I am the Most Optimistic Cleveland Browns Fan Ever!

Okay, so the title says it all but it should be repeated.

I am the most optimistic Browns fan ever!

That's right, it's hard for me to ever really doubt that they are doing the right thing.  Maybe it's because they are and have been so bad for so long that I always like to think they have a chance.  If they went into the season without me thinking they had a chance, besides fantasy football, what would be the point of me even watching the season?  So I go into every season hopeful...only to be let down by the time week six rolls around.  

So what could possibly make me hopeful this season?  Simple, it just depends on how you look at things. 

With the losses of Andre Davis and Sean Jones through free agency, they lost two of the better players on defense.  But from my point of view, they lost two of the slowest players for their position on the 26th ranked defense...so big deal.

They also lost Jason Wright, their fifth overall leading rusher (third if you take out Derek Anderson and Josh Cribbs).  Oh no, the guy who Jerome Harrison passed over and also average 3.7 yards on just 23 carries for the entire season is now gone.  I feel pretty confident they can replace him with a late round pick.

And finally, they also lost CB Travis Daniels...who?

There was also the trade of Kellen Winslow.  That seems like it could be a decent loss on the field.  When he was on the field, no one played harder and took a beating like he did.  Of course, off the field, he was a pain.  I think my favorite story was that Jim Brown had to talk him into not holding out last season even though the Browns did everything they could to make sure he got paid even after he disregarded his contract with the whole motorcycle incident.  Plus, who knows, maybe last year's draft pick of Martin Rucker could work out.  Steve Heiden was pretty good when he was a starter and they signed Robert Royal so there are options.  

So who else did they sign?  

LB Eric Barton, LB David Bowens, DT CJ Mosely and CB Hank Poteat all came over from the Jets.  G Floyd Womack came from Seattle, RB Noah Herron came from Tampa Bay and WR David Patten came back to the team from New Orleans.  So they brought over a bunch of average guys came from other teams to play here.  Meh, big deal.

And finally, the biggest off season move of them all.  Eric Mangini.  I had friends tell me that they thought it was horrible.  I don't listen to local sports talk radio anymore (cause it's awful) but I'd be willing to bet that it's all negative (cause it always was).  But I look at it this way.  Since they've come back in 1999, they've had three head coaches and three GMs.  They've come from all different places.  We've had guys from championship teams, guys from college and guys who worked under guys who won as coaches and GMs and all of them failed.  So really, how can anyone tell anymore who's gonna be good or bad?  It's really a crap shoot.  Hope that the combo of QB, Defense and Head Coach can all come together to win and you got a chance.

We still apparently have the Derek Anderson v Brady Quinn thing going on.  Most of the fans want Quinn even though Anderson led them to a bunch of wins in 2006.  I don't really understand that one.  But again, who knows, Winslow's gone, Jurevicous is gone and there are rumors are that Braylon may be traded.  Whichever one wins the job may have to pick between Patten, Steptoe and Rucker as their starters.  

So why am I optimistic?  Because for my last 27 years of watching football, I thought I knew everything.  But I came to a realization a couple months ago that I just don't know anymore.  So instead of trying to figure it out, I'm just gonna ride along with what they do, get excited about the season starting and than be disappointed by the sixth week.  Wash, Rinse, Repeat, it's what I do.