The Cleveland Browns are now the proud owners of a 4^th pick in the 2012 NFL draft. This gives the Browns a decent chance to pick up a good player in the draft. But, what do they go after? Fans are getting really tired of hearing, “there is always next year,” so the Browns really need to choose well so that 2012 can be “the year” for the Browns to at least make it to the postseason.

The Browns need a receiver. Holding the record for most drops will not get them far in 2012. Right now they need to do what needs to be done to get Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon.

In the 2011 season, the Browns’ best receiver – Greg Little – only had two touchdowns and caught 61 passes for 709 yards. So, while a lot of folks are yelling for a new quarterback, and I am not saying that we have awesome quarterbacks, it is evident that our receiving end is in desperate need of attention.

The Browns could go for quarterback Robert Griffin III and probably have a better chance at getting him with a number four pick. However, you can have the best quarterback in the game, but if your receivers cannot catch a ball, a great pass really means nothing.

We also have to look at the overall youth of the Browns’ team. This is a very young team, and in the 2011 season, they had a handful of rookie starters. This could have certainly had an impact on the game because so many guys are learning the NFL level of playing at one time. Do we really want another year of a rookie quarterback, regardless of how great he is on the college level?

“We don’t want to sit here and keep trying to grind with bringing in a young quarterback and having to go through those growing pains,” Seneca Wallace said. “You guys have been hard on us all season long and what we need is to win and win now.”

He isn’t wrong. The Browns need a winning 2012 season. No more of this “next year” stuff. They need players who will catch passes and make touchdowns.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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That’s all for today.

Peyton Hillis finally played like a pro against the Baltimore Ravens on 12/24/11. Throughout the past two Cleveland Browns’ games Hillis has gone for 211 yards and has carried the ball 50 times. This is rather spectacular given what little he has done throughout the rest of the season. He is starting to look like the Hillis that Browns’ fans have been excited to see, but just haven’t had the chance to.

As the Browns go into the last week of the regular season – and their last game – they could use Hillis playing at this level.

While Hillis is now playing well, it is still hard to forget about his never ending stream of injuries and his bad attitude. For a while at the beginning of the season, it really seemed like he simply just did not want to wear a Browns’ uniform and was – to put it simply – being a baby about it. Has he truly had a change of heart, or is he just trying to finish the season strong so that he can be picked up by another team?

Many people believe that the Browns should fight to keep Hillis. I will be the first to admit that when Hillis is playing at his best that he is a true asset to the team. However, how do we know that he will play the full season next year? Will Hillis have a world of excuses to stay off of the field next year like he did this year? These are worrisome questions.

“At the beginning of the year, it was tough because I was injured,” Hillis said following the Ravens’ game. “I was trying to go out there and play 100 percent, and it was tough, because you really can’t help your team. You have a lot of people doubting you or thinking that you’re not trying to play hard. I love this team, and I love going out there and playing football. I’ve been doing this since I was five. I don’t like people questioning that, because my heart is big, and I want to do great things for this team.”

Personally, I think that Hillis should be given at least one more full season with the Browns. He is talented when he is giving it his all. Then, if he has another season where he seems like he just does not want to be in Cleveland, the Browns can do what they need to do to replace him. If he has a great season, then this is great for him and the Browns as a whole.

He played the last two games with the passion of a true Brown. Let’s just hope he keeps it up and that the Browns can beat the Steelers with Hillis’ renewed sense of dedication.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Thanks for reading! .

Helmet-flying, bottles-walloping, snap-deflecting, depths-plumbing — the Browns have done it all when it comes to losing.

They have lost 128 times in 12 full seasons since their return, or an average of more than 10 games per year. They are, as of this moment in time, 3-6 this year and 67-134 overall since 1999. Their winning percentage is .333.

Poor talent evaluation through many regimes is the biggest reason why. It is, however, inaccurate to say the cupboard was bare. It has been filled instead with cream pies and banana peels.

