Browns boast talented roster, especially at skill positions
Browns boast talented roster, especially at skill positions
The Cleveland Browns have won eight league championships, but none since 1964. However, the team can field a talented roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
Coach: Paul Brown was the first coach of his namesake team (despite his objections to the name), and he led the Browns to a dominating 158-48-8 record, All-America Football Conference (AAFC) Championships in all four years of the league’s existence, and three NFL titles in 17 seasons. Under his watch, Cleveland went to the playoffs eight times in 13 NFL seasons before a rift with owner Art Modell cost Brown his job in 1962. Others of note: Brown’s replacement, Blanton Collier, led the team to a 76-34-2 record and five playoff appearances in eight seasons, including Cleveland ’s final title in 1964. Marty Schottenheimer went 44-27 in four-plus years at the helm after taking over the team midway through the 1984 season. The Browns made back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 1986-87. The man Schottenheimer replaced, Sam Rutigliano, went 47-50 in 6½ seasons. Cleveland lost both playoff games under his watch. Nick Skorich went 30-24-2 and led the Browns to two playoffs in four years in the early 1970s.
Quarterback: While none of the players at this position have the statistics of Brady, Brees, Manning or Favre, the Browns have no shortage of talented passers. Otto Graham was a seven-time All-Pro and a five-time Pro Bowler, and he was the Sporting News Most Valuable Player in 1955. He was a star on seven championship teams, and his 174 touchdown passes are the most in franchise history. Brian Sipe led the Browns to the playoffs twice, and his 23,713 passing yards edges out Graham for tops on the team list. He was a Pro Bowler, All-Pro and NFL MVP in 1980 after throwing for 4,132 yards and 32 touchdowns. Bernie Kosar led Cleveland to the playoffs three times and participated in three AFC Championship Games. He went to the Pro Bowl in 1987 after throwing for 3,033 yards and a career-high 22 touchdowns. Frank Ryan went to the Pro Bowl three times and threw 25 scoring passes in 1964 while leading the Browns to their last title.
Running Back/Fullback: Jim Brown was a Hall of Famer who ran for 12,312 yards (12th on the all-time list) and 106 touchdowns (tied for 5th) in nine seasons before he became an actor. Brown made the Pro Bowl every season and was an eight-time All-Pro. He ran for 1,000 or more yards seven times and scored 10 or more touchdowns five times. Leroy Kelly arrived in Cleveland at the tail end of Brown’s career and ran for 7,274 yards and 74 touchdowns, both second on the team’s all-time list. The Hall of Famer was a six-time Pro Bowler, a three-time All-Pro and the 1968 Bert Bell Player of the Year Award winner. Mike Pruitt’s 6,540 career rushing yards includes four seasons with 1,000 or more. The “Kardiac Kids” member made the Pro Bowl twice, and his 47 touchdowns are third on the franchise list. Kevin Mack was a two-time Pro Bowler who was fourth with 46 scores. Greg Pruitt ran for 5,496 yards and made four Pro Bowls. Original back Marion Motley was part of five championship teams. Yet another Hall of Famer, Motley was a two-time All-Pro and went to the Pro Bowl in 1950. Earnest Byner shared the backfield with Mack but managed 1,002 yards in 1985. Isaiah Crowell ran for 3,118 yards in four seasons.
Wide Receiver: Gary Collins has 5,299 receiving yards and is the all-time leader with 70 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl twice, led the NFL with 13 touchdown catches in 1963, and was part of the championship team the following year. Hall of Famer and three-time Pro Bowler Paul Warfield amassed 5,210 yards and 52 touchdowns. Ray Renfro made the Pro Bowl three times and was a part of two NFL Championship teams. He finished with 5,508 yards and 50 touchdowns in 12 seasons. Mac Speedie, an original Brown, led all Cleveland wideouts with 349 receptions and 5,602 yards. He was a three-time All-Pro, a two-time Pro Bowler and a five-time champion who led the league in receiving yards twice. Reggie Rucker had 4,953 yards and 32 touchdowns in seven seasons. Webster Slaughter played in three AFC Championship games and was a Pro Bowler in 1989. Dave Logan totaled 4,247 yards in eight years.
Tight End: Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome tops the franchise list with 662 receptions and 7,980 yards, and his 47 touchdowns rank fifth. He is a three-time Pro Bowler and was an All-Pro in 1989. Dante Lavelli won seven titles and made the Pro Bowl three times. The Hall of Famer ranks second in Cleveland history with 6,488 yards and 62 touchdowns. Milt Morin had 4,208 yards and made two Pro Bowls in 10 seasons.
