The 2007-2008 season officially begins this Sunday for the Cleveland Browns, meaning it's about time for our season preview.
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Fresh off of a not-so competitive quarterback battle with Derek Anderson, Charlie Frye will enter this season as the Browns' starting quarterback. Frye clearly demonstrated that he was more comfortable with the offense than Anderson, and was more consistent in delivering the ball to our primary playmakers. The big question regarding Frye will be how well he's able to close out a game. Last year, Frye was known for making horrible decisions at the end of both halves of a game. Entering his third season though, chances are that Frye will be looking over his shoulder all season long because of one man: Brady Quinn.
Robaire comes over from the Tennessee Titans, where he will be a definite upgrade over McKinley, but not a powerhouse. Shaun is an interesting prospect in the sense that he was shoved down on the Bengals' depth chart before the Browns acquired him, and he will either playing defensive end or defensive tackle in substitution duty. The Browns are confident in the ability of both players, but these aren't the men that are going to bring this unit to the next level. The best that this group may be able to do is provide an "ok" effort on gameday rather than a "pitiful" effort.
Phil Savage went out and got the man that was once hated by many Browns fans: Jamal Lewis. Lewis is the same man who broke the single-game rushing record several years ago against Cleveland, a memory that I'd still like to be permanently zapped from my head. Lewis' production dropped off the past two seasons, but after surgery in the offseason, analysts around the league and people who have seen him in person believe that he's back to his old form. Lewis won't be a 1,500 yard back with the Browns, but if he's able to churn out those yards down near the goal line to cure some of our red zone issues, then everybody in the organization will be happy. As far as the depth goes though, it is still very meager. The fullback position is still up in the air, as we really don't know what we have in terms of talent.
In last year's draft, we were introduced to three new linebackers: Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, and Leon Williams. With all three men entering their second seasons, they form part of what is the deepest position on the team. Wimbley was one of the most impressive defensive rookies in all of football last year, dipping his shoulder to over ten sacks. Wimbley has worked on his move in the offseason and is poised to get by an offensive tackle early and often on gamedays. In the middle of the pack, Jackson and Andra Davis combine for a slightly above average combination, although it's about time that Davis becomes the true leader of the defense with his gameplay. He's never been a bad player, but he hasn't been able to rise to that "elite" level, something that's needed to define the heart of the defense.
If other people in the league haven't heard of your receivers, then chances are you don't have very good depth on your team. After letting Dennis Northcutt free in the offseason, the Browns replaced him with veteran receiver Tim Carter. Carter did not record a single reception in the preseason, as the same type of injuries that have followed him throughout his career continued to show up. That may not be such a big issue, except for the fact that he's entering our season as our third receiver, behind Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius. There are no complaints about Edwards or Jurevicius, although the expectations are extremely high for the former first-round draft pick to produce this year. Travis Wilson and Joshua Cribbs are the only other hopes, with Cribbs seeming to have a better shot at contributing through gadget plays.
Now, in regards to the cornerback position again, the Browns hope they got the steal of the draft by drafting Eric Wright in the second round. Wright was believed to be the best cornerback in the draft class by many people, but a somewhat controversial background lowered his ranking. Wright covered receivers well several times in the preseason, even when opposing veteran quarterbacks attempting to target him early. Last year brought out the emergence of Daven Holly, who will look to flourish in the nickel back role this year. A wildcard in the whole scenario could be how often Gary Baxter plays, who is returning from torn patellar tendons.
Maybe I'm being slightly optimistic, but I sincerely believe that the Browns have finally solved the offensive line problems. Although we're not getting LeCharles Bentley back, at least to start the season, the combination of Eric Steinbach, Joe Thomas, and Seth McKinney reshaped over half of the offensive line during the offseason. If you include Kevin Shaffer's move to right tackle, then the only thing remaining of last year's line is basically at center with Hank Fraley. And, quite frankly, Fraley was our best offensive lineman last year.
I didn't think that our special teams would be as strong this year without Dennis Northcutt at punt returner. After seeing that Cribbs is comfortable fielding punts, and the type of burst he's able to also get on punt returns, I believe he could have a better year than Northcutt even did during his stay in Cleveland. Punter Dave Zastudil could be an MVP this season, and that's not a bad thing because he has Pro Bowl material written all over him. If Zastudil is able to back opponents up consistently, that has a major impact on field position.