DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum so how do the Browns catch up to the Steelers ?

stating the obvious the Steelers are the Kings of the North
but where do the Browns begin to make that journey?
I think they have to create a offense that can compete
with the Steelers big 3 of Bell Rothlisberger Brown.
I think the offensive side has to be built first
the trouble is it can't be addressed in one off season
theirs holes all over the offense
but does the front office realize this?

Well, you have to keep your team together.

This has been discussed in different threads...

The Browns need to improve as an organization...

Catching up to the Steelers will come in time

Personally talking about catching up to the Steelers tonight while they are playing KC... Irks me a bit...

I want to see KC come back and smash their face..

The question for the Criminal is how he can market and continue to make max dollars from an awful losing product. Winning is secondary and will always be with Mr. Haslam.

Prove it.

How many millions have they been under the cap combined under him?

The New England Patriots had four players named to the 2017 NFL Pro Bowl and they’re slated to have the 2nd or 3rd most salary cap space next season behind the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots are better prepared than any other franchise to dominate for the next few years.

If the fans would wise up to the marketing gimmicks of the thief that would be great. Haslam is all talk and zero action.

Cool stat.

Says nothing about not caring about winning.

Ummmm yeah the Patriots can draft, the Browns can't and they have Brady. When you're as bad as the Browns have been under the Criminal, you should be spending some cap dollars on some talent in FA...again they CAN'T DRAFT...THAT'S BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN!

Build the D

The Browns don't have a clue about evaluating football talent, how to acquire it and how to keep it. On top of that, there is ZERO continuity as compared to the Steelers. You can despise them, but if you don't respect them for the way the operate and succeed, you are nothing but a sore loser. The current leadership is nowhere near where the Steelers are. I doubt Haslam ever figures it out given his track record so far. The front office leaves little to desire but can still turn it around over the next couple of drafts. I don't really have any faith given that Haslam is in charge. I don't know what the Browns ever did to deserve this. It really does suck. Just glad that the Packers give me someone to enjoy and cheer for every week.

Then there are the New York Jets, the Patriots division rival and week 16 opponent. The Jets were one of six franchises not to have a player named to the 2017 NFL Pro Bowl. Even the Browns had a Pro Bowler. The Jets don’t have a quarterback and are also currently projected to be $2.5 million over the salary cap in 2017, which means they’ll have to cut players before they turn focus to next year.

wait for ben to retire really

I have to think that anyone who thinks that Haslam doesn't want to win isn't paying attention.

Haslam has blown through coaching staffs and front offices, He is probably still paying coaches from 3 iterations ago. In 2015, we had one of the most expensive defenses in the NFL, and we saw how that worked our.

If anything, I think that Haslam is frustrated, and wants to win so desperately that he had made rash changes that he shouldn't have. He has blown out the entire front office and coaching statfs 3 times how. I also think that he was spoiled by the Steelers success, thinking that it would be easy, somehow. Also, his business background probably told him that the right people should be able to turn things around immediately. I know how businesses can be completely changed in very short order, taking failed locations, and turning them into success by adding the right people, and enforcing standards. However, in the NFL, it takes time to get the right people, and if you make mistakes, you're toast.

I think, and hope, that someone finally got in Haslam's ear and told him that constant change equals constant failure, and that he has to allow time to allow people to put their plans into effect, and to get the right players. At least, I hope someone has. The way he has handled this very difficult season is encouraging. Hopefully he stays out of the way, so they can build this team the right way, which is through the draft, and then augmenting with the right free agents.

Anyway, just my $0.02. Please forgive any spelling in ym post, as I have a horrible eye migraine.

Yes I agree, but they always seem to find the next great replacement. The Browns and Pats need to trade divisions.

First, we need a front office that cares about winning.

Same.

Until Ben is gone we are not catching them.

agreed. the steelers are dominant until Ben is gone

It's like the old saying in business, how do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.

Take that approach and you'll get there.

Were you alive during the Mark Malone, O'Donnell (yes he got to a SuperBowl but he was released as a FA after that season for a reason), Bubby Brister, Tomzak years? Because your statement is emotionally based, not factual. The Steelers had some very lean years at the QB position. Oh, the good old days. They may come again when Roth finally hangs them up. We can only hope.

To answer the original question, I would say that the first thing is to learn from the Steelers and stop firing people EVERY DAMN YEAR!

That wont help. We can't even beat Miami, Buffalo or the NYJ at the moment.

Yeah, just unfortuantely Pittsburgh happens to have the best QB they've ever had in franchise history.

We have a winner!

