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Extension Candidate: Browns LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

June 24th, 2024 at 8:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Thanks in part to injuries, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah didn’t necessarily live up to his second-round billing through his first two seasons in the NFL. However, the linebacker stepped up in a big way during the 2023 campaign, and that performance could earn him an extension with the Browns in the coming months.

As Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com notes, “JOK” has emerged as an extension candidate for the organization. The reporter believes the Browns front office would prefer to lock up Owusu-Koramoah as soon as possible, either before the regular season or part way through the campaign. That way, the organization can assure the impending free agent is clear of any distractions in the follow-up to his breakout season.

After being selected with the 52nd pick in the 2021 draft, Owusu-Koramoah proceeded to earn All-Rookie team honors after finishing with 76 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles. He missed a chunk of that season with an ankle injury, but Pro Football Focus still graded him as a top-10 player at his position. The linebacker took a slight step back during his sophomore campaign. He missed six more games thanks to a foot injury, and he finished the year ranked only 38th at his position.

Fortunately for the player and the organization, Owusu-Koramoah took a significant leap this past season. The 24-year-old finished the campaign with 101 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two interceptions, earning him his first career Pro Bowl nod. Pro Football Focus ranked him 18th among 82 qualifying linebackers, including the second-best pass-rushing score at his position.

There’s a chance Owusu-Koramoah could solidify himself as a definitive top-10 linebacker with a strong performance in 2024. That would come at the perfect time for the fourth-year player, as he’s set to hit free agency following the season. JOK doesn’t have the track record to match the $18MM average annual value mark that’s been surpassed by Roquan Smith, Fred Warner, and Tremaine Edmunds, but he could still be in line for a lucrative pay day.

Patrick Queen leaped into the top-five AAV at the position this offseason following a strong year in Baltimore. The former first-round pick got a three-year, $41MM deal from the Steelers, good for a $13.6MM AAV. The LB franchise tag for 2025 is projected to be north of $25MM, so Owusu-Koramoah does have some leverage if the Browns truly intend to keep him long-term. The linebacker is set to earn around $2MM on the final year of his rookie contract in 2024.

The Browns also haven’t done a whole lot to add depth at the weakside linebacker spot, with former UDFAs Mohamoud Diabate and Charlie Thomas serving as JOK’s primary backups. Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki both departed this offseason, meaning the Browns will be even more reliant on Owusu-Koramoah’s experience in the linebackers room next year.

For what it’s worth, Owusu-Koramoah said he’s not overly focused on his contract status, noting that “there’s a time and place for everything” (per Zac Jackson of The Athletic). More notably, the linebacker declared that he’s “all about ball,” which is surely the type of mentality the front office is seeking from the hopeful defensive stalwart.

Browns GM Andrew Berry: Deshaun Watson “Ahead Of Schedule” In Recovery

June 20th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

As the Browns aim to have a healthy Deshaun Watson available for the entire 2024 campaign, a key aspect of the team’s offseason will be his rehab from a fractured shoulder socket. Developments on that front have been encouraging so far.

Watson threw every other day during OTAs, with the Browns understandably taking a cautious approach early in the spring. His workload increased over time, though, and he impressed during minicamp. As a result, the 28-year-old is on track to practice without restrictions in training camp.

“First and foremost, Deshaun has really worked his tail off during the rehabilitation process over the last several months,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said during an appearance on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “He’s really actually ahead of schedule… He’s thrown the ball well. Did a really nice job during our 7-on-7 and team periods during this veteran minicamp.

“He’s making excellent progress. Honestly if you didn’t know he got hurt last year, you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. We’re very excited once camp starts.”

The lingering shoulder issue affected Watson’s second Cleveland campaign, one in which he was slated to take part in the full season after the suspension which sidelined him for 11 contests in 2022. The Browns ultimately won 11 games while using five different starting quarterbacks last year, but having the former Texan in place for a full slate would be critical for team and player. Watson is entering the third year of his $230MM fully guaranteed pact signed upon arrival in Cleveland.

