Since their return to the NFL in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have an abysmal record of 54-106. In their first game at new Cleveland Browns stadium, they were obliterated by their long time rival, The Pittsburgh Steelers, 43-0. They have made the playoffs only once in the past ten years.
During that time span, Browns fans have suffered through more than the average sports fan should have to endure in a lifetime. A pair of Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl wins. A Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl victory parade. Even the unlikely turn around of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The teams of the AFC North have treated the Browns like the league punching bag for years… but why?
Is there a supreme talent deficiency in Cleveland? Maybe.
Is it a lack of front office support from owner Randy Lerner? Perhaps.
Is this the result of poor talent development and lackluster coaching? Possibly.
More than anything, the Browns seem to lack a certain swagger that the rest of the AFC North personifies.
Ray Ray’s Ravens have it.
Polomolu’s Steelers have it.
Hell, even Ocho Cinco’s Bengals have it.
Couch’s Holcomb’s Frye’s Dorsey’s Anderson’s Quinn’s The Browns don’t.
Things may not have gone the way most Cleveland fans had hoped over the past decade, but there is reason for optimism on the shores of Lake Erie.
The 2010 draft seemingly looked average to some experts (NFL Fanhouse graded the Browns a C+), but Mike Holmgren and some of the guys that he drafted see things a bit more optimistically.
Colt McCoy, a potential first round talent, slipped to the Browns in the 3rd round. While he may not jump in and contribute on the field right away, his confidence and self-belief will be felt immediately.
In a phone interview, McCoy was quoted as saying he was “the best quarterback in this draft. Whoever gets me is getting the best”. True or not, that type of poise is exactly the kind of attitude that the Browns NEED in their locker room.
McCoy is just the beginning.
Sixth round draft pick Carlton Mitchell has the size and speed to be a very solid NFL wide receiver. In fact, Pro Football Weekly predicts that Mitchell could be a “solid #3” receiver. Not too shabby for a 6th rounder…
But Mitchell expects a bit more from himself. On his personal website (www.CarltonMitchell.net), Mitchell has a chart comparing his NFL franchise value to elite NFL wide outs. According to the website, Mitchell’s value is second only to Detroit Lion’s pro bowler Calvin Johnson over the long haul. Pretty good company to keep!
Fellow sixth round pick Clifton Geathers is a MONSTER. At 6’7” and 300 pounds, the defensive lineman coming out of South Carolina has the make to be an imposing run stopper in Coach Eric Mangini’s 3-4 scheme… the perfect type of player to spell starters Shaun Rogers and Robaire Smith when they are winded.
Geathers envisions his role to be a touch more significant. He said with a little bit of coaching, “I’ll be the best player. Probably in the league.”
Digest that statement, Browns fan. Your sixth round pick has the mindset that he is going to be THE BEST PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE! What’s not to love about that?
Will McCoy have a better season than Bradford, Tebow or Claussen? Can Carlton Mitchell out perform Randy Moss, Marques Colston, and Santana Moss? Does Clifton Geathers have what it takes to emerge as the best player in the NFL?
Time will tell, but one thing is certain; the new blood Browns are walking with a bit of swagger.
And that can hopefully mean good things for the future of the Cleveland Browns organization for a change.
► Read more articles written by DT.
F**k yeah man. I loved our first two picks in the draft as well!!! Hopefully, this will give the Browns some type of personality. something they have NEVER had…
oh weird, an over confident NFL player with their own personal website, that never happens … Carlton Mitchell will never be used in the same sentence as Calvin Johnson again after this article.
Who is Carlton Mitchell?
stan, wasn’t it you that said “Marques Colston was a 7th round pick… he’ll never amount to anything”.
i still have trouble agreeing with the browns first two draft picks when they could barely get their arms around to hug the comish…. but overall i think the rest of the draft made up for the first two picks
Trouble agreeing with Joe Haden, a cornerback who NEVER gave up a TD as CB in college?
browns fans will tell themselves whatever they need to sleep at night.
mccoy is garbage. tim teabow forever!
This draft was a joke.
Joe Haden is the only kid who has enough talent to be a pro bowl caliber player.
This could potentially be there worst draft since coming back into the league since 1999. As a Browns I wanna be optimistic, but the reality is this draft is filled with players who were reached for earlier then they should have been picked, players who are over confindent to the point that it will probably stunt there growth as players, and an undersized QB.
PS Travis Wilson also thought he was the best WR in the draft when he got drafted and look at how that turned out. Kids are going to come off over confident when they get drafted it doesn’t mean Sh!t though