Still Barking: Turning the Page on the 2024 Cleveland Browns
Final thoughts on a tough season.
There are a number of reasons why the Cleveland Browns had a disappointing season in 2024: another year of mounting injuries, poor offensive line play, Jim “just go out there and play” Schwartz’s lackluster defensive scheme, a lethal intersection of older players falling off a cliff, young players plateauing (and in some cases, regressing), and everyone in between playing uninspired football… but more than anything, as everyone who watched the Browns this season knows, it was the QB play.
I started Always Barking to be a voice in moving on from the misery of the past, especially since so much of the local media seems to be stuck there. That is why it’s taken me so long to return after the preseason hype. While it’s easy to be negative after a 3-14 season, let’s chill for a second on the “fire everyone, blow it all up” mindset. The 2024 season is now behind us, and I’m ready to rile up the Dawg Pound once again.
Despite a terrible season, I still hold firm that this is not the “same old Browns.” We are not preparing for a full-on Browns rebuild this offseason. Some areas need to be upgraded, yes, obviously starting with QB. But this is not 2016 and this is not Tennessee. The best defensive player in the league, Myles Garrett will be back, and will likely sign an extension this offseason. Ignore the narratives that the talking heads are pushing, this roster has enough talent where league-average QB play, league-average injuries, and a few minor upgrades (having the #2 overall pick helps) can get them right back into playoff contention. The defense was, for the most part, solid for a second straight season. While I hold firm that Jim Schwartz needs to get a little more creative in his scheme, having players like Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward raises the floor. Still, the defense appeared to take a step back this year, but there’s an easy explanation for that. Having an offense incapable of scoring touchdowns adds more pressure, and thus, forces that side of the ball to play with higher volatility, often making them susceptible to give up a big play, and therefore, they appear worse than they would otherwise. The defense has its weaknesses, and those will need to be addressed in free agency and the draft, but this unit is still capable of playing at a playoff level.
But as I mentioned, Deshaun Watson does STINK. And Andrew Berry and the Browns brass deserve criticism for that trade and contract. Jameis Winston gave us some fun in an otherwise deflating season, beating the Ravens and the Steelers, but he still cannot help himself from throwing the ball to the other team, and for that reason, he will not be returning next season. Whether it’s the draft or free agency, a new starter will be found this offseason.
Now, you may have some skepticism in trusting Andrew Berry to find the next QB. And while Berry may not be the best GM in the league, he is still far from the worst, despite having what may be the worst trade and contract in the history of the NFL on his resume. And having done enough to overcome that albatross is telling. Social media will try to argue otherwise, but Berry has had an above-average hit rate in the draft (guys like Isaiah McGuire and Cedric Tillman look like they are going to be awesome), has made some great trades (acquiring Amari Cooper, Za'Darius Smith, and Jerry Jeudy), and most importantly, he’s undoubtedly a master (cap) manipulator, which is the most important skill for a GM to have with Watson’s contract on the books.
In the coming months, I’m going to release a 2025 Cleveland Browns Draft Guide where I’m going to try to restore some hope back in the Dawg Pound. If I can’t get you barking, I hope I can at least give you a bone or two to chew on for the next few months. But to officially turn the page on the 2024 Cleveland Browns season, I want to share a personal anecdote that reflects my feelings on the state of the Dawg Pound:
Recently, I was at the gym, and even with the low temperatures of Cleveland in the winter months, going in and out of the gym, I usually just have on a hoodie and shorts. On this particular day, the hoodie I had on happened to be a Browns one. Regardless of the team’s record, I never think twice about wearing Browns gear. Getting my stuff together and heading towards the exit, a guy stopped me, for which I paused my music and took out one of my earphones. He said, “I appreciate you still repping the Browns.” I smiled and just said, “Of course,” but I continued to think about this interaction on my drive home. I found it funny because sometimes, so many of our fans think of our team and associate them with misery. However, through all of the vitriol - online, on TV, interacting with fans of other teams, etc., that is not the word that comes to my mind. The word that always comes to my mind is “resilience” because, through Modell, 1-31, Hue Jackson, Johnny Manziel, Baker Bros, Watson, and everything else we have endured, there’s never a doubt that we’ll all be barking come Sundays the next September. Talk to you again soon, Dawg Pound.