In depth: Cleveland Browns

It’s been nearly 30 years since the Cleveland Browns were playoff contenders on a regular basis and now a decade since the last postseason appearance. But the new Cleveland Browns might not be that far from a return to relevance. The defense stepped it up big time in 2011. And despite a 4-12 record, the team was in a majority of its games until the very end. They need a dramatic infusion of talent on offense. But Steve DiMatteo, editor and lead writer of the Dawg Pound Daily, tells us he thinks the team is definitely on the right track. Here’s what he had to say: Zoneblitz: The Browns lost 12 games, but six were by a touchdown or less. What was your overall impression of the 2011 season? DiMatteo: It was a testament to how well the defense played at times. The Browns’ offense was playing at historically poor levels this season, and if they were able to find the end zone even once in some of their games, this likely would have been a very different season. While the...