NoLogoNeeded.com's All-Decade Bust Team: Offense

During the next four days, NoLogoNeeded.com will roll out its all-bust team and all-best teams of the last 10 years, or dating back to 1999 when the Browns re-entered the NFL.

We are beginning with the all-decade bust team's offense.

QUARTERBACK
Tim Couch – Couch may have been the best quarterback the Browns have fielded in the last 10 years, but he never lived up to his No. 1 overall status.  He was ruined by the team's lack of a running game, a weak offensive line and too much hype. He is no longer in the NFL.

RUNNING BACK
William Green – A first round pick that showed promise in the final eight games of his rookie season.  Then, the wheels fell off as he ran slow and tentatively. He was arrested for DUI and stabbed by his girlfriend.  He, too, is out of the NFL.

•Travis Prentice – The third round pick spent one ineffective season (2000) before being released. At Miami (Ohio) he set Division I-A records for rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns.

•Errict Rhett – After being a productive runner for the Buccaneers and Ravens, the Browns thought they finally had their running back in 2000.  He managed only five games and 258 yards as a Brown before being injured and calling it a career.

•Ben Gay – A cult phenomena who earned a roster spot after walking on in 2001 and provided a few big plays for excitement, but flamed out after one season.

•Terry Kirby – The Browns' brass brought Kirby in to give him a chance to be the starter in 1999.  He managed a mere 452 yards and 10 starts in his one season.  He was replaced by Rhett, Prentice, and Jamel White.

•Rashaan Salaam – A college Heisman Trophy winner and productive runner for the Bears, Salaam managed just one carry for two yards in his 2 games with the Browns in 1999.

FULLBACK
Marc Edwards – Edwards managed 44 yards rushing in two seasons and did not have the size to be the lead blocker the Browns were looking for to get the running game going.

WIDE RECEIVER
Quincy Morgan – The Browns expected big things from the second round pick.  He became known for big drops more than big plays.  In his three seasons with the Browns, he had 432 yards, 964 yards, and 516 yards, respectively.  The Browns traded the unproductive Morgan for Antonio Bryant in 2004.

Donte Stallworth – Signed a free-agent and inflated contract in 2008. He was supposed to add spark to the offense.  Stallworth managed 170 yards receiving and has since been suspended indefinitely by the NFL.

•Dennis Northcutt – A second round pick, Northcutt never managed to be an effective receiver.  He became known more for his drops and avoiding contact than for his stellar kick returning ability.
           
•Tim Carter – Carter was the value the Browns received for the productive 1,000-yard rusher, Reuben Droughns, in a 2007 trade.  In return, the Browns got eight receptions for 117 yards from Carter.

•Travis Wilson – Fans constantly heard how this third round pick had rededicated himself each offseason and was ready for a break out season.  In his two seasons with the Browns he managed two receptions for 32 yards.

TIGHT END
Ricky Dudley – Dudley came to the Browns as a threat at tight end, but managed four games, 115 yards, and plenty of drops in the 2001 season.

•OJ Santiago – He came to the Browns as a huge target with potential out of Kent State, but managed just 153 yards in the 2001 season.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Lomas Brown – Signed by the Browns to anchor the quarterback’s blindside and mentor the rest of the O-line in 1999. Brown was too far past his prime, too light, and spent too much time arguing with the coaching staff to be productive.

LeCharles Bentley – Bentley was not only the franchise’s biggest signing this past decade, he was supposed to turn around the fortunes of a struggling offense and weak offensive line.  Unfortunately for Bentley and all of Cleveland, he was unable to make it through one full practice before encountering a career ending injury.

Orlando Brown – "Zeus" was an original Cleveland Brown before the team moved to Baltimore.  He came back in 1999 and was supposed to anchor the right side of the offensive line.  Brown was hit in the eye with a penalty flag in 1999 and was forced to sit out three seasons due to suspensions and the injury.

Roman Oben – Oben was signed by the Browns in 2000 as an up and coming free agent who could protect the quarterback’s blindside.  In reality, the Browns received a left tackle that couldn’t hold his own against pass rushers or in the running game.  He was released after two seasons.

Ross Verba – Verba was one of the Browns best linemen during his tenure in Cleveland.  The problem was that he constantly had to play out of position as he was shuffled up and down the line.

•Kelvin Garmon – Garmon was a massive guard that Butch Davis brought in to clear holes in the running game in 2004.  Instead, Garmon was a matador ole'-ing pass rushers and lasted eight games before injuring his knee and being released.

•Bob Hallen – After earning the starting center position after Bentley’s injury, Hallen left camp without permission citing back spasms and quickly retired.

