What’s Going On in Browns Country?

Well, to be honest, not much.  Some of the biggest news to stay keen on with the Browns hardly involves them at all.  Not surprisingly, Shaun Smith is being called a liar by the Bengals, specifically former Bengals receivers coach Hue Jackson.  But, as ProFootballTalk suggests, there could be a reason Jackson said what he did:

"These coaches jump from job to job.  They rely on relationships to ensure that they have places to land when they are displaced from their current places of employment.  Indeed, Jackson was under consideration for a job with the Bengals earlier this year, and could be again in the future."

Interesting way to put it, and really makes you think who is telling the truth here.  I’ll take Smith on this one.

• The Browns have been relatively quiet since making such a large splash in the first weekend of free agency.  The views on these moves have been mixed, especially with all the guaranteed money being thrown towards these new defensive linemen.  The national views on Shaun Roger’s new $42 million vary, but many think it was just too much for a player known for slacking.  Simply “counting on his potential” may seem as too much of a reach to some.  Obviously, only time will tell, but I truly believe he will show up renewed and with a new drive to contribute on a winning team.  How long the honeymoon will last is the problem…
• But with all of these moves being made, the Browns are being labeled as one of those “trendy Super Bowl picks,” which could be good or bad, depending on what teams one thinks of that have been “trendy” picks to win the Super Bowl in March.
• Oh, and there’s this thing called the NFL Draft.  There isn’t much to say about it from the Browns perspective, because they do not have a pick until the fourth round.  Therefore, the only thing being heard is the enthusiasm of Browns fans everywhere, excited to see an improved defense hopefully match the talent level of the offense.  For now, there is a lot of hope circulating around, and with good reason.  Even though what you see now is basically what you’re going to get come September, this hasn’t stopped fans and media outlets from hyping up this young, improved team.
•  And finally, the looming Brady Quinn–Derek Anderson debate.  Anderson is said to be the starter, but with Quinn lurking behind him, presumably getting closer to the starting job with every Anderson interception or miscue, how long will it be until things get really ugly?  One of the main reasons that Anderson was so successful for much of last season was the fact that he was clearly the starter.  He’s the starter in theory going into 2008, but it’s obvious that his job is not necessarily safe.  He may not stand a chance; he needs that reassurance that he can make a few mistakes without the fear of losing his job and I doubt he’s going to get that in Cleveland.