Cleveland Browns Need Offense in 2011 Draft

The Cleveland Browns were, early in the life of the National Football League, a perennial power. They boasted a coaching legend in Paul Brown and a legendary running back in Jim Brown. During the last few years, life has not been so good to Cleveland, although they may have started a turnaround in the 2010 season.

I'm using as reference an article by Matt Florjancic titled "Kiper previews NFL Draft."

Cleveland Browns' 2010 Overview:

The 2010 season was hardly a success, but the Browns proved they could play good football. In fact, they beat two of the NFL's best teams, the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. Also, of the Browns' 11 losses, only two were by more than 10 points (both to the eventual AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers). Their defense, although giving up a fair amount of yards, was in the top half of the league in terms of points allowed. It was their offense that failed to perform significantly. The Browns' offense was 31^st in the League, beating only the lowly Carolina Panthers.

The Good:

Peyton Hillis. Peyton Hillis. Peyton Hillis. Why Denver ever traded him away is beyond me, but the Browns made this deal work. He is a bulldozing power back who seeks pay dirt whenever he gets the ball, and he knows how to block. Also, the Browns boast one of the NFL's premier offensive linemen in tackle Joe Thomas.

The Bad:

They have so many needs. They include wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line, safety and linebacker; the list goes on and on. Questions at quarterback linger as well. Is Colt McCoy capable of starting an entire 16-game season? I don't know, but I like him more than most do, so if I'm coach of this team, I'm giving him a chance.

The Cleveland Browns' Draft Outlook:

Honestly, I don't know what the Browns should or will do in the 2011 draft with the sixth overall pick. Because they have so many question marks, I don't know which route they will take. The Browns need an offensive threat, however, and if they get the chance to draft wide receiver A.J. Green from Georgia or Julio Jones from Alabama, I wouldn't be surprised if they jump on that opportunity. Or they could focus on their questionable offensive line, or try to bolster their secondary with the pick, like Patrick Peterson from LSU.

I tend to agree with ESPN analysts that the pick will probably be Julio Jones.

While the Browns have a lot of question marks, I think they are on the right road.

References:

Cleveland Browns' Website, Matt Florjancic, "Kiper previews NFL Draft"

NFL Website, "Cleveland Browns (Stats)"