# 2018 Cleveland Browns season

The 2018 season was the Cleveland Browns' 66th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 70th overall, their first full season under general manager John Dorsey, and their third and final season under head coach Hue Jackson. Unusually, the Browns started their campaign with a tie, although this result was enough to ensure they would improve upon the 2017 campaign in which they finished 0–16. Cleveland ultimately finished in 3rd place in the AFC North with a record of 7–8–1, their best record since the 2007 season. However, they missed the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season, having last made the playoffs in 2002.
On September 9, the Browns opened their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 21–21 tie. This was the Browns' first tie since 1989, and it ended a 17-game losing streak which dated back to the 2016 season. On September 20, the Browns defeated the New York Jets 21–17, ending a 19-game winless streak.
On October 29, Jackson was fired after posting a record of 2–5–1 through Week 8 and an overall record of 3–36–1 during his two and a half seasons in Cleveland. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley, who was in his first season with the Browns, was fired the same day. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was named interim head coach. Under Williams, the Browns went 5–3 to finish out the season.
Rookie starting quarterback Baker Mayfield threw 27 touchdown passes, breaking the record for the most touchdown passes thrown by a rookie quarterback. The previous record of 26 was shared by Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson, and it was later broken in 2020 by Justin Herbert.

## Offseason
### Front office changes

On January 2, new general manager John Dorsey hired Green Bay Packers personnel executive Alonzo Highsmith as vice president of football operations.
On January 10, the Browns announced several front office hirings: Eliot Wolf as assistant general manager, Jimmy Noel as assistant director of pro scouting, Matt Donahoe as a scout, and Dan Zegers as personnel coordinator. The Browns also announced that former vice president of player personnel Ken Kovash would switch to a role within the strategy department, and fired senior personnel executive Ryan Grigson.

### Coaching changes

On January 10, the Browns released special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. He had been the longest-tenured coach on the Browns, with the team since 2011.
On January 11, the Browns hired Adam Henry as wide receivers coach, a position he held with the New York Giants since 2016. Former wide receivers coach Al Saunders transitioned into a senior advisory role.
On January 12, the Browns hired Ken Zampese as quarterbacks coach. They also fired running backs coach/run game coordinator Kirby Wilson, special teams assistant Shawn Mennenga, and special teams quality control coach Stan Watson.
On January 24, the Browns hired Amos Jones as special teams coordinator, Todd Haley as offensive coordinator, and Freddie Kitchens as running backs/assistant head coach.
On February 8, the Browns hired Sam Shade as assistant special teams coach.
On March 9, the Browns hired former return specialist Josh Cribbs as special teams intern.

### Roster changes
#### Re-signings

| Position | Player | Tag | Date |
| ILB | Tank Carder | UFA | March 27 |
| WR | Josh Gordon | ERFA | March 14 |
| WR | Matt Hazel | ERFA | March 14 |
| QB | Kevin Hogan | ERFA | March 14 |
| TE | Matt Lengel | ERFA | March 14 |
| DT | Jamie Meder | RFA | March 14 |
| C | Austin Reiter | ERFA | March 14 |
| FB | Danny Vitale | ERFA | March 14 |
| UFA=Unrestricted free agent, RFA=Restricted free agent, ERFA=Exclusive rights free agent ||||

#### Players added

| Position | Player | Tag | 2017 team | Date |
| CB | T. J. Carrie | UFA | Oakland Raiders | March 14 |
| TE | Orson Charles | UFA | Kansas City Chiefs | July 30 |
| TE | Darren Fells | UFA | Detroit Lions | March 14 |
| CB | E. J. Gaines | UFA | Buffalo Bills | March 23 |
| T | Chris Hubbard | UFA | Pittsburgh Steelers | March 14 |
| RB | Carlos Hyde | UFA | San Francisco 49ers | March 14 |
| WR | Jarvis Landry | Trade | Miami Dolphins | March 14 |
| DT | Devaroe Lawrence | Trade | New Orleans Saints | September 1 |
| CB | Terrance Mitchell | UFA | Kansas City Chiefs | March 14 |
| S | Damarious Randall | Trade | Green Bay Packers | March 14 |
| T | Greg Robinson | UFA | Detroit Lions | June 19 |
| LB | Brady Sheldon | Waiver | Oakland Raiders | June 13 |
| DE | Chris Smith | UFA | Cincinnati Bengals | March 14 |
| QB | Drew Stanton | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | March 25 |
| QB | Tyrod Taylor | Trade | Buffalo Bills | March 14 |
| G | Earl Watford | UFA | Arizona Cardinals | August 28 |

