Nobody seems to be expecting much from the Cleveland Browns this year. FanDuel Sportsbook has Cleveland's win total at 5.5 after back-to-back 5-12 and 3-14 seasons. Even owner Jimmy Haslam appears to see the uphill climb, though he still expects more from his team.

“I think the odds are for us to win 5.5 games. I’ll take the over,” Haslam said.

The Browns last made the postseason with a first-year head coach on the sidelines. If Jimmy Haslam has the same vision for Todd Monken, he isn't saying it publicly. Still, the owner has made it clear that he expects more from his team.

“I think we have made giant strides in our talent level the last two years. And it takes these young guys a lot of time. I think we could have a chance to start double-digit first- and second-year players. We’re really excited about the roster we’ve assembled,” said Haslam, per Browns writer for the Chronicle-Telegram and Medina Gazette Scott Petrak.

Any kind of positivity is welcome for the Browns, considering the franchise has endured a rough stretch since the Haslam family took ownership in 2012. Since 2013, Cleveland has posted a 78-150-1 regular-season record, the second-worst mark in the NFL.

On top of that, the Browns have managed just two winning seasons during those 14 years and have suffered eight double-digit loss campaigns.

The lone bright spot came in 2020, when Kevin Stefanski guided the franchise to an 11-5 record and its first playoff victory in decades.

While Jimmy Haslam has modest expectations for his team this year, that doesn't mean he isn't setting his sights on the Lombardi Trophy.

Jimmy Haslam backs Browns to find consistency

Training camp has gone well, making Browns owner Jimmy Haslam more optimistic about the team's outlook this season. Haslam said he believes general manager Andrew Berry has assembled a strong roster capable of putting on a show.

"I think we have made giant strides in our talent level the last few years, and that takes these young guys a lot of time," Haslam said, per Cleveland Browns. "We could have a chance to start double-digit first- and second-year players, and I don't care how good you are, it takes a little bit of time to improve. But we're really excited about the roster we've assembled. "

This offseason, the Browns have added 10 new players via the NFL draft, which includes four first- and second-rounders in offensive tackle Spencer Fano, wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

Will the Browns smash the 5.5 win total this season, or are we in for another rough ride? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore