By: Jake Rajala

In Week 1, The Cleveland Browns pass rush was more fierce (and a tad deranged) than the lunatics chasing the wives that escaped Immortan Joe in Mad Max: Fury Road.

The Browns ousted four sacks (with three sacks coming from none other than Myles Garrett) on their former QB Baker Mayfield. It was clear that Mayfield wasn’t enjoying the quality of the Carolina Panthers OL on Sunday.

It was and still is extremely vital that CLE can continue to find ways to dominate with Deshaun Watson on the sideline for 11 games. The Browns were certainly able to garner production from Nick Chubb (22 attempts for 141 rushing yards). On defense, Garrett took it upon himself to dismantle the pass protection of the Panthers.

The Browns pass rush can be the key reason that the Browns can consistently find gold with their star QB MIA. Besides Garrett pushing for a DPOY award in 2022, the Browns have talented pass-rushing faces like Jadeveon Clowney and Chase Winovich (who recently cut his hair). Clowney didn’t match Garrett’s production on Sunday, but he still ousted a .5 sack. The issue with Clowney has been his inability to stay healthy — as he missed three games in 2021 and eight contests in 2020. If the former first overall pick by the Texans can stay healthy, the Browns have a Top-5 pass rushing duo with him and Garrett.

The Browns may not have their highly gifted & very controversial QB, but they still have an unearthly figure on defense (also known as Myles Garrett). The fellow AFC North squad in the Pittsburgh Steelers made the post-season in 2021, largely due to the rage from the 2021 DPOY winner T.J. Watt. The Steelers recipe for success last season could provide inspiration for the Browns in 2022 (whether the dog-pound would like to admit it).

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By: Jake Rajala

The Defensive Player of The Year winner last season was none other than T.J. Watt. The younger Watt bro clocked 22.5 sacks (which ties with Micahel Strahan for the most sacks in a single season), 21 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, and a whopping 39 QB hits. The Steelers edge player is undoubtedly a prime DPOY candidate for his second season in a row. Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett are also heavy favorites to win DPOY.

With that said, I’m going to untwine many darkhorse DPOY candidates in the 2022 season. So, who could be the biggest overachiever on defense?

Darius Leonard

Darius Leonard is an unusually talented football player, but he competes from the good-ole OLB position (which is looked down on). Leonard unleashed an absolutely astonishing 8 forced fumbles, 8 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, and 4 tackles for loss a season ago. Leonard was first-team All-Pro in 2021 and first-team All-Pro in 2020. I expect Leonard to not register more unearthly numbers, but he should be on a team that has much more success than a season ago.

Nick Bosa

The San Francisco 49ers pass rusher Nick Bosa won DROY, sadly missed his entire sophomore season, and then registered a whopping 15.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss, 32 QB hits, and four forced fumbles last season. Bosa earned a very potent 88.3 grade from PFF last season, too. I love Bosa’s growth over his career and there isn’t any reason he doesn’t aspire to be the next pass rusher not named AD to win DPOY.

Marcus Davenport

If Marcus Davenport stayed healthy, he may be the best player in football. All jokes aside, Davenport has the freak ability: 88.8 grade by PFF in 2021. Yes, you read that correctly. Unfortunately, Davenport has missed 12 contests in the past two seasons combined.

I foresee the Saints passing offense taking a monster step forward from last season and forcing opposing signal-callers to desperately keep pace. Hence, I expect Davenport and Cameron Jordan to have plenty of opportunities to tee off on opposing signal-callers in cruel situations.

Aidan Hutchinson

Aidan Hutchinson may be a rookie, but he is still an excellent football player. Hutch has been unstoppable this summer & quickly flashed his ability in the pre-season by having a tackle for loss. If he can squash Aaron Rodgers on numerous occasions, while having other unusual production, it would be hard to not hand him a plethora of respect. The mythical Lawrence Taylor won DROY and DPOY.

Chris Jones

The Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle, Chris Jones, won’t let his position (DT) limit his abilities. He’s made the Pro Bowl & garnered second-team All-Pro in two of his past three seasons. Jones had a monster 2021 campaign – despite missing three games. If Jones can stay healthy, show out in pivotal contests, and watch Aaron Donald take a step back, he could honestly win DPOY.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett unleashed his second straight All-Pro season in 2021 — as he unleashed career-high marks in sacks (16), QB hits (33) TFLs (17), and combined tackles (51). According to Sports Betting Dime, Garrett is the third-best candidate (after T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald) to win DPOY in 2022.

