The Cleveland Browns hope to escape their annual role as the league\u2019s punching bag this season. The club brings in Mike Pettine to be its new head coach after he did some great things with the Buffalo defense a year ago. <\/p>\n
Pettine wasn\u2019t the most notable name to come to Cleveland in the offseason, however, as Johnny Manziel takes his talents from College Station up to Ohio.<\/p>\n
\nBrowns 2013 Record: 4-12<\/strong>
\nBrowns\u00a0AFC North Lines: +600<\/strong>
\nBrowns\u00a0AFC Lines: +3000<\/strong>
\nBrowns Super Bowl Lines: +6600<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThe team\u2019s once-promising 2012 first-round draft haul is officially gone, with quarterback Brandon Weeden moving to Dallas, and running back Trent Richardson getting traded to Indianapolis during the regular season last year. Another highly touted draft pick, Greg Little, has found another home.<\/p>\n
The biggest offseason loss could be that of wide receiver Josh Gordon. Gordon enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2013, leading the league in receiving yardage by a comfortable margin, but it could go down as his last year with the Browns, and his last year in the league, as he endures some off field troubles.<\/p>\n
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With a Josh Gordon suspension looming, a development the Browns\u2019 front office was made aware of prior to the draft, the group elected to forego the selection of a wide receiver, instead bring in veterans Miles Austin and Nate Burleson, also bringing in former Bengal Andrew Hawkins to play in the slot.<\/p>\n
Whether it is Brian Hoyer or Johnny Manziel that wins the starting quarterback job out of camp, that man will need to lean heavily on tight end Jordan Cameron, and the team\u2019s ground game. A strong offensive line will look to break open big holes for running backs Ben Tate and Terrance West.
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\nFor all the attention Manziel has gotten in camp, Hoyer is expected to at least open the season as the starter. He enjoyed success in limited time as the team\u2019s starter a year ago before going down with a season-ending injury.<\/p>\nOn defense, the Browns move out a couple of very familiar faces in middle linebacker D\u2019Qwell Jackson and strong safety T.J. Ward, both of whom had been with the team for an extended period of time. They\u2019ll be replaced with a pair of veterans, as Karlos Dansby and Donte Whitner step into those roles.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s front seven is a solid unit, but some big bodies up front, and a pair of solid outside linebackers that know how to get to the quarterback in Barkevious Mingo. Mingo in particular could be in for a big year. Coach Pettine was not shy in voicing his praises for Mingo upon his arrival, noting that he pushed for the Bills to acquire the linebacker\u2019s services when he entered the draft.<\/p>\n
Mingo burst onto the scene with the Browns a year ago as a rookie, earning a sack on his first play from scrimmage. He had sacks in each of his first three games as a Brown, but finished the year with only five. Coach Pettine will surely focus on getting Mingo into the backfield on a more consistent backfield.<\/p>\n
The unit struggled late in games a year ago, so the front office solidified the secondary by bringing in Whitner, a Pro Bowl safety from the 49ers, and using a first-round pick on cornerback Justin Gilbert to play opposite Pro Bowl corner Joe Haden.<\/p>\n
Browns Futures Pick & Outlook<\/h3>\n
There\u2019s a lot to like about what the Brown defense could look like, particularly with Pettine at the helm. The unit could wind up climbing in the elite ranks, given what Pettine did last year with a less-skilled Bills team.<\/p>\n
The questions come on offense, where the team loses its top skill player and endures a ton of turnover. With so many wasted drafts in recent years, the team is forced to fill out the roster with fliers and re-treads. The defense will keep the team in games, but they just don\u2019t have the juice on offense to hang around very long. Expect a 5-11 season from the 2014 Browns.<\/p>\n
With training camps nearly over the NFL betting season is here at Cappers Picks.\u00a0NFL Football handicappers<\/a>\u00a0have been hard at work putting out the team by team\u00a0Football Predictions<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0NFL Season Previews<\/a>\u00a0for those of us who can\u2019t wait.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n