Are the Browns a Legit Playoff Contender?

[Ojb81]

No sarcasm whatsoever. Assuming health - for all teams - are the Browns a potential playoff contender? It's difficult to think not at this point. Put this lineup in any other teams jerseys and you're likely predicting at least 8-9 wins:

QB: Tyrod Taylor/Baker Mayfield
RB: Nick Chubb/Carlos Hyde/Duke Johnson
WR: Josh Gordon/Jarvis Landry/Antonio Calloway/Corey Coleman
TE: David Njoku/Seth Devalve
OT: Chris Hubbard/Austin Corbett/Shon Coleman
OG: Kevin Zeitler/Joel Bitonio
C: JC Tretter

DE: Myles Garrett/Emmanuel Ogbah/Nate Orchard/Chad Thomas
DT: Larry Ogunjobi/Trevon Coley/Trent Thompson/Caleb Brantley
LB: Jamie Collins/Mychal Kendricks/Christian Kirksey/Joe Schobert
CB: EJ Gaines/TJ Currie/Denzel Ward/Briean Boddy-Calhoun
S: Demarious Randall/Julius Peppers/Derrick Kindred

There really isn't any position group that is necessarily a glaring weakness. Losing Joe Thomas will hurt, but otherwise, they've made drastic wholesale changes to every position group.

Other than "because they're the Browns", is there any actual legit reason to think this team isn't a playoff contender?

No. It takes time for most teams to shed such a pitiful culture of losing, the Browns arent going to get all the way to poatseason status in one season. No doubt they should be much improved, but playoffs? Not this season, sorry

 

[mcnabb7542]

No. It takes time for most teams to shed such a pitiful culture of losing, the Browns arent going to get all the way to poatseason status in one season. No doubt they should be much improved, but playoffs? Not this season, sorry

But, but the Jag's did it........

 

[Fountain City Blues]

But, but the Jag's did it........

And the Rams.

Talent wins- but Hue will torpedo any playoff hopes.

 

[Across The Field]

I'm not really sold on Cleveland's WR unit after Gordon and even he's a question mark because he can't stay on the field. Also the defense wasn't very good last year. 2nd to last in points allowed.

I guess that's your choice. From all indications, Gordon is clean and in amazing shape. Landry is the perfect sort of target for Tyrod to make his high efficiency short-medium range throws, as is Duke Johnson. Njoku has all the potential you could want from a young TE. I don't know what there is to hate about it.

The defense was constantly injured last year and was always on the field, no wonder why they sucked. Not sure if you know or not, but their defensive backfield was completely rebuilt with higher-end players and their LBs unit is quite strong with the addition of Kendricks. Again, I am also talking about them as a healthy team.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

The Browns were 16th in weighted DVOA IIRC. Their points allowed were as much a function of their offense being trash than anything else.

 

[mcnabb7542]

And the Rams.

Talent wins- but Hue will torpedo any playoff hopes.

Damn forgot the Rams,

Maybe since they were a one and done I missed them...

 

[ericd7633]

You have an issue with a guy who averages 100 reception a year?

He's a possession receiver. That doesn't do much for me, especially for the amount of money they are giving him.

 

[ericd7633]

Youre forgetting Landry

At least I think you are

He's a good possession receiver. Not worth what they are paying him. He's more valuable for fantasy purposes than he is in the W/L column.

 

[Across The Field]

Is Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Marquis Goodwin so terrible? Or was it the QB?

Cause 2 of those 3 guys had better years last season than they ever had with Taylor, and no one will be shocked if Watkins has his best season in KC this season

Watkins missed 11 games over 2 years and Woods is a good but far from great WR. Watkins is no Gordon, and Woods is no Landry.

No wonder Woods had a good year, he was playing in the best offense in the NFL. He was free to run with single coverage and was made a focal point of the offense.

