"The Browns revealed Friday they are changing their defensive scheme, but their commitment to quarterback Colt McCoy is unwavering.
Browns coach Pat Shurmur and General Manager Tom Heckert met with a group of local reporters at a hotel near Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the NFL Scouting Combine. They confirmed the team will switch from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 system and expressed faith in McCoy's ability to lead the Browns' West Coast offense for the foreseeable future.
Those two topics merely scratched the surface of the hourlong, question-and-answer session. Here are some of the others that were addressed:
Quarterback situation
Neither Shurmur nor Heckert ruled out the possibility of using the sixth overall pick in this year's draft toa quarterback, but they also acknowledged it's not likely. They said they're comfortable with McCoy as the starter, and elite prospects who play other positions will be available.
''I'm extremely excited about working with Colt and him being our guy,'' Shurmur said. . . . ''I think what we do do, though, and I learned this from [Philadelphia Eagles] coach [Andy] Reid, who obviously learned it from [Browns President Mike] Holmgren, you're always looking at the quarterback position in every draft. If you can find a guy that you think has the skill and ability to be a great one, then you obviously want to pursue it.''
In radio interviews leading up to the Super Bowl, McCoy said his throwing shoulder never fully healed after he injured it in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game. The Browns, though, aren't concerned.
''I think he meant that he was a little banged up during the season, but he's fine,'' Heckert said. ''Maybe during the season he was a little sore, but he's completely fine now.''
On Thursday, NFL Network analyst Mike Lombardi said McCoy needs to improve his strength. Shurmur, who served as the St. Louis Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons, defended McCoy.
''I thoroughly evaluated Colt last year when [the Rams] went through the [draft] process with Sam [Bradford], and I'm excited about working with him,'' Shurmur said. . . . ''I don't have any questions about Colt's arm.''
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Browns were one of several teams reminded this week by the NFL that players are not supposed to "meet" with coaches or be given playbooks during this period of the off-season.
The issue came up, according to sources, after a story in The Plain Dealer reporting that quarterback Colt McCoy had been meeting with new coach Pat Shurmur since the Super Bowl. It was also reported that the Browns intended to give McCoy a portion of Shurmur's offensive playbook before the possible owners lockout on March 4 so that McCoy would have something to study during the work stoppage.
In comments not used in the original story, Browns President Mike Holmgren said on Wednesday, "It's an interesting time. Organizations have to be very careful on how you do things. You can't do anything you haven't done in the past. The fact Pat Shurmur is new ... Colt and some players have come in. We can give him a playbook, have him study it, but you can't have meetings. You have all this stuff going on, so at the very least you've got to be able to give him [a playbook]."
Apparently, not so.
At a meeting with coaches and GMs at the NFL Scouting Combine, the league pointed out that existing rules forbid meetings with coaches and the dispensing of playbooks until the official start of off-season conditioning programs on March 15. The league is saying the off-season rules were a concession to the wishes of the players union, which did not want coaches pressuring players to meet with coaches until the off-season programs kicked off.
Shurmur and Browns GM Tom Heckert declined to expound on the meeting with league officials.
Heckert said, "I'm not going to get into what we can and can't do. There are rules on everything. We're just going about it as whatever they say, we are going to obey them."
Shurmur denied that he and McCoy have held "meetings" to discuss the team's new offense. He said some of the Browns players working out in the team's headquarters have simply stopped in to meet their new head coach.
"There's a new head coach in the building and they're just curious about coming in and meeting him," Shurmur said. "I haven't told any of them to come in. I think it's just normal protocol. We're just getting to know one another."
It is ridiculous, of course, for the league not to allow players to get a jumpstart on their new offense or defense voluntarily. But these are not ordinary times and the league apparently is going to play hardball with the players union every chance it gets.
It figures: The Browns are one of a handful of teams that have changed coaches and are implementing completely new systems on both offense and defense. Therefore, they would appear to suffer more hardships in an owners lockout and complete league shutdown.
Shurmur, however, will have none of that.
"Whatever happens, 32 teams will be in the same situation. I'm not worried about it," he said. "I feel as though we've hired some great teachers and the systems we're going to teach and employ are proven. I trust and am confident that we'll get it done."
