dll2000 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 (edited) So after being one of the most over hyped teams in recent memory the 2019 Browns fell pretty flat. I think perhaps the 2020 Browns are being overlooked because of that. Why was the 2019 version overhyped? I don't really follow Browns, but I would say a lot of it is ESPN and East Coast media giants love them some OBJ. Signing OBJ for them is pretty huge. Instant contender huge. Add that to all the top end young talent Browns had been drafting. PFF had been saying since before draft Mayfield was crushing all their metrics and should be a near sure fire superstar. Throw in Myles Garrett and Chubb and you have some bona fide up and coming super stars to go with OBJ and Landry. So it turned out that Mayfield and the gang wasn't all that great. Some blame coaching, some blame Mayfield, some O line, some all 3. But the hype train may have been a year early. On paper the 2020 version is a really talented roster. Really talented. https://www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/archive/224/CLE I think OBJ is highly overrated because they seem to rate him as one of greatest WRs of all time, but he is still a good player if he isn't being a pain. Landry is a good WR. Njoku is still a highly talented weapon whose talent has never been fully utilized or developed. They just added Hooper, an all around good TE. They added best FA OT in Conklin and arguably best college or pro ready OT in Wills. So OL is upgraded significantly on paper. Chubb and Hunt are each probably top 5 RBs. This is a loaded offense talent wise. Much more so than last year because of addition of Conklin, Wills and Hooper up front. People over rate impact of outside players and underrate value of inside players. Getting Garrett back from suspension is pretty huge. He is quietly becoming one of top edge rushers in game. They also have 2 new safeties in Joseph and the rookie Delpit. Delpit is pretty divisive as a prospect, but all agree he has potential. Greedy Williams started his first year good before he hurt his hamstring and then went into kind of free fall. Healthy he might be pretty good. Ward is a good player. Browns are very young in secondary, but on paper are vey talented. The D line is good or can be if veterans come to play. The LBs will go as the DL goes. If their new coaches can get their act together in the land of Covid and shortened off seasons then Browns could be a surprise AFC contender IMO. I just think that much high end talent can't be ignored and it is high end talent. It is going to come down to coaching and Mayfield. Edited June 15, 2020 by dll2000 typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyB Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Dang. All they have to do is fail this year and be hyped again next offseason and they'll be an overhype dynasty. So, good work. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animaltested Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Death, Taxes, and Browns preseason hype. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawgX Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I'm glad we're not being hyped up this season, but the potential is there for us to have a good season. Really comes down to how the new coaching staff performs and if Baker bounces back. Baker certainly had a down year, but I truly don't believe he was as bad as his stats indicate. He was put in an awful situation scheme wise. Our OTs simply weren't good enough for the scheme Kitchens wanted to run, which was a lot of long-developing deep routes. Baker excels at play-action, roll outs, and plays where he can get the ball out quickly. He was good in two TE sets last year (and that was with some pretty mediocre at best TEs with Njoku being out), but struggled mightily in empty sets. But what did Kitchens constantly do? Run empty formations. Basically, everything Kitchens did well as OC the year prior he went and did the opposite as HC. Rumors are that he essentially tossed out the offensive game plan early into games and it showed; we usually started off well with scripted plays and then stagnated a few drives into the game. Last year, the Vikings - IIRC - ran the most two TE sets of any team in the league. They ran the ball a ton, which is obviously what the Browns should do when they have Chubb and Hunt. And like I said, Baker excelled at play-action, and having such a good RB duo will only further the offense's success with play-action. Our DC last year, Wilks, wasn't as bad as Kitchens but certainly wasn't good minus a few games like against the Rams, the first Ravens game, etc. We have two good CBs who excel in man coverage but we utilized them both mainly in zone, which made no sense. The defense should be better, but our LB play could be pretty damn bad though, so we'll see how much that'll hamper the defense. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawgX Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 5 minutes ago, animaltested said: Death, Taxes, and Browns preseason hype. Um, we were hyped last offseason. When was the last time we had any legit hype besides that? Like 12 years ago after the season we went 10-6? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
animaltested Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 5 minutes ago, DawgX said: Um, we were hyped last offseason. When was the last time we had any legit hype besides that? Like 12 years ago after the season we went 10-6? Eh, probably strongly influenced by this forums inordinate amount of Browns fans. Seems like every off season there is a strong "They are about the right the ship, turn the corner, [INSERT NEW GM/COACH HERE] is changing the culture" narrative around here. This goes back to the old forum and early oughts. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berlin calling Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 when was the last time the Browns were not getting preseason hype to finally get their ish together? i guess a postseason participance as 7th sloz with playoffs expanded would make their fans go ballistic. Yawn. Same **** different offseason. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaidersAreOne Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forge Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 All the people acting as though the Browns hype happens every year.... This team was seriously 0-16 three seasons ago. Yes, they got a lot of hype leading into last season. Baker looked great at the end of his rookie season, they had freed themselves from the shackles of Hue Jackson, MG was going into his third season coming off a 13 sack second year, they had added OBJ, Chubb was coming off a good efficiency year and going to get the ball more while the team had added Kareem Hunt. There was a lot to be excited about, so they got hyped up. Makes sense. But this has certainly not been an every year thing. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August4th Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 not sure if they're SB contenders(bakers progression will have a lot to do with that) but I can see them making the playoffs as a 9-10 win WC team. that franchise is due a "good" season and the talent is there 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DUKE Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I'm a big fan or shoring up the oline which they did this offseason, but at the end of the day I just don't believe in Baker Mayfield. Wildcard team is their ceiling, and even then I see them losing that wildcard game. Worst case scenario is a repeat of last year after some tough injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candyman93 Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 2nd largest sub forum on the site. Keep that in mind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phinsesq Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 I think it will come down to chemistry, I think the Browns have all the talent to be a contender, just can they gel as a team. I believe Baker Mayfield being in his 3rd year will improve and has the talent to be a Superbowl winning QB whether he puts it all together this year remains to be seen. I don't think he has been done any favors with the coaching situation in Cleveland since he came into the league. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
43M Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 7 hours ago, animaltested said: Eh, probably strongly influenced by this forums inordinate amount of Browns fans. Seems like every off season there is a strong "They are about the right the ship, turn the corner, [INSERT NEW GM/COACH HERE] is changing the culture" narrative around here. This goes back to the old forum and early oughts. Youre right. There were several other offseasons they got hyped up due to having several high draft picks and signing top end FAs. The Browns have a ton of talent, but as DawgX stated, it will come down largely to two things: 1) Coaching and 2) Baker Mayfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SalvadorsDeli Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 8 hours ago, animaltested said: Eh, probably strongly influenced by this forums inordinate amount of Browns fans. Seems like every off season there is a strong "They are about the right the ship, turn the corner, [INSERT NEW GM/COACH HERE] is changing the culture" narrative around here. This goes back to the old forum and early oughts. Damn now you're making me all nostalgic for some of my earliest days on this forum arguing with Browns fans who insisted that new Cleveland GM Phil Savage was the real brains in the Ravens FO and Ozzie Newsome was just a figurehead. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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