The Browns’ 10 Most Unbelievable Losses Since 1999 (With Two of Them This Season):

1. The Helmet Game — It is unassailable as the top entry, unmatchable in idiocy, unthinkable in execution. Dwayne Rudd’s celebratory helmet toss after he almost — but, oops, not quite — sacked Trent Green on the game’s last play, led to 315-pound lineman John Tait’s long ramble with Green’s lateral, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Rudd, and a Morten Andersen field goal on a final, untimed play that gave the Chiefs a 40-39 victory in 2002.

2. It’s not over until it’s over — In 2001, the Browns’ sideline was a lovefest in Chicago, with new coach Butch Davis hugging players and equipment men high-fiving as they wheeled trunks to the apparent victors’ locker room. That would have been the Bears, unfortunately. Someone named Shane Matthews threw two touchdown passes in the last 28 seconds around a recovered onside kick to force overtime. The second TD was on a Hail Mary pass off a tipped ball. A pick-six off a tipped Tim Couch pass in OT won it, 27-21.

3. It’s not over even when it’s over, part two – Shades of Ruddgate! After the Browns committed pass interference on a Hail Mary play on the last snap, Detroit got another play on an untimed down in 2009. Quarterback Matthew Stafford had been hurt on the desperation heave, with his arm looking like it had been extruded from a pasta machine. But he used the timeout the Browns stupidly called after the penalty to recover well enough to send backup Daunte Culpepper off the field and throw his fifth touchdown pass. With the PAT, the Lions won, 38-37.

4. Bottlegate — Displeasure at an overturned fourth-down conversion in the red zone in the final minute on replay led to a long delay, while beer bottles, hurled by angry fans, decorated the turf. Had Quincy Morgan either (a) caught the ball or (b) not preened and made the “first down” arm signal, the Browns would have either (a) converted or (b) got the next play off before the replay official intervened. The Jaguars won, 15-10, in 2001. Post-game discussion was enlivened by the assertion of Carmen Policy, the Browns’ president, that “those bottles are plastic. They don’t pack much of a wallop.”

5. Three-Ball, side pocket — If you were scoring at home last Sunday, it went from long snapper Ryan Pontbriand, to the right foot of Alex Mack, to holder Brad Maynard, to Phil Dawson’s instep, to wide left. The missed chip-shot field-goal attempt allowed the Rams to win, 13-12.

6. The Northcutt is the Deepest — In the Browns’ only playoff appearance since their return, they lost, 36-33, in early 2003 after leading the host Steelers, 24-7, with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Davis ordered a prevent defense, defensive coordinator Foge Fazio challenged Davis to a fist fight then and there (not really, but he should have), and Dennis Northcutt dropped a third-down conversion right in the breadbasket from Kelly Holcomb. It would have let the Browns run out the clock.

7. The “Bluto” Game — In his second game as a Brown in 2004, new quarterback Jeff Garcia completed eight of 27 passes for a quarterback rating equal to the GPA of any member of the Delta House in “Animal House,” including future Senator John Blutarsky — 0.0. After suffering a safety with eight seconds to play, the Browns tried an onside kick from their own 20, on which Kellen Winslow Jr. broke his leg. The Cowboys won, 19-12.

8. Second Down, Second Chance – Todd Peterson’s field goal with 7:46 remaining in overtime came one play after Alvin McKinley blocked his 24-yard attempt. But because it was only second down and Pittsburgh’s John Fiala fell on the bouncing football — which never crossed the line of scrimmage — the Steelers retained possession. Peterson’s third-down kick gave them a 16-13 victory.

9. Time to panic? – Holcomb threw for 400 yards and five touchdowns, and the Browns put up 48 points. Alas, Cincinnati put up 58. Davis resigned after the game in 2004, saying he had suffered a panic attack beforehand. Perhaps it was triggered by reflection upon his draft picks.

