46-year old head coach Pat Shurmur is getting his first shot at being a head coach in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns in 2011.  He has been an NFL assistant coach for 12 years, including serving as the Rams’ offensive coordinator the last two years.  The Browns are hoping that Shurmur will be able to get the offense going in the right direction in 2011, as he will be calling the plays.  The Browns were impressed with how well Shurmur did with Sam Bradford in St. Louis and they hope he can do the same with Colt McCoy.  Shurmur has connections to both GM Tom Heckert (he was the Eagles’ QB coach from 1999-2008) and team president Mike Holmgren (Shurmur’s uncle Fritz was the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 1994-1998).  The Browns now look like a cohesive team from the top on down now and that’s a good start to getting back to where they want to be.

The Cleveland Browns are likely going to throw the ball a lot more in 2011 now that Pat Shurmur is calling the plays.  That doesn’t mean that 25-year old RB Peyton Hillis won’t get his touches, because he will.  Hillis played in 16 games (14 starts) for the Browns last year and he carried the ball 270 times for 1,177 yards (4.4 ypc) with 11 TD runs.  He also caught 61 passes for 477 yards (7.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs last year.  Hillis came over from the Broncos in the Brady Quinn trade with the Browns are probably still laughing about.  Look for the bulldozer to get his fair share of yards in 2011 as long as he doesn’t succumb to the Madden Jinx.  Hillis has now played in 42 games (22 starts) in his first three years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 351 times for 1,574 yards (4.5 ypc) with 17 TD runs.  He also has caught 79 passes for 675 yards (8.5 avg) with 3 TD grabs in his NFL career so far.

25-year old Brandon Jackson will likely be the Browns’ #2 RB in 2011.  Jackson played in 16 games (13 starts) for the Packers last year and he carried the ball 190 times for 703 yards (3.7 ypc) with 3 TD runs.  He also caught 43 passes for 342 yards (8.0 avg) with 1 TD grab last year.  Jackson will probably be the #2 back because Montario Hardesty just can’t seem to stay healthy.  Jackson has now played in 52 games (16 starts) in his first four years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 347 times for 1,329 yards (3.8 ypc) with 7 TD runs.  He also has caught 110 passes for 844 yards (7.7 avg) with 2 TD grabs in his NFL career.  Jackson’s main job will be to lessen the workload for Peyton Hillis in 2011.

The Browns took Montario Hardesty in the 2010 NFL draft and they had high hopes for him.  He suffered a knee injury that required surgery which caused him to miss his whole rookie season.  Hardesty is having knee issues again in this camp, so it will be hard for the Browns to have confidence in his ability to help the team in 2011.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BROWNS RBS IN 2011:  B

Browns’ president really wanted the Browns to draft Colt McCoy last year and finally GM Tom Heckert relented in the 3rd round.  McCoy was forced into action last season after injuries to Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, and he was not overmatched.  He goes into this season as the Browns’ starting QB.  McCoy played in 8 games (all starts) for the Browns last season and he completed 135 of 222 passes (60.8%) for 1,576 yards with 6 TD passes and 9 INTs (74.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 28 times for 136 yards (4.9 ypc) with 1 TD run last year.  McCoy lead practices during the lockout proving that he relishes taking a leadership role with the Browns and that is exciting.  He could get off to a really good start to build confidence this year because the Browns don’t see the Steelers or Ravens until December, but they do play them in four of their last five games this year.

31-year old Seneca Wallace will be McCoy’s backup this year.  Wallace is a decent QB as he has good mobility and enough arm to get the ball down the fields.  Wallace played in 8 games (4 starts) for the Browns last year and he completed 64 of 101 passes (63.4%) for 694 yards with 4 TD passes and 2 INTs (88.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 7 times for 9 yards (1.3 ypc) and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards last year.  Wallace knows the West Coast offensive system like the back of his hand as he has been on Mike Holmgren’s teams (Seattle and Cleveland) for his whole career so far.  Wallace has played in 56 games (18 starts) in his first six years in the NFL and he has completed 397 of 657 passes (60.4%) for 4,021 yards with 29 TD passes and 16 INTs (83.9 QB Rating).  Wallace has also carried the ball 61 times for 223 yards (3.7 ypc) with 1 TD run and he has caught 5 passes for 85 yards (17.0 avg). 

