2012 Season Preview: Cleveland Browns
Jeff Risdon. 23rd July, 2012 - 5:19 pm
2011 Record:
Point Differential: -89
Turnover Margin: +1
Sack Differential: -6
Offense:
2011 Ranks
Rushing: 28th
Passing: 24th
3rd Down: 11th
Scoring: 30th
QB: It appears the Colt McCoy Era has come to an end with the drafting of Brandon Weeden in the first round. While this might cause some short-term consternation with an exasperated fan base, it is a necessary evil if the Browns ever want to legitimately threaten for an AFC North title. Weeden comes from Oklahoma State with an interesting background, a 28-year old former minor league pitcher who eviscerated the weak pass defenses of the Big 12 the past few years. His arm strength, accuracy on deeper throws, and willingness to attempt a throw into a tight window jumped out as vastly superior to McCoy from the first round of OTAs. Weeden throws the best intermediate and seam route balls of any QB in this past draft class, Andrew Luck included. He is mature enough to handle the locker room right away and his experience will help him deal with the inevitable adversity of trying to lead a perennial doormat to glory in a brutal division.
But there will be blood. At Oklahoma State he ran a shotgun-heavy, quick read offense out of the spread, none of which are remotely familiar in the Pat Shurmur version of the West Coast offense. (rant: there are so many wrinkles and variations to what is commonly referred to as the West Coast offense that the term itself is basically meaningless these days, but I will swim along with the tide that still overuses it.) Weeden lacks mobility to the point where you wonder if he is 38 and not 28. He got rattled by pressure in his face more than some pundits like to see, and he often checked down without giving his receivers enough of a chance to beat their men. The Big 12 was not exactly filled with tough defenses, and many QBs from that conference have underwhelmed in the NFL. I believe Weeden will be a tangible and significant upgrade over McCoy right out of the gate, but I would not put big money on it. The hiring of Brad Childress as the offensive coordinator will help as well, as he is a sage developer of quarterbacks and a no-nonsense type of coach that should mesh well with a similar persona.
What will happen with McCoy is a popular watering hole topic in northeast Ohio this summer. Will the team keep him around as a backup, a rather humiliating demotion but also a chance to save face should Weeden fall flat or get hurt? Will they attempt to trade him to a team in need of an experienced backup with great locker room qualities and consummate professionalism? Or will Team President Mike Holmgren simply sever ties by unceremoniously cutting the 2010 third round pick? I have heard all three as distinct possibilities from different sources around the team.
My current guess is that McCoy will not be with the team in September and Holmgren will opt to go with the more experienced, less controversial Seneca Wallace as the backup. Wallace has spent the last decade in this offensive system and brings the added bonus of mobility. Not that McCoy lacks mobility, but Wallace is more of a threat to tuck and run and has shown better escapability when surprised by the pressure. In limited duty Wallace has provided an occasional spark, but more often than not he was not an upgrade over McCoy. His accuracy can get way out of whack and he has a nasty propensity to not know where the safeties are headed when he looks down the field. Wallace is more expensive than McCoy, which could factor in the decision as well. Thaddeus Lewis would then get the No. 3 role, and the Duke product probably deserves that opportunity.
RB: Not content to start a rookie just at quarterback, the Browns will trot out third overall pick Trent Richardson as the starting running back. He is the best RB prospect to hit the league since Adrian Peterson, and the Browns are effusively optimistic that Richardson can have the same kind of impact. It is not out of the question. Richardson has an outstanding package of speed, power, size, balance, and vision. Most backs have two or three of those qualities, but at Alabama Richardson displayed all of them. Because he split the load in college, his legs are fresh and his knees structurally sound, a rarity these days. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield and does not shy away from blocking. It is hard to not love his potential, and the Browns are banking on him as the centerpiece of what they hope is a quick turnaround.
There is depth behind Richardson, but it all comes with injury issues. Montario Hardesty and Brandon Jackson are both coming off serious injury. Jackson missed all of last season with turf toe after signing as a free agent from Green Bay, while Hardesty got just 15 carries after a 33-attempt Week 7 in which he partially tore his calf muscle. He missed his entire rookie campaign in 2010 after undergoing a full knee reconstruction, and team observers noted he still walks with a distinct limp this summer. Jackson looked good in early OTAs and he has the skill set to handle the change-of-pace back role nicely. He is a good receiver with some natural shiftiness in space, though he is not going to threaten anyone between the tackles. I will continue to wave my flag for Chris Ogbonnaya, who enters camp as the #4 back. I will concede he is terrible in pass protection and has some fumbling issues, but the guy has serious speed and hits the hole with purpose and explosion. He might have a hard time earning a spot over rookie Adonis Thomas, who is a better receiver and runs with the same sort of high-speed, caution-to-the-wind insouciance.
Owen Marecic is the prototypical West Coast (carrying the cliche forward!) offense fullback. He is not a powerful, mauling blocker, but is fairly nimble and can catch the ball. The Browns did not use him much, and the drafting of Brad Smelley, a more accomplished receiver, could make for an interesting camp battle. Marecic was a linebacker in college and could carve out a role as a special teams ace that can backup multiple spots. Smelley cleared holes for Richardson at Alabama and I have heard from a reliable source that Bama coach Nick Saban advised the Browns to keep the pair together. He is more of a hybrid TE/FB, which brings important versatility.
