WalterFootball.com - Detailed NFL Mock Drafts, Player Prospect Rankings, and One of the Largest Mock Draft Databases on the Web

2012 NFL Offseason: Cleveland Browns

Draft Grades, Season Previews, Offseason Needs, Free Agents

Cleveland Browns (Last Year: 4-12)

2012 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
DE Frostee Rucker, DE Juqua Thomas-Parker.
Draft Picks:
RB Trent Richardson, QB Brandon Weeden, OT Mitchell Schwartz, DT John Hughes, WR Travis Benjamin, ILB James-Michael Johnson, G Ryan Miller.
Offseason Losses:
RB Peyton Hillis, OT Tony Pashos, G Eric Steinbach, DE Jayme Mitchell, S Mike Adams.

2012 Cleveland Browns Offense:
The Browns should have traded up for Robert Griffin. They didn't offer enough to beat the Redskins in the sweepstakes to move to No. 2 overall - apparently because they believed that the Baylor product was too small - so they were stuck with the fourth selection. Obtaining Griffin was Cleveland's one chance to escape the AFC North cellar and eventually overtake both the Steelers and Ravens. Mike Holmgren blew it.

Cleveland was still able to find a new quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft. The front office wanted to acquire Brandon Weeden in the second round, but panicked at No. 22 when its original target, wide receiver Kendall Wright, was snagged off the board two picks earlier. Holmgren had no Plan B, so he just opted to go with Weeden at that spot, which was just too ridiculously early for a quarterback who will turn 29 in October. There's no guarantee Weeden will even be successful; nearly every single Big XII quarterback has flopped recently because the conference is what this Web site's Charlie Campbell calls the "Arena League of College Football."

Weeden can't really be much worse than the brittle, weak-armed Colt McCoy, who was only remotely successful when he had a power ground attack complementing him. Weeden will definitely have that luxury with Trent Richardson, chosen third overall this past April. Richardson, the best prospect at his position since Adrian Peterson, is a strong runner who is very good at catching the ball out of the backfield. He's seldom going to leave the field because he IS Cleveland's offense. It'll be a major upset if he doesn't win Offensive Rookie of the Year and doesn't finish in the top 10 in terms of total yards from scrimmage.

The Browns will lean on Richardson so much because they don't really have any receivers to speak of. Their best one is second-year Greg Little, who led the league in drops per target. Little is athletic and has upside, but needs to improve his focus and work ethic. The good news is that Little has reported to OTAs in terrific shape, so maybe he's overcome his lacking maturity. The Browns can only hope so because he can be a No. 1 wideout; Weeden compared him favorably to Justin Blackmon.

There is no hope with the other receivers. Mohamed Massaquoi should not be starting for any team. Fourth-round rookie Travis Benjamin has great speed (4.36 40), but he's very raw and small. Tight end Ben Watson suffered three concussions last season, so another one could knock him out for a long time. Evan Moore, the team's pass-catching tight end, has never been utilized as much as he should have because he's always had to block.

Moore will continue to assist the offensive line because that unit hasn't improved very much. The only upgrade was made in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, where the Browns selected Mitchell Schwartz out of Cal. Schwartz projects as a rock-solid NFL right tackle, but obviously lacks experience. Still, he can't be any worse than Tony Pashos, who surrendered seven sacks last year. Schwartz will start next to third-year right guard Shawn Lauvao, a poor blocker who was guilty of 11 penalties and six sacks in 2011.

The two top lineman on Cleveland's roster are easily left tackle Joe Thomas and center Alex Mack, both of whom are among the best players at their respective positions in the league. Sandwiched between them is left guard Jason Pinkston, who is coming off a truly horrible first campaign. Fifth-round rookie Ryan Miller will push him.

2012 Cleveland Browns Defense:
The Browns were one of the worst teams in the league last year, but their defense wasn't terrible. Though they were porous against the run and struggled to pressure the quarterback, they ranked 11th versus the pass in terms of YPA (6.93).

Improving the former two categories will be difficult considering that defensive tackle Phil Taylor, Cleveland's first-round pick in 2011, has been ruled out for most of the season with a torn pectoral. There's a chance he could return in late November, but the Browns' season will be lost by then. Taking Taylor's spot in the lineup next to the talented Ahtyba Rubin will be one of two rookies - either third-rounder John Hughes or sixth-rounder Billy Winn.

