Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into training camp. Today: Cleveland Browns. Prediction: Fourth, AFC North. Up next: NFC North

The Browns change regimes almost as often as they change quarterbacks.

The brass is considering a new opening day quarterback for the seventh straight year. Rob Chudzinski is the fourth head coach since 2008. Michael Lombardi is the fourth general manager in the same time frame. Is it any wonder the Brownsâ€™ best record the last five years is 5-11? Is there a shred of sanity in the fact Joe Thomas and Dâ€™Qwell Jackson are the only players who have spent more than five years in Cleveland?

That said, the latest changes make sense. The Browns werenâ€™t going anywhere under Pat Shurmur. New owner Jimmy Haslam rightfully brought in executives to suit his style. Of course, Haslam is under investigation by the FBI for allegations of fraudâ€”yet another potential hurdle for the organization.

It makes no sense to predict anything more optimistic than growing pains for the latest edition of the Browns.

BREAKOUT PLAYER

WR Greg Little

Everyone will be watching deep threat Josh Gordon (after he finishes his two-game suspension), including opponentsâ€™ No. 1 cornerbacks, which will clear the way for Little. The trend began late last year, when Little took advantage of favorable matchups for 22 catches in the last five games. The combination of Gordon, Norv Turner, experience and talent will make Little a dangerous player.

SCOUT'S TAKE

LT Joe Thomas

â€œJoe Thomas is incredible. The biggest thing about him is his consistency. Maybe thatâ€™s not a tough-guy term, but itâ€™s what a good offensive lineman has to have. Thereâ€™s a right way to do your footwork, and thatâ€™s the way he does it every time. He doesnâ€™t necessarily have a powerful build, but heâ€™s got plenty of size and strength, and he knows exactly how to use it. You wonâ€™t find anybody better and more consistent at protecting the passer. Heâ€™s no mauler as a run blocker, but he doesnâ€™t need to be because he knows how to move people and get the job done. Heâ€™s as good as it gets.â€

INSIDE THE HEADSET

Chudzinski preaches an â€œattack-style offense.â€ As offensive coordinator in Carolina last year, his Cam Newton-led scheme was balanced; the Panthers had 462 runs and 490 passing attempts. Chudzinski is a go-for-it guy on fourth down. He wonâ€™t have as big an influence on the defense because thatâ€™s coordinator Ray Hortonâ€™s baby.

VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDELINE

An opponent breaks down the Browns

â€œWeâ€™re in a tough division. You donâ€™t see many blowouts, and the Browns were in all of the division games last year. ... Youâ€™ve gotta like Trent Richardson. Heâ€™s a player, and he has a good offensive line. Richardson isnâ€™t way different than Ray Rice, but I think Ray can catch the ball a little more effectively. As far as their running style, Trent is more of a bruiser. ... Weâ€™ve always thought their O-line was as solid as any in the division. ...

"Not having the continuity of the other teams has hurt them. You donâ€™t know quite what to expect with the latest guys coming in, although I know a lot of them, and theyâ€™re good people. ... I like Jabaal Sheard as a player, forgetting about the scheme. He might be called an outside â€™backer or whatever this year, but I guarantee you that when a pass is coming heâ€™ll be rushing from defensive end. ... Like any quarterback who hasnâ€™t been in the league long, (Brandon) Weeden has to prove he belongs. His arm belongs. He seems to feel the rush and get the ball out, but he has a ways to go.â€

OFFENSE

Dink-and-dunk is dead. Whoever plays quarterback for Chudzinski and coordinator Norv Turner must prove he has the right mind along with the arm to whiz the ball downfield. Chudzinski and Turner, who worked well together in reversed roles in San Diego, favor a power running game behind a lead blocker to set up play-action passes. The West Coast offense just didnâ€™t work in Cleveland last season, and the quarterbacks are well suited for the new offensive style.

QUARTERBACKS

Brandon Weeden made it through spring practice with a tenuous grip on the starting job. Cleveland signed Jason Campbell as a nothing-to-lose option, and he was sharper than Weeden in some OTA work. Weeden, though, outperformed Campbell in minicamp, just before players headed for summer break. The Browns should give Weeden a year to prove his disjointed rookie season was owed largely to being miscast in a West Coast offense; he has more than enough arm to zip the vertical routes Chudzinski and Turner love.

