Browns feel no need to be defensive about their offensive line

BEREA, Ohio -- Everyone knows the Browns are a young team with many unanswered questions. One of the questions may surprise you.

Could the offensive line be one of the best in the NFL?

"It's going to be a work in progress, but all the potential is there to be one of the best in the league. There's no doubt about that," said right tackle Tony Pashos.

Nobody doubts the quality of three-fifths of the starting unit -- left tackle Joe Thomas, left guard Eric Steinbach and center Alex Mack. The right side has been the problem. The Browns addressed that problem this off-season by ... doing nothing. Well, they did subtract veteran tackle John St. Clair and failed to re-sign free agent Floyd Womack. But, essentially, they stood pat as second-year guard Shawn Lauvao and Pashos came back from injuries.

Lauvao suffered a high ankle sprain a few days before the 2010 season opener. He was never right in a trying rookie season. Pashos tore a tendon in an ankle early in the first Pittsburgh game in October and was shut down for surgery.

As a result, the Browns suffered four different guard-tackle combinations on the right side.

"Last year we kind of lacked that cohesiveness and stability," Lauvao said. "At the same time, you want guys comfortable with each other."

Lauvao clearly was uncomfortable in his first rookie camp.

"It's definitely night and day with Coach [Pat] Shurmur compared to Coach [Eric] Mangini, just the way things are run and the way people are picking things up," he said.

Was it a culture shock for the third-round pick from Arizona State?

"Not necessarily culture shock," he answered. "But just kind of the atmosphere of what was expected. It was pretty physically demanding and it was frustrating my body didn't hold up the way I wanted to. People have different philosophies and views of things."

Pashos was out of sight and mind after his first season with the Browns was submarined by the ankle injury. It was the second NFL campaign in a row Pashos failed to stay healthy. Critics howled for a new right tackle in the draft or free agency, someone to depend on.

"I think my coaches and guys around me know I'm definitely that guy," Pashos said. "Now it's up to me to get back in the groove of things, set my feet and go. Hopefully I've got that [injury] bug out of me."

The starting unit has been intact for two weeks at practice. There is depth with versatile veterans Billy Yates, John Greco and Steve Vallos, and young up-and-comers like Branndon Braxton and Jason Pinkston. The line is one area of comfort for the new coaching staff implementing the West Coast offense, one less thing to worry about.

"They are the strong point on our offense," said quarterback Colt McCoy. "They are the foundation of what we need to do. Those guys are playing well."

Last year's offense was an unsolved Rubik's cube. Whatever was installed was eroded by multiple injuries at the quarterback position. But the one thing last year's Browns were able to do offensively was create a smash-mouth mentality running the ball.

Now that the Browns have joined the modern era and are attempting to throw the ball, you wonder if the gains made in the running game will carry over.

"Oh yeah," Pashos said. "You can't lose that. That's in the bank. That's the foundation now. That's stored away. Peyton Hillis ain't going away and neither is the running game.

"We have the ability to do what we're geared to do -- pound it and throw it when we need it. Peyton's a stud, you know that. Then when teams have to address that, then we can go to the outside."

McCoy points out, "For this offense to work, we've got to throw and catch the football. That's the bottom line."

McCoy is not concerned about weakening the running game by emphasizing the new pass offense in camp.

"I think the great thing about this offense is it plays to your strengths," he said. "Part of the West Coast is throwing and catching the football. But you've got a guy like Peyton in the backfield. You've got an experienced offensive line. And you've got coaches who've won a lot of games. So they're going to put us in situations based on what we do well and we're going to make it work."

Offensive line as a team strength? It can be if the right side comes through.

Original story:

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/08/cleveland_browns_feel_no_need.html

Shawn Lauvao works to earn starting role at right guard for Cleveland Browns

BEREA: Shawn Lauvao realizes how easily a starting job in the NFL can slip away, so he has vowed to cherish his second chance with the Browns.

Lauvao appeared to be on the verge of becoming the team’s starting right guard heading into last season, but he suffered a left high-ankle sprain five days before the opener. The injury lingered, and Lauvao ended up starting just one game as a rookie while Floyd Womack and Billy Yates filled in at right guard.

Now Lauvao is in familiar territory again. He has held a spot on the first-team offensive line since training camp opened. His ankle has healed, and he’s more comfortable with the organization’s new coaching regime.

“After last year, I was just kind of spent mentally and physically,” Lauvao said Monday after practice. “One thing I would say that’s taxing is when you want to go and perform and your body’s not acting the way you want it to and it’s just breaking down. That in itself is just frustrating.

“There’s a difference between playing hurt and playing injured. There’s definitely a fine line. Just the whole atmosphere [here] is completely different from last year, and I can appreciate that from coach [Pat] Shurmur, just from the top to the bottom. It’s just a comfortable work environment. I just have an appreciation, so I definitely want to make the most of my opportunity.”

In an effort to rebound from last year, Lauvao focused on improving his flexibility during the league’s lockout. He trained in jujitsu at Lion’s Den Scottsdale in Arizona, a mixed martial arts facility owned by former NFL offensive lineman Scott Peters. He also worked out at his alma mater, Arizona State University, and took two classes there to finish his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.

