CLEVELAND, Ohio — At the NFL Combine on Tuesday, Browns General Manager Andrew Berry mentioned he planned to talk with free agent linebacker Joe Schobert’s agent.
Berry was a part of the Sashi Brown front office (2016-17) and a year with John Dorsey (2018). During that time, the team allowed some of what Joe Thomas called “working class veterans” to leave via free agency.
The biggest mistake was losing right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who ended up signing with Kansas City, where a familiar face named John Dorsey was the general manager. Schwartz wanted to stay Cleveland, unlike close friend Alex Mack (center), who had no intention of remaining with the Browns.
To the credit of Brown’s front office, the team did sign Joel Bitonio and Christian Kirksey to extensions before they hit free agency. But at that point, the Browns had gained a reputation of a team that didn’t keep its own players when free agency loomed. It was the result of changing GMs every year or two, and that often led to a purge of the previous regime’s players.
Dorsey replaced Brown in December 2017. By opening day of 2019, only nine players remained from the previous regimes.
The franchise has not only been in a perpetual hurricane of change when it comes to GMs and coaches, but also with the roster. For example, Brown made a good move signing free agent guard Kevin Zeitler to a long term deal before the 2017 season. He also signed free agent center JC Tretter to a four-year contract. The Browns already had Bitonio under contract.
The idea was to build veterans into the offensive line to protect the QB they planned to draft at some point. But Dorsey traded Zeitler for Olivier Vernon, and Zeitler was missed at right guard. The Dorsey front office did extend Tretter’s contract.
Part of having a good offensive line is giving them time to play together. Imagine if the Browns had played this season with Tretter, Zeitler and Bitonio in the middle of the offensive line. And imagine if they were still together for 2020.
Tackles would be needed, but the blocking situation would not be as dire as it is now. I think guard Wyatt Teller has some talent, but he’s raw. I miss Zeitler.
Cleveland Browns middle linebacker Joe Schobert is an unrestricted free agent. Photo by John Kuntz / cleveland.comcleveland.com
WHY SCHOBERT MATTERS
Berry has explained the Browns were embarking on a major building project when he was hired as an assistant GM in 2016. The team was focused on adding draft picks, clearing salary cap room and not being afraid of taking major losses on the field for a while.
But that’s not the situation now. The 6-10 Browns underachieved. There is talent on the roster. A massive purge would be foolish.
New head coach Kevin Stefanski and Berry have been talking about players who are “Tough. Smart. Accountable.”
They use those exact words. Those words apply to Schobert.
He’s missed only three games in four seasons. He is the captain of the defense in terms of making sure players are lined up correctly. He’s only 26.
“Joe is a good player and an even better person,” Berry told the media at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday. “He’s earned the right to test the market. . . . but we like Joe.”
When you’re the Browns dealing with Schobert, you probably do have to “over pay.” Stefanski will be his fourth head coach in five seasons. Berry is the third GM.
There is a price to pay for all the sins of the front office and coaching changes.
HOW ABOUT MYLES GARRETT?
Berry also said he planned to “be aggressive in pre-market extensions for players we view as long- term fixtures in the organization.”
That’s what they need to do. Myles Garrett can’t be an unrestricted free agent until after the 2021 season (assuming the Browns pick up his fifth-year option). Now is a good time to work out an extension. He is coming off a suspension. He has become a controversial figure, at least to those outside of Cleveland.
It would seem there could be an opportunity to make sure Garrett is under team control for several years, even if it’s expensive.
Perhaps Rashard Higgins makes sense on a team-friendly deal. He seemed “smart, tough and accountable," at least until things went sideways with Freddie Kitchens, who benched him.
Part of building a culture is committing to players who exhibit those traits. And that’s a big part of the challenge for Berry.