As he does every year, general manager Andrew Berry sat down with the media to give his pre-draft press conference. With the 2023 NFL draft now less than a week away, the Cleveland Browns will be looking to maximize their eight draft picks despite not having a first or second round pick.
He discussed free agency, his philosophy on making trades, the Browns’ draft board, and more. What can we take away from Berry’s presser? We highlight five points that stood out as he and his team prepare to welcome another group of young players to the Browns.
We dive in here. All quotes can be found in the transcript provided for Berry’s presser.
The Browns are not looking for day-one contributors in the draft
“I think every general manager in this sport has to have a foot in the present and a foot in the future.”
Despite the public perception, the NFL draft is meant to add talent for the future. In some cases, teams even ease in first round picks into their starting lineup to make their transition from the college level to the NFL level stress-free. And for a team that does not have a single pick in the top 70 of the 2023 NFL draft, Andrew Berry is looking for players who can bring value to the roster further down the road than the 2023 season.
“Ideally, you want to be in a position as a roster where you’re not relying on rookies to have major roles… We really want to make sure that as we’re in this lifecycle of the team, we’re in a position where younger players can maybe intergrade into the NFL and develop in the NFL at maybe more of an appropriate pace.”
The Browns addressed their starting roles in free agency so that no rookie selected in the middle rounds is forced to start right away. A defensive tackle may find a rotational role. An edge rusher will contribute on a rotational basis, and a wide receiver will do the same if selected. However, outside of injuries, the Browns will not put a rookie in a position to see significant snaps like Alex Wright had to a year ago when Jadeveon Clowney went down with an injury.
It sure sounds like the Browns will pick up the fifth-year option of LT Jedrick Wills
The Browns have historically (under Berry) made their decisions on fifth-year options of first round picks before the 2023 NFL Draft, and it seems like that will be the case again this year with left tackle Jedrick Wills. While Wills has not lived up to the hype of a 10th-overall pick in the draft, he has been an average starter.
And it sounds like the Browns are going to give him two more years to develop before deciding on his future.
“I think you know that I don’t really talk about contracts or those decisions in this setting. You guys will certainly know before May 2 and we’re pleased with Jed.”
The fifth-year option of Wills will be worth around $14 million in 2024. As it currently stands, that would put Wills as the 15th-highest-paid left tackle in the NFL. The value today is appropriate for what Wills has produced on the field, and there is still another bout of free agency before Wills’ contract will toll that amount.
A middle-of-the-road left tackle will be getting paid like a middle-of-the-road left tackle. The Browns will not create a need on their roster will there currently is not one.
Andrew Berry breaks down the thought process in trading for WR Elijah Moore
Berry was asked what his philosophy on trading for players and for making draft day trades was. He broke it down into four processes of thought: how much would it cost to acquire the player/pick, what is the cost of paying the player, does the player fit the current roster, and what is the positional value?
He then used the trade for wide receiver Elijah Moore as an example:
“For us, with (WR) Elijah (Moore), we saw a guy who was 22-year-old receiver that could separate, had speed, good hands. His skillset would fit a need that we thought we had on the roster. He’s still on his rookie deal and we thought the draft-pick compensation was appropriate, while still maintaining our volume in 2023. We thought it was a good fit for us, a good opportunity for us.”
For Berry and the Browns, Moore plays a premium position, checks off boxes of what a wide receiver needs to do at the NFL level, fills a need on the roster, and is a young player with two years left on his rookie contract. It only cost the Browns a move-down of 32 picks to acquire Moore as well.
This deal checked every box.
The Browns won't veer from their draft strategy
Despite entering a competitive window, Berry and his team are still focused on building sustainable success and not selling out for two or three years. Berry does not feel the roster is in such a unique place where they feel like they have to veer from their draft plans.
“I don’t know that I think of our roster status as being so unique that we would pivot significantly from the type of risks we think are appropriate in certain rounds versus not.”
This means the guardrails the Browns have typically held will not bend too much. This means the Browns will not panic and reach for need if the value is no there. Expect Berry and the Browns to enter the draft even-keeled and focused on their philosophy again.
Berry understands the type of players he is likely to land in middle-rounds
NFL teams are still bad at drafting players. It is not a full-proof event that any general manager has mastered. Only 30 percent of first round picks receive second contracts from the team that drafted them. There is no such thing as a bust on day three of the draft, and Berry recognizes this.
“It’s actually a very small percent and I won’t quote the exact percentage, but it’s a very small percent. You’re probably a little bit more inclined to get, let’s say rotational players or high-level backups. That’s not to say that you shoot or try and organize your board for the amount of draws that you can have for more than that. It’s also probably a reason for us, where as we get into, let’s say the middle rounds or the later rounds, we really do look for individuals or players that have unique characteristics, whether it’s a skill or a trait.”
Instead of trying to hit a home run and land a perennial Pro Bowler or consistent starter beyond the first and second rounds is extremely rare and difficult. By focusing on traits and focusing on players who do particular things well, the Browns have a higher rate of landing role players and consistent rotational players.
