So the 2023 regular season record of 11-6 isn't an improvement over the 2023 record of 7-10?
Improvement = yes, meeting expectations = nope
Keep in mind, in 2020, the Browns were 11-5 with a playoff appearance of 2 games making them 12-6 for the year. Now, if we were to believe the story that the 2020 team with Mayfield as QB wasn't good enough to get the Browns to the Super Bowl, then there had to be changes. Haslam opened up his checkbook and gave Berry the funds to get this franchise to a level where they were a league threat for the Super Bowl.
In 2021, the Browns and Berry had the highest cash spend (not cap) in the NFL for that season. Yada yada yada, the Browns put together an 8-9 season and finished tied for last place in the AFC North.
In 2022, the checkbook was still open, and the Browns had the second highest spend in the NFL that season. This was also the year they acquired their elite top 5 QB that was going to take them over the top. A 230M guaranteed 5-year contract for the player that would take them over the top but sadly, he would miss 23 3/4 games in his first 2-years. The team regressed though in 2022 finishing 7-10 and another last place finish in the AFC North.
Enter 2023, the checkbook is still wide open, Berry and the Browns have the highest spend in the NFL again this year. In addition to the spend on players, Berry and the Browns also invested heavily in replacing the DC and special team's coach to get the team to the that evasive Super Bowl level. The Browns improved in 2023 going 11-6 and qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard. The Browns were thumped in the first round 45-14 losing to a team led by a rookie QB and rookie HC. The Browns finished 11-7 for the season which is clearly an improvement over 2023 yet still not as good as the 2020 season where they were 12-6. Three years with the highest average cash spend in the NFL and still chasing the 2020 season even after spending all that money.
https://bucswire.usatoday.com/2023/...eers-salary-cap-cash-spending-tom-brady/NFL Cash Spending 2021 - 2023 💰
The Browns spent $80m more than 2nd place & $168m more than league average in 2023. The Browns spend equals $820.2M over the last 3-years and $204.7M more than the NFL set cap over that period.
2021 salary cap = $182.5M - 2021 Browns spend = $239.4M
2022 salary cap = $208.2M - 2022 Browns spend = $276.3M
2023 salary cap = $224.8M - 2023 Browns spend = $304.5M
So, did the Browns improve in 2023? Yes, they did. Have the Browns come close to meeting expectations considering all the player and coaching changes while spending $204.7M more than the cap over the last 3-years (more than any other team) and still cannot equal or better the results from 2020 which has been deemed unsatisfactory?
