Cleveland Browns: 2015 Mid-Preseason Review Part 1 QB’s and RB’s

By Kristopher Grimes | Aug 25, 2015

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Aug 13, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Dawg Pound flag after a touchdown during the first quarter of preseason NFL football game against the Washington Redskins at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

After all the analysis and after all of the smoke clears, what have we witnessed at the halfway point of the preseason? Is the offense in good hands at QB and RB? Are there enough play-makers? The Cleveland Browns are in a better position today than they were coming into training camp 2014. The quarterback position is all but decided. McCown is the clear-cut front-runner in camp and in the eyes of Coach Mike Pettine. There’s no real competition or battle.

McCown’s a strong armed veteran who’s here to play now, and teach on the sidelines. His play thus far through two preseason games hasn’t been spectacular, but it’s far from ugly. A solid third preseason game will go a long way to solidifying his hold on the starting gig. Now that does not mean that Manziel does not deserve every look or the chance to compete.

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He has improved himself as a man off the field, and he’s taken the steps to be a better player on it as well. His play on the field is electric at times, but still lacks polish. He isn’t quite ready. He knows that and his coaches and the fans see it too. Another season on the bench won’t hurt him, and the fact that McCown is willing to be a mentor and a teacher goes far and above anything Hoyer ever did.

The biggest surprise in camp at QB is Manziel. He has avoided the tabloids, avoided being a distraction, and his play on the field is improved. He may be on his way to being an NFL caliber QB, and cleaning up his issues off the field has helped him with that. The murkier situation for the Cleveland Browns lies in the running back department. Farmer, Pettine, and their staff have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to the backfield.

Crowell was practically handed the starting position coming into camp, but has yet to prove he deserves it. West is coming on strong lately and is once again pushing Crowell for playing time. Then there’s the potential of Johnson if he can get on the field and produce, along with a few end of the bench guys like Draughn, Parmele, and Flanders fighting for a roster spot.

Halfway through the preseason there’s no clear-cut leader. Saturday night’s game against Tampa Bay may go a long way in deciding who’s the man for the job or if a guy like Ray Rice could come in and do better.

The biggest surprise in the Browns backfield? That’s Johnson’s injury. From all the hype and the praise of off-season activities to seeing him peddling a bike on the sidelines is disappointing. Browns fans are still waiting to see Johnson on the field. Maybe that will happen Saturday, but until then, his in-ability to be on the field is the biggest surprise thus far in camp.

Coming up in Part 2 of my Cleveland Browns mid-preseason review I’ll look at the rest of the offense including the wide receiver position and where new additions Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline fits in the offense. Can Terrell Pryor make the team as a WR? I’ll also examine the tight end position. Jordan Cameron is gone, so who will take his place as a play-maker?

Finally I will finish up with a look at the offensive line. Are the guys in the trenches the keys to the offense’s success? Was Cameron Irving worth the draft pick? I’ll look at it all in the second part of my Cleveland Browns 2015 Mid-Preseason Review.

Next: Cleveland Browns: Five Predictions For Preseason Football

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