Browns Preview 12/8/17: Green Bay Packers @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The 6-6, Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers travel to Cleveland this week to take on the 0-12 Browns. If at the beginning of the season someone told you the Packers would be 6-6, the Browns were winless but still had a chance no one would have believed you. Its also been a fun Thursday as a Browns fan, Sashi Brown was fired and Hue Jackson will remain the Head Coach in 2018. *insert Mike Polk "Fun times in Cleveland Again". But on to actual game...


Browns Offense vs Packers Defense

I know this is crazy to say but the Browns might be able to put up some points against the Packers defense. Their passing defense isn't that good, and DeShone Kizer could actually throw an accurate pass to Josh Gordon we could see Gordon go for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Again, I know it sounds nuts, but what Gordon did last week against Casey Hayward isn't really anything to take lightly. The guy shut down all the other top receivers he's gone up against this year and is ranked as the top cornerback this year. Gordon against a struggling Packers secondary screams Kizer's first 300 yard game.

The running game needs to keep on keeping on. And that means Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson, and DeShone Kizer. Last week they had just under 100 yards against a really tough defense in the Chargers. Now the Packers run defense is better than their pass defense because of Mike Daniels and Blake Martinez. If the Browns can get a lead and use the run game to win the time of possession it could be a recipe for success.



Browns Defense vs Packers Offense

The Packers will have to start Brett Hundley for one more week. With the help of two defensive touchdowns last week the Packers beat the Buccaneers 26-20 in overtime. In that game Hundley threw for 84 yards and threw one pick. Its fairly obvious that Green Bay misses Rodgers. The key for the Browns this game is to let Hundley beat you with his arm. He's thrown for only five touchdowns in the eight games he's played. And he's also prone to turnovers, throwing eight picks and fumbling three times.

The Browns should key in on stopping the run this week. The Packers have a running back by committee with Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones as their leading rushers. The Browns also can't forget about Hundley scrambling out of the pocket. He has good speed and ran for 66 yards last week in the overtime win.



Five Guys To Watch

1. Josh Gordon: In his first game in almost three seasons Gordon went for four catches for 85 yards. He also went up against the best corner in the league. It should be exciting to see how he plays against a struggling secondary.

2. DeShone Kizer: If it weren't for Kizer the Browns probably would have won last week. Multiple terrible throws to a wide open Josh Gordon and a sack-fumble in the redzone. That's exactly why we lost. But Sunday is another chance to redeem himself.

3. David Njoku: Njoku had a career game last week. Four catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Hopefully this means we get to see Njoku on the field more.

4. Joe Schobert: In a game where the Browns need to stop the run Schobert seems like an obvious pick for a guy to watch.

5. Hue Jackson: Let's be 100%...Hue Jackson won the power struggle against Sashi Brown. And with that he has security for 2018.  I'm curious if Jackson starts to change up his playcalling knowing his job is safe going forward. I expect him to go into his bag of tricks this week and have a good game overall.

Injury Report:

Weather Report:

Betting Line (As of 12/7/17)
Packers -3


Prediction:
Browns 24 Packers 14

I know, I'm crazy for picking the Browns but with everything that's happened this week it seems like a game the Browns could accidentally win...the stars are lining up. The Packers are struggling on defense, they don't have Aaron Rodgers, and the Browns have Josh Gordon and a head coach who really doesn't have any pressure on him to win a game since 2018 is already guaranteed.

Browns Preview 11/10/17: Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The winless Cleveland Browns travel to Detroit to take on the (4-4) Lions this week. The Browns are coming off of their bye week and what an eventful bye week it was. A botched trade which would have sent AJ McCarron to Cleveland and the reinstatement of Josh Gordon (who isn't eligible to play until week 13). The Lions on the other hand beat the Aaron Rodgers-less Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football 30-17.


Browns Offense vs Lions Defense

It should be interesting to see how Kizer reacts going forward. The potential trade for McCarron only proves that the Browns aren't sold on Kizer being the future for this team. It doesn't mean he can't improve but he has a lot to prove in the next eight weeks.

The game plan should be simple. Run the ball and throw quick passes. Just like the Browns last game vs the Vikings the game plan was to get the ball out of Kizer's hands as fast as possible. Whether it was on a screen pass or quick drag routes to the receivers it seemed to have worked. Kizer didn't have a turnover that game...baby steps.

