New head coach Freddie Kitchens and media have high expectations and figure the Browns to be much improved for the second season in a row.
Are those observers right?
Or have the Browns set their fans up for one more disappointment?
Let's take a look and we'll start at quarterback with Baker Mayfield.
I wasn't thrilled with Mayfield's selection (I preferred Sam Darnold) but was very impressed with his play at times last season.
Mayfield started well after the injury to Tyrod Taylor, leveled out a bit under Hue Jackson and then improved after Jackson was fired.
I feel much better about Mayfield now then I did at this time a year ago, but he has one hurdle to climb-the sophomore jinx.
The jinx really isn't a jinx as much as the player having the ability to make adjustments after defenses have some film on him and make their own changes.
If the player can do that, he's the real deal and if not, you have a short term flash.
Veteran Drew Stanton backs up Mayfield on the depth chart, but the guy that might actually play if Mayfield would be injured is long-time Mayfield friend and AAF star Garrett Gilbert.
Nick Chubb will be the stalwart of the running game after just missing a thousand yards in less than a full season of work.
Chubb seems to be sitting on a huge season, but keep in mind his injury history,
The super talented Kareem Hunt will arrive later in the season after his suspension for the misdeeds that led to his release from Kansas City and it'll be interesting to see how Freddie Kitchens uses the two star runners.
Will there be a pecking order between the two and if so, which is the top back?
Could it be Chubb, who by that point could be having a great season or will it be the fresher back in Hunt?
And how often could the Browns use them in the same backfield?
Dontrell Hilliard will be the backup until Hunt returns and will be used in the role formerly held by Duke Johnson as the pass-catching back.
Former AAF runner D'Ernest Johnson made the team as the final back and special teamer.
The big name of the offseason to arrive in Cleveland was Odell Beckham and all the skills that he brings to the table.
Beckham, when healthy and motivated, could be the best receiver in the game and if he's not he's at least in the conversation for that honor.
The Browns have done their best to make the transition to Cleveland for Beckham as easy as possible and as long as he can stay healthy, this could be a huge season for Beckham.
Jarvis Landry fits in well as the other starter at wideout.
Landry's 2018 season could be looked at as a mild disappointment, but only when you consider the other targets around him and Landry seems to me to be a player that as your top receiver isn't quite at that level, but with a strong number one receiver on the team- Landry can be an elite number two receiver.
Sure handed Rashard Higgins is the third receiver and could have a nice season as it seems that Higgins and Baker Mayfield are often on the same page.
Antonio Callaway will likely fit into the fourth receiving spot after his suspension is completed after the first month of the season.
Second-year man Damion Ratley, recent trade acquisition Taywan Taylor and waiver claim KhaDarele Hodge round out the receiving corps with Hodge has a reputation as an excellent special teams player.
David Njoku starts again at tight end and the talented but enigmatic Njoku might be on a make or break season.
Njoku has plenty of physical talent but needs to up his consistency.
If he can do so, he has pro bowl level ability, if he cannot, look for John Dorsey to draft a tight end in 2020.
The Browns are carrying four tight ends for now with former Chief and free-agent signee Demetrius Harris set as the blocking tight end and main backup.
Pharaoh Brown made the team after arriving in mid-season last year and the Browns claimed Ricky Seals-Jones off waivers from the Cardinals.
I think either Brown or Seals-Jones will likely hit the waiver wire when injuries begin to add up.
The offensive line has questions and many of them as the Browns will have to protect their franchise passer.
Greg Robinson returns at left tackle after the former first-rounder produced a solid first season in Cleveland on his comeback trail.
Robinson will never be a franchise level lineman, but the Browns can get valuable use from him if he plays at last season's level.
Left guard Joel Bitonio is very good and so is center J.C. Tretter with those two being the best parts of the line.
The right side took a huge hit with the trade of Kevin Zeitler and the thought was that 2018 second-rounder Austin Corbett would be able to slide into that position.
Corbett was a disappointment and couldn't hold the job in losing the competition to journeyman free agent Eric Kush, who spent last season with the Bears.
John Dorsey isn't thrilled with that and traded two 2020 draft picks to Buffalo for Wyatt Teller, who will likely become the starter sometime during the season as he gets more familiar with the blocking setup.
If Teller doesn't become the starter, the Browns would likely consider that a disappointment.
Cleveland also added Justin McCray for depth for a conditional draft pick from Green Bay.
Chris Hubbard had his struggles at right tackle last season after signing as a free agent from Pittsburgh.
Hubbard needs to step his game up a step because he could be pushed by Kendall Lamm, who started 13 games for Houston last year.
Austin Corbett could play tackle in a pinch, but this unit does have some major questions and things to prove.
The defensive side of the ball will have some things to prove as well, but the pass rush won't be one of those as the Browns will have one of the best pass-rushing units in the game.
