It feels like just yesterday that the Browns‘ season ended with a win against the Bengals in Week 18.
One of those teams went on to play in the Super Bowl.
The other immediately entered the offseason with questions up and down the roster.
Just four months and change later, the Browns head into minicamp with some questions answered, and some still very much outstanding.
Nonetheless, it was great to see a slew of orange helmets weaving, cutting, and catching on the field.
No Offense
Fans provided a wide array of reactions to Day One of the minicamp, ranging from bragging about individual performances all the way to the obligatory Baker Mayfield jokes:
#Browns mandatory minicamp Day 1.
A great chance for the team to see what it has at current full strength.
— Nick Pedone (@NickPedone12) June 13, 2022
OBJ might not be here but the one-handed snags live on through Myles Garrett. #Browns pic.twitter.com/60mu2knq6p
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) June 15, 2022
Oline working against the twist yesterday at minicamp. #attentiontodetail #browns pic.twitter.com/9j968ZTvv9
— Lance Reisland (Coach Riz) (@LanceReisland) June 15, 2022
The #Browns defense has been on 🔥 so far during offseason workouts and it continued at today's minicmap. pic.twitter.com/qte9iVgBmq
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) June 14, 2022
I’ve just been informed that I have also been excused from #Browns minicamp, so I’ve got that going for me. Anyone else get the memo?
— "Lighten up, Francis" 💉🤦♂️ (@FrankZupan) June 8, 2022
#Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said he felt like excusing Baker Mayfield from mandatory minicamp was the best decision for both sides.
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) June 8, 2022
Can’t believe #Browns minicamp is tomorrow…
This spring/summer has felt fast and slow all the same.
— 🅿️arkerSCenter | CW: OP (Water 7) (@ParkerSCenter) June 14, 2022
I'm not saying it hasn't happened and I was just focused elsewhere when it did, but through the five open #Browns practices I personally have not seen David Bell drop a single pass—not in position drills, not in 7 on 7s, not in full team drills. Not one. It's wild.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) June 14, 2022
One of the biggest things fans will look for in minicamp is how well the new-look offense is gelling with one another.
For the first time in three seasons, Odell Beckham, Jr. and Jarvis Landry will be absent from Browns’ workouts.
Beckham left the team midseason after a falling out with the coaching staff and his role on offense; he was subsequently picked up by the Los Angeles Rams, where he picked up a serious knee injury and Super Bowl ring.
Landry departed Cleveland this offseason in free agency, opting for homecoming with the New Orleans Saints — Landry played college ball in Baton Rouge for the LSU Tigers.
To replace the two studs, Cleveland brought in Cowboys wideout Amari Cooper.
In addition, they drafted David Bell out of Perdue.
Cooper and Bell, along with Donovan Peoples-Jones, should round out the top three wideout positions.
Quarter-Back In Time
But the biggest change (and storyline) this offseason has been at the quarterback position.
As last season progressed, it became clear that Baker Mayfield’s time in Cleveland was nearing an end.
And the end of Mayfield’s tenure was punctuated by a trade.
A trade that, oddly enough, didn’t include Mayfield at all.
The move for Deshaun Watson continues to cast a pall over Cleveland football.
Watson faces two-dozen civil lawsuits over sexual assault and misconduct, with two more cases apparently imminent.
Nonetheless, the Browns traded three first-round picks (and more) for Watson and proceeded to hand out a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
The specter of suspension and fan fallout will linger on well past minicamp.
D-Line Rotation
In addition to changes on offense, the Browns have a few new faces on the other side of the ball.
The most notable is fourth-round pick Perrion Winfrey, a defensive tackle from Oklahoma.
Winfrey has already established himself as a fan favorite and media darling.
But can he see serious game reps?
His path to playing consistently on the Browns’ D-Line begins here in minicamp.
On the Browns’ current depth chart, Winfrey is a backup defensive tackle, behind Elliot Jordan.
Keep an eye out to see if the Browns choose to go younger and if Winfrey can establish himself on the team’s defensive front.
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