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Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey rips previous regime over draft picks

Cleveland Browns general manager John Dorsey ripped the previous regime over draft picks in a radio interview Thursday.

CLEVELAND -- In the two years Sashi Brown held control over the 53-man roster, the Cleveland Browns made 24 choices in the NFL Draft, but while the front office was successful in making trades to acquire future assets, the team struggled to win on the field.

In an interview with “The Really Big Show” on ESPN 850/WKNR Thursday, new Browns general manager John Dorsey ripped Brown and his regime for the players they added to the roster, which included an 80 percent turnover of talent in 18 months.

“The guys who were here before, that system, they didn’t get real players,” Dorsey said.

Over the last two years, the Browns have traded out of their spots in the first round of the NFL Draft in order to attain more selections.

By trading the No. 2 pick to Philadelphia in 2016, the Browns passed on the chance to select Carson Wentz, a 6-foot-6, 235-pound quarterback whom chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta felt that despite being a two-year starter for National Championship teams at North Dakota State, did not have the potential to be a top-20 NFL quarterback.

In 29 career NFL games, Wentz has completed 644 of his 1,047 attempts (61.5 percent) for 7,078 yards and 49 touchdowns against 21 interceptions.

Through 13 games this season, Wentz had the Eagles off to an NFL-best 11-2 start and in first place in the NFC East Division.

Prior to tearing an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in a win over the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, Wentz completed 265 passes for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions this season, and was considered a potential MVP candidate.

During the 2017 NFL Draft, the Browns traded the No. 12 pick to the Houston Texans, who spent it on former Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, a National Championship winner in his own right.

Prior to tearing the ACL in his right knee during practice in early November, Watson completed 126 of his 204 attempts for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions to go along with two rushing scores.

“I live in the present and I build for the future,” Dorsey said.

“We’re getting ready to play the Baltimore Ravens, and that’s my sole focus, and then, it’s also getting familiar with the whole layout and the organizational structure.”

With last Sunday’s 27-21 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Browns dropped to 0-13 for the second consecutive year, something that no one within the organization thought would happen because of the commitment to improvement from the coaches and players during the offseason program, training camp and the preseason.

With their 13th consecutive loss during the 2017 season, the Browns dropped to a league-worst 1-28 since the opening game of 2016.

The Browns have not won on a Sunday afternoon since December 13, 2015. The 30 straight Sunday losses are an NFL record, and their 4-46 mark in the last 50 outings is the worst in the league in that four-year span.

Additionally, the Browns’ losing streak currently stands at 355 days, as their last victory came on December 24, 2016.

“Let’s get this thing rolling,” Dorsey said. “The only way to do that is to start to build this thing.”

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