Browns soon to be good again?

**Amador +JP2+** · 01-24-13, 09:59 AM

The Browns were good before?

**Hocus Pocus** · 01-24-13, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Morningfrost

I'm not sold on Weedon, to be honest. The guy doesn't have a lot of time to develop because of his age, and it's a big step going from college to the pros. I honestly think ya'll shoulda stuck with Colt McCoy since you were running a modified west coast anyways, and used Weedon's 1st rounder on another legitimate weapon for the offense.

~Morningfrost

This. The supporting cast is much more important. Look at Russell Wilson who's arguably the same stature and accomplished less in college. He had weapons across the board and a defense they gave him favorable field position to the point he could just be a game manager. Browns have no real threat catching the ball so they have nothing to help Richardson out. The fact that weedon can sling the ball doesn't mean anything if he has no one to sling it too. I think they should go after Jennings and draft an wr Usc has a stud turning pro I forget his name.

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**Morningfrost** · 01-24-13, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Hocus Pocus

This. The supporting cast is much more important. Look at Russell Wilson who's arguably the same stature and accomplished less in college. He had weapons across the board and a defense they gave him favorable field position to the point he could just be a game manager. Browns have no real threat catching the ball so they have nothing to help Richardson out. The fact that weedon can sling the ball doesn't mean anything if he has no one to sling it too. I think they should go after Jennings and draft an wr Usc has a stud turning pro I forget his name.

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Jennings wouldn't make a bad pickup, but that would probably solidify their WR corps without drafting someone. They've already got Josh Gordon who looked like a legit big-play threat last year, and Greg Little who can be pretty good with better coaching (he's got talent, but his hands are inconsistent). Add a good, solid WR like Jennings to that and you've got an above-average WR corps. They might want to look at another pick or two on the offensive line, or a top TE target to give whoever their QB is a real safety valve. Right now the offensive line has good tackles (or in the case of RT Mitchell Schwartz, a great prospect) and a good center, but could use more talent at the guard position. Their TEs are pretty sub-par as well.

They could also use more help on their defense to take some of the pressure off the offense. Another DE to pair with Jabaal Sheard would be a nice pickup, as would a good FS and a young CB that can eventually take Sheldon Brown's place across from Joe Haden.

Browns actually got some good talent, and Turner will maximize whatever they end up with on offense.

~Morningfrost

**Beige Lantern** · 01-24-13, 01:02 PM

I've heard "this is the year" for a dozen years now. I'm definitely starting to stop caring.

I actually think Wheeden is the strongest QB we've had in a while. He consistently gets the ball through traffic in a way McCoy just didn't. I've also watched him dodge sacks on a number of occasions where he had no business getting away.

As for RBs, I think we're solid with Richardson for a while. Likewise we have a solid tight end. When you take out horrible play-calling Shurmur what we're left with is a modified West Coast offense with no real star WRs.

**Red_Lizard2** · 01-24-13, 07:19 PM

What about at the Linebacker positions? I've read, at least on WF forums, that the Browns Linebackers either aren't good or haven't been very good in 3-4s. Technically Horton runs a 2-4-5 but eh, the point still pretty much stands.

**iLLusioN** · 01-24-13, 08:18 PM

I'd be willing to bet Pittsburgh is back in playoff contention next year. The offense was clicking really well for about 4 games before Big Ben got hurt. There were a few people saying Big Ben could be in the running for MVP(Peter King is the only name I can think of) before the injury. He was off for the rest of the season once he came back. Once the defense actually got all of the parts on the field they were their usual dominant selves. I expect the turnovers to go back to normal next season as well...Harrison, Woodley, and Polamalu were on the field for 4 games together and those 4 games accounted for almost half of the total turnovers for the season.