23-year old Jarrett Brown will battle 23-year old Troy Weatherford for the #3 QB job in 2011 for the Browns.  Brown was an undrafted QB out of West Virginia last year while Weatherford is a undrafted rookie out of tiny Hillsdale College.  This will be a interesting battle in training camp to watch.  After all, the Browns’ #3 QB last year (Colt McCoy) started 8 games in 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BROWNS QBS IN 2011:  C+

The Cleveland Browns have the best return man on the planet in 27-year old Joshua Cribbs.  He has returned 10 kickoffs & punts for TDs in his career which is already an NFL record that he will look to add to in 2010.  Cribbs played in 16 games for the Browns last season and he returned 56 kickoffs for 1,542 yards (27.5 avg) with 3 TD returns.  He has now played in 77 games in his NFL career and he has returned 265 kickoffs for 7,049 yards (26.6 avg) with 8 TD returns.  Cribbs is a threat to score from anywhere on the field as he has the moves, speed and stength combo that no other return man in the NFL has.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BROWNS KICKOFF RETURNERS in 2010:  A+++++

The offensive line is the strength of the Cleveland Browns.  It really showed in the last four games of last season when the Browns didn’t try to pass much and no one could stop their running game and that was because of the O-Line.  It all starts at LT where Joe Thomas is one of the best, if not the best tackle in the NFL.  Thomas is a great run blocker and he’s very good at pass blocking as Jake Delhomme will be able to drop in the pocket without any worries of getting hit in the back.  LG Eric Steinbach is a outstanding run blocker as he always seems to hit moving targets on the second level of the D taking out linebackers.  He’s also a good pass blocker.  When the Browns run to the left side they almost always have success due to Steinbach & Thomas.  Center Alex Mack was solid all year long as a rookie in 2009.  He’s best at run blocking as he’s just plain nasty in that role.  Floyd Womack (RG) and Tony Pashos (RT) are both solid run blockers who are so-so in pass blocking.  Rookie guard Shawn Lauvao and tackle John St. Clair give the Browns quality depth on the O-Line for 2010.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CLEVELAND BROWNS O-LINE in 2010:  A

The Browns finished very strong last season likely saving 39-year old head coach Eric Mangini’s job.  The Browns were only 5-11 (31.3%) in his first year with the team and if it happens again he will likely get fired.  Mangini has a 4-year career record of 28-36 (43.8%) during the regular season and he’s 0-1 in the playoffs.  One thing that’s in the Browns favor this season is that Mangini is 19-13 in even numbered years with 2010 is.  But, he’s only 9-23 in odd numbered years.  President Mike Holmgren might get the itch to return to coaching at any time so Mangini has to get his team to improve in 2010.

35-year old kicker Phil Dawson threatened to hold out this season before coming to his senses.  He played in 11 games for the Browns last season and he made 17 of 19 field goals (89.5%).  Dawson also made 18 of 19 extra points for the Browns as he finished up with 69 points last year.  Dawson has now played in 167 games in his career with the Browns and he has made 229 of 275 field goals (83.3%).  He has also made 273 of 281 extra points in his career as he has 960 points for the Brownies.  The Browns can’t afford to leave points on the field and Dawson is a pretty solid kicker.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BROWNS KICKERS in 2010:  B

23-year old Mohamed Massaquoi burst onto the scene last season as a rookie for the Browns.  He played in 16 games (11 starts) in which he caught 34 passes for 624 yards (18.4 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  The Browns need Massaquoi to be more consistent in 2010.  He had a couple of games that he dominated last season but he also had a few games that you had to check the boxscore closely to see if he played.  He is really fast and can get deep but he needs to improve his concentration on the football.  Despite my nitpicking I fully believe that he could develop into a true #1 WR this season.

27-year old Joshua Cribbs makes most of his money on special teams but that might be about to change in 2010.  The Browns have him penciled in as a starting WR for 2010 heading into training camp.  Cribbs played in 16 games (all starts) for the Browns last season and he caught 20 passes for 135 yards (6.8 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He also carried the ball 55 times for 381 yards (6.9 ypc) with 1 TD run as the QB of the Wildcat Formation in which he is very dangerous.  Cribbs has now played in 77 games (17 starts) in his career with the Browns and he has caught 36 passes for 288 yards (8.0 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  He has also carried the ball 95 times for 620 yards (6.5 ypc) with 2 TD runs in his career.  Look for the Browns to move Cribbs all over the place this season to cause matchup problems for the opposing defenses.

26-year old Chansi Stuckey is penciled in as the #3 WR for the Browns heading into training camp.  Stuckey played in 15 games (3 starts) for the Browns & Jets last season and he caught 30 passes for 318 yards (10.6 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  He has now played in 30 games (5 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 62 passes for 677 yards (10.9 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  Stuckey has also carried the ball 3 times for 7 yards (2.3 ypc) in his career.  Stuckey is a possession type receiver.

