The Cleveland Browns are slowly shaping up after the team looked doomed to rebuild this offseason. The Browns have their quarterback situation taken care of and they are slowly starting to get strong offensive pieces in place to help create a more efficient unit in 2015. With Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel taking over at quarterback, the Browns are now focused on the wide receivers and tight ends in free agency.
The Browns desperately needed receivers. The team has lost Josh Gordon for the entire season after the leading-receiver was suspended for the year following a failed drug test. The Browns would be left with Andrew Hawkins since Miles Austin is a free agent. However, they made moves to fix that, agreeing to a contract with Brian Hartline worth two years and $6 million according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
The signing makes sense considering Hartline is an Ohio native playing his college ball at Ohio State. Hartline was one of the more reliable slot receivers over the past few years. His numbers were down in 2014, but prior to that he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Hartline will make a great target for either McCown of Manziel.
However, is Hartline enough? The Browns still need a big down-field threat. The chances they make a move in free agency are slim. Players like Percy Harvin, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace and Michael Crabtree would certainly be marquee signings, but the Browns have two first-round draft picks to work with and could grab a top young receiver to develop from there. That could mean that Marcus Mariota is simply no longer in the picture for the Browns.
Head coach Mike Pettine is taking more time to praise what both McCown and Manziel bring to the table rather than question the talent at the position. The Browns signed McCown to likely be the starter in 2015 and Pettine still has confidence that Manziel will return to from rehab and be a better person and quarterback, something the Browns hope to take advantage of and they believe McCown can help that effort.
"If you talk to anybody that's been with him, they just rave about the character, the football aptitude, how he makes people around him better, just being an example, professionalism, maturity," Pettine said, via ESPN.com. "That's not why we brought him here. If we wanted a mentor, that's what you bring a coach in for. For me, the guy can still play. When the circumstances are right, he's shown he can play at a high level."
There is a good chance the Browns do not jump on Mariota despite being linked to him for several weeks. For now, the Jets and Eagles are battling out who gets the Oregon star while Cleveland focuses on fixing other positions.