Cleveland Browns Made Huge Error Not Pairing Bradley Chubb With Myles Garrett
The Cleveland Browns sat in their War Room and let a great opportunity slip past. The old saying is that defense wins championships and while the Browns went defensive with the No. 4 pick, it was the wrong guy. Why on earth didn’t the Browns select Bradley Chubb to pair with Myles Garrett?
Last I checked, the Cleveland Browns play in a division where their QBs are non-mobile. Yes, Ben Roethlisberger has had his moments where he escaped the pocket, however, at 36-years old, he’s no longer the Whodini he once was. The same goes for Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton. This is why drafting Chubb was their best and only option.
[MarkAds]But leave it to the Browns to throw their great offseason off track with an unconventional move.
There are two main factors in football that will stand the test of time. One is to run the ball to set the offense up and the other is to attack the QB early and often. Well, the Browns let Saquon Barkley fall to the Giants which should have left them in attack mode. That didn’t happen. While Denzel Ward is a good corner, he’s no Chubb off the snap.
In 2017, while at North Carolina State, Chubb registered 10 sacks and hurried the QB countless others. In 2017, the Browns registered 34 sacks led by Garrett with seven. There was a huge need for another pass rusher and the Browns ignored it.
In order to win in this league, the game is fought in the trenches. The offensive line has to hold blocks and the defensive line has to attack. Pairing Bradley Chubb with Myles Garrett would give the Browns a deadly combo on the outside that will free up their DTs and LBs to control the opposition’s run scheme. This is where the Browns faltered last season and the 2018 NFL Draft was where they were supposed to get it right.
Did The Browns Screw Up By Not Drafting Bradley Chubb
While Barkley going to the Giants was a blessing for New York, it also turned into a blessing for the Browns. Well, at least it seemed that way. The Jets were expected to go QB at No. 3 which left the best defensive player on the board at No. 4. So why did they pass on him?
I get that drafting Ward was to strengthen a week secondary that has to deal with Antonio Brown and A.J. Green twice a season. However, imagine Roethlisberger and Flacco not having the time to get the ball down the field thanks to Bradley Chubb and Garrett. This was the move to make.
While the Browns have sure enough increased their chances to win more than one game in 2018, they also may have hurt their chances of fighting for a playoff spot. The years of taken chances on players, while better options were available, were supposed to be over.
Different year, different draft, but same Cleveland Browns.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
