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2008 Team Report: Cleveland Browns

Quarterbacks

Starter: Derek Anderson
Backup(s): Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey

Starting QB: The Browns have two talented young quarterbacks on the roster in Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. Anderson signed a three-year contract in the offseason and will enter training camp as the starter. He threw for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl along with his two favorite targets -- Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow -- both of whom return. Anderson has terrific size, a strong arm and excellent mobility. He led the team to a 10-5 record in games he started in 2007, but became less productive toward the end of the season throwing for 200 yards just once in the last four games. It is unlikely that the Browns will keep both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn on the roster beyond 2008, so this season can be viewed as an extended tryout for Anderson to claim the position for the long term.

Backup QB: While Derek Anderson has the coaching staff's support, Brady Quinn appears to be the fans' favorite. An Ohio native, Quinn was a first-round draft pick a year ago but got into camp late resulting in only 10 snaps during the regular season. Quinn had an excellent TD-to-INT ratio his final two years at Notre Dame, throwing 69 TDs to 14 INTs while playing in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense. He won 29 games as a starter for the Irish, which seems even more impressive in light of the team's struggles since Quinn's departure. Like Anderson, Quinn has very good mobility. He has adequate arm strength. In college, he was a heady QB with impressive mental toughness. Ken Dorsey is the third-string QB. He is an intelligent quarterback, but he lacks great arm strength and accuracy.

Running Backs

Starter: Jamal Lewis
Backup(s): Jason Wright, Jerome Harrison
Fullback(s): Lawrence Vickers, Charles Ali

Starting RB: Jamal Lewis finished fifth in the NFL with 1,304 rushing yards last season. His nine rushing touchdowns were tied for seventh in the league. Heading into the 2007 season, Lewis was coming off a series of disappointing seasons in Baltimore. After rushing for over 2,000 yards in 2003, his following seasons were marked by injury problems and off-field legal troubles. He averaged just 3.4 and 3.6 yards per carry in 2005 and 2006, respectively, but his 2007 season proved his doubters wrong. Running behind Cleveland's revamped offensive line, Lewis averaged 4.4 yards per carry and finished the season in particularly strong fashion. In his last five games, Lewis averaged 116 rushing yards per game on 4.8 yards per carry. Lewis may have lost half a step since he came into the league eight years ago, but he still has a good burst and runs with excellent power.

Backup RBs: Jason Wright is a capable change-of-pace back, but he hasn't fared well when called upon to carry a significant load. In his NFL career, Wright has averaged only 3.1 yards per rush in games in which he's received double-digit carries. Jerome Harrison was effective in limited action last season rushing 23 times for 142 yards. He has rushed well in the preseason but has never received significant action in the regular season.

Fullback: Vickers has a good size-speed combination for a fullback, but gets few touches in this offense. He led the way for Jamal Lewis's 1,304 rushing yards last season and made second alternate for the Pro Bowl. If the Browns use more 2-TE formations this season with a one-back set, Vickers may see less playing time. Charles Ali is a big-effort player on special teams.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Braylon Edwards, Donte' Stallworth
Backups: Josh Cribbs, Syndric Steptoe, Paul Hubbard [R], Joe Jurevicius [PUP]

Starting WRs: Braylon Edwards established himself as one of the league's best young receivers last year by catching 80 passes for 1,289 yards and his 16 TD receptions were second only to Randy Moss. Edwards is a big-play receiver with excellent size and speed. His potential is as great as any WR in the league. Joe Jurevicius played in all 16 games last year, but the wear and tear on his knee led to offseason surgery that was followed by a staph infection. Unable to rely on a steady contribution from Jurevicius in 2008, the Browns signed Donte' Stallworth to a seven-year deal. Playing a significant role in New England's record-setting passing offense last year, Stallworth is a fast receiver with excellent height who gives Derek Anderson another deep threat.

Backup WRs: Joe Jurevicius was expected to make a smooth transition to the slot this year but had to undergo surgery in June on his knee which will find him on the PUP list and out of commission for at least the first six weeks of the season. The door is wide open for Josh Cribbs to take hold of the slot position in Jurevicius' stead. Cribbs, a former college QB, has become a Pro Bowl kick returner, but has received very little playing time at WR. The Browns like tall receivers and rookie sixth-round pick Paul Hubbard has better size than Syndric Steptoe.