•Kevin Shaffer – Shaffer was Phil Savage’s other big-money free agent he brought in to fix the offensive line in 2006.  After one year of being exposed at left tackle, he was moved to right tackle.  This past offseason, the Browns decided to try to find several options to upgrade the right tackle position.

•Joe Andruzzi – Andruzzi had won three Super Bowl rings with New England before coming to the Browns in 2005.  By the time he came to Cleveland, he was well past his prime.  He was ineffective at clearing running lanes and was described as "not being able to pull from his guard position anymore."

•Cosey Coleman – He won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2003 and had a reputation as one of the league’s best and most underrated lineman.  Coleman came to Cleveland in 2005 and was largely ineffective in improving the play of the Browns' offensive line. He retired after two seasons citing bad knees.

•Scott Rehberg – He was supposed to develop into a tackle of the future, but was called out by his teammates for not playing with a flu and was abused for three sacks and three penalties in one game against the Chargers in 1999.  He lasted only one season in Cleveland.

•Dave Wohlabaugh – He was one of the Browns' first big offensive line signings in 1999.  He was counted on as the rock in the middle, but lacked the size to get the push up the middle. 

Tomorrow, the Browns all-decade bust team on defense.

  June 28, 2009 at 11:45 PM

Comments

Tim Couch number 1? What a moron. Where is Spergon Wynn or that other idiot Kelly Holcomb.

  June 28, 2009 at 9:10 AM by John Hancock

How can you call Kelly Holcomb a bust? He did nothing but throw for a record setting number of yards in a playoff loss to the steelers. He was booted out of Cleveland by Butch Davis because Holcomb felt he had won the starting job from Couch.

I don't think Couch should be #1, but don't slam the guy who gave the Browns the best chance to win.

  June 28, 2009 at 10:25 AM by Jerrytown16

In terms of expectations and not living up to them, I think Couch is right up there. Anderson could also fall in that category based on everyone expecting him to be a pro bowler and then showing everyone why he was a 6th round draft pick....hwoever I think if Quinn gets the nod this year and flames out, he will quickly be at the top of this list with all the hype surrounding him

  June 28, 2009 at 11:42 AM by Z

With Couch it wasn't directly his fault he failed - but he did fail. Add in the lofty expectations of being a #1 overall draft pick for the reboot of the franchise and it's hard to disagree with the logic here. Ask any Texans fan who they would list as their all time bust and they would all say David Carr. This is that same situation.

  June 28, 2009 at 11:44 AM by Bryon

Tim couch beatthe steelers and ALWAYS played well against them. He should not be on the list WYnn and Holcolm were far worse. Yardage in a playoff game doesnt matter if you lose the f-ing game. a loss to pitts-puke is still a loss no matter how many yards he throws for

  June 28, 2009 at 11:58 AM by OneWolf

Who remembers OT Enoch DeMar?

  June 28, 2009 at 12:06 PM by gno

You are honestly saying Kelly Holcomb gave the Browns the best chance to win? You need medication. Tim Couch got the Browns to the playoffs! Kelly Dumbcomb just stepped in because Couch broke his arm. And when he did sub in you forget that idiot also passed for like 4 interceptions. How can Tim Couch be a bust for giving the Browns their only playoff appearance?

  June 28, 2009 at 5:01 PM by John Hancock

No props for the great running back, Kareem Abdul Jabbar?

  June 28, 2009 at 5:48 PM by Justin

this list is an absolute joke. nobody's good enough for cleveland.

  June 28, 2009 at 9:53 AM by whatever

Tim Couch's broken arm did not take them to the playoffs.

  June 28, 2009 at 1:43 PM by Jerrytown

The crazy thing: many of the players on the ALL-BUST TEAM on both sides of the ball...I thought were some of the best players on the team when they were playing!

Oh, the life of a Cleveland sports fan! But tribulation helps us stick together better than success does. Only problem is, when you get nothing but tribulation...ever...it doesn't help anything.

  June 28, 2009 at 8:51 AM by Jaceczko

@ whatever

Actually finishing 4-12 on a routine basis and having first round pick after first round pick come up lame is an absolute joke. Which player on this list should Cleveland be proud of?

  June 28, 2009 at 11:33 AM by Brandon

jerrytown,
Yes it did.
I will agree that Holcomb wasn't a bust because he was signed as a back-up and he was ok at that but was never good enough to be a long term starter.
he proved he was a career back-up before he came to Cleveland, during his time in Cleveland, and after he left Cleveland. making him the starter the next year after one playoff game (that was a LOSS) was,well we all seen what it was.

  June 28, 2009 at 9:53 AM by Tcmow

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