NFL free agency opens and GM Andrew Berry should continue to swing for the fences
When the Cleveland Browns traded for quarterback Deshaun Watson back in 2021, it was deemed as an aggressive move by the front office. Considering how bridges were burned with current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, the team went after Watson despite his off-the-field issues.
At the time, Watson was considered by most to be one of the top 10 quarterbacks when he was in Houston. Cleveland believed Watson was the missing piece to their team. Watson initially declined the Browns but GM Andrew Berry remained heavily persistent in their approach and it led them to acquire Watson.
Fast forward to now, Watson never recaptured his form and the Browns find themselves without a quarterback once again. After the Watson debacle, many have questioned if Cleveland should change their approach in terms of roster building in terms of the aggressive approach.
With NFL free agency opening (along with potential trades), should they turn down the aggressiveness?
No.
It’s not uncommon for a team to be aggressive in how their team should be built. Some teams’ philosophies are different than others. Berry has been more proactive than previous general managers that were in Cleveland. Berry looked at ways to improve the quality of the team but did so in as many ways as possible including trades, big contracts and moves in the NFL draft.
Outside of the Watson debacle, he traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive end Za’Darius Smith and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. During the Brandon Aiyuk saga last offseason in San Francisco, Berry looked into the speedy receiver and was willing to make a big deal to get him.
Proactive in his approach, he will look into any moves necessary. This upcoming offseason will be important for many reasons, but Berry shouldn’t let one bad move change his whole approach. To get where you want to go in the NFL, you have to be aggressive at some point instead of being complacent. One wrong move shouldn’t change the Browns approach.
Expect the Browns to be aggressive, but smart in terms of how they are going to re-tool their roster.