How to fix the Browns

[bugzilla]

These are the steps I feel are necessary to build the Browns into a legitimate franchise. This season is officially over, so most of these fixes deal with next year.

 

1. Fire Romeo Crennell. Obviously he is not cut out to be head coach. We need a real ball buster of a coach. Bring in Cowher or even try to get Marty Schottenheimer out of retirement. I feel that the coaching change is the most important thing. Even if we don't change a single player on the team a new coach can turn things around. Look at what Zorn has done with the Redskins in his first year.

2. Trade Braylon Edwards. It is not worth waiting for him to get his mojo back. He is single handedly destroying this offense. He is good enough to get open and make a perfect target, but can't catch the balls thrown perfectly on target. He also runs the wrong routes resulting in interceptions.

3. Also trade Anderson and Winslow, but not for performance reasons. There is no need for either of them on the team since Quinn will be the franchise QB and Dinkins and Heiden can fill Winslows shoes without the drama. We need to use them to get free agents and draft picks on defense.

4. No matter how many trades or drafts deals they need to make, next year the Browns absolutely must someone on the defensive front line to help out Shaun Rogers. The corners look horrible because there is no pass rush. No cornerback can cover wide receivers when the QB has all day to throw in a clean pocket.

 

That's really it. We have a potentially good QB, great special teams players, good running backs, O-line and tight ends. We could be a great team with these changes.

[JewDago]

first, i want to say that last year's 10-6 was largely a result of an easy schedule but that we're also not that far from being able to get there again. we've proven we can beat good teams. we just have to beat the teams we should beat. in addition to that.

 

that being said, i disagree about BE and K2. it's a personal question whether or not you believe in edwards. i do, some don't. it's somewhat to pointless to argue about it because it's a belief, not an idea. i believe a new coaching staff can fix edwards. besides, he'll bring shit in a trade right now. we'd be selling him far below market value and get a terrible return when we could get far more for him if we hold onto him and trade him after he has a decent start to his 2009 campaign.

 

winslow is arguable, though. there's no way that heiden and dinkins can replace him. heiden's career is almost over, for one thing. he's already started breaking down physically and will only continue to get worse. dinkins is unreliable and makes bad plays a lot of the time. he gets called for holding way too much for a backup.

 

the only one i could see replacing him is rucker, but he has to get on the field so we can see what he can do before we think about getting rid of K2.

 

romeo's gotta go. rogers needs help in the form of a pass-rushing OLB who's somewhat unstoppable, someone named terrell suggs.

 

i, too, believe this team isn't that far away. we just need a more aggressive defensive scheme and to use our running backs correctly. good coaching can turn this team around.

[bugzilla]

that being said, i disagree about BE and K2. it's a personal question whether or not you believe in edwards. i do, some don't. it's somewhat to pointless to argue about it because it's a belief, not an idea. i believe a new coaching staff can fix edwards. besides, he'll bring shit in a trade right now. we'd be selling him far below market value and get a terrible return when we could get far more for him if we hold onto him and trade him after he has a decent start to his 2009 campaign.

 

 

I don't agree with you at all on this point. Braylon Edwards has lost his concentration and confidence. I don't see him getting it back. I do see him getting open again and again but dropping everything thrown to him. True, we won't get crap for him in trade, but I'd rather get a couple 3rd/4th round picks than have him on the field screwing things up. Heck, at this point I'd give a draft pick if someone would take him off our hands.

 

I also think K2 is a diva who doesn't want to be in Cleveland anymore. I expect him to start acting like "Ocho Cinco" next year if he's on the team in an attempt to get traded. I say trade him while he still has some value.

[Guest AdaM]

I don't agree with you at all on this point. Braylon Edwards has lost his concentration and confidence. I don't see him getting it back. I do see him getting open again and again but dropping everything thrown to him. True, we won't get crap for him in trade, but I'd rather get a couple 3rd/4th round picks than have him on the field screwing things up. Heck, at this point I'd give a draft pick if someone would take him off our hands.

 

I also think K2 is a diva who doesn't want to be in Cleveland anymore. I expect him to start acting like "Ocho Cinco" next year if he's on the team in an attempt to get traded. I say trade him while he still has some value.

 

 

Jerry Jones would give a 1st or 2nd for BE guaranteed.

 

And he would probably be pro bowl again.

[Kosarfan]

It actually hurts watching this inept bunch of schmucks anymore.

 

- RAC is a complete bust for everything and anything.

- Management is a complete bust for keeping a useless RAC and his dud staff.

- DA lost ANY trade value he MIGHT have had on the last game - throwing into the ground, behind receivers, etc.