Goodwin was the top target in SF. He still had fewer TDs than his final year in Buffalo, but he had way more volume. This hardly says anything about Tyrod, though obviously I'd take Jimmy G over him in a heartbeat.

Good luck on that Watkins prediction. I've literally seen nobody who thinks that way, as he's arguably the 4th best skill position player on their roster and he's playing with a first year starter, but to each their own.

 

[Across The Field]

He's a possession receiver. That doesn't do much for me, especially for the amount of money they are giving him.

He's a good possession receiver. Not worth what they are paying him. He's more valuable for fantasy purposes than he is in the W/L column.

Which is why I think he's going to be invaluable for the offense. Tyrod isn't going to be airing it out a ton, so having a reliable guy like Jarvis who runs good routes, has sure hands, and shines in the RZ - all things Cleveland desperately needed last season - is going to go a long way towards his and the offense's success. For a team that's still over $65mil under the cap, he was an easy signing.

 

[Racer8825]

And the Rams.

Talent wins- but Hue will torpedo any playoff hopes.

Time for a new HC in Cleveland then.

 

[broncosmitty]

He's a possession receiver. That doesn't do much for me, especially for the amount of money they are giving him.

Ah, I see.

 

[Across The Field]

Time for a new HC in Cleveland then.

If they win under 6 games this year and there isn't a shitload of injuries, he's gone IMO. The expectation is to win and compete in the division this year. Anything less and he's gone. There's too much talent there to waste on a coach who doesn't get it.

 

[steelerssb]

I feel like this question has been asked every year since they were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders in 2008.

Therefore no, they aren't until they put up.

 

[RobBase]

Patriots
Steelers
Jacksonville
AFC West Champ
Texans
6 spot

Prob no but I guess they have a shot at the 6 spot like anyone else (Chargers, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Titans, Ravens etc...)

 

[Racer8825]

If they win under 6 games this year and there isn't a shitload of injuries, he's gone IMO. The expectation is to win and compete in the division this year. Anything less and he's gone. There's too much talent there to waste on a coach who doesn't get it.

At least somebody gets it.

 

[mrschaney]

Browns path to the Super Bowl

 

[ericd7633]

I guess that's your choice. From all indications, Gordon is clean and in amazing shape. Landry is the perfect sort of target for Tyrod to make his high efficiency short-medium range throws, as is Duke Johnson. Njoku has all the potential you could want from a young TE. I don't know what there is to hate about it.

The defense was constantly injured last year and was always on the field, no wonder why they sucked. Not sure if you know or not, but their defensive backfield was completely rebuilt with higher-end players and their LBs unit is quite strong with the addition of Kendricks. Again, I am also talking about them as a healthy team.

I hope he's clean and can stay on the field. But he's only played 10 games in the last 4 seasons, which is why I have trepidation. Not hating on them just alot of unknown/unproven/unreliable.

And I get they made moves on defense. They should be better, but still won't be top 10-15 in the league. Calling for a 6 win improvement is also pretty significant.

 

[Tharvot]

they're a sleeper wildcard team IMO, but everything is gonna have to break the right way for them. I think they're a 2-3 year development. If their young guys improve the way they're projected to, they can be super bowl contenders in 2-3 years.

Hard to come out and say they're legit playoff contenders when they've gone 1-31 in the past 2 seasons. I realize there's a lot of new faces and this team is significantly improved from last year, but there's still plenty of question marks.

 

[Tharvot]

I hope he's clean and can stay on the field. But he's only played 10 games in the last 4 seasons, which is why I have trepidation. Not hating on them just alot of unknown/unproven/unreliable.

And I get they made moves on defense. They should be better, but still won't be top 10-15 in the league. Calling for a 6 win improvement is also pretty significant.

they were a top 10-15 defense last year...and they led the league in TFL. Their big issues were poor secondary play and an offense that consistently put their defense in terrible positions.

Secondary was drastically improved this offseason and the offense should be significantly better as well. At the very least, they'll turn it over a lot less.