The [Cleveland Browns](https://www.dawgsbynature.com/) are an enigma. This is a team with one of the most passionate and loyal fanbases in the NFL, desperate for sustained success. A 10-6 season all the way back in 2007 was a fleeting glimmer of hope, and another winning season wouldn’t come until 2020. Finally, with a legitimate quarterback in Baker Mayfield and an impressive head coach in Kevin Stefanski, the Browns would reach 11-5 and taste playoff success for the first time in ages.
[Cleveland went all-in over the next four seasons](https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2024/3/7/24093898/browns-cash-spending-salary-cap-jimmy-haslam-nflpa), **spending more money on their roster than any other team in the NFL**. The Browns would invest over $1.15 billion in cash spending from the 2021-2024 seasons, far outpacing the rest of the league. Despite that investment, the Browns managed just a single winning season (11-6 in 2023) and compiled a record of 29-39. While that’s far from the worst mark in the league in that span, it’s well short of what you’d expect.
Despite a clear commitment to spending in free agency, a high-level coach leading the way, and supposed quarterback stability, what does Cleveland have to show for it?
The Browns’ quarterback questions start before DeShaun Watson
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Right away, all eyes move to the quarterback position. That’s where the Browns have struggled the most, and made the poorest decisions. While the ultimately doomed trade for Deshaun Watson would be the most damaging blow to Cleveland’s roster, the first domino to fall was actually the decision to move on from Baker Mayfield.
Obviously, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems like keeping Mayfield would’ve been the wisest course of action. I don’t think Mayfield’s future success would’ve been assured in Cleveland, but picking up his fifth-year option and keeping him around to compete with a rookie or another veteran would’ve at least prevented the Browns from making the Watson trade. And it’s not as if Mayfield showed _nothing_ as a starter in his time in Cleveland, delivering one of the best seasons in the recent history of the franchise alongside several forgettable ones.
Still, Mayfield’s up-and-down final season in 2021 paved the way for the most damaging move the Browns made, and possibly one of the worst trades in NFL history: sending three first-rounders and a slew of other picks to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson. I’m not here to twist the knife, Browns fans. We don’t need to spend any more time on this deal than that. But that trade, alongside a catastrophic fully guaranteed contract extension, set the stage for the team’s ensuing struggles.
Obviously, Watson has barely played due to injury, and when he has played, he’s looked like one of the worst starters in the NFL. It’s an unmitigated disaster, considering that the Browns are paying the second-most for the quarterback position since Watson’s trade in 2022. So most of the issues start and end there. But what about the rest of Cleveland’s spending? Has that produced any results?
The rest of the Browns offense hasn’t been cheap, either
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The offensive line has also been one of Cleveland’s greatest expenditures, with the team spending the fifth most at the position since 2021. This started out very promising, with the Browns assembling one of the best offensive lines…for a time. But injuries and age started to pile up quickly, with right tackle Jack Conklin and left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. missing a lot of games over the years. Total offensive investment was very high for Cleveland overall, with plenty of spending at wide receiver and tight end too.
The results since 2021? Just one top-10 offense (10th, in 2023) and a 2024 season that saw the Browns finish 32nd.
Has the Browns defense lived up to financial expectations?
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On the defensive side, the Browns have spent a bit less. That’s not surprising, given the aforementioned offensive investments. But one place Cleveland has emphasized is the defensive line, where the Browns have spent the tenth-most on the position since 2021. The pass rush is one area that has typically performed well, but the Browns defenses have been average to bad, with no top-10 finishes in the 2021-2024 span.
The Browns haven’t done enough to justify their big salaries
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At the end of the day, it doesn’t seem to matter how much money the Browns spend. Neither the offense or defense have lived up to expectations. So is it coaching? Bad injury luck? The Watson deal dragging the entire team down?
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but the takeaway message is the same: despite the Browns leading the NFL in cash spending since 2021, they’ve got just one playoff appearance (a 45-14 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Texans, to add insult to injury) to show for it.
That’s simply not good enough, and one wonders just how much longer Kevin Stefanski and general manager Andrew Berry can weather the storm without results.