John Dorsey is putting together quite the monster on the southern shores of Lake Erie. The rest of the NFL is taking notice of the incredible roster overhaul in Cleveland since the regrettable 0-16 team of 2017. Now the Browns are getting unprecedented respect on a national level.
That includes our own Touchdown Wire, which released its first 2019 power poll since free agency started. Dorsey’s remade Browns just missed cracking the top 10, checking in at No. 11 in the poll.
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The prominent new additions on both sides of the ball factor into the lofty ranking.
Cleveland continues to add talent to their roster. Linebacker Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson add much-needed production up front. But the real work was on offense, where the Browns traded with the Giants for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., making perhaps one of the most talented offenses in the league on paper.
The Browns are the highest-ranked team in the AFC North. Surprisingly, the Baltimore Ravens are next at No. 21. Sandwiched between Seattle and Houston, Cleveland is also the top-rated team that missed the playoffs in 2018.
