The Browns have surpassed the Raiders as the most inept organization in the NFL. They just can’t get anything right. They draft poorly, do awful in free agency and have a completely dysfunctional front office. Look for the Browns to once again find themselves in the basement in of the AFC North. There is no reason for optimism in Cleveland this season. It will be time to breakout the LeBron jerseys in October.

Quarterbacks

This one is yet another head scratcher by the Browns. By this point we have become accustomed to Cleveland making miserable personnel choices at quarterback. Josh McCown has been a career journeyman that is a decent backup at best. Sure he had six solid games throwing to Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett in 2013, but that’s six games in a decade.

In 2014, McCown was the Week 1 starter on the worst team in football. His inadequate performance at one point saw him on the sidelines in favor of Mike Glennon. It was with good reason being that the Bucs had the worst offense in the NFL last season. and that’s with Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson out wide. Now he has Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline. In 11 games last season, McCown boasted a miserable 11-to-14, TD-to-INT ratio.

The Browns let an already subpar Brian Hoyer walk for an even worse McCown for more money. Three-years $14 million is way too much money to pay a QB that will inevitably be benched at some point in favor of Johnny Manziel. This signing makes no sense, not even if they simply want McCown to be a mentor. Don’t be shocked if the Browns have the worst passing attack in football next season.

Running Backs

The running backs are clearly the strength of this team’s offensive attack. It’s also one of the most cluttered backfields in the league. It’s full of talented young backs. Terrance West showed flashes last season but found himself in the doghouse too often. Isaiah Crowell finished the season strong and looks to have taken over in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Now, explosive rookie out of Miami, Duke Johnson is in the mix and only adds further confusion. It’s going to be tough to sort through this committee.

While a RBBC is unavoidable, Johnson will emerge as the star in this backfield. He just brings something to the table that the other two can’t. As a matter of fact, very few backs in the league can. There is nothing he doesn’t do well. He’s a tenacious blocker and is a hard-nosed runner between the tackles. He’s also a natural pass-catcher. You combine all that with his ability to take it to the house at any given moment, and you have a potential star in the making. As long as he does not deal with durability issues, that is.

Wide Receivers

The Browns are in close competition with the Titans for having the worst WRs corps in the league. They picked up a bunch trash off the scrap heap and made them their starters. Dwayne Bowe is a nightmare and just got finished leading a group of wideouts that didn’t catch a single TD. What makes it even scarier is that the Chiefs had a better quarterback than Cleveland, too.

Starting opposite the lowly Bowe is Brian “The Hitman” Hartline. Hartline is not a WR1 or WR2. He’s coming off a career worst 39-reception season in Miami. Hartline also had a much better QB throwing him the ball last season. The Browns do have some decent options for their WR3. Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel and former Hurricane Travis Benjamin are all dangerous options. Still, they are complementary pieces at best. Pair this group with an awful quarterback and you have a disaster waiting to happen. Fantasy owners should just avoid this group.

Tight Ends

It appears the Browns are comfortable rolling with Rob Housler. If you were hoping for some relief from the tight ends, you won’t find it here. Two seasons ago both Housler and Jordan Cameron were expected to be breakout stars. Well Cameron broke out and has since left town while Housler did nothing and joined the Browns. He’s a TE3 at best this season with a TE2 ceiling.

Defense

The Browns defense was miserable against the run last season and lost their best run-stopping lineman. Still, they did make an effort to boost the defensive line in the draft. Danny Shelton will attempt to fill the void. They have some solid linebackers in Karlos Dansby, Craig Robertson and Christian Kirksey. If they could get anything out of Barkevious Mingo they should be in good shape. In the secondary Joe Haden is an elite corner and Tashaun Gibson is an excellent playmaking safety. They made an odd decision to not pay Buster Skrine and turn around and sign the 32-year-old Tramon Williams. Williams should be decent this season, though. There is talent on this defense, they just have to find a way to stop the run.

Player to Watch

The player to watch is the only player worth watching. Rookie Duke Johnson is absolutely electrifying. He’s a better more dynamic version of Giovani Bernard. Johnson is a diamond surrounded by the lumps of coal that are the Cleveland Browns.

Key Stat

This stat is a bit mind blowing and it goes a long way in explaining why the Browns have been the league’s punching bag for so long. The last time the Browns had a quarterback start 16 games in back to back seasons was Brian Sipe. Sipe started 16 games from 1978-1981, no other Browns QB has managed that feat since. Even worse, it doesn’t appear to be on the verge of ending anytime soon.