PFF also gave Garrett a 92.0-grade last season — which was ahead of Watt’s grade (89.5).

Of course, Garrett will anticipate that his teammate Jadeveon Clowney will return to being a player that shows first-overall pick talent. Clowney ousted nine sacks, 19 QB hits, and 11 TFLs in 2021. He recently signed a one-year contract worth $10 million, so it’s safe to say that the 29-year-old will continue to prepare well for a pivotal contract season.

Outside of the big-two pass rushers in CLE, the Browns will also expect a lot of play-making ability from Chase Winovich. The new Browns edge rusher had 11.5 sacks and 22 QB hits from 2019 and 2020 combined. The former Michigan Wolverine will certainly learn a lot from the greek god-like edge rushers in Cleveland and excel as the third DE – as he should remain fresh. He currently has one year left on his rookie contract. Stephen Weathlery is a long-time veteran has 8.5 sacks, 107 combined tackles, 27 QB hits, in his career up to this point.

The Browns ranked 10th in sacks last season and they will absolutely look to improve that spot in 2022. If Clowney can stay healthy, Garrett can compete with likely AD and Watt down to the wire in the DPOY conversation, and Winovich can take the next step in his career, the Browns should be a Top-5 team in sacks next season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cleveland Browns officially reunited with Jadeveon Clowney today. Clowney has agreed to a one-year contract worth $11 million dollars, per NFL.com. The former first overall pick returned from the dead and registered nine sacks, 11 TFLs, and 19 QB hits in 14 games last season. Clowney and Myles Garrett should return to being the most lethal pass-rushing duo in the league next season.

Outside of the Browns dynamic pass-rushing tandem, the Browns also have Chase Winovich at the edge-rushing spot.

The Clowney acquisition comes after the Browns traded for numerous other elite profiles: the utterly talented, controversial QB Deshaun Watson and explosive WR Amari Cooper. Clowney may have missed the Bahamas trip, but he will begin non-stop training with his familiar team very soon. It may seem plausible that the Browns could also witness a return from Odell Beckham Jr, Joe Haden, or perhaps Sheldon Richardson. Of course, the long-time Brown Jarvis Landry decided to head back to the Big Easy and ink a deal with the Saints.

It was important that the Browns brought in a top-tier pass-rusher and impressive profile in late May. The AFC guns race has been in full force this off-season. The Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Los Angeles Chargers have stacked their rosters and aimed their cannons at Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Buffalo. Well, it appears that there is another AFC juggernaut coming out of the shadow: the Cleveland Browns.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected the mighty pass rusher Travon Walker first overall and it’s clear JAX really aspires to return to being recognized as “Sacksonville”. The former Georgia defender that was prioritized over Aidan Hutchinson should help the Jags defense harass fellow AFC South quarterbacks for many years to come.

The soft-spoken, mammoth-like edge rusher has superb power. He has the size (6’5, 276 pounds) and he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. The 2022 DPOY candidate and Cleveland Browns gifted pass rusher Myles Garrett is 6’4, 271 and he ran a 4.64 40-time. Marcus Davenport, who was Pro Football Focus’s most effective pass rusher after a month of football last season, displayed a unique combination of speed (4.59) and size (6’6, 265 pounds) at his NFL combine.

The NFL gods handed defenders like Davenport and Clowney rare ability, but it’s clear that injuries have haunted these utterly explosive pass rushers. Davenport and Clowney both registered nine sacks in 2021, but each pass rusher has missed 11 games in the past two seasons combined.

Hopefully, Walker can be as productive as Garrett (All-Pro in 2020 and 2021) and remain as healthy as the Browns elite defender (two games missed in 2020 and 2021 combined). Walker proved to be a healthy force last season (0 missed games), as he was a key warrior in their win over Alabama in the National Championship. In the CFB grand contest, Walker had a sack, a very impressive seven QB hurries, and a potential touchdown-saving tackle.

The Jags understand that Walker realistically has a HOF ceiling and a quality floor. He will surely hit the ground running with a Jags DL that will help him succeed as soon as possible. The Jaguars carry a fierce edge player in Josh Allen and it’s safe to say that it will be hard for opposing teams to double-team each DE. The Los Angeles Rams really allowed Von Miller to capitalize off his matchups next to Aaron Donald, as he notched four sacks in the recent post-season gauntlet. The Jags ranked 28th in sacks a season ago, but they should feel comfortable in their new stout pass-rushing tandem turning the Jags defense into an opposing QB’s worst nightmare.

