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2010 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Preview
| By Daniel Dobish | about 4 months ago | NFL | | 0 | Comments | |
|
The Mike Holmgren Era is fully underway in Cleveland and he had his broom out during the offseason. Gone are last season's top two passers, as Derek Anderson was released only to find work in Arizona, while Brady Quinn was traded to Denver. The Browns now have the fingerprints of Holmgren and new general manager Tom Heckert all over them, as they look to turn over a new leaf and finally get back to respectability for their long-suffering fans, myself included. However, looking at this group of has-beens and never-will-bes, it is hard to imagine anything more than a handful of wins and a whole lot of dark Sundays in the immediate future.
Key additions: QB Jake Delhomme, DB Joe Haden, RB Montario Hardesty, RB Peyton Hillis, QB Colt McCoy, TE Alex Smith, QB Seneca Wallace, TE Benjamin Watson
Key departures: QB Derek Anderson, WR Mike Furrey, TE Michael Gaines, RB Jamal Lewis, S Brodney Pool, QB Brady Quinn, LB Kamerion Wimbley
Coach Eric Mangini is back for a second season, but he likely needs to see vast improvement in a hurry before Holmgren starts to get an itchy trigger finger. Usually a new team president wants to either win immediately or install his own selection as head coach. For Mangini, fair or not, he probably needs to win at least six games or be competitive in all or most games. With a cupboard which looks fantasy bare, it might not be long until Mangini joins most of Northeast Ohio in the unemployment line.
| Fantasy Team Previews |
|---|
| AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ |
| AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT |
| AFC South: HOU | IND | JAC | TEN |
| AFC West: DEN | KC | OAK | SD |
| NFC East: DAL | NYG | PHI | WAS |
| NFC North: CHI | DET | GB | MIN |
| NFC South: ATL | CAR | NO | TB |
| NFC West: ARI | SF | SEA | STL |
Passing attack
First off, calling what the Browns did last year a 'passing attack' is unfair. They were horrible most weeks. Entering 2010, it appears that veteran Jake Delhomme will enter training camp as the No. 1, although former Holmgren draft pick Seneca Wallace is likely a 1A. We'll get more of an idea of where the two stand in their competition once training camp and the preseason get underway. Don't forget about Brett Ratliff, too. He is currently third on the loosely defined depth chart and he is Mangini's boy from their days in Gotham. Oh yeah, the team drafted Colt McCoy in the third round out of Texas, too. It appears on the surface that the Browns have four QBs capable of leading the team. Look for someone to go in the preseason, most likely Ratliff, in return for a middle or low-round draft pick. For fantasy purposes, none tickle the fancy. Delhomme or Wallace would best serve fantasy owners as a No. 3, emergency option in case you're drunk and you draft two QBs with the same bye week.
| Fantasy draft-worthy Browns | |
|---|---|
| The following players are worth a look in these corresponding rounds of a 12-team non-PPR draft. |
|
| Player, Fantasy Pos | Proj. Rd |
| Jerome Harrison, RB 2/3 |
Rd 5-8 |
| Joshua Cribbs, WR 3/4 |
Rd 11-14 |
| Mohamed Massaquoi, WR 3/4 |
Rd 11-14 |
| Montario Hardesty, RB 3/4 |
Rd 13-16 |
The Browns cleaned out hands of stone WR Braylon Edwards last season. Mohamed Massaquoi wasn't expected to be the top rookie receiver in '09, but he showed glimpses of brilliance and ran circles around Brian Robiskie. Massaquoi appears to be the No. 1 wideout for the Browns, along with the versatile Josh Cribbs, who got paid in the offseason. Both are worth of middle round picks to pad your depth at the position, but it's unlikely either will be fantasy studs, although they'll have their moments.
