Browns are finally paying attention to the middle class of roster

I haven’t picked up everything I could have learned covering sports over the years, but I’ve tried to develop some philosophies. I do this by watching, observing, and like any rational human being, I steal the best ideas I hear, and I make them my own. You could do far worse than stealing thoughts and ideas from Browns legend, Joe Thomas, and what I call Joe Thomas’ theory of NFL roster middle class.

I’m never going to be the greatest sportswriter, and I’ve never been a sports reporter, per se. As it stands now, I have been here a long time, so I’ve watched and borrowed wisdom from some of the best. One theory that’s stuck with me is something that Joe Thomas talked about back in 2016 when recounting his frustrations as a member of the Cleveland Browns. With all the tumult and change that happened around Joe Thomas and the rosters he played on, the biggest crime was the consistent gutting of the “middle class” of the Browns’ roster. That seemed particularly wise when Joe said it, and it’s something that I think the Browns are doing better right now, thanks to re-signing Rashard Higgins, David Njoku, and Malcolm Smith.

When Joe Thomas talked to this point back in 2016, he referred to guys like Jabaal Sheard. Sheard was a second-round selection for Tom Heckert, who eventually became a former Brown under Ray Farmer. He was speaking of Mitchell Schwartz and Travis Benjamin. When I apply the middle-class roster theory to more modern times, I think about John Dorsey trading Emmanuel Ogbah for Eric Murray. Any of these players on their own aren’t worth talking about that much. When you combine them all and add in players like Buster Skrine, Jordan Cameron, Carl Nassib, and what seems like countless others, it’s a drain on your organizational continuity that feels like an epidemic.

When the Browns let the deadline pass for David Njoku, ensuring that they are likely keeping him for this season and bringing back Rashard Higgins on a one-year deal for very reasonable money, it feels like a shift and a nod to what Joe Thomas was talking about. If Malcolm Smith is your plan to fix an ailing defense, you’ve got issues, but if the 11-year vet, aged 31, is part of your continuity plan, I will cheer. The Browns will not only enter the next season with nearly unprecedented continuity in terms of scheme, but it might additionally be unprecedented in terms of roster continuity!

We know the roster has to change in spots. We know the draft upends certain parts of the roster every single off-season. When you’re a team on the rise like the Browns, change can certainly be a good thing. It’s about managing that change and making sure it’s productive. Too often over the past 20 years, the Browns’ changes haven’t been productive, except in service of coaching or front office changes. How many times have I written posts on this very website about how the Browns just got worse because some new regime wanted “their guys?”

I know we’re all talking about Rashard Higgins today, but David Njoku is an example of this too. How many times would we see a situation like Njoku’s where the team would ultimately ship him out? Njoku had a nice season with the team. His catches were serious highlights at times as he found his place in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. And now, he’ll have a chance to build off of that with about $6 million guaranteed as he heads into his free agency opportunity.

Malcolm Smith has limited upside, but he was one of the team leaders for snaps this season as a linebacker. Assuming the Browns utilize trades, free agency, or the draft to continue to address the defense, he’s a useful player to have around to ensure depth and continuity. The middle-class player with continuity is at their highest amount of value than it would be to bring a comparable player in from outside the organization. Sure, Malcolm Smith might be considered “just a guy” across the NFL, but he’s an experienced version of “just a guy” if he stays in Cleveland for a second year with the same defensive coordinator.

The Browns have more work to do to revamp their defense. I know many fans want the team to do so much more, and I’m with them. That said, I don’t think anything that they’ve done thus far is bad or counterproductive. I could have made the case that the Browns might have kept Ogunjobi, who departed for Cincy, but we’ll see what happens at that spot. Ogunjobi never set the PFF stats on fire, so maybe the Browns think they can improve there. The Browns are set to get back COVID opt-out Andrew Billings. Regardless of the loss of likable Larry, I believe these moves set them up to ensure the bigger moves have the best possible chance of success once the Browns have a chance to make them.

We’ll be keeping an eye on the next waves of free agency and the subsequent trades and cuts that occur thereafter. The Browns shouldn’t be done yet. The Browns can’t be done yet.