AP

The Factory of Sadness could be getting a closeup.

Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News, who previously worked directly for the Browns, reports that the Browns are the front runners to be featured on the 2015 edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks.

The Browns fall within the scope of the teams that can be forced in 2015 to do Hard Knocks. Only teams with new head coaches, teams that have appeared in the playoffs the past two years, and teams that have appeared on the series in the past decade can not be compelled to open their training camp to the NFL Films cameras and microphones.

This year, the teams that fall within that category are the Browns, Texans, Titans, Jaguars, Washington, Giants, Vikings, Buccaneers, and Rams.

Last year, the Falcons volunteered even though they weren’t one of the eight teams that could have been required to submit.

In 2010, Browns coach Mike Pettine worked for the Jets when the Jets became the darlings of Hard Knocks, with Rex Ryan’s antics winning plenty of Emmys for folks responsible for producing the show.

Pettine and the Browns declined the opportunity in 2014; “Let’s get through the first year,” the now-second-year coach said at the time.