NFL
By: Ryan Cooley
Just one year ago the Cleveland Browns were the laughing stock of the NFL; 0-16 and 1-15 the year before that. It looked as if the Browns were never going to get out of this pit of misery. Then, their saving grace emerged, and that saving grace came in the form of the ex-Chiefs GM, John Dorsey. Dorsey is rapidly becoming one of the best GMs in the NFL. In his last job as GM, he helped the Chiefs obtain a 43-21 record and three playoff appearances in four years.
In just one offseason, Dorsey managed to take a team that was 1-31 in the last two seasons and gave them enough talent and firepower with the addition of QB Baker Mayfield, WR Jarvis Landry, and CB Denzel Ward to nearly finishing with a .500 record. Now, Dorsey has pulled off one of the most significant moves in NFL history by trading for one of the best receivers in the game in Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. has taken an immense amount of criticism for his maturity since entering the league in 2014. From fighting opponents to proposing to a kicking net, Beckham has been a reality TV star for the NFL.
Many questioned whether or not the Giants were right when giving him his 5-year $90 million contract extension last offseason. That controversy now falls into the hands of Dorsey and the Cleveland Browns. On Tuesday, March 12th, Dorsey traded their first-rounder, a third-rounder, and young safety Jabril Peppers for the superstar wide receiver to be reunited with his best friend and college teammate Jarvis Landry.
Back at LSU, Beckham and Landry formed one of the best receiving tandems in college in the 2013 season, with both eclipsing over 1,100 yds. This duo looks to replicate their dominate LSU days to the Browns, but more importantly, bring a championship back home to the city of Cleveland.
This team and their fans have longed for sustained success which has not occurred since the late 1980s (the last time they have had back-to-back winning seasons). The offseason has just begun, and Dorsey and Browns will still look to fit a couple more puzzle pieces to polish this team off before the start of the 2019 season. Will this new era in Cleveland be able to break the curse that has hung over this city and franchise for so long? Only time will tell.
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