More hardball: NFL coaches will feel the effects of a lockout in their paychecks. According to Larry Kennan, executive director of the NFL Coaches Association, as many as 20 percent of coaches in the NFL will see paycuts approximating 30 percent if there is a lockout beyond 30 days.
Kennan said any new coach hired in the past three years -- head coaches and assistants -- have had to agree to lockout language in their contracts. Two teams have indicated immediate paycuts and possible termination if there is a lockout, Kennan said.
"The 'good' teams have said they will conduct business as usual as long as they can," Kennan said. "They also say paycuts would be recouped when the lockout ends."
Kennan said the lockout language has fueled talk of the coaches forming a union to recoup perks they lost when the economy soured in 2009. Since then, 12 teams have removed coaches from team pension plans and reduced or eliminated other benefits.
The teams that ceased pension benefits, Kennan said, are San Diego, Arizona, Atlanta, San Francisco, New Orleans, Buffalo, Jacksonville, New England, Dallas, Houston, Washington and Tampa Bay.
More reax on Shurmur: St. Louis Rams General Manager Billy Devaney believes Shurmur, the club's offensive coordinator the past two years, will be a successful head coach.
"You know, you hear the stuff about players and coaches 'getting it.' More than anything, Pat gets it," Devaney said. "He's got a great way with players, relating to them, understanding them. Knowing when to push, when to back off. He's got a really good offensive mind. But besides that, just the way he relates with players I think is fantastic."
Asked for specifics, Devaney cited Shurmur's role in developing quarterback Sam Bradford in his rookie year.
"The way he interacted with same. [Former QB coach] Dick Curl and Pat were the two guys that were around Sam all last year," Devaney said. "The way those guys just hit it off and the way they worked well together the whole season I think was really impressive."
INDIANAPOLIS: Everything about Pat Shurmur made it feel like the Browns are in very capable
hands.
Including the fact that he gets up at 4:40 in the morning during football season.
Joined by General Manager Tom Heckert for an hourlong session with Northeast Ohio media Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine, the new Browns coach seemed down-to-earth, confident, poised, intelligent and organized. He shared a good rapport with Heckert, whom he worked with for eight years with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But all of that might not matter when it comes to the team's record in 2011. Shurmur's first season could be doomed before it begins by events totally out of his control.
Heckert and Shurmur are charging ahead with changes to the Browns' offensive and defensive schemes even as the storm clouds continue to darken before Thursday night's expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
And despite Shurmur's insistence that all 32 NFL teams are in the same boat, that really isn't the case. If there's a lockout, the Browns will be one of the ones that suffer the most.
Some teams didn't change coaches because of the offseason uncertainty. Not only did the Browns fire Eric Mangini, but Shurmur is installing the West Coast offense and switching to a 4-3 defense, following the model he and Heckert learned in Philadelphia. Any other year, that would be cause for celebration, especially blowing up the low-scoring, too-predictable attack of the past two seasons. But at this point, their plan on both sides of the ball seems fraught with danger.
Asked about the labor battle and what a lockout could bring, Shurmur said, ''We're proceeding like business as usual. I think it's important that we do that and whatever happens, 32 teams will be in the same situation. I'm not worried about it, just moving forward.''
But when it was pointed out that few teams are changing both schemes, even those with new coaches, Shurmur felt confident that he and his staff can get them taught when the time comes.
''I feel as though we've hired some great teachers,'' he said. ''The systems we are going to teach and employ are proven. I trust and I'm confident that we'll get it done.''
To his credit, there was not a hint of panic in Shurmur's voice.
But there could be no minicamps, no training camp, no offseason training activities. Heckert wouldn't say whether the Browns will be allowed to give their players under contract new playbooks to study during a lockout. Starting quarterback Colt McCoy might be able to stop by Berea early next week to get a head start, but with NFL execs mum this week on all things CBA, even that is unclear. And if the clock strikes midnight on Thursday without a new deal or an extension of the current one, the facility will be locked down tighter than Stalag Belichick.
