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USC played a hybrid defense with Carroll. Maiava played both inside and outside linebacker in that defense. His Senior year at USC Maiava was the equal of Maualuga but didn't get as much publicity because of Maualuga's success the previous season.

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If he's anything more than a halfway-decent backup, I'll be surprised.




If he gets on the field he will be at least an average starter and add some speed to our defense.

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Saw this and thought of a poster who always says Phil Taylor is out of shape while singing the praises of Shaun Rogers:

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3. Phil Taylor, Browns defensive tackle: Cleveland's first-round pick made his presence known during the first week of training camp. Taylor arrived four days late because of a contract dispute. But he was in shape and ready to play on the first-team defense. Taylor was hard to move at the point of attack and also showed the ability to get up the field. Taylor and fellow defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin could be a tough tandem in the middle of Cleveland's defense.




LINK

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I disagree. After watching Maivia in TC/Pre Season/Season last yr, if he's our starter the Defense isn't very good.


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I thought Yates was the best RG we put out there last season. Does anyone know which string he is playing with in camp so far?

I have no idea on Lauvao because he didn't look good last season in games, but injuries could have been the cause. No idea on Pinkston because we haven't gotten to see him yet.


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If H&H wanted to win 8+ games, they would have filled more depth with experience instead of just projection...this is a conscious rebuild...no more old have beens (or never beens like under Mangini)...to switch system, coaching, age and speed you need at least 1 rebuilding season...I know everybody hates to hear this: but we're rebuilding...unlike the Mangini 1 though, it's a true rebuild and 1 I am willing to back for now....there's a plan, I like the plan and I trust Heckert






And the sooner fans buy into it the happier they'll be.


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Quote:

I disagree. After watching Maivia in TC/Pre Season/Season last yr, if he's our starter the Defense isn't very good.




I think it takes some of these guys a few years to mature in the NFL.

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Sorry to derail your thread here ..... but the Browns made the bad from your link as well ......

2. Cleveland Browns offense: Cleveland's offense has a lot of work to do. The unit did not look game-ready during my week-long visit to Browns camp. There were alignment errors on offense, plenty of drops and an overall lack of talent. Second-year quarterback Colt McCoy had his ups and downs, as well. Fortunately, the Browns have a month to get their new West Coast offense on track.

Wow .... so a team in the firsy week of camp .... with a completely new coaching staff and scheme ..... with no official off-season camps ...... this team looks a little haphazard and not quite "game ready" yet? Really?

Imagine that.

What did he expect ... perfection? lol Add to that the fact that a starting WR and TE were both out as well.

Wow.


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Quote:

Sorry to derail your thread here ..... but the Browns made the bad from your link as well ......

2. Cleveland Browns offense: Cleveland's offense has a lot of work to do. The unit did not look game-ready during my week-long visit to Browns camp. There were alignment errors on offense, plenty of drops and an overall lack of talent. Second-year quarterback Colt McCoy had his ups and downs, as well. Fortunately, the Browns have a month to get their new West Coast offense on track.

Wow .... so a team in the firsy week of camp .... with a completely new coaching staff and scheme ..... with no official off-season camps ...... this team looks a little haphazard and not quite "game ready" yet? Really?

Imagine that.

What did he expect ... perfection? lol Add to that the fact that a starting WR and TE were both out as well.

Wow.




LOL You tell them Ytown...


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Well, you know that Massaquoi was out ..... Watson got hurt .... Moore was a free agent, and could not practice until the 4th .......

I guess that everyone needs some headlines ... even when they are stupid.

Now if we were a team that had been together with their coaching staff for 5 or more years and looks disheveled .... well, that might be a problem. However, for a team with no off-season opportunities and a new staff to struggle in the first week ... frankly I'd be stunned if they didn't.

It wouldn;t surprise me if we have an issue here or there in week 1 just lining up right. I bet we have to burn a timeout in our 1st regular season game because someone wasn't lined up where they belong. It's just the way it is, Complex offenses based on timing and precision need a lot of practice before they become 2nd nature.


