First Glance: The Browns are a team with no clear cut identity right now, having underwent radical changes to their roster that left even the most die hard fans in Cleveland shaking their heads in wonder this off-season.

Major question marks abound at almost every key position, especially at quarterback, and at this point, it’s hard to imagine the Browns doing much of anything this year unless they can somehow rise above their talent deficiencies to play at a higher level as a team.

2009 Record: 5-11 (4th AFC North)

Key Additions: QB Jake Delhomme, QB Seneca Wallace, FB Peyton Hillis, WR Bobby Engram, TE Ben Watson, TE Alex Smith, OT Tony Pashos, DE/OLB Chris Gocong, ILB Scott Fujita, CB Sheldon Brown, K Shaun Suisham

Key Losses: QB Brady Quinn, QB Derek Anderson, RB Jamal Lewis, WR Donte Stallworth, WR Mike Furrey, OT Ryan Tucker, G Rex Hadnot, C Hank Fraley, DE/DT Corey Williams, DE/OLB Kamerion Wimbley, DE/OLB Alex Hall, S Brodney Pool

Draft Picks: CB Joe Haden, S T.J. Ward, RB Montario Hardesty, QB Colt McCoy, G Shawn Lauvao, S Larry Asante, WR Carlton Mitchell, DE/DT Clifton Geathers

Analysis: It’s hard to blame first year team president Mike Holmgren for the team’s difficulties thus far, seeing as he had so very little to work with upon his arrival in Cleveland. That said, Holmgren really threw everyone for a loop with a lot of his decisions, especially in how he chose to address the Browns’ problems at quarterback, choosing to deal away both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson, only to replace them with Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace.

Obviously, Holmgren is comfortable in knowing that his new club won’t do much this season, preferring instead to make it through this bridge year intact and go after a slate of players through free agency and the draft next spring that fit his football philosophy. But that approach isn’t likely to play well with the fans in Cleveland, who expect their teams to be winners year in and year out, and it could very well end up making Holmgren’s job much more difficult in the long run.

On offense, the biggest key as usual will be the play at quarterback, and that starts with Delhomme, who was sent packing from Carolina in the off-season and may have difficulty staying healthy through all 16 games. Delhomme also isn’t exactly the most reliable signal caller when it comes to protecting the football, and for a team like the Browns, turnovers will be the difference between winning and losing each week.

Behind him isn’t much better though, as Wallace has never shown himself to be anything more than a backup and a possible option at wide receiver if need be. Relying on him to carry the load should Delhomme go down won’t be pretty and as such, Cleveland would be wise to see if they can find anything better once the roster cut downs take place this weekend.

One player that could be available is Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart, who is reportedly on his way out of Arizona, and could provide a solid option to turn to if Delhomme plays true to form and gets hammered early on this year. Leinart hasn’t done much of anything for the Cardinals, but a change of scenery could be the motivating factor he needs to step up his game.

Cleveland does have a nice compliment of weapons for their stable of mediocre quarterbacks to use this season, with wide receiver Joshua Cribbs and running back Jerome Harrison leading the way. Cribbs needs no introduction, having ran through just about every kickoff coverage team in the league over the past two years, and while teams are likely to do anything in their power to prevent him from doing that again, he can contribute in other ways offensively.

Defensively, the Browns have to take what they did last year in finishing in the middle of pack rankings wise, and take steps forward to be even better this season if they want to have any chance at all to be a threat in their division. Up front, the loss of Corey Williams could prove to be somewhat problematic given his talent at shutting down the run, but with his skill set being much better suited for a role in a 4-3 defense, it was time to get what they could from him.

The best part of the group though has to be their duo at cornerback, with two outstanding talents locking down their side of the field against opposing receivers in Eric Wright and rookie Joe Haden. While Haden may struggle a bit early on in adjusting to the speed of the game at this level, as the season progresses and Haden gets comfortable, there’s little doubt that opponents will find the going rough in trying to pass on the Browns this season.

Head coach Eric Mangini isn’t long for his job, regardless of how well his team plays this season, as Holmgren will undoubtedly be looking to bring in someone from his own coaching tree to run the show on the ground. That said, Mangini seems to have won over his team and could very well make Holmgren’s decision tough in the off-season.

In the end, the Browns aren’t likely to do all that much in the win column this season, and will be once again playing the role of spoiler within their division, with the hated Ravens and Steelers both on their schedule twice a year. If they can consistently play well on defense and eliminate mistakes on offense, they should pose a threat to most teams they play, and should find a way to pull off a fair amount of victories when things are all said and done.

2010 Projection: 6-10 (4th AFC North)