Passing Offense

• ·         443 attempts   (ranked 30^th)
• ·         49.4% completion % (ranked 32^nd )
• ·         2,076 pass yards  (ranked 32^nd )
• ·         130 yards per game
• ·         5.1 Yards per attempt (ranked 32^nd )
• ·         11 TDs (ranked 30^th ) and 18 INTs (tied 11^th )
• ·         30 Sacks (tied 22^nd-low is good)
• ·         55.8 QB rating (ranked 32^nd )

Rushing Offense

• ·         498 attempts (ranked 6^th)
• ·         2,087 rush yards (ranked 8^th)
• ·         130.4 yards per game
• ·         4.2 yards per carry (ranked 15^th )
• ·         10 TDs (ranked 20^th )

2009 Recap - The Browns- finished pretty much dead last in any passing stat that is tracked; they were woeful.  Dexy Anderson (he of the Midnight Runners) proved once again that 2007 was a total fluke.  And Brady Quinn made sure everyone was able to grasp the concept that Notre Dame QBs out of Charlie Weiss’s system are a product thereof, and nothing more – the Panthers seem oblivious, though. 

On the ground, the Brownies numbers were impressive on paper in '09, but before everyone goes and gets a woody about Cleveland RBs, don’t forget that a good grip of those yards (381) came from the Wildcat (with Josh Cribbs running the show).  If you were in the playoffs in 2009 and were lucky enough to have picked up Jerome Harrison, my guess is that your league trophy is perched somewhere special in your domicile.   Jamal Lewis’ NFL playing days are numbered.  He suffered a concussion in week 12, and was subsequently released by the Browns early in the off-season.  The Browns got more than they expected with that signing anyway in 2007.  

Jake Delhomme –  So it’s either the Snake or Seneca Wallace lining up under center for the Browns this season.  Tough for me to envision a scenario whereby Delhomme can’t win this job, and even tougher whereby he actually keeps it for 16 games.  Delhomme’s skill-set is beyond eroded.  His confidence level has been shattered, and he just doesn’t make quick (nor wise) decisions anymore like he used to.  Or if he does, they are the wrong decisions.   After blowing the Panthers’ hopes in the playoffs in 2008, he showed up in 2009 in even worse shape chucking 18 INTs in 11 games before being benched, and only completing 55% of his passes.  He also managed to lose 4 fumbles. 

Verdict:  With Mohamed Massoquoi as a #1 and either 2^nd year Brian Robiskie or Josh Cribbs as a #2, we can't advise nabbing Delhomme at any round of your fantasy football draft.  There are too many other QBs worth your time and attention.  That said, Delhomme has had an unlikely career, so it wouldn't shock us to see him blow it out a couple of games and start disappearing off the waiver wire at some point of the season.

Montario Hardesty -  He's the banger that the Browns were looking for to replace Jamal Lewis.  A prime concern with Hardesty is a series of knees injuries throughout his college days.    However, 282 carries for 1,345 yards and 13 TDs (in his Senior season) were enough to convince the Browns, though. They did not trade up to nab him in the 2nd just to leave him on the bench, either, so you can expect that he will see plenty of carries in his rookie season.  Cleveland beat writer, Tony Grossi, claims Hardesty will be starting by week one.  The Browns coaching staff has been blown away by his football acumen and general attitude in OTAs. 

 Verdict:  Hardesty should be the first Cleveland RB off of boards this summer.  However, you must not get too carried away with whatever he does this summer, because short of a couple of injuries, he can expect to be mired in a 2-way and perhaps possibly a 3-way RBBC.  He should get 250+ carries and goal-line carries, though.  He should be considered as a RB3 aka fantasy backup for now.

Jerome Harrison  – What’s most shocking about Harrison’s rise from nowhere in 2009 was that he was able to grind out some tough yards against tough defenses playing for such an overall poor team.  Week 4 vs. the Bengals – 121 yards on 29 carries vs. the 7^th ranked rush defense.  And we all know what kind of roll he was on in weeks 15-17; granted two of those games were KC (31^st) and Oakland (29^th).   He is an explosive runner with questionable “every down back” size at 5’9 and 205 pounds.  Hence trading up in the draft to grab Montario Hardesty, I guess.

