- ALL ABOARD

Here's the entire 53-man group, both the wrong way and the semi-wrong way; it's doubtful that either is the absolute most efficient use of resources to put the best and most competitive team on the field. But I'll stand by my suggestions and reasoning explained throughout the series.

- What it should look like:

QB Deshaun Watson4
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson17
RB Nick Chubb24
- Jerome Ford34
- KR2 Kenny McIntosh20 (waivers)
XWR PR2 Donovan Peoples-Jones11
- Cedric Tillman89
ZWR Amari Cooper2
- Austin Watkins Jr80
SWR Elijah Moore8
- David Bell18
- KRPR1 Nikko Remigio10 (waivers)
TE David Njoku85
- Jordan Akins84
- MyCole Pruitt81 (FA VSB)
LT Cameron Fleming64 ($2.29+M)
- James Hudson III66
- Tyrone Wheatley Jr79 (waive post 9/10)
LG Joel Bitonio75
- Michael Dunn68 (Wypler)
C Ethan Pocic55
- (Dunn) Luke Wypler56
RG Wyatt Teller77
- (Dunn) (Wypler)
RT Jack Conklin78
- Dawand Jones74 (Hudson)

DE Myles Garrett95
- (Carl Nassib96: FA VSB sign 8/30)
DT Poona Ford97 (0-4; $2.25+M)
- (Maurice Hurst90: 2/3/4i; cut 8/29, re-sign 8/30)

- (Chris Wormley93: 3/4 FA VSB sign post 9/10)
DT Dalvin Tomlinson94 (0-4)
- Siaki Ika62 (A/B)
DE Za'Darius Smith99
- Ogbonnia Okoronkwo54
- Isaiah McGuire57
WLB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah6
- Tony Fields II42
MLB Anthony Walker Jr5
- Matthew Adams40
SLB Sione Takitaki44
- Mohamoud Diabate43
SS Grant Delpit22
- Ronnie Hickman33
FS Juan Thornhill1
- Rodney McLeod26
CB Denzel Ward21
- Martin Emerson Jr23
- Greg Newsome II0
- AJ Green III38
- Mike Ford Jr28
- Cameron Mitchell29

LS Charley Hughlett47
K Cade York3
P/H Corey Bojorquez13

Short-term IR:

- (8/30) LB Jordan Kunaszyk51 (MCL)
- (8/30) DE Alex Wright91 (knee)

PUP:
- WR Jakeem Grant Sr9 (2022 Achilles)
NFI:
- WR Marquise Goodwin19 (blood clots)
Season-ending IR:
- OL Dawson Deaton52 (2022 ACL)
- CB Thomas Graham Jr31 (ankle)
- CB Thakarius "BoPete" Keyes30 (finger)
- DE Isaiah Thomas58 (knee)
- WR Michael Woods II12 (Achilles)

- What it's more likely to look like:

QB Deshaun Watson4

- Dorian Thompson-Robinson17

RB Nick Chubb24

- KR2 Jerome Ford34

- KR1/PR2 Demetric Felton Jr25

XWR PR1 Donovan Peoples-Jones11

- Cedric Tillman89

- Austin Watkins Jr80

ZWR Amari Cooper2

- Anthony Schwartz10

SWR Elijah Moore8

- David Bell18

TE David Njoku85

- Jordan Akins84

- Harrison Bryant88

LT Jedrick Wills Jr71

- James Hudson III66 (Jones)

LG Joel Bitonio75

- Nick Harris53 (Wypler)

C Ethan Pocic55

- (Harris) Luke Wypler56

RG Wyatt Teller77

- (Harris) (Wypler)

RT Jack Conklin78

- Dawand Jones74 (Hudson)

DE Myles Garrett95

- Isaiah McGuire57

DT Shelby Harris97 (0-4)

- (Maurice Hurst90: 2/3/4i; cut 8/29, re-sign 8/30)

- Tommy Togiai93

DT Dalvin Tomlinson94 (0-4)

- Jordan Elliott96

- Siaki Ika62 (A/B)

DE Za'Darius Smith99

- Ogbonnia Okoronkwo54

WLB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah6

- Tony Fields II42

MLB Anthony Walker Jr5

- (Matthew Adams40: cut 8/29, re-sign 8/30)

SLB Sione Takitaki44

- Mohamoud Diabate43

SS Grant Delpit22

- D'Anthony Bell37

FS Juan Thornhill1

- Rodney McLeod26

CB Denzel Ward21

- Martin Emerson Jr23

- Greg Newsome II0

- AJ Green III38

- (Mike Ford Jr28: cut 8/29, re-sign 8/30)

- Cameron Mitchell29

LS Charley Hughlett47

K Cade York3

P/H Corey Bojorquez13

Short-term IR:

- (8/30) LB Jordan Kunaszyk51 (MCL)

- (8/30) DE Alex Wright91 (knee)

- (8/30) DE Isaiah Thomas58 (knee)

NFI:

- WR Marquise Goodwin19 (blood clots)

- WR Michael Woods II12 (Achilles)

Season-ending IR:

- OL Dawson Deaton52 (2022 ACL)

- CB Thomas Graham Jr31 (ankle)

- WR Jakeem Grant Sr9 (patella)

- CB Thakarius "BoPete" Keyes30 (finger)

- LB Jacob Phillips50 (pectoral)

- PRACTICE SQUAD

While we're at it, let's take a stab at the PS. I suspect that Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and Ronnie Hickman would be waiver claims by other teams, as would be probable for Austin Watkins Jr. and Mohamoud Diabate if they were to be cut. I think the same is very likely for Michael Dunn — making it all the more critical for Cleveland's decision makers to keep him protected on the 53, away from the scavenging opportunists that stalk the unfortunate souls deserving of a warm spot by the fireplace who are instead left out in the cold in favor of someone with whom misguided front offices have an unwarranted infatuation.

The Browns didn't fill all 16 spots to start last season, so we'll again leave two open here for anyone they've got their eye on from other organizations.

QB Kellen Mond7
RB Hassan Hall30
RB John Kelly Jr41
WR Jaelon Darden16

WR Mike Harley Jr82
TE Miller Forristall86
TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden83
G Drew Forbes70
G Colby Gossett72
DL Sam Kamara92
DE Lonnie Phelps63

LB Charlie Thomas III35
S Tanner McCalister48
CB Caleb Biggers39

- FINAL THOUGHTS

Someone astute at business and general management is adept at being able to learn from others' mistakes. At the very least it should be a prerequisite that someone put in charge of an NFL front office be shrewd enough to learn from their own missteps. Andrew Berry has done many things well in his time at the big desk, but recognizing and correcting his draft failures appears to be his kryptonite. When faced with the blatant and unmistakable reality that somebody he drafted is holding back and dragging down the potential ceiling/floor of the team like a wheelless, cast-iron ox plow yoked to a poodle, Berry just digs his heels in further. And rather than free the franchise from an onerous, parasitic anchor, he shackles the entire organization to it and wears it around his neck like a badge of oblivious smugness as he continues to allow it to bleed money from a sapless, enabling host. This isn't roster construction: it's roster impingement.

Any unbiased and informed onlooker would acknowledge that this team, as currently built, is pretty stacked; Berry deserves much of the credit for that. This year's free-agency period was the best in my lifetime from the Browns — with AB making one tremendous signing after another, addressing needs and crossing off deficiencies like a psychiatrist in a scavenger hunt at a lunatic asylum. But just imagine how much deeper the roster could be, from both a talent and production standpoint — while spending less money — if Andrew Berry could admit when he's put his shirt on wrong instead of continuing to insist that the buttons are supposed to be in the back.

—@PoisonPill4