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Quote:

Quote:

I disagree. After watching Maivia in TC/Pre Season/Season last yr, if he's our starter the Defense isn't very good.




I think it takes some of these guys a few years to mature in the NFL.




Apples and Oranges.

Maiava like DQ should have never been cast in a 34 defense. Period!


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sorry for constantly mentioning the Ol but it could look like this in September:

T :Thomas
G: Steinbach
C: Mack
G: Yates
T: Pashos

reserve:
T: Braxton
G: Greco
G: Lauvao
T/G: Pinkston

I have stated this before. If some of these young OL come on Steinbach's days are numbered.

I'm hearing that Braxton is looking good in camp.

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I thought this thread was about defense?

(Lauvao has been starting by the way)

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this is a depth chart of what the defense could look like. I have no inside knowledge. DISCLAIMER this is just to illustrate our lack of depth:

DE: Sheard, Benard
DT: Taylor, Shaffering
DT: Rubin, Ivey
DE: J. Mitchell, English

OLB: Gocong, Maaiva, B. Smith
MLB: Jackson, Octavian
OLB; Fujita, T. Brown, Tarver

LCB; S. Brown, Patterson
RCB: Haden, Skrine, Francies

SS: Ward, Ventrone
FS: Young, Adams, Hagg

total; 26

please don't nit pick me


It's just to illustrate how little depth we have. I was having trouble, quite frankly, picking names. i don't know hardly any of these guys.

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Man....that starting 11 looks kinda bad. And the backups look worse. I hope we can win 4-5 games in the first ten because the last six are going to be brutal.

Ugh. Another loooooong painful season to be a Browns fan.


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When was the last time we had depth?!? I mean really --- what's new? Here is a depth chart of our defense provided by Tony Grossi before our first preseason game:

Quote:

Defense

LE -- Kenyon Coleman, C.J. Mosley, Derreck Robinson

NT -- Shaun Rogers, Ahtyba Rubin, Brian Schaefering

RE -- Robaire Smith, Clifton Geathers, Titus Adams

LOLB -- Matt Roth, David Veikune

LILB -- David Bowens, Eric Barton, Jason Trusnik, Titus Brown

RILB -- Scott Fujita, D'Qwell Jackson, Kaluka Maiava, Blake Costanzo

ROLB -- Chris Gocong, Marcus Benard

LCB -- Eric Wright, Joe Haden, Gerard Lawson, Ramzee Robinson

RCB -- Sheldon Brown, Brandon McDonald, Coye Francies

FS -- Abram Elam, Mike Adams, Ray Ventrone

SS -- T.J. Ward, Larry Asante, Nick Sorensen

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2010/04/tony_grossis_blog_cleveland_br_10.html





Did we have more depth last season?

We have a strong front office that seems comfortable with what they've seen on the training field thus far. I read somewhere that we lost 331 years of field experience this off-season and we are now one of the youngest teams in the league. We switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense. We're installing a new offense. All that said, I believe we should at least wait until after a couple preseason games before we start criticizing players we've never seen perform in this new look defense.

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Yeah, were totally ganna miss Veikune...


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Exactly. I guess if we had Brandon McDonald, we wouldn't have a problem with CB depth anymore.

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Look at it this way though...

young depth is much better than veteran depth imo...Think about it, a young guy will gain experience and improve with more of it, what good is an old guy who has been doing it forever, thats a guy that has already reached his peak and ceiling and will never be as good, our depth now will only improve with experience, and maybe will even surprise with a chance, that wouldnt happen in the past.


That starting lineup really doesnt look that bad.