Cleveland signed two defensive ends this offseason, but neither will really improve a pedestrian pass rush that accumulated only 32 sacks (24th in the NFL). Frostee Rucker was a solid run-defender for the Bengals, while Juqua Thomas-Parker is a decent situational pass-rusher, but neither will really help the Browns boost their sack total. It will once again all be up to the young Jabaal Sheard, who tallied 8.5 sacks as a rookie. Five-and-a-half of those came after Week 10, so Sheard could take a leap forward in 2012.

The Browns didn't just dish out big contracts to mediocre defensive ends; they gave inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson a 5-year, $42.5 million deal in February. Jackson was overpaid considering the amount of money (or lack thereof) that the other top inside linebackers received on the market, but he's still a really good player. Jackson tallied 158 tackles, but has a dubious injury history. He played in just six total games in 2009 and 2010.

Jackson will need to stay healthy because the rest of the linebacking corps is unimpressive. Both Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong are major liabilities in coverage. Cleveland spent a fourth-round pick on James-Michael Johnson, who may have to step into the lineup prematurely if the two starters continue to struggle. Johnson will see time right away because Fujita will sit out three games for his role in Bountygate.

With two linebackers deficient in coverage, one would assume that the secondary was largely responsible for that aforementioned 12th ranking. That assumption would be correct. Joe Haden is awesome. The Pro Bowl cornerback limited opposing receivers to a 49.4 completion percentage.

The rest of the defensive backfield also played pretty well. Strong safety T.J. Ward was outstanding for the first half of the year, but had his season conclude unceremoniously because of a sprained foot. Usama Young and Mike Adams performed pretty well after Ward exited the lineup. The latter is no longer with the team, so Young will battle it out with 2011 seventh-rounder Eric Hagg for the right to start next to Ward. Hagg appears to have the edge right now.

The only area of concern in the secondary is the starting corner job across from Haden. Sheldon Brown was decent at times last year, but he celebrated his 33rd birthday this offseason, so he could easily regress. If he does, either Dimitri Patterson or Buster Skrine will take over. The former is just a mediocre talent, while the latter barely played in his rookie campaign.

2012 Cleveland Browns Schedule and Intangibles:
The Dawg Pound is just not an intimidating place to play. Since their expansion year in 1999, the Browns are a dreadful 37-67 as hosts (10-22 the past four seasons).

Joshua Cribbs didn't return well in 2010, but definitely rebounded this past season. His punt return average increased from 8.4 to 11.4, while his kickoffs extended from 20.4 to 25.0. He scored a touchdown as well. However, the Browns surrendered two.

Phil Dawson continued to kick well, nailing 24-of-29 attempts, including an unbelievable 7-of-8 from 50-plus. He was rewarded with a franchise tag this offseason.

Punter Reggie Hodges had a solid 2010 campaign, but suffered a season-ending torn Achilles in last year's training camp. The good news is that he's a full participant in OTAs.

The Browns don't have many winnable games on their schedule. Beatable non-divisional foes include: Bills (home), Colts (road), Raiders (road) and Redskins (home).

2012 Cleveland Browns Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks	Offensive Line	Secondary
Running Backs	Defensive Line	Special Teams
Receivers	Linebackers	Coaching

2012 Cleveland Browns Analysis: The Browns are a complete mess. Their alleged franchise quarterback is a 29-year-old who comes from a conference that has produced dud signal-callers over the past several years. His only play-maker is a rookie running back, while the right side of his offensive line can't block. The defense, meanwhile, lost one of its top talents to what could be a season-long injury.

It's going to be another very long year in Cleveland. The good news is that if the Browns are terrible enough, Matt Barkley will be waiting in April.

Projection: 2-14 (4th in AFC North)

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings

More 2012 NFL Season Previews

*** 2012 NFL OFFSEASON NEEDS BELOW COMMENT BOARD ***

Reggie 05-17-2013 08:24 am xxx.xxx.xxx.134 (total posts: 1)

Here's hoping Mingo pans out. Size and athleticism I've heard analysts compare him to DeMarcus Ware (same size, same position change) and guess what else? Oh yeah a low sack total coming out of college. Don't judge a player based on stats alone and if he doesn't pan out. Oh well not like it's something the Browns aren't used to.

WTF 05-14-2013 08:48 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.125 (total posts: 1)

Lombardi isnt in charge of making the picks, Banner is. You did the same thing with Holmgren, saying he was making all these bad picks when he didnt make any outside of QBs.

