Dawgs By Nature
Browns roster has a lot of uncertainty which leads to a lot of low placements in different NFL power rankings
When it comes to the Cleveland Browns, there are a lot of unknowns. Most expect the defense to take another step forward but, especially with the offense, we do not know a whole lot.
Quarterback? A 17 year vet, a failed first round pick on his third team in four seasons, a late third round selection and a fifth rounder are all competing for the starting job. Deshaun Watson has a chance to return in October as well.
Running back? Two rookies and Jerome Ford need to replace Nick Chubb. Not an easy task.
Wide receiver? Jerry Jeudy and?
Tight end? David Njoku and?
Now, that doesn’t mean the rookie running backs or the players after the “and” at WR and TE do not have talent and upside. It just means there isn’t a lot of proven commodities at the Browns skill positions.
In ESPN’s NFL power rankings of offensive weapon groups, Cleveland falls near the bottom at 29:
One of the few success stories for the Browns last season came at wide receiver. Once Deshaun Watson was sidelined and Amari Cooper was traded, Jerry Jeudy finally lived up to expectations as a potential No. 1 receiver. From Week 8 onward, his line prorates over a full season to 117 catches for 1,637 yards. Drops are perennially a concern for him — and running the second-most routes of any wideout over that stretch helped — but his 2.4 yards per route run over those final 10 games was good enough to rank 21st among all wide receivers.
After being inserted into the rotation by the Cooper trade, Cedric Tillman also briefly flashed starter upside, although he missed the final six games (concussion).
Interestingly, the Buffalo Bills are only one spot ahead of the Browns while the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots are ranked as the three worst. An interesting group in the bottom five: Four of the worst teams in the NFL and the Super Bowl contending Bills.
Within the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers were ranked 21st, the Baltimore Ravens sat 8th with the Cincinnati Bengals coming in the 3rd spot in the entire NFL.
Given the performance last year and the youngsters being relied upon, Cleveland’s ranking makes a lot of sense. A team game, the Browns offensive weapons will only get better if the team gets better quarterback and offensive line play.
How surprised are you that the Browns are not ranked last? How good do you think the weapons could be if they get at least solid play from the QB and line?
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