The Browns season is around the corner and you can't start it without listening to our humongous preview on Takes By The Lake.

Doug Lesmerises is joined by four guests in a supersized episode to dig into the hopes, the talent, the past miseries and the promise of the 2018 Cleveland Browns.

First up is Clayton Braham, a fan who makes his own hype videos and explains what fans are hoping for, rooting for and worried about with the Browns.

Next is Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, one of the most plugged-in NFL writers in the country to explain the talent on the Browns roster, what the expectations should be for GM John Dorsey to eventually shape a playoff team and the talk around the rest of the league about what's happening in Cleveland.

Then comes Neil Paine, the author of a fascinating recent story on fivethirtyeight.com examining the numbers behind the Browns futility of the past two decades. If your heart has suffered with the Browns, let Neil explain to your head why it happened, and it will help you move on for the future.

We finish with Melissa Jacobs, formerly of ESPN and Sports Illustrated who now writes at her website thefootballgirl.com. Melissa grew particularly interested in the Browns through Hard Knocks, and from California she offers a national perspective on whether the rest of the NFL is rooting for the Browns, or just figuring they'll continue to be a joke. She knows the league and provides needed persperctive outside the Browns bubble.

This edition of TBTL is longer than unusual, but it's worth it. Enjoy these guests and let them get you ready for what should be an intriguing season of Browns football.

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