The Browns are devoid of game-changing talent, their roster filled with Mangini's smart, tough and somewhat pedestrian guys who might not fit the Shurmur-Heckert mold. Their seven draft picks won't be enough to fill all the holes and make all the upgrades necessary. Free agency, if and when it happens, could be reduced to a short, frantic frenzy. Heckert also ruled out the possibility of signing quick-fix free agents with checkered pasts.
A lockout would make it all the more difficult for Shurmur to improve on the Browns' two consecutive 5-11 seasons. It would also make it tough to close the gap on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.
''That's the million dollar question. Hopefully it's soon,'' Heckert said of the pursuit of division relevance. ''We do have some good players. Obviously we have to get better in a lot of positions. We should be able to compete. Even last year we played well in a lot of games. I know our record was the same, but I do think we're a better football team.
''I think we're getting there and we have a lot to do, but I guess this season we'll find out.''
Even though the Browns lost seven games by seven points or fewer in 2010, Heckert didn't dispute the national perception that the cupboard is still bare.
''That's valid,'' he said. ''We have to wait and see what happens this offseason and then reassess that, but right now we acknowledge that we have to get better players.''
As surprising as that reaction seemed, it also was self-serving, trying to buy more time with the disgruntled masses who recently received season-ticket renewal packets.
Browns president Mike Holmgren wasted his first year by giving Mangini another year when he had to suspect they'd never mesh. The second year under Holmgren could be in peril as well.
Change was necessary for the Browns' long-term future. The president, general manager and coach must be on the same page.
But their pedal-to-the-metal revamping of the offense and defense with a rookie coach and a possible lockout looming could make for many sleepless nights, no matter what time Shurmur's alarm clock chirps.
Original story by Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Mike Holmgren has faith in Colt McCoy. He’s made that very clear.
However, he also plans to draft a quarterback.
That admission shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering that both Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace are free agents. However, Holmgren also stated that he plans to meet with all of the top quarterbacks, which he indicated probably includes Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton.
It will be interesting to see what Holmgren means when he says he will meet with all of the top quarterbacks. He said he will “bring them in, do our work and see what happens.”
Does that mean he plans to use some of his private workouts on guys like Gabbert and Newton?
If so, it’s a questionable decision and has to make you wonder how committed he is to McCoy. If they’re set to move forward with McCoy, it makes no sense to draft a quarterback in the 1st or 2nd round. So why waste a draft visit on quarterbacks that will be long gone by the time its worth considering a signal caller.
One would think it would be wise to focus on more realistic 1st-round options, and perhaps some mid-round quarterbacks such as Pat Devlin, Andy Dalton and Ricky Stanzi.
The NFL Scouting Combine is at full-go in Indianapolis, and that only fuels speculation about the NFL draft on April 28-30.
The Browns' needs are multiple, and the combine continues their process of trying to sort things out.
One urgent area of need for the Browns is at defensive end. Chad Reuter writes for The Sports XChange/CBSSports.com that the combine features numerous competitions between players hoping to improve their draft positions.
Reuter writes that one of the most intriguing competitions is to become ranked as the ......
Top-rated defensive end:
Da'Quan Bowers (Clemson) vs. Robert Quinn (North Carolina) Quinn's medical issue (surgery on benign spinal tumor in high school) aside, both players have top-five talent but must display the athleticism necessary to be feared pass rushers in the NFL. Bowers needs to be fast and agile in testing to get rid of the "not explosive" label, while Quinn looks to refresh teams' memory of his prowess chasing quarterbacks after sitting out all of the 2010 season due to NCAA suspension for accepting benefits from an agent.
Sports Illustrated SI.com's mock draft apparently has Bowers topping Quinn. It has the Carolina Panthers taking Bowers with the first overall pick in the draft.
The Browns own the sixth overall pick. SI.com has another defensive end entering the equation, Alabama's Marcell Dareus.
In fact, SI.com has the Browns picking Dareus. Don Banks writes:
The Browns could make the riskier pick, taking North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn, who didn't play at all last season after being ruled ineligible for taking more than $5,600 worth of gifts and benefits from agents. Or they could make the safer bet and select Dareus, who's a disruptive and penetrating force who would fit nicely in either a 3-4 defense or the 4-3 scheme the Browns are switching to this season.
