Andy Janovich acquired by Browns – A true building block

By STEVE KING

Don’t dismiss for a second the importance of the Browns’ trade with the Denver Broncos to acquire fullback Andy Janovich for a seventh-, or final-round, pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Indeed, in terms of steals, this is one that, if it happened on the street, would land Cleveland General Manager Andrew Berry in jail for pick-pocketing.

The Browns get their much-needed fullback and the price was only a seventh-round pick who probably wouldn’t have made the team anyway. Most seventh-rounders don’t, even on teams such as the Browns that are still trying to become contenders.

Andy Janovich is, especially in short-yardage situations, a good receiver out of the backfield and a good ball-carrier. He has proven that.

And as key as all as that is as he gets set to arrive in town, the biggest benefit of Janovich’s game for the Browns is that he is an outstanding lead blocker.

Despite having running back Nick Chubb, who finished second in the NFL in rushing yards last season, and quick, speedy, elusive Kareem Hunt (for the last half of the season), the Browns had all kinds of problems running the ball in short-yardage situations. There was one time when they were unable to score a touchdown in seven attempts inside the 1-yard line.

Ugh.

You have to work extremely hard to be that bad, that inept.

So while quarterback Baker Mayfield took the brunt of the blame for the offense’s issues in 2019 – that is just things work, for it is the quarterback’s job to get the job done, and when that doesn’t happen, the buck stops at his locker – a good part of it really wasn’t his fault.

Now, though, with Andy Janovich on the Browns, he will become one of the biggest assets for Mayfield with the way he will be able to reduce the quarterback’s need to make so many plays all by himself.

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