To date, the team has not received the expected results from the decision to trade for and sign Watson. The three-time Pro Bowler is set to carry cap hits above $63MM in each of the next three seasons (unless another restructure is worked out in the coming weeks), which will add to his importance on offense moving forward. Especially with running back Nick Chubb likely to miss time at the start of the season, increased emphasis will be placed on Cleveland’s passing game. If Watson is back to 100% by the fall, he will be positioned to make another run at a healthy season and serve as the focal point of the team’s attack.

Browns DE Lonnie Phelps Arrested For DUI

June 20th, 2024 at 3:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

3:08pm: The Browns have cut ties with the recently arrested defender. The team announced Thursday afternoon it waived Phelps.

1:19pm: Lonnie Phelps was arrested Wednesday night after he crashed his SUV into a Key West restaurant, as detailed by 7News Miami. The second-year Browns defensive end now faces charges for DUI and damaging property.

Phelps’ vehicle crashed into the Red Shoe Island Bistro just before 9:00pm on June 19 with the passenger side “embedded in the wall,” per the police report. The Hyundai SUV also sustained damage in the front, and airbags on both sides deployed. Phelps and his girlfriend were present at the time of the crash.

The parties were seen arguing upon exiting the vehicle, and the report indicates Phelps showed signs of intoxication. He refused a breathalyzer test and was uncooperative with officers before ultimately being booked into the Monroe County Detention Center. Damages from the crash have been estimated at $300K.

Phelps joined the Browns last spring as an undrafted free agent. He spent his first three college seasons at Miami (Ohio), collecting 16 sacks in 38 games. Transferring to Kansas in 2022 paved the way for him to have a strong final campaign at the college level with seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Phelps did not see any game time as a rookie, but he remained in Cleveland by signing a futures contract in January.

The Browns’ edge group contains the likes of Myles Garrett, Za’Darius Smith, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Alex Wright. That quartet consists of returning players, and they will be expected to shoulder the load once again during the 2024 campaign. Phelps will again look to carve out a roster spot during training camp this summer if Cleveland elects to keep him in the fold. If the team were to let him go, he would be subject to waivers.

Browns, Amari Cooper Aiming For Resolution Before Training Camp

June 18th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk situations stand out among this offseason’s remaining receiver matters, but a host of others linger during this post-minicamp period. Following the Jerry Jeudy extension, the Browns have an issue to navigate with their top pass catcher.

Amari Cooper skipped minicamp, drawing the low-six-figure fine for the unexcused absence, but Kevin Stefanski confirmed the team has engaged in talks with the perennial 1,000-yard receiver. Cooper’s Cowboys-constructed contract includes one more nonguaranteed season, and the WR market booms of 2022 and 2024 have dropped the former top-five pick down the earnings list at his position. Considering Cooper’s importance to a Browns team essentially forced to make its Deshaun Watson-centered setup work, it is logical the club is exploring an agreement with the twice-traded target.

The Browns are hoping to have a resolution in place by the time they report to training camp, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes. Cooper, 30, is on board with this route. The Browns restructured Cooper’s contract upon acquiring it from the Cowboys in 2022, but he has gone through the past two offseasons without any guarantees on the deal. Cooper tied himself to a long-term contact at what turned out to be a bad time.

This is relative, of course, as productive NFL players are obviously paid quite well. Cooper also secured $40MM guaranteed up front from the Cowboys, but the NFC East club’s preference for five- or six-year extensions effectively kept the veteran target out of the mix for a new deal while the WR market took off. Cooper’s $20MM AAV ranked second at the position — behind only Julio Jones‘ third Falcons contract — when he signed his contract in March 2020; it has since dropped to a tie for 20th, as Justin Jefferson has taken the position’s per-year ceiling to $35MM. Receivers have since opted for shorter-term extensions to have extra chances at paydays.

Although Cooper approached the WR ceiling with his 2020 free agency agreement, he is not a candidate to land a Jefferson-level deal. This will be the former Alabama weapon’s 10th season, and last year marked his first 1,200-yard campaign. Though, Cooper now has seven 1,000-yard seasons. Still, the 6-foot-1 wideout played a central role in a Cleveland team down Watson, Nick Chubb and its top three tackles venturing to the playoffs. It makes sense, then, for the Browns to be interested in another agreement.

