Would you rather be… the Cleveland Browns?
For years, only the most optimistic Cleveland Browns fan would have said they would rather be the Browns compared to almost any other NFL team. There hasn’t been a game played in 2018, but it seems many fan bases could be looking to the shores of Lake Erie with envy.
Let’s play “Would you rather?” – Cleveland Browns edition. Would you rather be:
Team A : Cap space: $48 million under the limit. 2019 free agents (all types): 26
OR
Team B: Cap space: $13 million over the limit. 2019 free agents (all types): 42
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If you chose Team A, congratulations! You chose the Cleveland Browns. Team B is the Browns AFC North rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If you’re wondering, the Cincinnati Bengals are more than $3.7 million over the cap with 33 projected free agents in 2019. The Baltimore Ravens are more than $7.4 million over the cap with 28 players due to become free agents in 2019.
To be fair, a healthy cap number and players locked under contract are not perfect success indicators. While suffering through two seasons that have brought just one victory, Browns fans held unto hope. That hope was in the form of draft capital and salary cap room.
However, with only one win in two seasons, Browns fans know that acquiring assets can only do so much. At some point real hope comes from talent on the field.
There is no question the Cleveland Browns have gone through an extreme roster overhaul. In just a few months, the roster has been infused with talent at virtually every position.
But the good news is that the Browns have done this while still maintaining room under the salary cap and draft choices (right now the Browns have nine picks in 2019).
And despite their free agent acquisitions, the Browns still have one of the youngest rosters in the league. However, unlike the last two years, these first- and second-year players will not have to make an immediate impact. Instead, they can develop – under team-friendly contracts – as the Browns strive for that elusive sustained success that has been the false hope promised by too many past regimes.
Next: Potential head coaches if Hue Jackson is fired
Of course, now the burden is on head coach Hue Jackson and his coaching staff to ensure that all of this “hope” translates to wins on the field. But I ask you Browns fans, would you rather be the Browns or the Pittsburgh Steelers?