Myles Garrett will finally have the pass rusher opposite him that Emmanuel Ogbah never was able to provide as the trade with the Giants added a legitimate threat in Olivier Vernon.
Vernon finished last season with seven sacks in eleven games and should he stay healthy, should be good for double-digit sacks.
As for Garrett, his 13.5 sacks should improve with Vernon on the other side.
2018 third-rounder Chad Thomas and veteran Chris Smith will rotate in and out and could be needed as a starter as Olivier Vernon has missed nine games over the last two seasons.
Situational pass rusher Genard Avery is listed as a defensive end, but will also see time at linebacker.
Avery's position will not matter much as he is essentially rushing off the edge in either spot.
The interior of the line will provide a pass rush up the middle with Larry Ogunjobi returning with free agent signee Sheldon Richardson as the starters.
Ogunjobi's play wasn't as strong as the season moved on, but he was playing through injuries and good health will give Ogunjobi an excellent season.
Richardson played well for Minnesota last season and completes what should be an excellent front four.
Don't forget about Devaroe Lawrence, who the Browns traded for from New Orleans at the end of the 2018 training camp, released and re-signed late in the season.
Lawrence was dominant in the pre-season and if he can continue that type of performance, the Browns defensive tackles will not skip a beat when the starters are off the field.
Daniel Ekuale made the team as the final backup after spending last year on the practice squad.
The linebackers could use some depth and maybe even some playmaking types as this doesn't seem to be a weak group, but it's not exciting either.
Christian Kirksey will start on one side as he attempts to return from a torn hamstring that ended his season in November with free agent addition Adarius Taylor, who was signed from Tampa Bay in the offseason.
Steady Joe Schobert starts in the middle and is the most active of the three starters.
Still, I've always thought that both Kirksey and Schobert were fantasy stars more than above average players as both guys roll up big tackle numbers, but more often than not those tackles happen downfield.
The players behind the starters are interesting though with third-rounder Sione Takitaki and fifth-rounder Mack Wilson, Genard Avery will see time here occasionally as noted above and Malik Jefferson, a 2018 third-rounder that was released by the Texans, was claimed before the season.
All of these players could prove to be starters for 2020, especially the two rookies as Mack Wilson was one of my favorite players in the draft and had an excellent training camp.
2018 first-rounder Denzel Ward starts at one corner spot and Terrence Mitchell held off the stern challenge of second-rounder Greedy Williams to claim the other position.
Ward seemed to be on his way to becoming the defensive rookie of the year before injuries piled up and allowed the Colts Darius Leonard to win the award.
Mitchell was playing very well before a broken arm in week four cost him four months in 2018.
Greedy Williams will see plenty of time as the third cornerback for now and might be the starter by season's end.
T.J. Carrie will be the dime corner and Tavierre Thomas is the final corner and special team player.
Damarious Randall might have been the surprise of the season after being acquired from Green Bay.
Randall had disappointed the Packers after being a first-rounder in 2015 but played extremely well.
Randall is a free agent at seasons end, so he should be motivated for another big year at free safety.
Another former Packer starts at the strong safety position in Morgan Burnett, who was productive in Green Bay, but after signing with Pittsburgh last season seemed to be miscast in their system.
Burnett will attempt to show that the system was the problem, not a slowing career.
Well-traveled Jermaine Whitehead seems to be highly thought of by new defensive coordinator Steve Wilks and will see a lot of time as will Eric Murray, who was obtained in the trade that sent Emmanuel Ogbah to Kansas City.
Fourth-round selection Sheldrick Redwine rounds out the secondary.
The kicking game will be entirely different as two rookies defeated incumbents to grab each job.
Fifth-round pick Austin Seibert took away the placekicking job from Greg Joseph after Joseph finished 2018 after replacing Zane Gonzalez, but the upset was rookie free agent Jamie Gillan taking away the punting position from steady veteran Britton Colquitt.
Rookie punters are a bit of a gamble, but the Browns liked the powerful leg of Gillan and likely the cheaper salary as well.
Running backs Dontrell Hilliard and D'Ernest Johnson will start the season as the kick returners, but Antonio Callaway will more than likely take over as the punt returner when his suspension ends after four games.
Now the big question- what record will the Browns finish with?
I was pleasantly surprised with the 7-8-1 finish after I predicted 4-12 with the caveat that I figured Hue Jackson would be the coach and Tyrod Taylor would quarterback most of the season.
The schedule is tough, especially the first five games that sees them play the Jets on Monday night, the Rams at home on a short week, a west coast trip to San Francisco and then another short week visit to New England.
If the Browns get through that at 3-2, I'll take it and maybe even 2-3.
I don't expect the Browns to win the division, although I think it's a possibility.
I do think that with the off-season moves and finally being rid of Hue Jackson for a full season that if the Browns don't make the playoffs as a wild card, I would call that a disappointing season.
Let's call it 10-6 and a wild card playoff appearance.
Back later with this week's PPM
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