We haven't even gotten through the first round of OTAs yet, and the Cleveland Browns are already taking some major losses.
The Browns figure to lose quite a bit in the 2025 season with a lot of question marks on the roster overall, but maybe even more than meets the eye. Pro Football Focus put out its annual list of roster rankings for every team in the NFL, and the Browns checked in at the very bottom.
Why did PFF label the Browns the absolute worst roster in the NFL, and is that ranking justified?
Browns roster ranked worst in the NFL by PFF in 2025
"The Browns' 2024 offense was hard to watch. The group ranked dead last in PFF grade (62.1) and EPA per play (-0.207). Cleveland still has no clear answer at quarterback, arguably the worst receiving corps in the league and an aging offensive line that earned the fourth-worst PFF grade in 2024 (59.8). It’s hard to get much worse, but the Browns' offense still has a bleak outlook for 2025."
- Pro Football Focus
The Browns' defense has some star power, but it can only carry them so far. The offense looks like it's going to be absolutely dismal this year barring an unexpected resurgence from either Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett, or possibly the breakthrough of a rookie like Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel.
Browns fans will likely be calling for Sanders soon enough, if they aren't already just hoping the organization comes to its senses and puts him out there anyway.
The division the Browns play in is going to make it even tougher on them to compete in 2025. They have to deal with two of the best offenses in the NFL in Baltimore and Cincinnati for four of their games, and then the likelihood of Aaron Rodgers joining a strong Steelers team.
The Browns may not win more than a couple of games this season and the reasons are outlined pretty well by PFF. It's not just a shaky quarterback situation, but a bad offensive line and a lot of young players elsewhere. You never know what having a strong defensive line like the Browns have will do for you, but that offense might struggle to score 17 points per game.