1995 Cleveland Browns season

Offseason‌

NFL draft

Main article: 1995 NFL draft

Draft trades made

• Traded Eric Metcalf and 1x26 to Atlanta Falcons for pick 1x10
• Traded 1x10 to San Francisco 49ers for 1x30, 3x94, 4x119, and 1996 1st round selection .
• Traded 4th round pick to Jacksonville Jaguars for 5x136 and 1996 6th round selection.
• Traded 4x119 to Philadelphia Eagles for 5x147 and 1996 5th round selection.
• Traded 7th round pick to New England Patriots for 7x231.

Personnel

Staff

• Owner and president – Art Modell

• Director of player personnel – Michael Lombardi

• Director of pro personnel – Ozzie Newsome

• Head coach – Bill Belichick

• Offensive coordinator – Steve Crosby

• Wide receivers – Mike Sheppard

• Offensive line – Kirk Ferentz

• Assistant offensive line/tight ends – Pat Hill

• Offensive assistant – Ernie Adams

• Offensive assistant – John Settle

• Defensive coordinator – Rick Venturi

• Defensive line – Jacob Burney

• Linebackers – Chuck Bresnahan

• Secondary – Jim Bates

• Defensive Assistant - Tom Spann

• Special teams – Scott O'Brien

• Coaches Assistant - Eric Mangini

• Strength and conditioning – Jerry Simmons

• Pass Rush Consultant - Joe Kim

Roster

Regular season

Schedule

The Browns' record was 4–5 on November 6, the day that owner Art Modell announced the team would be moving to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 season. Cleveland ended the season losing six of their final seven games.

The Browns became the first NFL team to be swept by an expansion team, losing twice to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 16 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

First quarter

• No scoring plays Second quarter
• CLE – Frank Hartley 1-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Matt Stover kick), 14:55. Browns 7–0.
• CIN – Doug Pelfrey 30-yard field goal, 11:10. Browns 7–3.
• CLE – Matt Stover 37-yard field goal, 7:17. Browns 10–3.
• CLE – Keenan McCardell 16-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Matt Stover kick), 0:19. Browns 17–3. Third quarter
• CLE – Matt Stover 42-yard field goal, 11:15. Browns 20–3.
• CLE – Matt Stover 19-yard field goal, 7:03. Browns 23–3. Fourth quarter
• CLE – Matt Stover 35-yard field goal, 10:03. Browns 26–3.
• CIN – Eric Bieniemy 1-yard run (Doug Pelfrey kick), 6:51. Browns 26–10. ;Top passers
• CIN – Jeff Blake – 22/46, 257 yards, INT
• CLE – Vinny Testaverde – 22/23, 241 yards, 2 TD ;Top rushers
• CIN – Harold Green – 7 rushes, 33 yards
• CLE – Earnest Byner – 31 rushes, 121 yards ;Top receivers
• CIN – Carl Pickens – 5 receptions, 90 yards
• CLE – Earnest Byner – 7 receptions, 36 yards The game marked the final game at Cleveland Stadium and the franchise's final home game until 1999.

Standings

Relocation to Baltimore

Main article: Cleveland Browns relocation controversy

Modell announced on November 6, 1995, that he had signed a deal to relocate the Browns to Baltimore in 1996—a move which would return the NFL to Baltimore for the first time since the Baltimore Colts relocated to Indianapolis after the 1983 season. The very next day, on November 7, 1995, Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved an issue that had been placed on the ballot at Modell's request, which provided $175 million through a 10-year extension of the existing sin tax to refurbish the outmoded and declining Cleveland Stadium.

After the move was announced, protests were held in Cleveland and even at Browns away games, and several lawsuits were filed, including a breach of contract by the city, which would have required the Browns to remain at the stadium until the end of the 1998 season. A compromise was reached in early February 1996. Modell was granted permission by the league to move the team, but only personnel. The Browns franchise, including its history, colors, logos, and other intellectual property, remained in Cleveland and the NFL officially regards the franchise as suspended for the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. Modell's organization, later named the Baltimore Ravens, is officially regarded as a 1996 expansion team. The NFL agreed to revive the Browns no later than the 1999 season, by way of an expansion draft or another team relocating. The city of Cleveland agreed to drop its lawsuits and build a new stadium by 1999, funded by the sin tax passed to renovate Cleveland Stadium.

The old stadium was demolished in late 1996 and early 1997 and Cleveland Browns Stadium (now known as Huntington Bank Field) was built on the same site, opening in August 1999. While multiple teams threatened to move to Cleveland or were mentioned as considering it, the league chose in 1998 to return the team via an expansion draft and the team resumed play in 1999.

References

References

1. "NFL Network's A FOOTBALL LIFE to Return 9/12". tv.broadwayworld.com.
2. "Cleveland Browns | 1995".
3. "1995 Cleveland Browns Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
4. (26 March 1995). "SPORTS PEOPLE: FOOTBALL; Browns Trade Metcalf for First-Round Choice". The New York Times.
5. "Cleveland Browns | Draft History 1990s".
6. National Football League. (July 1, 1995). "Official 1995 National Football League Record & Fact Book". [[Workman Publishing Company]].
7. https://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2002_3600990/texans-inaugural-season-texans-experimenting-with.html {{Dead link. (February 2022)
8. Harris, Rich. (November 8, 1995). "Voters Extend 'Sin Tax' To Rehab Browns' Stadium". [[Associated Press]].
9. Morgan, Jon. (November 25, 1995). "Ohio judge blocks move of Browns". [[Baltimore Sun]].