When the work stoppage ended, Lauvao returned to the Browns’ headquarters on a mission. He has been steady ever since.

“I think he’s having a terrific camp,” Shurmur said. “We came into this thing thinking we wanted him to battle and become our starting right guard. Nothing to this point has said to us he’s not that guy. We hope he just progresses like he’s been doing, through the rest of this camp and then that will be the case.”

Left tackle Joe Thomas, left guard Eric Steinbach and center Alex Mack are among the Browns’ best and most reliable players. The right side of the offensive line, though, has not been nearly as dependable.

However, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound Lauvao believes he and Tony Pashos, the projected starter at right tackle, are capable of providing a solution.

“We need some stability ’cause’ definitely when it comes down to it, you’ve gotta have five playing as one,” said Lauvao, whom the Browns selected in the third round (92nd overall) of the 2010 draft. “Joe, Steiny, Alex, Tony, all those guys, their resumes speak for themselves. As a young guy, even though I’m only in my second year, I want to go that much farther. That’s always a driving factor because I’ve got these guys who have gone out and done it. I want to make sure I’m giving them my best because I already know they are gonna put everything on the line.”

Lauvao, 23, has been able to test himself against a formidable opponent in recent days. First-round draft pick Phil Taylor has been playing three-technique, meaning he has been lining up across from Lauvao, since he first joined the Browns on the practice field last Thursday.

“He has done a good job [against Taylor] and that’s a really solid battle in there,” Shurmur said. “When you look at the battle between Shawn and Phil … there’s quite a bit of good competition.”

Lauvao said facing the 6-3, 338-pound Taylor will help him improve. The memory of a missed opportunity can’t hurt, either.

“I just use it as motivation,” Lauvao said. “There’s a vision in my mind that I have set. There’s a standard and a precedent that you want to set.

“For whatever reason, [becoming a full-time starter] just didn’t really pan out [last year]. That’s just how life is sometimes. Some things don’t work out. But at the end of the day, you’ve gotta keep moving.”

Original story:

http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/shawn-lauvao-works-to-earn-starting-role-at-right-guard-for-cleveland-browns-1.228944

Super Bowl ring won't diminish Brandon Jackson's desire to improve the Cleveland Browns

BEREA, Ohio -- Brandon Jackson was so moved by winning a Super Bowl in Green Bay last season that he refused to let anyone wash his jersey.

He also knew it might be the last time he'd ever wear it.

"That jersey will not be washed," Jackson told the Green Bay Press-Gazette two days after the game. "It'll be hung up, framed with the rest of my jerseys that I have from college and high school. That 32 is very special to me. That's four hard years of dedication, blood, sweat, tears, and adversity that goes into that 32. It's emotional when I talk about it because I've been through a lot here."

But Jackson (5-10, 216) won't be pining for his Packers days when he faces them Saturday night in the Browns' offensive backfield.

"There won't be a lot of hugging going on," he said Monday. "I'm here to do a job. I'm coming into a new era with the Cleveland Browns and I feel great about it. I feel like there's a lot of momentum going forward and I just want to have a lot of success for the team and for myself."

A second-round pick of the Packers in 2007 out of Nebraska, Jackson started a career-high 13 games last season in place of Ryan Grant, who was lost for the season with a Week 1 ankle injury. Jackson rushed for 703 yards and three TDs on 190 carries, adding another 342 yards on 43 receptions.

But by season's end, Jackson -- a career third-down back to that point -- had lost the starting job to rookie sensation James Starks, who carried the load during the postseason. The Packers also drafted running back Alex Green in the third round, and the writing was on the wall. He was signed by the Browns as a free agent when camp opened.

"It wasn't hard to leave," said Jackson. "My opportunity is here and I'm trying to take advantage of that. This was the best choice for me and my family."

Jackson's presence in training camp has been more prominent as Montario Hardesty has been idle since the second day to rest his surgically-repaired knee. Jackson's been getting plenty of reps since he joined practice on Thursday and had a solid showing in Saturday's Family Day practice.

"We really like him," said Browns General Manager Tom Heckert during the first week of camp. "He's a perfect fit for us. Obviously coming from the West Coast offense, he's going to have a feel of what we're doing. But he was a guy that started 13 games and had [703] yards for a team that won the Super Bowl, so that's not half bad."

Heckert added Jackson "can pass protect, he can catch the ball, and he's got great vision. He's a great addition." He was unworried by Jackson's so-so 3.7-yards per carry average last season. For comparison's sake, Peyton Hillis averaged 4.4 yards.

"Nothing against Green Bay, but I think we can run the football," said Heckert. "We did that very well last year. He's obviously got to show he can do it, but that wasn't a concern for us. We think he can run it."

Jackson, who started only three games before last season -- all in 2007 -- is happy with his third-down role, but envisions bigger things.

"Hopefully I'll get more carries here and prove that I can be an every down back and help Peyton carry the load," he said.

Jackson, 25, said he brings plenty to the table, both on and off the field. "I'm still young, I know how to win and I have experience," he said. "I feel like my strengths are making the first guy miss, getting downhill, running the ball hard and picking up the first down."