The Browns will catch up to the Steelers in time

1st thing:

1. Keep Hue no matter what...as much as it pains me to say it...even if were 1-15 next year...gotta stick the course....we will suffer great pain before we get over the hump and changing coaches just puts us further behind.

2. We need to spend about half our cap space on FA, good solid players that our young drafted players can mold themselves after...we have no culture here..we need successful FA that can lay the foundation here for younger ones to follow.

When Bellichik came the Cleveland in the 90's, he Brought Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson, and Don Griffon over to the Browns, those 3 guys helped our Young Defense Tremendously, and by 94 we had the top D in the NFL with guys like Eric Turner, Antonio Langham, and Micheal-Dean Perry....those guys were taught how its done, saw how its done, and got it done by leaning on 3 solid Veteran defensive players(Johnson, Banks, and Griffin)

The Brows need to get some solid playmakers in here that can lay the foundation for our young draftees...we need to build a culture, and outside of Thomas and Haden we don't have that..

They need to spend some to get things turned around.

And find a franchise QB

How do the Browns catch up? Get some talent and surround them with coaches who can extract that talent and put them in situations to flourish. Find a damn Qb.

That'll do it lol.

Ben has been around for 13 seasons, and he's won only 6 AFC North divisions, yet people think we need to wait for him to retire.... ?

It sounds like everyone is just another Tony Grossi. Please wake up people.

Was that supposed to be in purple?

How many division titles have the Browns won during that time? What is their record against Ben?

Time for you to wake up.

Good timing w/ all the Big Ben retirement talk . . .

Ben Roethlisberger to evaluate "if there's going to be a next season."

Mike Tomlin not surprised Ben Roethlisberger is thinking of retiring.

He'll play next year, bank it. Sad fact that as a man, it is hard for me to admit, but if he seriously played his last season - he's had an outstanding football career. As a football player, I respect him. As Ben Roethlisberger, I hate the man.

Yikes. Really? What does the past have to do with the future?

I like watching Ben play football.

I am a fan of the game, first and foremost. I enjoy seeing quality performances. I would be sad to see him retire.

So how do the Browns catch up to the Steelers? I started a post after the last game of the season. The Steelers sat 4 star players Ben Rothlisburger, LeVeon Bell, Antonio Brown, and Maurkise Pouncey. In that game the Browns clearly out played the Steelers in Pittisburg but still ost the game in overtime. I asked the question is the difference between 1-15 and 11-5 just 4 pro bowl caliber players? It sure looked that way.

I have thought about that further and feel it is 3 things that separate the Browns at 1-15 to the Steelers 11-5.

1) Pro Bowl caliber players like Bell, Brown, and Pouncey expect to make plays, have the ability to make plays, expect to win, and have the abilty to win. Their talent makes everyone around them better. The Browns have 1 player Joe Thomas that currently would fit into the category of these 3 players.

2) Continuity and execution. The Steelers know their roles and execute at a much higher level week in and week out than do the Browns. Having the same coach, assistant coaches, and QB year in and year out leads to that execution. They develop talent well. Why? Also because of that continuity. The older players know their roles, lead by example, and teach the younger players the same way they learned. The Browns have not kept a regime in place long enough to build that continuity. Continuity in a program leads to execution. Thats why even resting 4 star players they still found a way to win vs the Browns.

3) Hall of Fame QB. Knows the offense inside and out, knows what everyone on the offense is suppose to do every play. Leads them and demands his teammates to execute.

I think first and foremost the Browns need to pick a coaching staff and philosophy and then stick to it. No matter what. Then find and QB that they can develop into a steady QB who hopefully grows into a hall of fame QB. Remember Rothlisburger was criticized big time when Cower won a super bowl with him as a rookie. They ran the ball played great defense and over time Ben developed into a hall of fame QB. Once those 2 things are established then talented players around that QB will develop into pro bowl caliber players. With continuity, execution follows add a QB and pro bowl caliber players arrive, and finally a playoff team will emerge.

We don't do that, as evidenced w/more turnover again this year in the coaching staff.

That's all we do............well, that and lose a ridiculous number of games.

But some folks believe that if you keep trying the same failed strategy it will suddenly work.

Pretty simple process, actually. Draft solid players that you can develop, sign young solid vets in free agency for optimum price, repeat yearly.

I'm still of the opinion that the Browns just need to string together a few solid draft classes. They don't need to get a HOF player with every pick, (the "home run" scenario that people keep lamenting for) just keep hitting "doubles". Solid players that you keep on the team, who will get pushed by the next solid guy looking to take his place.

The consistent winners seem to just keep racking up the "On a scale of 1 to 10, this was a 7." drafts year in and year out.