Tight Ends

Starters: Kellen Winslow
Backups: Martin Rucker [R], Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkins

Kellen Winslow has faced recurring problems with his right leg since coming into the league in 2004, but he has managed to put together two excellent seasons over the past two years. He is rehabbing his right knee once again this offseason after having surgery in February, however, he is expected to be ready to practice once training camp starts on July 23. Winslow may never be the same player he could have been were it not for his various injuries (broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments in 2004, torn ACL and other injuries from a motorcycle crash in 2005), but he is still one of the better athletes in the league at the TE position. Winslow has reliable hands and the quickness to separate from man coverage. He's also shown excellent toughness catching the ball in a crowd. Concerns over Winslow's knee may have played a prominent role in the drafting of Martin Rucker this spring. The Browns traded next year's third-round pick to move into this year's fourth round to draft Rucker. Rucker is expected to beat out Steve Heiden for the No. 2 tight end position and may see plenty of action in two-TE sets this year -- a formation the Browns may use fairly often. Coincidentally, Rucker broke many of Kellen Winslow, Sr.'s records at the University of Missouri. Steve Heiden has decent quickness and hands, but he has seen his playing time reduced in each of the last two seasons. He had offseason surgery to repair a bulging disc but should be recovered by the start of training camp.

Place Kicker

Phil Dawson : Dawson has been Cleveland's kicker since they returned to the league in 1999. Last year was the best, when he scored a career high 120 points as the offense came to life. From an accuracy standpoint, he made 26 of 30 (86.7%) field goals. That was a strong rebound from his poor 2006 season when he hit 21 of 29 (72.4%), and scored only 88 points. Dawson is consistent in an unusual way. Most NFL kickers are nearly automatic on short range field goals and their accuracy decreases as the distance increases. Dawson's kicking percentages are consistent regardless of the distance, meaning he can make a 50+ yarder and the turn around and miss a chip shot.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Joshua Cribbs; Jason Wright; Lawrence Vickers; Donte Stallworth

WR Joshua Cribbs won the KR job as a rookie in preseason in 2005 and hasn't looked back. In his second year he finished as the 7th ranked fantasy returner (61 returns, 24.5 avg. 1 TD). Last year he finished as the 2nd ranked fantasy returner (59 returns, 30.7 avg., 2 TDs). Several players are available as backups, including RB Jason Wright (3 returns, 16.3 avg.) and FB Lawrence Vickers (5 returns, 16.8 avg. in 2006). Other potential backups will have to make the team first. Free agent acquisition WR Donte Stallworth returned some kickoffs for the Saints in 2003.

Punt Returners: Joshua Cribbs; Sean Jones; Donte Stallworth

Already one of the best kickoff returners, Joshua Cribbs added punt return duties to his resume last year. He handled every punt return for the Browns and averaged 13.5 yards. He scored twice on kickoffs and once on a punt return. Cribbs was the only player in the NFL to rank in the top ten for both average and total yardage for both kickoff returns and punt returns. Safety Sean Jones returned punts during his college years at Georgia, and had one for eight yards in 2006 for the Browns. Donte Stallworth periodically returned punts during his years with the Saints. The Browns have ranked in the top ten in fantasy return points in five of the last six years.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Joe Thomas, LG Eric Steinbach, C Hank Fraley, RG Rex Hadnot, RT Kevin Shaffer
Key Backups: Seth McKinney, Ryan Tucker

Commentary coming soon.

Team Defense

Cleveland came a long way in the win column last season but it wasn't because of an improved defense. This unit finished among the bottom third in nearly every important category including sacks, takeaways and fantasy ranking. Rather than going with youth to address their weaknesses, the Browns elected to trade away all of their first day picks. In return they were able to land linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams who should immediately bolster their 27th ranked run defense. Their first draft pick came in round four where they selected linebacker Beau Bell who played outside at UNLV but will now be shifted inside where he too will help strengthen the run defense. What the Browns didn't add this off season is anyone that that will put pressure on the QB. All great 3-4 defenses have one thing in common, pressure from the outside linebackers. Cleveland's top three OLBs accounted for just 10.5 sacks between them in '07. They have put a few more important pieces in place and will be harder to run on in '08 but this unit is still a playmaker or two away.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Corey Williams, DE Robaire Smith, NT Shaun Rogers
Backups: NT Shaun Smith, DE Louis Leonard, NT Ahtyba Rubin

Starting DL: Cleveland made a concerted effort to better themselves up front which should translate to an improved run defense. Trade brought them 345 pound Shaun Rogers who has the girth and raw power to stand up to double teams and moves well for a big man. He should be a perfect fit as an anchor at nose tackle in the 3-4. Another trade landed Corey Williams who totaled 7 sacks in each of the past two seasons while playing tackle in the Packers 4-3. At 310 pounds with good quickness and rush skills, he will fit well at end in the 3-4. Robair Smith is the only holdover from last year's starting unit and is currently the only lineman on the roster with starting experience in a 3-4. Smith led all Cleveland linemen with a respectable (for a 3-4 lineman) 4 sacks in '07. This unit is much improved over last season and is by far the strongest starting trio assembled under the current coaching staff.

