Cleveland Browns Preview with Dawg Pound Daily

Jul 26, 2013; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Craig Robertson (53) and defensive back Tashaun Gipson (39) high five during training camp at the Cleveland Browns Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports

Team preview time.. Worked with Peter Smith from Dawg Pound Daily to help preview the Cleveland Browns for the season. Here are his responses to the questions I sent out to him.

Which player(s) on roster need to step up in order for the season to be successful?

The obvious answer is Brandon Weeden.  The team is set up in a way where if he is a good quarterback, the Browns could be a surprise team.  If not, they are going to end up likely as a sub .500 team and looking for another quarterback next year.  Beyond Weeden, a healthy Trent Richardson just needs to play like a healthy Trent Richardson is capable.  If he can be the back everyone except he can be, the offense takes on a whole new look with a good offensive line in front of him.

What position battle(s) will you be paying attention to during training camp? 

Guard, Corner, and Free Safety.  The highest profile battle will be the one across from Joe Haden featuring players like Buster Skrine, Chris Owens, Trevin Wade and the third round rookie, Leon McFadden.  The free safety battle features a group of players most people could not pick out of a lineup if they were wearing their jerseys.  The early favorite is Tashaun Gipson, the second year safety who was brought in as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming.  Johnson Bademosi was a corner last year but was moved to safety for this year as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford with a good amount of athletic ability.  Lastly, their sixth round pick, Jamoris Slaughter is a rookie from Notre Dame.  He went late in the draft due to an Achilles injury he suffered early in the year.  John Greco is a virtual lock to be one of the guard spots but the other is up for grabs and will feature a battle between Jason Pinkston, who missed most of last year with a blood clot, and Shawn Lauvao.  The winner could ultimately affect which side of Alex Mack Greco lines up.  Lauvao would likely be a right guard if he wins the job while Pinkston is a left guard.  They have a few young guys like Garrett Gilkey, the seventh round pick and Ryan Miller, who was a late round pick last year but unless they are a revelation, they are competing for backup jobs.

Which rookie(s) on the team will make an immediate impact?

Unless Leon McFadden can win the corner job, Barkevious Mingo is the guy they expect substantial contributions from.  They have Jabaal Sheard and Paul Kruger there to start, though Mingo is going to gun for one of those jobs.  Defensive Coordinator Ray Horton is going to let Mingo loose on the opponent and there will be situations where all three of those players are on the field at the same time. Having Sheard and Kruger there allows them to allow Mingo to be in great position to make a big impact and he could have a nice rookie year as a result.  The bottom line is with the investments they have made, they have got to be able to get after opposing quarterbacks.

Which player(s) on the roster is the most underrated?

T.J. Ward might be the most underrated player on the team and it has a lot to do with the free safety position.  The free safety position was so bad last year that he ended up in a lot of situations he was not particularly comfortable playing but made the most of it.  It remains to be seen if anyone on the current roster can be the answer at that spot, but as long as he stays healthy, Ward could be a tremendous fit in Horton’s scheme.  He could end up playing in a role similar to Troy Polamalu in Pittsburgh or Adrian Wilson did in Arizona.

Prediction for the season?

7-9.  They should play some meaningful football in December but they are a team that still has some holes to fill and are learning how to win in the NFL.  There should be some definite bright spots on this team and genuinely strong units but next year, if they can get quarterback play, is the year they would be more likely to make a strong move and be in playoff contention.

For more coverage on the Cleveland Browns, check out our FanSided sister station Dawg Pound Daily.