The running game on the other hand had its ups and downs. Crowell had a solid game for the first time this year but had a costly fumble to start the second half. The game plan of giving Crowell the ball more than Duke Johnson probably won't change unfortunately. What we can hope for is Crowell to have some type of game like he did last week. That's the only way the Browns can have success against the Lions, and keep this game relatively close. 




Browns Defense vs Lions Offense

The Lions are lead by one of the best quarterbacks in the league, Matt Stafford. The Lions offensive revolves around the passing game. Golden Tate is their leading receiver with 50 catches, Marvin Jones is second with 33 and Theo Reddick is third on the team with 29 catches. Reddick is predominantly their third down back and isn't a huge threat to run the ball with only 27 attempts on the season. The Lions passing offense ranks 7th and they are 8th when it comes to points per game.

The Browns defense on the other hand has had issues when it comes to pass defense this year. But which Myles Garrett coming back this week, along with Jabrill Peppers and potentially Jason McCourty the Browns defense might be able to limit the powerful passing game of the Lions.

The running game for Detroit is non-existent. They rank 29th in the league with Ameer Abdullah as their leading rusher with just over 400 yards on the season. The Browns rank in the top five when it comes to rush defense so their is going to be a lot of passes thrown in this game.




Five Guys To Watch

1. DeShone Kizer: I'm curious to see how he plays going forward. Kizer is playing for his opportunity to start in 2018.

2. Myles Garrett: Garrett is exciting to watch...when he plays. He should be as close to 100% missing the London game with a concussion. Expect Garrett to play majority of the snaps this week.

3. David Njoku: Another young rookie who has played well this year. The Browns need to use him as a third down/red zone threat. He's a big target for Kizer and has pretty good hands.

4. Christian Kirksey: Kirksey will be in charge of covering Reddick out of the backfield. It is extremely important for the Browns to keep the Lions passing game in check this week. They can't afford to let backs break free while checking down to the receivers.

5. Spencer Drango: Drango is taking over for the injured Joe Thomas at left tackle. This week he is going up against Ziggy Ansah, who is without a doubt one of the better pass rushers in the league. Drango had a solid game against the Viking and their elite pass rush. Hopefully he can continue to build on the solid outing.


Weather: Dome

Injury Report:

Betting Line (as of 11/9/17)
Detroit -10

Prediction: Lions 28 Browns 13

This game could be close for the majority of the game. But in the forth quarter is when the Lions pull away. The Browns offense will continue to struggle with the lack of playmakers and fans will be patiently waiting for Corey Coleman to get back (next week vs JAX) and the return of Josh Gordon. 

Browns Preview 10/20/17: Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

The winless Cleveland Browns host the Tennessee Titans this Sunday. The Browns will be starting rookie Quarterback DeShone Kizer. Kevin Hogan played terrible last week and sustained a rib injury. Cody Kessler will be Kizer's backup this week. The Titans will be starting Marcus Mariota after coming back from an injury last week in which he played well. The Titans defeated the Colts last week 36-22 to give themselves a 3-3 record.


Browns Offense vs Titans Defense

There is no question the Browns offense has had its struggles in the first six weeks of the season. The issues are simple. Inconsistent quarterback play, the lack of weapons at receiver, and Isaiah Crowell. The Browns this week and going forward should do a few things different.

First, get Duke Johnson more touches. Whether it is 15 rushes and another seven targets in the passing game. Duke Johnson need the ball. His the only reliable playmaker on this team. Now that doesn't mean Hue Jackson shouldn't use Crowell. Crowell should be used when they are running the ball straight up the middle in between the tackles.

The Browns offense also might want to tone it down with the deep ball. I understand the lack of playmakers makes it hard build drives but getting Kizer in second or third and long doesn't help anyone. With that being said, Kizer is still going to have to throw the ball down field to keep the defense honest.   

The final major key for the Browns this week is to trust Kizer. I know that might seem a bit difficult but Hue Jackson has no choice. The benching of Kizer was a knee-jerk reaction. And playing Hogan after a terrible first half was pain stubbornness by Hue. What ever happens Kizer needs to play through it. Yes, it could be another Baltimore game where he throws multiple interceptions but this was the hand Hue was dealt and how he played it.