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By: Ivan Mulinder

On Friday, March 18th news broke that Deshaun Watson had changed his mind and was heading to the Cleveland Browns to be their franchise Quarterback. The Texans had agreed to the trade and received the Browns first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023, and 2024, plus their third-round pick in 2023 and their fourth-round pick in 2024. The Browns received the Texans fifth-round pick in 2024.

Watson is getting paid! He has a fully guaranteed $230 million salary with a $45 million bonus. This is the highest contract in NFL history. Initially, Watson looked like he was heading for Atlanta or New Orleans, but he had a change of heart deciding that he wanted to play for a team that could win Titles (and pay him) now, and the Cleveland Browns certainly have a fully loaded roster. The Browns could have selected Watson in 2017, but drafted Myles Garrett instead, and traded their No. 12 pick to Houston. At his consistent best he’s a regular top 5 quarterback who might finally lead the Cleveland Browns back to the top of the NFL where they haven’t been since 1964.

On paper it makes sense, but the Browns Front Office has taken a very calculated gamble. Deshaun Watson is facing 22 civil lawsuits for sexual assault and sexual misconduct. He’s very likely to be suspended by the NFL and the Browns and Watson know it because in 2022 his salary is $1 million. Case Keenum will start the season for the Browns until Watson serves his ban, which is likely to be about 6 games. The backlash against Watson and the Browns is going to be huge and deservedly so. Some Browns fans have already said they’re quitting the team they’ve been supporting for years and the organization has sent a very poor message out to women and victims of sexual assault. It’s a gamble, but clearly one the Browns think they can deal with, and will presumably help and support Watson in his rehabilitation.

It’s a gamble, but if it pays off the Browns have acquired one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. They’ve achieved this without losing any players and will have created cap space as Baker has a salary of $18,850,000 compared to Watson’s $1 million. If this trade is successful, this is a stroke of genius and catapults the Browns to the highest ranks of the NFL’s likely contenders.

In 2020, his last active season, Watson threw 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns with only 7 interceptions, and had a passer rating of 112.4. In 2019 he threw for 3,852 yards with 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a passer rating of 98.0. In 2018 he threw for 4, 165 yards, 26 touchdowns, 9 interceptions with a passer rating of 103.1.

On Offense, the Browns currently have some potent weapons in Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, David Njoku, and Nick Chubb. They haven’t finished in Free Agency and will probably add another Wide Receiver, maybe Will Fuller, who has said that he wants to play with Watson again. The Browns have yet to release Baker Mayfield who will net more weapons and or picks in the trade. On Defense, the Browns have Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Gregg Newsome, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah amongst many others. This roster is stacked and is only getting stronger. Jadeveon Clowney may return, or they could acquire Za’Darius Smith, and the Browns still have 8 draft picks in 2022 with 5 in the top 118. Only two teams have more than this. With Baker to trade, they may well end up with more.

The loss of 3 first-round draft picks isn’t disastrous if the Watson deal pays off. The LA Rams won the Super Bowl last season. They haven’t had a first-round draft pick since 2016 when they selected Jared Goff. In 2017 their first pick was at 44. In 2018 their first pick was at 89. In 2019 their first pick was at 61, in 2020 at 52, and in 2021 at 57. This year their first pick is in round 5! They exchanged their first-round pick for Matthew Stafford, their second & third-round pick for Von Miller, their fourth-round pick for Brandin Collins, and their sixth-round pick for Sony Michel. The Rams model of building success isn’t through the Draft. The Browns have traded for Watson and are still stacked in the 2022 Draft.

The AFC has a tremendous array of quarterback talent. With or without Watson they’d have to beat Wilson, Burrow, Mahomes, Allen, Herbert, and last seasons No. 1 draft pick Trevor Lawrence to reach the Super Bowl. The Browns clearly think they have a much better chance of achieving this with Watson than Baker and even the most ardent of Baker supporters would have a very tough time denying this. They have set their course, they’re battening down the hatches and they believe a Super Bowl is coming to a franchise that has never even appeared in one. It’s very tough on Baker Mayfield who played through season-ending injuries to lead this team, and who prior to getting injured, was the No. 2 ranked quarterback in form according to PFF. Rumour has it he wants to go the Colts, but I don’t believe the Browns will trade him to an AFC team, in which case the Seahawks might be front runners. Wherever he goes most Browns fans will wish him success and thanks for his passion, commitment, and that first postseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers since their return in 1999.

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By: Michael Welsh

With each day that passes, we are getting closer and closer to football season. Before we get to the pre-season, training camp has to happen. There are always intriguing position battles to watch for each team, and with the Browns, there are a few in particular that should be on the front of fan’s minds.

