Buckeyes zip by Akron in overtime of NIT opener, 72-63
March 16, 2016Fangraphs show Indians have highest percentage of dead payroll money
March 16, 2016Just one week into free agency, gross generalizations and predictions for the 2016 NFL season are a bit premature, but Bleacher Report’s Mike Tanier already believes the 2016 version of the Cleveland Browns is on track to become one of the least talented teams in the modern NFL era.
Following a 3-13 season in 2015, the Browns have lost five starting players to free agency including special teamer Johnson Bademosi, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, safety Tashaun Gipson, Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz in free agency. Backup linebacker Craig Robertson is also expected to sign elsewhere.
Cleveland can add talent in free agency and the upcoming draft, but the NFL Draft has been a wasteland of busted picks and disappointing careers for the Browns since 1999. Previous regimes made quarterback Johnny Manziel, Justin Gilbert, Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson, Barkevious Mingo, and Brady Quinn first-round selections. If the new regime is different than the rest, then they will be able to add some much-needed talent with the No. 2 and 32 picks, along with plenty of other picks to add talent. But, the Browns will need to demonstrate an ability to draft as they have no benefit of the doubt currency built up in the local or national media.
Obviously, one component of the team’s talent will depend on the status of super-talented and troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon, who applied for reinstatement in January. If and when he plays, the Pro Bowler can be one of the best receivers in the NFL. In his short career, the lanky speedster has 161 catches, 2,754 yards, and 14 touchdowns in 36 career games. Despite being suspended for two games in 2013, he led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards; it stands as the 13th-most prolific receiving season in league history. If he is not reinstated, the Browns top wideouts currently stand to be Brian Hartline – who has been an at-best No. 2 receiver his entire career – and Andrew Hawkins – who has been injured throughout his Browns tenure.
Tanier’s challengers with the 2016 Browns:
- 2008 Lions: finished season 0-16
- 1992 Patriots: finished 2-14
- 1982 Colts: finished 0-8-1 in a strike-shortened season
- 1980 Saints: finished 1-15. Also known as the “Aints”, their fans began to wear bags over their heads (that sounds familiar doesn’t it, Browns fans?)
- 1976 Buccaneers: finished 0-14 in their expansion season
Just being mentioned in the company of those legendarily horrific teams is enough to shake one’s head.
45 Comments
I read this article the other day. I think it’s fair. This team is no better than 1-3 wins.
I’ll go ahead and set the over/under at 1.5
I was think 2.5
1999 Browns have to be in the discussion.
Was just going to post the same.
Got 125/1 at Caesar’s this weekend. That $12,500 is going to be sweet!
Every “new” Browns regime has the same gameplan. They believe they can outsmart the rest of the NFL and it ends up a huge flop.
I see this ending no differently.
Lunch’s season tally is going to be particularly fun this year:
Week 15. Record: 0-13.
Losers: Tigersbrowns (12-4)
On the bubble: Hopwin (2-14); RGB (1-15)
Winners: Everyone else (0-16)
Just about every team since the return has to be on that list…
Bahahaha! And yes I would take the under on 2.5
Exactly. The 2016 browns arent even the least talented team in New browns history,
We are going to see a Hue-mongous improvement this year. 6 wins. Book it.
I miss Lunch.
I thought they were excluding expansion teams until they listed the TB Bucs near the end.
I kinda miss Oribiasi. Is that wrong?
Yes. Yes it is.
lol. I do feel a little dirty
I’ll have what Hue’re having.
Naw, he was consistent. Sure, he could be grating and he never let anything ever, ever go, but he was consistent. He’s off somewhere spouting the genius of the Richardson/Weeden draft still; I am sure.
That’s funny!
Well, you’ll probably still be hungry as he’s just having hue-rs d’oeuvres
Yes, but those treats were obviously laced with Huelucinogens.
im basing my wild guess on Hueristic analysis. Thats the new rage, amirite?
What we really need is a regime that tries not to think at all.
I had gall stones a few years ago. The pain was absolutely consistent. I do not, however, miss my gall bladder. Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds.
or Browns fans.
George Costanza model – think, make a decision, then do the opposite.
If they keep it up, they could. It’s extremely apparent that the Browns are going full 76ers, and I hate every bit of it. In a sport where you only need one big star and your team can take off by leaps and bounds, then I understand the philosophy of gutting your roster to get as bad as possible to land higher draft picks. I see no evidence in the NFL that this strategy actually works. On the contrary, you see teams that can have drastic turnarounds from one season to the next with any combination of: an excellent draft class, a great head coaching hire, a change in coordinators, a change in philosophy, etc. I was really excited for this new regime, but this approach leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
He’s still lurking around. Posting pictures of kittens napping. Seriously.
LMMFAO !!!!!!!!! … i just saw this .
I’m still f^%ckin’ laughing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
not unless the browns can outdo the 2008 lions (0-16) & the 1976 bucs (0-16).
Just had a Lunch sighting on the Dansby thread.
Obviously, being Harvard men, the front office is intimately familiar with the 1992 Patriots. Their plan is obviously to go 2-14 this year, then draft whatever quarterback comes out of Michigan in 2024.
Hue just ate the most acid Ive ever seen anyone eat in my life. Hope you’re not busy for about a month
thank you.
examples being given by many are Oakland and Jacksonville. of course, both teams did extremely well in draft (not guaranteed) and have yet to actually compete for anything yet.
I don’t quite get why this is thought to be a plan and why it means you eschew any sense of depth and quality that will allow young players to come into a professional environment. Will be up to the coaches to really crack the whip in order to keep order early on. Interesting, I guess, but worrisome.
I prefer the Nuke LaLoosh method. it works really well for me on the golf course
I just bought my first set of season tickets today. I put the down payment on them shortly after the Hue Jackson hire. As I was clicking to approve the credit card charge this morning I was thinking to myself, ‘I’m paying a lot of money and they may very well go 0-16 in games that will be even harder to watch then last year.” I could have been a part of that old Saturday night Live commercial, “Bad Idea Jeans”.
You’re right on both accounts. The thing about Oakland and Jacksonville is that (as far as I can remember) they never went through a process of chopping effective veteran players and pro bowlers to get to a point where they had nothing but young and/or replacement level players. I don’t remember either team purposefully making themselves terrible… I just remembering them happening to be young and bad because they didn’t have any veterans worth keeping anyway.
Ridiculous article. Yes, the Browns are worse without Mack, Schwartz, and a HEALTHY Gipson and Benjamin. But the first two are really the only losses, Gipson did not stay healthy most of the time, and with the acception of one year, did not do much. Rabbit is like a quicker Josh Cribbs.
Sorry, I think the Browns will be 4-12 next year setting a foundation to get better in 2017. JMHO…
I like our 7th round CB, Haden hopefully will be his old self, and Gordon will be back to form is my guess…
yeah, they cut some veterans on the Dansby scale, but none on the Schwartz/Gipson scale.
Thing about this team is it seems to be on purpose…unsure if any of the teams on the list sucked by choice. Just as an example in the preseason the 0-16 Lions were 4-0, so I would think that was not a tank job. This team is doing things to make them worse by choice.
Being a Browns fan is like second marriages. Expectations exceed experience.