course, we wanted to try to find our way into the playoffs and have extended games and opportunity to clinch the division, all these different things. But as far as just being able to play football again, get out there and knock some rust off, have some ups, have some downs, have some in-betweens and kind of really get the feel of how we want to operate as an offense and what we want to look forward to as a Cleveland Brown, I definitely did that." It was beyond just Watson, though, where the offense seemed to stagnate in those final six games. The Browns went from averaging 23.9 points, 376.9 total yards and 222.5 passing yards a game through the first 11 games, to 16.3 points, 298 total yards and 166 passing yards a game over the final six games. Again, not "fireworks." In fact, they were barely sparklers. No one understands that better than the one whose job may be most on the line next season if those numbers don't significantly improve. Now that coach Kevin Stefanski is able to turn his attention away from remaking the defensive staff, that attention will fully go toward answering the riddle of what is the right scheme for the Browns with Watson at the controls. “I think that is part of this offseason ... making sure that we are putting all of those things together," Stefanski said at an end-of-the-year news conference. "Obviously, having the true offseason with Deshaun and starting the season with him is I think will be obviously a big deal as it relates to that. We want to make sure that we are scoring points in any which way we can. We want to give our guys a chance to play fast.

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This weekend, Super Bowl LVII hits the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs in a battle for football glory. With the big game just days away, Kainani Stevens brings our Locked On NFL hosts together to get their picks for the matchup. The local experts from around the Locked On Podcast Network have takes after their teams either played both the Eagles and Chiefs, one of them, or just watched from afar as the two most dominant teams of this season rolled through the year. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

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It's official – Joe Thomas has been voted into the NFL Hall of Fame! It's an honor Cleveland always knew was coming for Thomas, who assembled one of the most decorated resumes of any left tackle in NFL history in an 11-year career with the Browns. He was voted to 10 Pro Bowls and is the only offensive lineman in league history to be named to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls to start a career. He also earned eight All-Pro honors, six of them as a first-team selection, and totaled them all even though the Browns shuffled through 20 different starting quarterbacks and struggled to build a roster capable of finding consistent success during his career.But Thomas never quit on the Browns, as evidenced by his most improbable career achievement. But Thomas never quit on the Browns, as evidenced by his most improbable career achievement. For 10,363 consecutive snaps — spanning from his first NFL snap in 2007 to his last after suffering an injury during the 2017 season — Thomas never left the field. His snap streak is believed to be the longest by any player in NFL history, and Thomas kept it alive during his entire career by playing through injuries and enduring the constant heartbreak of losing seasons.

The Browns were also part of his identity. He couldn't imagine ever leaving the team that drafted him with the third overall pick in 2007 as Thomas and his father were fishing on a boat in Lake Michigan. He had no desire to leave a fanbase that never took his talents for granted at a position where it's often easy to do so.

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The Cleveland Browns have a wealth of depth at the cornerback position, and as a result, they played Greg Newsome II in the slot to get Martin Emerson Jr. on the field in nickel and dime sets. It appears, however, that Newsome is not a fan of playing inside and would like to move back outside in 2023 under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Responding to a highlight video of his performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Newsome II left just a one-word quip of “outside.” The problem? The Browns have three talented cornerbacks, and one would get phased out if they were to bring on a full-time nickel. This means either Newsome II or Emerson could be flipped for a pick or another position of need, or the Browns could let them battle it out for reps. It will be an interesting offseason.

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Ethan Pocic played well for the Browns in a pinch and then fought back from injury in an attempt to finish the season.

Now he's hoping to stay in Cleveland despite his one-year contract being scheduled to expire in March.

“That would be a dream come true, man. That would be awesome,” Pocic told the Beacon Journal on Thursday. “So we'll see what happens. That would be a dream come true, though.”

When the Browns signed Pocic in March, they secured a contingency plan they wound up needing. Nick Harris served as the first-string center in the offseason, yet Pocic became the man in the middle after Harris suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Aug. 12 preseason opener.

ProFootballFocus.com has Pocic ranked third among the 39 qualifying centers it has graded this season, and the Browns think highly of him, too. A fifth-round draft pick in 2020 with just two regular-season starts, Harris remains unproven at the NFL level.

“What a great job [Pocic] has done really stepping in when Nick got hurt right away and never really missed a beat with him,” Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “A great job of the guys upstairs [in the front office] getting him into the building.”

Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett celebrates with center Ethan Pocic (55) after a second-half TD by Amari Cooper against the Bengals, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Cleveland.

A former Seattle Seahawks starter, Pocic is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at 4 p.m., March 15.

“I would think we would [want to re-sign him],” Van Pelt said. “I don’t make those decisions, but I don’t think there is anything in his play this year that we would say we wouldn’t want to see him again next year.” Pocic, 27, explained earlier this season once he realized free agency would not yield a lucrative contract for him this past spring, he wanted to sign with the Browns because of their coaching staff and roster. His one-year deal is worth a veteran minimum base salary of $1.035 million, according to an NFL Players Association database, plus a $152,500 signing bonus, per spotrac.com. He believes highly respected offensive line coach Bill Callahan has helped him improve as a technician in the trenches.

“I just feel like this is where God called me to be,” Pocic said. “This is what God wanted. Just coming in here, working with Bill and [assistant O-line coach] Scott [Peters] and then everything around them, whether it be the O-linemen, the weight room, the training room, everyone's on point, so you've got a lot of good help around you.

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When you look at the offensive line, it’s far easier to find a good interior guy than it is an exterior player. At least if you’re the Cleveland Browns. Playing between Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller makes everyone’s job easier. Jack Conklin, when healthy, is one of the best tackles in the league. He usually got a little help though as well with the occasional blocking from Harrison Bryant and Pharaoh Brown. Yet, the left tackle spot is usually on its own, meaning you don’t get as much help. So you have to be the most competent player on the line of scrimmage, as you won’t likely get much help. You’re not supposed to, you’re supposed to be the best guy on the field. So when we look at Jedrick Wills, it’s very easy to see that he’s just not that guy. The Browns need to upgrade the left tackle spot on the team because Wills has proven he’s not able to handle the better pass rushers in the league, and he’s too slow of foot to be a dominant run-blocker from that spot on the field. But the Browns can’t afford to replace Wills. The team just doesn’t have the cap space needed. Especially with the need to fill in a few key backup roles on the team and a looming decision on what to do with Ethan Pocic. It seems like the Browns can easily move on from Pocic with this system being very beneficial to centers, especially with the two All-Pros surrounding the spot. Moving on from Pocic will help them in their quest to cut salary, so that seems likely. But, is there a way the Browns can continue to save money on the offensive line without having to trade or cut Wills, and get a new player at his position? There’s a simple solution to the issue at hand, move Wills to right tackle and Conklin to left. When healthy, Conklin is a great pass blocker. While Wills isn’t bad, he’s not as good as Conklin, well at least not when Conklin is healthy. Conklin has really proven himself as an elite-level offensive lineman with the Browns and may be able to fill the need at left tackle that Wills isn’t filling. If Conklin is healthy, he’s powerful enough to open up gaps on his own and quick enough to seal the edge from pass rushers. Wills has the size and can stand a guy upright. Maybe he’s just not quick enough on his own. If the Browns can pair him with a tight end who has some power, the team may be able to get the most out of Wills for the first time in his career. Especially as a run-blocker.

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In this video, we'll update you on the latest news and rumors surrounding the Cleveland Browns' star defensive player, Myles Garrett. Although Garrett is months away from playing in a regular season game for the Browns, there's still a chance the injury slow his offseason workouts due to injury. Don't panic, but be prepared for any possible developments involving Garrett during the season. Subscribe to the locked on browns podcast to stay updated on the latest news and rumors surrounding the Cleveland Browns!

We also talk about the Cleveland Browns Free Agency targets in 2023. According to Locked On Bengals James Rapien the Browns could be in the mix to land Cincinnati Bengals Jessi Bates. Finally we discuss rumours out of Baltimore that Franchise QB Lamar Jackson and the Ravens organization are miles apart in their negotiation. What does this mean for the balance of the AFC North if Jackson and the Ravens split. Its all next on this episode of the Locked On Browns Podcast!

Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett is believed to have suffered a dislocated toe during Sunday's Pro Bowl Games, according to NFL Media. Garrett's X-rays came back negative after he left the field in obvious discomfort.

