One reason for hope

Yes we've released our best 3 linebasckers. Yes we've let our best cornerback go. And yes our 1st rounders on the defensive line are hurt (Brown), fat (Warren), or overpaid (Lang). But there is hope in the one positive acquisition the team has made this offseason: new defensive coordinator Dave Campo. Although his tenure as head coach of the Cowboys was not very impressive overall, he did field a competitive defense. And he inherits a Browns unit with some young talent at LB, and a smattering of talent at other positions. After the team's defensive performance last season when expectations were high, Campo has a chance to surprise us. If you're not buying this, consider the following:

Could the run defense be much worse than last year? -- A little, but not by too much. Bringing back last year's linebacker core doesn't make much sense from this angle.

Could the pass rush be much worse than last year? -- Nope. We had virtually no pass rush from the linebackers, and scant production from the DL outside of Mark Word.

Can the offense be better next season? -- It's reasonable to expect William Green to be a strong performer, and it's reasonable that the franchise improves on the OL, or at least maintains the status quo. A little offensive consistentcy may take some of the burden off the defense.

These things considered, I'm willing to at least give Campo the benefit of the doubt and let him try and round this unit into a respectable defense. The draft will shed much light on the direction of the team, and what young backups are likely to be thrust into starting roles. Maybe they'll be a few free agent pickups, but for now the the #1 thing to watch leading up to the draft is cap space. Does Griffith renegotiate? He played poorly most of last season but he could still make some good things happen in the right situation. Does Brown renegotiate? It depends on how badly the team needs the cap space (badly so far) and whether the team truly thinks he's worth committing to for a couple more years. We all know Butch isn't exactly enamored with him anyway. And of course just from a cap standpoint Couch's situation is huge. If the Browns can free up even a modicum of cap space they've got a good shot at filling some holes. Beyond that, all we can really do is hope Campo is one heck of a coach.

I'd also add that resigning a guy like Earl Little wouldn't hurt. He's everything we should want: young, competitive, affordable, and he knows the system. He may not be a worldbeater but he's good enough to start, and certainly better than keeping Adkins or Bush. Other guys worth keeping at the right price: Lewis Sanders (at least he's got some size) and Darren Hambrick (yeah I know he's not the greatest, but there's no way we start three 2nd-year players at linebacker).