The Titans defense is a middle of the road defense. This easily could be the week Kizer has a breakout game. But in order for the Browns offense to run their gameplan the Browns defense will need to keep the game close.



Browns Defense vs Titans Offense

The Titans will have Mariota at quarterback but is unlikely to have running back DeMarco Murray. Derrick Henry will likely get the start for the injured Murray. Henry and Murray have identical stats, both running for over 300 yards so far. Henry ran for 131 yards last week against the Colts and Mariota threw for 306 and one touchdown.

The Browns secondary might have some struggles against the receivers of the Titans. Rishard Matthews is their leading receiver with veteran Eric Decker lined up opposite of him. Where the Browns will have issues is covering Delanie Walker, who leads the Titans in catches.



Five Guys to Watch


1. DeShone Kizer: Kizer was benched last week and he had to suffer like the rest of us through a terrible game last Sunday. Hopefully Kizer response positively. And again let's all remember the kid is only 21 years old and has only played in three full games as crazy as that sounds.

2. Jamar Taylor: While Jason McCourty is having a really good year, Jamar Taylor on the other hand hasn't. The Titans will probably target Taylor most of the day and with Taylor dealing with an injury this could be bad news for the Browns.

3. Myles Garrett: With all the speculation of a new front office taking over and them constantly passing on franchise quarterbacks, the pick of Garrett at one has been a home run. Garrett in two games has put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, forcing turnovers and sacks. Garrett is one of the lone bright spots so far this season and he's only played in two games.

4. Duke Johnson: Like stated above, Johnson needs to get the ball a lot more. Of all the things I've had issues with offensively this season the limited touches by Duke is number one. He's the only guy on the field who can take a screen pass or a drag route for a touchdown. He's the lone playmaker on this team the Hue need to feed Duke more.

5. David Njoku: Outside of Johnson, Njoku has been a surprise. A lot of fans didn't think he would make this type of an impact on the team this early. But with is ablity to out run linebackers and out jump safeties, Njoku should be Kizer's favorite target this week in the redzone after have a lot of redzone issues the first five weeks of the season.


Injury Report

Weather Report

Betting Line (As of 10/19/17): Tennessee -6



Prediction: Titans 27 Browns 14

The Browns will fall to 0-7 on the year this week. It will become more and more difficult to defend Hue Jackson as season moves on. I expect Kizer to play better than he has but the lack of playmakers will really show this week. The defense should keep the game close but again like they have in weeks before give up a touchdown drive to put the game out of hand late in the fourth quarter.

Browns Preview 10/13/17: Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


The winless Cleveland Browns travel to Houston to take on the (2-3) Texans this week. The Browns will be starting a new quarterback this week. Kevin Hogan gets the start in place of the struggling DeShone Kizer. The Texans could be without four starters on their defense and JJ Watt is out for the season with a broken leg. The Texans will start rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson, who the Texans traded up in the draft (with the Browns) to acquire.


Browns Offense vs Texans Defense

The Browns will be starting their 28th different quarterback since returning in 1999, and Hue Jackson will be on his fifth different starter since week one of last year. Kevin Hogan will be under center for the Browns this week. In three games this season, Hogan has thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions. But more importantly, he has a 68.4% completion percentage vs Kizer's 51%.

This week the Browns must rely on the run this week and it should be headlined by Duke Johnson. Johnson is averaging almost five yards per carry and is the leading receiver for the Browns, with 23 catches. Isaiah Crowell has struggled this year. He seems to have issues when he gets the ball on stretch plays. And even when he has gotten running room it seems like he misses the hole or the run blocking doesn't hold up. It should be interesting to see the snap count for each back at the end of this game. Also the Texans can't forget about Hogan as a runner. Hogan is someone who can run a read-option effectively. Last season Hogan ran for over 100 yards after replacing Cody Kessler against the Bengals.

The receiving situation will be interesting this week. Kenny Britt is expected to be back, along with Sammie Coates. But it does seem like Hogan and rookie tight end David Njoku have a lot of chemistry. Two of Hogan's touchdown passes were to Njoku including one last week in relief of Kizer. Ricardo Lewis was the leading receiver last week with five catches for 71 yards. With Britt on a snap count, Lewis will probably get the majority of the snaps.



