NFL teams will head off for training camps at the end of July. To tide you over until the official report dates, here's a few things to know about the Cleveland Browns.
2017 record: 0-16
Training camp schedule: Rookies: July 25; Veterans: July 25
Three players to watch: Mile Garrett, Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry
Post-draft analysis, courtesy Jeremy Bergman: On paper, the additions this spring of two former Pro Bowlers (Jarvis Landry in each of the past three years, Tyrod Taylor in 2015), two reliable running backs (Carlos Hyde, Nick Chubb) and a lightning-rod QB of the future (Baker Mayfield) signal that a massive offensive turnaround in Cleveland is due in September. But will the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? It depends on your expectations. The transfer of play-calling duties alone from Hue Jackson to Todd Haley, who is assuming "total autonomy" of the playbook, is enough to inspire optimism among fans longing for a creative, nuanced attack. But then again, any modified version of the Browns' offense would be better than what Cleveland mustered during that disgusting 1-31 stretch while quarterbacked by the likes of DeShone Kizer and Kevin Hogan. So, what are the markers for success in this new regime? A reshaped offensive line in 2017 couldn't keep Kizer from taking 38 sacks. (For the record, Taylor took 46 last year in Buffalo.) If Cleveland is middle of the road in sacks allowed, is that a success? The Browns haven't employed a 1,000-yard rusher since "Madden" cover child Peyton Hillis in 2010 (1,177). If Hyde, Chubb and Duke Johnson combine for even 1,500 yards, does that call for another dive into Lake Erie, this one celebratory? Does Tyrod need to outlast Baker through Week 12? Do Landry and Josh Gordon have to play nice? Due to all of the Dorsey-induced turnover, it's tough to tell whether the Browns are going for passable improvement or shooting for marked progress in 2017. Some are projecting Cleveland as a wild-card sleeper. Others would like those prognosticators to go the way of David Blatt. You know what? Let's start with securing a win and go from there.
