The Cleveland Browns enter this season after winning just three games last year.
Of course, that’s far from an ideal situation.
They went to great lengths to add more firepower to their ranks in the NFL Draft, but they didn’t make a lot of moves in terms of free agency.
That’s why Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report doesn’t see Joe Flacco being this team’s savior.
In his latest column, he predicted that the Browns would finish at the bottom of the division:
“Prediction: The circus continues in Cleveland as they finish last again,” Gagnon wrote. “Flacco is 40, and the odds aren’t in favor of any of those quarterbacks. This was a three-win team in 2024 and doesn’t look much better on paper in 2025, especially in a division with three teams that should challenge for playoff spots at the very least.”
He has a valid point in terms of the odds not being in Joe Flacco’s favor, not even after his electric play a couple of years ago.
Then again, as far as not being a better team, that’s not the case.
For starters, the Browns boasted more talent than the average three-win team, and while trusting rookies to turn a team around might not be fair or accurate, this class of first-year players will likely make a massive impact from day one.
Granted, the AFC North will always be one of the toughest divisions in the game, but the Browns have usually held their ground against divisional opponents while under Kevin Stefanski’s tutelage.
The Cincinnati Bengals may have the best quarterback in the business, but Joe Burrow has struggled against the Browns, and they’ve usually split the season series with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns may not make the playoffs, but from that to finishing with the worst record in the league, it’s a big stretch.
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