DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum 2017 Browns win / loss record predictions...

Bingo! And I expect on offence as well (perhaps not to the degree of the defence though).

Can we just for once start someone for the whole season. Seriously.

I don't expect the offense to show any real improvement if we have to play all 3 guys. Because they are all very different QBs.

Just pick one. Keep him healthy. And see what happens.

You answered your own statement haha ... that's the problem. We can't keep a guy healthy for one HALF, let alone one season

Health, many reps and playing together so our players can jell is what we need. There is no way we can make any progress on O with our QB's going in and out because of injuries. The new O-lineman we acquired and a better running game should help but at this point if we have to rely on any of the 3 QB's we have to put the team on their shoulders and win games for us, well I have doubts. Hopefully in time and with experience it will change but right now no.

I'd say the Jets have a worse situation. I think Hoyer is better than any of our qbs at this particular point in time, but I suppose one could argue SF. I was not impressed w/Goff last year, so they might be worse. Not feeling the Washington angle. He'll be there this year and this thread is a prediction thread about our record this upcoming year. Denver? Hmmmmm.....maybe?

Has PFF put out their qb rankings yet? It's not gospel by any stretch of the imagination, but I am curious to see what they have to say. We'll probably be 31st w/the Jets last.

The problem w/the new linemen thing is that Greco is a very good guard. The Bengals gave up a ton of sacks last year and many came right up the middle. Also, the center from GB can't stay healthy and we have no idea who is going to play RT.

I am NOT saying our OL won't be better, but I don't think it's the slam dunk many feel it is.

Jags, jets, 49ers,Texans, Rams

Takes ol generally five games to get a feel for the guy next to him. If they don't get quick at least in run blocking then we r hurting to get our d off the field

Greco is a very good guard as you said/say...and he won't start ahead of our other guards. The two starters are better than him. That's improvement.

Cam Erving will not play C this year and Alvin Bailey is no longer on the team. That's slam-dunk improvement.

The talent upgrade is off the charts when one of your better lineman from last year becomes your 6th lineman.

If Greco wasn't older I'd even consider sliding Bitonio to RT (I believe he played that in college?) and starting John at Guard.

I'm not saying Joel can play RT in the NFL (probably why he's a G). It was just a thought.

Having Greco on the bench seems like overkill, but he does offer a ton of versatility/value because he can play 3/5 positions.

Depending on how the center position shakes out, he might spend a bunch of time there. IIRC, we have 2 starter-caliber centers, but they are oft-injured.

NFL.com projects five wins for the Browns

The bar has been set for the Browns this season.

http://cle.247sports.com/Bolt/NFLcom-projects-five-wins-for-the-Browns-104011141

NFL.com went out on a limb to make bold predictions for each team in the AFC.

The Cleveland Browns will win more than five games this season.

"Whew doggie. Not even Randy Quaid is crazy enough to predict the Browns winning more than a couple of games. Quarterback remains, well, a mess -- at least until Hue Jackson decides on one. Whoever starts (Cody Kessler, please) will retain Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman outside, with first-round pick David Njoku at tight end. Not bad, but it's far from Webster Slaughter, Brian Brennan and Ozzie Newsome. Isaiah Crowell will be once again expected to carry the load at running back. These are good players. The offensive line will be better, with the additions of Kevin Zeitler and JC Tretter, plus the depth provided by fifth-round pick Roderick Johnson. The defense added the premier player in the draft in Myles Garrett, along with another first-round pick in Jabrill Peppers. Not to mention the Browns play the AFC South, NFC North and the Jets. The schedule is, as they say, an ally."

Cleveland barely pulled out one victory last season. Five wins would be a huge step in the right direction given the new defensive scheme as well as lack of experience at a number of positions.

A five-win team would have had the No. 6 or No. 7 selection in the NFL Draft this past season.

Five wins? not bad. I say 6 plus if the lady luck shines on us in a couple more, we could be staring at a possible 8-8 right in the face.

or we could go 3-13, But I like my version better lol.

Just worry about winning the next one.

Wasn't sure where to put this and I didn't want to start a new thread, so I revive this thread.

http://www.espn.com/chalk/story/_/id/19380236/nfl-westgate-las-vegas-reveals-unders-all-32-nfl-teams

A quick summary if you don't want to read it. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook released the over/under for number of wins for all 32 NFL teams.

The Browns had the lowest over/under of all the teams at 4.5. Even the Jets and 49ers were higher. Both were at 5. I thought that was a little surprising. Especially the Jets.

j/c

Not much we don't already know, but a decent perspective piece. (Sorry about the chart formatting).

