by Between coaching with Parcells and Belichick, the “Bills” had brought him five Super Bowl rings. Crennel came with clout, and a resume that couldn’t be ignored. There was only one tiny, itsy, bitsy, super small problem. That being, he had never been a head coach a day in his life, let alone at the NFL level. The inexperience would show quickly as the Browns stumbled to a 4-7 start to the season.
At 4-7, a few things were apparent, veteran journeyman quarterback Trent Dilfer, who they brought in to start the year, wasn’t the answer. Dilfer started 8 games for the 2001 Baltimore Ravens where he wasn’t asked to do much more than hand the ball off to Jamal Lewis and Priest Holmes while one of the best defenses in NFL history led by Ray Lewis won them the Super Bowl. Say what you want about Dilfer, but they went 7-1 with him under center that season, including the playoff run.
Through his 11 games in Cleveland, Dilfer was immobile and subpar. He was 199 of 333 passing with only 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Like Garcia the year before, Dilfer was also without “The Solider” as Winslow never made it to a single practice that season. After recovering from the injury he received during his rookie season, Winslow promptly hurt himself again.
On May 1, 2005, Winslow suffered another leg injury when he was thrown from his Suzuki GSX-R750 motorcycle while speeding and trespassing in the Tri-C Corporate College parking lot in Westlake, Ohio. You know, kids being kids right?
It resulted in a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as he was placed on the “Physically Unable-to-Perform (Non Football Injury)” list for the 2005 season. The fun wasn’t over yet however, as his bad luck just kept coming, Winslow later had a six-week staph infection that resulted from the injury. Rather than get on the bad side of the Cleveland Clinic and begin to mention the long line of athletes who wound up with staph infections during that stretch, we shall just move on with the rest of the story.
With the NFL journeyman quarterback Dilfer not exactly lighting the world on fire, and Winslow falling off his tricycle, Romeo turned to a couple of rookies in hopes of finishing the year strongly. The first was rookie quarterback and Willard, Ohio product Charlie Frye. The Akron Zip was selected in the third round (67th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Browns. Frye broke 54 football records during his college career at the University of Akron and seemed to come with the Cleveland moxie.
Despite the fact he was the 4th selected quarterback overall in a very weak QB class, the Browns fans didn’t care and looked at him as the savior! He was a local product and that erased any wort in their eyes. He started off well as he helped the Browns finish 2-3 during that stretch to close out 2005. The two wins were come from behind victories over the Raiders and Ravens which instantly endured him to Browns fans hearts and helped them forget about the 41-0 drubbing they took at home to Pittsburgh during that stretch.
During that short sample size, he formed instant chemistry with fellow rookie Braylon Edwards out of Michigan. The Wolverine struggled to stay healthy, only starting 7 games because of injuries. He shined in those starts, catching 32 balls for 512 yards and 3 touchdowns. Not exactly world beater numbers, but he showed flashes of brilliance if and when he could just hang on to the football. He had feet of fleet but hands of stone.
Edwards came in with an extreme amount of hype and promise as he was another cannot miss product. Having him lineup next to Kellen Winslow, almost seemed too good to be true when they took him third overall. His numbers at Michigan were incredible as he grabbed 252 catches in four seasons with 3,541 yards and 39 touchdowns. He was seen as the best player in college football the 2005 season, and it wasn’t even close.
During his senior season in 2004, he set Michigan season records for receptions (97) and receiving yards (1,330), and career records with 252 receptions, 3,541 yards, and 39 touchdowns, which was also a Big Ten record. Edwards also set the Michigan career record for the most games with 100 or more receiving yards and following his senior season, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award given to the nation’s top receiver. He was the Big Ten Conference’s most valuable player, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American.
Edwards is the only wide receiver in Big Ten history and the third in NCAA Division I-A annals to gain 1,000 or more receiving yards in three consecutive years. Not only that, but he was red hot coming into the draft as Edwards concluded his college career by recording three touchdown catches in the 2005 Rose Bowl against the Texas Longhorns, tying the Rose Bowl record. The Cleveland Browns were getting the next Jerry Rice, Steve Largent and Randy Moss all in one. Despite a rough rookie season for Edwards, they knew they had a total stud at wideout.
To go along with the young nucleus at quarterback and wideout, the Browns finally seemed to have a solid running game as well with Reuben Droughns. The Browns had given up William Green coming into the 2005 season, and coach Crenel was set on Droughns as his guy. It was a smart decision as Droughns used his five-foot 11-inch, 220-pound frame as a battering ram all season long. He could plow through the line, and he could also cut back and find wholes.
He seemed to be the total package as he finished with 1232 yards on 309 carries while also catching 39 balls for 369 yards. It also erased the common thought that he was the product of the Denver running system the year before when he went for 1240 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Bronco’s. He very much appeared to be the real deal.
Hopes were high heading into 2006 as the name of the game for the Browns was consistency. They had Romeo Crennel coming back for year two at the helm. Both Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow were both coming back to start the season healthy. Charlie Frye and Reuben Droughns were also both back and ready to lead the offense.
As for new additions, they signed all pro punter Dave Zastudil who was from Bay Village, Ohio. He spent his first four seasons with the Ravens where he became one of the best punters in the league before signing with his hometown Browns.
Speaking of big-name hometown free agent signings, there was none bigger than LeCharles Bentley. You don’t get much bigger of a hometown signing then him as he played his High School ball in Cleveland at Saint Ignatius and college ball in Columbus. Bentley was born in Cleveland, Ohio where he played high school football at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. He was a two-year starter and was a three-year letterman, earning All-Ohio honors as a senior in 1997 as a Wildcat.
His career as an Ohio State Buckeye went every bit as well where he was a four-year letterman for them from 1998 to 2001. As a senior in 2001, he won the Remington Trophy as college football’s best center. He received first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors, and was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American.
He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2002 and instantly took off. He was named Sports Illustrated ‘s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2002 and Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team. In 2005, he started 14 games at center and was voted to the Pro Bowl for the third straight season. The Saints tried to sign him long term, but he wanted to be a Cleveland Brown badly and signed with them.
It was a huge coo for the Browns as he was regarded by ESPN as the top-rated free agent. They had now signed two of the top free agents simply because the men wanted to play for their hometown team. All the breaks seemed to be going their way.
