The Browns regular season is finally finished, and the playoffs will begin shortly. However, before we fully transition to the postseason, we would like to acknowledge the players that made Cleveland’s remarkable 2023 regular season possible.
The argument over whether Njoku should have received top five tight end compensation is now moot. In Week 4, this man went out and led the squad in receiving despite having burned his face off. With 81 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns (both career highs), he has set career highs. This season, he is in the top eight in yards after reception. Perhaps most importantly of all, he represents the essence of the 2023 Cleveland Browns’ guts and simple “find a way to win” approach. He made his first Pro Bowl, did I mention that? Njoku is now formally here.
Who would have imagined that Cooper would have the best season of his nine-year career at any point during this season, when the Browns used five different starting quarterbacks? He recorded a career-high amount of receiving yards and connected with all of the Browns’ pass-throwers practically right away. Though in the eyes of other NFL wide outs Cooper may still seem undervalued, in Cleveland, that will never be the case.
We won’t belabour the point here. There isn’t another response. The man is easily the top player in the league and the best player on this club. He has a strong defensive line surrounding him (shoutout to Andrew Berry), which gives us the right perspective on his influence.
DE Anthony Poisal Garrett Myles
Regarding this one, not much more needs to be stated. Jim Schwartz and Garrett’s marriage couldn’t have gone any better, and it may result in both men taking home the NFL Honours Assistant Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year trophies, respectively, next month.
Although a knee injury ended his debut season approximately five weeks ago, Jones will leave a lasting impact on the 2023 campaign. Despite being a fifth-round pick, he had low expectations, which he promptly surpassed when he made his NFL debut in Week 2 following Jack Conklin’s season-ending injury. This seems like the clear solution.
It’s still Jones, who stunned everyone by starting games and performing admirably at both tackle spots, despite not having played since Week 13. He answered any questions about his dedication to football that were raised when he was selected, and he is expected to be an important member of Cleveland’s offensive line for the foreseeable future.
Although there were many ups and downs during JOK’s first two seasons, Cleveland was looking for a versatile player, and the Jim Schwartz defence has really unlocked that potential. Cleveland selected JOK in the second round of the 2021 Draft. Week in and week out, he was in the backfield. It’s clear that having so much freedom to think and play has greatly benefited him.
Many defensive players may be included here, but Emerson deserves to be mentioned as well because he is a valuable player. It is unheard of for a cornerback selected in the third round that he has already accumulated over 25 pass breakups in his two-year career. He did not allow a touchdown during the entire season. In a position where injuries are frequent, the fact that he has never missed a game due to an injury during his career is astounding. It seemed like Emerson made a significant progress this year, and if he does well in the postseason and in 2024, he will gain much more prominence.