The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com continues its Browns coverage with Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot reporting from the scouting combine in Indianapolis.
The Browns intend to select a quarterback with one of their seven picks, said team President Mike Holmgren.
No, it won't be early in the draft on a quarterback who could compete with or displace Colt McCoy as the starter.
"I believe in the young guy we have," Holmgren said to The Plain Dealer on Wednesday.
But that won't stop Holmgren from examining the quarterbacks projected high in this draft, Blaine Gabbert of Missouri and Cam Newton of Auburn. Or the next rung of Jake Locker of Washington and Ryan Mallett of Arkansas.
"Oh, I'm going to talk to them," Holmgren said. "I like to watch the quarterbacks, anyway, you know. But those fellas probably will be drafted pretty high. But I think we have to talk to them all. We'll probably bring them in, do our work and see what happens."
It's prudent for a few reasons.
First, if Gabbert or Newton, or the others, just blow away Holmgren, he reserves the right to change his mind about the team's situation. Second, if one of the top two quarterbacks or both fall to the Browns at No. 6, they will have a better gauge of their worth in a trade-down. And third, knowing where Gabbert and Newton place in the draft order helps the Browns get a better read on which players might be available to them at No. 6.
If Gabbert and Newton fall off the board in the top-five picks, it drops a quality player to the Browns. At least three teams in the top five have the need to seriously consider taking a quarterback first -- Carolina at No. 1, Buffalo at No. 3 and Arizona at No. 5.
The trouble is, none of the quarterbacks is a no-brainer in the mold of recent high draft picks Sam Bradford (No. 1 in 2010), Matthew Stafford (No. 1 in 2009) and Matt Ryan (No. 3 in 2008).
"I think the four quarterbacks at the top of my list have got to be figured out," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "That is the key to this draft, as far as the marquee names.
"How do you figure these quarterbacks out? Who are they? What are they? Who is going to be a boom guy and who is going to be a bust guy?"
Mayock has questions about all the four quarterbacks on which he has first-round grades. Here's a snapshot of his evaluations:
•Gabbert has to show if he has the "football IQ" to transition from Missouri's spread offense to the sophistication of an NFL offense.
"It's a lot harder than people understand," Mayock said. "The footwork's completely different, the reads are completely different. So when I talk about football IQ, I talk about this kid's ability to transition from what he has been to what he needs to be, and how quickly can he get it done?"
• Newton's recent ill-advised statements about wanting to be a football "icon" underscored questions about where his head is. Newton averted an NCAA suspension after his father allegedly offered his services to schools to the highest bidder. Newton went on to claim the Heisman Trophy and lead Auburn to the BCS Championship.
Mayock said Newton's throwing mechanics are superior to "running quarterbacks" Vince Young and Tim Tebow.
"There are two questions to Cam Newton," Mayock said. "He comes out of a very simple pass offense at Auburn. Basically, one look and either the ball comes out or he comes on out. Can he process from an IQ perspective a complicated NFL pass offense? And number two, there's some baggage to the kid."
• Locker has a rocket arm, but is not very accurate or consistent.
"That's a really talented kid who has first-round potential but has struggled in the pocket," Mayock said. "A lot of people are writing him off, and I'm not. I think we have to do a bunch of homework on him."
• Mallett is in the same boat, with some added off-the-field baggage issues that may drop him in estimation.
"Ryan Mallett has unbelievable, God-given ability to throw a football," Mayock said. "And when he has a clear pocket and clear vision, there's nobody in the game better. But every time I get excited, he does something from a decision-making or an accuracy perspective that bothers me. The common denominator is when he goes bad it's because of pressure in the pocket."
Mayock's next wave of quarterbacks in this draft includes Andy Dalton of Texas Christian, Christian Ponder of Florida State, Ricky Stanzi of Lake Catholic and Iowa, and Colin Kaepernick of Nevada. Kaepernick's arm strength is on par with Newton's and Mallett's.
All of those college passers are projected to go in Rounds 2 and 3. If Holmgren is adamant in going forward with McCoy as the franchise quarterback, then taking a quarterback in Rounds 2 or 3 seems counterproductive to the Browns' many other position needs.