10. The Siesta Snap – Backup Bengals quarterback Bruce Gradkowski caught the Browns asleep on a snap with 14 seconds left on the play clock and 41/2 minutes left in the game in this year’s opener. The 41-yard TD gave the Bengals a 20-17 lead that they increased to 27-17. Browns coach Pat Shurmur charged the Bengals with illegal substitution on the play. It had all the substance of Policy’s view of half-empty plastic bottles.

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It must be tough to live being amazingly good at one thing and horrendously bad at another. Think Joe Paterno and his power to inspire blind loyalty countered by his inability to do anything to make him worthy of it.

The Cleveland Browns defense has this problem as a unit. It is ranked first in the NFL against the pass, giving up just 165.2 yards per game, but is 30th against the run, allowing opponents to rush for 144 yards a game.

This was driven home last week when the Texans finished with 261 rushing yards while downing the Browns, 30-12. As if that doesn’t look bad enough, Houston even had two 100-yard rushers as Arian Foster ran for 124 yards and Ben Tate went for 115.

That came a week after Frank Gore ripped Cleveland for 134. And know how awful Chris Johnson has been? You remember him, the guy who made his owners nervous as he held out for a better contract in the preseason, pushed them to jubilance when he signed in time to play the first game and since then has driven them wild by only rushing for 366 yards in eight games this year? Well he got 101 of them against the Browns.

On the whole, Cleveland has allowed its opponent’s leading rusher to go for at least 90 yards in six of its eight games this year, and has allowed its foes to go over 100 yards as a team seven times (see chart).

Those two instances when a leading rusher hasn’t gone over 90 against the Browns might not even count, seeing as they came against Indianapolis and Seattle, teams that are a combined 2-15. Since I am one for piling on, the Colts’ Joseph Addai still put up his second-best total of the season as the team went for more than 100 and the Seahawks rushing game was giving a go of it without top back Marshawn Lynch.

So yes, this is something that I think should be taken advantage of.

First up for this is St. Louis’ Steven Jackson, who is already on a good personal streak, running up 289 yards over the last two weeks. Since the Rams’ passing game has had a tough time getting going this season (202.8 yards per game) and the Browns are good at shutting that down, Jackson should see a heavy workload this week.

Thing don’t ease up much from there for Cleveland, as it then faces Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew, Cincinnati’s Cedric Benson (who has already put up 121 years against the Browns this season) and Baltimore’s Ray Rice, so the weakness will continue to be exploited.

Exploited? Place your own Penn State joke here as a callback to complete this subject. That way, I won’t face a Mike McQueary banishment as punishment for trying it myself.

Random thoughts

Some random fantasy musings occupying my mind:

•Suddenly, Carson Palmer doesn’t seem like such a washed-up, has-been, former-star quarterback after throwing only one interception Thursday in a win over the Chargers. He had begun his triumphant return with two three-INT performances. He also had a pair of TDs and 299 yards Thursday, so maybe there is something to be said for trading one group of thugs for a new gang. And next up for him and the Raiders are the Vikings, who are ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass, allowing 273.6 yards per game. Dare I say he even seems like a good start next week?

•Speaking of taking advantage of the Vikings, the Packers get to do it today. Is there a place above elite status for Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings?

•The Giants’ Victor Cruz is making a run to join this season’s top fantasy sleeper club. After getting just two catches for 17 yards in the first two weeks, he has since gone over 90 receiving yards in five of six games. And now New York’s top two wide receivers, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks, are game-time decisions on whether they can go today against San Francisco. Cruz looks set to put up another 90-plus-yard outing.

•One of those moments that make you hate being a fantasy owner: I lost my matchup last week when the Bears kicked their last field goal on the final scoring play of the NFL week. As of yesterday morning, the tears on my pillow are finally dry. So bring on today.

Playing a running back against the Browns defense has proven a good fantasy strategy this season. Cleveland’s stats against the run this season and how many yards they have given up to their opponent’s leading rusher:

Josh Bousquet can be contacted at tgfantasy@gmail.com.

