by Juan Leer

Created on: September 20, 2009

The Cleveland Browns entered 2008 with a ton of expectations. After finishing the previous season on the brink of the playoffs, many expected their high-powered offense to be one of the most explosive and exciting offenses in the NFL. That didn't happen, as the Browns struggled out of the gate en route to a 4-12 record. After the season, head coach Romeo Crennel was let go, and former New York Jets coach Eric Mangini was brought in to try and right the ship.

Expectations are much more tempered heading into 2009, as there are lots of question marks on both sides of the ball. This starts at the quarterback position, where Brady Quinn beat out Derek Anderson for the job. Much was expected from Quinn, but he hasn't produced very much in his career. He has some nice tools, but the jury is still out on whether he can be a capable NFL starter. He has been solid in his limited time, but has not exactly led the offense to explosion.

In the backfield, there are questions about how much Jamal Lewis has left in the tank as he enters the twilight of his career. The Browns will likely try to work Jerome Harrison and James Davis into the mix a little bit more in 2009, but there is a lack of explosive playmakers back there. At the wide receiver spot, Braylon Edwards looked like a future star after 2008. In 2009, he seemed to regress, and had all types of problems holding onto the football. He has the physical tools to be a great wide receiver in the NFL but doesn't have the consistency to match them at this point in his career.

The Browns are hoping Mangini can add some type of defensive identity to the franchise, getting them back to the good old days of smashmouth football in Cleveland. They have some talented guys, but they really struggled to put any pressure on the quarterback last season. If they can do that more consistently, they could become a very capable defense.

Their most explosive player might be Joshua Cribbs, a guy that is mostly a special teams extraordinaire. He is one of the best return men in the NFL, and is a threat to score on any kick or punt. They have been trying to work him into the offense more (especially in Wildcat formations), which seems like a good idea to try and add a little more explosion to things.

It could be a long season again for the Cleveland Browns, as they don't appear to be markedly better than they were in 2008, when they finished 4-12. However, if new head coach Eric Mangini can start to put his stamp on the team and get them in position to make some positive steps for the future, it will have to be considered a successful season in Cleveland.

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