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Every year, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports goes through and lists the most overrated and the most underated players on every team in the NFL. He published his list for the 2014 season a couple of days ago, and both entries related to the Cleveland Browns came on the defensive side of the ball:
Overrated: OLB Paul Kruger -- They paid him a lot of money to amp up their defense and he didn't provide much in terms of pass rush. They essentially paid a lot of money for an edge setter. Oh, boy.
Underrated: S Tashaun Gipson -- He had his breakout season for the Browns in 2013. He has the range you want from the safety spot and showed it off with five interceptions last season.
This is the second consecutive year that Prisco has named Kruger as the Browns' overrated player. Last year, he projected Kruger would be "good, not great," considering the contract the team gave him. Kruger's pass rush was quite disappointing in 2013, but the coaching staff kept pushing the fact that his effectiveness would not showing on the stat sheet. Whatever -- I just want to see Kruger get to the quarterback in 2014 a lot more than he did in 2013.
Gipson was happy with Prisco naming him an underrated player:
http://t.co/CtNgPqFkdr. Cool article BUT This is the last yr they'll call me underrated.Glory to God first and always! #dawgpound #browns
— Tashaun J. Gipson SR (@Gipson_duos24) June 30, 2014
Personally, I don't think Gipson was underrated. He came up with some nice interceptions last season, but they weren't always of the ball-hawk variety as they were just being in the right place at the right time. I'm hoping for Gipson to mature into a more complete player in 2014, and if he does that, then I might consider calling him underrated heading into the 2015 season.
Who would you label as underrated and overrated players on the Browns?