Cleveland Browns 2009 Preview

The Cleveland Browns entered the 2008 season with many believing they were about to make the leap from the pretenders to the contenders. They proved those same people wrong.

The quick fall back to reality for the Browns arose when incumbent starting quarterback Derek Anderson greatly regressed from his play in 2007, eventually leading to a quarterback controversy to bloom with backup Brady Quinn. And the rest of the Browns offense seemed to follow the route of Anderson. Jamal Lewis was a shell of his former self and Braylon Edwards seemingly killed as many drives with drops, as he would catch touchdowns on the year. Kellen Winslow would see his statistics take an enormous dive, as he would only account for 428 yards and three touchdowns in an injury riddled season after posting career highs in those categories just a year ago.

And really, that was the dichotomy of the Browns season in a nutshell. In 2007 the Browns finished 10-6 and were on the brink of a postseason berth, in 2008, the Browns would finish a terrible 4-12 with less than stellar seasons from almost every player that stepped up only nine months earlier.

This was not better shown in Cleveland, than on the defensive side of the football. With an offense unable to consistently sustain drives, the Romeo Crennel Browns had even more difficulty getting opposing offenses to stop sustaining drives. The Browns finished 27th in Total Defense in 2008—which actually was an improvement from their 30th overall ranking in 2007—but teams would convert 46% of their 3rd down plays against them (only Indianapolis and Kansas City fared worse with 47%)

With Crennel being a defensive minded coach, the struggles on that side of the ball would ultimately be his downfall as the Browns finished the season losing 8 of their final 9 games.

Crennel would soon be fired in favor of another former Patriots defensive coach, one Eric Mangini.

2009 Free Agency Additions:
CB Rod Hood, (Arizona)
LB Eric Barton, (New York Jets)
DE C.J. Mosley, (New York Jets)
OT John St. Clair, (Chicago)
OT Pork Chop Womack, (Seattle)
TE Robert Royal, (Buffalo)
CB Corey Ivy, (Baltimore)
S Hank Poteat, (New York Jets)
LB David Bowens, (New York Jets)
T George Foster, (Detroit)
LB Bo Ruud, (New England)
WR David Patten, (New Orleans)
WR Mike Furrey, (Detroit)
RB Noah Herron, (New York Jets)

2009 Trade Acquistions:
DE Kenyon Coleman (New York Jets)
QB Brett Ratliff (New York Jets)
S Abram Elam (New York Jets)

2009 Offseason Departures:
TE Kellen Winslow (Traded to Tampa Bay)
S Sean Jones (Philadelphia)
LB Andra Davis (Denver)
T Kevin Shaffer (Chicago)
G Seth McKinney (Buffalo)
CB Travis Daniels (Kansas City)
RB Jason Wright (Arizona)
TE Darnell Dinkins (New Orleans)
QB Bruce Gradkowski (Oakland)
RB Allen Patrick (NY Giants)
DE Antwan Peek (Cut)
QB Ken Dorsey (Cut)
CB Terry Cousin (Cut)

2009 NFL Draft:
1-21. Alex Mack, C, California
2-36. Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
2-50. Mohamed Massaquoi, WR, Georgia
2-52. David Veikune, DE/OLB, Hawaii
4-104. Kaluka Maiava, LB, USC
6-177. Don Carey, CB, Norfolk State
6-191. Coye Francies, CB, San Jose State
6-195. James Davis, RB, Clemson

2009 Outlook:
The Browns will usher in a new coaching staff of sorts when former Jets head man Eric Mangini comes to Cleveland to take over for Romeo Crennel. With Mangini's arrival comes uncertainty at many positions—most notably quarterback. Mangini is expected to eventually name Brady Quinn as his starting quarterback, but will leave the competition unsettled all the way through preseason.

Whoever winds up winning the starting quarterback job will have a couple of young wide receivers to throw the ball to with the rookie tandem of Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. They of course will team with Braylon Edwards in a

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