ESPN's James Walker's pre-season Browns ranking

[samoth]

"28 (25) Browns 5-11 The first year of the Mike Holmgren era could be rough. This team lacks talent across the board. (Walker)"

 

Absolutely dead on! Of course the rest of the ESPN list is pretty hilarious:

 

1 (1) Colts 14-2 Their fate might depend on what others have done to narrow the gap. (Kuharsky)

 

2 (5) Saints 13-3 The Saints should not expect another magical season because every team is different, but they still can contend for the Super Bowl. (Sando)

 

3 (3) Vikings 12-4 Brett Favre is waiting for a two-hour TV special to announce his return. (Walker)

 

4 (4) Cowboys 11-5 The Cowboys are loaded and will look to secure a Super Bowl "home game." (Clayton)

 

5 (11) Ravens 9-7 The defense-heavy Ravens finally believe they have a high-powered offense. Scary thought. (Walker)

 

6 (6) Packers 11-5 Improved pass protection for QB Aaron Rodgers could go a long way. (Walker)

 

7 (12) Jets 9-7 With 12 Pro Bowl position players, the Jets are loaded to challenge the Pats. (Clayton)

 

8 (15) Falcons 9-7 The fortunes are looking up again now that RB Michael Turner is healthy and apparently in great condition. (Sando)

 

9 (10) Patriots 10-6 Who keeps the Patriots ahead of every other AFC East team? Tom Brady. (Clayton)

 

10 (2) Chargers 13-3 I'd like the Chargers a lot more with WR Vincent Jackson than without him. (Kuharsky)

 

11 (9) Bengals 10-6 This is the deepest Bengals team of the Marvin Lewis era. But can it handle a first-place schedule? (Walker)

 

12 (19) 49ers 8-8 The defense is already strong, and the offense is finally in position to improve -- if QB Alex Smith is ready. (Sando)

 

13 (21) Dolphins 7-9 It's up to QB Chad Henne to see whether he can compete against the big boys in the AFC East. (Clayton)

 

14 (14) Texans 9-7 Pass defense might determine the Texans' fate more than anything else. (Kuharsky)

 

15 (8) Cardinals 10-6 Keep an eye on youngsters Beanie Wells (RB) and Early Doucet (WR) this season. Arizona needs them. (Sando)

 

16 (20) Giants 8-8 Tom Coughlin must sort out the defensive problems to keep the Giants in contention. (Clayton)

 

17 (7) Eagles 11-5 Even though the Eagles have tons of talent, their schedule pulls them down. (Clayton)

 

18 (16) Titans 8-8 The Titans are going to be an offensive football team. (Kuharsky)

 

19 (13) Steelers 9-7 The first four to six games without QB Ben Roethlisberger could make or break their season. (Walker)

 

20 (29) Redskins 4-12 New QB Donovan McNabb should add a touchdown per game to the Redskins' offense. (Clayton)

 

21 (22) Bears 7-9 Do people realize QB Jay Cutler is just 24-29 as a starter? (Walker)

 

22 (18) Panthers 8-8 Carolina has the NFL's youngest roster and a head coach entering the final year of his deal. (Sando)

 

23 (17) Broncos 8-8 I'm betting QB Tim Tebow scores a touchdown on opening day in Jacksonville. (Kuharsky)

 

24 (26) Raiders 5-11 Did the Raiders build a pretty good defense? (Kuharsky)

 

25 (27) Seahawks 5-11 Immediate expectations for QB Charlie Whitehurst subsided pretty quickly once Seattle hit the practice field. (Sando)

 

26 (23) Jaguars 7-9 If only the Jaguars resided in the AFC West ... or the NFC West.(Kuharsky)

 

27 (28) Chiefs 4-12 The Chiefs are hoping safety Eric Berry will provide immediate help. K.C.'s defense ranked 30th in 2009. (Kuharsky)

 

28 (25) Browns 5-11 The first year of the Mike Holmgren era could be rough. This team lacks talent across the board. (Walker)

 

29 (31) Lions 2-14 After the 2009 season, the Lions have nowhere to go but up. So does their pass defense, which ranked 32nd last season and allowed 266 yards per game. (Walker)

 

30 (30) Buccaneers 3-13 How well can a young head coach with a defensive background manage Josh Freeman, a franchise quarterback entering his first full season as an NFL starter? (Sando)

 

31 (24) Bills 6-10 The only thing the Bills can look forward to is the 2011 draft and a new quarterback. (Clayton)

 

32 (32) Rams 1-15 The big question heading into camp is whether rookie QB Sam Bradford can earn the starting job by Week 1. (Sando)

 

 

[BROWNandORANGE]

27 (28) Chiefs 4-12 The Chiefs are hoping safety Eric Berry will provide immediate help. K.C.'s defense ranked 30th in 2009. (Kuharsky)

 

He miscalculated a bit on that one.