Unbeliveable: Browns head Coach Agree to make on agreement for free ag….

admin | January 24, 2024 | Other Clubs | No Comments

Unbeliveable: Browns head Coach Agree to make on agreement for free ag….

Taking a looking at Cleveland Browns players on offense that are slated to be free agents this offseason. Who should the team re-sign and who would be better-suited with another team? Find out here.

Now that the dust has settled in the 2023-24 Cleveland Browns season, we turn our attention to the offseason. This offseason will be another pivotal one in determining the future success of the franchise, as the Browns begin the strategic phase of aiming to enhance the roster, address positional weaknesses, and continue to build upon the existing foundation. This will include exploring player additions via trades, the NFL Draft, and free agency, the latter of which will be our focus here.

The Browns have a slew of players currently slated to hit free agency, some of which are familiar household names. Our purpose here is to try and determine which free agents should be brought back for the 2024-25 season (“bu

Expected points added (“EPA”) via Inside the Pylon: “Expected Points Added (EPA) is a football statistic that seeks to measure the value of individual plays in terms of points. This is done by calculating the Expected Points (EP) of the down, distance, and field position situation at the start of a play and contrasting it with the situation at the end of the play. A three-yard gain on first-and-10 is pretty different than a three-yard gain on third-and-two, something not usually captured in conventional statistics. The Expected Points framework helps translate raw gains into value.”

Completion percentage over expectation (“CPOE”): Calculates the probability of a pass being completed using various factors, e.g. field position, down, distance to the sticks, pass location, air yards, etc. That expected completion percentage is then subtracted from the actual completion percentage to arrive at CPOE.

y”) and which players would be better-suited with a different ball club (“sell”).

Some definitions of metrics that may be used throughout:

Notes: Joe Flacco won over the hearts of many Browns fans during his stretch of games over the latter part of the season. His leadership, presence in the locker room, and performance on the field were key to the team’s appearance in the 2023-24 NFL playoffs. From Weeks 13 thru 17, the veteran led the position in yards (1,630) and touchdowns (13) and was tied for 6th in big time throws (10). However, the turnover bug did not work in his favor, as he also led all quarterbacks in the category with eight. In fact, his EPA per play ranking went from 25th to 16th if you exclude plays with turnovers. This is a tough call as I believe he can help a team win football games under the right circumstances, but I believe this will be a Jacoby Brissett type situation where the Browns elect to go with a more affordable option at backup (even though both parties have reportedly expressed mutual interest in a return).

Notes: Among the 48 quarterbacks who were on the field for 125+ plays, P.J. Walker ranked 46th in EPA per play (-0.222), 45th in success rate (36.7 percent), and 48th in completion percentage over expectation (-13.0). Some will point to the Browns record with him under center as an arguing point for his return, but the team’s win-loss-record and his performance are not directly correlated.

Notes: Jeff Driskel started Week 18 in the meaningless matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. In that game, he completed 50 percent of his pass attempts for 166 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 9.4 percent turnover worthy throw rate. He provides some value in the “DTR package” where he can use his legs in order for positive gains in short yardage or goal line situations, which could result in a potential practice squad spot in 2024.

Notes: Kareem Hunt was signed shortly after the season-ending Nick Chubb injury due to not only his familiarity with Kevin Stefanski’s offense, but also his past performance for the Browns. In 2023, you could see the age factor starting to catch-up to the running back, during which he posted a respectable 9.4 tackle-for-loss rate, but was 61st out of 63 qualifying backs in explosive run rate (2.3 percent). As such, I believe the Browns will be going with an upside/youth approach at the position in 2024 (via the draft, free agency, etc.), so I do not expect Hunt to be back with the team.

Notes: Jakeem Grant signed a three-year contract with the Browns during the 2022 offseason in hopes that he could solve the team’s punt/kick return needs. However, he has suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in the form of an achilles tendon tear in 2022 and a ruptured patellar tendon in 2023. Grant has a desirable special teams skillset, but with the injury history and his age, I do not see a return to the orange and brown in 2024.

Notes: James Proche filled-in for Grant as the team’s punt returner from Week 9 thru the end of the season. His production was fairly average, with 8.7 yards per return attempt. With that said, I expect the Browns to pursue another option for the position this offseason or to use someone currently on the active roster.

Notes: Marquise Goodwin was brought to Cleveland in hopes that he could stretch the field and be the deep threat the offense has been missing. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition, as he hauled-in just one of ten targets at a depth of 20+ yards downfield for 57 yards (71.4 percent of total targets came at the passing depth). As such, I believe the Browns will look elsewhere at the position this offseason.

Notes: Harrison Bryant did not have his most productive season as a pass-catcher (17 receptions on 26 targets for 146 yards and 0.89 yards per route run), but he made the most of the targets with a 35 percent first down rate. Where he found the most success was in the blocking aspect of the game, where Bryant finished 3rd in pass-blocking grade (80.2). This is a valuable skill set that I believe the Browns will capitalize on in the near-term.

Notes: Geron Christian assumed the starting left tackle role from Week 10 forward after the season-ending knee injury to Jedrick Wills, Jr. Christian struggled for the most part, finishing 61st out of 73 qualifying players at the position in pass-blocking efficiency (94.9) and 62nd in pass-blocking grade (55.0). Left tackle will, most likely, be a focal point for the Browns via all possible avenues.

Notes: In his fourth season with the Browns, Michael Dunn recorded a 55.8 pass-blocking grade after allowing five quarterback pressures on 137 allowed pressure opportunities and a respectable 63.0 run-blocking grade on 27 run-blocking snaps. Overall, he has done okay as a depth piece along the offensive line, but I expect the Browns to pursue other options for backing up the likes of Wills, Joel Bitonio, and Wyatt Teller.

Notes: Nick Harris was the team’s backup center behind Ethan Pocic coming in 2023, but ended up assuming the fullback role as a lead blocker for Jerome Ford, Hunt, and Pierre Strong. Versatility is a coveted trait by Berry and the coaching staff, so I would not be surprised to see Harris back with the Browns in 2024 with a dual role on the offensive side of the football. The question will become whether the fullback role is enough to fulfill a roster spot, as former sixth-round pick Luke Wypler is the backup center in waiting.

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