Garrett had participated in the gridiron gauntlet skills challenge prior to sustaining the injury. A four-time Pro Bowler, Garrett is coming off a 2022 season that saw him record 16 sacks for a second straight year. The former No. 1 overall pick has recorded 74.5 sacks in 81 career regular-season games. The NFL altered the Pro Bowl this year after while getting rid of the traditional game format. In lieu of a traditional football game, the Pro Bowl Games is comprised of eight skills challenges and three flag football games between the two conferences.

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The Cleveland Browns are targeting Byron Young and Keeanu Benton as possible draft picks in this year's NFL Draft. In this news update, we discuss the Browns' plans for the two players and update you on all the latest news from the Cleveland Browns.

Don't miss our latest episode of the Locked on Browns podcast, where we discuss the Cleveland Browns' plans for Byron Young and Keeanu Benton and update you on all the latest news from the team! Subscribe now to stay up-to-date on all the latest Cleveland Browns news.

The Cleveland Browns need major upgrades upfront to the defensive line. Most of the Browns rumors have revolved around targeting top Defensive Lineman during the NFL 2023 Free Agency period. The Browns also will target young talent in the trenches in the NFL 2023 Draft. Below are a list of Defensive Lineman The Cleveland Browns Are Targeting At The Senior Bowl.

Top 2023 Senior Bowl Interior Defensive Linemen NFL Draft Prospects

1) Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

Keeanu Benton is already one of the highest-rated defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, but even he has plenty to prove in Mobile. He’s a dense 6’4″, 315-pound lineman with nose tackle capabilities who was dominant down the stretch for the Wisconsin Badgers in 2022. Benton’s run defense is phenomenal. He’s a stack-and-shed master with outrageous strength. What evaluators will watch in Mobile, however, is his pass-rushing ability in one-on-ones. Benton has violent hands and the necessary burst, but consistency will be key.

2) Byron Young, Alabama

Alabama will be well-represented in the trenches at the Senior Bowl this year. On the offensive side, tackle Tyler Steen and interior lineman Emil Ekiyor Jr. will be present. And on the defensive line, veterans Byron Young and DJ Dale will hold down the fort. Dale is an intriguing prospect in his own right, but Young has a higher ranking on the 2023 NFL Draft board. Already, Young is a high-level run defender. His stay at the Senior Bowl will allow him to showcase his pass-rushing upside, something he gave bright flashes of in college with his athleticism and torque.

3) Keion White, Georgia Tech

One of the biggest riser candidates heading into the 2023 Senior Bowl is Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White. He’s still a sleeper in the context of his counterparts. But he has perhaps the most to gain from getting his talents in front of NFL evaluators in Mobile. White is a 6’4″, 286-pound wrecking ball with explosiveness, lateral agility, and awesome power across alignments on the defensive front. He can play at 3-tech or move outside the tackle, and his athleticism and motor make him a menace in pursuit, as evidenced by his two seasons with 14 or more TFLs.

4) Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

The 2023 NFL Draft class is flush with hybrid defensive linemen who can play from both interior and EDGE alignments. Adetomiwa Adebawore falls within that category. But of that group, he has one of the most compelling combinations of explosiveness, proportional length, and functional strength. Adebawore put up five sacks and nine tackles for loss this past season. But each week, it felt like the box score didn’t do his impact justice. He’s a constant disruptor on the line, whose high-end traits allow him to consistently generate pressure downhill. One-on-ones will be big for him.

5) Karl Brooks, Bowling Green

Just as the Senior Bowl is a place where big names converge and clash, it’s also a place where lesser-known small-school prospects can prove themselves against top-tier competition. That’s the opportunity that Bowling Green’s Karl Brooks will have. Brooks is quietly one of the most intriguing defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s a 6’4″, 300-pound defender who can rush from 3-tech or on the edge. And he was insanely productive with the Falcons, tallying 27.5 sacks and 46 tackles for loss across five seasons.

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The Browns drafted Schwartz in 2021 to add a speed element lacking at the position. With Schwartz unable to carve out a significant role thus far, the Browns could look to add a player who can stretch the field vertically. It is an area that could be improved on and make this group more dynamic. Mecole Hardman is a player who could fill that role. Hardman has 500 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons and was on pace to do it again this year, but an ankle injury landed him on short-term IR. Hardman exhibits blazing speed and ranked second in yards after the catch per reception in each of his last two seasons and currently ranks eighth in 2022. Paris Campbell, Noah Browns, and DeAndre Carter are some guys that will be on the cheaper end and could provide depth and potential upside at the same time.