Secondly, the Browns had no LBs in their 4-3 aside from Jackson, who fits perfect at ILB in a 3-4. On top of that, they had two fast 330LB NTs in Taylor and Rubin playing DT on their line. Rubin played very well as a NT in the 304 before the switch, now he is being moved to DE and probably wont have much trouble handling it. Taylor was regarded as one of the better NT prospects to come out in some time by many and now he is playing that spot.

They added Bryant to play DE and still have Winn dor depth, who I believe you said was good enough to the point that they didnt need to sign Bryant. So if Rubin is no good, or Bryant is no good at DE, they have Winn to replace and all is fine.

On top of that, they added the best OLB for their team available in FA and one of the best OLBs available for their team via the draft. Their Front Seven is much, much better this year than they were last year at least on paper. Plus they will be running a lot of sub packages to put for men on the line, so Sheard is not wasted at all.

They added a starting CB with very good ball skills. He will get picked on a lot because of Haden, but his ball skills may make that a very good thing.

They traded a 4th and 5th for a 3rd and 4th. Instead of drafting a bad QB prospect this year, not letting him play, having Weeden suck and starting the 3rd/4th round QB we drafted next season, we now have extra picks to get the franchise QB actually worth drafting if Weeden does indeed suck. Otherwise we stick with Weeden or another bad mid round pick for 3-4 years. Your logic is terrible.

They didnt need to improve much on offense at all. Everyone is either a veteran pro bowler or a solid young player outside of Guard, QB and maybe TE. However a ton of people like Cameron at TE around the league and he is finally going to get the playing time he deserves in a very TE friendly offense.

I swear it's like you know absolutely nothing about what you are talking about. You spout out lies/incorrect "facts", so your credibility about the team you are judging is instantly invalid. Then you dont even pay attention to what the team has been doing the past few years and you run a site that is all about draft and player analysis.

WTF

Shane 05-04-2013 11:46 pm xxx.xxx.xxx57.5 (total posts: 1)

You seemed to have failed to recognize that the Browns traded 2 picks for future picks. They also acquired Bess and Gordon was pretty much their second round pick. Gordon is a better receiver then maybe all of the others in this draft and he has a year of experience already. Plus, with the additional picks, I could see the Browns trading up for Tajh Boyd or a different quarterback next year. Boyd would easily be the #1 QB if he was in this draft class.

Tosh Daniel 05-01-2013 03:32 pm xxx.xxx.xxx3.96 (total posts: 1)

200

With the draft the Clowns put together compared to the drafts of the 3 superior AFC North teams, the 3 superior AFC North teams definitely even further distanced themselves from the Clowns

ICtheWay 04-30-2013 11:36 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.173 (total posts: 5)

I remember Walt being furious that the Browns did not take Blackmon.

Guess the Brownies were right on that one, right Walt?

Steve 04-30-2013 02:11 pm xxx.xxx.xxx8.40 (total posts: 1)

You are such a browns hater. Im sure for other teams drafts you included trades and such..yet you did not include bess and you totally forgot our 2nd rd pick WR from last year

rgulley 04-29-2013 05:12 pm xxx.xxx.xxx4.84 (total posts: 1)

all u nay sayers com back 12-1-13 and see whats really up this team is going to surprise alot of us this year i really do believe in chud and norv and horton will produce we just have to score more than 14 pts every game and i think if we can get around the 21 pt mark this can be an 8-8 team we are starvin for a winner here and the hope just keeps on keepin on

paulbip 04-29-2013 04:37 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.202 (total posts: 1)

315

You should have graded a F. Passing up a position of need at guard while 2 future all pro's were there is plain stupid. I think this team will be moved to LA after the owner is thrown in jail.

Spaceman! 04-29-2013 05:54 am xxx.xxx.xxx.183 (total posts: 1)

I don' think that not drafting a QB is that bad this year. I think the only thing sillier than drafting a 28 year old QB with a 1st round pick is to then give up on that QB after just a season in a very weak draft class.

JRS 04-29-2013 03:18 am xxx.xxx.xxx.136 (total posts: 1)

You cant draft a qb every year sport. This was as weak a qb class in years and im more than glad they didnt take one. Will any of these guys be better than weeden, I doubt it. And if someone shows up next year whos worth investing in then the extra third and fourth will be nice to have to move up if need be. mcfadden is a good ball player and with pinkston back guard wasnt something to be addressed with a sixth overall pick. free saftey is a concern and ultimately weeden is no star but im sure ej manuel, or geno wont be either. I guess you know better than norv turner and ray horton about qbs and defensive schemes. Good luck Wally.