So if Holmgren waits for a later round to select a developmental prospect, the candidates may include Pat Devlin of Delaware, Greg McElroy of Alabama, Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech and T.J. Yates of North Carolina.
Of those, Devlin may be the one to watch as a possible Browns pick.
The first two-point conversion scored in the NFL was scored in 1994 when Cleveland Browns Punter Tom Tupa, acting as holder on an extra point, ran the ball across the goal line.
He scored a total of three such conversions that season earning him the nickname "Two Point Tupa."
Phil Dawson said goodbye to teammates and friends after the Browns 2010 finale, sold his house in Westlake and headed back home to Texas with his wife and kids.
But the veteran kicker's 12-year career with the Browns may not be over, as he thought walking out of Cleveland Browns Stadium on Jan. 2. The Browns on Tuesday designated Dawson as their franchise player for the 2011 season, meaning his offer will be about $3.25 million -- the average of last season's top five salaries at his position.
If the same rules apply under the next collective bargaining agreement, another team can sign Dawson, but would have to surrender two first-round picks to the Browns. The Browns can also match any offer.
The $3.25 million would more than triple Dawson's previous salary of $1 million a year. The Browns' only full-time kicker in the new era, Dawson has been seeking a new deal the past several seasons, but the team hasn't budged.
Dawson, who couldn't be reached for comment, has made an apparent statement about his contract each of the past two years by skipping some of the voluntary organized team activities. He's never gone public about being underpaid, but it's been clear he hasn't been happy.
After the 41-9 loss to Pittsburgh in the season finale, Dawson sounded resigned to being gone, but admitted that he wouldn't rule anything out, "even returning to the Browns."
He added, "For me, it's really going to be what's best for my family. I've earned the right to have that choice [of where to play] and I'm going to take advantage of it. I'll seek my wife's input. We'll get together, my boys are even getting old enough I'll see what they have to say about it. Whenever that time comes, we'll make the best decision for us."
With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on March 3, all league business will be shut down and teams will not be permitted to negotiate with free agents. But when a new agreement is reached, Dawson will be able to negotiate a long-term deal with any team, including the Browns.
In 2010, Dawson surpassed Hall of Fame kicker Lou Groza (234) for first place on the Browns' all-time career field goal list and now has 252. He's also first in team history with a field goal percentage of 83.2, which is ninth in NFL history. Dawson's accomplishments are all the more remarkable considering he kicks in some of the worst weather in the NFL.
According to Wallace, a starter for the Browns hasn’t been named yet under new head coach pat Shurmur.
“If I do go back (to Cleveland), hopefully it’s a chance to compete for the starting position,” said Wallace.
Pat Shurmur’s west coach system is very similar to the one Wallace ran in Seattle. I’m sure he’s hoping that will give him a slight advantage if he does return to Cleveland.
Wallace is probably not an NFL starting caliber quarterback. If he was, he would’ve been starting already. When Wallace has played he has performed well enough. But not good enough to win a starting job.
It was seemingly a foregone conclusion that the future of the Cleveland Browns did not include one Phil Dawson. The veteran kicker, entering free agency, has been the lone mainstay of the Browns since returning in 1999 and has long been a fan favorite despite his asymmetrical role on the football field.
However, in his latest “Talkin’” column in Sunday’s Plain Dealer, Terry Pluto says that the Browns are not moving on just yet and are interested in bringing the underrated player and his right foot back for another round.
“The front office is interested,” writes Pluto. “They know Dawson remains one of the NFL’s most underrated kickers. They also know he put his Cleveland-area house up for sale, and believes he was not treated fairly by some of the other previous regimes.”
Dawson has been a holdout through non-mandatory portions of preseason over the past two seasons as he was looking to have his contract re-worked. Conveniently, those were also the same two seasons that were under head coach Eric Mangini – the latter of which was also dealing with an expiring Collective bargaining agreement where very few contracts were updated.
Pluto states that the Browns are in fact looking to make Dawson an offer despite the fact that he has put his home up for sale, but they are looking for a new labor agreement to be in place. If the current CBA expires without a new one in place, there will be a freeze on free agency so the Browns would not fall victim to another team swooping in with a contract offer in the meantime.