DQ was a solid ball player before his injuries, a player we liked...and his injuries were upper body...completely recoverable injuries...not like degenerative knee injuries
Gocong was good last year, but not great.
Fujita has always been a starter and is a good player

Sheldon Brown had a down year last year, but so did other DBs that we had, and is back in a system he is used to, back playing press coverage where he has been comfortable in the past. Playing his style of game,
Haden is wonderful
TJ Ward is wonderful
Young/Adams...two good footballers. Theyre talented, Mike Adams has been nothing but good in his time here, at both Safety and Corner...and Usama Young has been good and is young and has been waiting for his chance. Look at him as potentially a Tom Brady maybe...who knows, he has backed up two VERY good safeties in NO. Now he gets a chance to start.

Sheard is talented enough to be a 2nd rounder. So he'll be a good starter.
Taylor is a first rounder who should be very good. thats why we drafted him right?
Rubin is a talented run stopper
Jayme Mitchell is another young guy who was behind two VERY good starters.


Mitchell and Young are two talented guys that just havent started because theyre behind all-pro players. Everyone else has been a starter in the NFL, Chris Gocong is the only player who actively lost their starting spot...and that was because he didnt fit the style Philly ran according to a couple sources. In addition, Heckert thinks enough of him to think he is a starter and a very good one.

I dont quite understand how we are so down on our defense. I understand there is a lot of unknown, but compared to what weve seen, thats a welcome sight. Youth with room to improve. Good.


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ugh, please don't even mention that name. another huge draft day blunder.

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haha Veikune...wasn't there so called experts saying how Mangini got the steal of the draft?
Right now you could say the defense is the strength by not by much...
In the front 7,who is there that is proven in disrupting the qb's pocket?
Rubin is solid and could be a All-Pro elsewhere.
Taylor is unproven..he will either be feast or famine.
Mitchell is a mystery
Shrear....same is above.
The linebackers are so porous. When Dqwell was healthy,he wasn't a force.
never forced turnovers or make RB's go backwards.
Fujita...reliable but not getting younger.
Gocong is just bad...can't reroute TE's or cover RB's.
Benard has flashed.
The secondary is the jewel. Ward and Haden however will suffer due to a front 7 full of questions and no game changers.
Young is part of a position that has had constant turnover since 99.
good TE's will kill the Browns defense.
If Taylor can emerge,thats a huge bonus...but if Taylor ends up like Gerard Warren,all money and no game....this D will get stomped on.

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Quote:

but if Taylor ends up like Gerard Warren,all money and no game....this D will get stomped on.




I don't think theres any chance of him ending up like "Big Money" Taylor actually puts effort and appears to love the game of football...

I don't think Warren would ever be found playing 80 snaps a game for Baylor...


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Quote:

That starting lineup really doesnt look that bad.




i hope you are correct, but it really reads like you are trying to talk yourself into it.


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Quote:

Quote:

That starting lineup really doesnt look that bad.




i hope you are correct, but it really reads like you are trying to talk yourself into it.



I do it every year...


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Quote:

haha Veikune...wasn't there so called experts saying how Mangini got the steal of the draft?




Really? I don't remember that. I remember one other GM anonymously saying they were considering drafting him later in the 2nd just to bail out mangini, much like the bears did with Al Davis when he drafted Mike Mitchell in the 2nd round.

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"Chris Gocong is the only player who actively lost their starting spot...and that was because he didnt fit the style Philly ran according to a couple sources. In addition, Heckert thinks enough of him to think he is a starter and a very good one. "

Exactly what stlye did Philly run,and how is it different than what we willbe trying to do ?
In addition,he was nothing more than a throw in in the Sheldon Brown trade.
Young and the two rookies could very well be flops,we have no idea as of yet.
On paper this D is horrible.But they willbe young,in a few years they may also be good.


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Maybe we're going to run a slightly different version of the Jauron defense with bigger LBs to combat the big backs in our division?

That would seem to me to be sensible, but whaddoiknow?


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Thats the one part of all this that I dont quite know. I'm not sure how Gocong was lightly regarded in Philly, yet is highly regarded here in a 4-3. I still kinda look at the guy as a 2 down player. I dont care to seee him in coverage all that much because he doesnt play fast...but thats where Kaluka Maiava comes in because that kid is fast.


