It didn’t take long for fans to begin looking towards the Super Bowl with hopes of the Browns being one of the two participants. Hope of a better year and a better team and a better season has been the foundation for a fanbase that hasn’t had much to cheer for lately, until now.
While it may be a bit too soon to begin planning a parade, Cleveland made more progress towards that goal this offseason by trading for an elite option for Baker Mayfield and fortifying an already strong defensive unit. These moves are only made with one goal in mind, the Super Bowl. The Browns may not be as likely as thought to appear in the Super Bowl in February 2020, but GM John Dorsey knows that there is no time to waste while they have a potential franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield on a rookie contract.
This formula is the same one employed by the Seattle Seahawks after realizing that Russell Wilson is a franchise player. Seattle quickly reinforced the offensive line, added depth to an already strong defense and sought to find value at the skill positions around their newfound QB. Cleveland’s defense has been solid for the past two seasons but by adding Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon in free agency and via trade it creates a pass rush that teams will need to worry about. The cornerbacks that led Seattle to the Super Bowl were aggressive and physical and always looked to take the ball away. While the play style of the secondary may be adapted under new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, the configuration of the roster lends itself to a similar style of play: get after the QB and get speedy defensive backs who have a knack for finding the football in the air. Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward both match that style of play.
More will become clear after Week 1 in September, but for now the Browns are going to approach this season the ways fans have always wanted, with championship dreams instead of ownership-induced nightmares.