Why the Cleveland Browns have built a championship roster
Sep 15, 2013; Baltimore, MD, USA; Cleveland Browns huddle during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
I know I’m going to get blasted in the comment section because of this title, but whatever, I don’t write scared. Let’s get one thing clear: I don’t think the Cleveland Browns will be Super Bowl contenders this season, because um well they don’t have a quarterback, but everything else falls right in line with what a championship team looks like. I’ll tell you why.
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This Browns roster in my opinion is very Seattle Seahawk-like. From top to bottom it looks very similar to what the Seahawks have built as in constructing an all-around solid group, with the quarterback as the final missing piece.
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In Pete Carroll‘s first two seasons with Seattle, the team went 7-9 in both years. During those two seasons they drafted players like Earl Thomas, Russell Okung, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell, and other impactful players. Building the team’s nucleus mainly through the secondary.
Not to mention players like Max Unger, Marshawn Lynch, and a slew of other productive players that formed what was an extremely talented bunch. Even with all the ability on their roster, they still weren’t a .500 football team. What changed?
Well, they finally found their quarterback in Russell Wilson, that fit the final piece to the puzzle. He was the icing on the cake, and since his arrival the Seahawks have won 36 regular season games over the last three seasons, including a super bowl title. A far cry from their back-to-back 7-9 seasons before Wilson’s tenure.
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Now, the Browns tried to draft their version of Wilson in Johnny Manziel, as a smaller quarterback with mobility, but so far, that hasn’t worked to plan. Wilson and Manziel’s maturity levels are in stark contrast, as is their production on the field. Besides that attempt of replication, there are actually some erie similarities between the two teams:
– Both teams built their offensive line with elite left tackle and center combinations. The Browns with Joe Thomas and Alex Mack, while the Seahawks with Okung and Unger.
– Both teams have very average receiving groups, dealing with big-time talents as well as big-time distractions in Josh Gordon and Percy Harvin.
– Both have elite secondaries, with two of the league’s best cornerbacks, as well as the league’s best safeties.
– Both are more ground and pound type offenses, than pass first offenses.
– Both with very talented front seven’s on the defensive side of the football.
-*Neither Harvin or Unger are still a part of the team, but they were building blocks in their 2013 championship squad that defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Whether it’s by coincidence or done with a purpose, both rosters have huge similarities. This isn’t me hinting at the Browns making a super bowl appearance this season, because it’s not going to happen. It just goes to show you what one player could do to change the landscape of a franchise.
If Wilson is never a Seahawk, does Carroll still have a job? Are the Seahawks even a playoff team? With Wilson still in a contract predicament with Seattle, it would be interesting to see what he demands if he hits the open market. Could Cleveland contend for his services?
With Peyton Manning leaving the Indianapolis Colts, Joe Montana leaving the San Francisco 49ers, and Brett Favre playing for the rival Minnesota Vikings, I just don’t think anything is ever out of the question.
Ironically, the Browns finished at 7-9 last season like the pre-Russell Wilson Seahawks did, and are projected too be around the same win total again this season. Don’t mistake their record for a bad roster, folks. I know it’s easy to say any team is a quarterback away, but all-around this is as solid of a group as there is for sustained success. They’re just still looking for that final puzzle piece.
Do you see the same similarities I do? Whether you do or don’t, I’d love to hear what you have to say in the comment section below.