2006 NFL Preview: Cleveland Browns

Last Year

Fed Exing of Pepto-Bismol and speculation in regards to the sexual orientation of the team's quarterback were quaint memories as Romeo Crennel took over a messy program and quickly cleaned it up. The running back and quarterback positions were solidified as the Browns displayed an eerie Patriots-like competitiveness as the season wore on. Cleveland is near the end of their rebuilding mode and should be a spoiler team that not many opponents will envy playing by the end of the season.

What We Learned From Last Year

After inheriting a team that had only won four games, it was clear that Crennel was not going to have much to work with in his first season.

No where was this more evident than in the Cleveland Browns' defensive front seven. Crennel installed his patented 3-4 scheme, which typically takes at least two seasons to set up with the proper pieces. He lacked a stout nose tackle right at the point of attack as Jason Fisk was a grinder, but just didn't have the bulk to tie up blockers. Furthermore, he consistently wore downs as games progressed.

At the end position, Orpheus Roye had a stellar season and was one of the lone bright spots. He finished with 88 tackles, tops in the NFL among defensive linemen.

The other standout on the defense was linebacker Andra Davis, who somehow didn't make the Pro Bowl, even though he led the league in tackles. He performed very well, but if there was one qualm to make, it was that he didn't make many game-changing plays. But if he made few, Ben Taylor and Matt Stewart made less, as both were just average linebackers. Chaun Thompson was useful as a pass rusher, totaling five sacks, but there are questions as to whether he can play a full-time role.

While the front seven simply did not have the personnel, the secondary had a mix of players that the Browns were hoping would develop. Unfortunately, nobody overwhelmed.

Cornerback Gary Baxter was a prize free agent signing, who was supposed to step in as the team's top cornerback, but injuries limited him to only five games. Leigh Bodden performed well in his place and veteran Daylon McCutcheon put in his hours, but the Browns clearly didn't have a top-flight corner.

At the safety spot, the Browns were banking on production from either of their last two second-round picks, Brodney Pool or Sean Jones. Pool was a rookie, while Jones was essentially a rookie after missing 2004 with a season-long injury. They both still have much to prove.

As much as you can pick apart the defense for their inability to generate quarterback pressure or their failure to stop the run, they did reduce the amount of points they allowed from 390 to 301. In other words, they gave up a ton of yards between the 20s, but stiffened up in the red zone. Patriot-esque, isn't it?

On offense, no one was expecting to see the 2000 St. Louis Rams, but the loss of Kellen Winslow, Jr. to another season-ending injury was disheartening. The Browns were optimistic that the addition of Braylon Edwards in the draft in combination with a consistent season from Antonio Bryant and a healthy Winslow would be the foundation of an effective offense.

Unfortunately, as injuries curtailed the seasons of both Winslow and Edwards, Bryant was left as the lone weapon. He finally pieced together a somewhat consistent season, setting new personal highs for receptions and receiving yards, but he still dropped too many passes, particularly early in the season.

On the offensive line, the Browns took a flier on tackle L.J. Shelton, and he played pretty well opposite of the team's best blocker, tackle Ryan Tucker, but the rest of the front five was sub par. The failures of the interior can be pinned on center Jeff Faine, who was manhandled on several occasions. See: Casey Hampton.

The Browns' third-round pick, quarterback Charlie Frye, was tabbed as the signal caller of the future and in the final five games of the season, he got his feet wet. Although he was sacked 21 times in seven games, mostly from holding onto the ball too long, he did show enough arm strength and accuracy to support that he does have a long future in the NFL as a starter.

Some people questioned why the Browns acquired Reuben Droughns from Denver, and although he was far from flashy, Droughns provided the consistency that Lee Suggs and William Green could not offer. Coming over from a Broncos offense that churns out 1,000-yard rushers annually, many people assumed Droughns was just a product of the system and that he would flop in Cleveland. Quite the contrary, as he turned out to be their best offensive weapon.

The Browns have had a solid offseason by continuing to fill out their roster with quality players, but this season will be a year of development and all eyes will be on Frye, Winslow and Edwards, determining what kind of future is in store.

This Year

Considering the front seven ranked dead last in sack total, accumulating only 23, it was imperative that the Browns address their pass rush.

The Browns infused nose tackles Ted Washington and Babatunde Oshinowo and linebackers Willie McGinest, Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, and Leon Williams.

Washington figures to make the biggest impact because if a 3-4 defense is weak the point of attack, it is not going to function properly.

