It’s been a rough few years for the Cleveland Browns. They’ve had 23 different QB’s since they came to Cleveland in 1999, they haven’t won their division since 1989 and my personal favorite, they have drafted 5 first round QB’s in the history or the organization and none of which had ever won a playoff game in their entire career.
It would be easy to discount them from the 2016 season; however, they have somewhat of a chance to make a splash. For starters, RG3 is hungry and looks ready to compete healthily again. The last time he played a full season he threw for 3,200 yards and ran for another 815. Tack on 27 total touchdowns and these numbers start to look like some of Russell Wilson’s past years.
Griffin III also has a receiving core this year that I think will surprise a lot of people. Tight end Gary Barnidge had over a thousand yards last year and he looks just as good this preseason. Josh Gordon looks like he will finally be making a return this year and he has the ability to compete with the top receivers in the league. As long as he stays away from the hippie lettuce, he and RG3 can rekindle the fire they shared at Baylor and do some real damage.
My wild card here is Terrelle Pryor. The quarterback turned receiver could be a difference maker for this team. His size and athleticism make him a force to be reckoned with, not to mention his throwing ability for trick plays. The “Twin Towers” along with rookie Cory Coleman will provide RG3 with the weapons he needs to run a decent offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, they have acquired Carl Nassib and Emmanuel Ogbah to buff up their pass rush and improve their overall defense. I’m not saying this team will win any playoff games this year, but they do have some potential for the future and they might steal some crucial games from better teams.
-By Tim Schwan