Cleveland Browns: A sense of optimism after the 2016 Draft

The Cleveland Browns had a solid draft for the first time in years after selecting 14 players in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns have not given fans much to cheer about since returning to the NFL in 1999. The team made the playoffs in 2002 and went 10-6 in 2007, but these results seem like outliers amongst the norm of losing seasons.

The most exciting part of each season seems to be when there isn’t a game being played.

The NFL Draft is like the Super Bowl for Browns fans, but has not given the faithful much to be happy about the past few years.

Players would be drafted and signed by the team, only to end up on another roster or be out of the league before any success was seen.

There was always a genuine sense of optimism heading into the draft, but the front office always seemed to bungle any chance of rebuilding the team before Roger Goodell could hear the boos.

Out of the 12 selections last season, only Duke Johnson was a significant contributor to the team.

That 2015 draft class is the last remnant of an embarrassing operation headed by former GM Ray Farmer, who set the team back years instead of moving it forward.

But the new members of the front office have done their best to move on from the reputation of past members with the 2016 draft class.

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The Browns selected 14 players, with only one being a real reach. The selection of USC QB Cody Kessler drew questions, but he seems to be set to learn the system before being put on the field, contrary to some comments by Sashi Brown this week.

Overall reaction to the selections have been mixed, but the fact the Browns are receiving high grades from some major outlets shows that there is a genuine belief the new front office has turned the corner from the mistakes of the past.

Now there is no guarantee that all, or even any of these picks turn out to be great moves. But the selection of 14 players gives some hope that there are possibly some potential stars in the bunch. But this is the Browns, so there is always going to be some skepticism involved.

The good news is that Head Coach Hue Jackson and the front office actually spent time with these players, meeting with them and getting to know them before spending millions of dollars on a college kid.

Look no further than Justin Gilbert for proof of how important pre-draft meetings are. Or throw in Johnny Manziel’s name when talking about vetting prospects.

There do not appear to be any Gilberts or Manziels in this year’s class, making it one that gives fans some sense of hope for the future of this franchise.

Next: The Cleveland Browns front office is a smart group

There are still questions, such as what the Browns will do with the surplus of receivers on the roster, but that will be handled in the months to come. For now, Browns fans can be happy knowing the team is undergoing a systematic rebuild, and one where the members of the front office seem to know what they’re doing.

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