Cleveland Browns season preview

The Browns biggest move of the off-season didn't involve a player or even a coach but rather an executive. In December the Browns hired former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Holmgren as their new team president. The expectation is that Holmgren, with his track record as a winner in Green Bay and Seattle, can work some magic with a franchise that has endured some lean years since coming back into the league in 1997.

The second-coming of the Browns has been an epic failure producing just two winning seasons since returning to the NFL. Cleveland went 9-7 in 2002 making the playoffs as a wild card and carded a 10-6 in 2007 but missed out on a post-season berth.

The Browns were 5-11 last season and ranked last in offense and next to last in defense so there's nowhere to go but up for Eric Mangini's team. Cleveland ranked 31^st in defense allowing 389.3 yards per game while the offense averaged 260.2 yards per game including an NFL low 129.8 yards per game passing. Both of last year's starting quarterbacks are gone and the Browns have brought in veteran Jake Delhomme to help solidify the position give it a shot this season. As one Browns fan put it this franchise is notorious for praising the QB with the clip board. As long as you're not playing you're the favorite. From the Tim Couch era to Derek Anderson to Delhomme the QB spot in Cleveland has truly been a revolving door.

The Browns finished on a high note winning their last four games of 2009. Running back Jerome Harrison finished strong rushing for 561 yards and 5 TDs in the last three games. He'll be counted on heavily again at least until Delhomme can get a handle on the offense. He'll be working with a young batch of receivers who offer raw talent but little else.  Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie figure to improve upon their solid 2009 seasons while Chansi Stuckey and Josh Cribbs will figure into the receiving mix but none possess the big play threat that most good NFL teams have.

Cleveland concentrated on defense early in the draft nabbing Florida cornerback Joe Haden with the seventh overall selection and taking Oregon safety T.J. Ward with their second round pick. Both players are expected to start immediately and can only help a porous Browns defense. Texas QB Colt McCoy was a third round selection and it figures to be a case of when not if the Cleveland fans clamor for him to replace Delhomme.

It will be tough if not impossible for the Browns to improve on their 5-11 record from a year ago. The team has too many holes to fill in every area and it will take a draft or two and some quality free-agent signings in order for Holmgren to build up his roster Then there's the ongoing storyline/distraction of when, not if, Mangini will get canned.

Without trying to sound patronizing it must be tough being a Cleveland fan. The Indians, the Browns, Lebron....you get the picture. Each year Browns backers, the most loyal of all sports fans, are full of optimism but that hope gives way quickly to the harsh reality that the franchise is still a wreck. Perhaps this is the year that the Browns under Holmgren's guidance can begin the transition from perennial loser to NFL contender. If Holmgren can get things turned around and headed in the right direction the "Dawg Pound" figures to be a happier place in 2010. If not, then it will be business as usual along the banks of Lake Erie.

You can bet on it! How many games will the Browns win this year? I'm guessing not many but if you had to pick.....The Brownies win total opened and remains at 5.5 for the upcoming campaign and upon first glance appears to be a bit generous. Cleveland is the longest shot on the board to win the AFC North at +1200 and opened as at 30/1 to win the AFC but that number has jumped to 40/1. The Browns are 80/1 long shots to win the NFL title.