Browns signing Jack Conklin, Austin Hooper speaks volumes about 2019 Odell Beckham tradeCLEVELAND, Ohio – It was about a year ago, the Browns traded for Odell Beckham Jr.
The exact date was March 13, 2019.
Cleveland sent guard Kevin Zeitler, Jabrill Peppers, a 2019 first-round pick and a 2019 third-round pick to the New York Giants for Olivier Vernon and Beckham.
I thought about that after the Browns agreed to sign free agent tight end Austin Hooper on Monday. Then they followed that up with the signing of tackle Jack Conklin.
Compared to the sizzle of the Beckham/Vernon trade, this seemed a bit of yawner.
But this comes after Vernon missed six games because of a knee injury. Beckham had some impressive stats but failed to blend with the offense.
A solid move such as adding Hooper, a 25-year-old pass-catching tight end, makes sense. Then the Browns boldly at Conklin to bolster the line. And later Monday, the Browns added quarterback Case Keenum to back up Baker Mayfield.
Amen to a return of hard-nosed AFC-North style football with these new additions. It’s also a sign the Browns had to fix some of the moves made during the Beckham deal of a year ago..
LOVE THOSE RUNNING BACKS
New head coach Kevin Stefanski loves tight ends and running backs.
Most teams often play three wide receivers at a time. Not Minnesota when Stefanski was calling the plays last season. They were an offense built on two running backs, two tight ends, two receivers.
The only tight end of note on the current Browns roster is David Njoku. He had a major wrist injury. He suffered a concussion. Njoku played only four games and he fell out of favor with former coach Freddie Kitchens.
The Browns have made it clear to Njoku he is part of the new era. Think about two young, athletic tight ends in Hooper and Njoku.
That’s why the Browns have made Hooper ($44 million for four years, $23 million guaranteed) the highest paid tight end in the NFL.
I’m looking at the Vikings stats in 2019. Here are their top four in receptions:
63: Stefon Diggs, WR
53: Dalvin Cook, RB
39: Kyle Rudolph, TE
36: Irv Smith Jr, TE
A receiver, a running back and two tight ends.
The Vikings ranked No. 4 in rushing attempts last season, behind Baltimore, San Francisco and Seattle.
The Browns? They ranked 22nd in rushing attempts.
That’s right, a team with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt ranked 22nd in rushing attempts.
WHAT BECKHAM DEAL DID
When Freddie Kitchens took over as offensive coordinator in the middle of the 2018 season, the Browns became a team based more on the running game and quick pass routes than before. It made Baker Mayfield a more effective quarterback.
Once the Browns acquired Beckham, they became fixated on getting the ball to the wide receiver.
Perhaps Kitchens forgot the style of offense that allowed him to move up from offensive coordinator to head coach. More likely, he wasn’t mentally strong enough to deal with the pressure of having Beckham wanting the ball.
Former GM John Dorsey put his job on the line with the promotion of Kitchens along with the Beckham deal.
The trade for Beckham was a mess.
Beckham played every game. He caught 74 passes. But the offense lost its identity in the process. I blame the coaching staff for this far more than the receiver.
Vernon didn’t make the expected impact as a pass rusher, partly because of injuries.
Zeitler was missed for his blocking and leadership on the offensive line.
That’s why the Browns had to spend big for Conklin, who played right tackle last season. Aside from center JC Tretter and guard Joel Bitonio, they need help on the line. Signing Conklin is a way of compensating for the loss of Zeitler, even if the two linemen play different positions.
THE NEW ERA
New GM Andrew Berry and Stefanski are not invested in justifying the Beckham trade. It appears they would like Beckham to fit into the offense, but the offense is not going to be All About Odell.
The signing of Hooper and the rumors of the Browns doing serious shopping for an offensive lineman indicate they are going to follow the Stefanski model in Minnesota.
Running backs.
Tight ends.
Receivers.
All working together in a ball-control offense with upgraded offensive line.
Stefanski also has brought in a fullback, Johnny Stanton who was with Minnesota last year. Stefanski has stressed the need for his offense look the same in terms of a defense trying to figure out if it will run or pass.
It’s why Baker Mayfield can expect to take more snaps directly under center than in the shotgun position. It’s why the running backs and tight ends could play a bigger part in the passing game than a year ago – when it was built around receivers Jarvis Landry and Beckham.
It’s why I’m upbeat on the two bold moves made by Berry.
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/03...ree-agency.html
