Cleveland Browns Fans Shouldn't Panic Yet

It has been around three months since the Cleveland Browns introduced former Jets' head coach Eric Mangini and new GM George Kokinis, and in that period of time there have been more than enough reasons to get the Browns' nation shaken up.

Right off the start of the free agency the Browns made a huge decision to trade former first-round pick and sure-handed Pro Bowler Kellen Winslow, Jr. to the Tampa Buccaneers for a second round pick this year and a fifth rounder next year.

Many Browns fans were outraged and upset but this trade makes great sense since the front office decided they didn’t want to make a long-term commitment on Winslow. So they got the best offer out there from Tampa for a risky injury-prone player who, in my mind, could be damaged goods.

From there, the management couldn’t work out anything with popular wideout Joe Jurevicius and released him and veteran offensive lineman Kevin Schaffer.

Seemingly they didn’t make much of an effort to retain safety Sean Jones, who signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.

I believe all of the releases so far make a lot of sense.  This saves cap room and gets rid of unwanted question marks. Schaffer played very poorly and was not worth what the Browns were paying him, and Jurevicius is coming off of multiple surgeries.

This gets me to the players that the Mangini/Kokinis Era has brought in so far. Robert Royal will come in and play right away since he is a great blocker and has decent hands, plus Martin Rucker and Steve Hedien both had injury-filled seasons.

Eric Barton will immediately replace the washed up former-Brown Andre Davis and I believe he will be a good short-term fix at linebacker.

Jets castaways DT C.J. Mosley, CB Hank Poteat, and LB David Bowens along with Barton were all brought in because they know what Mangini expects. They can help the other Romeo leftovers learn and understand the philosophy of Mangini and what he expects.

So these pickups make a lot of sense. These aren’t big names by any means but they will be great for the locker room.

The signings of offensive linemen Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack and John St.. Clair are very nice moves as they add depth and experience (Womack had 14 starts, St. Clair had 16 starts in 2008) along with competition.

Noah Herron is a gamble since he had an injury-plagued year in 2008 and hasn’t played since 2006. It will be interesting to keep an eye on him to see if he pans out and even makes the team.
He does have pass-catching ability but that is why the team has Jerome Harrison, so I am sitting on the fence on this one.

Corey Ivy is a great pickup who will probably play mostly nickel but will be a great locker room presence and can take the young defensive backs under his wing and help them develop.

The Browns’ latest move, bringing back David Patten, is a great insurance policy depending on what happens to wide receiver Donte' Stallworth and his legal problems. It is also good insurance if they’re not sure what they want to do with receiver Braylon Edwards.

Patten is a proven winner who is a decent possession receiver and can fill right in for the void left by Jurevicius.

The latest rumor has Edwards going to the Giants or possibly the Eagles. There is a mixed reaction around the Internet about these latest rumors, and I believe if the price is right, the Browns will pull the trigger.

Edwards has one year left on his rookie contract and if they do not want to invest in him long term—like “K2”—they need to get something for him instead of letting him walk. 

I've read people wanting the Browns to keep Edwards and franchise him next year but that will only delay him from bolting out of Cleveland the first chance he gets.

Relax Cleveland fans. Things aren’t as bad as some think.