Cleveland Browns: 5 Players poised for success in 2018

The Cleveland Browns have undergone massive roster changes under John Dorsey. Here are five players are now poised for success in 2018.

For many, it is easy to look at the Cleveland Browns roster and find players that should come into their own in 2018. Amidst the misery of 2017, we saw Joe Schobert stand out as one of the NFL’s elite, leading the league in tackles and providing the Browns with their lone Pro Bowl representative.

The infusion of talent since last year’s dreadful campaign will allow many additional players to finally prove their worth on an NFL field. As such, we’ll take a look at five candidates for success, although I have admittedly left several noteworthy candidates off of this list.

If those of you reading this were to make a similar list of your own, I have no doubt that the first two names brought up would be included in yours as well. So let us begin there, with Myles Garrett and Josh Gordon.

Myles Garrett

Garrett topping this list is certainly no surprise. His injury-plagued rookie campaign was impressive when he was on the field and, barring further injury, Garrett will likely explode in 2018.

Added talent to the secondary will allow more time for Garrett to track down quarterbacks, something that could have doubled his sack total in 2017. Pair that with a healthy Emmanuel Ogbah on the other side, and we have the makings of a perfect storm.

In my recent piece, Brewing up some bold predictions for 2018, I predicted Garrett will reach a sack count of 15 in the upcoming campaign. I also offered a Dawg-inspried nickname of Cujo for the young quarterback-chaser in A Dawg with no name. If the upcoming season offers what I expect it might, Garrett could live up to both of those statements.

Josh Gordon

Gordon is another shoo-in for this topic. As long as he continues to keep his life outside of football under control 2018 will be a year to remember. He has recently claimed that the Browns have the best wide receiver group in football. That may indeed be the case, but it is on him to prove it.

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The next three players on my list may, or may not be under your own considerations. They have made my list mostly due to their own talent levels and the quality of players that will line up alongside them.

Denzel Ward

Ward also made my bold predictions list as I predicted him to claim the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Whether my psychic abilities pan out or not, Ward is poised for a stand out rookie campaign.

It took very little time for Ward to prove himself to both the veteran players and coaching staff, having already stepped into a starting cornerback role. Consider also that he will be honing his skills in practice against two of the top talents the NFL has to offer at wide receiver, being Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry.

Some claim his size won’t allow him to earn a place among the league’s best, yet I don’t recall those statements when Joe Haden was proving that he could, at the same size. The simple fact here is that the Browns have not had a shut-down corner since well before Haden sprinted to that town to the East.

Ward is a phenomenal talent. If Garrett and Ogbah can remain healthy, quarterbacks may soon learn that they can no longer take advantage of a weak secondary in Cleveland.

Jabrill Peppers

Perhaps having Peppers line up somewhere off the grid did not entirely help his rookie season. The addition of Damarious Randall now allows him to play a more natural position and we should see a remarkable improvement in production as a result.

The Browns secondary is vastly improved over a year ago and that too should significantly help the stat sheet. A common misconception by fans is that good players always perform well. Although this is partly true, a good player will struggle if the players alongside them are subpar. The 2018 campaign will clarify Peppers’ talent level, as the talent surrounding him no longer fits the subpar label.

Antonio Callaway

This is my wildcard of the group. Many of you are likely shaking your heads right about now, and for good reason as Callaway has had some rather significant off the field issues. If Josh Gordon of today could go back in time and mentor his younger self, he may have been breaking records instead of laws the last few years. I expect Callaway will listen attentively to avoid additional mistakes of his own.

Teams will focus on Gordon and Jarvis Landry, allowing both Callaway and Corey Coleman opportunities against the third or fourth best defenders opponents have to offer. If I were to take a chance on a wide receiver, however, I would prefer issues off the field rather than issues on the field. The pecking order at receiver is still being established, but Callaway possesses the talent and capabilities to make John Dorsey look Einstein-ish for his fourth round selection in the draft.

The possibilities for Cleveland Browns players having exceptional seasons does not stop at these five players. A roster full of young players who have a year or two under their belt and the establishment of depth allows a good many players great opportunity to excel.

I could have easily added Coleman, David Njoku and the trio of running backs without a second thought. Quite simply, when things click, everyone will benefit. At this point of the guessing game, it is easy to see that nearly all positions have been upgraded. All but one, in my mind.

Next: NFL 2018: 10 Teams with best chance at going 16-0

Perhaps the pivotal factor for success in 2018 lies among the offensive line, more specifically, the left tackle position. If one of the many candidates at the position can provide stability, I expect success. Without that critical stability however, we should all anticipate some severe difficulties.

Expectations run high for 2018 and the Cleveland Browns have finally reached a point where gaping holes are not found throughout the roster. It remains to be seen how well Dorsey has pieced the puzzle together and, although much work remains, the Browns have begun to establish a culture that fans can find pride in, at long last.