22-year old Brian Robiskie was a huge disappointment for the Browns as a rookie last season.  He played in 11 games (1 start) for the Browns last season and he caught 7 passes for 106 yards (15.1 avg) without a TD.  The Browns gave glowing reports of how good Robiskie looked in OTAs but I will believe it when I see it.

Rookie Carlton Mitchell will give the Browns a big target as he is 6’3″, 215 pounds.  He was picked in the 6th round by the Browns out of South Florida.  Many draft experts had Mitchell going in the 2nd or 3rd round so the Browns might have a steal here.

37-year old Bobby Engram played quite a while for the Seahawks and Mike Holmgren.  That’s likely why he’s getting a chance to earn a job with the Browns this year.  Engram played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Chiefs last season and he caught 5 passes for 61 yards (12.2 avg).  Engram has now played in 176 games (113 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 650 passes for 7,751 yards (11.9 avg) with 35 TD grabs.  He will be a longshot to make the Browns’ opening day roster.

25-year old Syndric Steptoe is back for the Browns trying to win a job.  He played in 16 games (5 starts) for the Browns in 2008 and he caught 19 passes for 182 yards (9.6 avg).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE WRs in 2010:  D

The Browns have signed a couple of free agents at TE over the off season and they have three of their own coming back.  29-year old Ben Watson will be the starter in 2010.  He played in 16 games (7 starts) for the Patriots last season and he caught 29 passes for 404 yards (13.9 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  He has now played in 71 games (47 starts) in his six years in the NFL and he has caught 167 passes for 2,102 yards (12.6 avg) with 20 TD grabs.  With the WR corps looking a tad weak for the Browns this could be the season that Watson catches more than 50 passes as he is a nice big target.

31-year old Robert Royal was the Browns starting TE before an injury ended his season early.  Royal played in 13 games (11 starts) for the Browns last season and he caught 11 passes for 134 yards (12.2 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has now played in 95 games (77 starts) in his 7  years in the NFL and he has caught 123 passes for 1,215 yards (9.9 avg) with 13 TD grabs.  If healthy in 2010, Royal could be a asset to the offense.

28-year old Alex Smith was signed as a free agent over the off season.  He played in 16 games (5 starts) for the Eagles last season and he caught 3 passes for 25 yards (8.3 avg).  Smith has now played in 74 games (48 starts) in his five years in the NFL and he has caught 132 passes for 1,277 yards (9.7 avg) with 11 TD grabs.  Smith will have a very decent shot of winning a spot on the Browns this season.

25-year old Evan Moore burst onto the scene for the Browns late last season.  He was dominating in practice so the Browns finally promoted him to the active roster and he kept up the good work as a rookie.  Moore played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Browns last season and he caught 12 passes for 158 yards (13.2 avg).  He has good hands and the speed to get down the field.  The bottom line is that Moore deserves to make the Browns opening day roster.

27-year old Greg Estandia is going to have a hard time making the Browns unless he plays a lot on special teams.  Estandia played in 4 games (0 starts) for the Browns last season and he caught 4 passes for 45 yards (11.3 avg).  He has now played in 32 games (2 starts) in his three years in the NFL and he has caught 23 passes for 294 yards (12.8 avg).

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BROWNS TEs in 2010:  B

27-year old Lawrence Vickers and 24-year old Peyton Hillis will likely share the fullback job in 2010.  Vickers is the better blocker.  He played in 16 games (9 starts) for the Browns last season and he caught 8 passes for 27 yards (3.4 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has now played in 60 games (32 starts) in his career with the Browns and he has carried the ball 28 times for 76 yards (2.7 ypc).  Vickers has also caught 37 passes for 256 yards (6.9 avg) with 3 TD grabs in his career.  Vickers will likely be on the field on most of the Browns running plays as he is a good lead blocker.

Peyton Hillis is a hybrid tailback/fullback.  He will likely get a lot of P.T. on passing downs for the Browns.  Hillis played in 14 games (2 starts) for the Broncos last season and he carried the ball 13 times for 54 yards (4.2 ypc) with 1 TD carry.  He also caught 4 passes for 19 yards (4.8 avg) last season.  Hillis has now played in 26 games (8 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the ball 81 times for 397 yards (4.9 ypc) with 6 TD carries.  He has also caught 18 passes for 198 yards (11.0 avg) with 1 TD grab in his career.  If the Browns have injuries at RB Hillis could help out there as he was the Broncos’ leading rusher in 2008.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BROWNS FBs in 2010:  A