Campbell has more experience than Weeden, including valuable time on two previous teams that used offensive principles similar to Turnerâ€™s. Campbellâ€™s record as an NFL starter is 31-40, but at 31, he is just two years older than Weeden. Campbell is more athletic than Weeden and has the same arm strength. Weedenâ€™s edge comes in having more upside. Campbell seems to be more of a game manager type. GRADE: D+

RUNNING BACKS

Trent Richardson apologists say his poor yards-per-carry average in 2012 (3.6 on 267 attempts) was an aberration, the result of two knee surgeries, broken ribs and rookie adjustments in an atmosphere of erratic play-calling. The guess is Richardson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 draft, will improve in his second year, but itâ€™s unclear whether the 5-9, 230-pounder will live up to his billing. Richardson flashed a relentless running style, but neither his speed nor his elusiveness proved good enough. He did, however, compete fiercely near the goal line, making second and third pushes that translated into 11 rushing touchdowns, but he also produced far too many runs of a yard or worse. He must be quicker to the hole and more decisive on cuts.

If Richardson gets hurt again â€” an ostensibly minor leg strain knocked him out of minicamp â€” Cleveland will roll with a committee. Montario Hardesty is an adequate all-around back coming off a decent season (271 yards, 4.2 average). If Richardson stays healthy, Hardesty might see the field less than Chris Ogbonnaya, a crafty receiver and above-average blocker. Trade acquisition Dion Lewis (5-8, 195 pounds) offers a third-down option.

Turner has a knack for setting up runs with a fullback, and the Browns have Owen Marecic, a fourth-round pick in 2011. He has been OK as a blocker but must quit dropping dump-off passes. GRADE: C+

RECEIVERS

Itâ€™s reasonable to expect each returning receiver on this unit to become more productive, but until that happens, this group is no match for a decent secondary. Gordon, who had a 50-catch, 805-yard rookie year in 2012, projects as the No. 1 wideout, but he has been suspended for two games for using a banned substance. Considering he sat out the 2011 college season and is only 22, thereâ€™s reason to expect significant improvement if he handles the suspension well. Gordon is big (6-3, 225), fast and naturally elusive.

Big, athletic Greg Little (6-2, 220) is similar to Gordon. He was a second-round draft pick in 2011 who hadnâ€™t played college ball the previous year. He led the team in receiving as a rookie, then adjusted to the arrival of Gordon in 2012, when he caught 53 passes for 647 yards.

The Browns signed 6-5 David Nelson, who was emerging in Buffalo before an injury-marred 2012, and traded for Dolphins slot receiver Davone Bess. They also have Travis Benjamin, a certified burner who showed promise as a rookie last season and was a minicamp star.

Chudzinski is a former tight end and Turner is tight end-friendly, so there is the potential for this position to be emphasized in the offense. The problem is with personnel. Jordan Cameron has ideal athleticism, but his production at USC and through two NFL seasons has been negligible. Free-agent pickups Kellen Davis and Gary Barnidge are competent blocking tight ends who have been low-watt pro receivers. GRADE: C

OFFENSIVE LINE

This is Clevelandâ€™s strength. Thomas, 28, has gone to the Pro Bowl in each of his six seasons. Alex Mack is a former first-round pick who has emerged as one of the leagueâ€™s better centers. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz exceeded expectations as a high second-round draft pick.

But two things need to happen for the Browns to have one of the NFLâ€™s better lines. First, Thomas, Mack and Schwartz must stay healthy. All three are intelligent technicians who excel as pass blockers, and Thomas and Schwartz donâ€™t run block with brute force but are effective with leverage and footwork. But tackle Oniel Cousins is a Baltimore castoff, and there is no clear-cut backup center. The good news is Thomas, Mack and Schwartz have never missed a start in a combined 176 games.

Second, guard play also must improve. Shawn Lauvao is an adequate right guard with room to grow as a third-year starter, but left guard is shaky. Jason Pinkston played well as a rookie in 2011 and was six games into his second season when a blood clot was discovered in his lungs. Veteran John Greco started the rest of the season. Pinkston is back and appears to be healthy, but Greco won favor among coaches in the spring. GRADE: B+

DEFENSE

Whereas the change in offensive scheme figures to be healthy, the jury is out on the new defense. Dick Jauronâ€™s 4-3 played better than the roster and circumstances dictated in both 2011 and 2012. New coordinator Horton, brought over from Arizona, brings in a 3-4 that required expensive free-agent additions and will have returning front seven producers learning new roles. Hortonâ€™s plan is to apply blitz principles inspired during his time with Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Switching to a 3-4 might not be a major problem for the defensive line. Sixth-year pro Ahtyba Rubin spent the last two years as a 4-3 tackle, but before that he played as a nose tackle in Rob Ryanâ€™s 3-4 scheme. Rubin, who is versatile and coachable, became so good in the role he pushed former Pro Bowler Shaun Rogers out of the starting lineup. The new coaches have committed to making Rubin an defensive end because they judge third-year pro Phil Taylor best suited for nose tackle in this scheme. Taylor, a former first-round pick, is also big and athletic enough to be a dominant 3-4 end.

