2007 Cleveland Browns season
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The 2007 Cleveland Browns season was the franchise's 59th season as a professional sports franchise and its 55th season as a member of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. The season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the
AFC North The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL s ...
. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season. The Browns remained under the supervision of head coach
Romeo Crennel Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...
and they played all of their home games in
Cleveland Browns Stadium FirstEnergy Stadium is a stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, primarily for American football. It is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL), and serves as a venue for other events such as college and h ...
in
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio. During the 2007 NFL Draft, the Browns selected
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
Joe Thomas with the third overall selection. The Browns were also able to draft Notre Dame
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Brady Quinn Brayden Tyler "Brady" Quinn (born October 27, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Notre Dame, where he won the Maxwell Award, and w ...
with the 22nd overall selection, after completing a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, which saw the Browns send their second-round pick in the 2007 draft, along with their first-round pick in the
2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
, to the Cowboys for their first-round selection at number 22. The Browns completed their first-day draft by selecting
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Eric Wright, following another trade with Dallas, which saw the Browns giving up their third- and fourth-round picks in the 2007 draft and swapping sixth-round picks with the Cowboys. During the off-season, the Browns signed key free agents
Eric Steinbach Eric Steinbach (born April 4, 1980) is a former American football Guard (American football), guard who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, and earned consensus All-A ...
(
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
,
offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
),
Jamal Lewis Jamal Lewis (born August 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Tennessee and was s ...
(
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
), and
Robaire Smith Robaire Fredrick Smith (born November 15, 1977) is a former American football defensive lineman that plays Defensive end and Defensive tackle. High school and college career Smith was a Parade All-America selection as a senior at Flint Northern ...
(
Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...
,
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
). The Browns ultimately finished the season with a 10–6 record but nevertheless failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were beaten for the division title on a tiebreaker by the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
and lost another tiebreaker for a wildcard berth to the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. The team finished the season having scored 402 points with 5,621 yards of total offense, both 8th best in the NFL; however, the defense allowed 382 points (21st best) and gave up 5,753 yards (30th best). As of January 3, 2021, this remains the second-best record and the second of three winning seasons the Browns have had since returning to the NFL in 1999. This was the Browns’ last winning season until
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.


Off-season


Coaching staff changes

The Cleveland Browns’ offense was marred by bad play-calling throughout the early stages of the 2006 season, forcing the resignation of the team's offensive coordinator, Maurice Carthon, on October 24, 2006. Following Carthon's resignation, head coach
Romeo Crennel Romeo Crennel (born June 18, 1947) is a former American football coach, who was the senior advisor for football performance for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). A former long-time coaching assistant to Bill Parcells, Cre ...
hired assistant head coach and offensive line coach
Jeff Davidson Jeff Davidson (born October 3, 1967) is an American football coach who most recently served as the offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) and is also a former player. He has also spent time as offensive ...
as the team's offensive coordinator for the remainder of the 2006 season. However, the Browns lost Davidson to the Carolina Panthers, where he was hired to serve as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator. Because of Davidson's hiring in Carolina, the Browns hired
Rob Chudzinski Robert Matthew Chudzinski (born May 12, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the special assistant to the head coach of the Boston College Eagles. Chudzinski was the offensive coordinator for several National Football League (N ...
as the team's new offensive coordinator. The team has also hired Ted Daisher as the team's new special teams coordinator. Other coaching staff changes made by the Browns in the 2007 off-season include the hiring of Steve Marshall as the offensive line coach;
Tom Myslinski Thomas Joseph Myslinski, Jr. (born December 7, 1968) is a professional American football strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was strength and conditioning coach for the Cleveland Browns until the end of the 2009 sea ...
as the strength-and-conditioning coach;
Alan DeGennaro Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname *Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * A ...
as the assistant strength-and-conditioning coach; Dave Atkins as the senior offensive assistant coach;
Anthony Lynn Anthony Ray Lynn (born December 21, 1968) is an American football coach and former running back who is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in t ...
as the running backs coach;
Rip Scherer William Bernard "Rip" Scherer Jr. (born August 3, 1952) is an American football coach and former player. In 2018, he was named tight ends coach with thLos Angeles Chargers Prior to the LA Chargers, Scherer was the tight ends coach for UCLA. Sch ...
as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach; and
Alfredo Roberts Alfredo Roberts (born March 17, 1965) is an American football coach and former tight end in the National Football League (NFL), who serves as the tight ends coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowb ...
as the tight ends coach. On June 14, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's contract was extended by two years, allowing him to remain with the Browns through the 2009 season.


