Up next, the final team in the AFC North, the Cleveland Browns. Friday will be a preview of the AFC North as a whole

Last season the Browns finished 4-12-0 and were last in the AFC North.

Offense: Part of Cleveland’s struggles last year fell on the quarterback position. Derek Anderson was a Pro-Bowl quarterback in 2007, but in 2008 he struggled and was benched in favor of Brady Quinn until Quinn suffered an injury and was forced to miss time. This year the priority for new head coach Eric Mangini will be to determine which quarterback will be his starter, and stick with him throughout the season. The biggest issue for which ever quarterback wins the starting job, is the trade of safety valve tight end Kellen Winslow to the Buccaneers. Winslow was a big target, and the tight end position is one of the most important weapons to any young, and scrambling, quarterback. The wide receiver position is a question mark with Braylon Edwards showing up late to camp and then failing a team physical so the current number one receiver is journeyman David Patten.

Defense: Outside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson led the Browns with 154 tackles last season, but the unit struggled as a whole. The Browns ranked 26th in yards against, and 28th in rushing yards allowed but the defense was better against the pass ranking 14th, and ranked 16th in points allowed. Shaun Rogers was the big acquisition last offseason, but he struggled in his first year as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. He recorded only 4.5 sacks last season, his fewest in a full season since 2003.

Star Power: Kick Returner Joshua Cribbs has had over 1,000 return yards in his four seasons in the league, but is currently holding out due to a contract dispute. Cribbs is one of the premier kick returners in the league, and his contributions to the team are vital. Currently the Browns do not want to rework his contract, and are attempting to move on without him. Doing so will hurt their struggling offense even more and may cost the team some games down the road, so getting Cribbs on the field should be a priority.

Best Addition: The Browns moved down many times in the NFL Draft, and still ended up getting the player they wanted in center Alex Mack. Mack is currently battling incumbent center Hank Fraley for the starting position. If Mack wins the starting spot or not either way is a positive for the Browns. Either Mack will learn and develop from the playing time, or he will get a chance to learn how to play from an experienced veteran like Fraley and he will not have to learn on the field. Mack will be the anchor of the Cleveland line for years to come.

Biggest Loss: Wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth is currently suspended indefinitely from the NFL after his DUI Manslaughter charges in Miami. Now his crime is not deserving of him being in football, and the bigger issue here is the loss of a life in the case, but his presence will be missed by the Browns. Cleveland is already thin at the wide receiver position with Braylon Edwards’s injury, Joshua Cribbs currently holding out, and the trade of Kellen Winslow over the summer.

Biggest Game: September 13th the Minnesota Vikings come to town with their new quarterback, Sage Rosenfels. Minnesota will challenge the Browns and we will see what kind of improvements the team has made in training camp, and the starting quarterback will have been decided.