'Hard Knocks' To Feature Cleveland Browns?

CLEVELAND, OH — The Cleveland Browns may be the focus of HBO's "Hard Knocks" series, according to an NFL reporter and a former executive. The series follows one pro team through training camp and into its preparation for the regular season.

It's easy to see why the Browns would be an attractive target for the reality show. This off-season has already been transformative, with the team jettisoning former starting quarterbacks like DeShone Kizer and acquiring Buffalo Bills signal caller Tyrod Taylor. And the draft hasn't even happened yet.

With the first and fourth picks of the first round, and five picks in the first two rounds, the Browns will be bringing in elite-level rookie talent. By the first game of the regular season, Cleveland could sport an almost entirely new group of star players.

An announcement on which team will be the focus of the documentary series isn't expected until Thursday, the day of the NFL draft, per Kevin Kelley.

Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi also said he had heard the Browns would be the focus of "Hard Knocks".

The Browns have never been featured on a season of "Hard Knocks" but southern rivals the Cincinnati Bengals have been (in 2013). Due to a set of rules on who the show can cover, the Browns are now one of only six teams that are eligible for "Hard Knocks".

The six teams that could be featured on the show are: the Browns, Ravens, Chargers, Broncos and 49ers, according to Sporting News.

Of that group, it's hard not to argue that the Browns would make for the most compelling season of television. Only San Francisco may have national appeal, with the possible emergence of Jimmy Garoppolo as a star quarterback in the league.

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