Are the Browns a Legit Playoff Contender?

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

Browns look great on paper. First time in a long time that they have decent starters & depth. They should be able to make major strides this season but the faith in their coaches is dismal. I'm guessing 6-7 wins.

 

[Across The Field]

Maybe. We've seen a couple of teams win right away with a running QB and Lamar Jackson fits the same mold.

Baltimore Ravens were last in the league in YPA last year. Lamar Jackson could continue the trend (or Joe Flacco could continue the trend) but if that number goes up at all then the Ravens are a playoff contender.

Which QBs do you have in mind that are comparable to LJ who have come in and won right away?

 

[Across The Field]

Browns look great on paper. First time in a long time that they have decent starters & depth. They should be able to make major strides this season but the faith in their coaches is dismal. I'm guessing 6-7 wins.

I think this is the only real reason to think they can't win 8-9 games, and it's absolutely valid. Hue deserves all the criticism out there, and if he only manages to win 5-6 games this year, he's gotta be canned.

 

[Clayton]

Which QBs do you have in mind that are comparable to LJ who have come in and won right away?

'Comparable to LJ' is a difficult statement. No on really compares to him.

Teddy Bridgewater is a different kind of QB but came from Louisville and was starting right away. Certainly Watson wasn't supposed to be pro ready and he put up numbers even when the defense fell apart.

You also have the fact that it took a last minute meltdown for the Ravens to miss the playoffs last year and the Browns went winless last year and they both had bottom 5 QB play.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I think this is the only real reason to think they can't win 8-9 games, and it's absolutely valid. Hue deserves all the criticism out there, and if he only manages to win 5-6 games this year, he's gotta be canned.

Agreed. With the amount of talent on this team he should be pushing a WC spot. Anything less and he should be unemployed next year.

 

[Clayton]

and if he only manages to win 5-6 games this year, he's gotta be canned.

You're like a Mizzou fan who is upset if they don't win the SEC. I think you're overvaluing your roster.

 

[Across The Field]

'Comparable to LJ' is a difficult statement. No on really compares to him.

Teddy Bridgewater is a different kind of QB but came from Louisville and was starting right away. Certainly Watson wasn't supposed to be pro ready and he put up numbers even when the defense fell apart.

You also have the fact that it took a last minute meltdown for the Ravens to miss the playoffs last year and the Browns went winless last year and they both had bottom 5 QB play.

I think Bridgewater and Watson were significantly more accurate passers in college, though. We're talking about a guy who was barely at 60% this year for completion percentage. Watson was never below 67% and Bridgewater was 71% in his final season. That's where I feel he's nowhere near ready to play NFL football. His patience in the pocket is lacking to say the least, and he's a disaster when it comes to progression/reads and anticipation. If he plays this year, I don't see it going any better than Kizer in Cleveland in 2017.

I'm honestly not a fan of Baltimore either way this year. They were 9-7 last year, but they played one of the weakest schedules in the NFL, including 2 free wins vs. the Browns. That won't be the case this year, as both Cleveland and their schedule look significantly tougher. I think they might have more talent this year, but Flacco is just so bad, and neither RG3 nor Lamar are going to be any better this season IMO.

 

[Across The Field]

You're like a Mizzou fan who is upset if they don't win the SEC. I think you're overvaluing your roster.

Do you honestly think this roster should be losing 11 games? If you put these guys in any other jerseys, are you seriously saying they're a 5-11/6-10 team?

 

[Across The Field]

Agreed. With the amount of talent on this team he should be pushing a WC spot. Anything less and he should be unemployed next year.

I should've clarified this point. I'm not saying they're winning the division, or even runner up. However, the AFC North has landed 3 playoff teams before, so he should at least be contending for at least 3rd with a winning record.

 

[FaCe-LeE-uS]

I should've clarified this point. I'm not saying they're winning the division, or even runner up. However, the AFC North has landed 3 playoff teams before, so he should at least be contending for at least 3rd with a winning record.

Easily. Considering the state of both BAL & CIN, CLE has a very good chance to jump up a spot or 2 in the division. What they do with the rest of their schedule is what will determine their season.

 

[Clayton]

Do you honestly think this roster should be losing 11 games? If you put these guys in any other jerseys, are you seriously saying they're a 5-11/6-10 team?

If you guys went 6-10 it would likely be the biggest improvement in the whole NFL over one season.

