Oh, how many of us were fooled.

When Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini went about rebuilding the roster last winter, there seemed to be a well-conceived plan in place. Nothing that would make a drastic change for the better coming off a 4-12 season, but at least there was a sense that the rudder-less ship former coach Romeo Crennel sailed late last season was on the right course.

Three weeks into the season, those plans have blown up in Mangini's face. The team looks awful in every aspect, which has disgruntled fans wondering if Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan or Jon Gruden might be coaching the Browns in 2010.

Mangini didn't make bold moves to bring in a few big names to energize the fan base. What he did was attract numerous mid-level players who didn't generate enthusiasm among the fans but seemed to at least solidify the foundation a little bit.

How wrong we were. Worse yet for the Browns is how wrong Mangini was in making his player assessments.

Has anyone seen safety Abram Elam make a play yet? I seem to recall a few decent plays in training camp, and there was a stop of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson for a short loss.

Beyond those plays, Elam has gone largely unnoticed. The only time he showed up in the 34-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens was when he stood almost flat-footed as receiver Derrick Mason circled around him on the way to a 72-yard touchdown after pulling a pass away from cornerback Brandon McDonald.

Elam, we've been told, was the key to the draft-day trade that gave the New York Jets the fifth pick in the draft, which was used on quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Browns received the Jets' first- and second-round choices, Elam, defensive end Kenyon Coleman and quarterback Brett Ratliff.

The deal doesn't look too good now. Elam and Coleman haven't made an impact, while Ratliff is a backup. The Browns used the picks on center Alex Mack in the first round and linebacker David Veikune in the second round. Mack is in a developmental stage, while Veikune has made virtually no mark on defense.

There are other moves that haven't panned out as Mangini had hoped. Inside linebacker Eric Barton hasn't helped solidify the run defense. On the offensive side, guard Floyd Womack is out with an injury and tackle John St. Clair has struggled in pass protection.

Mangini has fallen into the same trap that collects many coaches when they first take control of a team. He's placed too much emphasis on players he dealt with in previous work - namely former Jets.

Why coaches often limit their horizons in building a roster is baffling. Crennel had a penchant for former Patriots, which is why guard Joe Andruzzi and linebacker Willie McGinest arrived in Cleveland when they were well beyond their primes.

Butch Davis, who coached the Browns for close to four seasons, couldn't help himself when evaluating players he was familiar with from his time at the University of Miami. Offensive tackle Joaquin Gonzalez and running back James Jackson were two examples of ex-Hurricanes who Davis thought could make it in the NFL, but, in fact, were marginal pros.

Now there's Mangini thinking all things related to the Jets are good for the Browns. Unfortunately, the one Jet he can't get his hands on is Sanchez, who is 3-0 as a starter.

Don't fret fans. At least the Browns have Ratliff.

mmclain@tribtoday.com