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BEREA, Ohio — When Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford meet for the first time in their NFL careers Sunday, it will be under much different circumstances than in their Red River Rivalry in college.

They held the fastest guns in the West when they staged some classic shootouts. McCoy threw for 324 yards in a 28-21 Texas loss to Oklahoma in 2007. The next year, Bradford posted 357 yards and five touchdowns — yet lost, 45-35.

Bradford was hurt early in their final head-to-head meeting. McCoy prevailed in that one and also beat Texas’ greatest rival as a freshman before Bradford got on the field.

Neither left college with a national championship ring. Their consolation prizes weren’t bad. McCoy rang up the most all-time college wins, and Bradford took home a Heisman Trophy.

Passing along the same trails, they became friends. Now they’re sharing amazingly similar experiences as professionals with the Browns and St. Louis Rams.

Both are struggling in their second seasons, dealing with protection breakdowns, receiver issues and trying to operate offensive systems new to each without the benefit of typical off-season minicamps.

“We’re kind of in unique situations,” McCoy said.

“We kind of flip-flopped offenses without an off-season.”

Yes, McCoy is running the West Coast offense that Bradford learned as a rookie, and Bradford is running the New England offense that McCoy learned as a rookie.

“I think we’ve probably talked more since we’ve been out of college just because we’ve been through some of the same things, shared some experiences in the league,” Bradford said on a conference call.

One of the most recent times they talked was when Bradford called McCoy to get tips on rehabbing from a high ankle sprain. Yes, Bradford suffered the dreaded injury this year. McCoy had it last year and missed three games.

Their NFL career paths have intersected in other ways.

Bradford was the Rams’ and the NFL’s first overall draft pick in 2010. His offensive coordinator at the time was Pat Shurmur, who now is McCoy’s head coach. When Shurmur scouted quarterbacks before that draft, he spent as much time on McCoy.

“I watched every one of their throws from college, junior and senior year,” Shurmur said. “They all kind of ran together. Throw after throw after throw.”

The Browns wound up selecting McCoy in the third round 84 spots after Bradford. But not before President Mike Holmgren made one last pitch to the Rams to try to move up from No. 5 to select Bradford.

It turned out that Bradford stepped foot on the Cleveland Browns Stadium field before McCoy. In the second preseason game of 2010 — first at home for the Browns — an injury to Rams starter A.J. Feeley on the first series put Bradford in the game prematurely. McCoy waited until a cameo appearance in the fourth quarter to make an inauspicious home debut.

After Bradford’s next practice game, the Rams put him in there for good. He took every snap at quarterback, set numerous NFL rookie records, led his team to a surprising 7-9 record and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

McCoy had his moments in the middle of his first season, too, upsetting New Orleans and New England and nearly pulling out a win over the Jets.

But now each is learning that automatic success is not sustained in the NFL. McCoy’s Browns are 3-5 and Bradford’s Rams are 1-7. This week, McCoy ranks 28th among NFL quarterbacks. Bradford is 31st.

“I always had a great deal of respect for Colt as a winner,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “They’ll do that there, too. This is an up-and-down season, a tough haul.

“I think their offense is fighting the same hurdles as us in a lot of ways. It’s been a new system in a short amount of time, and yet I see a lot of flashes of Colt executing that offense the way Pat wants it to be. I think they’re on track, and I see a lot of positives.”

Bradford is learning the longer pass routes contained in the playbook of new coordinator Josh McDaniels, of Canton and formerly of New England, subjects him to more hits. He was sacked 34 times in 16 games last year. He has been sacked 25 times in six games this season.

“He helped the St. Louis Rams win seven games [last season], and I think he’s a fine quarterback,” Shurmur said. “I’m assuming that he’s making that same progress this year.

“I know he’s had the injury that’s kept him out a couple weeks. Based on what I saw last week [against Arizona], Sam went in there and executed pretty well. You could tell he wasn’t totally 100 percent physically. But he’s a tough guy, and I think he’s developed well. He’ll continue to develop within their system.”

