Cleveland Browns Tickets

Cleveland Browns News and Information The Cleveland Browns were one of footballs biggest surprises last year, coming within one victory of making the playoffs.

The team found a possible franchise quarterback in Derek Anderson, who the team plucked off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad.

The move paid dividends, as Anderson had a big season and was named to the Pro Bowl. With a year under his belt as the starter, look for even bigger and better things from Anderson this season. If he should struggle or get hurt, the Browns have the luxury of bringing Brady Quinn in off the bench.

Another move that paid dividends that also related to the Baltimore Ravens was the signing of running back Jamal Lewis. The Ravens felt Lewis was finished and opted to trade for Buffalo Bills running back Willis McGahee.

General manager Phil Savage, who used to be the Ravens scouting director, felt Lewis still had a few good years left in him and signed him to a contract. Despite missing two games because of injury, Lewis ran for over 1400 yards and helped the Browns control the clock.

Last year also saw the emergence of wide receiver Braylon Edwards as one of the top players at his position in the entire league. It seemed that Edwards would make at least one acrobatic catch per week.

The Anderson-Edwards combination should get that much better this season. Each player showed drastic improvement last year probably because they benefited so much from each other.

The team signed wide receiver Donte Stallworth to a big deal in the offseason, hoping he can put his injuries behind him and show he can consistently perform at a high level.

The Browns biggest problem was their defense last season, and they made moves to address that in the offseason. They traded for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, a big gamble that could pay off or turn into a huge disappointment.

Cleveland certainly has an offense that is explosive enough to overcome defensive problems, but the Browns are looking to do more than just contend for a playoff spot. To become a legit contender, the defense is going to need to step up and make big plays against good teams.

The Browns head into 2008 believing that anything less than a playoff berth would be a failure. The team has an explosive offense and made additions to their struggling defense, but its always tough to get into the playoffs in the AFC.

After an offseason that included several major upgrades, the Browns appear to be the slight favorite in the tight AFC North race.