2009 Cleveland Browns Football Preview

2008 Record: 4-12, Fourth AFC North

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Head Coach: Eric Mangini; First Year

Key Additions: LB Eric Barton, TE Robert Royal, DE Kenyon Coleman, S Abram Elam, OL John St. Clair, LB David Bowens, CB Rod Hood, CB Corey Ivy, WR David Patten, CB Hank Poteat

Key Losses: TE Kellen Winslow, WR Joe Jurevicius, OT Kevin Shaffer, CB Terry Cousin, QB Bruce Gradkowski, S Sean Jones, OL Seth McKinney

1st Round Draft Picks: Alex Mack - Center

2nd Round Draft Picks: Brian Robiskie – Wide Receiver, Mohamed Massaquoi – Wide Receiver, David Veikune – Defensive Lineman

2009 Cleveland Browns Schedule

Cleveland Browns 2008 NFL Season in Review

Things didn't go as planned for the Cleveland Browns in the 2008 NFL season. They were supposed to wield a deep and capable tandem at quarterback, with revelation Derek Anderson and developing draft pick Brady Quinn. Instead neither seemed capable of holding down the starting spot on the team.

Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow and Donte Stallworth were supposed to form a scary trio of deep options. Instead Edwards struggling through the season, Winslow struggled and missed nearly half of the year and Stallworth played sparingly. The team finished 30 th in points scored, 31 st in yards, and 31st in passing yards and 26 th in running yards.

They were supposed to come out guns blazing after their surprising 2007 season and compete for the division title. Instead the quickly flamed out en route to a 4-12 finish on the year.

Cleveland Browns 2009 NFL Season Preview

New coach Eric Mangini is in town, which is somewhat surprising considering that the fired coach was Romeo Crennel, another branch in the Bill Belichick/Bill Parcells coaching tree. He quickly brought in a slew of his favorite players from the Jets to try to remake the defense. However, the largest question remaining is who will win the starting quarterback position, and then deserve to keep it?

2009 Cleveland Browns Offense:

Will it be Brady Quinn or will it be Derek Anderson? With Mangini at the helm nobody will be given anything, not like either man earned that from his play last season anyway. One would think that the clock is ticking for Brady Quinn to get a chance to play a full year or be permanently shoved to the end of the bench, however neither man has as of yet emerged as the clear go to player.

Braylon Edwards should bounce back from a down year with either man at quarterback. The other weapons for the club remain shrouded in mystery. Kellen Winslow is gone and Stallworth is tied up with serious legal concerns. Most think the team reached when they took wide receiver Brian Robiskie in the second round and the team followed that by selecting a second wide receiver later in the round in Mohamed Massaquoi. Jamal Lewis is much closer to Empty than Full on the career gas tank and the lack of clarity in the passing game won't help him any.

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2009 Cleveland Browns Defense:

Eric Mangini brought in seemingly every Jets player that was willing to the Cleveland Browns. Through trades and signings, no less than six former Jets will be suiting up for Cleveland's defense in 2009 if they all make the squad. The club was terrible against the run but respectable against the pass in 2008.

They'll need an improved pass rush to keep the other team guessing if they want to improve in 2009. They'll also need young players like safety Brodney Pool, linebackers Kamerion Wimbley and D'Qwell Jackson and cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald to continue developing if the squad is to see a big improvement on the year. The talent is certainly there, will Mangini be able to coach them up and regain his "Mangenius" status?

2009 Cleveland Browns Prediction: Fourth AFC North

By Jake Emen
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer

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