“Obviously, all of that can change,” Pluto continues. “But Heckert and the new coaching staff do seem to have a real appreciation for Dawson’s ability to make kicks in Cleveland’s cold temperatures and tricky winds.”
Ask Pittsburgh just how important this skillset is. Given their recent struggles at the placekicker position, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to see them make a play for the veteran Dawson – something that would only add salt into the Cleveland wounds in the event they were forced to endure a less-expensive, less-accurate kicker in subsequent years.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch emerged with a smile and a positive outlook Monday after attending a fourth consecutive day of federally mediated negotiations between the NFL and the players' union.
"Things are going well," said Batch, a member of the NFL Players Association executive committee. "We'll see how things progress over the coming days."
He didn't discuss any details.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith left at 6 p.m., about seven hours after Monday's session began. NFL executives departed minutes after Smith. None would comment on the negotiations; Smith deflected questions by joking about the wintry weather, including snow forecast for Monday night. After months of infrequent — and sometimes contentious — bargaining, the league and union have been communicating face-to-face for a total of more than 25 hours since Friday. The sessions are taking place at the office of George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, a U.S. government agency.
The league and union agreed to try mediation in a bid to find common ground as time runs out before the current labor deal expires at the end of the day March 3. The union has said it believes team owners want to lock out the players as soon as the next day, which could threaten the 2011 season.
The sides met for about six hours on both Friday and Saturday, and another eight hours Sunday. Cohen announced Thursday the groups agreed to the mediation, which is not binding but is meant as a way to spur progress. The plan calls for several days of negotiations with Cohen present.
"Any time you talk," Batch said, "you have to feel better."
He and two other current players — Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita and New York Jets fullback Tony Richardson — left Monday at 5 p.m., getting into cars that were heading to the airport. It wasn't clear whether other players would take their spots with the union's negotiating team in Washington.
The NFL's group began arriving at 8 a.m. Monday, and Commissioner Roger Goodell walked in alone shortly after 9 a.m. The NFL's group included general counsel and lead labor negotiator Jeff Pash and outside lawyer Bob Batterman.
Batterman represented the NHL when it lost its entire 2004-05 season to a lockout.
Smith got to Cohen's office at about 11 a.m., entering with Fujita. Former players Pete Kendall and Sean Morey also were part of the union contingent Monday, along with lawyers Richard Berthelsen and Jeffrey Kessler.
The league and union went more than two months without any formal bargaining until Feb. 5, the day before the Super Bowl. The sides met again once the next week, then called off a second meeting that had been scheduled for the following day.
The most recent CBA was signed in 2006, but owners exercised an opt-out clause in 2008.
The biggest issue separating the sides is how to divide about $9 billion in annual revenues. Among the other significant points in negotiations: the owners' push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; a rookie wage scale; and benefits for retired players.
The Browns could face a difficult decision when they're put on the clock during the first round of the NFL Draft in late April.
Should they use the sixth overall pick to select a wide receiver who could help quarterback Colt McCoy make strides in the West Coast offense? Or should they choose a defensive lineman who could aid the team's expected transition to a 4-3 system?
''You've got to take a look at [Georgia's] A.J. Green, who's the real deal as a top-10 type of receiver, versus what if a [defensive lineman like Alabama's] Marcell Dareus, [Auburn's] Nick Fairley, [North Carolina's] Robert Quinn or [Clemson's] Da'Quan Bowers is out there, all of whom could fit your scheme?'' NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said Thursday during a conference call. ''So that's a tough question, and typically I'm not big on wide receivers in the top 10 because I always think you can kind of drop down and get other guys that fit your scheme.
''However, you've got a young quarterback. You don't have a lot of playmaking wide receivers. You've got a couple pretty good, young wide receivers, but they're not big playmakers. So I think A.J. Green becomes very, very legitimate in that slot, but it depends which one of those defensive players slips through to No. 6.''
If the Browns take a defensive lineman with their first pick, they could target a wide receiver early in the second round (37th overall). Mayock said Pittsburgh's Jon Baldwin, Boise State's Titus Young and Maryland's Torrey Smith would be the ''logical guys.''