Lots of question marks on the Browns roster. They lost a HOF left tackle. Taylor takes a lot of sacks. EJ Gaines is a good CB but if he is the best CB then I'm not sure I'd be too confident there.

Jamie Collins was basically cut by the smartest guy in football. Jabril Peppers is an athlete but is he a football player? Njoku might be good but he only has 32 career receptions. Josh Gordon has 18 receptions since 2014.

Lots of ways the Browns could go 2-14 next year just as likely as they go 8-8

 

[Across The Field]

If you guys went 6-10 it would likely be the biggest improvement in the whole NFL over one season.

Lots of question marks on the Browns roster. They lost a HOF left tackle. Taylor takes a lot of sacks. EJ Gaines is a good CB but if he is the best CB then I'm not sure I'd be too confident there.

Jamie Collins was basically cut by the smartest guy in football. Jabril Peppers is an athlete but is he a football player? Njoku might be good but he only has 32 career receptions. Josh Gordon has 18 receptions since 2014.

Lots of ways the Browns could go 2-14 next year just as likely as they go 8-8

Your points could be made on almost any other team in football.

Patriots: Tom Brady is now in his 40s and if he's hurt they're doomed, Edelman is suspended and nobody behind is proven at WR, Gronk is an enormous injury liability, how is the OL going to look with a rookie LT? Lots of "what ifs" don't mean it's going to be easy for a team to go 2-14.

I wouldn't say Gaines is necessarily the best CB. Ward or Currie could very well take that honor. I 100% agree on the Peppers thing, but having Randall back there will help out a lot. Njoku had 32 receptions with a horribly inaccurate rookie QB, but he also produced 4 TDs on those 32 catches, which isn't bad for a rookie. I have no concerns about Gordon on the field. He looked great last year, again, with a really bad rookie QB. Also, Tyrod took a lot of sacks but he had no receivers to throw the ball to, so it was pretty understandable. When your RB has at least 10 more receptions than any other player on your team, you know it's ugly.

 

[Ojb81]

M God ATF, you are homer du jour at the moment. No, the browns arent making the playoffs this season, your daydreams wont come to fruition, but yes, they WILL be better.

 

[Nicki]

Do you honestly think this roster should be losing 11 games? If you put these guys in any other jerseys, are you seriously saying they're a 5-11/6-10 team?

Some of that depends on the coach. The Rams for years had some talent but we had Jeff Fisher so we we got 7-9 (if we were lucky).

 

[Across The Field]

Some of that depends on the coach. The Rams for years had some talent but we had Jeff Fisher so we we got 7-9 (if we were lucky).

Pretty solid first post for you. And you're right, Hue Jackson has to step up. Adding Todd Haley will help things, considering he had no offensive coordinator the last 2 years, but he has no excuses regarding talent this year.

 

[Across The Field]

M God ATF, you are homer du jour at the moment. No, the browns arent making the playoffs this season, your daydreams wont come to fruition, but yes, they WILL be better.

I said they're a contender. There are contenders every year that don't make it.

Can you give any actual legit reason, though? No team in the NFL has improved from a talent perspective this offseason like Cleveland, and it's not really close.

 

[Ojb81]

I said they're a contender. There are contenders every year that don't make it.

Can you give any actual legit reason, though? No team in the NFL has improved from a talent perspective this offseason like Cleveland, and it's not really close.

Wait, improved? They havent even played a single game yet. Improved "on paper", you mean?? Yeah, we see how that seems to bring single-season turnarounds from less than 3 wins to playoff-bound alllll the time, its a veritable lock *rolls eyes*

 

[Across The Field]

Wait, improved? They havent even played a single game yet. Improved "on paper", you mean?? Yeah, we see how that seems to bring single-season turnarounds from less than 3 wins to playoff-bound alllll the time, its a veritable lock *rolls eyes*

Holy shit drama queen, dial it back. I never said they're a lock to be playoff bound, so you can just calm down a bit.

What team, in your opinion, has improved more than Cleveland?

 

[Clayton]

No team in the NFL has improved from a talent perspective this offseason like Cleveland, and it's not really close.

I think Tampa Bay and Denver might have an argument but Cleveland does seem like the obvious team for 'most improved' just because they have no where to go but up

 

[Across The Field]

I think Tampa Bay and Denver might have an argument but Cleveland does seem like the obvious team for 'most improved' just because they have no where to go but up

Tampa Bay? Really? I haven't heard them come up in that way. I don't know that I see them winning many more games than they did last season, really.