Browns Defense vs Texans Offense

Contrary to the 0-5 record, the Browns have a top five defense in the NFL. On the other hand...the Texans have been good in their own right. They don't pass the ball as much, ranked 20th in yards per game, but they hold onto the ball and run the ball with a lot of success, ranked 4th in rushing yards per game.

Rookie Deshaun Watson has thrown 12 touchdowns and only four picks this season. He also has almost 200 rushing yards on the season and two rushing touchdowns. Watson's top target is DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins leads the Texans in catches with 35 and second on the team is Lamar Miller with 12. So the Browns desperately needs to shut down Hopkins this week in order to have success.

Miller is the leading rusher for the Texans with 331 yards and one touchdown. They also use rookie D'Onte Foreman who has 148 yards on the year and is averaging 3.8 yards per carry.

The Browns will have Jamie Collins back after missing the last three weeks with a concussion. The Browns defense will be a full strength for the first time this season. It should be interesting to see how everything plays out for the Browns and Gregg Williams.





Five Guys to Watch


1. Kevin Hogan: Hogan is making his first career start this week. Honestly I don't really know what to expect from Hogan besides him running the ball at times and throwing to Njoku.

2. David Njoku: Speaking of Njoku, he seems like an obvious guy to highlight this week. Hogan is comfortable throwing the ball his way and Njoku has come up big at times for the Browns in his young career.

3. Isaiah Crowell: I think this might be Crowell's last chance before he gets demoted to RB2. The Browns are going to run the ball a ton this week and Crowell is needed for this offense to have any sort of success. If he doesn't, Duke Johnson becomes the starter sooner rather than later.

4. Jamie Collins: Collins is one of the best linebackers in the league. Paired with Kirksey and Schobert the Browns should have more than enough to limit the running game of Houston's.

5. Myles Garrett: Speaking of helping the running game, Garrett playing more snaps this week is going to help too. Also with the Texans offensive line struggles, Garrett will need to capitalize on it in order to limit big plays from DeAndre Hopkins.


Weather Report

Injury Report

Betting Line: Houston -9.5


Prediction: Houston 20 Browns 14

The Browns fall to 0-6 and Hue Jackson record falls to 1-21 as the Browns Head Coach... All in all I think this team plays well but the limitations at quarterback and receiver will show its head this game. Hopefully I'm wrong again and the Browns end up helping themselves out by defeating the Texans.

Cleveland Browns 2017 Season Preview: Wide Receivers & Tight Ends

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

**PREVIOUS**
The Coaching Staff
The Running Backs
The Offensive & Defensive Line
The Quarterbacks


The Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver and Tight End position are the weakest part of the team this season. There are a lot of young guys the Browns are counting on to contribute this season, headlined by first round picks Corey Coleman and David Njoku. 


Wide Receivers

The Browns kind of let receiver Terrelle Pryor leave in the off-season. We might never truly know what happened but it seemed like Pryor wanted more money and was willing to bet on himself for one year. The Browns on the other hand balked on Pryor and signed Veteran Kenny Britt instead to replace Pryor. Britt is the lone veteran of the group (so far). As of right now the other Browns receivers are second year players: Corey Coleman, Ricardo Lewis, and Rashard Higgins. Outside of those four no one is a lock to make the team. 

Jordan Payton played most of his snaps on special teams last season and was busted for PEDs last season resulting in a four game suspension. Payton has played a number of snaps this preseason including catching DeShone Kizer's game winning touchdown pass vs the Saints. 

Mario Alford is another guy who might make the team. But it won't necessarily be as a wide receiver. Alford did a solid job as a returner last season after the Browns struggled to find someone who could return kicks and punts. Alford's job as a kick returner might be numbered with the emergence of Jabrill Peppers as a kick and punt returner.

Jordan Leslie has made a pretty nice impact during training camp and throughout the preseason. He's an undrafted free agent out of BYU. It should be interesting to see what the Browns think of him. He probably won't see a lot of snaps vs Tampa, but in the fourth preseason game, Leslie should be given an opportunity to show the Browns who he is. 


