A Look at the Browns' Offseason Activities

While Clevelanders wring their hands about what Danny Ferry should do next to improve the Cavs, or what Mark Shapiro should do now to improve the Indians, Browns GM Phil Savage has somehow been flying under the radar as he has quietly added some key players to a team with high expectations for next season.

Think about it: You know the Browns are better. But you also haven't been giving it much thought, preoccupied as we all are with the other teams in town. Well, don't look now, but Savage has taken the Browns' newfound status -- and 2008 schedule -- seriously with some shrewd moves.

Start with the most significant of all. Faced with the prospect of losing Derek Anderson and forcing Brady Quinn into the starting role prematurely, Savage preempted other suitors and locked up Anderson with a three-year deal. I wrote about it in my May 16 post. It's a solid move because Anderson responded so well when given the opportunity last season. Nobody expected the Browns to click like they did, and few honestly expected it to be with Anderson at the helm. I know I didn't. When someone steps up and performs the way Anderson did, they deserve the trust and confidence that comes with it. I remain curious about what Quinn will contribute when his time comes, and I suspect it could be very good. But I have a good feeling about Anderson, and am intrigued to see what 2008 will bring.

If signing Anderson was offseason move number 1, then signing Jamal Lewis to a new three-year deal was move 1a. What's not to like? Here's a guy who has rushed for more than 9,000 yards in seven seasons. He's never gained fewer than 900 yards in a season. Doesn't exactly make you long for William Green, does it? Lewis showed up, suited up, and plowed his way to more than 1,300 yards (fifth in the league) and nine touchdowns in his first season in a Browns uniform. Running behind a revamped offensive line, Lewis helped propel the Browns rushing attack to 118 yards a game, tenth in the league. Gone are the days of Browns fans lamenting the lack of a running game.

Suffice it to say that having Anderson and Lewis on board stabilizes an offense that got even stronger with the signing of Donte Stallworth. Here's a legitimate NFL receiver, a complement to Braylon Edwards' emergence as a true number one guy. Joe Jurevicius wanted a reduced role, as his body can no longer withstand the rigors of a starting position. Stallworth's still can, and he's a solid option as the number two wideout, with excellent speed. Opposing defenses will have to pay attention to him, which will open things up for Edwards and Kellen Winslow. Stallworth has his doubters, in part due to reports that he is in the NFL's substance abuse program. CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco has already labeled Stallworth as the Browns' most overrated player -- this without having played a snap in the orange and brown -- because of his "inconsistency." Well, 279 catches and 31 touchdowns over six seasons will fit into the Browns' offense very nicely, I think. And with Jurevicius still around -- not to mention Josh Cribbs -- the receiving corps is that much better.

Shoring up the offense, Savage added Rex Hadnot to an already formidable offensive line. He was a sixth-round pick by the Dolphins in 2004 and has missed only one game in his career, logging time at guard and center. And that's the key. His versatility enables Romeo Crennel to use him at multiple positions on the interior line. That's already become important, because Ryan Tucker went down early with a hip injury that threatens his availability for training camp this summer. The projected line during organized team activity practices this month included Joe Thomas at left tackle, Eric Steinbach at left guard, Hank Fraley at center, Tucker at right guard and Kevin Shaffer at right tackle. The addition of Hadnot, and the offseason re-signings of Seth McKinney and Lennie Friedman, give the Browns veteran depth up front.

On the defensive side of the ball, trades in February and March brought defensive linemen Corey Williams from Green Bay and Shaun Rogers from Detroit. There's no question the duo will immediately upgrade the defensive line. Williams and Rogers had seven sacks apiece last season, and Rogers has recorded 29 sacks in his seven-year career. Williams will likely pair with Robaire Smith on the ends in the Browns 3-4 scheme, while Rogers will share time with Shaun Smith at the nose tackle position. Crennel has said, however, that Rogers may also see time at defensive end.

Continuing to focus on the defense, Savage quickly tried to offset the loss of cornerback Daven Holly to a season-ending injury by signing veteran Terry Cousin to a two-year deal. Cousin has appeared in 156 games, with 68 starts, in 11 NFL seasons. He'll likely backup Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald and see time in the Browns' nickel packages. Cousin's experience includes a Super Bowl XXXVIII appearance with Carolina, one of six teams he played for before signing with Cleveland.

As for the draft, Savage claimed linebacker Beau Bell from UNLV and tight end Martin Rucker from Missouri with his remaining top picks, both fourth-rounders. Bell had 320 tackles during a four-year career at Las Vegas and earned 2007 Defensive Player of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference. He's known as a hard hitter, something the Browns felt was lacking on defense last season. Rucker's numbers improved each year at Missouri, capping off with an All-American season that included 84 catches, 834 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year. He caught 203 passes during his four years with the Tigers.

In all, it's been a productive offseason for the Browns, one that was needed considering the schedule they'll be facing in the fall. Non-division foes include: the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, plus Dallas, Washington, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Tennessee, all of whom finished above .500 last year; Philadelphia, who was 8-8; and Denver and Buffalo, both of whom were 7-9. The Browns were 10-6 a season ago, and the road to that record or better won't be as easy this season. But the new additions to the roster give them a much better chance to enter the ranks of the NFL's elite in 2008.