The Cleveland Browns certainly aren't complacent with being the worst team in the NFL. They turned the league on its ears Friday, making a series of trades that brought three solid veterans to the roster. The moves stood in direct opposition to the roster-building strategy the previous regime was employing.
After an embarrassing 0-16 season, the Browns added wide receiver Jarvis Landry, quarterback Tyrod Taylor, and cornerback Damarious Randall. They also jettisoned last year's struggling rookie quarterback, DeShone Kizer, in a separate move. Do these moves make sense for the beleaguered franchise?
Let's evaluate the pros and cons.
The pros
For starters, the Browns might have a viable product on the field! It's been some time since fans of the team have been able to say that. Cleveland hasn't won more than three games since 2014 and hasn't finished with a winning record since 2007. It's too soon to say Landry and Taylor can change those fortunes, but it's a start.
The two offensive acquisitions are very solid players. Landry is one of the most dangerous weapons out of the slot, an area of the field that may become a bit clogged in Cleveland. He went to his third consecutive Pro Bowl last year. Landry caught a career-high 112 receptions in 2017, leading the league in that category. He immediately becomes their most dynamic target (outside of the troubled Josh Gordon) in a decade.
Taylor could have an even larger impact. While he never found love with the Buffalo Bills, he's a darling of the advanced stats community, and a ball protector who can take shots down the field. Browns fans have put a lot of blind faith in young guns or old veterans. They can finally turn to a steady quarterback who should be entering the prime of his powers.
Taylor will be a huge developmental piece for Cleveland.
The cons
There's a difference between improving and running in place. The trades should go a long way in improving the product on the field. Will it carry them to the top of the AFC North? Absolutely not. Does that mean the moves were the wrong ones for Cleveland to make?
Hard to say at this point.
Part of the battle is retaining these new acquisitions. Landry signed a franchise tag with the Dolphins before the trade. The team can afford to pay him big money in a contract extension, but he may not be willing to play long-term for the franchise. Cleveland also jettisoned some draft picks that could have been useful for long-term team building.
In professional sports, the Philadelphia 76ers were once the model for how the Browns were trying to build. The NBA team is finally reaping the benefits of their long rebuild this year, likely bound for the playoffs with a strong young core. Cleveland couldn't take all the losing anymore, though.
Only time will tell if the additions of Taylor and Landry alter the fortunes of the ill-fated franchise, or just leave it stuck in a state of constant suffering.