“Sometimes all teams will have periods where they go through this type of situation, but it does not change our affinity for Amari,” GM Andrew Berry said during an NFL Network appearance. “We’ll navigate the business considerations, the business aspects, as it goes, but he is a big part of our team, and just as important, he’s a big part of our culture.”

With Cooper going into the final year of his deal, an extension would be the most likely way to resolve this matter. A rumor about a potential Browns-Cooper extension surfaced in April. The team having given Jeudy $41MM fully guaranteed (sixth among WRs) despite the younger Alabama alum being 0-for-4 in 1,000-yard seasons stands to strengthen Cooper’s case to have a new contract by camp.

An extension would stand to reduce Cooper’s cap hit from its $23.8MM place while helping on the void years front as well; the team’s restructure would create $7.6MM in dead money were the accomplished receiver to leave as a free agent in 2025. It does not sound like the Browns are interesting in that happening.

The high-end route runner has produced for three teams and is coming off a year in which he played a starring role in Joe Flacco‘s stunning Comeback Player of the Year season. In addition to Lamb and Aiyuk, Cooper joins Tyreek Hill, Courtland Sutton and, technically, Tee Higgins — though, it does not sound like any 2024 resolution will come out of Cincinnati — as other wideouts angling for better terms. Separating this situation from the other Ohio WR matter, it appears likely the team’s top target will be in a more favorable situation by the time he dons a game uniform again.

Browns, Amari Cooper Discussing Contract; WR Not Present At Minicamp

June 11th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

When Amari Cooper signed his five-year, $100MM contract in March 2020, he stood as the NFL’s second-highest-paid wide receiver. Multiple market booms have changed his status, and the Browns veteran has tumbled well down the list at his position.

Cooper has joined the list of disgruntled wideouts opting to avoid mandatory minicamp. Kevin Stefanski said Tuesday (via NFL.com’s Nick Shook) the Pro Bowl receiver is away from the team with an unexcused absence. This follows CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk‘s decisions to steer clear of their teams’ minicamps. Cooper will face a $102K fine by avoiding the Browns’ mandatory June workouts.

It is unsurprising to see Cooper staying away. Set to turn 30 next week, the former top-five pick is going into a contract year. Cooper has been Cleveland’s No. 1 wide receiver over the past two seasons, helping the Browns navigate an unstable quarterback situation. After the WR market boom of 2022 and this offseason’s developments, the perennial 1,000-yard target now sits as the NFL’s 20th-highest-paid wideout.

Stefanski confirmed the Browns have engaged in some dialogue regarding Cooper’s contract. GM Andrew Berry suggested earlier this offseason the 2022 trade pickup was on the extension radar. A new deal would both reward Cooper for his contributions since being acquired from the Cowboys and reduce his 2024 cap hit from its $23.78MM place. It would also help the Browns avoid a near-$8MM dead money sum stemming from void years. The team still has time on that front, as that penalty would only come if Cooper is not re-signed before the start of the 2025 league year.

Cooper totaled 1,160 receiving yards in 2022, boosting a Browns team that did not have Deshaun Watson for 11 games due to a suspension. He totaled a career-high 1,250 yards last season, aiding a squad that did not see Watson much and lost its top three tackles along with Nick Chubb. Cooper played a central role in Joe Flacco earning Comeback Player of the Year honors. Last year’s 1,000-yard showing marked the ex-Raider draftee’s seventh as a pro.

The Browns recently extended trade acquisition Jerry Jeudy, and while the ex-Bronco first-rounder’s AAV ($17.5MM) checks in south of Cooper’s number, the zero-time 1,000-yard receiver’s $41MM guarantee at signing sits sixth at the position. The Cowboys guaranteed Cooper $40MM up front when re-signing him in 2020, and that number looked better at the time. But the team passed on paying Cooper’s 2022 salary, sending him to the Browns before a salary guarantee vested. Dallas was prepared to cut Cooper absent a trade, but the Alabama alum has continued to produce.

Daily fines would come into play if Cooper were to consider a holdout. Teams cannot waive the fines of non-rookie-contract players who hold out, and although Chris Jones and Zack Martin staged holdouts last year, this has been a highly uncommon 2020s occurrence due to the CBA including language designed to curb the practice. Cooper holding in, a common route players have taken amid negotiations, would stand to be on the table.

