Browns fans have seen this before

Browns fans have seen this before
March 11
Akron Beacon Journal columnist Patrick McManamon

"Sometimes it feels like the Browns keep taking us back to the future, time and again.

This ranks as a curiosity, mind you, and not necessarily something that is good or bad.

But the back-to-the-future theme seemed most at work when the Browns announced they had signed cornerback Hank Poteat.

This immediately brought to mind the team's one shining moment since 1999 - the playoff game in Pittsburgh.

Poteat was part of a Steelers secondary that was victimized by Kelly Holcomb for 429 yards. The Steelers won, but Poteat started and spent most of the afternoon chasing Dennis Northcutt.

Now he's with the Browns, albeit a few years older and more experienced.

Coach Eric Mangini also has followed the trend of his Browns predecessors since 1999, and that is to populate the team with his former players.

In 1999, Dwight Clark and Carmen Policy made Cleveland the landing place for anyone who tried out for or wore a San Francisco 49ers helmet the previous two seasons.

Then came Butch Davis, who acquired players he either coached, coached against or recruited.

Phil Savage followed, and he liked former Baltimore Ravens, though he did allow coach Romeo Crennel to have a couple former New England Patriots.

Now we have Mangini, who is rebuilding the Browns - especially the defense - with enough of his former players that the team could be renamed the North Coast Really Fast Planes.

Could we have yet another teeny, tiny broken leg on the horizon? Or another finest, nicest man who was ever arrested?

Mangini's defense includes three former players - four if restricted free agent Abram Elam's offer sheet (not announced by the team) is not matched by the Jets and five if linebacker Eric Barton signs."
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