The 2023 Free Agent wide receiver class isn’t anything to write home about, and the market exploded last off-season. With large portions of the Browns' cap space already spoken for, it is hard to imagine them swinging big in the Free Agency market. We saw different approaches last off-season with teams like the Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Green Bay Packers electing not to pay their stud wide receivers and attempting to duplicate that production with less expensive players. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Rams signed wide receiver contracts between $25 and $30 million, resetting the market.

Jakobi Meyers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Allen Lazard are the headliners of the free-agent wide receivers available in the off-season and will likely get overpaid. Darius Slayton is an intriguing name depending on the price. He took a $1.57 million pay cut to stick in New York, and after multiple injuries, Slayton is essentially the No. 1 receiver on a Giants team that is better than most expected. The 26-year-old has a career-high 74.8 PFF grade and is on pace to record a career-high in receiving yards.

NFL DRAFT WIDE RECEIVER PROSPECTS

The Browns could look to add another wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. They have no first-round pick and eight picks in total. If the front office thinks David Bell can step forward as their third wide receiver, this is likely the route they will look to go. The amount of urgency Berry and his staff have for adding to this room will be driven by their evaluation of what they have in Bell, Woods, and Schwartz. The NFL Draft has been deep with wide receiver talent over the last few years, and having young wide receivers on rookie deals is extremely helpful when building a roster.

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In this video, Watson and Stefanski both confirm they will run a "totally different" offense in 2023. This news comes as a relief to Browns fans, who had been worried about the direction of the team under Watson and Stefanski. The Browns struggled with transitioning from a power running team with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to a vertical Passing attack with Deshaun Watson. The Browns offense struggled under Watson and Stefanski the last 6 games of the season. Fans were worried that the offense they used in 2022 would be continued in 2023 and beyond. However, it seems as though Watson and Stefanski have decided to switch things up and use a more wide open offense passing offense. This news is sure to make Browns fans happy and relieve some of the pressure they've been under. Thanks for watching!

The Cleveland Browns were hoping to get a major boost to their offensive attack when quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to the field. In the first 11 games with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, the Browns averaged about 25 points per game. When Watson took over, the offense averaged about 13 points per game. The most points the offense scored was against the Commanders in his fifth game when the Browns scored 24 points and Watson threw second half touchdowns and had a rating of 122.5. Kevin Stefanski was asked by The OBR in the season-ending press conference what gives him hope the offense can be more explosive, in both the running and passing game.

“I think that is part of this offseason is making sure that we are putting all of those things together," Stefanski said. "Obviously, having the true offseason with Deshaun and starting the season with him is I think will be obviously, a big deal as it relates to that. We want to make sure that we are scoring points in any which way we can. We want to give our guys a chance to play fast. "I thought there were really moments with Deshaun in there that were some high-level football," he said. "I thought guys were playing really well. It was the run game, and it was the passing game. Those really exciting parts of this offseason, just tapping into those things even more and drilling down specifically into what Deshaun does really well and put together and offense around it.”

Watson said it was important to him to get to work on the 2023 season and he wants to give his input as to what he thinks can help the offense.

"Met with (Stefanski) today," he said. "We are going to have a man to man conversation. Nothing negative or anything like that, but just what can we do to be better offensively and as a team." Watson said after he meets with the coaches the next couple of days, he will then take a break, but then get back to work.

"Being able to relax a little bit and decompress," he said. "Once all of that pretty much settles down, then get back to work, watching the tape, watching the film and mastering this offense. Like I said before, mentioned meeting with Kevin and AVP (Alex Van Pelt) and (quarterbacks coach) Drew (Petzing) and being able to figure out what we need to do better and then mastering those before we come back for OTAs.” Stefanski was asked if he expected the offense to be drastically different in 2023 than it was in the six games to finish the season.

“I hope year to year you are different – different being better," he said. "How drastic that is depends so much year to year. Ultimately, we do want to maximize Deshaun’s talents, maximize Nick Chubb, David Njoku and Amari (Cooper). We want to make sure that we are putting all of those guys in a good spot. Yes, there are things that yes we want to get to this spring and summer that we haven’t gotten into just yet.”

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