Projections (9/02/03)

Passing Stats

Rush Stats

Receiving Stats

Fantasy

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Quarterbacks
Starter - Tim Couch
Backups - Kelly Holcomb, Josh Booty

Starting Quarterback: The Browns had a good passing attack in 2002 and could be even stronger this season. At this time it appears Tim Couch has regained the starting position but it is still up in the air which quarterback will start week one. Couch had a disappointing season a year ago, suffering through injuries, booing fans and erratic play. He did complete 61.7% of his passes and tossed 18 touchdowns. However he also threw 18 interceptions and only completed 6.4 YPA. He is a young quarterback though with room to grow and has a great, young receiver core featuring Quincy Morgan, Kevin Johnson and Dennis Northcutt.

Backup Quarterback(s): Kelly Holcomb may as well be listed as 1(b) right now because he can still win the job with a great training camp. The winner of this quarterback competition will put up solid numbers but it is still very unclear who that winner will be which affects both of their fantasy rankings. Josh Booty should continue to be a non-factor in the NFL although he does have some talent.

Update - 8/27: Holcomb was named the starting QB after shining in his preseason work. There is no indication that Cleveland will rotate him and Couch at the helm. It is likely that only an injury to Holcomb will allow Couch to regain the job.

Running Backs
Starter - William Green
Backups - Jamel White, James Jackson, Lee Suggs
Fullbacks - Aaron Shea, RJ Bowers, Ben Miller

Starting Running Back: William Green got off to a slow start in 2002, but coach Davis never wavered in his commitment to Green as the featured back. By the end of the season Green was turning in some impressive numbers, with 5 games over 100 yards offense (combined) in the final 7 weeks. 5 of his 6 2002 touchdowns came in the late going, and he ended the season on an up-note with 178 yards rushing and 2 scores week 17 vs. Atlanta. On the year, Green put up 243 rushing attempts for 887 yards and 6 scores, with 16 receptions for 113 yards. Green was usually replaced in third-down (and long yardage) situations with Jamel White, which is part of the reason for the relatively few receptions. Word out of the Cleveland camp is that Green is in great physical condition heading into 2003, and has achieved a high degree of comfort in the Brown's system. We like his chances to breakout in 2003, and project Green to gain 1,307 yards and score 8 touchdowns on 320 attempts rushing, while adding 38 receptions for 270 yards and another score through the air (as of 6/29/03). Those numbers would make Green the 16th best fantasy back in the land, a solid #2 RB for any fantasy franchise.

Backup Running Back(s): Jamel White is the backup/change of pace back in Cleveland, and was recently rewarded with a 4 year contract extension. He will continue to see significant action in 2003 (we project him to gain 220 yards on 55 carries with 2 rushing scores, and he should add 38 receptions for 274 yards and 1 score) - if Green goes down, White would be an excellent waiver wire pickup, although there are some questions about his durability. One-time starter James Jackson and rookie Lee Suggs hold down #3 and #4 on the depth chart.

Fullback(s):Aaron Shea, RJ Bowers and Ben Miller are #1-3 on the depth chart at this position. None of them carried the ball last season, but Shea caught 7 balls for 49 yards. The Browns' fullbacks lack fantasy potential.

Update - 8/27: It hasn't been smooth sailing for William Green thus far in pre-season - the OL hasn't been doing a very good job opening holes for him to run through. He remains #16 on our board, with slightly tweaked projections (310/1271/9 and 43/305/1 receiving). Now that the Couch/Holcomb drama is over, the coaching staff can turn their attention to jump-starting the running phase of the game.

Wide Receivers
Starters - Quincy Morgan, Kevin Johnson
Backups: Andre Davis, Dennis Northcutt, Frisman Jackson

Starting Receiver(s): The Browns have an excellent group of WRs going four deep. Quincy Morgan emerged last year as a tremendous big-play threat. He's a superb athlete with plenty of size, speed, and jumping ability. If he can make crisper cuts on his short and intermediate patterns, he should improve on his impressive 2002 numbers. Kevin Johnson is the Browns' possession receiver; he led the team in receptions last year. He does not have the speed of the other receivers on the team, but he is a dependable receiver with good hands and has become QB Tim Couch's security blanket.

Backup Receiver(s): Andre Davis, the Browns' second-round draft pick in 2002, got off to a fast start last year, but his production tailed off in the second half of the season. Davis has the speed to make big plays, but must become more consistent catching the ball. Dennis Northcutt is an extremely quick receiver who bounced back from a disappointing 2001 season to make a number of big plays in 2002. Northcutt doesn't have great size, but can separate from defenders and is a dangerous runner after the catch. Frisman Jackson, an undrafted rookie last year, is an excellent athlete who could develop into still another big-play threat for the Browns.

Update - 8/27: Kelly Holcomb has been named the starter at QB over Tim Couch, which many observers feel is to Quincy Morgan's benefit. Holcomb is more willing to take shots down the field, and Morgan is the Browns' primary deep threat. Couch, on the other hand, tended to throw to the short and intermediate routes more often, which would have favored possession receiver Kevin Johnson. Meanwhile, Andre Davis missed about three weeks of training camp and several preseason games with a sprained ligament in his knee. He should be available once the regular season starts, but his absence has set him back in his quest to become the Browns' #3 WR, giving Dennis Northcutt the early advantage.

Tight Ends
Starter - Steve Heiden
Backup(s) - Aaron Shea
Last season's leading tight end (Mark Campbell) is now in Buffalo. Steve Heiden will easily duplicate Campbell's limited production. The Browns have a horde of wide receivers (Johnson, Morgan, Northcutt, and Davis) that they will distribute the ball too. The tight end is seldom used in their offense relegating their tight ends to minimal fantasy production.

Place Kicker
Phil Dawson: Dawson's opportunities will go the way of the Cleveland offense. Dawson is plenty accurate enough if given the chances. However, Dawson did hit a small slump last season missing several kicks inside 40 yards.

Offensive Line
C-Jeff Faine; G-Melvin Fowler; G-Shaun O'Hara; T-Ross Verba; T-Ryan Tucker
The Browns offensive line has come a long way over the last two seasons and first-round pick Faine will help strengthen this unit even more. He should provide stability, toughness and ability to the middle of the line. His selection means Fowler will slot into one of the guard spots with either O'Hara or Paul Zukauskas manning the other spot. I expect Faine to come out and immediately make an impact on the field like Steve Hutchinson did with the Hawks two years ago. This unit isn't great but is improving each year.