Well, considering the Pats just won the Super Bowl, that's a fair statement
Again, I just think they are now in that talk as one of the best teams in the AFC. Are they THE best? Of course not. To be the man, you've got to beat the man. They aren't there yet. But on paper? They look really, really good. I think they will live up to the expectations.
Generally speaking, there are roughly a half dozen teams at the beginning of every year that are expected to compete for a Super Bowl. I think the Browns are now one of the best six or so teams in the NFL. Time will tell.