Browns have made enough moves in 2017 to stop being the Browns

The playoffs probably aren’t in the cards this season, but better days are finally here.

by Christian D'Andrea@TrainIsland Jul 27, 2017, 9:00am EDT

The Cleveland Browns will improve in 2017. After a 1-15 season, they have few other options.

But while the NFL’s most-maligned franchise may not be ready for a miraculous run to the playoffs, general manager Sashi Brown has made a handful of moves slated to move the club from the bottom of the power rankings. Free agent additions like Kevin Zeitler, JC Tretter and Jason McCourty have given the team a steady foundation of impact veterans who can lead a roster. Those aggressive moves have paid off even more in the draft, where a loaded 2017 class has provided an instant infusion of young talent.

Now, Brown’s Browns are set for the first step of a revival. The young executive is building from the trenches outward, ensuring a bright future on both the offensive and defensive lines. Keeping his quarterbacks upright will give the offense room to improve. Producing a play-busting push up front will help cover up the deficiencies that burn through the rest of the defensive depth chart.

A defense ranked 29th and 27th in yards allowed per play in 2015 and 2016, respectively, now boasts a handful of potential All-Pros and the depth to avoid the blowouts that marred last season. The question is whether that will make a notable difference in 2017, or if the team’s continued lack of an offensive identity will just turn a string of 27-10 losses into 21-10 losses.

After 18 years, the Browns are still searching for their franchise QB

The Cleveland Browns celebrated their return from the void of franchise limbo in 1999 by selecting Tim Couch with the draft’s No. 1 overall pick. Their history of catastrophic quarterback failure in the years that followed has been well documented.

Five different Browns quarterbacks lined up under center last year thanks to a litany of injuries; three of them earned starts. Robert Griffin III, Josh McCown, and Cody Kessler posted a combined 77.4 passer rating, a mark that would have ranked 27th among qualified starters. McCown and Griffin were released this offseason, but Cleveland has added the starter who finished 29th on that list — Brock Osweiler — to take their place.

Osweiler, Kessler, and 2017 second-round pick DeShone Kizer will compete to reverse the team’s unfortunate track record behind center. Each will have to be better than he was last year to get there.

Kessler protected the ball well and displayed reasonable accuracy despite his rookie status. His 1 percent interception rate was fifth-best in the league last year, outperforming stars like Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees in the process. However, he also went 0-8 as a starter and threw just six touchdowns in nine appearances.

The rookie quarterback asserted himself well, even if he lacked high-ceiling tools. The USC product took the 2001 Tom Brady approach to the field, building confidence with short passes. He doesn’t have the biggest arm, but he reads defenses well and avoids mistakes. He also performed well under pressure, showing off above-average poise for a first-year passer.

His familiarity with the offense will give him the inside track at the Browns’ starting role, but he’ll have to fend off challenges from Osweiler and Kizer. Osweiler was so bad in 2016 the Texans traded away a second-round pick just to shed his onerous, $72 million contract. Despite his inability to lead Houston to sustainable postseason success, early reviews from Cleveland have been surprisingly positive.

Kizer is an even bigger question mark. Once expected to be a first-round pick, the dual-threat quarterback failed to build on a dynamic freshman year at Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish fell to 4-8 under his guidance last fall, and a drop in his passing efficiency was enough to give scouts pause. Underwhelming pre-draft workouts helped make him the fourth passer selected this spring.

The result is an interesting, if underwhelming, quarterback battle. Whoever wins will have a significantly stronger supporting cast than the Kessler-McCown-Griffin carousel did in 2016, though.

The Browns’ quarterback will be one of the best protected in the league

Cleveland spent its time waiting for a franchise QB by making sure he’ll be healthy once he arrives. His blindside will be taken care of by 10-time Pro Bowler Joe Thomas. Manning the interior are new acquisitions Tretter, Zietler, and a once-again healthy Joel Bitonio. The only spot up unsettled is at right tackle, where second-year player Shon Coleman is the favorite over 2015 first-rounder Cameron Erving.

The team’s receiving targets didn’t land as clear an upgrade. 2016 first-round pick Corey Coleman never really got back on track after a broken hand halted a hot start with seven receptions for 173 yards in his first two games as a pro. But he’ll have every opportunity to be the team’s top wideout this year.

Browns' notable 2016-2017 additions
Player Position How Acquired?
Jamie Collins LB Trade
Corey Coleman WR Draft
Emmanuel Ogbah DE Draft
Carl Nassib DE Draft
Cody Kessler QB Draft
Kevin Zeitler OL Free Agent
Kenny Britt WR Free Agent
J.C. Tretter OL Free Agent
Jason McCourty CB Free Agent
Myles Garrett DE Draft
Jabrill Peppers S Draft
David Njoku TE Draft
DeShone Kizer QB Draft
Larry Ogunjobi DT Draft

His main competition is Kenny Britt, who knows a little something about playing with below-average quarterbacks. Despite playing for the Case Keenum/Jared Goff-led Rams last season, he managed his best season in the NFL, snagging 68 receptions for 1,002 yards. In his eight-year career, he’s been paired with passers like Vince Young, Jake Locker, Austin Davis and the aging journeyman trio of Kerry Collins, Matt Hasselbeck, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. He should meet expectations in Cleveland.

