expectations for next year?

[furls]

So we have seen the draft and the beginning of the off season. Most of the quality FA's are gone. What are your expectations for next year?

Here are mine so far:

1.) I feel like this is a solid .500 team. I feel a respectable 8-8 season coming on. There will be a couple of games that we give away otherwise we would be looking 9-7 or so.

2.) We will defend the hometurf reasonably well against our divisional foes. I think/hope the browns will beat Baltimore and Cincy at home (shutting up the stupid half of columbus that roots for the bungholes) and I think they will at least give a good showing to the Steelers.

3.) Gone are the embarassing days. I feel fairly confident that the days of the "bye week vs Cleveland" are over and while I predict that the browns will lose 8 games, I think they will 8 competitive games.

[johnnyo]

The way I see the 2006 AFC North:

Pittsburgh 11-5
Cincy 10-6
Cleveland 8-8
Baltimore 6-10

[SOBO]

8-8

Last year I expected a two win improvement, I'm going to stick with that same assumption this year and it clearly shouldn't be out of the realm of possibility with the talent we brought in.

[swerb]

The thing about the NFL is ... theres so little of a difference between 10-6 and 6-10. Last years Browns won six games, and could have easily won eight. And that was not a good football team.

The year the Browns won nine games, that wasn't a great football team either. They got hot late behind Couch (then Holcomb) and Willie Green. Point is ... I see this as a better team overall than that 2002 team.

It may not translate to 9 wins, maybe not even 8. QB is a huge variable with this team right now. Even with the upgrades elsewhere, right now I don't feel comfortable predicting eight wins with a relatively untested Frye at QB and Ken Dorsey one snap away from starting.

[bostondog]

My expectations are pretty low. I just don't see our quaterback situation yielding an 8-8 record. Frye just didn't show me enough last season to anticipate a great season this year. He's still basically a rookie and that does not bode well for the offense.

[consigliere]

We finish 4th in the division.....Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Baltimore are all better than us. I see a 6-10 season, with the possibility if things go right we go 8-8 or if they go bad we go 4-12.

This team is just not that good. They have made some very nice improvements, but when the dust settles after the draft and FA....we are still not a good team. It is still going to take awhile.....but at least we appear to be on the right track.

[pup]

6-10? Come on. They might not be a playoff team, but if they only win 6 games I will be MAJORLY disappointed.

Saints at home - Win
Baltimore at home - Win
@ Okaland - Win
Jets home - win
KC home - win
at Houston - win

Those are 6 absolute must win games right there. There is no reason to lose any of them.

Their schedule at the start will allow them to get off to a good start. If they can grab that momentum and run with it, they could very easily win 8 games by stealing a couple more home wins. Pull off an upset on the road and we can get 9.

And damn it, I am falling for it again.

Maybe 6 is about right.

[consigliere]

LOL. I just feel that we are the 4th best team in the division.....and with that, I don't see all 4 teams finishing with .500 records or better.

We've been down this road before where we thought they would be better, then tanked the season. I'm not falling for it. I am lowering my expectations so I can try and enjoy this season. If we win more than 6, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[pup]

I don't agree that Baltimore is better, and let's see Cinci do it for more than 1 year before we go tabbing them as the next great thing.

I haven't kept up with many moves other than the Browns this off-season, but did they do anything besides McNair? He is a 35 year old beat up old man who hasn't played 16 games since Clinton was in office. They lost their #2 running back and who knows what Lewis has in the tank.

[furls]

LOL. I just feel that we are the 4th best team in the division.....and with that, I don't see all 4 teams finishing with .500 records or better.

I agree with you. I feel like the Brown's are the 4th best team in the division, but I feel like one of the three above them will underachieve. I think the Bungholes will tank this year. I look for them in the 6-10 region. I think all the thugs that they've accumulated down there will be their undoing.

On paper, the Brown's are the 4th best team in the division, but on paper the bengals should be awesome and I just dont see it.

[yargs7]

I agree with you. I feel like the Brown's are the 4th best team in the division, but I feel like one of the three above them will underachieve. I think the Bungholes will tank this year. I look for them in the 6-10 region. I think all the thugs that they've accumulated down there will be their undoing.

On paper, the Brown's are the 4th best team in the division, but on paper the bengals should be awesome and I just dont see it.

Furls, I am a 'Holes fan. I will be the first one to admit that I am very skeptical about them repeating last year's success. If they fail to have another great season, it won't be because of the few "thugs" they have drafted. Henry is a 3rd receiver and his off the field antics shouldn't affect an offense as deep as Cincy. Nicholson is the 6th Linebacker at best and Rucker was basically a flier that will probably not even end up on the roster.

Now, for my reasons why they "might" tank. #1 If Carson Palmer doesn't return to last season's form soon enough #2 They can not stop the run. Facing wee Willie, Droughns, and Anderson/Lewis twice isn't something I am looking forward to. #3 They have the 3rd most difficult schedule in the NFL.

[furls]

It is not so much that the thugs will directly impact on the field...

We all know firsthand, as cleveland fans, what a few bad eggs in the locker room can do to an entire team. There is a locker room full of questionable character and not a whole lot of leaders. That combination is not real good.

[OSU Bucks Crazy]

hey, as cleveland fans we always need to think positive even tho it always turns out negitive, i'm going to go out on a limb and say 9-7,we picked up some key free agent veterans that can and will help this team, frye is still a ? in my book but Romeo should have a very solid defense this year. I dono y but i'm feeling good about this year