The Baltimore Ravens might be the reigning AFC North champs and one of the NFL’s most consistently competitive franchises over the last 20 years, but even the Baltimore players respect what is happening in Cleveland with the up-and-coming Browns.

Take wide receiver Willie Snead. He knows a good team when he sees one. And Snead believes what the Browns are building deserves some respect.

“They deserve that respect right now,” Snead said via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.  They’ve built their team, championship-ready if you want to say that. At the end of the day, we’re sitting back in the shadows and we’re working. Internally, we know what we have and we know how good we can be.”

Adding WR Odell Beckham Jr., pass rusher Olivier Vernon, DT Sheldon Richardson and RB Kareem Hunt has raised the bar for the Browns. Their division rivals know it. Time to prove the improvements on paper translate to the field. It will be surprising to a lot of foes if it doesn’t.