Speed kills and it’s killing the Browns
By STEVE KING
It all makes sense now.
The members of the Browns front office we’re reluctant to get rid of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. because they knew he was the only accomplished player they had who possessed the speed to stretch the field in the passing game.
Beckham was sorely missed in Sunday night’s 16-10 loss at Baltimore. The Ravens safeties crept up into the box and played like linebackers to stop the run, begging the Browns to throw over top their heads. They knew the Browns had no one who could run down the field and make plays.
Indeed, if the NFL Draft were held tomorrow, I would hope the Browns would seriously consider taking a fast, big-play receiver with their top pick if a good one is there and the value is right. In any event, it’s a priority going into next season. We know speed kills.
That is not to take anything away from Donovan Peoples-Jones, who has good but not great speed, or rookie Anthony Schwartz, who is fast but has not yet proven himself.
A legitimate downfield passing threat pushes those safeties back, which, in turn, opens up the running game.
It’s time to really hone in on those things. There are still six games left and that’s plenty of time to still learn about all the players on the roster. General Manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski will thus be able to head into the off-season with a clear vision of what they need to do to improve the roster.
Browns make roster moves
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have made the following roster moves:
Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 (1):
LS Charley Hughlett
Placed on Practice Squad/COVID-19 (1):
FB Johnny Stanton IV
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