The bottom line to the quarterbacks’ struggles is learning a new system with new teammates forced to play because of injuries to regulars.

“I think quarterbacks at this level are here because they know how to play the game,” Shurmur said. “You learn a system, and then in order to execute efficiently, you’ve got to get used to the pieces around you. When you have a chance to be in a system for a long time, it helps. As you’re learning it, then everybody has to kind of grow together. And I think sometimes it affects the quarterback.”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tgrossi@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

On Twitter: @Tony Grossi

Leave your comments on the news below.

On ESPN’s AFC North blog, the Cleveland Browns’ special teams are No. 1 when it comes to falling stocks.

The special teams are so bad, that the Baltimore Ravens’ wide receivers (a terrible cast of characters) are No.2.

1. Browns’ special teams: Yes, this group was on the list last week. But Cleveland’s special teams dipped farther down after two field goals were blocked and punter Brad Maynard booted a 9-yard kick Sunday. The Browns would’ve allowed another return for a touchdown this week if not for a very questionable block in the back penalty. This unit is having a major meltdown this year. 

But all isn’t bad for the Browns. The top rising stock in the AFC North is the Browns’ drafting of defensive players. Two starters on the defensive line — defensive tackle Phil Taylor and defensive end Jabaal Sheard — were drafted in the first two rounds this year, writes ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.

. . . This explains the resurgence of the Browns’ defense, which has gone from 31st in 2009 (before these four starters were drafted) to No. 4 this week.

More Browns

The San Francisco 49ers take a new approach to the running game.

A Michigan man leads the 49ers.

News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel writes that coach Pat Shurmur is not a phony.

The 49ers are rolling with their new coach.

Questions and answers.

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Last year, the Cleveland Browns finished with a record of 5-11. This year, the team is tied for third place in the AFC North with a record of 2-2. So things are looking up, right?

Not if you are running back Peyton Hillis(notes). The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Hillis and the team have been talking about a contract extension and the conversation isn’t “going well.” In fact, they are going so poorly that Hillis is expected to request a trade before the Oct. 18 deadline. He currently is making $600,000 annually.

This is the second season for Hillis with the Browns. He came into the league in 2008 after being drafted out of Arkansas by the Denver Broncos. Last year, he ran for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. This year, he’s scored twice and gained 197 yards while missing one game because of strep throat.

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Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer

Related: Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos

Not much else going on in the NFL world today.

Every Friday leading into a Sunday contest for the Cleveland Football Browns, WFNY provides a roundtable-like discussion featuring each writer and his feelings on what the Dawgs need to do in order to leave the contest victorious.  On the flip side of the coin, we aim to feature at least one voice from the opposing team who aims to provide a bit of a contrast; a devil’s advocate if you will.

This season, we will share some of our thoughts with the loyal readers of cleveland.com while inviting you all to continue the conversation with your fellow fans. 

Without further ado, this season’s Week 4 edition of The Browns Will Win If…

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Andrew: …They don’t let Chris Johnson finally start earning his new paycheck. I don’t like to read too much into stats after 3 games, especially this year when the Browns have faced Andy Dalton/Bruce Gradkowski, Kerry Collins, and Chad Henne, but the Browns have been pretty good against the pass. They’ve been disruptive with their pass rush and Joe Haden has played like an absolute superstar this year. But the Browns have not looked good against the run at all. Without Kenny Britt, logic dictates that the Titans will try to lean on Chris Johnson and try to get him going against a susceptible rush defense.

The Browns simply cannot let that happen. If the Titans can control the game on the ground, the Browns are in for a rough afternoon because the Titans defense has looked nothing short of great this year. On offense, I just want to see the Browns begin to figure out how to start getting positive yards on 1st down. Whether it’s playcalling or execution, the Browns have been unable to help themselves in later downs by netting positive yardage plays on 1st down. The Browns aren’t going to turn around their offensive woes in one week, but a good start would be better playcalling and execution on 1st down plays.

