I can’t help but be frustrated with the Cleveland Browns. They’ve spent an eternity in dejection, doing their best not to let the Cincinnati Bengals be the worst team in the AFC North.
But is this a new era the one where maybe they are finally able to turn the corner? Have they got enough weapons to make two entirely new systems work?
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Five Reasons to be Confident
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1) In Colt they can Trust
While Sam Bradford was busy not losing games and earning himself a +21.8 rating, in 40.7% of the snaps Bradford had, Colt McCoy had a +15.3 rating. The point? When McCoy was on the field, he was as (if not more) impressive than the number one overall pick. McCoy has some flaws (noticeably his deep ball), but that should be limited in the current scheme. The Browns’ sophomore quarterback is one to watch.
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2) The NFL’s Next Shutdown Corner
Devin McCourty was excellent. He had the kind of rookie year cornerbacks aren’t meant to have. And yet he wasn’t the most impressive rookie CB from 2010. No, that title goes to was Joe Haden, who stood out time and time again. The only question to ask is why it took the Browns so long to get him on the field for every down. With their 2010 first round pick earning our third highest coverage grade on the year, it is safe to say that Haden looks like a star in the making.
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3) The NFL’s Top Left Tackle
For some reason, people just seem to accept Joe Thomas as a very good left tackle. But in all honesty, that does a great disservice to how good Thomas is. Even in a down year (caused by an off season illness) he was still one of the best tackles in the league, finishing first in our three year grading of left tackles. While I’m not one who would overstress the value of a left tackle over some, it is an important position nonetheless and it doesn’t hurt the Browns to have such a stud manning the position.
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4) The NFL’s Cover Boy
He blocks, he catches, he hurdles. Oh, and he runs pretty damn well too. You know who I’m talking about, right? Only the man who’s on the cover of Madden ’12. Presuming that Peyton Hillis can avoid the over publicized Madden curse, Hillis could even improve upon his tremendous 2010 season where he was our second ranked running back. If he’s going to improve, then it could be down to the signing of Brandon Jackson who will take some of the load off Hillis. While Hillis noticeably wore down as the season went on, Jackson is one of the best backs in the league to have in passing situations, which you can see by reading here.
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5) Low Expectations
Let’s face it; it’s hard to fail when expectations are so low. There’s almost this feeling that installing new systems with young talent and a new head coach on a short off-season means that there’s nothing to lose for the Browns. All they can really do is go up from here. They can either be the team they are expected to be, or they could be a pleasant surprise. Failure doesn’t really seem possible with the bar set so low.
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Five Reasons to be Concerned
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1) And the Defensive Ends are?
Making the switch to a 4-3, you figured the Browns would be at least a little aggressive in finding some defensive ends to make the system work. Instead, they’re looking at starting a second round pick in Jabaal Sheard and giving Jayme Mitchell (a man who has played 75 snaps in the last three years). Sure, Marcus Benard can generate some pressure in sub package, but just how are they planning on doing it in base? It seems like they’re investing an awful lot of faith, in some awfully inexperienced people.
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2) Trust in D’Qwell Jackson
It seems so long ago since we last saw D’Qwell Jackson, that nobody quite remembers if he was any good (other than assuming so because he had a massive tackle count). Playing in a 3-4, he didn’t do so well, finishing 2008 with a -4.2 rating and struggling in run defense. Now a move to a 4-3 (especially one that uses big bodies up front to keep him free) should help him, but the real issue is relying on Jackson given his health concerns. He’s played just 387 snaps over the past two years and is a massive durability concern. The lack of depth the Browns have at linebacker could prove problematic.
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3) Which Receiver can Step Up?
Maybe a change of system is all they need? Maybe the rookies will make an immediate contribution? That’s the best case scenario for the Browns, who just don’t appear to have much talent at wide receiver. Neither Brian Robiskie or Mohamed Massaquoi have ever done anything to inspire much confidence, so you’re left hoping a rookie like Greg Little or an untested property like Jordan Norwood can make an immediate contribution. As we saw with Robiskie and Massaquoi in 2009, that won’t always work out.
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4) Which Ahtyba Rubin Turns Up?
So the Browns are going to use their defensive tackles to eat up blockers. Well if they plan on doing so, they better hope that the 2009 version of Ahtyba Rubin shows up. What we saw from him last year was nowhere near as impressive as the nose tackle that got pushed around far too often. Considering the changes that the Browns are making, they could really do with one of their holdovers producing at a high level.
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5) The Steelers and Raven Problem
It’s an easy thing to write, but life is going to be hard for the Browns so long as they have to overcome two of the most stable franchises in the NFL. That’s their problem so long as they’re in the AFC North with Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Even when the Browns have a decent team, they’re always going to be hampered playing against such strong defenses and their chances of making the playoffs take a massive hit. .
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So what can we expect out of the Browns? It’s really hard to say. Their conservative approach to free agency seems to suggest that they’re more concerned with getting things sorted out in house before bringing in any new faces which is completely understandable. They need to focus on developing their talent for the future, not trying to find a short term solution. Ultimately, the success of the Browns won’t be felt today, but in the future when we find out whether or not the talent and coaching staff were up to the task of rebuilding this franchise.
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Follow Khaled on Twitter: @PFF_Khaled … and be sure to follow our main Twitter feed as well: @ProFootbalFocus
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