Browns' Talent Evaluation Corrections

I found this article by Jared Mueller on Fansided.  Jared looked over the AFC North offenses position-by-position and listed the guys he felt were the best players.

I can't bash Jared much, as he seemed to be trying to be even-handed and objective.  He was also mostly correct.

Where I ran into problems with this article was at running back and left guard.  He picks Gio Bernard as the top running back, and feels that Ray Rice should come back strong.  He mentions La'Veon Bell.  He doesn't seem aware of Ben Tate or the other two Browns running backs.

Bernard and Rice are really good, so I was willing to accept that, but La'Veon Bell is being overrated simply because of the team he plays for, and really isn't even the Steelers best running back anymore.  THREE Browns running backs are better than Bell.

This writer even concludes that the AFC North as a whole doesn't look like a strong running division.  

Nor should Jared ignore the systems the respective backs will be running out of, or the intentions of their offensive coordinators.  All three of the Browns main running backs are tailor-made for the zone scheme.

Then, Jared doesn't even mention any Brown at left guard.  He sort of dismissed the position for the Browns because he saw it as unsettled.  Joel Bitonio was drafted in the second round, is ideally suited for this position in any blocking scheme, and has every chance to be the best left guard in the division.

I think Jared might be the Bill O'Reilly of football.  Possibly on his first pass, he got five or six Browns (instead of four) on his list, and had to go back to even things out.

Being objective isn't about seeming to be "fair", but about reality--and damn the torpedos.

I can give the Ravens or Bengals the running back, since that's debatable, but I won't give anybody else left guard.  Bitonio is an athletic beast, and he's ready for primetime right now.

Browns: Left tackle, left guard, center, and tight end.  It's still four, because Jared listed Josh Gordon, who won't play.  The Bengals still get four, because AJ Green was behind Gordon.

The Steelers and Ravens can have quarterback, running back, and whatever.

Talent-wise, that's about right: The Browns and Bengals do have the most offensive talent overall.

The bad thing is that I can't objectively rank the as-yet unconfirmed Hoyer or the not ready for primetime Manziel above four until they've got some more games under their belt.

Big Ben and Big Bird are elite quarterbacks.  Andy Dalton might not be all that at this point, but has won a whole lot of games, and has AJ Green and other excellent recievers to help him look good.

While I can't rank HOYER  above four based exclusively on what he showed in slightly over two games last season, I do still feel that he might well be another Kelly Holcomb or Brian Sipe.

The reasons I feel the Browns will contend for the title are that a merely efficient quarterback can move this team up and down the field, and the defense should dominate, and score points itself.  They're eyeball deep in returners as well.  The overall combination indicates a lot of good field position.

At least Jared didn't bend over backwards to give the Ravens and Steelers more credit than they're due.  

Solid B, Jared.  Keep trying.