Aw, come on, you’re not surprised, are you?

Well, are you?

 

I mean, the Browns’ first full-scale cuts on Monday morning to get down to the roster limit of 75, couldn’t have made you go, “Wow!”

 

Perhaps “Oh” or “Hmmm” or “Huh?”, but certainly not “Wow!”

 

Sure, outside linebacker Paul Kruger, whose signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2013 was a big deal, is a name player, and the fact his contract was terminated is definitely the highlight of the moves the Browns made. But he reportedly didn’t bring his all to every practice this year. The Browns gave him countless chances to make his mark in defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s scheme, which really fit his pass-rushing skill set, and he obviously didn’t or else he would still be part of the club.

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Guess what?

 

The Browns were 3-13 last year when Kruger admittedly was played out of position, losing their last three games and 10 of 11.

 

They were 4-12 in 2013 when he arrived on the scene and was expected to make a big splash, but did not. They lost their last seven games and 10 of 11.

 

And even in 2014 when he led the team with 11 sacks, the Browns could get to only 7-9 after losing their last five games.

 

So it has been proven that the Browns can be bad with him, and they can be bad without him.

 

In his place, they will use younger players who give everything they have all the time, have a chance to get better and are much friendlier on the salary cap.

 

It’s not brain surgery. It’s just smart football.

 

There were a lot of veteran players let go in the offseason, and there will likely be more before the start of the regular season.

 

The departure of Kruger is simply a further affirmation of that – a further affirmation that the Browns are in the process of a total, complete, 100-percent rebuilding effort in every way, shape and form.

 

Again.

 

Still.

 

Seemingly always.

 

Goodness, that can’t be a surprise. What did you think was going on?

 

It has been that way – tearing down and starting over — for almost the entire time since the Browns were re-born in 1999. We get that after all that, no fan wants to go through the root canal-like pain of rebuilding once more. Fans have to be wondering – and with good reason – when the renovations will end and the winning will begin. We get that, too.

 

But the cold, hard facts are that for the Browns to have a chance to get where they – and you, their fans – want them to go, the members of this new regime must be allowed to break this thing down to the bare bones so they can construct it the way they want to. If they’re going to be ultimately held accountable for the success of the team under their watch, then they are going to lay out their plan and follow it down to the last detail. You’d do the same if you were them.

 

They don’t have forever for that plan to come to fruition – owner Jimmy Haslam will not allow that and accordingly has put a time limit on it — but it sure isn’t going to happen in a year or two. That’s not realistic.

 

What can fans do in the meantime? Accept what is going on and hold on tight for the bumpy ride that is certainly ahead. In fact, it will likely get worse before it gets better. What happened in the dress-rehearsal third preseason game – a brutal 30-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Friday night – was not a mirage by any stretch of the imagination. That’s where the Browns are at right now.

 

As such, with all of these young, inexperienced players the Browns are counting on, the first part of the season will be especially difficult. But as these players grow and begin to understand what they’re doing, it will get better, and by the end of the season, you should see real improvement.

 

That has been the plan all along since this regime took over as a group in January.

 

If the plan plays out like that – and it should, that’s a reasonable expectation — you will then begin to not just understand, but appreciate and be grateful for what the Browns’ deep thinkers are doing.

 

Fans should hold these guys’ feet to the fire at some point. But that’s not for now. Patience is for now.

 

Yet, again.

 

If you have any left.

 

And if you’re a fan and you want the Browns to succeed down the road, then you have to dig down deep – perhaps very deep — and find some patience.

 

But you already knew that, didn’t you?