CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns have yet to hold an offseason practice under new coach Freddie Kitchens, but there is plenty of optimism around the organization after acquiring wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and defensive lineman Olivier Vernon from the New York Giants and tackle Sheldon Richardson in free agency.
That optimism has risen the expectations on the Browns, and NFL.com analyst Elliot Harrison moved them up from No. 16 to No. 9 in his latest Power Rankings.
“The only thing in greater abundance than the talent up and down the Browns’ roster is the pressure mounting on Freddie Kitchens,” Harrison writes. “Forget about the normal burden facing rookie head coaches -- Kitchens might be shouldering heavier expectations than any front man in pro football. Consider: Cleveland went 5-3 under interim coach Gregg Williams, wrapping with a narrow loss on the season's final day.
“Kitchens, who served as offensive coordinator for much of 2018, is an in-house hire, which is good in that the nucleus is familiar with him. Not so good if this new-look group gets housed a couple times early in the season, like olden times.”
At 2-5-1 following a 33-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 28 and in the middle of an unprecedented midseason coaching staff upheaval following the dismissals of Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley with eight games left to play, the 2018 Browns looked to be anything but a team capable of the greatest year-to-year turnaround in franchise history.
But a 5-3 record over the second half of the season and a three-game winning streak in December secured the Browns’ greatest turnaround in team history, as they finished plus-7.5 in victories over last year’s winless campaign.
On the first day of the new league year, the Browns traded offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, safety Jabrill Peppers and a pair of selections in the 2019 NFL Draft to the Giants in exchange for Vernon and Beckham Jr.
Over 59 regular-season games, including 56 starts, in five years with the New York Giants, Beckham Jr. turned 622 targets into 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns. Beckham Jr. averaged 92.8 yards per game, including a league-best 108.8 during the 2014 season.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Beckham Jr. has put four 1,000-yard and three double-digit touchdown seasons on his resume since being selected with a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Louisiana State University.
Last season, Beckham Jr. turned in a 77-catch, 1,052-yard, six-touchdown effort for the Giants.
Mayfield broke the NFL rookie record with his 27th touchdown throw of the 2018 season with 3:24 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 26-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC North Division clash at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on December 30.
After taking over the first-team offense in the second quarter of a Week 3 win over the New York Jets, Mayfield completed 310 of his 486 attempts (63.8 percent) for 3,725 yards and 27 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
Under the direction of new Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, who was the interim offensive coordinator for the second half of the 2018 season, Mayfield completed 180 of his 263 attempts (68.4 percent) for 2,254 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