The depth chart falls off from there. Terrelle Pryor, who looked every bit a breakout star in his return to Ohio as a wideout, failed to get the big contract he hoped a 1,000-yard season had earned. Instead, he opted for a one-year, $8 million contract with Washington. Andrew Hawkins is gone as well, leaving Ricardo Louis with some big shoes to fill. Josh Gordon’s return to football remains in question, and if it does happen it almost certainly won’t be with the Browns.

Question marks remain at tight end, too. The team swapped out its only skill position Pro Bowler since 2013, Gary Barnidge, with an uber-athletic replacement in rookie David Njoku. Njoku’s mismatch potential is not in question, but his ability to produce on a consistent level is. He had only 64 receptions in two seasons at Miami, and only six of his 22 collegiate games ended with more than three catches. He’ll be an important security blanket for Kessler or Kizer or Osweiler, but an unreliable one as a rookie.

The good news is an underrated tailback corps should provide relief, especially playing behind a charged-up offensive line. Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson were an effective platoon in 2016, making big plays and finding room to run despite an underwhelming passing attack to distract opposing defenses. The pair combined for more than 2,100 yards from scrimmage last fall, proving especially useful as check-down options for a team with few downfield threats.

Crowell and Johnson averaged an efficient 4.8 yards per carry last season. With uncertainty surrounding the rest of the team’s offensive skill positions, they’ll need to do the same in 2017 to keep the Browns out of the NFL basement.

A revamped defense should make significant improvements in 2017

Brown’s strategy has been to rebuild Cleveland’s D from the inside out. If the Browns’ young players can live up to their potential, they could boast one of the NFL’s top defensive lines.

The headliner is 2017 No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett. In three seasons at Texas A&M, the explosive defensive end racked up 31 sacks while emerging as a clear favorite to be the top pick. He should be able to contribute immediately for a team that finished second to last in the league when it came to quarterback pressure. But there are plenty of players who can pick up the slack if he struggles or has to miss any games due to injury like he did during his final season in college.

The Browns' deep defensive line
Position Probable Starters (Draft Year/Round) Depth More Depth
Defensive End Myles Garrett (2017/1st) Desmond Bryant (undrafted, 14 starts in '15) Carl Nassib (2016/3rd)
Nose Tackle Danny Shelton (2015/1st) Caleb Brantley (2017/6th) Larry Ogunjobi (2017/3rd)
Defensive End Emmanuel Ogbah (2016/2nd) Jamie Meder (undrafted, 15 starts in '16) Xavier Cooper (2015/3rd)

Ogbah had an up-and-down rookie season, but after six sacks looks like the kind of player who can provide a powerful counterweight to Garrett. Shelton, another premier pick (12th overall in 2015), is a 343-pound space-clogger and run stuffer up front.

Behind them, things get interesting.

Meder was a starter in 2016, and Bryant will return after missing all of last season due to injury. Both can provide a positive effect in a well-rested rotation. Carl Nassib, the 2015 Lombardi Award winner, may have peaked in college or could still have room to grow in the NFL.

Caleb Brantley was a potential first-round pick until he was charged with assaulting a woman in the lead-up to the NFL Draft. The Browns picked him up in the sixth round and flirted with releasing him before those charges were dropped. Now, he’ll give Cleveland a tremendous value in the middle of the field. He’ll compete with Larry Ogunjobi, the greatest player in the history of Charlotte football and a relative gridiron neophyte with the potential to be the next Dontari Poe.

Behind that wealth of talent is a hollow linebacking corps led by Jamie Collins, a potential eight-game rental in 2016 who shifted gears from the league’s No. 1 team to No. 32 after a trade with the Patriots. In a major win for the club, Brown convinced Collins, a pending free agent, to re-up with the club. The Pro Bowler was water to the desert in Cleveland, immediately taking a spotlight role in a depleted depth chart. His tackle numbers rose from 4.7 per game to 8.6 with the Browns, showcasing just how important he was — and how few options the team had to make stops in its second level.

The rest of the group isn’t as notable. Christian Kirksey is a solid and consistent player. An extension signed this spring suggests the Browns expect him to take on a bigger leadership role in 2017 and beyond. The team’s inside linebacker starters will be solid, but after them Cleveland will be forced to turn to players like Joe Schobert, Dominique Alexander, and Tank Carder. That’s not a very intimidating group, especially when it comes to rushing the passer; the Browns’ linebackers combined for just 11.5 sacks in 2016.