- Defense is a bust - absolutely NO backfield and rush on attackers is like sitting in L.A. traffic, not to mention they have no idea how to TACKLE.

- Braylon needs to be benched indefinitely then traded in the offseason for a producing receiver - too much time has been wasted waiting for him to 'get his head in the game'. Let him sit and watch the rest of the season and MAKE Stallworth do what he was supposed to do when he was picked up. If we don't play BE, there might be some residual trade value.

- Backfield is now a bust because they've used up Jamal Lewis. Don't expect JL to look ANYTHING next year like he has the last 1.5 and they refuse to develop Harrison.

 

The only things left on this team worth spending a Sunday watching anymore is Cribbs - for EVERYTHING he does; Quinn to see his development, although RAC is too 'smart' to allow that; Big Sean get sacks and block passes; seeing if Steptoe becomes another Cribbs. JL is painful to watch because I see his career fading away as he is constantly expected to get big yards up the middle. Winslow seems to think he's playing for a playoff / superbowl caliber team and seems to thinks he can bring his own attitude on the field all the time, hurting even the small gains they do get. He might as well be dropped or made to 'sit in the corner' for a few weeks.

 

'08 is done. Once again a bonehead Browns fan waiting for NEXT year, halfway through the season.

 

I can only HOPE for a coach like Cowher to come in next year and kick some asses into a disciplined winning program, but then again, he'd still have the management left to contend with. I'm afraid all we'll get next year is weak leftovers - Shottenheimer, Mora, Billick, etc. Maybe Wade Phillips will be looking for his tenth try at an NFL HC job and we'll get his weak program.

 

And for the book, watch RAC become a second Bellichek and coach some winning program into a dynasty in years to come (although I won't be holding my breath). Then once again we'll be able to say, 'we had him when he sucked'.

[Gips]

Jerry Jones would give a 1st or 2nd for BE guaranteed.

 

And he would probably be pro bowl again.

 

If jones is actually dumb enough to trade a 1st rd pick for BE i would say go for it edwards is largely responsible for wrecking both our qbs ratings and our teams chances yet he is left on the field he really doesnt look like he wants to be there..which actually makes crennel the culprit here which then makes savage at fault for not firing them both which leads us to the real problem...a hands off owner who should have ended this whole mess at the bye week if he had done the right thing i dont think we or the sport media would be so upset with him but lerner consistantly proves he is barely a capable human being which doesnt accept responsibility for anything let alone being an inheritence based franchise owner he has earned nothing his whole life but recieved everything from his father on a silver platter and it shows..

 

Perhaps the nfl should review lerner because the only thing that makes him qualify as a nfl owner is his deep pockets because there is not much of a football man beyond that..

[Kosarfan]

Have to agree, but at least brought back the Browns ..... or at least Orange and Brown uniformed players.

[pl4tinum]

This franchise is so disappointing that even Brady Quinn starting at QB can't get me excited enough to care right now.

 

That says a LOT.

 

And it's sickening to me that I can't get excited about the future of the Browns because the present is beyond pathetic.

[Tobalaz]

Did you know Edwards was going to go to the OSU/ UM game this season?

Problem was he couldn't catch the bus.

 

So far this season, the only thing Edwards hasn't dropped is acid.

 

Edwards has gone so far downhill this season he could get covered by Safe Auto and STILL blow the play.

 

 

 

 

[PoeticG]

hmmm.... there WAS a thread on this... I looked...

 

So, same question: How to fix the Browns...???

[The Gipper]

hmmm.... there WAS a thread on this... I looked...

 

So, same question: How to fix the Browns...???

 

Appropriate:

 

[PoeticG]

It's crazy and it's true. We've been discussing this for years now... almost a decade since we've been in the playoffs. Enough is ENOUGH! We need to fix this team now. What can we do?? This has gone on long enough. Sign the Best Defensive players in this draft. Defense wins Championships, if they can't score on us then they can't beat us. Our offense is good for 13-17 points a game. That's if we don't improve our offense one iota. Our Defense has a chance to be built into a Elite Defense, the likes of Baltimore or Greenbay. We just need a few more pieces here and there. Build the offense somewhat in the draft but do not use the cream of the croft to select receivers like Blackmon who are not Elite. Pick up ELITE Franchise Defensive Players and maybe an offensive lineman... if he's a stud. But continuing to dump first round picks on QB's time and again to only watch them fail miserably, is frustrating. Let's roll with Colt McCoy for a few years and build this defense so we can win a DAMN CHAMPIONSHIP!(or at least a playoff game... or a divisional game, for PETE'S SAKE!

 

Anyways I'm leaning heavily to draft defense, unless Hillis walks then we need Richardson... catch 22..

[choco]

Oh good grief....