2001 BROWNS
	Tim Couch missed nine games last season.
	Head coach: Butch Davis (1st year). 2000 record: 3-13. AFC Central finish: 6th. 2001 preseason: 2-1. Season opener: Sept. 9 vs. Seahawks. Schedule | Depth chart

When the Cleveland Browns re-entered the NFL in 1999, there were many optimistic fans hoping for a fast start. Watching the previous two expansion teams -- the Panthers and Jaguars -- reach the conference title games in only their second year of existence raised the bar a bit.

Based on what Carolina and Jacksonville achieved in such a short amount of time, there was no reason to believe expansion teams had to wallow in futility for a decade or so. Expansion teams, Browns fans reasoned, ought to be able to compete with the more established franchises right away.

Well, those fans in Cleveland were in for a rude awakening. Instead of watching their team achieve immediate success, they have had to endure two painful seasons in which the Browns won only five of 32 games.

That was all Browns president Carmen Policy could take. He decided to cut his losses with head coach Chris Palmer and begin all over with a new head honcho. Enter Butch Davis, head coach and, for all intents and purposes, head of the Browns' personnel department. What Butch wants, Butch gets.

Davis has already instilled a new attitude in his charges. The players are once again enthusiastic and excited about the new beginning. While the Browns may not yet be a championship-caliber team, Davis has a history of helping turn losing programs into winners. He was part of that process as an assistant under Jimmy Johnson with the Cowboys, and then he went on to turn things around at Miami (Fla.).

Once again, Browns fans have reason for hope.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Tim Couch, the club's franchise quarterback, has been marred by injuries his first two professional seasons, missing 10 games. Davis hired Bruce Arians as Cleveland's new offensive coordinator in the hopes that the former Colts quarterback coach can help Couch achieve the same success as Peyton Manning. To achieve that goal, Couch will be running an offense similar to the Colts' attack. The third-year quarterback already feels comfortable with the system's shorter drops and quicker throws and is confident he will succeed. Look for Couch to be throwing more to receivers running slants and crossing the middle of the field, as opposed to the more vertical routes that were in place the past two seasons. Kelly Holcomb was signed as a free agent from Indianapolis and is very familiar with the offense. That should give him an edge over Ty Detmer in the battle to win the backup quarterback job. There have been rumors Detmer could be traded.
Grade: C.

Running backs: This position has been up for grabs since the start of training camp. Interestingly, Cleveland has one of the most inexperienced running back groups in the league; the players currently vying for the starting running back job have a combined 11 NFL starts. Third-round pick James Jackson, who played for Davis at Miami (Fla.) last year, is currently the front-runner. Not far behind, though, is Jamel White, a quick scatback who spent his first training camp in Arians' offense as a member of the Colts. White was claimed by the Browns off waivers last year. Ben Gay, who was considered a long shot to even make the roster as a rookie free agent, has really made an impression. He may have the most raw talent of any of the backs on the roster, but he is very green. Travis Prentice, a third-round pick last year, wound up as the starter in 2000, but he is viewed more as a short-yardage back these days.
Grade: D-plus.

Receivers: In their first three years back in the league, the Browns have used a second-round pick on wide receivers -- Kevin Johnson in '99, Dennis Northcutt in 2000 and Quincy Morgan in 2001. The Browns also have second-year pro JuJuan Dawson, seventh-round pick Andre King, Lenzie Jackson battling for roster spots. In the new offense, multiple-receiver sets won't be used as often, with the tight end and H-back positions being emphasized more. It looks like Johnson will be Couch's go-to guy, and Morgan could be a nice physical target. Northcutt (collar bone) and Dawson (hand) are coming back from injuries. At tight end, Rickey Dudley was signed away from Oakland, but he has been inconsistent in the preseason. O.J. Santiago also will see time at tight end. Aaron Shea and Mike Sellers will share the H-back job.
Grade: C-plus.

		What the Browns have missed for their defense and for their offense is a consistent running game. They have to find one. With the backs they have, whether it's James Jackson or Travis Prentice, the Browns need one who can carry the ball 20-25 times a game and give them production. Otherwise, Tim Couch will sit back in the pocket and get killed. He has had nobody to take the pressure off him. The defense has played as many snaps as any in football the last two years because nobody has been able to sustain offense and manage the clock. They haven?t had a running game to rely on.

Offensive linemen: Considering Couch has had trouble staying healthy, Davis really wanted to emphasize building a solid offensive line. That has been a problem, though, since the projected starters on the right side -- right guard Tré Johnson (knee) and right tackle Ross Verba (back) -- missed a great deal of the preseason because of injuries. Furthermore, the left guard position is unsettled, with the club having released veteran Jim Pyne. It looks like Brad Bedell, a sixth-round pick in 2000, has the edge at winning the job. The only returning starters are left tackle Roman Oben and center Dave Wohlabaugh, both of whom are quality NFL starters. Because there is so much newness on the line, it could be a while before the whole unit gets in sync.
Grade: C-minus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: This very well may be the strongest area on the team. Last year's first overall draft pick, Courtney Brown, is being shifted from left end to right end, where he will play next to defensive tackle Gerard Warren, the third overall pick in this year's draft. On the left side, pass-rush specialist Keith McKenzie will start at end, and Orpheus Roye will start at tackle. Helping out in the Browns' defensive tackle rotation will be Mark Campbell, a free-agent signee from Arizona. Campbell has been a very pleasant surprise so far. In an effort to improve the run defense, the Browns may consider shifting Roye to left end, since McKenzie isn't a strong run defender. Ex-Viking Stalin Colinet is also an option at end.
Grade: B.

Linebackers: The biggest free-agent addition of the offseason is weak-side LB Dwayne Rudd. Strong-side linebacker Jamir Miller is going to be expected to make more big plays in this defense, which will line him up as an edge rusher at times. Incumbent middle linebacker Wali Rainer could be challenged by late free-agent pickup Barry Minter, who is very familiar with Davis' defensive scheme. Brant Boyer, a former Jaguar, was an unheralded free-agent addition, but he could prove to be a valuable part of the nickel defense.
Grade: B-minus.

Defensive backs: Starting cornerbacks Corey Fuller and Daylon McCutcheon have had their best camps since joining the Browns, in part because they like playing in this new defense. This is also a deeper position now that rookie Anthony Henry has joined the fray. Henry is a converted safety who was drafted in the fourth round. Second-year pro Lamar Chapman also provides depth. Last year's starting safeties -- Percy Ellsworth and Marquis Smith -- were being pushed by Earl Little, who played for Davis at Miami (Fla.) and joined the Browns last year. Ex-Raven Anthony Poindexter will add depth to what could be a much-improved secondary.
Grade: C.

Special teams
You could make a case for punter Chris Gardocki being the team's MVP. If not that, he may be the team's MUP -- most used player. In the past three seasons in Cleveland, Gardocki has had to punt more than 100 times per year. It's been a completely different story for kicker Phil Dawson, who has had fewer field-goal attempts than any regular NFL kicker over the past two seasons. Northcutt is expected to become the club's punt returner, and Davis has high hopes for White as the kick returner. Davis is a big fan of special teams, and he stresses their importance in every practice.
Grade: C-plus.

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