The offensive line will be vastly improved with the additions of tackle Ross Verba and guard Tre' Johnson, although both men are recovering from off-season surgery and will miss the early part of training camp. They also signed 13-year veteran lineman Tony Jones, a free agent from Denver who originally played for Cleveland (now the Ravens) from 1988-1995.

The Browns have very few weapons on the offensive side of the ball, although they did pick up free agent tight end Rickey Dudley from the Raiders. Dennis Northcutt, Kevin Johnson, JuJaun Dawson and second-round draft pick Quincy Morgan will battle for playing time at wide receiver. Also, watch for Darrin Chiaverini to possibly emerge as a quality NFL receiver this season.

Third-round pick James Jackson, who played for Davis at the University of Miami, will be given every chance to win the starting job at running back. Erictt Rhett, who is recovering from foot surgery, may be on his way out if Jackson shows any promise.

On defense, the Browns may be on their way toward developing a great, young line that will dominate offenses through the next decade. Defensive tackle Gerard Warren, the third pick overall, will play on the same line as last year's first pick Courtney Brown, along with Keith McKenzie and Orpheus Roy. Cleveland also picked up free agent defensive tackle Mark Smith from Arizona, and linebacker Dwayne Rudd from Minnesota. Rudd will be a welcome addition to a poor linebacking crew.

Overview

The Browns will run a one-back, two-tight end set that relies on the short passing game. Tim Couch should be more productive in this offense, but until he finds a receiver that can make things happen after the catch, don't look for any consistency on offense. He also desperately needs one of the running backs to step up and help carry the load.

The defensive line should be one of the few strong points for this team, but unfortunately the rest of the defense is shaky. Rudd was a nice addition, but not enough to significantly improve the 27th ranked defense. Special teams for the Browns are average at best, also.

The Browns should show some overall improvement as a team, but don't get your playoff tickets just yet. Their lack of weapons will keep the offense grounded, and most likely, near the bottom of the NFL. I would expect the Browns to finish the season on the lower half of the AFC Central standings.