The tight end position was pretty bare bones last season. The team hopes they rectified that spot by bringing in Watson, formerly of the New England Patriots. He has always been a fairly dependable target in the red zone. However, there are two things wrong with this picture. One, Tom Brady was slinging balls to him in New England, not rag arms like Delhomme or Wallace. Two, the Patriots actually managed to get into the red zone more than once or twice per month. Still, Watson is the best of the lot in terms of fantasy and he might surprise if the Browns offense can do likely.
Rushing attack
It is still unimaginable, but the Browns were actually effective running the ball in the latter half of 2009. Jerome Harrison, nicknamed 'The Ghost' at Washington State, gobbled up 862 yards with five TDs in just 14 games and seven starts. He produced an un-Browns-like 4.4 yards per carry after stepping in for the injured and retired Lewis. Most will never forget when he ripped off 286 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City in a Week 14 win. Still, the jury is out on No. 35, as he appears to be fairly smallish. Can he take the beating in the rough and tumble AFC North?
Well, Cleveland management can always turn to James Davis, who had a tremendous training camp in '09 before blowing out a knee early in the regular season before going on injured reserve. If he can get back to 100 percent, the team will have another NFL-ready back at its disposal. However, Davis and Harrison will be trying to hold off rookie Montario Hardesty, whom the Browns traded up to nab in the second round. He has a big frame which suits the black and blue division well, especially when the flakes start flying in November and December.
Hardesty might end up with the best fantasy numbers of all three running backs, but Harrison enters the season with the best chance at success initially. The rookie out of Tennessee reminds many of Lewis, who was also a Volunteer. However, he has a lot to prove before he can be mentioned in the same breath.
Defense/Special teams
The Browns haven't been much on defense, although they're certainly building towards getting better. Injuries really ran rampant last year, derailing the season of most before it even began. We all know the DST was still valuable because of the presence of WR/KR Cribbs, who was a one-man show.
The team addressed two needs by adding DB Sheldon Brown and LB Chris Gocong from Philadelphia. They are two players Heckert was very familiar with during his time with the Eagles. The club also added DBs in the first two rounds by adding Haden and bruiser T.J. Ward out of Oregon. Brown, Haden and Ward will join Abram Elam, Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright in piecing together a much improved secondary.
The Browns are fairly strong at linebacker, especially if IDP stud D'Qwell Jackson can stay healthy for the entire year. They brought in Super Bowl champ Scott Fujita from the Saints, joining Jackson, David Bowens and Kaluka Maiava in the middle. Jackson and Fujita are likely to have high tackle numbers, making them key IDP fantasy players. Matt Roth came over from the Miami Dolphins in the middle of last season and he appears set to start on the outside with either Gocong, Marcus Benard or Jason Trusnik. David Veikune is also an up-and-comer. Roth could be a solid IDP option depending on how much time he sees on the field. Up front, Robaire Smith, Kenyon Coleman and C.J. Mosley will try to pressure the quarterback along with Shaun Rogers. However, none of these guys will have prolific sack totals and are therefore mostly useless in IDP formats. Overall, the Browns DST will be a bit improved in 2010, but still only worth playing when the matchup is favorable or when you are in need of a bye week replacement.
Category: NFL
Tags:
AFC North, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Sheldon Brown, Chris Gocong, Seneca Wallace, Tom Brady, Benjamin Watson, Derek Anderson, Josh Cribbs, Braylon Edwards, Jerome Harrison, Jamal Lewis, Brandon McDonald, Brodney Pool, Brady Quinn, Shaun Rogers, Robaire Smith, Kamerion Wimbley, Eric Wright, Scott Fujita, David Bowens, Kenyon Coleman, C.J. Mosley, Brett Ratliff, Jason Trusnik, Jake Delhomme, Michael Gaines, Matt Roth, Alex Smith, Joshua Cribbs, D'Qwell Jackson, Peyton Hillis, Mike Furrey, Abram Elam, New England Patriots DST, Miami Dolphins DST, James Davis, Brian Robiskie, Kaluka Maiava, Mohamed Massaquoi, David Veikune, Marcus Benard
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