TGS 2015 Preview: Cleveland Browns

Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2015 regular season. Today, the Cleveland Browns.

2014 in a nutshell: On the bright side, they win more games than they have since 2008. Unfortunately, that still results in a 7-9 season for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1994.

Why 2015 could be different: They brought in Josh McCown and Dwayne Bowe to help bolster the offense, as well as Tramon Williams and first-round nose tackle Danny Shelton to boost the D.

Major additions: McCown doesn’t get a lot of people excited, but he’s probably a better option that Johnny Manziel and it’s not as though Brian Hoyer was leading them anywhere. Bowe, who has a Pro Bowl on his résumé, could also help.

Major losses: The departed Hoyer was still the best quarterback on the roster last season and tight end Jordan Cameron, who left as a free agent, flirted with 1,000 yards in 2013.

Breakout watch: Cornerback Justin Gilbert, who was a No. 8 overall pick in 2014, should be starting this season. They need bigger things out of both Gilbert and top-10 2013 pick Barkevious Mingo, who took some step forward as a sophomore but still has just seven career sacks.

Position to watch: Quarterback, of course. This team just can’t get it right. They say Manziel has turned his life around after a stint in rehab, but that won’t necessarily fix his problems on the field. He’ll compete with McCown, who had the second-worst qualified passer rating in the NFL last season.

Prediction: Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are just too good and while this defense has the potential to be half-decent, there are too many issues on the other side of the ball. I’m thinking the Browns take a step backward and finish around 5-11.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com (covering Super Bowls XLIV, XLV and XLVI), a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Bloguin, but his day gig has him covering all things NFC East for Bleacher Report.

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