Roster changes

The Cleveland Browns had one of the busiest off-seasons in terms of movement in the NFL. Beginning on March 3, 2007, the Browns signed former
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
offensive guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
Eric Steinbach Eric Steinbach (born April 4, 1980) is a former American football Guard (American football), guard who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, and earned consensus All-A ...
to a seven-year contract and former
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
Antwan Peek Antwan Peek (born October 29, 1979) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Cincinnati. Peek has also played for the Cleveland Browns. ...
to a three-year contract; the team also resigned
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
Hank Fraley Henry Franklin Fraley Jr. (born September 21, 1977) is an American football coach and former center who is the offensive line coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant offensive line ...
to a four-year contract, fearing that center
LeCharles Bentley LeCharles Vernon Bentley (born November 7, 1979) is an American former college and professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football for Ohio State University, earned ...
's 2006 season-ending knee injury may also be a career-ending injury. The following day, March 4, the Browns signed former
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Kenny Wright to a three-year contract. One day later, on March 5, the Browns lost wide receiver and punt returner
Dennis Northcutt Dennis LaMont Northcutt (born December 22, 1977) is a retired American professional football player who was a wide receiver and punt returner in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the Universit ...
to the Jacksonville Jaguars under the terms of a five-year contract. On March 8, the team signed former
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
Jamal Lewis Jamal Lewis (born August 26, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Tennessee and was s ...
to a one-year contract, bolstering the team's lackluster running game. Because of Lewis’ signing, running back
Reuben Droughns Reuben Droughns (; born August 21, 1978) is a retired American football running back. After playing college football at the University of Oregon, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. During his nine years ...
had been made expendable, and was subsequently traded to
the New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
for wide receiver Tim Carter on March 9. Also on March 9, the Browns terminated the contract of veteran cornerback
Daylon McCutcheon Daylon Anthony McCutcheon (born December 9, 1976) is a former American football cornerback who played his entire career with the Cleveland Browns. High school career McCutcheon played high school football at Bishop Amat Memorial High School in L ...
, citing that he failed a physical, and lost
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
Brian Russell Brian William Russell (born February 5, 1978) is a former American football safety who played nine seasons in the NFL from 2001 to 2009. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2001 and last played for the Houston Te ...
to the Seattle Seahawks, though the terms of Russell's deal were not disclosed. Nearly a week later, on March 14, the Browns terminated the contract of fullback
Terrelle Smith Terrelle Vernon Smith (born March 12, 1978) is a former American football fullback (American football), fullback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State Sun D ...
, prior to having to pay Smith a due roster bonus; the team also signed former
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
offensive guard Seth McKinney to a one-year contract and former
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
Robaire Smith Robaire Fredrick Smith (born November 15, 1977) is a former American football defensive lineman that plays Defensive end and Defensive tackle. High school and college career Smith was a Parade All-America selection as a senior at Flint Northern ...
to a four-year contract. On March 16, the Browns signed former Bengals
defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
Shaun Smith to a four-year contract. Four days later, on March 20, the team re-signed offensive guard Lennie Friedman to a one-year contract; the team also lost defensive end
Alvin McKinley Alvin Jerome McKinley (born June 9, 1978) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State. McKinley has also playe ...
to the Denver Broncos. On March 29, it was revealed that Browns general manager
Phil Savage Phillip Savage Jr. (born April 7, 1965) is a former American football executive. In 2019 he was the general manager for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football. He was the senior vice president and general manager of the Browns f ...
entered into talks with
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
general manager
Carl Peterson Carl D. Peterson (born May 26, 1943) For more than 50 years, Carl Peterson was a creative force in the world of American Football, starting at the high school level, through small college ball, to major college football, and on to professional fo ...
regarding their veteran
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
,
Trent Green Trent Jason Green (born July 9, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons. He played college football for Indiana University. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in ...
. However, Green was instead traded to the Miami Dolphins. On April 2, the team signed former
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
safety Mike Adams to a two-year contract. On April 14, the Browns re-signed veteran
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
Steve Heiden to a four-year contract extension, though terms of his deal were not disclosed. On April 16, the Browns signed former Ravens fullback
Alan Ricard Alan Cardell Ricard (born January 17, 1977) is a former American football fullback (American football), fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Ravens and Detroit Lions. He played college football at the University of Loui ...
to a one-year contract, though terms of his deal were not disclosed; the team also formally announced the signing of former
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
Ryan Krause Ryan Krause (born June 16, 1981) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska-Omaha The University of Nebraska Omaha (Omah ...
, though the date he was signed and the terms of his deal were not disclosed. On April 19, the Browns re-signed defensive tackle
Ethan Kelley Ethan Jeffrey Arthur Kelley (born February 12, 1980) is a former American football defensive tackle. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Baylor. High school car ...
to the terms of a one-year contract. On April 25, the Browns resigned free agents Simon Fraser and Mason Unck each to one-year contracts. On April 27, the Browns resigned free agent offensive lineman
Nat Dorsey Nathaniel Willie Dorsey, III (born September 9, 1983), is a former American football offensive tackle. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech. H ...
to a one-year contract. On May 2, the team waived offensive lineman
Joe Andruzzi Joseph Dominick Andruzzi (born August 23, 1975) is a former American football offensive guard. College career Andruzzi played college football at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut, where he majored in special educat ...
. Following his release, Andruzzi was hospitalized with
lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...
. The Browns release a statement wishing Andruzzi well, though it is not known whether his ailment is the reason the Browns released Andruzzi. On May 3, the Browns announced the signings of nine
undrafted free agents In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. Those players are: Jesse Ainsworth, a
placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...
from
Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
; Charles Ali, a fullback from Arkansas (Pine Bluff); Mike Alston, a linebacker from Toledo; Rick Drushal, an offensive lineman from Wooster; Hunter Funtaine, a linebacker from Vanderbilt; Mike Mason, a wide receiver from
Tennessee State Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tennes ...
; Tyrone Moss, a halfback from Miami (Florida); Brent Pousson, an offensive lineman from
McNeese State McNeese State University is a public university in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Founded in 1939 as Lake Charles Junior College, it was renamed McNeese Junior College after John McNeese, an early local educator. The present name was adopted in 1970. ...
; and
Scott Stephenson Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saskat ...
, an offensive lineman from Iowa State. The team also signed three try-out rookies on May 8, signing linebacker Kevin Sears, offensive lineman Cliff Louis and running back Jerome Jackson. On June 17, the Browns waived cornerback Antonio Perkins, fullback Alan Ricard, and offensive linemen Brent Pousson and Scott Stephenson. On June 26, the team waived safety Ben Emanuel and claimed former
Tampa Bay Buccaneer The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
wide receiver
Efrem Hill Efrem Dale Hill (born July 23, 1983) is a former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Carolina Panthers in 2005. He played college football for the Samford Bulldogs. Hill was also a member ...
from waivers.


