After going winless last season, the Cleveland Browns came into the 2018 NFL campaign looking to prove they could compete in the AFC led by a talented young crop of players.

Although the team showed promise with rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way, especially after Cleveland parted ways with head coach Hue Jackson, the season came to an end without a playoff berth.

However, the Browns won seven games and came one win shy of going .500 for the year. This has sparked optimism in Cleveland with the players confident they can be a force to be reckoned with next season. Cornerback Damarious Randall is so confident in fact that he believes they'll win AFC North division title in 2019, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

“We know what's ahead,’’ Randall said after Sunday’s 26-24 loss to the Ravens. “The NFL knows it’s in trouble, the AFC North knows it’s in trouble. We expect to win the AFC North next year, we expect to win a lot of games next year and we've just got to get back to the drawing board and get some rest and get back to work.’’

With Mayfield throwing a rookie record 27 touchdowns this year and legitimate stars emerging in Myles Garrett, Nick Chubb, and Denzel Ward, the Browns could very well be a team on the rise in the AFC.

The next order of business for the Browns following the end of their season is hiring a new head coach or keeping Gregg Williams as their leader on the sideline. This decision will be crucial and may dictate where this talented team goes from here on out.