Although he is a grayed veteran, Washington is obviously familiar Crennel from their days together in New England and knows exactly what his coach will be looking for. The same can be said for McGinest, who will be asked to get some pressure on the quarterback from the outside positions.

The presence of these two should be invaluable to an inexperienced defense and both Wimbley and Oshinowo stand to learn a lot from these savvy vets.

With Washington, Roye, and Alvin McKinley upfront, the Browns have the makings of a fairly decent defensive line. Depth is scant but at least the front lines are capable.

Stud linebacker Andra Davis might have as many as three new starters keeping him company. The aforementioned Wimbley and McGinest will be the two new faces on the outside while the other middle spot will be up to either rookie D'Qwell Jackson or incumbent Chaun Thompson. The coaching staff doesn't seem overly sold on Thompson, which is why they likely drafted Jackson.

The secondary entails three quality corners in Baxter, Bodden and McCutcheon but the safeties at the back end cause some anxiety.

Free safety Brian Russell is a run-of-the-mill safety. He doesn't do anything exceptionally well but is fairly sound all around. If he was next to a Pro Bowl strong safety, you could get by. But he'll be starting next to either Brodney Pool or Sean Jones. The team is high on both of these guys but both are inexperienced. Pool is very athletic and has a knack for being around the football. The Browns need one of these two guys to take a big step forward and the front office feels it will be Jones.

On offense, the Browns swapped L.J. Shelton and Jeff Faine off their offensive line for Kevin Shaffer and LeCharles Bentley. Shaffer, who was signed from Atlanta, fended defensive linemen off a fairly mobile quarterback in Michael Vick, so he should do a solid job covering Frye's blindside. Bentley was a great signing by the Browns and losing him to a season-ending injury will be especially painful since the play of their center is critical with two division rivals who like to employ the 3-4 defense. Backup Bob Hallen is a decent intermediate fill-in, but this figures to be a nagging problem all year. With a young quarterback like Frye, expect the Browns to see a ton of blitzes up the middle.

The running back position was quite a mess prior to Droughns' arrival, but is now not much of a concern heading forward. Lee Suggs still has the most talent and explosiveness among the backs, but his fragile body has missed 23 games in the last three seasons. First-round bust William Green is all but out of the picture and if Suggs limps off again, rookie Jerome Harrison will likely take over the third-down role. I get the feeling a change of scenery would be great for Suggs.

Coaches didn't feel like dealing with the inconsistency of Antonio Bryant anymore and shipped him to San Francisco. Their new temporary top target will be Joe Jurevicius, who will fill that role until Braylon Edwards is fully recovered. Edwards wasn't supposed to return before October, but miraculously has already begun practicing.

The play of the self-proclaimed "soldier" Kellen Winslow is going to be critical for the Browns. The crop of receivers on this team is as weak as Barry Bonds' batting average.

Jurevicius is overrated as a number one wideout, while Dennis Northcutt and Frisman Jackson are not suitable for primary or secondary roles. With the newest NFL trend moving to faster and smaller wide receivers, Jurevicius is out of fashion and is too slow to attract a lot of attention, although he does a great job of adjusting to the ball. He's not going to scare any secondary.

The Browns desperately need Winslow to play at a high level, but that is an enormous expectation, considering the guy has missed 30 straight games and is recovering from two major injuries. It is difficult to envision the Browns being able to move the ball on offense with any success unless Edwards is at full speed right away.

Players like Frye, Winslow, Edwards, Wimbley, and Pool are the future in Cleveland and as their development goes, so will the Browns. It is unlikely they will be vying for a playoff spot this year, but the talented seeds have been planted and with a smart head coach at the helm, this is going to be a team that ruins a few playoff aspirations down the stretch.

Over/Under: 6.5

The Browns' three division rivals are all ranked in the top eight of NFL toughest schedules and you can expect the Browns to get overlooked a couple of times. They will not finish with a 1-5 division record this year. They play: NO, @CIN, BAL, @OAK, @CAR, DEN, NYJ, @SD, @ATL, PIT, CIN, KC, @PIT, BAL, @TB, and @HOU.

Fantasy Sleeper

It is difficult to depend on anyone in the Browns passing offense for fantasy production, especially Kellen Winslow, who has trash-talked much more than he has performed. The best value pick off this offense here is Reuben Droughns. He posted solid yardage numbers last season and should duplicate them once again, while bettering his touchdown total. The Browns are improved all across the board, which should mean more red zone visits.

This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].