CLEVELAND BROWNS 2021 WIN PREDICTION

BY ADAM GREENE

In 2020 it finally happened. The Cleveland Browns not only broke through to make the playoffs, but absolutely laid a beat down on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, proving that they absolutely belonged amongst the league’s elite.

They nearly pulled off an upset at Kansas City the very next week and while their journey would have probably ended in Buffalo if they’d managed it, there is no shame at all in the way Cleveland went out. After two decades of futility, they have arrived.

Now they have to stay there.

Luckily for them they spent the offseason building on what worked last season and ignored any stupid talk about trading their best offensive player, Odell Beckham Jr. The offense did get better at the end of the year with him sidelined with an injury, but of course it did. They’d been playing half a season. If you’re offense is getting worse come playoff time, you’re in trouble.

Still, there’s no rest for Cleveland as they play in the second toughest division in the sport. It’s time to reload and not only protect their playoff spot, but try to build on it in a top-heavy AFC that looks as if it will be dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills over the next decade.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Last season: 11-5, 2^nd place AFC North, Wild Card team

2021 odds: under 10.5 wins -125, over 10.5 wins -105

2021 NFL Draft: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern – Round 1, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame – Round 2, Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn – Round 3, James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati – Round 4, Tommy Togiai, DT, Ohio State – Round 4, Tony Fields II, LB, West Virginia – Round 5, Richard LeCounte, Safety, Georgia – Round 5, Demetric Felton, WR, UCLA – Round 6

UDFAs: Marvin Wilson, DT – Florida State, Romeo McKnight, DE – Charlotte, Emmanuel Rugamba, CB – Miami (OH), Kiondre Thomas, CB – Kansas State

Acquisitions: Jadeveon Clowney, Edge – Free Agent, Malik Jackson, DL – Free Agent, Troy Hill, CB – Free Agent, Takkarist McKinley, Edge – Free Agent, Damion Square, DL – Free Agent, John Johnson III, Safety – Free Agent, Chase McLaughlin, K – Free Agent, Greg Senat, LT – Free Agent, Anthony Walker Jr., LB – Free Agent

Key Losses: Sheldon Richardson – DL, Olivier Vernon – Edge, Kevin Johnson – CB, Karl Joseph – Safety, B.J. Goodson – LB, Larry Ogunjobi – DL, Taywan Taylor – WR, Marvin Hall – WR, Vincent Taylor – DL, George Obinna – Edge, Andrew Sendejo – Safety

PRESUMED STARTERS

QB: Baker Mayfield

RB: Nick Chubb

WR: Odell Beckham Jr.

WR: Jarvis Landry

WR: Rashard Higgins

TE: Austin Hooper

FB: Andy Janovich

LT: Jedrick Wills Jr.

LG: Jeol Bitonio

C: J.C. Tretter

RG: Wyatt Teller

RT: Jack Conklin

LDE: Myles Garrett

LDT: Andrew Billings

RDT: Malik Jackson

RDE: Jadeveon Clowney

OLB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

MLB: Anthony Walker

OLB: Sione Takitaki

CB: Denzel Ward

CB: Troy Hill

SS: Ronnie Harrison Jr.

FS: John Johnson III

K: Cody Parkey

P: Jamie Gillan

FORECAST

The Browns are better, but unfortunately so are many of the teams they’ll be facing this season outside their division, especially those in the AFC West. Their “17^th” game is a tough draw too, a spunky Arizona Cardinals team in much the same position as Cleveland was last season.

The Brownies were one of the few good teams that had no answer for the Ravens offense last season, but I expect that to change. If it doesn’t, heads should roll. As with every team that faces the Green Bay Packers, the presence of Aaron Rodgers looms large on the final record and an improved Cincinnati Bengals team looks like a split. In fact, I think every AFC North team is probably going 3-3 in the division.

Final Record Prediction: 10-7, possible AFC Wild Card

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