#### Players lost

| Position | Player | Tag | 2018 team | Date |
| LB | Dominique Alexander | Release | | May 3 |
| LB | B. J. Bello | Release | Arizona Cardinals | September 1 |
| LB | Max Bullough | Release | | April 12 |
| DE | Caleb Brantley | Release | Washington Redskins | September 1 |
| LB | Tank Carder | Release | | June 5 |
| WR | Corey Coleman | Trade | Buffalo Bills | August 5 |
| T | Shon Coleman | Trade | San Francisco 49ers | August 31 |
| RB | Isaiah Crowell | UFA | New York Jets | March 14 |
| RB | Matthew Dayes | Release | San Francisco 49ers | September 1 |
| T | Spencer Drango | Release | Los Angeles Chargers | September 1 |
| TE | Gavin Escobar | Release | Miami Dolphins | April 12 |
| T | Geoff Gray | Release | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL) | August 28 |
| WR | Matt Hazel | Release | Indianapolis Colts | April 30 |
| QB | Kevin Hogan | Trade | Washington Redskins | April 6 |
| WR | Bug Howard | Release | Carolina Panthers | April 12 |
| RB | Darius Jackson | Release | Dallas Cowboys | May 3 |
| T | Roderick Johnson | Release | Houston Texans | June 19 |
| CB | Mike Jordan | Release | New York Giants | September 1 |
| QB | Cody Kessler | Trade | Jacksonville Jaguars | March 27 |
| OLB | Josh Keyes | UFA | Houston Texans | March 20 |
| QB | DeShone Kizer | Trade | Green Bay Packers | March 14 |
| TE | Matt Lengel | Release | Houston Texans | April 12 |
| G | Marcus Martin | UFA | Dallas Cowboys | March 26 |
| CB | Jason McCourty | Trade | New England Patriots | March 15 |
| S | Kai Nacua | Release | Baltimore Ravens | April 30 |
| DE | Nate Orchard | Release | Buffalo Bills | September 1 |
| WR | Larry Pinkard | Release | | April 12 |
| CB | Reggie Porter | Release | | April 20 |
| DT | Danny Shelton | Trade | New England Patriots | March 14 |
| CB | C. J. Smith | Release | Denver Broncos | April 12 |
| S | Derron Smith | Release | San Antonio Commanders (AAF) | August 31 |
| CB | Jamar Taylor | Trade | Arizona Cardinals | May 19 |
| RB | Kelvin Taylor | Release | Orlando Apollos (AAF) | April 12 |
| TE | Randall Telfer | Release | Indianapolis Colts | May 4 |
| T | Joe Thomas | Retired | Retired | March 14 |
| CB | Simeon Thomas | Release | Seattle Seahawks | September 1 |
| CB | Corey White | Release | | April 20 |
| WR | Kasen Williams | Release | Indianapolis Colts | April 30 |
Trade notes
* ↑ The Browns acquired WR Jarvis Landry from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a 2018 fourth-round selection (No. 123) and a 2019 seventh-round selection
* ↑ The Browns acquired DT Devaroe Lawrence from the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2019 seventh-round draft pick
* 1 2 The Browns acquired S Damarious Randall, a 2018 fourth-round selection (No. 114), and a 2018 fifth-round selection (No. 150) from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for QB Deshone Kizer, a 2018 fourth-round selection (No. 101), and a 2018 fifth-round selection (No. 138)
* ↑ The Browns acquired QB Tyrod Taylor from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for a 2018 third-round selection (No. 65)
* ↑ The Browns acquired a 2020 seventh-round selection from the Buffalo Bills in exchange for WR Corey Coleman
* ↑ The Browns acquired a 2019 seventh-round selection from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for T Shon Coleman
* ↑ The Browns acquired a 2018 sixth-round selection (No. 188) from the Washington Redskins in exchange for QB Kevin Hogan and a 2018 sixth-round selection (No. 205)
* ↑ The Browns acquired a conditional 2019 seventh-round selection from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for QB Cody Kessler
* ↑ The Browns acquired a 2018 sixth-round selection (No. 205) rom the New England Patriots in exchange for CB Jason McCourty and a 2018 seventh-round draft selection (No. 219)
* ↑ The Browns acquired a 2019 third-round selection from the New England Patriots in exchange for DT Danny Shelton and a 2018 fifth-round selection (No. 159)
* ↑ The Browns acquired a 2020 sixth-round selection from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for CB Jamar Taylor

