Cleveland Browns' Preseason Is Vindication For Mike Holmgren & Front Office

The Cleveland Browns had a lot of questions entering this past off-season, but Mike Holmgren and his staff has answered a lot of them.

Entering the offseason the Browns had a lot of questions. What to do with the restricted free agents? Should the Browns bring in an established wide receiver? Perhaps most importantly, what would Holmgren and company do with the Quarterback position?

When Jake Delhomme was brought in, it was widely criticized as paying too much for a guy that’s too old who threw too many interceptions. I’m not saying he is pro-bowl bound, but the numbers he’s put up should get your attention. Delhomme has thrown for 345 yards, two TD’s, and 0 INTS for a 110.5 QB rating. Seneca Wallace, while not as impressive, has made smart decisions and seems to be a viable option at the #2 Quarterback spot. The upgrade over the Quinn/Anderson “competition” has been infinite.

The most surprising unit on the Browns this season has been at wide receiver. Second year wide-out Brian Robiskie has been making a name for himself. After being nonexistent in his rookie season, he has followed up a tremendous training camp with solid preseason play.  Josh Cribbs has shown he’s more than a gimmick guy with a sensational 30-yard catch against Detroit in week 3. If Mohamed Massaquoi continues his improvement from year one to year two, this seemingly “weak link” could prove pivotal in the Browns return to relevancy.

One point of contention in the off-season was the restricted free agents, most notably Jerome Harrison. After finishing 2009 with some record-breaking performances, he was ready to get paid like a feature back.  Holmgren didn’t budge and Harrison has demonstrated his value by fumbling the ball twice and averaging 3.1 yards per rush.  Factor in a beast of a player in Peyton Hillis, and Harrison suddenly finds himself in a battle for playing time.

D'qwell Jackson, Abe Elam, & Matt Roth have been equally unimpressive. Linebackers and defensive backs are critical components to a 3-4 defense.  That means they are part of the unit that has given up 22 points/game, good for 21st in the NFL (numbers skewed by the 10 points they gave up against Chicago backups) and never seem to get close to the quarterback. Of the five restricted free agents, the only one that deserves to get paid is Lawrence Vickers. He has demonstrated an ability to blow up defenders while catching a pass or two.

So where do the Browns go from here?  When the regular season kicks off on September 12th at Tampa Bay, all preseason talk becomes meaningless. 

But based on what we’ve seen SO FAR, Mike Holmgren, you have passed in a resounding way.