Browns Have Come a Long Way Since 2004 Season

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 27, 2008 3:28 PM EDT in General News

The Browns' 2004 season was a disaster, as the team finished with a 4-12 record. It was also the end of the Butch Davis era, leading to the dramatic change brought upon by Phil Savage.
(Photo via blog.cleveland.com)

I keep looking back at the roster for the Cleveland Browns during the 2004 season, and something keeps bugging me: how on earth did we ever get excited about that team? Look at some of these names...

WR Frisman Jackson
WR Andre King
RB Dee Brown
OG Craig Osika
OT Enoch DeMar
OT Joaquin Gonzalez
LB Barry Gardner
LB Warrick Holdman
LB Eric Westmoreland
DB Michael Jameson
DB Dyshod Carter

And those were only a select few names from the list. Can you imagine any of those players having a significant role on today's team, even as a backup? It just goes to show you the A+ work that Phil Savage has done with today's team. When you look at our projected 53-man roster this season, I see a lot of backups that could be starting elsewhere in the league. The backups from the 2004 season would've probably been lucky to make someone else's roster as a special teams contributor, and yet our roster was absolutely STACKED with them.

Excluding TE Kellen Winslow and S Sean Jones, who were rookies during the 2004 campaign (and both of them basically missed the entire season due to injuries), these are the only players still on our team from that season, where Jeff Garcia was our starting quarterback:

1. TE Steve Heiden
2. OL Ryan Tucker
3. LB Andra Davis
4. K Phil Dawson
5. LS Ryan Pontbriand

Two cheers for special teams players. Pretty sad, eh? There are a few names on the list though that I wouldn't mind seeing on our roster heading into this season. So, if we could hold an expansion draft giving us three picks, I would take the following individuals (not including players currently on our roster):

1. DB Anthony Henry: Pretty much a no-brainer here, as Henry has been a decent starter with the Dallas Cowboys for several years now. He still hasn't reached elite level, but he would start on today's roster.

2. DB Lewis Sanders: Signed with the New England Patriots now, Sanders has had two stints with the Browns. I was hoping it could have been three until the Pats signed him, as he was a good nickel back and a good gunner on the special teams unit. He would shore up our secondary immediately in terms of depth, preventing us from relying on a Jereme Perry or A.J. Davis to come through.

3. OT Kirk Chambers: He wasn't a proven stud, but right now we're thin at the backup tackle position if you don't include Tucker.

Are there any players, instead of the three people above, that you'd "draft" to today's team?

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my 3 would be Anthony Henry, Chris Crocker, and Melvin Fowler.

by kjc on Jun 27, 2008 8:35 PM EDT reply actions

I had a bad feeling about that team at the start. B the time it was over I had declared a blood feud against Butch Davis. I’m still willing to punch him if I get the opportunity.

Jeff Garcia was the worst idea this team’s ever had(well, maybe short of Courtney Brown). Ugh.

I wouldn’t trade anyone on this team for anything from the 2004 season. Mostly, I try to forget it happened.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

by BringBackKosar on Jun 28, 2008 1:43 AM EDT reply actions

Phil Savage knows what he is doing. I would only bring back any CB who can play because we need CBs.

Jeff Garcia wouldn’t be terrible to have on your football team in general, although I would not add him to our current team specifically. He is still a guy who can lead your team to the playoffs. One big caveat though, he HAS to play in a west coast system. He was and is a terrible fit for the Browns.

Plus he stole Carmela Decesare.

by rufio on Jun 28, 2008 7:20 AM EDT reply actions

I still remember vividly—getting off to a 3-3 start, and then almost beating the Eagles under Garcia. After we just barely loss, the season was a complete mess the rest of the way. Granted, it was a mess the whole time, but at least some hope still existed early on.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 28, 2008 1:16 PM EDT reply actions

olbs

i’d bring back chaun thompson, but barely. mcginest/peek/orr/mcmillian will likely be clowned on pokorny’s next version of this list in a few years.

by MJ32 on Jun 28, 2008 4:06 PM EDT reply actions

Heh…if we finish with even a .500 record, there won’t be a need for a list. If we do do horrible though, I could see myself chastising the potential vulnerability created by McMillian, Orr, and McGinest being on the roster (not Peek though).

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 28, 2008 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

whatever happenned to...

Some players I liked from the roster but haven’t heard about where they are now were Kevin Bentley, McCutchen, and Mike Lehan. That being said players I would want still are few 1. Bodden – solid but was a needed move to add a BIGGER need. 2. Jeff Faine – loved his mean streak, I think he has made a pro bowl for an NFC team in the last year or two (Saints?) 3. Anthony Henry – just always seems to have a nose for the football.

by bellar on Jun 29, 2008 4:24 PM EDT reply actions

From memory, as of last season,

-Bentley was a fairly successful linebacker for the Seahawks
-McCutcheon was sort of “retired” (we were his last team)
-Lehan was a nickel/dime back for the Dolphins

I just checked Wikipedia now—it appears as though the above statements remain true heading into this season, except for the fact that Bentley signed with the Houston Texans.

Dawgs By Nature - Find out why Pittsburgh still sucks.

by Chris Pokorny on Jun 29, 2008 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions