2015 Cleveland Browns: hope or nope?....
When the calendar changes from August to September a guys mind is on two things. Football is one of them. (The other is up to the readers discretion.) I can still hear the voice of John Facenda in some old NFL Film saying something like, "The golden autumn skies welcome our local warriors to the gridiron again." Something like that.
Our local warriors happen to be the Cleveland Browns 2.0. They have been the most consistent NFL franchise of recent history. Consistently bad. It's hard to imagine them worse if they had tried. This was due to a number of unfortunate circumstances. Bad ownership - people that were successful in other businesses, or lucky with their genetics. Bad decisions by these owners on coaching. Poor personnel and drafting decisions. Also, a seemingly acute case of self importance by these executives.
In 2015 we have an owner that, while investigated by the Justice Department, was never indited. He does seem to have the proper ego for exposure when needed. He has hired Mike Pettine as head coach. He is a football coach from a football family. No ego to be found. Just a desire to get the job done. After a 7-9 season last year, where are we headed now?
Of offense and defense, the easier unit to build is the defense. The Browns seem to have built an exceptional defense. The secondary especially is talented and deep. When injuries come, and they do, the DB's won't miss a beat. The defensive line, while not as talented as the secondary, are also a deep workable group. Danny Shelton could be a star in the making.Guys that big usually don't move like him. He also seems to have a great attitude. The linebackers seem to be a good, if not deep group. Karlos Dansby seems ready for another year of strong leadership in the middle. Paul Kruger still seems ready to chase down opposing quarterbacks.
On offense, the strength is the veteran offensive line. The unit returns pretty much intact, and now with more depth. At this writing the running backs seem in flux. Crowell and Johnson seem headed for the bulk of the workload. But are they up for the job? Dunno. The tight end group also seems serviceable, nothing more. The wide receiver group includes a number of serviceable possession receivers. They also have Dwayne Bowe, who passes the eye test, but seems to be on the downside of his career.
Then there is the case of Terrelle Pryor. He is an unusual athlete. If he were a horse, he'd be a champion thoroughbred. Not too many humans have his size and speed ratio. (He also has some of the finest tattoos that could be bartered.) He couldn't make it as a QB, but not very many people do. I for one, am very interested to see what, if anything, he can provide. He has potential to add sizzle to that unit. However, so far in his NFL career, he has only one more reception than I do.
That brings up to the most important position group: quarterback. The Browns have brought in veteran Josh McCown to manage/run the offense. He does have some physical skills and the leadership required for the job. But he has never consistently done the job in his entire NFL career. He did have some good moments in Chicago a couple of years ago. Don't expect him to become a star, now at age 36. He would be the latest bloomer since Colonel Sanders started KFC at age 62.
The other quarterback is Johnny Manziel. He seems improved. At this point I can't say what type of NFL career he will have. But I don't see a long one. The Browns starting quarterback in 2016 probably is playing on Saturdays on your tv.
If you've read this far you're probably wondering if there is a season prediction coming. OK - 8-8. I know. That's a cop out. but I think that's where we are. A strong defense. An offense with a plan, if not stars. They'll win some they should loose, and loose some they should win.
This team reminds me of the new Cleveland innerbelt bridge under construction. Lots of strong steel, fancy LED lighting, Great infrastructure. Some day it'll be great. But right now, it's a bridge to nowhere.
| Could the Browns get a 1st round pick right with Danny Shelton? |
On offense, the strength is the veteran offensive line. The unit returns pretty much intact, and now with more depth. At this writing the running backs seem in flux. Crowell and Johnson seem headed for the bulk of the workload. But are they up for the job? Dunno. The tight end group also seems serviceable, nothing more. The wide receiver group includes a number of serviceable possession receivers. They also have Dwayne Bowe, who passes the eye test, but seems to be on the downside of his career.
| What does T. Pryor bring to a game? Nobody knows. |
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| Why is Colonel Sanders here? |
The other quarterback is Johnny Manziel. He seems improved. At this point I can't say what type of NFL career he will have. But I don't see a long one. The Browns starting quarterback in 2016 probably is playing on Saturdays on your tv.
If you've read this far you're probably wondering if there is a season prediction coming. OK - 8-8. I know. That's a cop out. but I think that's where we are. A strong defense. An offense with a plan, if not stars. They'll win some they should loose, and loose some they should win.
This team reminds me of the new Cleveland innerbelt bridge under construction. Lots of strong steel, fancy LED lighting, Great infrastructure. Some day it'll be great. But right now, it's a bridge to nowhere.
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