5 bold predictions for Cleveland Browns in 2021

3. Takkarist McKinley will get benched

In sharp contrast to the Johnson signing, the Browns’ decision to land McKinley on a one-year, $4 million pact is going to turn out to be a waste of money. At best, he can be a member of their defensive end rotation. At worst, he’ll wash out of that rotation entirely and become a highly paid spectator by season’s end.

The only reason McKinley received a decent contract in free agency is that he still has the shine of being a former first round pick. Very little from his play with the Falcons suggests he’s going to make this deal worthwhile from Cleveland’s perspective.

Browns fans should hope the team finds a superior option to start opposite Myles Garrett in April’s draft. There’s almost no chase McKinley matches the production that Olivier Vernon gave the team last year.

The end result should mean that McKinley gets benched early in the 2021 season. If he’s still starting for the Browns when they start to make their postseason push then something has gone horribly wrong. Cleveland fans should work on accepting the inevitable outcome that McKinley is going to be a bust.