Cleveland Browns: Former Browns in spotlight in Atlanta

The Cleveland Browns decided to rebuild in 2016, which meant letting go some talented players who are now making a difference on teams around the NFL.

Cleveland Browns fans likely tuned into yesterday’s conference championship games expecting no mention of the hometown team. But it was hard to avoid mentioning the Browns during the NFC title game.

That is because the Atlanta Falcons feature several former Browns in prominent roles, both on the roster and on the coaching staff.

Alex Mack and Taylor Gabriel are two players who are now playing in the Super Bowl after one year away from Cleveland, while Kyle Shanahan will be coaching in the game, two years removed from his time in Cleveland.

The broadcast team on Sunday did not forget this, opting for a graphic to remind Browns fans how much success former players can find elsewhere.

Ouch. The success the two players are having outside of Cleveland is no secret, but it is painfully frustrating to know the Browns consistently let talent leave in favor of constant rebuilds and losing seasons.

This new group in charge seems to have a smart plan in place, but no one knows if it will actually work out. This is not to say there is no hope of the plan working, but if it doesn’t, fans will wonder what could have been if certain players were kept around.

There is the argument that the team was bad with certain players on the team, so letting them go won’t change anything, with Mack being a fixture in this argument. But the success he is having in Atlanta shows that he is simply a talented player, and will help any team he is on.

The graphic during Sunday’s game was less an attack on the Browns and more of a reminder of the fact the Browns have had talent on the team in the recent past. Some players were bad fits, and others were unable to be kept for financial reasons, but fans find no solace in knowing things could be different if more faith was placed in certain players.

Having a consistent group in the front office is the first step to keeping talent in Cleveland and maintaining an organizational philosophy that lasts for more than two seasons, so hopefully Jimmy Haslam has learned his lesson.

Next: Roster analysis: The WRs

For now, fans can cheer on some former Browns who are flourishing in Atlanta.