Effort Will Define Browns More Than Wins & Losses in 2016

Under normal circumstances, the best way to judge a team is by its record.

The old cliche, “you are what your record says you are” usually rings true.

However, if someone were to judge the 2016 Cleveland Browns by wins and losses, there’s a distinct possibility that there would literally be nothing to go off other than defeat.

Rather than make this another installment of bashing the Browns, which never gets old or stale after 17 years of ineptitude, let’s first introduce our three words to live by for this season: “Temper your expectations.”

Most of the fan base is aware of this reality, but until the team finds itself in the midst of a six-game losing-streak, we don’t exactly know what level of panic the Dawg Pound will reach.

Would it be nice to be proven wrong? Of course, but let’s not act shocked when the team is in last place in the AFC North.

At this point of the rebuild, losses are all part of the process. This process has worked in other cities and perhaps it could have worked in Cleveland if there was some sort of continuity for more than two or three seasons at a time.

We all know the story of coaching changes, dysfunction, so on and so forth, but what makes this team different is the hunger and energy of young players, looking to prove their worth and show they belong on the field at the NFL level.

This isn’t a last stop to collect a check before retirement. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

Players who can’t help this franchise long-term have been pushed out the door on a moment’s notice.

The veterans who are still on the team, most notably Joe Haden and Joe Thomas, know all about what it means to be a Cleveland Brown – some good, mostly bad, and almost always ugly.

That experience will be paramount to explain to young men what playing football in Cleveland encompasses.

You can be a hero on a team with terrible records if you work hard and do your part.

If the blue-collar fans see your effort, they’ll appreciate it – win or lose.

This young core has a chance to turn things around in the epicenter of the football universe, just an hour away from Canton, the birthplace of professional football, where legends are immortalized.

From Paul Brown to Otto Graham, Jim Brown to Bernie Kosar, the history of the game is as rich in Cleveland as most other NFL cities.

If there are any two veterans who can make that point clear to rookies, it’s Haden and Thomas.

By the way, those two are really tired of losing and this isn’t just a stop on their tours for paychecks. It defines their careers. There’s little doubt those two will be pushing the young guys to change the culture.

Even some of the other veterans on the team, like Robert Griffin III and Terrelle Pryor came here with a mission to prove people wrong.

This is about an opportunity for those two to resurrect their NFL careers after being written off by critics.

If that doesn’t motivate someone to play hard, this may not be the right line of work to pursue.

However, it shows the perseverance and persistence of Griffin and Pryor that they have stuck around this long, despite some major bumps along the way.

It would be awesome to see those two thrive and hook up for deep bombs, high-fiving in the endzone, which would serve as a collective middle finger to those who labelled their careers dead and buried two years ago.

That’s the type of player who can help a young team, unlike the washed-up veterans on the back ends of their careers, who know the best days are long gone.

Not to call any players out, but Cleveland has seen its fair share of those examples over the years.

When it comes to the young guys, although this is far from the best situation to begin a career, in some ways it’s actually a great opportunity.

Third and fourth-round picks will compete for significant playing time and gain valuable experience right out the gate.

They might have to wait two or three years to get this kind of in-game experience on playoff-caliber teams.

It’s how they respond to the initial hurdles that will separate which players belong as part of the core and who may not be cut out for the long-term foundation.

It’s practically a given that the Browns will be out of the playoff hunt in November.

Which young players are still giving 100 percent effort in those games?

Who is keeping their head high versus who is complaining of “nagging injuries” to get out of playing in “meaningless” games?

If early indications from this 2016 Draft class hold true, it doesn’t appear the Browns will have that problem to deal with near the end of the season.

But so much can change after several short weeks and the temperature drops 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

These winters have a way of separating the men from the boys and weeding out the players who aren’t fit for Cleveland.

As of now, there haven’t been many who stood the test of time.

The last few players to mention are the skill players with some NFL success in recent history.

Duke Johnson Jr. put forth a solid rookie campaign.

Isaiah Crowell is two years removed from a good rookie season, as well, and has a lot to prove in 2016.

Crowell made more than a few fans furious with his controversial message regarding police, but still has a job and can earn back the favor of the Dawg Pound with a big season.

Gary Barnidge was one of the best tight ends in 2016 and now has a few more weapons around him in the receiver corps…

Which leads us to Josh Gordon.

From the ashes, the Phoenix shall rise again.

And lord knows there were ashes.

We’ve run out of second, third, fourth, fifth chances and lost count long ago, but the young man is still employed by an NFL team.

After Week 4, we’ll see what Gordon really wants to do with his life.

He’s made it this far, through all these consequences, suspensions, and random drug tests.

Let’s hope he didn’t make it this far down the road just to stop and fizzle out.

If Gordon isn’t hungry and motivated by now, he was never cut out for the league in the first place, but it’s hard to believe that would be the case, when he put up record numbers with Brandon Weeden as a quarterback.

Just lay off the weed, put down the syrup, and this funny thing starts to happen where good things come your way! Who would’ve thought?

Whether Gordon has a problem, was immature, or just doesn’t care, this really is as clean a slate as someone can get after so many previous infractions.

As someone who loves underdogs and comeback stories, I’d love to see Gordon shed the stereotype and perception of fans, critics, and media, that he has mostly cast himself into over these past three years.

Keeping all of this in mind, if the Browns go 2-14, that won’t tell the story of the season as much as the details of how they got to that point.

Are Danny Shelton and Cam Erving playing their tails off Week 17?

Are players pushing each other to demand more out of themselves and their teammates?

Are they working as hard as the fans, who put in a 50-hour week to pay for tickets just to freeze on the lakeshore and watch the team they love?

That’s what 2016 Cleveland Browns football is all about for me.

Judge this team by its effort, not by its record.