#### Players added and lost

The Browns added and released the following players during the 2018 off-season:
* C Anthony Fabiano
* T Avery Gennesy
* LB Jermaine Grace
* WR Jeff Janis
* LB Mychal Kendricks
* K Ross Martin
* CB Jeremiah McKinnon
* QB Joel Stave
* T Donald Stephenson (retired)
* P Justin Vogel

#### 2018 draft class

2018 Cleveland Browns draft :
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | Baker Mayfield * | QB | Oklahoma | |
| 1 | 4 | Denzel Ward * | CB | Ohio St | Pick from HOU |
| 2 | 33 | Austin Corbett | OT | Nevada | |
| 2 | 35 | Nick Chubb * | RB | Georgia | Pick from HOU |
| 3 | 67 | Chad Thomas | DE | Miami (FL) | Pick from IND |
| 4 | 105 | Antonio Callaway | WR | Florida | Pick from CHI |
| 5 | 150 | Genard Avery | LB | Memphis | Pick from GB |
| 6 | 175 | Damion Ratley | WR | Texas A&M | |
| 6 | 188 | Simeon Thomas | CB | Louisiana | Pick from WAS |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career ||||||

#### Undrafted free agents

2018 Cleveland Browns UDFA :
| Player | Position | College | Signed | Cut |
| Drew Bailey | DT | Louisville | May 1 | August 28 |
| Stephen Baggett | TE | East Carolina | August 18 | August 31 |
| Evan Berry | WR | Tennessee | May 1 | August 28 |
| Christian Boutte | CB | Nicholls | July 30 | August 31 |
| D.J. Calhoun | LB | Arizona State | May 1 | August 27 |
| Elijah Campbell | S | Northern Iowa | May 1 | August 31 |
| Christian DiLauro | T | Illinois | May 1 | September 1 |
| Daniel Ekuale | DT | Washington State | May 1 | September 1 |
| Marcell Frazier * | DE | Missouri | May 18 | August 28 |
| DeMarquis Gates | LB | Ole Miss | May 22 | June 14 |
| Micah Hannemann | S | BYU | May 1 | August 18 |
| Desmond Harrison | T | West Georgia | May 1 | |
| Zaycoven Henderson | DT | Texas A&M | May 1 | September 1 |
| Blake Jackson | WR | Mary Hardin–Baylor | July 28 | August 31 |
| Montrel Meander | S | Grambling State | May 1 | September 1 |
| Brogan Roback | QB | Eastern Michigan | May 14 | August 28 |
| Da'Mari Scott | WR | Fresno State | May 1 | September 1 |
| Trenton Thompson | DT | Georgia | May 1 | July 30 |
| Derrick Willies | WR | Texas Tech | May 1 | |
| Blaine Woodson * | DT | Delaware | August 15 | August 31 |
| Erick Wren | C | Oklahoma | May 1 | July 28 |
| A green background indicates the player made the Browns' Week 1 53-man roster |||||
* Browns claimed player off waivers after he signed as an undrafted free agent with another team and was waived.

## Preseason

The Browns opened training camp on July 26. The Browns' training camp and preseason was featured on the HBO series Hard Knocks.

### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | NFL.com recap |
| 1 | August 9 | at New York Giants | W 20–10 | 1–0 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | Buffalo Bills | L 17–19 | 1–1 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 23 | Philadelphia Eagles | W 5–0 | 2–1 | FirstEnergy Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at Detroit Lions | W 35–17 | 3–1 | Ford Field | Recap |