Kirk: …the offensive line has a statement game. With Peyton Hillis expected back and Montario Hardesty fresh off a solid performance last week, it’s time to get the run game jump-started. Right tackle has been a disappointment between Artis Hicks and Oniel Cousins; let’s hope Tony Pashos makes it to Sunday and is an upgrade there. I think we’ll continue to see a learning curve with Pinkston and Lauvao. The offensive line will need to be up for the challenge with a Titans’ D that ranks best in the NFL right now.

Defensively, it needs to be more of the same. I was downright stunned at the effectiveness of the Browns’ defense on that final drive after being on the field for a good portion of the game. With Kenny Britt out, Joe Haden can cover Nate Washington, and the safeties can concentrate more on making sure Chris Johnson doesn’t make Week 4 the one where he gets back on track. I expect the defensive line to continue to build momentum from their strong start, but they need to avoid costly penalties.

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Click Here to Continue Reading “The Browns Will Win If…”

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

The scary thing is if we somehow lose to Cinci, the season is pretty much over. If you can’t beat the Bengals you probably can’t beat anyone. Last season Tampa was considered a sure win early in the year like Cinci this year and we lost.

What is the over/under on how many passes Little will drop Sunday?

How many of the players that were injured all camp and through the preseason games will play? How many will re-injure and be out long term? On a team with no depth you have to consider these things.

Leave your comments on the news below.

CLEVELAND — Here is the Browns release on  their roster moves:

The Cleveland Browns today were awarded the following players off waivers: quarterback Thaddeus Lewis (St. Louis), linebacker Quinton Spears (Miami) and defensive lineman Emmanuel Stephens (Atlanta).  To make room on their roster for the three, the team waived defensive lineman Auston English and linebacker Benjamin Jacobs, and terminated the contract of defensive lineman Derreck Robinson.

Also on Sunday, the team signed the following six players to its practice squad.  All six were waived by the Browns on Saturday: offensive linemen Dominic Alford and Jarrod Shaw, fullback Tyler Clutts, running back Quinn Porter, defensive lineman Brian Sanford and wide receiver Rod Windsor.

Lewis signed with the Rams as an undrafted college free agent in 2010.  He was on the team’s 53-man roster for the season-opener last year before spending the final 14 weeks on the practice squad.  In preseason with St. Louis in 2010, Lewis completed 22 of 28 passes (78.6%) for 255 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a rating of 113.6.  This year he hit on 23 of 32 (71.9%) for 266 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, and a rating of 96.6.  Lewis was a four-year letterman at Duke (2006-09) where he started all four years and completed 877 of 1,510 passes for 10,065 yards with 67 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.  He set school career records for passing yards and touchdowns.  He also rushed for 621 yards and nine touchdowns.  He had his best season as a senior when he connected on 274 of 449 passes for 3,330 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.  He was a second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection that year and was a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award.  The 6-2, 200-pound Lewis attended Hialeah-Miami Lakes (Fla.) High School.  He was born on November 19, 1987.

Spears signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted college free agent this year.  He registered a sack with the team in the preseason.  The 6-4, 234-pounder began his collegiate career at Prairie View A&M as a walk-on wide receiver before being converted to defensive end.  As a senior, he was a first-team All-SWAC selection when he tallied 70 tackles, nine stops for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble and three blocked kicks.  He was a second-team all-conference choice as a junior when he posted 39 tackles, 10.5 stops for loss and five sacks.  Born on May 11, 1988, he attended Montgomery (Texas) High School.

Stephens signed with Atlanta as an undrafted college free agent in 2010 and spent all of his rookie season on the Falcons’ practice squad.  The 6-3, 255-pounder was a two-year letterman at the University of Mississippi (2008-09) after transferring from Blinn Community College.  In two years at Ole Miss, Stephens recorded 40 tackles, 13 stops for loss and 6.5 sacks, including a team-high 5.5 as a senior.  He added two forced fumbles in his career.  Born on February 17, 1987, Stephens is a native of Houston, Texas where he attended Waltrip High School.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

This will certainly change as we get closer to the start of the season, but which team will win the AFC North?