''[Baldwin is] an athletic freak,'' Mayock said. ''I think he's probably gonna put on a show at the combine. . . . I also think if you're looking for vertical guys, Titus Young from Boise State could still be there. . . . [He] gets in and out of his breaks, catches everything, reminds me a little bit of [Philadelphia Eagles standout] DeSean Jackson.''
Of course, it wouldn't be inconceivable for the Browns to take another route at No. 6. LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson could be an attractive addition to a secondary that features last year's seventh overall pick, Joe Haden.
''[Peterson has] a little stiffness to him, and ultimately he might be best served as a safety,'' Mayock said. ''I think he can play corner. But down the road a little bit because he's a big, strong, tough guy that can run, I think he might be an all-pro safety.''
''It's a tough comparison with Joe Haden 'cause Haden's a smaller, quicker guy with quicker feet. They're different types of animals. So Patrick Peterson, to me, is certainly a guy that's gonna be considered in the top 10.''
Mayock also said the Browns might be able to find a solid right offensive tackle in the third or fourth round. LSU's Joseph Barksdale and Central Florida's Jah Reid could be prospects to watch there, he said.
The NFL and its players union held federally mediated talks for the third consecutive day Sunday. And the head of a fan group again tried in vain to hand deliver a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The letter asks that a representative of the group be allowed to monitor the talks.
"I guess I'll have to come back in the morning," said Brian Frederick, executive director of the Sports Fans Coalition, a Washington group formed in 2009.
Frederick said he presented a similar letter Friday to DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association. Unsuccessful in presenting a copy to Goodell on Friday, he returned Sunday. After waiting for several hours outside the building, he again missed the commissioner's exit.
"We are not asking for a seat at the negotiating table — although we believe fans deserve one — but merely to be present in the room so that we may inform fans across the country about the state of ongoing negotiations and ensure that progress is being made, toward," said the letter.
On the sidewalk, Frederick, 36, said his group wants "at least a representative" at the talks.
He added, "If there is a lockout or a work stoppage, it will be devastating to some cities. That would be totally unacceptable."
Sunday's session was held at the K Street office of George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Cohen has instructed both sides not to comment publicly.
"Cone of silence," former NFL player Pete Kendall, a member of the union negotiating team, said as he left Sunday evening.
Goodell and Smith arrived just before 10 a.m. ET. The negotiators began leaving at about 6 p.m.
The union contingent included team players reps Charlie Batch of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tony Richardson of the New York Jets
"Conversation is good," Richardson said as he got into a car.
A March 3 deadline looms for the expiration of the NFL's collective bargaining agreement which could be followed by a lockout of players from all team activities.
There was no word from either side Sunday about whether they would meet again Monday.
"We're not commenting on anything," said longtime NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen.
Smith didn't stop for questions as he departed Sunday, the longest day of face-to-face communication after months of slow and sometimes contentious bargaining. The sides have met for a total of more than 20 hours since Friday.
Because both sides agreed to Cohen's request that they not comment publicly on these negotiations, it's not clear what, if any, progress is being made.
"You know we're not going to give you any information," NFL outside lawyer Bob Batterman said as he left with three league executives. "I can't say anything, other than the fact that we are meeting."
Batterman, who represented the NHL when it lost its entire 2004-05 season to a lockout, then referred to Cohen as a "first-class mediator."
On his way into the talks Sunday morning, Jeff Pash, the NFL's general counsel and lead labor negotiator said: "We are working hard, and we're following the director's playbook, and we'll see what we come up with."
The sides met for about six hours on both Friday and Saturday. Cohen announced Thursday the groups agreed to the mediation, which is not binding but is meant as a way to spur progress.
The mediation could be seen as a positive sign after several months of infrequent negotiations — and frequent rhetoric, including charges from each side that the other was hoping for a work stoppage.
The league and union went more than two months without any formal bargaining until Feb. 5, the day before the Super Bowl. The sides met again the next week but called off a second meeting that had been scheduled for the following day.
The most recent CBA was signed in 2006, but owners exercised an opt-out clause in 2008.
The biggest issue separating the sides is how to divide about $9 billion in annual revenues. Among the other significant points in negotiations: the owners' push to expand the regular season from 16 games to 18 while reducing the preseason by two games; a rookie wage scale; and benefits for retired players.
