Cleveland enters the season with four quarterbacks,two of which have never taken an NFL snap and two that have never won an NFL game.
The Browns have handed the keys to second round draft pick DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame.
Kizer looks the part in the pocket,tall,athletic and with a big arm,but came out early from Notre Dame and has some questions after a college career that saw him fail to get Notre Dame to a bowl in his last season.
Kizer comes with questions,but considering the quarterbacks that Hue Jackson kept,Kizer has the best chance of being a quarterback that can be built around,so I'm in favor of the Browns seeing just what they have,since they will likely be picking high in the draft and with plenty of highly thought passers in the 2018 draft,lets find out now if the Browns have found their future QB or not.
Cody Kessler played a lot last year and looks to be a career backup to me.
Kevin Hogan impressed me more in a small sample of play last year than Kessler did and honestly,if I had to keep one or the other-I would keep Hogan.
The Browns surprisingly claimed Josh Woodrum off waivers from Baltimore on cutdown day and currently have four quarterbacks.
I don't think it will end that way as the Browns suddenly need a defensive lineman with the injury to Myles Garrett,so I suspect one of these passers are going to go before the opener...
The running backs are paced by Isaiah Crowell,who just missed 1,000 yards last year and I think this year goes over the mark.
Between the improved offensive line and a commitment to running the ball,Crowell is going to have a big year.
Duke Johnson will be the pass catcher out of the backfield and chance of pace back and seventh rounder Matthew Dayes from N.C.State impressed in camp and preseason in making the team as the third back.
Dan Vitale returns as the blocking fullback.
The wide receivers are filled with question marks and enigmas,so this season will answer questions-one way or the other.
2016 first rounder Corey Coleman is listed as the number one receiver on the depth chart after a season as a rookie that showed talent,injuries and questions.
Coleman's talent and speed are there,the question is can he stay healthy and is he a number one receiver?
Kenny Britt was signed from the Rams after his career to replace Terrelle Pryor,who was allowed to go to the Redskins as a free agent.
I'm not a huge fan of Britt and think he might be more Dwayne Bowe than Paul Warfield.
Cleveland has assembled an interesting,but unproven bunch behind the starters.
The Browns traded the Steelers 2018 6th rounder back to them to add speedy,but sometimes stonehanded Sammie Coates at the cutdown deadline.
Coates can get deep and make the big play,but the Steelers were disappointed in his drops.
Ricardo Louis,a college teammate of Coates,is back for his second season.
Louis has the physical tools for success,but the hands might not be as willing.
Kasen Williams was claimed from Seattle after a spectacular preseason that left Seahawks players and fans howling about his being cut.
Williams was a guy that I was really high on in his college days at Washington before injuries cost him almost two years of developmental time.
Williams can make the spectacular and tough catch,so I'm looking forward to seeing him
Reggie Davis was claimed from Atlanta as the final receiver.
Davis is extremely fast and might wind up being one of the kick returners...
Cleveland traded up back into the first round for Miami tight end David Njoku,but training camp saw Njoku struggle catching the ball and in preseason lagged behind both Randall Telfer and Seth DeValve in catches.
The first rounder was thought to be raw and would not make an immediate impact,but he'll start third on the Browns depth chart.
Telfer is listed as the starter,but is basically a blocker while DeValve shows potential as an athletic receiver,but needs vast improvement in the blocking part of the game...
The Browns put most of their free agency money into helping the offensive line.
Cleveland signed arguably the best available lineman in guard Kevin Zietler to plug in at right guard from the Bengals and center J.C. Tretter from the Packers.
Tretter has been noted to miss time from injury,so backup Austin Reiter could see plenty of playing time as the snapper.
Zeitler will be counted on to solidify the right side as it has questions at right tackle as 2016 third rounder Shon Coleman is unproven,yet relied on to be the starter.
The Browns have some huge backups on the right side in 6'9 Zach Sterup and 6'6 Spencer Drango.
Sterup is more of a tackle,while Drango can play either guard or tackle.
The left side looks to be among the best in the game as future hall of famer Joe Thomas resides at left tackle with Joel Bitonio returning from injury to start at left guard.
Marcus Martin backs up Bitonio after starting some for the 49ers last year and Zach Banner was claimed from the Colts after the Colts waived him after picking him in the 4th round in the last draft.
The Browns defense improved as far as talent goes,but still has plenty of questions to be answered.
The defensive line has the most depth and talent top to bottom,but that will be immediately tested after an injury to the ankle of top overall pick Myles Garrett this week.
As of this writing,Garrett will miss as many as four games and that's a huge hit to a pass rush that was counting on immediate impact.
I think Garrett will bring that rush when he hits the field,but until then the Browns will have to cobble something together.
Emmanuel Ogbah will start on the other end after a good rookie season and the backups on the end include former high picks Nate Orchard and Carl Nassib,one of which will start for Garrett in his absence.
