by Todd Pheifer

Created on: April 11, 2010

Are the Cleveland Browns going in the right direction? At this point it may be hard to say.  A 5-11 season in 2009 was certainly an improvement from the 4-12 season in 2008, but one win is hardly something to celebrate in Cleveland.  Now that Mike Holmgren has come to town in the capacity of General Manager, some people are a bit more optimistic.  However, building a roster can take time, and sometimes a team has to create a winner over the period of several years.  Therefore, the Browns may be a contender in the future, but 2010 may be a bit too soon to get excited about the future.  With that in mind, here are a few thoughts on the Cleveland Browns and their prospects for success in the 2010 season. 

When the Browns have the ball

Holmgren made his presence known by essentially cleaning house at the quarterback position.  Derek Anderson was cut and Brady Quinn was traded to the Denver Broncos.  To play quarterback, the Browns signed former Carolina Panther Jake Delhomme and traded for Seahawks backup Seneca Wallace.  Delhomme gives the Browns a veteran presence at signal-caller and Wallace is a familiar player to Holmgren from his days coaching the Seahawks.  By cutting Jamal Lewis, Cleveland cleared the way for Jerome Harrison to be the featured back, though they may look at other options and continue to use the intriguing Josh Cribbs in certain situations.  If Delhomme can develop a relationship with Mohamed Massaquoi, they Browns may be more effective on offense. 

When the Browns are on defense

The Brown's offense was bad in 2009, and the defense was almost worse.  Cleveland gave up over 23 points per game and they were 31st in the league in yards allowed.  This stellar performance was accomplished by being 29th against the pass and 28th against the run.  Clearly, the Browns will need to upgrade their performance on defense if they want to be competitive in the future.  Look for Holmgren to build the defense through the draft over the next couple of seasons. 

Competition and predictions

At the moments, the Browns prospects are not that great.  However, Jake Delhomme may at least stabilize the situation at quarterback until the team can upgrade in a variety of areas.  In addition, Josh Cribbs and his excellent return skills will at least give the fans something fun to watch.  With opponents like the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, the Browns are going to have a hard time making a lot of progress.  Still, Holmgren has had success building a team in the past, and brighter days may be ahead for the Dawg Pound. 

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