Cleveland has one of, if not the most complete roster in all of football. This means tough decisions will have to be made on who makes the team and who ends up being the week one starters. The offensive side of the ball is basically set as is, so most of these interesting battles will be taking place on the defensive side. Let’s take a look at the two position battles to keep an eye on during training camp

The defensive line as a whole

The toughest decisions for the coaching staff will be on the defensive line. The edges are set with superstar Myles Garrett and the well-known Jadeveon Clowney, with free agent acquisition Takk Mckinley on rotation. Where it gets interesting is the interior defensive line. Below are the players on the interior fighting for a roster spot and a starting job:

Malik Jackson (free agent signing)

Sheldon Day (2021 signing from practice squad)

Jordan Elliot (Browns draft pick, 2020)

Malik McDowell (2021 free agent signing)

Damion Square (2021 free agent signing)

Tommy Togiai (Browns draft pick, 2021)

Marvin Wilson (2021 undrafted free agent signing)

That is a massive amount of talent fighting for a few roster spots. General Manager Andrew Berry is very high on Jordan Elliot, who showed flashes in his 2020 rookie year. Malik Jackson will most likely take Sheldon Richardson’s spot, so if all goes well he will be first on the depth chart. Tommy Togiai was drafted this year, so one would think he has a spot solidified. Malik McDowell is interesting as well, but he doesn’t have much experience. Perhaps the one to watch the most is undrafted free agent Marvin Wilson. At one point, he was one of the best defensive tackles in college football. His talent is undeniable, but he got caught up with some on and off the field issues at Florida State. If he puts it all together, he could be a massive steal that makes the roster.

Overall, the coaching staff will likely keep three or four of them on the roster, so it will be exciting to see what happens. A scenario of Jackson, Elliot, and Togiai making the roster with Square and Marvin Wilson on the practice squad is fairly likely. But we will know soon enough.

The Cornerbacks

Besides Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, the cornerback room has a long way until the other starter is decided. Rookie first round pick Greg Newsome has a substantial amount of hype and has looked good so far in minicamps, but he is still a rookie after all. Greedy Williams hasn’t played football in awhile, but he had plenty of flashes in 2019 of being a good player in this league. It is going to be fascinating to see who ends up winning the starting job between Newsome and Williams. They’re both incredibly talented and liked by the front office quite a bit. They will both definitely make the team, but who starts opposite of Denzel Ward likely won’t be decided until the end of training camp, possibly even the end of pre-season. Odds are it will be Newsome since he is this current front office’s guy, but don’t sleep on Williams. He has something to prove. Troy Hill is probably the only other player within the cornerbacks that has a starting spot secured. He will be the Nickel corner and can possibly jump outside as well if needed.

Turning to the depth side of the roster, the battle between Robert Jackson and AJ Green should be intense. Green was an undrafted free agent signing in 2020, and was giving a generous rookie contract. There were whispers that he looked good on the practice squad in 2020, but he needed more development. Seeing how far he has come since then during training camp will be fun to watch. Robert Jackson stepped in as a starter in 2020 due to injuries, and his play was fairly rocky. But he is good on special teams and can snag a roster spot if he continues to excel there. Will Green be able to show special teams skills and get Jackson’s spot instead? Or will they both make the roster? Time will tell, but get your popcorn ready because it will be electric.

The post Two Position Battles to Watch In Cleveland’s Training Camp appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

Something that has noticeably been forming this offseason as well as the last is the edge rushing room for Washington and Cleveland.  Both teams have spent a top two pick on an edge rusher that is currently on the roster and have another high-level talent across from them.  In this article, I will be comparing these two edge duos, and determining which is better based on a few factors.  These being:

• 2020 Production
• Potential Growth from 2020-2021
• Coaching (defensive coordinator)

The assumed starting duo for each team is Chase Young and Montez Sweat for Washington, as well as Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney for Cleveland.  Just so it is stated prior to my answer to this question, I believe both of these edge duos are phenomenal, respectively.  This is more about which one overall fits the most points to determine success.  

With this established, lets get right into the first of these points.

2020 Production

Starting off, we have how each of these edge duos produced as a combined unit in 2020.  Starting with Washington, rookie Chase Young and sophomore Montez Sweat combined put up the following statline:

• Young started 15 games, Sweat started in 16
• 16.5 sacks, 89 total tackles, and 32 QB hits
• 22 tackles for loss, 6 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 2 total touchdowns

Overall, the duo performed extremely well for their first year together, as well as Chase’s first year in the league.  Being able to dominate at such a high level so early in both of their careers gives them a huge advantage, as they are only going to go upwards from here. 

