Browns Have Too Many Holes To Reach Their Goals

Take a short walk to your refrigerator. Open the door. Pull out a hunk of swiss cheese. Examine it thoroughly.

Now you have an idea how many gaping holes the Cleveland Browns must fill to be merely competitive in 2009.

The bloom fell off the rose with stunning swiftness last year. The surprising 10-6 team of 2007 had faded from memory by October in the wake of dropped passes, missed tackles, and galling defeats.

New coach Eric Mangini was hired to turn the wreckage into a thing of beauty. It will certainly require many wise decisions and more than one year. Despite a schedule that bears the only fruit from a disastrous 2008, even a .500 record seems unrealistic.

The Browns boast no position of strength. Even an emerging offensive line featuring two-time Pro Bowler Joe Thomas sprung a leak on the right side a year ago and must be patched up. They hope center and first-round pick Alex Mack will help create holes for featured back Jamal Lewis and prevent whomever serves as starting quarterback from spending much of his Sunday afternoons running for his life.

Among the offensive concerns is Lewis, whose production dropped considerably in 2008. Only time and improved line play will tell whether the bruising back simply couldn't find room to roam or if age finally caught up with him. What is obvious, however, is that the Browns must turn to elusive Jerome Harrison for a breakaway threat.

And who will be sticking the ball in Lewis' gut this year? Reports claiming the Browns rejected two offers including first-round picks for Brady Quinn indicate that he will be lining up under center when the regular season begins. Mangini, however, has stressed that Quinn will compete with rocket-armed Derek Anderson for the starting job.

It won't matter if Braylon Edwards can't catch the ball. The 2007 Pro Bowler led the NFL in drops last year and remains the subject of trade rumors. The additions of possession receivers David Patten and second-round pick Brian Robiskie could keep the Browns offense on the field longer. But only a productive and sure-handed Edwards can spark an offense that set a dubious NFL record by scoring exactly zero touchdowns in the last six games of the 2008 season.

And only preventing quarterbacks from enjoying a snack in the pocket while surveying the field can transform a weak defense into a formidable one. Rather than selecting a pass-rusher early in the draft, however, the Browns snagged a center and two wide receivers. Nose tackle Shaun Rogers and linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who excels only against the run, can't do it alone.

The ineffective pass rush places far too much pressure on young cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald. The latter was burned frequently last year, but both were forced to remain glued to their receivers while opposing quarterbacks stood comfortably in the pocket.

New Browns coach Eric Mangini has spent much of the offseason turning the Browns into Jets West. Several of those acquired via trade or free agency will start, including safety Abram Elam, inside linebackers David Bowens, and Eric Barton and defensive end Kenyon Coleman. It remains to be seen if Mangini simply felt more comfortable with his former players or if they can make a positive impact on a woeful defense.

Since returning to football-starved Cleveland in 1999, the Browns have always responded well to a first-year coach, but this season will be particularly challenging. One look at that block of swiss cheese should remind you why.