The Cleveland Browns are not a good football team, nor have they been for nearly a decade. Perhaps it’s karma from moving to Baltimore or firing Bill Billicheck
and Marty Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer never won a Super Bowl during his tenure as a head coach but he did build the Browns into a consistent winner. Schottenheimer never had a losing record in Clevland and won 62% of his games and went to the playoffs four out of the five years while in Clevland. Billicheck did not have the success that Schottenheimer did but did win 45% of his games and took the Browns to the playoffs.
The draft has not been kind to the Browns. In 2005, The Browns selected Braylon Edwards with the number three pick instead of Demarcus Ware and Aaron Rodgers.
2012 draft yielded Trent Richardson instead of Luke Kuechly. These are just two examples of where Cleveland had the chance to draft superstars instead of forgettable players. In addition, they drafted Johnny Manziel in 2014
which is has been nothing short of a disaster.
To pile on the bad the Browns happen to play in one of the most competitive divisions in football with Pittsburg Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cinnitannti Bengals. Want something positive? Every team bottoms out at some point. Denver selected Von Miller number two in 2011, Carolina selected Cam Newton number one in 2011 as well. Pieces are starting to add up in Clevland. The 2007 and 2009 draft did produce Joe Thomas and Alex Mack respectably. Joe Haden was drafted a year later. Jordan Cameron was added in 2011, Justin Gilbert in 2014, Danny Shelton, Cameron Erving and Nate Orchard were all added last year.
The process is starting to take shape in Cleveland. Let’s look at how Cleveland can build into a contender
Number one: Stability. Successful teams in the NFL have stable front offices, GM’s and Head Coaches. Countless General Managers and Head Coaches have been in Cleveland in the past ten years. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been running the 3-4 defense for nearly two decades, so if the Steelers need an outside linebacker they know exactly who they are looking for in the scouting process. Hugh Jackson may not be a long-term fit in Cleveland but give him time. Changing head coaches in the NFL is not like plugging in a new CEO into a business. The head coach sets the tone for the team.
Number two: Scheme. A 3-4 team requires different players than a 4-3 defense. 3-4 down linemen need to be bigger and heavier in order to plug up blockers for linebackers. 4-3 lineman are lighter, quicker in order to attack gaps. It takes years for a team to overhaul its defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4. This goes for a team changing offensive schemes as well. A zone blocking team requires lineman to be able to move laterally while a power blocking team requires lineman to move vertically.
Number three: Accumulate has many picks as possible. The NFL draft is the most random event in sports. Having a top ten pick does not guarantee picking a great player. By trading down, a team accumulates more opportunities to draft a good player. Many mock drafts have Cleveland taking Jerod Goff from California.
While Goff may end up being a good player he is not the transcendent player that can carry an offense without weapons. Cleveland is lacking talent on the offensive side of the ball. Putting a young QB on bad a team never works out…..Jason Cambell, David Carr, Patrick Ramsey were all talented passers that were put in bad situations and surprise surprise they didn’t pan out. Teams are built through the draft, smart teams turn 1 pick into 2 and 2 into 4. For this year’s draft trade down. Turn your number two overall pick into three picks (this year’s first round a second or third round pick this year and next years number one)
. LA Rams/Houston Texans need a quarterback. With the 15th (Rams) the Browns could pick Reggie Ragland from Alabama or Deforest Buckner from Oregan. With the 22nd overall pick (Texans) The Browns could hypothetically select Jarran Reed from Alabama or Eli Apple from Ohio State.
Number four: Free Agency. Forget about it. Do not sign big name free agents to expensive deals. Big money free agents never pan out (ask the Washinton Redskins about free agency or the Miami Dolphins). Sign free agents that supplement what you are trying to do as a franchise at the right price. Overpaying for free agents is a cardinal sin the in the NFL. Muhammad Wilkerson would be an ideal free agent in Cleveland. Wilkerson is a young, defensive Lineman that has played in a 3-4 throughout his career. If Wilkerson proves to be too expensive, buy low on BJ Raji, Ian Williams or Haloti Ngata. Eric Weddle would bring an outstanding skill set to the Browns secondary but if the asking price for Weddle is too high buy low on George lloka.
Patience is key to building a team in the NFL. The Browns need more patience when it comes to GM’s and Head Coaches. Not every draft is going to produce stars but gives the GM the opportunity to trade down and plan for next year. Select players that fit your style of play. Johnnie Manziel was not a good fit, but the Browns panicked and picked him. Cleveland just needs time and patience in order to succeed.
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