Third Place Finish for the Browns

3. Cleveland Browns - After taking a big step backwards in the second year of the Romeo Crennel era, the Browns are looking forward to moving in a positive direction again after a very good offseason. Not only did the Browns make the most improvements in the AFC North, they probably made the second-most additions in the NFL, only behind the San Francisco 49ers. Despite those additions, the Browns aren't quite ready to get all of those players into a groove for 2007.

Since returning to the league, the biggest downfall for the Browns has been their offensive line. Fixing the line became the team's No. 1 priority in the offseason, as they added two new starters with Pro Bowl guard Eric Steinbach and rookie offensive tackle Joe Thomas. There's also a legitimate chance that former Pro Bowl center LeCharles Bentley will return from injury early on in the season. At the running back position, the team did away with Reuben Droughns and exchanged him with Jamal Lewis. Lewis has not been in his prime over the past two seasons, but if he returns to his old form after surgery, it could be a move that the Ravens will regret. The defense has improved moderately to make some improvements, although they're still steps away from shutting down an opposition.

The big question mark in the Browns lays in the quarterback situation. The Browns drafted Brady Quinn in the offseason, who will ultimately be their quarterback of the future. Charlie Frye will likely be the starting quarterback to begin the season, and if he struggles, it'll only be a matter of time before Quinn takes over the offense. There is a chance that Frye can duplicate the success that a guy like Drew Brees had after the Chargers drafted Philip Rivers, but making a prediction like that given Frye's history would be a little too bold.
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