2007 Cleveland Browns Predictions & Season Preview


June 5, 2008 | Posted By Larry Cook

The 2007 Browns predictions show that the team has made some significant changes in recent years, but this season has seen the biggest moves. The team brought in some big names, but none was bigger than adding a running game with Jamal Lewis. It’ll be interesting to see if he can return to being a premiere running back or if he’s washed up. Eric Steinbach was brought in to shore up the line and the team traded their next year’s no. 1 pick for Brady Quinn. Cleveland is starting to wear out on the same old cong and dance of six wins or less. If Romeo Crennel wants to keep his job then he’s going to have to produce a winner this year.

The Browns were one of the worst teams at quarterback last season with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson turning the ball over way too much. If Frye can’t get things going early in the year, then you can expect the team to try to teach Brady Quinn how to be an NFL quarterback by throwing him to the wolves. Lewis better be ready to carry the load like he did early in his career with Baltimore, because the passing game is weak and there isn’t any depth at RB either. He’s got a one-year deal to prove himself and make big money, expect him to want to make teams pay. To catch passes the team has a couple of potential breakout players in Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. Both need to live up to the hype this season, especially Edwards who dropped too many passes last season. Other than those two the team has a steady receiver in Joe Jurevucius and then a lot of question marks.

The Browns’s defense is weak up front. Robaire Smith was signed to give some help at end, but Orpheus Roye and Ted Washington are both players that are reaching the ends of their careers and Cleveland will be lucky if they hold up. The team spent the 2006 draft shoring up the linebacker position and it worked, this season it should be even better. Willie McGinest is the veteran who needs to perform better this season. Leon Williams, Kamerion Wimbley, and D’Qwell Jackson were all impressive last season as rookies and will only continue to get better as this is the strength of the defense. The team lost Brian Russell in free agency, but they are confident that Brodney Pool will learn how to fill his spot. Eric Wright should step in as a rookie corner, which is normally trouble, opposite of Leigh Bodden who is fairly reliable.

Looking at this team it’s tough to see where the improvements have been made to have everyone really think this team is going to make a big jump this year. Defensively they should be a little better, and the offense should pick up with Lewis and an improved line, but this team has averaged less than 5 wins per season the last 4. The value might be in the UNDER here, even though it’s probably going to be a year when Cleveland gets to 6 wins. For a small wager though we are taking the underdog money you get with the UNDER.

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