How do the Cleveland Browns Get Back Into Contention?

This past week the Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner granted interviews to the local beat writers and most of the questions leaned towards the future. Unfortunately, at this point the most interesting thing about the 2-7 Browns is what will happen after the season is over.
In the NFL, the key to a successful team is having the right coach and quarterback. As Joe Banner told Mary Kay Kabot in the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

You can't win big without a great coach and a great quarterback, he said. And frankly, if you have a great enough coach and quarterback, you can afford to make a few more personnel mistakes. You've got to lock them in.

So, for 2013, Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner have head coach at the top of the list for the “get it right” plan.
The last seven games of the Browns' season will determine if Pat Shurmur is that head coach. In the same interview, Joe Banner said that the quarterback and general manager are tied for second on the to-do list, so Brandon Weeden and Tom Heckert are under the microscope as well....

For the full story check out the link below.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1405383-5-moves-the-cleveland-browns-can-make-to-get-right-back-in-contention-for-2013

Should the Cleveland Browns make a move at the NFL trade deadline?

The Cleveland Browns are off to a slow 1-5 start and they could use some help to keep things moving in the right direction. The NFL came to an agreement with the NFLPA in the summer to move the trade deadline from week 6 to week 8.

So this gives the Browns more time to look into deals that could make the team better in the second half of the season. I wrote about the possible options on Bleacher Report, which included a fan favorite Colt McCoy. You can catch a preview and a link to the full article below.

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Any team that is 1-5 could use some help to bolster the talent on their roster, including the Cleveland Browns.

The many weaknesses of the Browns have been pointed out during their five-game losing streak and even in the win over the Bengals.

The good thing for the Browns was that the NFL and the NFLPA agreed to move the trading deadline from Week 6 to Week 8. The move has a twofold benefit.  It gives teams more time to evaluate each others' rosters, and it gives teams a longer period into the season to make a trade due to an injury...

Read the full story here:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1372654-5-realistic-moves-that-the-cleveland-browns-could-make-at-nfl-trade-deadline. 

You can follow me on twitter @clevelandhuddle.

Overview of Cleveland Browns Quarterback Brandon Weeden's Training Camp

It has been pretty clear since training camp started that Brandon Weeden was the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback.
Despite Pat Shurmur saying it was a competition with Colt McCoy, it was ended quickly by Brandon Weeden’s performance in camp. When I watched the first padded practice for the Browns, it was easy to see that Brandon Weeden's physical ability gives the Browns the best chance to win.
His arm stands out as the strongest and most accurate of the quarterbacks on the Browns roster. He can reach any part of the field with his arm. The ability to make all the throws has shown up in camp with his deep accuracy on the long ball and his touch on screen passes to Trent Richardson...

Read the full article here:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1288168-what-have-we-learned-from-brandon-weedens-training-camp-performance

Why Jimmy Haslem is good for the Cleveland Browns

Randy Lerner used a play from his 2005 playbook...sell an inherited asset for big money.
In 2005, Lerner, then chairman of MBNA, helped sell the credit card bank to Bank of America. At the time, the Lerner family received $2.3 billion from the sale.
Now, Lerner is on the verge of the sale of the Cleveland Browns, which should gross at least $700 million. If you’re doing the math, that is $3 billion in proceeds from the two biggest assets his father left him.
So why sell now when things seem to be on the right track with the Browns? One reported reason is, his father asked to wait at least 10 years before considering a sale. The other two big reasons are, the value of team is at an all-time high of $977 million, according to Forbes, and he found the right guy.

Read the full article here.

Cleveland Browns article round up for the preseason

The following articles from Bleacher report, will give a good overview of what is going on with Cleveland Browns this preseason.

Who is under rated on the Browns roster?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1314996-dqwell-jackson-and-the-most-underrated-players-on-browns-roster


What did we learn from Eagles v. Browns preseason game?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1310876-eagles-vs-browns-10-things-we-learned-from-clevelands-27-10-loss 

Grading the Cleveland Browns rookies

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1306743-report-card-grades-for-every-cleveland-browns-rookie-through-preseason-week-2

Look for more round articles on www.clevelandhuddle.com.

Follow me @clevelandhuddle on twitter.

Cleveland Browns NFL draft primer

The Cleveland Browns have a chance to change the fate of the franchise with the players they pick in the NFL draft. It seems like most people have forgotten that the Cleveland Browns had a top ten defense last year. The reason for the losing record was because the offense averaged less than two touchdowns a game. The combination of a top offense and defense would put this team over the top. The draft picks could go a long way to fixing the problems on offense. I understand these players are rookies but they are playmakers. The role of the playmaker is to make a play when x's and o's don't add up. The 3 picks in the top 37 give the team a chance to acquire those types of players. The evidince is in the past season which showed Colt McCoy played his best when Peyton Hills was at his best. The two wins against the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The Colts win early last season. Colt has always even college risen to the level of the talent around him. Colt has only had a playmaking running back...it would interesting to see him play with a playmaker at wide receiver and running back. In this draft the Browns can put a playmaking running back and wide receiver on the team. The defense on the Cleveland Browns should be better and if the offense can come to the party things could turn around pretty quick in Brownstown. 

Check out the links below to get your mind right for the draft tonight.

http://www.clevelandhuddle.com/2012/04/alabama-has-been-good-to-cleveland.html
http://www.clevelandhuddle.com/2012/03/cleveland-browns-commit-to-colt-mccoy.html
http://www.clevelandhuddle.com/2012/03/cleveland-browns-offensive-upgrade-plan.html

Alabama has been good to the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Draft

In the 1978 NFL draft the Cleveland Browns had two first round picks like they do in 2012. The first of those two picks was Clay Matthews from the University of Southern California who should be in hall of fame...but that is for another conversation. The second selection for the Cleveland Browns in the 1978 draft was Ozzie (Wizard of Oz) Newsome from the University of Alabama. Those two players helped the Browns make three AFC championship games in the 1980's. In 2012 the Cleveland Browns have similar opportunity to change the franchise for the better with another University of Alabama player Trent Richardson and pairing him up with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft.

In recent days draft experts have proclaimed the Browns should take a quarterback because it is a quarterback driven league and they don't think Colt McCoy is that guy. The best breakdown I have heard about the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation was on NFL network by Charlie Casserly from NFL general manager. He stated that the Browns aren't sure of Colt McCoy and the best thing for them to do is to build out the rest of the team. If Colt McCoy doesn't workout the next quarterback will have the weapons to succeeded right away. I would love to see the Browns take Trent Richardson at 4, a wide receiver at 22, and Brandon Weeden at 37. This combination would give the Browns Colt McCoy insurance and provide playmakers for whoever is the quarterback. Hopefully again Alabama will be good to the Cleveland Browns in the first round.