Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor has reportedly asked his agents to try to work out a long-term deal to stay with the Browns.

 

That’s surprising in one way because there appeared to be times last season when he was getting frustrated with the Browns, and they with him.

 

But it’s not surprising in another way because the Browns have done nothing but good things since the end of the season, and Pryor sees that and apparently wants to be a part of it. More specifically, he wants to get in on the ground floor of it and be involved in the rest of the complete rebuild in Cleveland.

 

In the six weeks since the season has ended, the Browns have:

 

*Hired Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator.

 

*Re-signed linebacker Jamie Collins to a four-year, $50 million contract, thus sending a message that, unlike past regimes, they will not just sit on the king’s ransom worth of money they have in free agency. Rather, they will spend it when they feel they can get a player such as Collins who’s already proven himself and should be entering the best years of his career. Pryor feels he can be for the offense what Collins will be for the defense, and that is the one player who opposing coordinators have to account for on every single play.

 

*Indicated they are anxious to use the fact they have five picks in the top 65 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft to dramatically upgrade the team, at least on paper. Past regimes have squandered good chance to do that with horrible drafting.

 

The Browns hit rock-bottom last season in finishing 1-15. Not just record-wise but in many other aspects, it was the worst year in franchise history.

 

But when you reach the lowest of the lows, there is only way to go and that is up. And the Browns are headed up, slowly but surely.

 

They didn’t tumble into the abyss overnight, and they will not climb out of it overnight, either. As such, even though fans don’t want to hear this, they are going to have to be patient.

 

Again.

 

Still.