Cleveland Browns: It was fun. Let’s not do this again.
The Cleveland Browns have had a bonanza of draft picks over the last few years. But the real question that fans are asking is will these players translate to wins on the field?
The 2018 NFL Draft is over and the Cleveland Browns came away with nine new draft picks. Assuming that every player either makes the 53-man roster or the practice squad, Cleveland will remain one of the youngest teams in the league in 2018.
In 2017, the Browns added 10 players. Of those draft picks, nine are currently on the roster. The lone exception is quarterback Deshone Kizer who was traded to the Green Bay Packers in March. In 2016, the Browns drafted 13 players, nine of whom are still on the current roster.
This is a trend that has to end. The only way to buck that trend is for the Cleveland Browns to start winning. Dating back to general manager Ray Farmer, fans have heard front offices and coaches ask for patience as the team was working towards “sustained success”. These pleas are falling on deaf ears as the team has, arguably, hit rock bottom these last two seasons.
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Some fans have applauded the complete demolition of the roster over the past two seasons, citing the analytics-forward philosophy which led to this year’s unprecedented combination of draft assets and salary cap room. However, for many fans patience has worn thin as moves that looked good on paper have not, yet, translated to wins.
This was to be expected. The Cleveland Browns were exceptionally young at too many positions to be competitive. General Manager John Dorsey acknowledged this at his introductory press conference, and has added veteran talent at skill positions that should translate to wins on the field.
Actually, it must translate to wins. Otherwise, head coach Hue Jackson will almost certainly be fired which would start the organization in another new direction with new philosophies on both sides of the ball. That’s not the sustained success fans want. The mantra cannot continue to be “trust the process” and “wait until next year”.
In fairness, fans are not always the best evaluators of talent (yours truly included). A closer look at the previous two years drafts should give Browns fans hope. There are many young players who make up the core of their roster who should continue to develop.
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However, if a football team is a corporation, then fans are its most important shareholders. Those shareholders are growing restless for a return on their investment. Will the fans be rewarded in 2018? We can only hope.