Both Orchard and Nassib have shown pass rushing ability in the past and if one of both can consistently do so,the Browns could have a really nice outside rush.
At defensive tackle,Danny Shelton missed much of the preseason with injury and slid down the depth chart,but Shelton will be one starter even if not for the opener.
Jamie Meder brings run stuffing ability and training camp breakout Trevon Coley are listed as the current starters and will rotate with Shelton to keep the interior line fresh.
2017 draftees Larry Ogunjobi and Caleb Brantley will backup as waiver claim T,Y, McGill may or may not after being busted for marijuana possession the night after being waived,
This is a talented defensive line,but one still with more potential than production...
The linebackers look to be strong among the starters,but lacking behind them.
Jamie Collins was re-signed after being traded for in mid-season last year from the Patriots.
Collins is an all around three down linebacker that can make plays all over the field.
Christian Kirksey was a tackling machine in the Ray Horton 3-4 and shifts outside in the Gregg Williams 4-3.
We'll see how he does with the change.
I think he'll make more big plays,but perhaps fewer tackles in number.
Second year man Joe Schobert was great in preseason in the middle and might be the fantasy breakout star of this defense.
Backups Dominique Alexander and James Burgess are unproven and it wouldn't surprise me if someone was brought in later in the season...
The secondary looks like it is going to be challenged by opposing passers much as it was last season.
The release of veteran Joe Haden surely isn't going to help any,but it won't hurt as much as expected.
Jamar Taylor is back at one corner after a nice comeback season after being considered a bust with the Dolphins.
Veteran Jason McCourty was signed from the Titans to be the third corner,but instead will be replacing Haden as a starter.
Second year man Briean Boddy-Calhoun will be the third corner after a good rookie campaign following being picked up off waivers.
The Browns will try to strike gold again off waivers with Mike Jordan,a second year corner that played for Gregg Williams with the Rams last season.
The safeties look talented on paper,but we'll see on the field.
First rounder Jabrill Peppers starts at one safety.
Peppers was the most polarizing player in the draft with some observers thinking the Michigan product was a playmaker and weapon no matter where he was used,with others seeing a player with just one career pick in college and a player without a position.
We'll see who was right,but I did think Peppers was impressive in the preseason.
Peppers beat out former starter Ibraheim Campbell for his starting spot with Campbell being retained as the backup.
Second year man Derrick Kindred will start at the other safety.
Kindred started five games last season before missing the final few games due to injury.
Kindred will be backed up by former Jet Calvin Pryor,who might be the guy that could range from starter to released depending on how injuries fall out on the rest of the roster...
Editor's Note:Calvin Pryor was released the day after I did this section after a off the field fight with Ricardo Louis.
Louis will be not be released.
Hue Jackson said that the likely replacement will be the practice squad promoted Kai Nacua.
Nacua was an undrafted rookie from BYU....
Zane Gonzalez won a tight competition over incumbent Cody Parkey to win the kicking job.
Gonzalez won the Lou Groza award for the best kicker in college football last year and was the Browns seventh round pick.
Veteran Britton Colquitt returns as the punter and likely will do a lot of it this season.
Jabrill Peppers is listed as the top returner on kicks and punts,but newly acquired Reggie Davis will be used a lot on kicks with another newbie in Sammie Coates possible to see punt return action...
So-onto the part that you all love most-the prediction page.
Two years ago,I said 3-13 and nailed it.
Last year,I said 2-14 and the first or second pick in the draft.I was close,but in a rare optimistic pick,I overshot with the Browns finishing 1-15.even hitting the game they would win over the then San Diego Chargers.
I see two home games and maybe as many as three road games that are winnable.
Let's start on the road in order of schedule.
The Colts in Indianapolis is winnable,if the Colts have to start Scott Tolzien at quarterback and not Andrew Luck.
If Luck plays,I would take this out of the winnable column.
The other games are at the Chargers and at the Bears.
The Chargers were the only team that the Browns beat last year and they will likely be ready for revenge this year in Los Angeles.
The Bears might be playing Mitch Trubisky by their game in week 16 and if DeShone Kizer is still standing,he might be able lead the Browns by Chicago.
The home games?
The Jets are following the Browns rebuild template and are starting Josh McCown at quarterback.
If McCown can't hold up until week five,the Browns would be facing Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenburg-I like the Browns there.
Jacksonville has plenty of offensive weapons,but play the erratic Blake Bortles under center.
If this game was in Florida,I'd say the Jaguars would be favored,but this is winnable in Cleveland.
I'm going to be optimistic and say 3-13.
Give the Browns the two home games and maybe the Bears game for the wins.
It wouldn't surprise me if they were worse and it would take going 4-0 in the winnable games to beat my prediction.
Give the Browns a pick in the top three to four,a chance at the top overall pick in 2018 and improvement,but still a long way to go...
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