So, with the Super Bowl in the books, and with it the 2023 season as well, where do you put the Browns in the way-too-early NFL power rankings for 2024?

The Athletic has them eighth, behind, in order, the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, the SB 58 runnerup San Francisco 49ers, the Detroit Lions, the defending AFC North champion Baltimore Ravens, the team that throttled the Browns 45-14 in the playoffs in the Houston Texans, the Green
Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills.

Behind the Browns are, in order, the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. The North’s final team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are way back at No. 19.

I guess — and it’s only a guess — that eighth sounds about right for the Browns. They have a talented roster, to be sure, but there are a number of questions still up in the air that will have a huge, if not complete, effect on what they do, how they do it and when they do it, such as:

*When will quarterback Deshaun Watson be ready to go, how healthy will his injured shoulder ever get and will he get hurt again?

*With all that in mind, then, will the Browns be able to re-sign backup quarterback Joe Flacco, which is something they seem to want to do and he wants to have happen?

*And if they fail to secure Flacco, which would be a tremendous mistake, will they at least be able to bring in somebody competent? Or will they try to roll the dice and gamble again by bringing someone much lesser into the role of being one snap away from going into the game should Watson go down?

*What about running back Nick Chubb? When will he return to health and be ready to play?

*Will the defense be able to pick up where it left off last season, or will the group take a step back?

*What will the Browns do in free agency and the NFL Draft? Will they be able to fill the needs they have at wide receiver, edge-rusher and  linebacker?

Steve King