One of the more underrated players and personalities in the NFL over the past decade or so has been linebacker Karlos Dansby. Now that he has joined the Browns after stops with the Cardinals, Dolphins, and Cardinals again, Dansby has plenty of confidence in his abilities -- and in his new team’s potential.
“The plan was to go to the best division in football and show the world what I got, and how I measure up,” Dansby told Takeo Spikes and Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio regarding Dansby’s decision to sign with the Cardinals last year after being cut by Miami. “Totally dominated the whole division. Totally dominated. Took a team that was 5-11 and they probably like ranked last in run defense. And we went from last to No. 1 in run defense. That’s pretty stellar, man. I thought I was going to win the [NFL] defensive player of the year, to be honest.”
Actually, the Cardinals were 28th in 2012 against the run. But they were indeed No. 1 in 2013.
So why did he pick the Browns?
“Me going to Cleveland, the money was sweet,” Dansby said. “The money was unexpected. Let’s get it straight, the money was unexpected. I wasn’t expecting that money. But they gave it to me because they respect me.”
And how will the Browns fare in 2014?
“We’re loaded, man,” Dansby said. “We’re really loaded, man. And I can’t wait until we get going to show the world what we really have in Cleveland. We’ve got something special. Really special.”
It’s been a long, long time since that’s been the case in Cleveland. It’s overdue and deserved, and maybe it’s time for the Browns to finally rise.