I guess I am kinda talking myself into it. But moreso, its just that im trying to trust the FO. We have a lot of question marks, and if were making these moves and no other moves...i think that they think they are good enough there to make things happen.

And i think even more of it is that i really like Dick Jauron as a DC...never as a HC but a DC a like him. he's done good things in the past, and we seem to have a defense with a similar makeup to his stalwart defenses in Chicago and Jax....the years that they had the good defenses (the defenses that got him HC jobs)



I think that we'll see a disruptive defense, especially in the secondary, and the poster calling the secondary the jewel is where i think my optimism comes from. a good secondary will become better with Jauron, and thats a good thing. Maybe we'll give up some tough long drives, but i see us also getting several short fields because of the turnovers he creates...and we may ACTUALLY GET OFF THE FIELD on third down because we wont be playing crennel/ryan soft zones.


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Goog post. I really think we are going to surprise here. Fujita is a rock.


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goog indeed, site pimp.

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Quote:

where to begin?
1st, the title of the thread, defense as a strength.

In the philosophical discussion, of defense as a strength vs offense, or a whole team unity, I want to say that for every great defensive dominated championship team I can recall,
85 Bears, 00 Ravens, 86 giants, and others, for every one of those, there is a great offense on that team that is just overlooked.

So in the debate, I say a team is only as good as it's offense.

2nd To the post I read,
That you think the defense will be a strength and you have reasons, is the reason they play the games. To see if your right or wrong.

I'll say that no matter how well this defense, and the team as a whole is put together on paper, that there is a difference between them and Most of the other 31 teams in the NFL.

Most of them have had more games as a team together as a whole, while the Browns seem more like one of those olympic basketball teams that are put together in a short time.
To an extent, that part doesn't apply, because to an extent, part of the Browns have a year or two of experience playing together and have had time to work together to build the nuances that make a team Gel.
For instance, McCoy and even Wallace have part of last year playing with Cribbs, Massaquoi, Robiskie, Watson, Moore, Hillis, and Half (or so) of the O-line is the same as last year, and on defense, well some of them played together at least last year.
Mike Adams, Haden and Ward. But Haden and Ward had Elam and Wright to compliment them last year, so with them gone Haden and Ward might fall off some, ( a sophmore slump) and they'll need time to undestand how to work best with folks like the new players to join the team in the dbs.

Fujita Gocong, and Jackson, Have they all 3 been on the field at the same time before this year , I don't know, because Jackson and Fujita have had alternating missed time because injuries and Gocong has only been on the team , actually I don't remeber how long he's been on the team , THE POINT IS
The point is they don't have the time together that even Ben Taylor, Andra Davis, and Kevin Bentley did late in their rookie year, and EVEN IF those 3 were less apt at the positions and looked unproductive for other reasons, it doesn't change the fact that
The 3 lb's on the Browns are going to be introducing themselves to each other on the field for the first time a a unit this year.

To my last point, ( 3 lbs new), to that, someone might prove me wrong and say "look they actually played more together before" But it won't change the point I'm trying to make which is "even if they have" I'm pretty sure they don't have the time together that even the other 3 teams in our division do in their fron't 7's and LB's more specifically.

Ravens, Steelers, even Bengals, I'm pretty confident have had their lbs together for 2, 3, 4 or more years side by side good or bad, time to develop as team.

3rd. Robaire Smith.

Last week I didn't see him on the Roster, So being this time of year, I don't know how you can count on him, either the team doesn't want him or something, ( which is a shame becaus I think the team needs him if he is even available to give you limited snaps and behind Rubin. )
Team needs him because he can stop the run,
I MEAN THEY DIDN'T KEEP ROTH? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING , I'm thinking this team , AnyBody who made a KEY ! ! ! stop at a Crucial time in the game on a short yardage running play, at any time in the last 4 years, or with Roth anyone who Shot through a gap to tackle a RB for a loss in the last 4 years is
Someone not worth bringing back to the team. ( bad idea imo)

I just see teams running for 500 yards vs the Browns because they don't have anybody who has proven they can stop the run in the front 4. ( Rubin excluded).