The Cincinnati Bengals can certainly be counted out, but what about the Browns? Can the Browns be the surprise team this season, or will the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their dominance?

This could also be the year for the Baltimore Ravens, but does quarterback Joe Flacco have the moxie to lead his team to the top?

Which team will win the AFC North?

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Brian Tarcy admits in this Washington Post article he’s a Cleveland Browns fan when he writes that Peyton Hillis will avoid the so-called Madden cover curse.

The Madden cover has been a jinx every other year. Amidst huge expectations, there has been disappointment. From Eddie George’s career decline in 2001 to Troy Polamalu’s knee injury in 2009, the video game cover is littered with sad stories. After appearing on the cover in 2004, Michael Vick broke his leg and then was arrested for dog fighting.

Because Hillis is such an unexpected cover boy, writes Tracy, the jinx is going to work in reverse this year.

Tracy predicts a monster year for Hillis.

Hillis, who a lot of people are writing off as a one-year wonder, is just getting started, and the Browns are about to turn the proverbial corner into playoff contention. Yes, the Cleveland Browns are going to compete in the AFC North this year.

There is the quick update of the day.

Read More: Colt McCoy (QB – CLE), Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns

Even though the Cleveland Browns won just five games in 2010, fans of the historic franchise were chock full of optimism heading into the offseason. Cleveland either beat or hung tough against quality opponents last year, and at one point in the middle of the season looked like they might be able to challenge for a .500 record. They of course didn’t quite get there, but the emergence of Colt McCoy as a legitimate leader on the team and potentially a franchise quarterback left fans confident that better days were just around the corner.

Cleveland then had an outstanding 2011 NFL Draft, stockpiling picks and talent with their blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Falcons. The momentum kept going during the lockout when McCoy and his teammates organized players-only workouts all spring and summer. Now that they’re in camp, fans are more pumped up than ever about their team making a return to respectability and competing with Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the AFC North.

Many scribes believe the lockout will leave the Browns at a bigger disadvantage than most because of how young they are and how little time so many on the roster will have had to work with Paul Shurmur and the rest of the new coaching staff in Cleveland. We’ll see, perhaps. It is undeniable that the Browns have gotten a lot younger in the two years that Holmgren has been in charge. He talked to 950 KJR in Seattle about that and the outlook for the 2011 season during a Wednesday afternoon interview.

On the expectations for the team:

“Well I suppose I’m never satisfied until we start winning some more games. We didn’t win enough games last year. How about this stat? We went from one of the oldest teams in football to one of the youngest and we lost 331 years. We’re a young team and now having said that we’re going to have some growing pains, but I think looking back on my year I don’t question my decision to retain Eric (Mangini) and those guys. I thought long and hard about it. The fact that then I had to make the change I suppose if I made it right away you could say we’d be a year ahead but I had reasons for not doing it and that’s the way it is. Now we have to kinda get going again but I like the way our team is functioning. We have these young people that are going to be good. Tom Heckert does a great job in personnel. I mean he really is good. The really good thing I did was surround myself with really smart guys and they can really do the job.”

How disappointed he would be if the Browns don’t make strides this year:

“I would be disappointed if we didn’t make a jump Dave but we’ll see. I’m not one to predict those things as you well know. I think if we don’t get hurt and Colt can’t stay in and not get injured, which is a huge thing, and he can have a full year of growing and playing the game, I think we have a chance to be a much better football team. That’s my hope anyway.”

(Partial transcription via: SportsRadioInterviews)

What are your opinions.

Read More: Colt McCoy (QB – CLE), Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns

Even though the Cleveland Browns won just five games in 2010, fans of the historic franchise were chock full of optimism heading into the offseason. Cleveland either beat or hung tough against quality opponents last year, and at one point in the middle of the season looked like they might be able to challenge for a .500 record. They of course didn’t quite get there, but the emergence of Colt McCoy as a legitimate leader on the team and potentially a franchise quarterback left fans confident that better days were just around the corner.

