The Remote Report: A Look at the Post-Draft Cleveland Browns

I was going to write about how the Browns’ draft this year is like any other draft and you need to just calm way down about it because you won’t know the results for at least a year, and probably more like three. But Steve nailed that here. Instead, let’s just soak in what’s going on.

Fans are stuck in a time of embracing the team. We’ve been stuck in this situation oh, I don’t know, every year for as far back as I can remember. Here’s a little breakdown of what we’re dealing with (it’s juicy):

• The new ownership is using phrases like “it’s a process,” “a few years away,” and “we’re just doing this to piss you off”*
• The new front office basically took a pass on the draft, prompting my brother to make a terrible “it’s a passing league” joke
• Weaknesses have only sort of been addressed, even though the busy part of free agency and the draft are already over
• The team is fully expecting to be middle-of-the-road again and they’re expecting the fans to be top-of-the-line…again
• The backup quarterback with eight years of experience in the league is less than two years older than the guy just coming off his rookie season
• Neither of those guys listed above are particularly good (yet?)
• First-year coach
• One of the five youngest teams in the league
• The defending Super Bowl champ is in the same division as the Browns, and even the Bengals were good last year – and they’re supposed to be good this coming year, too
• Four guys start in an NFL secondary, so here are the guys (post-draft) who aren’t Joe Haden and T.J. Ward who are vying for those other two spots: Trevin Wade, Tashaun Gipson, Buster Skrine, Eric Hagg, Ricky Tunstall, Kent Richardson, Chris Owens, Prince Miller, Josh Aubrey, Johnson Bademosi, Kevin Barnes, Leon McFadden, and Jamoris Slaughter

So, you know, things are looking pretty good right now.

But really, I’m okay with all of this. I like to think that a young team will improve based on older teams getting older and weaker versus the younger guys getting stronger. I have zero evidence for this, but that’s okay. Our job is to stay optimistic for virtually no reason, and by “job” I mean “lose money while watching this slow-motion train wreck.”

I’m really trying here, guys. I want to be optimistic today, I really do. I’m reserving judgment, though. I like Barkevious Mingo just fine, but I love that he has a brother named Hughtavious.

Go Browns.

*They didn’t actually say this one verbatim…but they said it.