Cleveland’s secondary also came into 2017 in need of an overhaul. The Browns ranked 21st in the league after allowing nearly 250 passing yards per game. That middling number looks even worse when you consider how often opponents with a sizable lead would turn to the run in order to grind time from the clock. They also allowed opposing quarterbacks to post a 101.8 rating — a mark slightly higher than Drew Brees’ season total.

Cleveland has taken fewer steps to address that problem. One hope is Joe Haden regaining his Pro Bowl form, though injuries have limited him to just 18 games the past two seasons and may have stolen a step. The team’s biggest acquisition to the unit is McCourty, a valuable veteran presence, but one who was cut by the secondary-needy Titans this spring. He’ll be 30 in August.

Jabrill Peppers will have the chance to crop up on SportsCenter’s top 10 throughout his rookie season, but questions still linger over whether he can be an effective full-time safety after playing 11 different positions at Michigan. Fourth-round pick Howard Wilson is an intriguing prospect, but in true franchise fashion, broke his kneecap hours after signing his rookie contract.

The Browns will follow the Giants’ blueprint of building a dominant pass rush to relieve pressure from its corners and safeties. The blue chip pass rushers are in place. Now they just need to live up to their lofty expectations.

Cleveland will be competitive, but won’t compete for a playoff spot

The Browns have improved significantly on paper, but there are too many holes in this 1-15 team to engineer a one-season turnaround — especially with a franchise defined by its futility.

The early predictions back that up. USA Today pegs the team at a 4-12 year, identical to seasons in 2013, 2011, and 2008. Football Outsiders raises the bar to 5-11. In either case, the Browns fail to float out of the AFC North basement.

Cleveland put together one of its strongest offseasons by adding flashy players in the draft and backing them with meat-and-potatoes veterans in free agency.

The result should be a depth chart crossed with intriguing young talent and experienced leaders. While many eyes will be on another season of quarterback roulette, the Browns are doing the work behind the scenes to lay the foundation for success.

Joe Thomas knows it.

Joe Thomas ✔ @joethomas73
I'm telling ya, we've got a good thing going here in cleveland but we're just happy to keep it quiet right now https://twitter.com/dan_labbe/status/867460438962974720 …
8:13 PM - May 24, 2017

And while a 4-12, 5-11, or 6-10 season wouldn’t exactly be a harbinger of success, it would be the bridge year between typical Cleveland behavior and a spot in the postseason. But for that to happen, the Browns will have to stop being the Browns.

Link

I find it surprising since both the Jets and Niners statistically finished with us near the bottom in both the offensive and defensive team stats and I think we did more to improve our team then both of them.

You're not accounting for the "Browns Factor".

If we switched divisions with the Jets, I think the projected totals would switch, too. In the AFC North its seen as Us and Everyone else (being good), and in the AFC East it's the Pats and everyone else (being not so good). I think everyone outside of the Steelers is kind of living on reputation though in the North. Ravens have been hit pretty hard by the injury bug already and Cinci's OL had some huge defections. We'll see how it goes. I'll be curious to see how the line moves as we get closer to the season. Until we get the QB situation solved it's hard to set the line much higher.

jc

Look at it this way, which games would you give us a 50% chance to win? I can think of 5

Pittsburgh
at Baltimore
at Indianapolis
Cincinnati
NY Jets
at Houston
Tennessee
Minnesota
BYE
at Detroit
Jacksonville
at Cincinnati
at LA Chargers
Green Bay
Baltimore
at Chicago
at Pittsburgh

Baltimore ton of injuries
Colts injuries
Bengals lost their 2 best OL
Jets suck worse than us
Texans has Tom Savage and Watson
Titans suck until they stop sucking
Bradford is fragile and easily rattled
Jags suck until they stop sucking
We beat the chargers last year
Bears suck until they stop sucking

We could really suck and compete for a wildcard this year if we can get our run game and defense going. What I fear is weak schedule gets us to a high number of wins then next year we get killed with scheduling and Hue gets canned. This imho is a buyer beware year. We could really steal a lot of games against teams on our level but have given up and then we pay for it next year.

I asked Purple to find me the prediction thread(s), I wanted to bump it and see who called it right. There is this thread, the one you're on, and another one here:

https://www.dawgtalkers.net/ubbthreads.php/topics/1309488/1

Who got it right?

I quickly read through both threads but believe the winner is (posted on the second prediction thread) SuperBrown, with:

"0-16

0-17 if you count the bye........"

Congratulations, SuperBrown!

I think we should throw him a parade. lol