Wide Receiver Overview: The Browns will no doubt be active when teams cut down to the 53-man rosters. They are first in the waiver order and should add a veteran receiver during cut downs for week one. They need it badly. If not, it might me a long year for rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer. The receivers need to prove who they are and they will be given ample opportunity to do so.



Tight Ends

The Browns will be running with three tight ends this season. First round pick David Njoku, second year pro Seth DeValve, and Randall Telfer...yes Telfer is still on the Browns. With the pick of Njoku the Browns released pro bowl tight end Gary Barnidge, continuing the youth movement in Berea.

With the offense centered around the running game, Telfer will see an increase in his snap count because his strength is in the run blocking game. Its that simple. He's not in there for his two career catches for a total of four yards. 

David Njoku should be exciting to watch. He will lineup in his normal tight end position but he should see time in the slot and on the outside. Njoku is a freak athlete and Hue Jackson, I'm sure, has a large amount of formations to get Njoku in favorable matchups. It shouldn't surprise anyone if the Browns use a lot of two tight end sets this season. 

Seth DeValve will enter the season with the most career catches by a tight end on the Browns roster...with 10. DeValve is more like Njoku, in the sense of, he is a pass catching tight end who can play on the outside. The two tight end sets with Njoku and DeValve give the Browns two big bodied targets in the red zone and on third down. 


Tight End Overview: This position doesn't worry me as much as the receivers. But if the receivers struggle the tight ends will need to be Kizer's security blanket this season. And with the Athleticism the tight ends have we shouldn't be surprised when Kizer starts throwing deep-balls to Njoku and DeValve.

Krunch Time With Katelin 7/26/17: 5 Things To Watch In Browns Training Camp

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE


Football is back!!!!

The Browns are getting ready for the 2017 season, headlined by first overall pick Myles Garrett. Its been a successful off-season for the Browns. They've beefed up the offensive line, they've also added players on both sides of the ball in the draft and during free agency. But it wouldn't be an off-season with changes in the coaching staff. Gregg Williams is now the defensive coordinator after the firing of Ray Horton.

And with that being said the number one thing to watch for is the new defensive coordinator and his staff. Gregg Williams has a history of being one of the top defensive coaching in the NFL. He is a hard-nose football guy and is here to help change the culture. We've seen it already...during press conferences he's calling out players and members of the media *cough. And we've also seen bits and pieces of how he interacts with players (before the press conference of the first round picks). And that's what I'm personally interested in. Seeing how Gregg Williams interacts with the defense during camp and how it will set a tone of the defense throughout the regular season.


It wouldn't be a Browns training camp without a quarterback battle. But this time its s triple threat match between: second year quarterback Cody Kessler, Veteran quarterback Brock Osweiler, and rookie second round pick Deshone Kizer. There is an argument to be made for all three of these guys to start week one. Kessler has been in the system for a year and has made improvements to his game. For the record, he might be odds on favorite to start week one.

Osweiler was acquired during the off-season along with a second round pick from the Texans in a deal that was basically a salary dump. The Texans wanted Osweiler off the team and the Browns wanted the second round pick and his contract in order to meet the NFL's cap requirements. There were rumors about Osweiler being traded, which could still happen if there is an injury during the preseason. But as of right now he is competing for the starting job. Osweiler never seemed to fit into what Bill O'Brien wanted to do in Houston and the change of scenery might turn out to be a good thing. He did win a super bowl in Denver while playing a number of games during the regular season and he played well.

Last but certainly not least the second round pick out of Notre Dame, Deshone Kizer. This guy has all the tools to be an NFL quarterback. In my opinion he should just start week one. The Browns aren't going to win a lot of game so I don't see why the Browns would wait six-eight weeks for Kizer to start. I'd rather have a complete year grade for him and if the Browns end up with a top five pick in next year's draft they'd know what they have a the quarterback position. Kizer can make all the NFL throws and for the majority of last season was touted as the top quarterback in the class. But a terrible record and the questionable coaching he had in college seemed to have dropped his stock.


Rookies in general are always fun to watch during camp. They give fans a hope for the future and this year is no different. With 10 draftees this year the Browns are full of young talent. Three first round picks: Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, and David Njoku, Kizer, and defensive linemen Larry Ognujobi and Caleb Brantley are the ones should stand out.

