The 10 Worst NFL Teams of the Last Decade

9. 2009 Cleveland Browns

nERD: -12.51
Record: 5-11, 4th in AFC North

You’d think the Cleveland Browns, given their reputation, would show up quite a few times in this veritable “Hall of Futility,” but this is actually their only appearance on the list. It’s telling when -- no offense to Joe Thomas or Josh Cribbs -- the only All-Pros on your team are a left tackle and a kick returner. Head coach Eric Mangini’s first season with the team made quite the underdog out of the “Dawg Pound.”

That was kicked off by the Browns trading tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. -- the sixth overall pick in 2004 -- to the Buccaneers for the 50th overall selection in this draft. They also swapped their own fifth overall pick in three successive trades down to 21st overall; they got eventual All-Pro center Alex Mack but lost out on future Pro Bowlers Mark Sanchez, Josh Freeman, and Jeremy Maclin.

As for who they did have, running back Jamal Lewis -- well over the hill from his Baltimore Ravens days -- ranked 53rd among 59 qualifying running backs in Total NEP per play. The quarterback position was a total joke, featuring a timeshare between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson -- who put up the sixth-worst passing season since 2000 by Passing NEP per drop back (minimum 150 drop backs). This year was laughably bad on offense, with their -0.12 Adjusted Offensive NEP per play ranking 12th-worst among all team seasons over the last 10 years.

It is pretty impressive to say that, out of the 320 team seasons over the past decade, the Browns have had just one of the 50 worst defensive performances in that span. That said, the 2009 Browns weren’t far beyond that bottom 50, raking in a meager 0.08 Adjusted Defensive NEP per play -- the fourth-worst showing in the NFL that year.