CBS gives the Cleveland Browns a low Power Ranking score post-draft originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Cleveland Browns have a long road ahead of them. After 27 seasons since they returned in 1999, the Browns remain a squad that has yet to have back-to-back winning seasons. Things had been going better under Kevin Stefanski’s watch, getting to the playoffs twice, double the number of times they had been before his arrival. Yet, Stefanski’s success wasn’t enough, and he was soon replaced by rookie head coach Todd Monken.
Now, the Browns are in a bit of a rebuild. They’ve let several key veterans go this offseason, had on paper a second strong rookie draft class, and are desperately trying to find their quarterback of the future. Some believe that the player may be on the roster in the form of Shedeur Sanders; others don’t.
That conflict over the quarterback spot helps reflect a major issue with the Browns: a lack of confidence with the man under center. If it’s not Sanders, it’ll be Deshaun Watson, a once Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback who has now had more major injuries than he’s had winning seasons, and is likely on his last legs as a pro.
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Not having a firm handle on who’s the starting quarterback is going to affect how the rest of the world views you, so it’s not surprising that CBS isn’t too high on the Browns as a whole. Even after what many see as a strong draft class, CBS has the Browns at just 30th in their recent Power Rankings list.
“For the second consecutive year, they had a really good draft,” CBS’s Peter Prisco writes. “This team has talent. But we know it’s all about the quarterback position. I think Deshaun Watson will start.”
The lack of certainty at quarterback is concerning and will hinder any time, but it should also be noted that Monken, despite being 60 years old, is only now becoming an NFL head coach for the first time. In fact, for his career, he’s only been a head coach once, down at Southern Mississippi, where he went 13-25 with one winning record during his three years at the institution.
Combine his inexperience with a super young, new core of players, and the uncertainty with key veterans, and it’s fair to see why the Browns are still so low. It’s not a position they’re going to get out of anytime soon until they find their quarterback of the future.
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