Then we have the Cleveland duo’s stats.  Keep in mind that they did play on separate teams last year, so playing opposite of each other may dent these numbers slightly in 2021.  Under that pretense, here are their combined stats from 2020:

• Garrett started 14 games, Clowney started in 8
• 12.0 sacks (all from Garrett), 52 total tackles, and 24 QB hits
• 14 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 0 interceptions, and 0 total touchdowns

The main reason they are so far apart is that the Washington duo (31 combined starts) had more playing time than the Cleveland duo (22 combined starts).  

Potential Growth from 2020-2021

This is more of a personal feeling rather than a true factually defined section like the last.  With that said, Washington’s duo most definitely has the most room to grow here.  There are a few factors that lead into why I believe this is the case as well.

First off, they are a much younger combined unit than Cleveland’s.  Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are 25 and 28 respectively, while Chase Young and Montez Sweat are 22 and 24 respectively.  With this notion, the Washington duo should end up growing in their 2^nd and 3^rd seasons, at least at a higher rate than the Cleveland duo.

Coaching 

Finally, we have coaching, which is a little more interesting to think about.  Starting with Cleveland, they have Joe Woods at defensive coordinator who was just promoted into this role with 26 years of coaching experience.  However, his experience on the defensive side is enormous.  Serving as a DB coach for the Denver Broncos during their Super Bowl 50 victory, in which defense was a huge part of that game.  

On the other side, Washington has defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, who is entering his 22^nd season of coaching.  A former NFL player, as well as Super Bowl winner (as a coach) which was Super Bowl 35.  Overall, this is a pretty close debate between coaches, and will likely not lead to a huge change in either duo.  Rather the development of Washington’s, and the integration of Clowney into Cleveland’s.

Conclusion

With these points, seemingly each favors Washington, as they produced more in 2020, have the potential to develop even further and produce more in 2021, and have the coaching means to do so.  Granted, this is subjective, and based solely on my opinion as well as the stats available to me.  However, Washington is my final pick to be the better of the two edge rushing duos for now.  

The post Which pass rush duo has the edge: Cleveland or Washington? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Michael Welsh

The Cleveland Browns are heading into the 2021 season with one of the best rosters in the NFL. Pretty crazy thing to say, right? GM Andrew Berry had a lot of holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball this off-season and he did an incredible job filling them. A lot of the moves he made will only set up star Myles Garrett for even more success.

Myles has been one of the best defensive players in the league since being drafted first overall in 2017, racking up 42.5 sacks and 42 tackles for a loss. At this point, it isn’t IF Myles will take home the Defensive Player of the Year award, it’s WHEN. Let’s take a look at why the 2021 season might be the one where he takes home the hardware.

The additions to the secondary

It is no secret that Cleveland’s secondary in 2020 was lackluster. Andrew Berry made that his top priority to improve in the 2021 off-season, and he was aggressive right out of the gate. He signed Safety John Johnson and Cornerback Troy Hill, immediately making the defense better. In addition to that, Safety Grant Delpit and Cornerback Greedy Williams are returning from injury. Oh, and don’t forget about Pro-Bowler Denzel Ward. Add all of that up and it means one thing; better coverage equals quarterbacks holding onto the ball longer. Myles Garrett could very well add more sacks because of that.

The signing of Jadeveon Clowney

For the past few years, Myles had Olivier Veron opposite of him on the defensive line. Vernon played well in his time with the Browns, but Garrett still has always needed someone else on the line that commands the defensive coordinator’s attention. The Browns signed Jadeveon Clowney this off-season, finally giving Myles someone that can take pressure off him and allow the double teams to subside. Clowney is 5th in the NFL in double team rate Myles is 3rd, so basically…. pick your poison. Having Clowney will only allow for Garrett to get to the quarterback even more.

The offense’s ability to put up points

The Browns had several games in 2020 where they scored more than 30 points, and with every offensive starter returning this fall, it is safe to assume that they will have no problem putting up points. This means that teams will be playing from behind, thus giving Myles Garrett even more chances to get sacks since the bulk of plays will be passing.

He’s an absolute unit

This one will be short and sweet. Myles is a specimen that, at times, looks as if he isn’t from this world. The scary part is that he is in his prime and will only get stronger and bigger. It is next to impossible for him to be blocked one on one and breaking twenty sacks is very likely to happen at some point in his career.

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