The Browns are coming off of a somewhat magical 2023 season behind veteran and Comeback Player of the Year, Joe Flacco, who led the Browns to the playoffs before getting bounced by
the Texans in somewhat embarrassing fashion. Despite the thrilling play of Flacco, Deshaun Watson is expected to return as the starting QB for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. The Browns possess
arguably the most dominant defense in the NFL (especially at home) led by Myles Garrett and ranked number-one across most defensive stats in 2023 including efficiency, defensive EPA and 3-and-outs forced. All the Browns need is a competent offense who doesn’t turn the ball over. If they get solid play from their offense, they should be well-positioned to compete deep into the playoffs, but that’s easier said than done.  The Browns have question marks pretty much across their entire offense including at quarterback, running back, and depth of receivers. Watson is making MVP level money with a salary of almost $50 million per year and has been a complete disaster thus far in his time with the Browns. Entering 2024, it will have been almost four years since Watson performed at the MVP level that earned him his monster contract. His past few seasons have been riddled with controversies, suspensions, and injuries and patience in Cleveland is definitely running thin.

Beyond Watson, the Browns also have to pray that superstar RB Nick Chubb will return successfully from a gruesome knee injury that he endured early in the 2023 season. Expectations are that Chubb will be back to start the NFL season, but the level to which he returns is very uncertain and he will be essential for the Browns offense. The Browns added depth at the position with signings of Nyeim Hynes and D’Onta Foreman and they also have Jerome Ford who performed nicely in Chubb’s absence last year. That said, none of them can produce at the level of Chubb when he’s healthy and rumbling for extra yards. Prior to last season, Chubb recorded four straight seasons with over 1,000 yards and 5.0 YPC and it is unlikely that any of the Browns other options can replicate that production. Chubb is one of the best RBs in the NFL and if he isn’t at full health, the Browns will certainly have to find other ways to move the ball on offense. In the passing game, the Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy to complement Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore and David Njoku. Amari Cooper had a tremendous year in 2023 despite inconsistent QB play but he is entering his 9th season and will be 30 years old. It’s unrealistic for the Browns to expect Cooper to maintain last seasons level of production without a jump in QB play. Njoku is also coming off his best NFL season as he barely missed any time from some gnarly face-burns and should prove to be an essential safety net and red zone target for Watson. The bigger questions marks are Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy who were both high draft picks that have yet to produce consistently at the NFL level. Jeudy got absolutely roasted by Steve Smith for his play last season and Moore wasn’t too great either after demanding that the Jets trade him from the mess that was and is Zach Wilson. 2024 should prove to be a critical season for both of them as expectations are still high but if they fail to produce, they may both be out of excuses; unless the excuse is that Watson is injured or bad again.

Writer’s Season Win Prediction: 10-7

The obvious strength for the Browns is their defense. Myles Garrett is coming off of a year where he won his first Defensive Player of the Year and most of the teams key defensive players
are returning as well. Jim Schwartz is proving to be elite at his job and is returning for this season as the Brown’s defensive coordinator. As mentioned above, the Cleveland Browns had the NFL’s
best defense in 2023 and can expect to be just as good in 2024. For fantasy purposes, the Browns may be one of the few teams that are worth drafting prior to the last round, even with
a less than optimal schedule. The Browns also endured an apocalyptic level of injuries in 2023 and unless their franchise truly is cursed, they can expect to be healthier in 2024. Health is very much luck-dependent but is nonetheless a major driver of team success in any individual season. I understand assuming health isn’t really a strength for a team, but knowing that it’s virtually impossible to endure as
many injuries as last year is a strong argument that the Browns should be better in 2024.

As great as this team looks on paper, the question marks at key positions cast a shadow over any lofty expectations.  For a team that wants to run the ball and prey on other teams mistakes, they certainly did the opposite last season.  They finished 26th in yards-per-rush and 32nd in INTs and reversing those two numbers will do wonders for thier overall record.  Even if Chubb recovers fully and Jeudy just needed a change of scenery, it’s all going to be for naught if Watson can’t figure out how to stay upright.  This team has big dreams and this might be the last season where they are willing to bet all the chips on an aging QB who is clinging to what he was as everyone wants to ignore what he might be.

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