Browns offseason: What is the biggest question for the team?

Deshaun Watson, free agency, NFL draft, coaching staff: Lots of options

The Cleveland Browns finished the 2023 regular season an impressive 11-6 despite a ton of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball. The offense was impacted early by the injury bug but it spread throughout the team.

The lasting memory for Browns fans will be the blowout loss to the young Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Two turnovers in the middle of the game turned it into a route and called into question any of the success from the season.

With the NFL offseason (free agency, draft) around the corner, the Browns offseason will once again be interesting.

There are some huge questions facing the team:

• How will QB Deshaun Watson look coming back from surgery?
• When will RB Nick Chubb be available?
• Will the team move Jack Conklin or Jedrick Wills in a trade?
• How will they spend their flexible cap space?
• Will GM Andrew Berry be aggressive in the draft to move up for specific players?
• What will the new offensive staff mean for the offense under HC Kevin Stefanski?

According to Jake Trotter of ESPN, how Cleveland finds another weapon for Watson is the biggest question of the offseason:

Can the Browns land another big-time playmaker?

Last offseason, the Browns focused on bolstering what was the league’s worst run defense in 2022. They accomplished just that, signing free agent defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who played a huge role in their defensive turnaround. This offseason, they could focus on adding a prominent receiver. The Browns already have two Pro Bowl pass-catchers in Amari Cooper and David Njoku. Cooper, however, will turn 30 this summer. Getting one more proven receiver could be what helps quarterback Deshaun Watson regain his form and elevate the Cleveland offense to another level. — Jake Trotter

If we limit “offseason” to just mean roster moves, Trotter’s question is a big one but Watson is being paid to lift the offense. With Amari Cooper, David Njoku and, at some point, Chubb, the Browns offense has top-level talent to work with. Having more weapons is always helpful but is that the team’s biggest need?

What do you think is the biggest offseason question in Cleveland/Berea this year?