4th general response to your post.

This Pre-season, On Paper, Enthusiasm, Tell me how it is different from ANY!!!!! other year this team has put out there since 1999?
Well I'll tell you one, There was Couch's 4th year where the QB had more that could be expected from him than you can Honestly expect from Colt.
There was another year when Jeff Garcia offered more experience and you could expect more than you can this year from Colt.
( But that's why they play the games right.)

What I don't expect from this year, is any excuse for the front 7 to give up large amounts of yardage to RB's, If this Coach, if this Team is going to go with folks like Sheard Taylor and Mitchell (Jayme, not Carlton) over folks like Roth , Robaire Smith, and Rogers, or even Ethan Kelly , Shaun Smith, or Ted Washington ( a stretch, he'd be 40 or so ) but the point is

IN baseball a manager lives and dies by his releif pitcher, but in Football a Caoch lives and dies by decisions like these.
( And I know, Shurmur wasn't around to cut Shaun Smith or Ethan kelly, but he did preside over some of the changes.

And to finish the first half of the first sentence of point #4 , How is this year different from Any other year since 99 and every year
Almost every year, since 99, by about the point this team reaches halftime of game #2, ( or 15 actual minutes into the first reg-season game ) People will be looking at the Team

Looking at the team and saying the Same Thing

Why do the Browns always ( insert adjective )
Why are they bad every year.

Not This year TL, NO! This year they have the OL coming back, they have Hillis, and McCoy is the Real deal, Cribbs' foot is healed, he'll be back to running back kicks for 6 points or almost, 10+ times again,
Not this year, this year they're going to be PREPARED for what it takes to win and they'll be ready in the FIRST games of the season.

This year it is not going to take 4 or so games to get used to the rigors of games that count and pull it all together for a performance that holds on long enough to get a win in the National Football league.

It's why they play the games right! It's why we watch,

It's why we HAVE to watch even if we're often going to be saying , Oh No, how did that happen, after the games done.

I just hope this team takes all the chances to Win and doesn't try to make it close in the last few minutes, but plays to make the opponent want to forfeit, give up, throw in the towell, by the time the last few minutes of game clock arrive.




Nice post we get to see what kind of "strength" we have in a sneak preview on Saturday.

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Quote:

Quote:

where to begin?
1st, the title of the thread, defense as a strength.

In the philosophical discussion, of defense as a strength vs offense, or a whole team unity, I want to say that for every great defensive dominated championship team I can recall,
85 Bears, 00 Ravens, 86 giants, and others, for every one of those, there is a great offense on that team that is just overlooked.

So in the debate, I say a team is only as good as it's offense.

2nd To the post I read,
That you think the defense will be a strength and you have reasons, is the reason they play the games. To see if your right or wrong.

I'll say that no matter how well this defense, and the team as a whole is put together on paper, that there is a difference between them and Most of the other 31 teams in the NFL.

Most of them have had more games as a team together as a whole, while the Browns seem more like one of those olympic basketball teams that are put together in a short time.
To an extent, that part doesn't apply, because to an extent, part of the Browns have a year or two of experience playing together and have had time to work together to build the nuances that make a team Gel.
For instance, McCoy and even Wallace have part of last year playing with Cribbs, Massaquoi, Robiskie, Watson, Moore, Hillis, and Half (or so) of the O-line is the same as last year, and on defense, well some of them played together at least last year.
Mike Adams, Haden and Ward. But Haden and Ward had Elam and Wright to compliment them last year, so with them gone Haden and Ward might fall off some, ( a sophmore slump) and they'll need time to undestand how to work best with folks like the new players to join the team in the dbs.

