Cleveland Browns: AFC North

2009-10 Record: 5-11 (4th); vs. AFC North: 1-5; vs. AFC: 5-7

2010-11 Strength of Schedule: T-10 Hardest Schedule - .516 (132-124)

Big Games: Week 3 at Baltimore Ravens, Week 4 vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Week 6 at Pittsburgh Steelers, Week 7 at New Orleans Saints, Week 9 vs. New England Patriots, Week 10 vs. New York Jets, Week 15 at Cincinnati Bengals, Week 16 vs. Baltimore Ravens, Week 17 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Key Additions: LB – Scott Pujita, RB – Peyton Hillis, QB – Seneca Wallace, TE - Benjamin Watson, TE – Alex Smith, QB – Jake Delhomme

Key Losses: QB – Brady Quinn, WR – Donte Stallworth, RB – Jamal Lewis, WR – Mike Furrey, QB – Derek Anderson, DT – Corey Williams

Draft Picks: 1^st Round – CB – Joe Haden, 2^nd Round – S – TJ Ward, RB – Montario Hardesty, 3^rd Round – QB – Colt McCoy, G – Shawn Lauvao, 5^th Round – S – Larry Asante, 6^th Round – WR – Carlton Mitchell, DE – Clifton Geathers

2009 Team Leaders:

Passing – Brady Quinn: 136-for-256, 1,339 yards, 8 TDs

Rushing – Jerome Harrison: 194 atts, 862 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving – Mohamed Massaquoi: 34 rec, 624 yards, 3 TDs

Scouting via NFL Scouts:

“You’ve got to wonder if Jake Delhomme is going to be an interception machine. Changing teams doesn’t always change your confidence and feel for the game. … How much will Mike Holmgren influence what the Browns do on offense? He is the most direct link to the Bill Walsh tree in the NFL, and drafting Colt McCoy says a lot. If McCoy is going to be a successful NFL quarterback, it’s going to be in a West Coast system. … Joe Thomas is really solid, but I don’t think he’s an elite tackle. … They really need to upgrade at wide receiver. They’re still not there yet on offense. … They’re getting better on defense, but I’m still not sold. You can grind out yards on these guys. … Eric Mangini is in a tough spot. He’s got an improved roster, but he’s in a precarious situation because of Holmgren. … Personnel-wise, their four-game winning streak at the end of last year really helped ease the tension in the locker room. They had to look around and say to themselves, ‘We’re playing as well as anyone in the league.’ That confidence is going to help them.”

Thoughts:

The Browns’ strong finish in 2009 does not erase the bad start and the Browns were a very, very bad team in ‘09. They have responded to a dismal season by reshuffling their quarterbacks and adding no significant impact players at any skill position. The Browns will be better this season because it would be next to impossible to be worse. But they are a long way from being good. This season is about rebuilding with quantity rather than quality. It is about playing harder, smarter and showing improvement. It is not about double-digit wins or a playoff push (That isn’t going to happen for at least 5 years down the road).

Prediction: 3-13 (4th)

Cash Scott for Citadel Digital © 2010