The team still has time to take action on this front, though Cooper’s age offers a slight complication. He joins Tyreek Hill as WRs nearing their age-30 season angling for a contract adjustment. While the Dolphins have the future Hall of Famer tied to a deal that runs through 2026, Cooper entering a contract year makes this a more urgent matter for the Browns.

Browns Announce Several Front Office Moves

June 8th, 2024 at 1:53pm CST by Ely Allen

After not having seen a season with an 11-win total since 1994, the Browns have now seen it twice since 2020. As Cleveland continues to work towards staying in relevancy, owner Jimmy Haslam and general manager Andrew Berry continue to make adjustments to their front office.

In the operations department, the team saw a new hire and two promotions. Charles Adair comes in from Jacksonville after spending last year as a seasonal intern for the Jaguars. Adair will serve in Cleveland as coordinator, team logistics. Hunter Carson, previously an intern for the team logistics group, has been promoted to football operations assistant. She will reportedly work closely with the personnel department to assist with processes pertaining to player acquisition. Lastly in operations, Joy Tapajcik has been promoted to director of football operations & process after four seasons of working her way through roles all across the front office.

The player personnel department saw the most change in this week’s announcement. Firstly, we learned that the official job title for Chris Polian will be advisor to the general manager. After that, we saw the arrival of four new hires. Elisha Guidry, Tyler Habursky, and Sam Secrest join the team as scouting assistants, filling the roles vacated by some of the promotions listed below. Secrest moves into an in-house role with the Browns after serving as an external film analyst during this recent draft cycle. While Habursky previously served as a student defensive quality control coach at John Carroll, both he and Guidry will be making their NFL staff debuts after playing careers in college. Lastly, Jack Slatery joins the staff as a player personnel assistant after four years in the behavioral health industry.

The player personnel department also saw a number of promotions, as well. A long-time former linebacker in Cleveland, D’Qwell Jackson enters his second season in the front office after supporting player development last year. Jackson has been promoted in his second year to pro scout. He’s joined as a new pro scout by Greg Livingston and Alice Sullivan. They both earn the promotion after serving as scouting assistants in 2023. Livingston previously saw a coaching role at Northwestern and a recruiting role at Boston College. Sullivan will add the title of contract analyst to her new role, as well. Before joining the Browns, she worked as a football analyst for advance scout at LSU.

Additionally, Kathleen Wood is being promoted to scouting/personnel assessment & development after serving three of her four years with the team as the northeast area scout. She will contribute to day-to-day operations for personnel while continuing to contribute as a college road scout. Cyrus Wolford moves into Wood’s old role covering the northeast. He spent his first two seasons with the team as a scouting assistant after time in football operations at Temple. John Nussman is another former scouting assistant. After four years in that role, Nussman will be promoted to an NFS area scout, contributing to NFL combine and team draft initiatives. Lastly in personnel, Will Black has been promoted to scouting assistant, transitioning from a director of administration role with the Haslam Sports Group where he assisted team leadership with day-to-day operations.

Finally, the team saw a promotion in their analytics department, as well. Zach Zelinsky has been moved up into a manager role in football information systems. Currently entering his seventh season with the team, Zelinsky started with the Browns as a software developer in 2017 after working as an analytics intern for the Pittsburgh Pirates of the MLB.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/7/24

June 7th, 2024 at 6:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor moves as we head into the weekend:

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Philadelphia Eagles

After getting drafted in the third round out of Ohio State, Davis has yet to make a start in his first three seasons. Despite competing for a starting job in the offseason before his sophomore campaign in Minnesota, Davis was waived as part of the team’s final roster cuts. Since then, he’s bounced around from the Giants to the Saints, Cardinals, and back to New York. He’ll now add some depth in Cleveland.

Anderson finds his away to Jacksonville shortly after getting waived by the division-rival Colts yesterday. The Texas Tech-product saw his biggest contribution in 12 games with two starts in 2022 for the Giants.