Cleveland then had an outstanding 2011 NFL Draft, stockpiling picks and talent with their blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Falcons. The momentum kept going during the lockout when McCoy and his teammates organized players-only workouts all spring and summer. Now that they’re in camp, fans are more pumped up than ever about their team making a return to respectability and competing with Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the AFC North.

Many scribes believe the lockout will leave the Browns at a bigger disadvantage than most because of how young they are and how little time so many on the roster will have had to work with Paul Shurmur and the rest of the new coaching staff in Cleveland. We’ll see, perhaps. It is undeniable that the Browns have gotten a lot younger in the two years that Holmgren has been in charge. He talked to 950 KJR in Seattle about that and the outlook for the 2011 season during a Wednesday afternoon interview.

On the expectations for the team:

“Well I suppose I’m never satisfied until we start winning some more games. We didn’t win enough games last year. How about this stat? We went from one of the oldest teams in football to one of the youngest and we lost 331 years. We’re a young team and now having said that we’re going to have some growing pains, but I think looking back on my year I don’t question my decision to retain Eric (Mangini) and those guys. I thought long and hard about it. The fact that then I had to make the change I suppose if I made it right away you could say we’d be a year ahead but I had reasons for not doing it and that’s the way it is. Now we have to kinda get going again but I like the way our team is functioning. We have these young people that are going to be good. Tom Heckert does a great job in personnel. I mean he really is good. The really good thing I did was surround myself with really smart guys and they can really do the job.”

How disappointed he would be if the Browns don’t make strides this year:

“I would be disappointed if we didn’t make a jump Dave but we’ll see. I’m not one to predict those things as you well know. I think if we don’t get hurt and Colt can’t stay in and not get injured, which is a huge thing, and he can have a full year of growing and playing the game, I think we have a chance to be a much better football team. That’s my hope anyway.”

(Partial transcription via: SportsRadioInterviews)

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It’s a big day in clown town with these signings. My dog could pull free agent names out of a hat better than larry, currly and moe could. go back to sleep you three!

here’s a list of players browns have added
Carl Gettis (CB, Missouri). 5’10” 200lbs with a 4.73 40yd (but plays way faster on the field) 33” vertical. Has great return skills and field vision. Stays down in his backpedal.

Brian Smith (OLB/MLB, Notre Dame). 6’3” 240lbs with a 4.77 40yd. Started all 12 games for the Irish. Seems like a typical Notre Dame guy, all hype and show. Bad tackles and sloppy form. Often highlights of him were in gang tackles and he was always first to celebrate.

Sidney Tarver (OLB, Tennessee State) 6’4” 236 lbs with a 4.7 40yd. Guy can tackle well and accelerates his feet after contact. Played inferior competition and smaller bodies, but excelled.

Troy Weatherhead (QB, Hillsdale) 6’3” 218lbs with a 5.15 40yd. Conference player of the year and Div II leader in passing efficiency (76.9%)Offense was built around him and he crushed all school records, setting them mostly in his junior year.

Kyle Anderson (DE, Georgetown College) 6’4” 275 lbs. left junior year. What short tape I saw was unimpressive but he fits the Heckert mold to develop this year and maybe become a pass rushing DE in the next couple years.

Chris Matthews (WR, Kentucky) Confirmed to Browns. 6’5” 218lbs with a 4.57 40 yd dash. Played in all 13 games in 2009 as the 2nd reciever and accrued 32 catches for 254 yds and 3 TDs. He tore up California junior college the previous year leading all receivers with 80 receptions

Alex Wujciak (MLB, Maryland) Confirmed for Browns. 6’3” 247 lbs with a 4.77 40 yd dash. First team All-ACC with a team high 131 tackles last season

What do you guys think about this.