Daily Dawg Tags: A weaker AFC North in 2017
The Cleveland Browns’ path back to competency may be helped along by the rest of the AFC North division regressing in the next few years.
Cleveland Browns fans are looking for any sources of optimism right now, and one may be sitting right on the schedule.
The six annual games against AFC North foes have not been kind to the Browns since the division formed in 2002. A game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens has usually meant Browns fans are in for a rough three hours.
But things may be changing as the rest of the division is getting older while the Browns are getting younger. In a league that relies heavily upon quarterback play, the Steelers and the Ravens carry two older quarterbacks while the Bengals lost some key offensive line pieces for Andy Dalton this season.
The Browns are nowhere near settled at the position, but finally finding that franchise guy could help take advantage of a weakening division. This is wishful thinking but the Browns have to find that guy eventually, right?
It may be DeShone Kizer, Cody Kessler or even Brock Osweiler in what would be the one of the weirdest things to happen in this city in a long time. But fans won’t care as long as the team starts to actually win football games.
We take a look at that and more in today’s edition of the Daily Dawg Tags.
Cleveland Browns news:
AFC North ranked low in divisional power rankings
"Browns fans are accustomed to the AFC North being a tough division, but that may be changing in 2017 and beyond."
Answering some Browns trivia in the DPD Podcast
"The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of a slow news period, so we decided to take on some Browns trivia in the latest episode of the DPD Podcast."
Browns all over NFL.com’s rankings of all-time greatest players (cleveland.com)
"Gil Brandt, an analyst for NFL.com and former Cowboys VP of player personnel (1960-88), recently concluded his ranking of the NFL’s all-time greatest players by position. And they were loaded with Browns representatives."
On this date: Jim Brown retires from the NFL (ESPN)
"Fifty-one years ago today, NFL legend Jim Brown announced his retirement to pursue a career as a movie actor."
NFL news:
Teddy Bridgewater injury update: No brace for Vikings QB (FanSided)
"Social media has been a vehicle to show how Teddy Bridgewater is recovering from his knee injury, and it happened again recently."
Dak Prescott: We’re the Cowboys, we’ll win NFC East (NFL.com)
"Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are billowing with confidence coming off their division title last season."