Backup DL: Stellar 3-4 linemen are a very rare commodity but decent 3-4 linemen are not particularly difficult to find. This is a good thing for the Browns who are very short on proven depth at the DL positions. Shaun Smith is the only veteran outside the starters. He made a handful of starts for the Bengals before joining Cleveland last season and is a somewhat versatile veteran option who is best suited to play nose tackle but could be sufficient at end if called upon. The problem here is that after Smith, the Browns have precious little experience or talent in the DL rotation. The starting lineup is strong but an injury at the position would produce a rather significant step down in quality.

Linebackers

Starters: ILB Andra Davis, ILB D'Qwell Jackson, OLB Kamerion Wimbley, OLB Antwan Peek
Backups: OLB Willie McGinest, ILB/OLB Beau Bell [R], OLB Alex Hall, ILB Leon Williams

Starting LBs: Andra Davis is a physical run stuffing bruiser at inside linebacker who holds the title of starter for the Browns. Once the centerpiece of the defense, Davis has evolved into a situational player who sees time on early downs and in running situations. Jackson is an every down guy who has become the defensive leader and play caller. He has a good combination of speed and physical presence but there are some concerns. Jackson has battled injury in each of his first two seasons and has not yet developed into the playmaker that Cleveland needs on the inside. In 27 starts he's produced just one sack, one pick and forced only 1 fumble. The Browns are in good shape up the middle but the success of any 3-4 scheme relies greatly on the play of the outside linebackers. With 11.5 sacks from Kamerion Wimbley as a rookie in '06, the club thought they were in good shape at the position. The declining play of veteran Willie McGinest and lack of another strong option, allowed opposing offenses to concentrate on Wimbley and shut him down. Antwan Peek is in line to get the first shot at the position this season and the Browns hope that the two can put some rush back in the pass defense. Peek may not be the long term answer but there is hope. The 6th year player had a career high 6 sacks for the Texans in '05 when he last held a starting job.

Backup LBs: Depth at linebacker should not be a huge problem for the Browns. At least not on the inside. The emergence of Leon Williams gives the Browns another quality option. Williams speed and strength versus the pass earned him a situational time share with Davis but there is nothing wrong with play against the run either. Williams replaced an injured D'Qwell Jackson for a spell last season and proved that he can be an every down player. Having a veteran like Willie McGinest playing in a part time role gives the Browns a solid #3 option on the outside. If Peek were injured long term, the club could turn to fourth round pick Beau Bell. Bell gives the team something they didn't have last season, a young developmental guy waiting in the wings with the talent to potentially become a starter down the road. The club believes he could prove to be the long term answer to bookend Kamerion Wimbley. He is also a versatile player who many speculate could easily make the transition from college OLB to ILB at the pro level. With McGinest already having announced that he will retire after the season and a clear lack of options behind him, the safe money says Bell gets his looks at OLB first. Alex Hall will see action only on special teams.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB Eric Wright, CB Brandon McDonald, SS Sean Jones, FS Brodney Pool
Backups: FS Mike Adams, SS Nick Sorensen, S Gary Baxter, CB Terry Cousin

Starting DBs: The knee injury suffered by Daven Holly during OTAs was a devastating loss to a secondary that had already released Kenny Wright due to conduct issues and traded away former starter Leigh Bodden. Eric Wright was impressive as a rookie last season and will be under a lot of pressure to be even better now that he is the team's undisputed top corner. Until/unless they can land some veteran help at the position, the Browns may have to pair Wright with with second year pro Brandon McDonald who was a 5th round pick in '07 and played sparingly as a rookie. opposite Wright. Fortunately for the Browns the safety positions are rock solid. Sean Jones claimed a starting job in his second season ('06) and has proven to be one of the leagues outstanding strong safeties over the past two seasons. He provides a physical presence that makes receivers think when going over the middle and with 10 picks in two seasons, has become the team's top big play threat. FS Brodney Pool doesn't show up as brightly in the box scores but is a very solid contributor. Pool is strong in coverage and rarely makes mistakes that lead to big plays by the offense. This safety tandem is arguably as good as any in the league.

Backup DBs: Depth in the secondary is a huge concern for the Browns. Particularly at the already depleted corner positions. Veteran Terry Cousin has a little starting experience and is in line to take on the nickel corner duties. The safety positions are in a little better shape. Mike Adams was a marginal starter at FS for the Niners in '05 and '06. He gives the club some experience but he's not a physical guy and is not well suited to play SS should that need arise. Nick Sorensen is an undrafted journeyman who has been with 3 clubs in 4 years as a pro and has played mostly on special teams. The most talented option here is easily Gary Baxter who missed all of last season with serious injuries to both knees and has played in just 8 games over the past 3 seasons due to injury. Once considered a solid corner, Baxter will work strictly at safety if he is able to overcome the injuries at all. In short, the Browns are already thin in the secondary and another serious injury would be crushing.

Last modified: 2008-08-30 21:43:54