Tackle: Hall of Fame left tackle Lou Groza spent 21 seasons in Cleveland, and he is the only player who was a part of all eight Browns championships. He made nine Pro Bowls, was a four-time All-Pro, and he is also the franchise’s all-time leader in points as a kicker. On the right side is Mike McCormick, another Hall of Famer who won two titles and went to the Pro Bowl five times. Joe Thomas went to the Pro Bowl in 10 straight seasons and was a six-time All-Pro before a torn triceps ended his career. Dick Schafrath went to six Pro Bowls, was named to four All-Pro teams and won a championship in 1964. Cody Risien was an All-Rookie Team member in 1979 and went to the Pro Bowl twice. Doug Dieken was a starter for 13 seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1980.
Guard: Gene Hickerson is a Hall of Famer on the right side and a member of the 1964 Browns championship team. He went to six straight Pro Bowls and was a three-time All-Pro. The other starter on that team, John Wooten, went to two Pro Bowls in nine seasons. Behind them are John DeMarie, a starter from the early 1970s, and Robert Jackson, who played for 11 seasons in Cleveland.
Center: Frank Gatski was an original Brown who was a Hall of Famer as a two-way player (center and linebacker). He was a Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro selection who was part of seven championship teams. Tom DeLeone was a two-time Pro Bowler over 11 years. Alex Mack went to three Pro Bowls in seven seasons with the Browns.
Defensive End: On the left side is Paul Wiggin, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who was part of the 1964 championship team. His teammate, four-time Pro Bowler Bill Glass, will start at right end. Rob Burnett is third on Cleveland ’s all-time list with 40½ sacks, including 10 in his 1994 Pro Bowl season. Reggie Camp had 35 sacks in five seasons, including a franchise-record 14 in 1984. Anthony Pleasant had 11 of his 33½ sacks in 1993. Carl “Big Daddy” Hairston had 37½ sacks in six seasons in the 1980s.
Defensive Tackle: Walter Johnson went to three Pro Bowls and was part of eight playoff teams in 11 seasons. Michael Dean Perry was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. His best season was 1990 when he made 107 tackles and added 11½ of his 51½ sacks (second on Cleveland's career list). Bob Gain went to five Pro Bowls and was a two-time champion. Jerry Sherk was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1976.
Outside Linebacker: Clay Matthews, the father of the longtime Packers star, was a four-time Pro Bowler who had 12 of his team-high 62 sacks in 1984. He had 100 or more tackles eight times, with four of those seasons leading the league. Jim Houston was a four-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1964 championship team. Walt Michaels won two titles and made five Pro Bowls. Houston ’s teammate, Galen Fiss, made two Pro Bowls in 11 seasons. Charlie Hall started 146 games during his 10 seasons in Cleveland.
Middle Linebacker: Mike Johnson was a two-time Pro Bowler who had 100 or more tackles in a season five times. Vince Costello was part of the championship team in 1964, and he was succeeded by Dale Lindsey, who started for six seasons, and Dick Ambrose, who played on two Browns playoff teams in the early 1980s.
Cornerback: Left-side starter Warren Lahr is second on the franchise list with 44 interceptions, including five returned for touchdowns. Hanford Dixon was a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time All-Pro who appeared in nine playoff games. Tommy James was a five-time champion, a Pro Bowler in 1953, and he had 34 picks in nine seasons. Frank Minnifield went to four straight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 1988.
Safety: Free safety Thom Darden is Cleveland ’s all-time leader with 45 interceptions. He had 10 picks for 200 yards in his 1978 Pro Bowl season. Ken Konz, who went to five Pro Bowls and was a two-time champion, is a strong safety. Konz had 30 interceptions, with four returned for touchdowns. Clarence Scott was a 1973 Pro Bowler who had 39 interceptions in 13 seasons. Cliff Lewis was a five-time champion who had nine of his 30 picks in 1948. Bernie Parrish and Ross Fichtner were teammates on the 1964 title team. Parrish went to the Pro Bowl twice. Mike Howell had 27 interceptions in eight seasons.
Kicker: Groza finished with 1,608 points and led the league in scoring twice. Phil Dawson was a two-time Pro Bowler who finished with 1,271 points. Don Cockroft took over for Groza and totaled 1,080 points, while also punting.
Punter: Cockroft had a 40.3-yard average in 10 seasons. Horace Gillom, a six-time champion and 1952 Pro Bowler, had a 43.1-yard average over 10 years.
Returners: Joshua Cribbs finished with 10,015 kickoff return yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 2,154 punt return yards and three scores. He made three Pro Bowls, had six seasons with 1,000 or more kickoff return yards, and was an All-Pro in 2009. Eric Metcalf was a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1993. He ran back five punt returns and two kickoff returns for scores. Dennis Northcutt is second to Cribbs with 2,149 punt return yards, and he also returned three for touchdowns. Donald “Dino” Hall is a distant second to Cribbs with 3,185 kickoff return yards.
Special Teams: Ryan Pontbriand played in 134 games in nine seasons and made two Pro Bowls as a long snapper.
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-By: Kevin Rakas