AFC North 2025

Written by :: hilow

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Coaching/Philosophy/Scheme Changes::

• Offense: Tommy Rees gets the promotion from pass game specialist and tight ends coach to offensive coordinator following the firing of Ken Dorsey; this remains Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
• Defense: Jim Schwartz returns for his third season as the defensive coordinator for the Browns after his team allowed 25.6 points per game in 2024 (27^th) and 22.6 points per game in 2023 (21^st).

Personnel Changes::

• Added veteran QBs Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett and drafted rookie Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round as well as Dillon Gabriel in the third round. This quarterback room could go many ways throughout the season, considering they also have Deshaun Watson still on the roster. We might see three or four quarterbacks start for the Browns in 2025.
• Drafted RB Quinshon Judkins in the second round – likely to form some sort of committee with Jerome Ford and/or fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson.
• LT Jedrick Wills was not re-signed, leaving Dawand Jones likely to start on the blind side. The other four starting offensive linemen return in Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin.
• Signed former 49er DT Maliek Collins and drafted DT Mason Graham and LB Carson Schwesinger in the first and second round, respectively.
• Nick Chubb was not re-signed.
• Just signed WR Diontae Johnson, whom I expect to start opposite Cedric Tillman on the perimeter, allowing Jerry Jeudy to man the slot at an elevated rate.

Schedule::

• Divisional Games (6)::
  • Bengals x2, Ravens x2, Steelers x2
• AFC East (4)::
  • Bills, Dolphins, @Patriots, @Jets
• NFC North (4)::
  • Packers, Vikings, Bears, Lions
• Other (3):: 
  • Titans, 49ers, Raiders

Bull Case::

There is no place to go but up regarding this team’s quarterback play as compared to last season. Furthermore, the late addition of wide receiver Diontae Johnson gives this team three wide receivers capable of winning over multiple levels of the field, in addition to tight end David Njoku. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is no prime Nick Chubb, but he has a physicality to his running style that is likely to translate to between-the-tackles success at the NFL level. The Browns also boast a top on-paper offensive line, one that struggled through mounting injuries as they underperformed expectations a season ago. With improved line play, more consistency under center, and a Kevin Stefanski offense, this team has the makings of a top-half offense heading into 2025.

It appears likely that Joe Flacco will begin the new season as the starter under center, with the potential for Shedeur Sanders to make his mark felt at some point in 2025. Flacco brings a gunslinger mentality, average arm strength, and good downfield accuracy. Sanders brings elite efficiency but is prone to sacks and negative plays, the latter of which is a massive question mark considering the struggles of the offensive line in 2024. Either way, both quarterbacks bring strengths to the offense that they were sorely missing last year. Deshaun Watson had zero downfield ability, making the offense one-dimensional and static. Bailey Zappe had a 51.6% completion rate and two interceptions to just one touchdown in his lone start, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson had a 51.7% completion rate, threw six interceptions, and failed to pass for a touchdown in seven appearances. Consistency at both quarterback and along the offensive line will be huge for this team moving forward.

Finally, the addition of Diontae Johnson is a massive boost to this offense. Forget about his 2024 season, this man can flat run routes. He leads the league in ESPN’s open score during the previous three seasons and simply always seems to be open. His route running chops are amongst the best in the league, which is likely to be relied upon by both the veteran Flacco and rookie Sanders considering their quarterbacking tendencies. Add the downfield abilities from the slot from Jeudy, the per-target upside of Tillman, and the interior abilities of Njoku, and this pass-catching corps has legs heading into 2025.

Bear Case::

It is difficult to comprehend just how bad this team was last year. They ranked dead last in points per game at 15.2, 28^th in total offense per game (300.8 yards), 27^th in points per game allowed (25.6), and dead last in turnover margin (-1.3 per game). The offensive line struggled mightily with continuity amidst mounting injuries, the quarterback play was one of the worst in the league, and they suffered significant injuries on both sides of the ball. They were quite literally dead on arrival. They also have likely the most question marks at quarterback in the league considering they have four new faces at the position this offseason. It is clear to see paths to the downside with this offense heading into 2025.

Expectations/Takeaways::

This team does not look terrible on paper. Yes, they struggled mightily last year, but the current depth chart, coaching staff, and outlook carry sneaky upside in a fantasy setting. Boosting that potential is a schedule against numerous opponents that could push the Browns on the scoreboard, including the Bengals (x2), the Ravens (x2), the Bills, the Dolphins, all of the NFC North, and the 49ers. That’s 11 of their 17 scheduled games. We can’t know how healthy the offensive line is going to remain, nor can we know if Sanders will pan out or if the team will stick with Flacco in a bridge year, but the current state of this team is far less gloomy than our memory serves. Diontae Johnson currently appears to be a screaming value in early Best Ball drafts, Cedric Tillman has legitimate upside in his profile on a per-target basis, David Njoku remains a top five option in the league at the tight end position, and Joe Flacco carries intriguing, yet speculative, upside as a QB2.

BALTIMORE RAVENS