CLEVELAND -- Recent history has not been kind to the Cleveland Browns, so much so that reports and rumors have come to light stating opposing teams refused to trade players to Cleveland as a favor to agents and athletes alike.
But in the first few days of the new league year last week, the Browns announced four trades, including with the Miami Dolphins for wide receiver Jarvis Landry, Buffalo Bills for quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Green Bay Packers for defensive back Damarious Randall and New England Patriots for a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Additionally, they added seven more players in free agency.
“I think this organization is growing,” defensive back T.J. Carrie said. “They have brought in a lot of pieces to the puzzle that a lot of people may have viewed were missing.
“You always want to be a part of history in the making in the sense that you are able to be on that team when it has gotten turned around. That is a challenge that I think all players take on, and myself personally, that is something that I want to embrace, too. I want to be able to be one of the cornerstone players that are able to get this thing turned around.”
With a season-ending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on New Year’s Eve 2017, the Browns went winless in a 16-game schedule for the first time in franchise history, and their 17th consecutive loss overall dropped the organization to a league-worst 1-31 since the opening game of 2016.
The Browns have not won on a Sunday afternoon since December 13, 2015, and those 33 straight Sunday losses are an NFL record.
Last season, the Browns set the record for the worst 28-game stretch in NFL history, as they “bested” the previous mark of 2-26 set by the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1976-1977 seasons with a 1-27 mark that got four losses worse after Week 13.
“Have to keep your eyes moving forward,” Taylor said. “I know the talent we have on the team, and I’m pretty sure things aren’t done. Our mindset moving forward has to be taking it one day at a time of individually getting better and collectively, as well. Can’t really focus on past years. Learn from it, but can’t dwell on it.”
Over the last four-plus years, the Browns have gone 4-49, which is the worst mark in the league in that timespan, and the record has not been much better since Dee and Jimmy Haslam officially purchased the team in October of 2012.
In five seasons under the Haslams’ majority ownership, the Browns have posted an NFL-worst 15-65 record. Factoring in the remaining games of the 2012 season after the sale was approved at an NFL Owners Meeting in Chicago, the Browns have gone 19-70 with the Haslams controlling the team.
“Opportunity to change the organization around,” running back Carlos Hyde said of what attracted him to Cleveland.
“I just came from San Francisco. Things were not the best there. I have been in situations there where we were trying to get our first win. I know what it feels like going out there, competing and trying to get your first win. I would rather come around and be with some guys who are hungry to go get that first win and get a winning season. That is something that definitely brought me back here.”