Horton likes to move his linemen around and create mismatches, and he will have all of his starters ready to play any of the three spots. Free-agent pickup Desmond Bryant (6-6, 310) was a 4-3 tackle in Oakland, but he has an ideal build to blossom as a 3-4 end and the athleticism to cover in certain situations.

Last yearâ€™s draft translated into quality depth. Sixth-rounder Billy Winn held up and was a pleasant surprise; he has starter potential as a 3-4 end. Third-rounder John Hughes has the bulk and talent to play 20 quality snaps, mostly at nose tackle. GRADE: B

LINEBACKERS

The team spent a No. 6 overall draft pick on LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo and is all in with turning him into an outside pass-rushing force. He proved in spring workouts he can cover and play the run while standing up as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

This group will make or break the defense, and so many things must go right for it not to be a weakness. Team captain Dâ€™Qwell Jackson is the rock, an eighth-year pro who has produced in 3-4 and 4-3 schemes. Jacksonâ€™s weakness is fighting off guards who get through the line of scrimmage, which is bound to happen more often in a 3-4. Craig Robertson, formerly undrafted, is emerging as the other inside linebacker after a surprising stint on the outside in last yearâ€™s 4-3 scheme. 2012 Round 4 pick James-Michael Johnson is trying to carve out a role, but the jury is out as to where he fits in the new scheme.

Pricey free agent Paul Kruger must adjust to a new team and a more expansive role at outside linebacker than he had in Baltimore. He broke through as a pass rusher in 2012, and that included 4.5 sacks in the postseason, but he must prove himself as a run defender.

Third-year pro Jabaal Sheard will maintain the edge-rushing duties he performed well as a starting 4-3 end the past two years, but he must learn how to play standing up while helping in coverage as an outside linebacker.

How Mingo will be rotated with Sheard and Kruger is a key mystery. Veteran Quentin Groves, a former second-round pick, was a key free-agent pickup. He is a quality player and an insurance policy if Sheard struggles with the transition. Groves spent last season in Arizona with Horton and will help his new teammates learn the scheme. GRADE: C

SECONDARY

Losing cornerback Joe Haden to a four-game suspension was a huge factor in Clevelandâ€™s 0-5 start last season, but he has matured and should have a big year. Hadenâ€™s fluid movements and tangible confidence make it easy to see why he was the No. 7 pick in 2010.

Teams will throw away from Haden no matter who starts at the other cornerback. Buster Skrine is one of the fastest corners in the league, but his instincts are suspect. Free-agent pickup Chris Owens has the quickness and experience to play nickel back. Johnson Bademosi was sensational on special teams and could play his way into a role. Third-round draft pick Leon McFadden has the ball skills and athleticism to push for a starting job.

When strong safety T.J. Ward arrived in 2010, he talked about giving Cleveland the kind of juice division rivals received from Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed. He is starting to live up to his potential. Ward is a fierce hitter in the box and has started making more impact plays in coverage. At free safety, the Browns will have their third starter in three years. Tashaun Gipson was a nice surprise as an undrafted rookie in 2012. He figures to hold off rookie Jamoris Slaughter, who is working his way back from Achillesâ€™ surgery. GRADE: C

SPECIAL TEAMS

Pro Bowl kicker Phil Dawson and Pro Bowl returner Joshua Cribbs were strong locker room presences, and losing them will hurt. At kicker, Shayne Graham was signed to replace Dawson. Lewis might return kickoffs, but he was mediocre in a 2011 trial with Philadelphia. Benjamin returned three punts last year, and he took one 93 yards for a TD. Spencer Lanning, who has a big leg but is unproven, was signed to replace punter Reggie Hodges. GRADE: C-

BOTTOM LINE

Haslam is hoping new coaches and a new personnel team can reverse a losing culture that has produced three five-win and two four-win seasons the past five years, but itâ€™s a daunting task. Weeden needs to make a big jump, which is not out of the question given Turnerâ€™s experience. The running game needs to excel, which could happen if Richardson stays healthy. On defense, the team must get big play from Kruger and career years from high draft picks such as Haden, Ward, Taylor and Sheard. Flirting with .500 in 2013 is optimistic for this team.