2007 NFL Draft

Prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, the Browns were set to utilize either the third pick or fourth pick of the first round. This discrepancy was because the Browns and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had similar records and strength-of-schedule averages. After the coin toss, it was determined that the Browns will use the third pick of the draft. The 2007 NFL Draft was held on April 28 and 29, 2007 in New York City. The Browns selected
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
Joe Thomas with the third overall pick of the draft. However, the Browns selected Quinn with the 22nd selection of the draft, following a trade with the Dallas Cowboys, which saw the Browns send their second-round pick of the 2007 draft and their first-round pick of the
2008 NFL Draft The 2008 NFL Draft was the 73rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 26 and April 27, ...
to the Cowboys for their first-round pick at number 22. During the second round of the draft, the Browns made another trade with the Cowboys, this time using the selection to pick
UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the S ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...
Eric Wright. The Browns gave up their third- and fourth-round picks of the draft, and swapped their sixth-round pick with the Cowboys. On the second day of the draft, the Browns looked to fill holes left by departing players through free agency. In the fifth round, the Browns drafted
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
cornerback Brandon McDonald; in the sixth round, the Browns drafted
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
Melila Purcell; and in the seventh round, the Browns drafted
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
defensive end Chase Pittman and
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
wide receiver
Syndric Steptoe Syndric Marquis Steptoe (born December 6, 1984) is a former gridiron football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona. Steptoe was also a member of ...
. On July 18, the Browns signed the first of their seven draft picks, signing Pittman to a four-year contract. On July 22, the Browns signed three more draft picks, this time signing McDonald, Purcell and Steptoe each to four-year contracts. Steptoe is likely to compete to be the team's starting punt-returner heading into the 2007 season. On July 26, the Browns signed Thomas to a six-year contract (voidable after five years) and Wright to a four-year contract. Thomas and Wright will look to battle to become the starters at left tackle and cornerback respectively. Until August 7, the Browns and Brady Quinn could not agree on a contract, and the quarterback missed nearly two weeks of training camp. The parties then agreed, in principle, to a contract. Hours later, the team and Quinn finalized the contract, and Quinn signed with the team under the terms of a five-year contract. The contract is worth $20 million.


Coaching Staff


Final roster


Preseason


Schedule


Regular season


Schedule


Standings


Regular season week-by-week results


Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Charlie Frye Charles Thomas Frye (born August 28, 1981) is a former American football quarterback and former quarterbacks coach for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the ...
started the game, but was benched before halftime. In the week following the game, he was traded to the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
for a sixth-round draft pick, and Derek Anderson was named the starter for the rest of the season.