Adam 04-29-2013 12:14 am xxx.xxx.xxx.118 (total posts: 1)

Its obvious that you have no idea what you are talking about, and the 2014 QB class is better than this one, and I am more than happy to pass up Geno Smith and the other mediocre to bad QBs in this one to wait one more year.

Mike 04-29-2013 12:01 am xxx.xxx.xxx.103 (total posts: 2)

I think part of the problem with Mingo not 'producing' is where he was playing along the line. He was often playing DE and attacking the interior of the OT's. It's simply not where he fits. When he would line up standing up outside as an OLB, he looked a lot more comfortable and natural, with good anticipation on the snap and at times, would look like he was shot out of a cannon.

I remember you didn't like the pick of Aldon Smith in 2011 because he wasn't producing and looked like he was quitting on some plays. Look at the damage he caused this season with his explosive step off the edge this year.

If they were going to take a really aching need, they would've taken Milliner. I don't really like what I see with Milliner though: he'll need to learn to backpedal considerably better, and is not a real ball hawk (Or agressive). Alabama CB prospects also have an incredibly high bust rate, but I'm not going to hold that against the kid.

I think your evaluation of Mingo is a little unfair. He's extremely raw, not a lot of production, but posseses great potential to be a solid OLB. Only time and good coaching will tell though.

Pittsburgh Hater 04-28-2013 09:45 pm xxx.xxx.xxx2.22 (total posts: 2)

What team in their right mind trades their 4th and 5th round draft picks.Next year is BS...I am tried of wait till next year...What about this year???C'mon Brown fans You don't trade in your division...WHY didn't we that the safety instead of Pittsburgh... WE need players NOW..Not next year..LET the Browns know..WIN NOW..

Joe 04-28-2013 08:55 pm xxx.xxx.xxx2.22 (total posts: 2)

103

Why take a DE/OLB with the 6th pick? The Browns DBs SUCKS...Remember the Dallas game..

Danny 04-28-2013 08:13 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.106 (total posts: 1)

Not a big fan of what the Browns did this offseason.

I've got no problem with their offensive approach. Chudzinski and Turner worked very well together in San Diego, and should improve the offense tremendously.

Their defensive strategy worries me. Moving to the 3-4 at this time was a poor decision. Jabaal Sheard was their top pass-rusher, and he's being phased out because of the change in scheme. Mingo could be a nice player, but Sheard was a proven commodity. It also led them to vastly overpay Kruger, mainly because he fits the scheme, not because he's a great player.

Pages: 12 3 4 ...36 37

2012 NFL Draft Grade: C-

Goals Entering the 2012 NFL Draft: No one wants to play for the Browns, per certain reports. Whether you believe them or not, there's no denying that this Cleveland team doesn't appear as though it's going anywhere. There's no franchise quarterback, while the offense as a whole lacks play-makers. The 2012 NFL Draft will be all about bolstering the scoring unit.

2012 NFL Draft Accomplishments: There's nothing worse than targeting one player in a certain spot and then panicking when that prospect is plucked off the board a selection or two earlier. That's exactly what happened to the Browns at No. 22. They were set to take Kendall Wright, but then had to reach for Brandon Weeden when Tennessee took him at No. 20. Mike Holmgren did not have a Plan B.

If Weeden can be a franchise quarterback, this will be a good draft class. However, that's unlikely. He'll be 29 soon, and by the time he figures things out, he'll be in his 30s. He'll be 33 when his first contract is up. Oh, and then there's the dubious history of Big XII quarterbacks flopping in the NFL. Weeden should not have been a first-round pick, and Cleveland must be heavily downgraded for that.

Some other choices didn't make much sense. Both John Hughes and Travis Benjamin were major reaches; the Hughes pick was particularly confusing because it didn't fill a need and failed to upgrade the offense. On the bright side, Trent Richardson will be a stud, while various late-round selections provided great value.

2012 NFL Draft Individual Grades:

3. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: A- Grade
This would be an A if Mike Holmgren wasn't duped into trading up to No. 3. Still, he gave up just a fourth-, a fifth- and a seventh-round pick for him, so I'm not going to penalize Cleveland very much. Trent Richardson is the right pick because he's the best player available and fills the greatest need. Colt McCoy was decent with Peyton Hillis before Hillis started dreaming about becoming a CIA agent, so maybe McCoy can become competent again.

22. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State: F Grade
I gave the Eagles an F last year for drafting a 27-year-old guard, so I'm dishing out yet another F for a geriatric player. Brandon Weeden turns 29 soon. By the time his first contract is up, he'll be 33. As in, near the end of his career. This move reaks of panic; Cleveland really wanted Kendall Wright, and Mike Holmgren apparently did not know what to do once the Titans made the surprise selection.

37. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California: C+ Grade
There were three receivers worth taking here, so the Browns selected... a right tackle? What? I like Mitchell Schwartz; he projects as a decent pro. But who the hell is Brandon Weeden going to throw to? And what about Cordy Glenn and Jonathan Martin?

87. John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati: Matt Millen Lonely Night Kielbasa Porn Grade
I mocked John Hughes in the seventh round. He wasn't above No. 249 on any major big board. He doesn't even fill a need. This is a terrible selection.

100. Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami: D Grade
Scouts Inc. had the highest grade on Travis Benjamin than anyone else, and they slotted him at No. 173. This is not the type of pick you make atop Round 4.

120. James-Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada: B+ Grade
I mocked James-Michael Johnson here to the Browns at this very spot, so I can't exactly bash this pick. It's a good one. The Browns are lacking in depth at linebacker, and Johnson is a good range fit in the middle of Round 4.

160. Ryan Miller, G, Colorado: B- Grade
I thought the Browns would take Ryan Miller in the sixth round, so I think this is a bit high for him. The pick makes sense though. He fits the blocking scheme and will provide much-needed competition for Jason Pinkston, who was terrible last year.

204. Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas: A- Grade
Cleveland was expected to select two linebackers in the 2012 NFL Draft. Emmanuel Acho is a fine selection. He's versatile and should have gone a round earlier.

205. Billy Winn, DE/DT, Boise State: A+ Grade
Major steal. Billy Winn could have easily gone in the third round. I actually like Winn better as prospect better than Cleveland's third-round selection John Hughes.

245. Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona: A+ Grade
I thought Trevin Wade would be a fourth-round pick. He was actually No. 79 on a major big board. This is great value and fills a need. The Browns need a No. 2 corner, and Wade should be able to compete for that job.

247. Brad Smelley, TE, Alabama: B+ Grade
The Browns don't need a tight end, but Brad Smelley provides a bit of value at the end of Round 7. Ben Watson will be a free agent next spring, so Cleveland needed a contingency plan at the position.

Season Summary:
Another year, another playoff absence. Since the Browns reentered the league in 1999, they've made the playoffs only once (2002). They're the only team in the AFC North that doesn't have a franchise quarterback, so maybe that's the reason why. Fortunately, they'll have a chance to land Robert Griffin this April.

Offseason Moves:

Browns cut DE Jayme Mitchell

Dolphins sign OT Artis Hicks

Broncos sign S Mike Adams

Browns sign DE Juqua Thomas-Parker

Browns re-sign OT Oniel Cousins

Browns re-sign CB Dimitri Patterson

Browns re-sign DT Brian Schaefering

Chiefs sign RB Peyton Hillis

Browns sign DE Frostee Rucker

Browns cut G Eric Steinbach

Browns re-sign TE Alex Smith

Browns re-sign G John Greco

Browns cut OT Tony Pashos

Browns franchise K Phil Dawson

Browns re-sign ILB D'Qwell Jackson

Offseason Needs:

Quarterback: There are a handful of Cleveland fans in denial about this, but Colt McCoy is not a franchise quarterback. The Browns will never be a perennial playoff contender until they acquire one. As mentioned, Robert Griffin could be theirs this April. Drafted Brandon Weeden
Wide Receiver: The Browns' offense is so limited because they don't have a No. 1 receiver. Greg Little could be a nice secondary option down the road if he stops dropping passes. Cleveland could consider Alshon Jeffery or Kendall Wright with their second first-round selection. Drafted Travis Benjamin
Right Tackle: Colt McCoy's not that talented, but he never had a chance because he was constantly running for his life. There are two major holes on Cleveland's offensive line. The most glaring one is at right tackle, where Tony Pashos surrendered seven sacks despite missing several weeks of action. Drafted Mitchell Schwartz
Defensive End: Cleveland had only one player who could consistently pressure the quarterback - rookie Jabaal Sheard. Jayme Mitchell struggled immensely, so he'll need to be upgraded. Signed Frostee Rucker and Juqua Thomas-Parker
Cornerback: Sheldon Brown is on his last legs, while fifth-round rookie Buster Skrine barely played last year. Skrine could develop into a solid cornerback, but Cleveland will still need depth (and a starter in case Skrine doesn't.) Re-signed Dimitri Patterson
Outside Linebacker: Add in an inside linebacker if D'Qwell Jackson isn't re-signed. Chris Gocong was recently extended. He played OK at weakside linebacker last year. He could stay there, or move to the strong side depending on what the Browns do in free agency and the draft. Re-signed D'Qwell Jackson; drafted James-Michael Johnson
Running Back: Peyton Hillis is as good as gone. Montario Hardesty can't stay healthy. The Browns need a talented running back to either complement Hardesty or replace him when he goes down again. Drafted Trent Richardson
Two Guards: Make it two guards if Eric Steinbach, who is coming off back surgery, doesn't agree to take a pay cut to reduce his $6 million salary. Jason Pinkston and Shawn Lauvao did a poor job last year. Drafted Ryan Miller
Free Safety: Mike Adams is a serviceable starter, but he's a free agent. Cleveland could stand to upgrade him anyway.
Defensive Tackle: Depth is needed behind Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin. The Browns are really thin there. Drafted John Hughes
Kicker: Phil Dawson had some issues in the middle of the season, but he still drilled about 82 percent of his field goals. He's a free agent, however. Franchised Phil Dawson

