BROWNS PAINFUL TO WATCH

As painful as it is to watch the Browns blow 4^th quarter lead, after 4^th quarter lead, after 4^th quarter lead and that’s exactly what they’ve done, blown three consecutive 4^th quarter leads. And as painful as it is to witness their sixth consecutive ten or more loss season and tenth in the last eleven years, let’s be honest here, in the long run it’s going to pay off right? I mean, the Browns weren’t going to win the Super Bowl this year anyway, so the higher the draft pick, the better the player you get to draft, right?

I used to think that, I really did until the Browns have proved that theory incorrect since returning in 1999. They’ve had the first overall pick, a bunch of top five picks, multiple first round picks and yet here they are after fifteen years, right back where they started in 1999, one of the worst teams in the NFL!

Team CEO/President Joe Banner and General Manager Mike Lombardi need to change that in what will be the most important off-season since the Browns returned. They have multiple picks in the first and third rounds and their own in the second round and a total of ten draft picks as of today.  Their biggest need of course is to find a franchise quarterback and then go from there.  Granted it’s not their only need, far from it, but it starts right there. If the Browns are going to contend with Joe Flacco and the Ravens and Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers, they need to find their Flacco, their Big Ben.

Yes there are some pieces in place for this team like Joe Thomas at left tackle, Josh Gordon (as long as he stays out of trouble in the off season) at wide receiver, Jordan Cameron at tight end, Barkevious Mingo at rush-backer and Joe Haden at corner back, but an upgrade in talent is pretty much needed everywhere else. So use the draft Mike Lombardi. Get creative in free agency Joe Banner. Go find some play makers and difference makers, so come next December, we’re not talking about another double digit loss season for the Browns. Instead, maybe a late season push for a wild card spot, or at least a .500 or better season which hasn’t happened in Cleveland since 2007. Yes it’s been that painful!