There will be quite a bit of turnover...Wallace will probably walk. his last 2 seasons have been majorly underwhelming from him. I expect them to either pick up a solid free agent or draft a receiver early. ...one of either Starks or Foster will stay...the other will go. Mendenhall is gone. Lewis has been quoted a few times saying he really wants to come back to Pittsburgh. I expect him to...as solid as he was this season he only had 1 turnover which is what really earns the big paychecks. He really started showing drastic improvement after Carnell Lake was hired as the secondary coach...I expect they have a pretty solid relationship.

I think last years draft will end up being better than expected...I expect DeCastro will be fine and end being being the Pro-bowler he was projected as, Adams was downright dominant in the run game...look at the YPC while he was in compared to while he was injured...and never made the same mistake twice in pass coverage. He got beat 3 teams...once by Tuck, once by Pierre-paul, and once by Suggs. All 3 of them only earned 1 sack against him...he stonewalled them for the rest of the game. Spence looks like he's a gamer...great first step and I didn't see him mis-read anything in the preseason. As long as Ta'ammu doesn't go to jail he has all the tools to do well as NT...if he doesn't then Hood and McClendon have done an admirable job while playing there. Beachum was very impressive in his playtime this season. Not much push in the run game but he rarely got beat in the pass game, and shut down some pretty good rushers...I wouldn't be surprised if he stays as the swing tackle for a few seasons(which is a win for a 7th round pick).

I expect quite a few vets to restructure and a few to get cut...Hampton, Keisel, Foote, and Colon could all be gone. Hampton could potentially be around for another year if he's willing to take a pay cut. He's still one of the best at his job so I don't know if he'll do that. I expect Polamalu, Big Ben, Harrison, Miller, Taylor, and Clark all restructure to get the team under the cap. They have all said publicly that they are willing to do so, and have done so in the past. All of them said that they have no desire to go anywhere else and don't expect to be playing anywhere else next season.

**Mobi** · 01-31-13, 06:09 AM

the only time they are good is when they eventually go on a win streak but thats very rare.. and Norv is very rough around the edges. He was good when he coached SD but faded very quickly. He coached the redskins and failed miserably. I Norv is good but he's not the coach you want when you want to go to the SB

**Morningfrost** · 01-31-13, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by Mobi

the only time they are good is when they eventually go on a win streak but thats very rare.. and Norv is very rough around the edges. He was good when he coached SD but faded very quickly. He coached the redskins and failed miserably. I Norv is good but he's not the coach you want when you want to go to the SB

I would agree to an extent about Norv, but he's the OC, not the HC, and I think that'll make the difference for the Browns. Norv's a terrible HC. I think everyone and their mother can agree to that lol. As an OC though, he doesn't have many equals.

~Morningfrost

**Morningfrost** · 01-31-13, 11:16 AM

I think I just read the dumbest headline ever, relating to the Browns. It read "Would the Browns give up on Weedon to get Alex Smith?"

The answer to that is....hahahahahahahahahahahahaha, yes.

Weedon is a 29-year-old, 2nd-year QB that wasn't drafted by the current regime. In fact, no one is the same. Even the owner is different, let alone the decision makers. Alex Smith is a 28-year-old QB with years of starting experience, who until his concussion this year had the highest QB rating in the NFL and had thrown 2 incompletions in the last game and a half before he got injured.

Smith is younger, far more proven, more accurate, makes better decisions, already had/has a working relationship with new OC Norv Turner, and has plenty of experience picking up new offenses on the fly. If Cleveland has this option, I would dump Weedon in a heartbeat.

~Morningfrost

**Red_Lizard2** · 01-31-13, 10:02 PM

*ahem* Kurt Warner was a 28 year old, 2nd-year QB in St. Louis when he won his first superbowl. Now I'm not saying Weedon is Kurt Warner, but it isn't as though a older QB with little NFL experience can't be good. Odds are likely well against it but still, just saying.

Smith to the Browns makes a lot of sense in the fact that, as far as I've heard, Alex Smith really liked working with Norv and considering the main argument on Smith prior to last year was the fact he had talent, just struggled having 8 billion OCs, seems it could work.