Cleveland Browns the Early Winners of the NFL Offseason

Early in the offseason the Browns have established themselves as a franchise finally moving in the right direction

While deciding to pick the early winner of the offseason, thus far, four teams with quality offseasons stood out. The New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles are all worth noting as they have all impressed with their aggressive approaches.

However, the Cleveland Browns have won the offseason up to this point due to the transactions being “long-term” based.

Here are the major transactions the Browns have completed so far:

Offseason Acquisitions

-Signed G Joel Bitonio to a five-year contract extension

-Acquired Houston Texans’ 2018 second-round pick, 2017 sixth-round pick, and QB Brock Osweiler for Cleveland’s 2017 fourth-round compensatory pick

-Claimed OL Marcus Martin off waivers

– Signed WR Kenny Britt

-Signed OL J.C. Tretter

-Signed OL Kevin Zeitler

As you can see, the majority of the moves are meant to build a young football team from the inside out.

Building the offensive line during the infancy stage of the Sashi Brown era gives the Browns exceptional flexibility, not only for the 2017 NFL draft but for offseasons to come.

With the combination of Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, J.C. Tretter, and Kevin Zeitler the Browns have upgraded their offensive front into one of the most promising groups heading into the upcoming season.

Having a quality offensive line is a prominent building block for a young, developing football team; which is what this team is right now.

Based on what the Browns have done under the new regime, they are showing an aggressive approach to the free agency period, as well for a high value for draft picks, with the Brock Osweiler trade being a prime example.

Now, the real test comes on draft day. These are the picks the Browns currently hold heading into Philadelphia.