Saturday Dawg Chow: Browns news (10/7/23)

Dawgs By Nature:

• Grant Delpit is one of the league’s best (Barry Shuck) - The talented safety of the Cleveland Browns continues to improve and impress.
• Browns fans are split on whether Deshaun Watson, pass blocking, or run blocking need the most work (Chris Pokorny) - Confidence continues to seesaw after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
• ‘Finally healthy,’ when/why would trading for Jonathan Taylor make sense for the Browns? (Jared Mueller) - Replacing Nick Chubb is impossible, but Jonathan Taylor may be the closest option for the Browns.
• Way Too Early 2024 Cleveland Browns Mock Draft 5.0 (Jackson McCurry) - We’re a quarter of the way through both seasons in the NFL and college football, and things are starting to become a little clearer in terms of the top names in the draft and also what positions are becoming potential areas of need for the Cleveland Browns. So I’ll be trying to focus on what groups need to be addressed for the long-term future of the franchise.
• Through 4 games, DE Myles Garrett among top contenders for DPOY (Jared Mueller) - In his “quarter-season awards,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell shared his top three current in MVP, Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards, along with rookie and coach awards. Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is third on Barnwell’s DPOY rankings.

Cleveland Browns:

• Long before Browns eyed Dawand Jones, KSU hoops coveted ‘the same gifts’ he’s using in NFL (Beacon Journal) - Dawand Jones grabbed a basketball and nearly tore down a hoop with a thunderous, one-handed slam dunk. The Kent State University basketball players who had been working out in the M.A.C. Center paused to process the moment.
• 3 Browns players who need to step up after the bye week (cleveland.com) - For the Cleveland Browns to get where they hope, they will need a handful of players to step up and make big impacts in the season’s final 13 games. Here are three of them.
• Browns see opportunity for run game to be variable and effective (clevelandbrowns.com) - Through the first four weeks of the regular season, the Cleveland Browns know they can be better offensively. That’s why Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry was looking forward to using the bye week to return to the level of consistency and standard they’ve set offensively. And while they hold that overarching ideal for their offense, they know specifically there are improvements to be had in the success of their run game.
• Browns set up Dorian Thompson-Robinson to fail Sunday (Browns Zone) - Does this kind of stuff happen on other teams or is this just a Browns thing? So here, more or less, is the way Deshaun-gate unfolded Sunday, according to Browns executive vice president of football operations and general manager Andrew Berry. In other words, this is the Browns’ story and they’re sticking to it.

NFL:

• Dick Butkus personified Chicago’s toughness with the Bears. ‘There was no way that guy wasn’t going to be great.’ (Chicago Tribune) - In Chicago, where everyone likes to think of themselves as tough, Dick Butkus was the real deal. The Chicago Bears linebacking great, who died Thursday at 80, was considered the toughest guy in a sport in which hitting is not optional.
• Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield: ‘I’m still confused’ about how Browns tenure ended (Bleacher Report) - Baker Mayfield spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns before things unraveled and he was traded to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2022 season. Speaking Friday on the Pat McAfee Show, Mayfield said he’s still confused about how his time with the Browns ended.
• Jalen Hurts, Eagles soaring with ‘tush push’ (ESPN) - The Philadelphia Eagles were facing a fourth-and-1 at midfield early in the second quarter Sunday, and everyone in the stadium knew what was coming before the offense even lined up.
• Dolphins acquire receiver Claypool from Bears (Miami Herald) - The Dolphins added more talent to one of their best positions on Friday, acquiring receiver Chase Claypool from Chicago in a deal involving late-round picks. A league source confirmed the deal.

What do you think is the biggest factor impacting Cleveland’s run game? (Outside of not having Nick Chubb, of course.)