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Cleveland Browns get love from Uncle Colin? Not so fast my friend

By Greg Newland

CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 08: Head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Cleveland Browns watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Bengals 27-19. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - DECEMBER 08: Head coach Freddie Kitchens of the Cleveland Browns watches from the sidelines during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Bengals 27-19. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Colin Cowherd has often been critical of the Cleveland Browns organization and unfortunately, things haven’t changed.  Is he wrong?

On Monday Colin Cowherd released his top 8 NFL rosters, which included the Cleveland Browns.

Keep in mind this does not include factors like who the coach or general manager is of the team.  This is strictly the best “on paper” rosters.

On the bright side, the Browns made Colin’s list, coming in with the sixth most talented roster in the NFL. Cowherd recognized that the Browns have a tremendous amount of talent and most of it is still raw and young.

The bad news, two division rivals are also on the list. The Baltimore Ravens take the No. 1 spot, and the Pittsburgh Steelers rounding out the list at No. 8. That coupled with an inexperienced head coach and general manager, leads Cowherd to believe the Browns will once again underachieve in 2020. All divisions are tough in the NFL, but one could argue the AFC North is as tough as any with the Ravens and Steelers.

Cowherd continued to stress that continuity in the front office is extremely important and that families are scared to come to Cleveland because they will only get one shot before being fired. Cowherd may have been right in 2019, but I’m still holding out hope he is wrong in 2020.

The Freddie Kitchens era was a disaster from the beginning. General manager John Dorsey wanted far too much control and decided to hire a coach he could control vs. one with experience. Let’s not forget Paul DePodesta and Dorsey weren’t exactly aligned either.

While owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam deserve much of the blame for the train wreck last year, I think it is safe to say they may have got this one right. I know Andrew Berry is the youngest general manager in the NFL, and Paul DePodesta is a baseball guy. I’m aware Kevin Stefanski has never been an NFL head coach and has only ever been with one team. All which are negatives that could lead you to believe Uncle Colin will be right once again.

But let’s not forget the Browns have a tremendous amount of talent on offense and defense including Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Austin Hooper, Odell Beckham, Myles Garrett, and Denzel Ward. With a fresh start, look for all these guys to have breakout years in 2020. Leadership and culture from the top down must change, but the personnel is in place to do so.

It just feels different this time. Berry has already proven he can sign talented players and Kevin Stefanski has said all the right things. The trio of Berry, DePodesta, and Stefanski are all aligned, and Baker Mayfield appears focused as every to prove doubters wrong.

Where Colin was right:

The Browns have been a dumpster fire for most of the time since coming back in 1999.

Next. 10 Pick mock lands Browns star player. dark

Where Colin is hopefully wrong:

The Haslam’s got one right with Berry and Stefanski and will be a playoff contender for years to come.

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