Jackson also prides himself on no fumbles and no penalties in his four seasons in Green Bay, attributing it to his work ethic.

"What you put into practice is what you're going to get out of it," he said. "You don't fumble the ball in practice."

Coach Pat Shurmur said he was impressed with Jackson during Saturday's practice and is looking forward to seeing him against the Packers.

"He's got burst, he's got size and he's a good runner," said Shurmur. "I'm sure he'll be amped up to play his former team, a team he contributed greatly to. I'm sure he's got a lot of friends there."

Jackson vowed there will be no revenge factor motivating him.

"I feel like it's a good competitive edge," he said. "I'm just trying to help my new team get better."

Original story:

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2011/08/super_bowl_ring_wont_divide_br.html

Phil Taylor Officially A Holdout As Training Camp Enters Third Day

The Cleveland Browns will enter their third day of training camp on Monday without their first-round selection, Phil Taylor, in the mix on the defensive line. Taylor has reportedly been close to signing a deal on several occasions over the past few days but is yet to put his John Hancock where it counts.

The Browns cannot be happy that Taylor is missing the most important days of installations. However, no fines have been reported from the team regarding Taylor’s absence from camp. It seems like the Browns may be digging their heels in for a long battle with Taylor as the team went out and acquired a defensive tackle from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this week (Bunkley).

Taylor needs to get into camp as soon as possible so he can get accustomed to Dick Jauron’s defensive scheme and his new teammates. In the meantime, Browns fans should be happy that Taylor is not an injury risk and is hopefully working out under the watchful eye of the team.

Original story:

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/cleveland_browns_phil_taylor_officially_a_holdout_as_training_camp_enters_third_day/5859151

Colt McCoy Talks About First Day Of Training Camp

Colt McCoy on the Browns 2011 Training Camp

A Berea sign that the Browns training camp is near

BEREA -- The city is sprucing up its streets for the annual Cleveland Browns training camp. 

Orange and brown paint will appear on streets near its Lou Groza Boulevard facility.

Berea prepares for Cleveland Browns training camp, lockout or not

BEREA -- The four-month NFL lockout did not shut down the city’s need to prepare for the Cleveland Browns training camp.

“We know what we need to do and have already done some of those things,” said R. James Brown, the city’s service director.

Negotiation talks continued this week with team owners and the NFL Players Association. This week a U.S. magistrate judge entered the talks. The lockout began March 12. The Browns first game is set for Sept. 11 in Cleveland against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Training Camp historically begins at the end of July. Last year the camp started July 31.

According to a Cleveland Browns spokesperson, the organization will not release training camp dates until they are firm, and that is “dependent” upon the “resolution of the labor situation.”

Brown said he is “confident” the lockout will end this week.

“We will probably get a call as soon as possible from the Browns. We are ready for them and the camp,” Brown said. “I am a huge fan of the training camp. We are the only city in Ohio that hosts a training camp. Cincinnati goes to Kentucky.”

The city owns the Browns facility in Berea. Brown said the city paints the striping in the facility’s parking lots and refresh the crosswalk on Lou Groza Blvd. as well.

“We are in the process of doing that right now,” he said Monday. “Most of it is already completed.”

The Browns provide banners that the service department hang on Bagley Road, Beech Street and other localized areas.

The Front Street overpass, which opened in November, has poles to hold the banners, if needed.

“We’ve had conversation about that,” Brown said. “This year is the first time we are able to use Front Street in quite a while. It will be neat to see traffic coming over and entering the city for the camp.”

A major change this year is the reconstruction of Beech Street between Bagley Road and East Fifth Avenue. Camp visitors often use Beech Street north of Bagley to park in the Baldwin-Wallace College’s Kleist parking lot as well as walk down its short length to the camp’s gate. That stretch of Beech Street is expected to be completed Aug. 17.

Brown said the contracting company must provide some type of access for pedestrians should the camp occur while that portion of Beech Street is closed to traffic.

“Whether is a gravel walkway or allow them to go on the grass, they will have something to make it safe to walk,” Brown said.

Karen Husak, B-W’s director of parking services, said the college gladly permits training camp visitors to use its lots.

“We allow use of our lots as long as camp runs and school is not in session,” she said.

Husak also said Kleist parking lot will be available for parking but traffic must enter through its Bagley Road access, not the one on Beech Street, which is under construction.

‘We are preparing for training camp as well,” she said. “We gladly allow use of our parking lots as long as training camp runs, provided school is not in session.”

B-W’s first day of fall classes is Aug. 29. Husak said the lots are available for training camp until Aug. 24.

The city will post signs on streets around the training camp entrance, such as Third, Fifth and Beech, saying parking is for residents only. Those who live in these area receive stickers from the Browns organization to place on their windshield showing permission to park on the street.

Brown said he enjoys the thrill of training camp.

“We stand alone in Ohio in providing a summer training camp for a professional sports team,” he said. “I think it’s a big deal. And we want others to know how important and thrilling this is to our city.”

Article source:

http://blog.cleveland.com/newssun/2011/07/berea_prepares_for_cleveland_b.html