Like Davis and Anderson, Nickerson has bounced between several teams since entering the NFL. After being drafted by the Jets in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Nickerson has spent a year apiece with New York, the Jaguars, the Packers, the Vikings, and most recently, the Dolphins, also spending part of 2019 with the Seahawks. He joins his seventh team in six years with Philadelphia.

Browns Sign Round 2 DT Michael Hall, Wrap Draft Class

June 7th, 2024 at 1:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Browns signed second-round selection Michael Hall to his rookie contract on Friday, per a team announcement. As a result, each member of Cleveland’s draft class is on the books.

Owing to the Deshaun Watson trade, the Browns were without a first-round pick once again in 2024. Hall was the team’s top draft choice at No. 54 overall, and the Jerry Jeudy acquisition left Cleveland short on overall capital to make a move up the board. Still, Hall will face notable expectations at the NFL level.

The Ohio State product spent three seasons in college, playing a key role during his sophomore and junior campaigns. In 2022, he tied for the team lead in sacks (4.5) while posting 7.5 tackles for loss. The Streetsboro, Ohio native did not have as large of an impact in the pass-rush department last year, but he did set a new career high with 24 tackles. He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2023.

The Browns’ defensive front has remained largely intact this offseason compared to 2023. Jordan Elliott departed in free agency, but veteran Quinton Jefferson was added. The likes of Shelby Harris, Maurice Hurst and Sam Kamara were each retained. That group, coupled with former free agent signing Dalvin Tomlinson and 2023 third-rounder Siaki Ika, will carry much of the load along the D-line in 2024.

Hall should nevertheless be able to land a rotational role during his rookie season. The Browns attempted to add youth and a pass-rushing element to their defensive interior in 2022 with Perrion Winfrey, but he was cut last summer. Team and player will of course be hoping for a better outcome in the short- and intermediate-term future in Hall’s case.

Here is the final breakdown of Cleveland’s draft class:

Browns RB Nick Chubb Progressing In Rehab; Return Timeline Still Unclear

June 6th, 2024 at 11:38am CST by Adam La Rose

After Nick Chubb‘s 2023 season was cut short by a major knee injury, it was obvious he would face a long road back to the field. The standout Browns back is not a lock to be available at the start of the season, but he is making progress in his recovery.

Chubb, as expected, required two surgeries to repair the damage done to his knee in Week 2. The second operation took place in November, and its success kept him on track to return at some point this season. The Browns are not committed to a firm time at which the four-time Pro Bowler will suit up, but they have operated this offseason as if he will remain a key member of their offense.

“I’m getting better every day, taking it day by day, getting better,” Chubb said when speaking about his health status (via NFL.com). “Yeah, just right now, trying to get stronger. I like where I’m at. I’m where I need to be, I would say that.”

With only one year remaining on his contract, questions were raised in the offseason about Chubb’s short- and long-term future in Cleveland. As a further sign the team had him in their plans, the Georgia alum agreed to a restructure which lowered his cap hit and base compensation. Incentives will allow him to earn back some of his previously scheduled money, but his ability to do so will largely hinge on his return timeline.

Chubb confirmed he does not have a specific target in mind with respect to when he will be back on the field, adding he only recently started “moving really well.” Having him in any capacity would be a major development for Cleveland at any time during the campaign, though. The former second-rounder averaged between 5.0 and 5.6 yards per carry in each of his first five seasons in the NFL, topping 1,000 rushing yards each year from 2019-22. He should be able to take on lead RB responsibilities when healthy in a backfield featuring the likes of Jerome Ford, D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines.

“Definitely a blessing,” Chubb added when speaking about his reworked contract and the fact he will remain with the Browns through at least 2024. “They could have just cut me dry and left me hanging, right, but they did a great job. I want to be here in Cleveland – they know that – so we came to a great point.”

Whether or not that feeling is mutual to the point of a new deal being negotiated next offseason will be worth watching as the campaign unfolds. Chubb’s health will be a key determining factor in when he next sees the field and how effective he is upon doing so. That will have a major impact on his post-2024 future with the Browns or another team.

Browns Extend HC Kevin Stefanski, GM Andrew Berry

June 5th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rumored to be on tap for this offseason, the Browns’ extension agreements with Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry are now official. The team announced its fifth-year HC-GM combo is signed long term.