Week 2: vs. Cincinnati Bengals


Week 3: at Oakland Raiders


Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens


Week 5: at New England Patriots


Week 6: vs. Miami Dolphins


Week 8: at St. Louis Rams


Week 9: vs. Seattle Seahawks


Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers


Week 11: at Baltimore Ravens


Week 12: vs. Houston Texans

This was Terry McAulay's first game he officiated in Cleveland since the
Bottlegate Bottlegate, also referred to as The Beer Bottle Game, was an officiating controversy in an American football game in the 2001 season of the National Football League between the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns. The incitin ...
incident against Jacksonville on December 16, 2001.


Week 13: at Arizona Cardinals


Week 14: at New York Jets


Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills

With the win, the Browns improved to 9–5, securing the team's first winning season since
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
and second overall since being reactivated in
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
. The win also kept the team's playoff chances alive as the Steelers lost to the
Jaguars The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the thi ...
, creating a tie for 1st place in the AFC North.


Week 16: at Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland traveled to divisional rival
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, needing a win to secure the team's first playoff berth since
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bengals scored 19 points in the second, 13 of which were on short drives due to two interceptions by Derek Anderson. The Browns' defense held the Bengals scoreless in the second half, while Anderson threw 2 touchdown passes. Cincinnati's last drive of the game ended in a fumble at the Cleveland 22-yard line, giving the Browns a chance to win the game with just under 2 minutes left. Cleveland would make it to Cincinnati's 29-yard line, but the game ended with an incomplete pass from Anderson. The loss dropped the Browns to 9–6 and meant the team no longer controlled its own destiny in securing a playoff berth. The Steelers' win over the
Rams In engineering, RAMS (reliability, availability, maintainability and safety)Tennessee's win over the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
would give the Titans the AFC's last wild card spot with a win in week 17 as they held tiebreakers over the Browns.


Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers

With the win, the Browns finished the season at 10–6 for the team's first ten win season since being reactivated in
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
and first since
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. However, the Browns would be eliminated from postseason contention later in the day when the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
defeated the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
to secure the AFC's last wild card spot. The Titans, who also finished 10–6, won the tiebreaker over the Browns due to having a better record against common opponents. This would be Cleveland's last winning season until
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
.


2008 Pro Bowl

Six Browns players, wide receiver
Braylon Edwards Braylon Jamel Edwards (born February 21, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Michigan, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was recognize ...
, kick returner Josh Cribbs, left tackle Joe Thomas, longsnapper Ryan Pontbriand, tight end
Kellen Winslow II Kellen Boswell Winslow II (born July 21, 1983) is an American former professional football player and a convicted sex offender. He was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) and played college football at the University of Miami, wh ...
, and quarterback Derek Anderson were named to the AFC team to represent the Cleveland Browns during the
2008 Pro Bowl The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am l ...
.Anderson, Winslow headed to Pro Bowl
Announced on December 18, 2007, this marked the first time since the
2001 NFL season The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League (NFL), and the first season of the 21st century. The league permanently moved the first week of the regular season to the weekend following Labor Day. In the wake o ...
when
Jamir Miller Jamir Malik Miller (born November 19, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins, earning consensus All-A ...
played in the
2002 Pro Bowl The 2002 Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2001 season. The game was played on February 9, 2002, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38, NFC 30. Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders was the game's MVP. AFC ...
as a linebacker that the Browns had any player named to the Pro Bowl. It was the most selections for a Browns team since the 1995 season. Edwards was one of the AFC's reserve wide receivers, while Cribbs started as the AFC's kick returner. Thomas, Anderson, and Winslow were all voted first alternates but all played due to injuries or other players electing not to participate in the game. Pontbriand was elected as a "needs" player by the AFC coaching staff. Guard
Eric Steinbach Eric Steinbach (born April 4, 1980) is a former American football Guard (American football), guard who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, and earned consensus All-A ...
(1st), fullback Lawrence Vickers (2nd), and placekicker
Phil Dawson Philip Drury Dawson (born January 23, 1975) is a former American football placekicker. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2012 and holds their franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010. He pl ...
(3rd) were named alternates at their respective positions.


References


External links


2007 Cleveland Browns
at Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com)
2007 Cleveland Browns Statistics
at jt-sw.com
2007 Cleveland Browns Schedule
at jt-sw.com

at DatabaseFootball.com {{DEFAULTSORT:2007 Cleveland Browns Season
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
Cleveland Browns seasons
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...