The Cleveland Browns have a number of major questions going into 2015, as Johnny Manziel may not start after the way his season ended, while Brian Hoyer is a free agent and may not return and now that Kyle Shanahan is gone, the team may explore a trade up in the draft for Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota, while RG3 also could be a potential target on the trade market.
The Browns started the season 7-4 and were firmly in the playoff race, but a 0-5 finish to the year put a dark end to what opened as an optimistic year. Following the draft Browns fans were excited at having Johnny Manziel and Justin Gilbert, but both players struggled on the field and off, getting benched and also dealing with lateness issues. Hoyer played well over the opening stretch, but after he faltered Manziel was put in and that did not help right the ship for Cleveland.
The team now is looking for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Kyle Shanahan, who was not happy with the quarterback situation. The Browns have many directions they can go next season, as they have quarterback issues and yet another offensive coordinator to hire. The team also has two first round picks and in the NFL those are extremely valuable assets and could enable the team to move up.
Jeremy Fowler at ESPN writes that the team could consider trading up for either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota depending on what happens with the number one pick, as they have multiple picks to maneuver with. Robert Griffin III could be a trade target, but it looks like the Redskins are going to stick it out with RG3 after his struggles this year. Fowler writes that if the Bucs take Winston, the Browns could call the Titans with an offer to get MAriota, as they see him as the safer option over Winston.
The Browns went 7-9 this season and just 2-4 in the AFC north and now they have a number of major questions, as Hoyer is a free agent and they need to hire a new offensive coordinator. The team ranked 20th in passing yards per game and 17th in rushing yards per game and the defense also struggled at time. The team ranked last in the league in rushing yards allowed per game and while the secondary was solid, first round pick Justin Gilbert was benched at the end of the season and was accused of not working hard enough this year.
The season ended on a sour note, as the team lost five straight games and they also suspended Josh Gordon for Week 17. The team was not happy with him missing a team activity and the suspension could set up a battle between the Browns and Gordon over his free agent status. Gordon had the chance to become an unrestricted free agent, but since he only played in five games due to his 10 game suspension and final week suspension, he did not earn an "accrued" season on his status, making him a restricted free agent.
