Quick-hitting one-liner analysis on every significant Browns player and offseason move.

Cleveland Browns

Predicted: 4^th

2008 Record: 4-12 (4^th AFC North)

Head Coach: Eric Mangini (1^st year)

Roster Quick Glance (*new veteran, **rookie)

Offense (Coordinator: Brian Daboll)

QB: Brady Quinn Should, without question, be this team’s starting quarterback. Accuracy and pocket presence are good. Keep in mind, he’s only started three NFL games.

RB: Jamal Lewis Setting a physical tone is great and all, but at some point, don’t teams need their running back to be able to actually turn the corner?

RB: Jerome Harrison Perhaps he can turn the corner. He’s quick and shifty. But he’s also never gotten on the field regularly as a pro.

FB: Lawrence Vickers Two-hundred-and-fifty-pound thumper who fits Jamal Lewis’s running style.

WR: Braylon Edwards Uniquely gifted field stretching/possession receiver who, you may have noticed, has a little problem with dropping passes.

WR: Brian Robiskie** Expected to settle in right away after being highly productive at Ohio State. Scouts like his deceptive speed.

WR: Mohamed Massaquoi** Smooth, intelligent rookie with a decent frame. A little less polished than Robiskie but, given Cleveland’s lack of receiving depth, primed to contribute immediately.

TE: Steve Heiden Long arms make him a good blocker, and he’s always proving to be a better receiver than you think. But how effective will he be coming off major knee surgery?

TE: Robert Royal* Provides the dependable blocking that coaches covet in a No. 2. Will catch what you throw him, but don’t throw him too much.

LT: Joe Thomas Two Pro Bowls in two years makes him a top five LT. Agile in space, reliable in pass protection (as long as he’s consistent against powerful pass-rushers).

LG: Eric Steinbach Good, reliable pass-blocker. Adept on the ground, though the Browns need him to be a top enforcer at the second level.

C: Alex Mack** Strong lower-body lends him the ability to drive. In other words, he’s everything that honorable yet declining veteran Hank Fraley is not.

RG: Rex Hadnot Serviceable when he’s on the move, but his breakdowns tend to be costly. Must fend off ex-Seahawk Floyd Womack.

RT: Ryan Tucker Missed virtually all of last season with a serious hip injury. Took a $2.65 million pay cut to return and prove that he’s still a gritty run-blocker.

6 OL: John St. Clair Backup swing tackle, though serendipitously seems to find a starting job wherever he goes. Can survive as a starter, but he’ll make a lot of people nervous in the process.

Defense (Coordinator: Rob Ryan)

LDE: Kenyon Coleman* Ex-Jet who is ideal in this scheme. Combination of power and agility make him one of the position’s better run defenders.

NT: Shaun Rogers Here’s what you get: an MVP-like performance in September; all-Pro output in October; occasional domination in November; infrequent flashes of power in early December; one exhausted 350-pounder in late December.

RDE: Corey Williams Let’s hope his pathetic effort at fighting blocks last season was a result of a nagging shoulder and not the $16.3 million in guarantees.

2 DT: Shaun Smith Squatty build gives him natural leverage. Problem is, he won’t fight unless he’s sure the action is flowing his way.

3 DE: Robaire Smith Coming off Achilles injury. Will compete with ex-Jet C.J. Mosley for rotational snaps.

LOLB: David Bowens* Eleventh-year veteran who knows the scheme. But so what? If he knew the words to every Kenny Chesney song, would that mean he could sing?

LILB: Eric Barton* Shows good strength at the point of attack, but overall, he’s the epitome of an average starting linebacker.

RILB: D’Qwell Jackson Solid fundamental tackler who capitalizes on his speed. It’s imperative for Cleveland to keep blockers off him.

ROLB: Kamerion Wimbley Good playside run defender, though we’d never know it because we’re all too busy screaming for him to Learn Some Pass-Rush Moves!

5 LB: Leon Williams Continued improvement in run defense could expand his role past nickel packages. Of course, this new regime just drafted ILB David Veikune in Round Two.

CB: Eric Wright Has shown encouraging growth over 29 starts his first two years. Some think he needs to cap his cockiness until he becomes more of a playmaker.

CB: Brandon McDonald Looks marvelous some weeks and terrible others. Overall, his arrow is pointing up. Just needs to figure out how to consistently defend bigger targets.

NB: Rod Hood* Aggressiveness makes him an excellent on-ball defender. But at times his physicality can also work against him.

SS: Brodney Pool Tremendous raw athlete who should have a chance to dictate more of the action after spending last season in deep centerfield.

FS: Abram Elam* If not for a few blown coverages with the Jets last season, he would have been a well-sought-after free agent.

