| Christopher Reina. 13th January, 2009 - 3:23 pm
 Record: 4-12
Trench Counter: -7.1 per game (29th)
Point differential per game: -7.4 per game (27th)
Payroll: $131.9 million (4th highest)
Cost Per Win: $33.0 million (29th)
Passing offense: 148.8 (31st)
Rushing offense: 100.3 (26th)
Passing defense: 204.6 (14th)
Rushing defense: 152.0 (28th)
Turnover differential: +0.3 per game (8th)
Strength of schedule: 9th
If their season were a song: Drops In The River - Fleet Foxes
Game-by-Game (Score, Trench Counter)
Week 1: DAL, 10-28 Loss, -15.3
Week 2: PIT, 6-10 Loss, -15.0
Week 3: at BAL, 10-28 Loss, -14.6
Week 4: at CIN, 20-12 Win, 10.9
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: NYG, 35-14 Win, 7.1
Week 7: at WSH, 11-14 Loss, -6.9
Week 8: at JAX, 23-17 Win, 5.4
Week 9: BAL, 27-37 Loss, -15.2
Week 10: DEN, 30-34 Loss, -7.2
Week 11: at BUF, 29-27 Win, 11.6
Week 12: HOU, 6-16 Loss, -9.7
Week 13: IND, 6-10 Loss, -4.9
Week 14: at TEN, 9-28 Loss, -7.4
Week 15: at PHI, 10-30 Loss, -11.8
Week 16: CIN, 0-14 Loss, -18.7
Week 17: at PIT, 0-31 Loss, -21.3
Browns Season Review
The Browns were on the doorstep of the playoffs in 2007 and it all unraveled in 2008. Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski combined to post a team passer rating of 53.5, easily the worst (by 10.8) in the NFL.
The injuries and difficult schedule made duplicating 2007 very difficult regardless of anything within the control of Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage, but this team was clearly far less talented on both sides of the ball than division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
Randy Lerner swiftly fired Crennel and Savage after the season and has tabbed Eric Mangini as head coach.
Reina Value and FIC Rank
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Quarterbacks
- Derek Anderson (33rd, 309, -20%)
Anderson had four games in which his passer rating was over 100.0 in the 2007 season with the latest instance coming in Week 8. Since Week 8 of 2007, Anderson has had just one game over 100.0, and that came in Week 6 in the Browns' Monday win over the Giants. He had far too many 74.0's and 71.0's and even some 44.5's mixed in there in between.
The Browns surely would have benefited from trading him last offseason when his stock was high, as the only real silver lining for Anderson's 2008 was his ability to execute (88.6 passer rating) against the blitz.
- Brady Quinn (42nd, 105, +29%)
Quinn replaced Anderson as the starter in Week 10, and even though the Browns lost that game, he was an impressive 23-35 for two touchdowns and no interceptions. He didn't play very well in Buffalo the next week (55.9 passer rating), but the Browns did narrowly win the game. He tried to play through a fractured finger, but it was obvious that he would be ineffective.
Quinn ended the season as the Browns' starter for 2009, as well as being on the receiving end of a punch from Shaun Smith.
- Ken Dorsey (50th, 47, +88%)
In mop up work, Dorsey showed why his best work was at the U, posting a 26.4 passer rating while throwing seven interceptions, no touchdowns, and completing just 43 of his 91 attempts.
Running Backs
- Jamal Lewis (31st, 394 [279 rushing, 115 receiving], -67%)
After Lewis had a return to form in his first season in Cleveland, Lewis' yards per carry dropped to 3.6, and he scored just four touchdowns. In 2007, he was at 4.4 yards per carry, nine touchdowns, and another 248 yards/two touchdowns receiving. He will turn 30 just before the start of the 2009 season and will need more spells from Jerome Harrison.
- Jerome Harrison (64th, 183 [104 rushing, 79 receiving], +109%)
Harrison had only 34 attempts, but he rushed for 7.2 yards per carry. This was a climb from his 6.2 per carry average in 2007. The former Washington State All-American can, and should, really be unleashed for more attempts in 2009. He can easily be a Darren Sproles/Derrick Ward/Leon Washington change of pace back to Lewis.
Wide Receivers
- Braylon Edwards (32nd, 549, -54%)
As evidenced by my song choice for the Browns, drops were a big issue, and Edwards had 16 of them. His yards per catch average was just about the same from 2007 (15.9 from 16.1), but he caught a mere three touchdowns and had 55 receptions. Edwards was ranked seventh amongst wide receivers in 2007.
- Donte Stallworth (101st, 115, -42%)
Stallworth only played eleven games and had the worst season of his career. He caught just 17 balls for 17 yards and scored a solitary touchdown one year after he was the third amigo behind Randy Moss and Wes Welker and two years after Donovan McNabb turned him into a 19.1 yards per catch guy in Philadelphia.
- Syndric Steptoe (104th, 113, +157%)
After spending 2007 on the practice squad, Steptoe caught 19 balls for 182 yards in his first NFL season as a fill-in largely for the injured Joe Jurevicius.
Tight Ends
- Kellen Winslow (19th, 292, -49%)
Winslow, like Edwards, came crashing back down to earth in 2008 after being ranked 3rd amongst tight ends in 2007. I actually think both Winslow and Edwards were well below their earth/basement this season, struggling in ways that are unlikely to happen again. Winlow was hospitalized for a staph infection, something that has apparently been a recurring problem. The bad blood between Winslow and the Browns boiled over when he publicly criticized the organization for their treatment of this ailment. He will likely be shopped aggressively this winter, but they will likely only get 75 cents on the dollar back for Winslow, something an under-talented team can't really afford.
- Steve Heiden (34th, 162, -28%)
Heiden, the nine-year veteran out of South Dakota State, had a very serviceable 2008, catching 23 balls for 249 yards.
Defensive Summary
Shaun Rogers came over from Detroit and made the Pro Bowl with 4.5 sacks and 61 tackles. D'Qwell Jackson led the team in tackles with 95, but the Browns gave up a 6th worst 5.7 yards per play.
Kamerion Wimbley hasn't been able to duplicate the success he had as a rookie in getting to the quarterback when he had 11 sacks while the wear and tear on Willie McGinest is plain as day even though he had 43 tackles in 2008, up from 19 in 2007. Wimbley was a player that many had earmarked for a similar kind of impact as DeMarcus Ware, but the gap between the players is frighteningly huge right now.
Second-year corner Eric Wright was easily the best member of the Browns' secondary, and he had three interceptions (one for a TD), two forced fumbles, and 61 tackles.
Biggest draft needs:
Malcom Jenkins is a no-brainer to end all no-brainers if he is still on the board with the fifth overall pick. They have little depth in the secondary behind Wright, and those two would be an excellent young tandem.
At least five of the first ten quarterbacks will likely be quarterbacks and tackles, something the Browns don't have a need for.
I also really like George Selvie, and he could become a great pass rusher at OLB. Aaron Curry, linebacker from Wake Forest, is another nice option at linebacker should he fall.
- Chris Reina is the executive editor of RealGM |
