There are many people, both fans and media alike, who believe the Cleveland Browns are ambivalent about winning this season. If that is true, then they deserve more criticism than they probably can handle for many reasons.
First, it was just ten years ago that the Browns, still owned by the Haslam family, decided to strip the franchise down to the studs. At the time, we didn’t have a big problem with it because they spent many years trying to do a patchwork job at putting together a roster and came up with two respectable seasons since a 2002 playoff appearance.
They went 10-6 in 2007, followed by six consecutive years of five wins or less, and then got to 7-9 in ’14, followed by a three win season the next year. Why not try a total rebuild?
And they were honest with the fan base about what they were doing. After going 1-31 in 2016 and 2017, they went 7-8-1 in ’18, slipped to 6-10, and then made the playoffs in 2020 with an 11-5 record, and won a playoff game.
They didn’t make the post-season again until 2023 and then cratered the following season.
And now you are going to tell your fans you are going to do it again? That should be unacceptable.
This is the NFL. Teams go from worst to first and vice-versa every season. We understand the salary cap hell the Browns are in, but that’s a problem they created in making the terrible deal for Deshaun Watson.
Everything for this franchise surrounds getting a franchise QB, that’s their only plan for success. Granted, most teams that win the Super Bowl have a great player at that position, but not all great QBs win the Super Bowl.
There are teams that have less than ideal situations at quarterback that still manage to have respectable records.
Look at our rivals to the east, the Steelers. Yes, we like to point out the Browns have won a playoff game more recently that Pittsburgh, but they haven’t had great QB play since Ben Roethlisberger’s prime. Yet, they continue to crank out winning seasons.
The two teams that played in the Super Bowl didn’t get their quarterbacks with top five draft picks. Patrick Mahomes was the 10th overall pick and Jalen Hurts was a second rounder.
In fact, of the consensus top four QBs in the game, only Joe Burrow was picked in the top five.
It can be done.
Meanwhile, while we are so focused on the passer, the organization has yet to tell anyone why they drafted just one offensive lineman in the past two drafts, and the man they picked hasn’t been on the active roster for any game this season.
No linemen, but they drafted two running backs and two quarterbacks. Whatever happened to the adage that the game is won or lost on the line of scrimmage?
We say this all the time, it’s a lot easier to rebuild than it is to keep winning. The Browns’ executives continue to take the path of least resistance. Yes, they did “go for it” from 2019 to 2023, but since then, it’s been about building for the future, which is their mantra.
This current group should not get a second opportunity to get it right. After just one playoff win after the last “rebuild”, it’s time to get a new architect.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 