This represents rare territory for the Browns, who shuffled through numerous coaches and GMs during the Haslams’ first several years as owners. After two playoff berths in four seasons, Stefanski and Berry did enough to show ownership they should be at the wheel for the foreseeable future.

Rumblings of the Browns readying extensions for their power brokers emerged in March, and a recent offering from cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot pointed to the deals being close. The Browns have posted their best four-year win percentage under Berry and Stefanski since the 1986-89 run. Although this regime has not matched the Marty Schottenheimer-Bernie Kosar teams in terms of consistency or postseason accomplishments, it has elevated one of the NFL’s perennial doormats to a contender position.

“Despite facing multiple player injuries and using five different starting quarterbacks, Andrew and his staff built a roster that adapted well, while Kevin and his staff led the team to its second playoff appearance in four years, earning Coach of the Year honors for the second time in that period,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said, referencing the 2023 season, in a statement. “They are two of the brightest people we know, and selfless people who only care about what is best for the Cleveland Browns.”

Since the Haslams acquired the Browns in October 2012, they have employed six full-time head coaches (Pat Shurmur, Rob Chudzinski, Mike Pettine, Hue Jackson, Freddie Kitchens, Stefanski) and six front office bosses (Tom Heckert, Michael Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Sashi Brown, John Dorsey, Berry). Prior to the Stefanski-Berry 2020 debut season, the team had gone 1-for-21 in playoff berths since rebooting in 1999. While the Browns have seen some stumbles (particularly at quarterback) during this duo’s tenure, their 2023 showing presented cause for optimism. With two 11-win seasons since 2020, the Browns are now 37-30 since Stefanski and Berry took over.

Stefanski, 42, joins Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians and Ron Rivera as HCs to win two Coach of the Year honors since 2000. The second one certainly solidified the play-caller’s case for an extension. The Browns gave Stefanski a five-year contract in 2020. Teams almost never make HCs lame ducks, the Dallas situation notwithstanding, and Stefanski is the longest-tenured Browns HC since Belichick (1991-95). None of the current Browns franchise’s coaches match Stefanski’s longevity or success, and the ex-Vikings OC managing to steer last year’s team to the playoffs marked quite the accomplishment given the circumstances.

The Browns withstood season-ending injuries to Deshaun Watson, Nick Chubb and their top three tackles yet managed to win 11 games. Stefanski coaxed a stunning resurgence from late-season free agent signee Joe Flacco, who claimed Comeback Player of the Year honors despite only starting five games. Winning a playoff game proved too daunting a task for this ragtag cast, but Stefanski’s 2020 Coach of the Year offering produced a playoff upset (over the Steelers). That win came with Stefanski at home with COVID-19, though the Browns nearly toppled the No. 1-seeded Chiefs a week later.

Due to the 2022 Watson trade, Berry’s path has been a bit rockier. The Browns became the first team since the 1976 49ers to give up three first-round picks for a veteran quarterback, and Jimmy Haslam pinned the idea for guaranteeing Watson’s entire five-year, $230MM contract on his GM.

Watson has struggled, with his 2023 health issues coming as replaced starter Baker Mayfield — who succeeded under Stefanski in 2020 before struggling amid injuries in 2021 — found his footing again in Tampa. As the Browns have no choice but to make it work with Watson, the roster Berry has assembled has proven successful despite its QB.

Draft choices under Berry’s predecessors still represent some of the top Browns pieces. Berry, however, reached extensions with Chubb, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Wyatt Teller. The GM also extended Joel Bitonio while acquiring Amari Cooper for only Day 3 draft choices. Berry acquisitions, along with the team’s Jim Schwartz hire, put pieces in place for a No. 1-ranked pass defense to help the battered offense last season. While Berry’s draft acumen remains to be fully seen due to the team not having a first-round pick for the past three years, the 36-year-old exec has made some pivotal contributions during his second Cleveland stint.

Berry, who rejoined the Browns two weeks after Stefanski’s hire in January 2020, initially served as a staffer under John Dorsey and de facto GM Sashi Brown during the 2010s. The Browns are still waiting for their Watson bet to pay off, but the team will give its decision-makers more time to operate around that monster contract.

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