Cleveland Browns 2016 Season Preview

(photo credit: rantsports.com)

As the case has been most years since professional football returned to Cleveland, the Browns finished 2015 as a team without an identity. Second year signal-caller Johnny Manziel partied his way out of the league and ownership decided that a full rebuild was the way to move forward. This started with the hiring of Head Coach Hue Jackson and bringing in a new front-office led by fomer New York Mets executive Paul DePodesta.

2016 should be a better year for the Browns faithful than 2015. Coach Jackson has had success developing quarterbacks in the past and has third round pick Cody Kessler to mold a franchise signal-caller. Until that day comes DePodesta signed former Heisman Robert Griffin III.

An instant upgrade over Manziel Griffin will have more talent around him with the return of All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon from drug suspension. The receiving corp will also be bolstered by the addition of Baylor's Corey Coleman and the emergence of Terrell Pryor in the preseason. These guys should improve an offense which ranked in the bottom third of most categories last season.

One issue that Jackson and his staff will have to deal with is the roster turnover. With so many new faces on the field and sideline, it's going to take a while for everyone to get on the same page. This will be even more pronounced since the Browns play in the AFC North which is consistently one of the best divisons in football. Cleveland won't see a significant jump in their win totals, likely five or six wins. However, they will be more competitive in the games which they lose.