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Cleveland Browns: Optimism is the best choice in 2017

By Steven Kubitza

Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (left) talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam (left) talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown and head coach Hue Jackson before the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns had a 2016 season to forget, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about what is to come in the team’s future.

Football fans around the country often offer sympathy when Cleveland Browns fans talk about an upcoming NFL season. The Cleveland-centric optimism is viewed as insane, giving Browns fans a perpetual reason to continue the “Cleveland or Nowhere” tradition.

The excitement about the 2017 season is all Browns fans have right now after a dismal 1-15 campaign in 2016. The NFL Draft is once again the most heated topic of discussion, while the current players on the roster are secondary in importance, at least for now.

The Draft continually gives fans optimism, which often ends up being misguided. But there is a genuine reason for optimism heading into the 2017 season, even if those outside Cleveland may think this idea is crazy.

In general, being optimistic is the most sane way to go about being a sports fan. Consistently expecting your favorite team to be awful defeats the purpose of watching sports, which serve as an escape from the crazy world around us. Specifically with the Browns, the team was so bad in 2016 that the only way to go is up.

It sounds sad to say things have to get better after 1-15, but this does not mean that fans are expecting to be happy with a 2-14 or 3-13 record. It means that the Browns have, at least on paper, taken steps to make a visible improvement in 2017.

The changes made with the defensive coaching staff have not yet been given a chance to show up on the field, but the new group should be working with some top prospects who can help improve one of the worst defenses from 2016.

That brings us to the potential draft picks, which is a group of players always causing optimism among Browns fans when the names are still yet to be decided. Myles Garrett looks to be the favorite to join the team with the No. 1 pick, but players like Jonathan Allen and Deshaun Watson are also names who come up in the discussion. All three look to be future NFL stars, so fans will have a fun time hashing out the arguments for each as to why one will make the Browns great in 2017 and beyond.

Next: 2016 roster analysis: The QBs

It may be naive, but it is hard to be a Browns fan and not have optimism when looking toward the future. If anything, it is the best way to stay sane as a fan of a team that has not been great for decades.

Being pessimistic about the team in the offseason sucks any joy about the upcoming season. Save those feelings until the team opens up with five or six losses, but try to remain positive until then.

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