2018 Fantasy Football Draft Prep: Catch up on the offseason storylines
Heath Cummings takes a look at the biggest offseason storylines to get you set for the 2018 season.
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"Offseason" storylines. Heh. As if there is an offseason in the NFL.
Before the 2017 playoffs even started, the Raiders had hired Jon Gruden. Before the Super Bowl — before trades were technically allowed — the Chiefs dealt Alex Smith to Washington, signaling the beginning of the Patrick Mahomes era in K.C. and the end of the Kirk Cousins era in D.C. all at once. By the time the "offseason" began, the Browns were retooled, several productive wide receivers had been cut and Cousins finally had his long-term contract. The one thing that hadn't changed? Andrew Luck still wasn't throwing footballs.
In case you blinked since the end of the 2017 season, here are your biggest offseason storylines:
Cleveland Browns retool and rebuild at the same time
No team needed a face-lift more than the Cleveland Browns. While that's been true for most of the past decade, they may have finally gotten it right. The Browns offense was completely retooled before they even got to the NFL Draft, where they had more picks than anyone else.
Tyrod Taylor and Jarvis Landry were brought in via trade. Isaiah Crowell left for New York and was replaced by the more-talented, but oft-injured Carlos Hyde. Maybe most importantly, they hired Todd Haley to run the offense. Did I mention they still had four of the top 35 picks in the draft?
With the first overall pick in the draft the Browns went against measurables and selected Baker Mayfield. While Mayfield was the most statistically accomplished quarterback in the draft, the pick was panned by some because of Mayfield's height (6-foot-nothing) and concerns that Oklahoma's scheme and the Big 12's lack of defense were responsible for his gaudy numbers. If that wasn't controversial enough, they used the 35th overall pick to select another running back, Nick Chubb out of Georgia.
The Browns have ranked in the bottom third of the league in scoring for 11 straight years, but they have the weapons to change that in 2018. Taylor is easily their best quarterback in the last decade, and he'll be pushed by Mayfield early. With Chubb, Hyde and Duke Johnson they now have the most complete running back trio in the league. Landry and Josh Gordon give them a pair of talented receivers who complement each other well. It's never comfortable predicting success for the Browns, but I love their talent and trust the man running their offense.
FANTASY SPIN: It's hard to imagine, but the Browns may have too many weapons. I'd rank Taylor as a top-15 quarterback if you promised me 16 games, but there's no way you can do that with Mayfield lurking. If all the running backs stay healthy, it's unlikely that any of them get enough touches to finish as a top-24 running back. But Gordon and Landry are both head and shoulders above the rest of the Browns receiving corps. Count on both to be weekly starters in PPR.
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