2012 NFL Free Agent Signings:

Frostee Rucker, DE, Bengals. Age: 28. -- Signed with Browns (5 years)
Juqua Thomas-Parker, DE, Eagles. Age: 34. -- Signed with Browns (1 year)

Cleveland Browns Free Agents:

Salary Cap: TBA.

D'Qwell Jackson, ILB, Browns. Age: 28.
Re-signed with Browns (5 years, $42.5 million; $19 million guarantee)

D'Qwell Jackson is really good if he's healthy. He played in just six total games in 2009 and 2010, but he dominated in 2011 because he was finally able to stay on the field.
Phil Dawson, K, Browns. Age: 37.
Franchised by Browns

Phil Dawson missed a couple of game-winners in the middle of the season, but he finished 24-of-29, including 7-of-8 from 50-plus.
Mike Adams, FS, Browns. Age: 31.
Signed with Broncos

Mike Adams is a serviceable free safety. The Browns could upgrade him, but they have way too many other things to focus on this offseason.
Peyton Hillis, RB, Browns. Age: 26.
Signed with Chiefs (1 year, $3 million)

Peyton Hillis is a tough runner with good pass-catching ability when healthy, but the problem is that he's always banged up. He's just way too unreliable, and his fumbling issues don't help.

Update: Hillis reportedly has thought about quitting football to become a CIA agent. Umm... what? Teams will definitely question his dedication.
Eric Steinbach, G, Browns. Age: 32.
Eric Steinbach was once regarded as one of the better guards in the NFL, but he struggled in 2009 and 2010, and then missed all of 2011 with a back injury that required surgery. Perhaps he can rebound and become an effective player again, but that probably won't happen.
Dimitri Patterson, CB, Browns. Age: 29. -- Signed with Browns (3 years, $16 million; $6 million guaranteed)
Tony Pashos, OT, Browns. Age: 32.
Brian Schaefering, DT, Browns. Age: 29. -- Re-signed with Browns
Jayme Mitchell, DE, Browns. Age: 28. -- Signed with Buccaneers
Alex Smith, TE, Browns. Age: 30. -- Re-signed with Browns (1 year)
Titus Brown (RFA), ILB, Browns. Age: 26.
Steve Vallos, G, Browns. Age: 28.
Artis Hicks, OT, Browns. Age: 33. -- Signed with Dolphins (1 year, $2 million)
Oniel Cousins, OT, Browns. Age: 28. -- Re-signed with Browns
John Greco, G, Browns. Age: 27. -- Re-signed with Browns

2012 NFL Free Agent Rankings Coming Soon

Divisional Rival History:
Baltimore Ravens: The old Browns have beaten the new Browns in the past eight matchups.
Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer was 9-3 lifetime against the Browns. Andy Dalton is now 2-0.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh has won 22 of 23 against Cleveland.

Features to be Posted This Offseason:

2012 NFL Draft Grades (Pick-by-Pick NFL Draft Grades as well - Live on Draft Day!)
Detailed season preview
Fantasy football projections
Positional rankings
Daily updates on free-agent signings

2012 NFL Offseason Pages

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - May 19

Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 16

2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 15

2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 3

NFL Picks - Feb. 3

2012 NFL Offseason: Cleveland Browns Draft Grades, Season Previews, Offseason Needs, Free Agents