6 DB: Hank Poteat* Follows Mangini wherever he goes. Another one of those “knows the system” guys.

Special Teams

K: Phil Dawson Outstanding power and reliability. Angling for a new contract. This begs the question: If a kicker held out from training camp, would anyone notice?

P: Dave Zastudil Averaged a career-best 45.5 yards per punt in ’08.

RS: Joshua Cribbs Set the franchise return yards record in ’05, ’06 and ’07. Also loves to cover kicks and punts, though coaches want to minimize his wear and tear.

Cleveland Browns

Draft

RD PK (OVR) NAME POS SCHOOL

1 21 (21) Alex Mack C California

2 4 (36) Brian Robiskie WR Ohio St

2 18 (50) Mohamed Massaquoi WR Georgia

2 20 (52) David Veikune DE Hawaii

4 4 (104) Kaluka Maiava OLB USC

6 4 (177) Don Carey CB Norfolk St

6 18 (191) Coye Francies CB San Jose St

6 22 (195) James Davis RB Clemson

KEY PLAYERS ACQUIRED

LB Eric Barton: UFA Jets; $11.15M/4 yrs, guarantees unknown.

LB David Bowens: FA Jets; $7.2M/4 yrs, guarantees unknown.

DE Kenyon Coleman (trade Jets).

S Abram Elam (trade Jets).

WR Mike Furrey: FA; terms unknown.

CB Corey Ivy: UFA Ravens; 1 yr, terms unknown.

DT C.J. Mosley: UFA Jets; $5M/2 yrs, guarantees unknown.

WR David Patten: FA Saints; 1 yr, terms unknown.

CB Hank Poteat: UFA Jets; $745,000/1 yr.

QB Brett Ratliff (trade Jets).

TE Robert Royal: FA Bills; $10M/3 yrs, $3M guaranteed.

T/G John St. Clair: UFA Bears; $9M/3 yrs, $600,000 guaranteed.

OT Floyd Womack: UFA Seahawks; terms unknown.

KEY PLAYERS LOST

CB Terry Cousin (released).

CB Travis Daniels: UFA Chiefs; terms unknown.

LB Andra Davis: UFA Broncos; $5M/2 yrs, guarantees unknown.

TE Darnell Dinkins: UFA Saints; 1 yr, terms unknown.

QB Ken Dorsey (released).

S Sean Jones: UFA Eagles; $3M/1 yr, guarantees unknown.

WR Joe Jurevicius (released).

C/G Seth McKinney: UFA Bills; terms unknown.

LB Antwan Peek (released/failed physical).

OT Kevin Shaffer (released).

TE Kellen Winslow (traded Buccaneers).

RB Jason Wright: UFA Cardinals; $2M/2 yrs, guarantees unknown.

OG Scott Young: UFA Broncos; terms unknown.

Analysis

Some are calling Eric Mangini’s new team the Cleveland Jets. He and first-year GM George Kokinis have certainly reshuffled things. Of the bundle of players let go, only TE Kellen Winslow, LB Andra Davis and SS Sean Jones were viable starters. Winslow was expendable because he had alienated so many within the organization. Letting Davis leave didn’t make much sense. He’s a better player than Eric Barton, plus Denver got him for a cheaper price. Sean Jones isn’t special, but neither is his replacement, Abram Elam. The former Jet is more familiar with Mangini’s system, but what Mangini runs is not much different from what Romeo Crennel ran.

Former Jets DE Kenyon Coleman and OLB David Bowens will both start. Coleman is an energetic run-defender, which Cleveland sorely lacked in Shaun Smith last year. The 30-year-old Bowens is past his prime, which is why it’s hard to understand why the Browns failed to draft or sign any pass-rushers during the offseason. Second-rounder David Veikune was a DE at Hawaii, but he’s moving to nickel ILB.

Offensively, the right side of the line is going to be weak with newcomers Floyd Womack at guard and John St. Clair at tackle. Both veterans were available because of their mediocrity at previous stops. Robert Royal will be a No. 2 TE, which means veteran Steve Heiden replaces Winslow.

The Browns’ top three draft choices are all expected to be long-term fixtures. Center Alex Mack could push for Hank Fraley’s job right away. Second-round WR Brian Robiskie will be no lower than No. 3 on the depth chart. Mohamed Massaquoi, the Georgia wideout who was drafted 14 spots behind Robiskie, might also be polished enough to warrant immediate playing time. Good thing, too. Last year’s starter, Donte Stallworth, is suspended indefinitely after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter. No. 1 WR Braylon Edwards, who was rumored to be on the trading block, could leave as a FA after this season.