If you’re a diehard Cleveland Browns fan, chances are a look at the New England Patriots roster of today has to feel like deja vu. Said fan would be right to think that, as the rosters have a lot of similarities.
To be exact, there are 14 similarities. As in 14 players from that 2013 Cleveland Browns roster are now members of the Patriots roster, the final of which, John Hughes, just signed on this week.
As NESN points out, the Patriots roster includes the following players from that 2013 Browns team:
RB Dion Lewis
WR Brian Tyms
WR Perez Ashford
WR Reggie Dunn
OL Keavon Milton
OL Braxston Cave
OL Caylin Hauptmann
DE Jabaal Sheard
DE Cam Henderson
DT John Hughes
DT Ishmaa’ily Kitchen
LB Eric Martin
LB Barkevious Mingo
LS Christian Yount
So, why all the love for a team that went 4-12. NESN also points out that it could have a whole lot to do with a guy that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick clearly trusts — Mike Lombardi.
Lombardi was the general manager of the Browns for that 2013 season, and clearly has the ear of Belichick today despite not being a part of the current coaching staff. He did serve as a special assistant back in 2014 and 2015.
“Mike has been a good source of information on a lot of levels, but certainly players that he is familiar with, like guys that were on that team,” Belichick said Wednesday. “I mean, he gives you insight into guys that you don’t get if you’re not there.”
That’s fair, but it is also interesting to see a franchise that has been the ultimate model of winning be in love with the ultimate model of losing in today’s NFL. It isn’t like the 2013 Browns were an amazing collection of talent, going just 4-12 on the season, after all.
Then again, this is also a franchise that has been able to get wins out of both Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie quarterback Jacoby Brissett with future Hall of Famer Tom Brady on the sidelines for the first four games of the season.
So, perhaps the Patriots are picking the cream of the crop from that team, but even most of those players are bit players at best on this Patriots team.
[NESN]
