The Cleveland Browns have been a long-time laughingstock in the NFL. From bad drafts, free-agent blunders, and a Deshaun Watson trade that has gone down as one of the worst in history, Cleveland doesn't have a lot to root for. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the benefactors, as they have historically owned their AFC North Rivals.
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley just revealed that the Browns almost established a dynasty in 2018.
At the time, Haley was the offensive coordinator for the Browns. Coming off a 0-16 season, Cleveland had a rare opportunity. Their bitterly bad season gave them the first pick in the draft. They also owned Houston's top pick due to a draft-day trade in 2017 (when, funnily enough, the Texans moved up for Watson).
We know how this story played out. The Browns took Baker Mayfield with their first overall pick and grabbed Denzel Ward with their fourth overall pick. A fine haul, but one that still struggled to beat the Steelers.
In a recent interview, Haley said things could have been different. Very different. And the Steelers should be thankful every day that the Browns didn't listen to him.
The Browns were inches away from building a dynasty to rival the Pittsburgh Steelers
Haley's plan was simple: take Saquon Barkley with the first pick and add Josh Allen at pick four. In hindsight, that could have gone down as one of the greatest coups in draft history.
Barkley was an instant superstar in the league. While injuries have bugged him now and again, he is still one of the best running backs in the league.
Allen has become a generational quarterback. It wasn't instant, as he was a very raw prospect coming out of school, but he is now arguably the most valuable player on the field.
The Browns didn't get a bad haul. Mayfield was a decent talent who brought some success to Cleveland. Ward has gone on to consistently be one of the better cornerbacks in the league. However, this pales in comparison to landing two of the top players at their respective positions.
The only question mark with Haley's plan is Allen. As stated, his mechanics were extremely bad coming out of school; Buffalo took a lot of time to fix his issues. He was a player who needed time from both the coaches and the fanbase to succeed.
I don't think he would have gotten either of those in Cleveland. Hue Jackson was a horrible head coach, and Haley wasn't doing much better for the offense. Both were fired in the middle of the 2018 season.
The Browns fans were rabid for success. Allen wouldn't have delivered that right away. While being able to depend on a talent like Barkley would have helped, it may still not have been enough.
Regardless, according to Haley, the Browns were close to selecting two players on pace to be in the Hall of Fame. Thankfully for the Steelers, Cleveland screwed up those picks as well (relatively speaking), keeping them in the cellar even longer in the AFC North.
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