Verdict:   The bottom-feeders of fantasy leagues are now keen to the “strong finishers” from the previous season, so Jerome Harrison will be targeted early by most.  I’m steering well clear of him, though, as he will be ensconced in a 3-way RBBC with both Hardesty as well as James Davis, who the Browns were high on before he went down last season.   I have Harrison pegged as an RB4 this season – just outside my top 35 RBs.

James Davis – James Davis will start his 2^nd year in the league after missing basically all of 2009 with a shoulder injury.  He is currently battling Chris Jennings for a roster spot, and is likely to win that job and stay on with the Browns.  If he were to get cut, he’d likely hook up with another team.         

Verdict:   Davis is waiver-wire fodder unless an injury were to occur to either Hardesty or Harrison – which is quite possible given the injury history of the former.

Mohamed Massaquoi –  He’s got proto-typical size (6’2 and 205) and despite not testing out well in the 40 yard dash (4.66 at the combine), he did show some a great deal of game-breaking ability  in the 2009 season averaging 18.4 YPC – which trailed only Santonio Holmes and DeSean Jackson.  He had a couple of nice fantasy outings last season, but largely suffered along w/ the rest of the pass catchers in Cleveland from Dexy Anderson and Brady Quinn’s ineptitude.  He’s been accused of dropping some easy balls in his college career, too.  He was Matt Stafford's primary target at Georgia.

Verdict:   Jake Delhomme made Steve Smith a fantasy football juggernaut, so we see no reason that Massaquoi won’t take a nice step in his sophomore season w/ the Browns.  We have him in our sleeper bucket for 2010.  We’re seeing guys like Collie, Eddie Royal, and even Arrelious Benn drafted ahead of Massaquoi which doesn’t make a lot of sense, given what Mohamed flashed in '09 with Quinn and Anderson under center.  He makes a nice backup WR aka WR4 in 2010.   He’s inside our top 40.

Brian Robiskie –  The Browns will be starting two sophomore wide outs in 2010.  Robiskie comes from good NFL blood (father is Terry Robiskie), but didn’t do a thing in 2009 (nor was given much of a shot to).  He registered 7 catches. 

Verdict:   He was highly touted coming out of college as being among the most “NFL ready” WRs in the 2009 draft.  So far, no good.  We can’t advocate drafting Robiskie at all in 2010.  Leave him for the waiver-wire in the event the Browns are the “comeback” fantasy passing team of the year.   

Eric Mangini gets to keep his job, as he should, despite finishing 2009 in dead last overall offensively.   He can largely credit this to closing the season out w/ 4 quasi-impressive wins against the Steelers, Chiefs, Raiders, and Jaguars.   Brian Doball returns as OC as well.   Mike Holmgren did the right thing in retaining Mangini, as the young coach walked into a landmine signing on w/ the Browns as it were before the '09 season started.  It would be a rough scuff to leave on his resume, as the Browns woes have little to do w/ Mangini’s coaching abilities/performance.  Their history of shitty draft picks and signings, on the other hand, have almost everything to do with.  That said, the Browns attempted the 3^rd fewest pass plays from scrimmage mostly because of Quinn and Anderson’s to consistently complete a pass.  Will Jake the Snake Delhomme change this?  I doubt it.  The Browns signed Jerome Harrison to a one-year tender, have James Davis from a shoulder injury that wrecked pretty much of all of his rookie season, and they also invested a 2^nd round draft pick in U of Tennessee’s Montario Hardesty.  Delhomme is used to running a ball control offense – perhaps a reason he was given another shot in Cleveland, so the Browns remain on pace to ground and pound in 2010.

The Browns signed Ben Watson this off-season, but we can’t advocate drafting him in 2010.  

Click here for our 2009 Analysis on the Cleveland Browns - Published July 2009