"Hello, do you know us? We're a team in the National Football League."
If you're looking for a reason to feel optimistic about the Eagles' chances on Sunday when Carson Wentz will be making his professional debut, take a look at the Browns' depth chart. And don't feel like any less of a football fan if you don't recognize more than two or three of the names on there.
Aside from Robert Griffin III, Joe Thomas and maybe Joe Haden, this is the very definition of a roster lacking in star power or players of notoriety. It probably should go without saying that there's a reason this team only won three games last year, hasn't produced a record of .500 or better since 2007 and finished with greater than five victories in a season just once during that span.
This is the NFL though, where the outcome can never be taken for granted — especially when there's a rookie quarterback under center. That being said, Wentz couldn't ask for a much better situation to make his first start.
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Robert Griffin III
Here's one player the Eagles should feel very familiar with, but will be reintroduced to on Sunday. The last time we saw Griffin was 2014, when despite completing 68.7 percent of his passes, he mustered only four touchdowns to six interceptions while being sacked a whopping 33 times in seven games, nine starts. The 26-year-old was no longer an explosive runner either, averaging just 4.6 yards per attempt with one score. Since his rookie season, Griffin has a 5-15 record as a starter.
Philadelphia Eagles
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RG3 appears to have regained some confidence in Cleveland, where he's demonstrated a renewed willingness to push the ball downfield during the preseason, averaging 8.2 yards per pass with three touchdowns to one interception. However, he still shows a tendency to hold on to the ball too long, taking six sacks this summer Whether or not he's a threat to gash defenses with his legs largely remains to be seen, but if Griffin has time to throw, he's capable of creating big plays through the air.
Strengths: Vertical speed
Even without Josh Gordon, who's out serving a four-game suspension, the Browns have amassed a talented group of receivers for Griffin to throw to — well, on paper at least. Only tight end Gary Barnidge is proven, if you can call the ninth-year veteran that after one breakout season of 79 receptions, 1043 yards and nine touchdowns. Regardless, Barnidge could be a handful for linebackers Nigel Bradham and Jordan Hicks down the seam.
Cleveland can only project that it has a pair of deep threats on the outside in rookies Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pyor. The 15th-overall draft pick, Coleman timed under 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his pro day and averaged 17.4 yards per reception with 33 touchdown catches in three seasons at Baylor. He battled hamstring issues and was limited during the preseason, but Pryor was not. The converted quarterback out of Ohio State hauled in five passes for 122 yards over the summer, including a 50-yard touchdown from Griffin. The Browns' best chance to upset the Eagles on Sunday might be to hit exactly those kinds of big plays, so expect Rodney McLeod's range from the free safety position to be tested.
Weaknesses: Offensive line
Joe Thomas has been to nine consecutive Pro Bowls, but the left tackle has never been a cure-all for Cleveland's offensive line woes. So while that could mean a quiet afternoon for Connor Barwin, the Eagles should have favorable matchups just about everywhere else up front, particularly on the interior with Fletcher Cox, who enjoyed a dominant preseason after moving to defensive tackle in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz's scheme.
The main concern at the line of scrimmage will be keeping the Browns' ground attack in check. Schwartz's wide-nine front can be susceptible to rushes up the middle, and Isaiah Crowell is the type of bigger back who can pound the ball between the tackles and wear a defense down. But assuming the Eagles can keep Crowell in check, that should put Griffin in unfavorable situations where he's forced to throw the ball, leaving him vulnerable to the pass-rush.
DEFENSE
Strengths: Joe Haden
Haden is about the only sure thing the Browns have on defense right now, and the two-time Pro Bowler is coming off of a season in which he missed all but five games. When healthy, he's been a fine No. 1 cornerback with good ball skills, recording 89 pass breakups and 16 interceptions over six NFL seasons. Then again, Haden only returned from offseason ankle surgery less than two weeks ago, so it remains to be seen how effective he can even be.
Having a shutdown-type corner can be a blessing or a curse if his counterpart isn't up to the task of facing the extra work. In this case, that would be Jamar Taylor, who started nine games with four pass breakups and no interceptions for the Miami Dolphins the previous three seasons — hardly an inspiring body of work. Although Wentz is making his first start, the Eagles shouldn't be afraid of testing Haden, but even if they are, they can always go after Taylor. This is a good opportunity for either Nelson Agholor, Josh Huff or Dorial Green-Beckham to establish themselves as a competent receiver on the outside, and possibly take the top off the defense with former Eagles seventh-round pick Jordan Poyer starting at free safety.
Weaknesses: Run defense
Last season, Cleveland's defense ranked 30th in the NFL against the run and 27th in yards per attempt allowed, and a big reason why is their three-man front. 2015 first-round pick and nose tackle Danny Shelton played well over his list weight of 335 pounds and not surprisingly was a disappointment. Meanwhile, underrated Desmond Bryant is on the mend from a torn pectoral muscle, leaving no-names Xavier Cooper and John Hughes to hold down the fort at defensive end. Barring a massive improvement by Shelton, the interior of the Eagles' offensive line doesn't have much to worry about here.
That sure sounds like good news for Ryan Mathews' and the Eagles' ballcarriers, and conversely Wentz, who would benefit immensely if the running game can handle the bulk of the heavy lifting on Sunday. The difference between a good day and a great day on the ground could be those precious second-level yards, as the Browns do have a pair of thumpers at linebacker in Demaro Davis and Christian Kirksey. If expensive free-agent guard Brandon Brooks can get his massive 6-foot-5, 335-pound frame out there, Mathews could be in for a huge day.
X-factor: Pass-rush
The Browns did invest heavily on their front seven in the draft, using second- and third-round picks on outside linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah and defensive end Ryan Nassib respectively. The two instantly become the most credble pass-rushers on the defense, in part because their top-two sack artists from last year are either injured (Desmond Bryant) or suspended (Armonty Bryant).
Ogbah and Nassib were also getting it done during the preseason, each registering 2.0 sacks to tie for the team lead this summer. Ogbah posted double-digit sack totals each of his final two seasons at Oklahoma State, and with 4.6 speed, he has the quickness to give 34-year-old Jason Peters fits off the edge. Nassib seems a little undersized to play end in a 3-4 alignment, but defensive coordinator Ray Horton likes to give various looks, which would allows for the Penn State product to move all over the formation. The potential certainly exists for these young players to make Wentz feel uncomfortable during his debut.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Like the rest of their roster, Cleveland's special teams experienced a ton of personnel turnover during the offseason, and it's difficult to say whether the unit is better or worse off as a result. If nothing else, you have to give the edge to the Eagles, who boast tremendous continuity here have been one of the NFL's best for years.
HEAD COACH
Hue Jackson (first season with Browns, 8-8 all-time)
The pairing of Jackson and Griffin is an intriguing one, especially after the former Bengals offensive coordinator made Andy Dalton look like an elite signal-caller last season. Even without Josh Gordon, the Eagles have to weary of the deep pass at all times, as the receivers have the talent and speed to go vertical and a quarterback who can get it there. And keep in mind, while Jackson takes over an obviously depleted roster, he was able to guide the Oakland Raiders to one of their two .500 finishes in the last 13 years, so this is not an entirely unique position to him. Expect the Browns to be well coached on Sunday, even if they are out-manned.