But its not just the rookies this year to keep an eye on but the guys who are entering their second year as professionals. The wide receivers are still extremely young. These guys need to step up. Corey Coleman, Ricardo Louis, Jordan Payton and Rashard Higgins are all vying for playing time. Obviously, Coleman will get his chance as a first round pick, but the other three will be battling each other not just for playing time on offense but showing their worth on special teams.

This might not but just a training camp thing to watch but throughout the preseason is to just keep an eye on the secondary. This is Joe Haden's put-up or shut-up year. He's already been challenged by Gregg Williams this off-season and he is the leader of the defense. Haden had a bounce back year last year after a rough 2015 campaign. Even though 2016 was still an injury plagued season for Haden. Outside of Haden the Browns still have some questions. And it isn't in a negative way but just as an unknown.

Jamar Taylor seems to be a solid starter in the NFL and Briean Boddy-Calhoun played well at times last year. The Browns acquired two veterans Calvin Pryor and Jason McCourty late in the off-season. It will be interesting to see if a change of location would help Pryor and the were McCourty will even play. Whether at the corner position or a safety. And how McCourty's leadership will help the development of Peppers, Derrick Kindred, Bobby-Calhoun, and Ibraheim Campbell

There will be a lot more to talk about during the preseason and I will have articles on specific positions while we lead up to the start of the regular season. And as always I will have the Previews for each game and the recaps along with a random article Browns article during the middle of each week. Its good to be back in the groove of writing and talking Cleveland Browns!!!!

Krunch Time With Katelin: Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Recap

By Katelin Marshall, @KatelinKnowsCLE

Like I stated in my NFL Draft recap "Winners and Losers", the Cleveland Browns were on the winning side of the NFL Draft. It doesn't hurt when you take the best overall player, grab a potential franchise quarterback, and they added an additional first round pick for the 2018 draft.

Day 1

The Browns hit a home run on the first day of the draft. Obviously taking Myles Garrett number one overall, the consensus best player in the draft, is an A+. Garrett is immediately a cornerstone for this franchise. At the 12th pick he Browns traded down with Houston and swapped first round picks and got the Texans' first round pick next season. The Browns at 25th overall took Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers. Pepper is another guy who is going to make an impact from day one. He's already projected to start day one at strong safety. Then the Browns ended up trading back into the first round with the Green Bay Packers. At 29th overall, the Browns took David Njoku, a tight end out of Miami (FL). Njoku is only 20 years old and already has the physical talent for the NFL. He's a willing blocker and with the Browns releasing Gary Barnidge, Njoku should get every chance to start from day one.

Day 2

The Browns might have landed their quarterback of the future, DeShone Kizer from Notre Dame with the 52nd pick. The Kizer pick was great for two reasons. First off, the Browns likely found their quarterback going forward. Kizer is only 21 years old and will have a chance to grow into the position and doesn't have the pressure to start week one like a top 5 pick would have been. Secondly, the Browns didn't have to move up for him. Kizer landed right into their lap so again there is even less pressure on them to start him right away. In the third round, the Browns took defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi out of Charlotte. Ogunjobi made history being Charlotte's first ever player drafted to the NFL. He's projected to play along side of Danny Shelton in the Browns' base 4-3 defense.







Day 3

Day three was interesting to say the least. The Browns started the day taking Howard Wilson a cornerback out of Houston in the fourth round. Wilson is a 6'1" cornerback who should be on the field day one. Then the Browns took Roderick Johnson, a left tackle out of Florida State. Johnson is a project left tackle, so Joe Thomas isn't going anywhere.

Here is where the draft gets interesting.

In the sixth round the Browns took Caleb Brantley, a defensive tackle out of Florida. Brantley was projected to go in the first three rounds, but after an "alleged" assault took place in the middle of April most teams took Brantley off of their draft board. The Browns acknowledged Brantley's off-field situation and they are willing to release him if more comes out about his situation. Then to finish the draft the Browns took Zane Gonzalez, the highest rated kicker in the draft in the 7th round, and Matt Dayes, a running back out of NC State and someone who the Browns coached at the Senior Bowl.

Overall, I give this draft an B+/A-.

They filled multiple holes on this roster and added another first round pick for 2018's draft. They also held true to their draft board and didn't panic to get anyone, they made the smart picks and honestly, they set themselves up for some success in the 2017 season.