I know some of you are still becoming comfortable with the notion that the Cleveland Browns are no longer bad. The idea is accompanied by an uneasy feeling in a football fan's gut—one borne from years of witnessing dysfunction, poor decisions and all-around underachievement in Cuyahoga County.
There were just so damn many mistakes by the lake.
As a result, the Browns are not easy to trust, but they're coming off their first winning season since 2007, their first playoff campaign since 2002 and their first postseason victory since 1994. That was a stepping stone year, and it was important because it provided proof the reborn Browns are legally allowed to win.
But the reality is this version of the Browns hasn't even scratched the surface. The 2020 campaign created promise as they grew despite a global pandemic interfering with their ability to adjust to a new coaching staff and a retooled offense.
Thus far in 2021, it's a whole new ballgame. The adjustments are complete and the Browns keep building through free agency and the draft, which is fittingly taking place in their backyard on the Lake Erie shoreline just as they become relevant on a Super Bowl-scale for the first time this century.
The Browns absolutely nailed the first three rounds of said draft, with a particular focus on bolstering a defense that broadly remained a liability in 2020 but has already been turned into an asset this offseason.
It started with the additions of safety John Johnson III, edge defender Takkarist McKinley, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., and cornerback Troy Hill; it continued when veteran defensive linemen Malik Jackson and Jadeveon Clowney joined the fray; and the cherries on top came Thursday and Friday night when general manager Andrew Berry selected two immediate-impact defenders in first-round corner Greg Newsome II and versatile second-round steal Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
It's finally time to bury your doubt. The Browns have arrived.
The offense was already there late last year. With a stacked line, a strong receiving corps and one of the best 1-2 running back punches in the NFL, all it took was a breakout season from improved third-year quarterback Baker Mayfield for Stefanski's sneaky-efficient unit to move into the top 10 in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) at Football Outsiders.
But the defense ranked in the bottom quarter of the NFL in that metric. Myles Garrett is one of the best pass-rushers in the league and Denzel Ward put together a third consecutive strong season in coverage, but Cleveland lacked support for those two stars and that depth issue was exploited often.
They turned the ball over just 16 times in 16 regular-season games but generated just 21 takeaways and surrendered 26.2 points per outing.
They entered the offseason needing more punch opposite Garrett, more talent around Ward and more speed and range off the ball at safety and linebacker. And in a span of seven weeks, they've checked every single one of those boxes.
Put it all together and they're now better in every single phase. And don't forget that third-year second-round corner Greedy Williams should return from the shoulder injury that caused him to miss his sophomore campaign, while 2020 second-round pick Grant Delpit—who missed his rookie season due to an Achilles tendon tear—should factor in with Johnson, veteran Ronnie Harrison Jr. and possibly even JOK at safety.
Oh, and of course the offense didn't have three-time Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for the second half of that breakout 2020 season, but he too should return from injury to join standout Jarvis Landry, the reliable Rashard Higgins and rookie burner Anthony Schwartz.
So while it feels strange to see only five teams with better Super Bowl odds than Cleveland at DraftKings, the Browns' trajectory might indicate they're being sold short there.
On paper, we have to start talking about the Browns as a team that—if all goes right—could overcome the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and anybody else in their way to capture their first-ever Vince Lombardi Trophy.
It's weird, I know. But you just might get used to it.
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Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter: @Brad_Gagnon.