Fujita Gocong, and Jackson, Have they all 3 been on the field at the same time before this year , I don't know, because Jackson and Fujita have had alternating missed time because injuries and Gocong has only been on the team , actually I don't remeber how long he's been on the team , THE POINT IS
The point is they don't have the time together that even Ben Taylor, Andra Davis, and Kevin Bentley did late in their rookie year, and EVEN IF those 3 were less apt at the positions and looked unproductive for other reasons, it doesn't change the fact that
The 3 lb's on the Browns are going to be introducing themselves to each other on the field for the first time a a unit this year.

To my last point, ( 3 lbs new), to that, someone might prove me wrong and say "look they actually played more together before" But it won't change the point I'm trying to make which is "even if they have" I'm pretty sure they don't have the time together that even the other 3 teams in our division do in their fron't 7's and LB's more specifically.

Ravens, Steelers, even Bengals, I'm pretty confident have had their lbs together for 2, 3, 4 or more years side by side good or bad, time to develop as team.

3rd. Robaire Smith.

Last week I didn't see him on the Roster, So being this time of year, I don't know how you can count on him, either the team doesn't want him or something, ( which is a shame becaus I think the team needs him if he is even available to give you limited snaps and behind Rubin. )
Team needs him because he can stop the run,
I MEAN THEY DIDN'T KEEP ROTH? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING , I'm thinking this team , AnyBody who made a KEY ! ! ! stop at a Crucial time in the game on a short yardage running play, at any time in the last 4 years, or with Roth anyone who Shot through a gap to tackle a RB for a loss in the last 4 years is
Someone not worth bringing back to the team. ( bad idea imo)

I just see teams running for 500 yards vs the Browns because they don't have anybody who has proven they can stop the run in the front 4. ( Rubin excluded).

4th general response to your post.

This Pre-season, On Paper, Enthusiasm, Tell me how it is different from ANY!!!!! other year this team has put out there since 1999?
Well I'll tell you one, There was Couch's 4th year where the QB had more that could be expected from him than you can Honestly expect from Colt.
There was another year when Jeff Garcia offered more experience and you could expect more than you can this year from Colt.
( But that's why they play the games right.)

What I don't expect from this year, is any excuse for the front 7 to give up large amounts of yardage to RB's, If this Coach, if this Team is going to go with folks like Sheard Taylor and Mitchell (Jayme, not Carlton) over folks like Roth , Robaire Smith, and Rogers, or even Ethan Kelly , Shaun Smith, or Ted Washington ( a stretch, he'd be 40 or so ) but the point is

IN baseball a manager lives and dies by his releif pitcher, but in Football a Caoch lives and dies by decisions like these.
( And I know, Shurmur wasn't around to cut Shaun Smith or Ethan kelly, but he did preside over some of the changes.

And to finish the first half of the first sentence of point #4 , How is this year different from Any other year since 99 and every year
Almost every year, since 99, by about the point this team reaches halftime of game #2, ( or 15 actual minutes into the first reg-season game ) People will be looking at the Team

Looking at the team and saying the Same Thing

Why do the Browns always ( insert adjective )
Why are they bad every year.

Not This year TL, NO! This year they have the OL coming back, they have Hillis, and McCoy is the Real deal, Cribbs' foot is healed, he'll be back to running back kicks for 6 points or almost, 10+ times again,
Not this year, this year they're going to be PREPARED for what it takes to win and they'll be ready in the FIRST games of the season.

This year it is not going to take 4 or so games to get used to the rigors of games that count and pull it all together for a performance that holds on long enough to get a win in the National Football league.

It's why they play the games right! It's why we watch,

It's why we HAVE to watch even if we're often going to be saying , Oh No, how did that happen, after the games done.

I just hope this team takes all the chances to Win and doesn't try to make it close in the last few minutes, but plays to make the opponent want to forfeit, give up, throw in the towell, by the time the last few minutes of game clock arrive.




Nice post we get to see what kind of "strength" we have in a sneak preview on Saturday.




Awesome response and quote of that awesome post.

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