No team owners have been seen at the mediated sessions, but they're surely keeping up with what's happening — and at least one indicated optimism about the 2011 season in a roundabout way.
The UFL's Hartford Colonials are "interested" in former Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini to replace another former Browns coach, Chris Palmer. Palmer recently became offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.
"He is one of the people we would hope to talk to," Colonials owner Bill Mayer said of Mangini this week. "What comes out of that, I don't know. I've been looking at our Facebook site, and it certainly has generated a lot of conversation. He's a Connecticut native and he's had experience. Whether we end up doing anything with him or not, we haven't sat down yet, so it’s not at all clear whether this timing would work for him.
"That doesn’t mean we're in negotiations or that he's going to be the next coach, but he's certainly on the list."
Mangini still has two years left on his contract with the Browns and will make millions of dollars from it. Therefore, I doubt we will see Mangini on the sidelines this upcoming season, especially if it's not in the NFL. The only reason this is news is because a UFL owner publicly threw out the bait in the event Mangini would be interested.
Mangini has already participated in television analysis and discussed a consultant job with the Miami Dolphinssince being let go by Cleveland in January. He can stay active in football in various ways, while still getting the rest of his money from the Browns without dabbling in the minor leagues.
The Cleveland Browns, 5-11 in 2010 and 14-34 over the last three seasons, must obviously address numerous weaknesses during April's NFL draft.
The defensive line is certainly one of the most glaring areas of need. Last season, the Browns' performance up front was erratic, at best. Mere statistical rankings -- the Browns were tied for 19th in the 32-team NFL in yards allowed per play (5.4); 12th in yards allowed per rushing play (4.1); tied for 25th in quarterback sacks (29) -- don't indicate how short the Browns are in quality defensive linemen.
The mediocrity along the line is further complicated by two other factors: (1) the Browns have released aging defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Kenyon Coleman; (2) the Browns will almost certainly switch from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense.
The question, then, is not whether the Browns need to bolster their defensive line. The questions are (1) should they begin to do so by using their first draft pick, the sixth selection overall, to select a defensive lineman? And, (2), if so, what player should they pick, if still available at No. 6?
Analysts believe there are a number of quality defensive linemen in this year's draft.
Yes, we know that one or two of the players mentioned below are likely to be off the board once the Browns are on the clock. But, if the Browns do use the pick for a defensive lineman, for fun's sake, let's pretend all six of the players we cite are available at the Browns' No. 6 overall slot. Then, which player would you want the Browns to take?
Last Friday, Josh Cribbs won Cleveland’s Pro Athlete of the Year Award. The award was given out at the 11th annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards which were held that night at the Cleveland Renaissance Hotel.
Other Cleveland athletes up for the award were Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas and Indians outfielder Shin-Soo Choo.
Cribbs won the award because he is the NFL’s all-time leader with eight kickoff return touchdowns. On top of that, he has scored 10 return touchdowns, has 7,863 kickoff return yards and has gained 9,172 total return yards.
This is Cribbs sixth year as a returner/wide receiver for the Browns. Before the Browns, Cribbs was the quarterback at Kent State.
In an interview with a Browns’ staff writer, Cribbs said the award doesn’t just mean stats on the field, but the type of role model you are off the field.
“It means that I’m the right path; it means I’ve done things on and off the field, which is significant of the award, of the achievement,” Cribbs said.
Cribbs also said the fans are who he respects the most.
“Without them, it’d be the worst sport in America, but because of them, it’s the best sport in America. This Cleveland fan-base, they’re the best that I’ve seen. I know they’re the best out of everything. I just want to win and basically, I’m the voice of the fans because if they had a voice, they’d say, ‘We just want to win!’”
Cleveland Browns cornerback Eric Wright fell off quite a bit this season after a great 2009 season. In 2009 he had four interceptions opposed to 2010 where he only recorded one.
This season Wright ended up being benched in favor of rookie Joe Haden who looks to be a rising NFL star.
“We thought we had three really good corners. Eric Wright, whatever happened to him I have no idea. If Eric Wright would have played like he played the year before, we probably would have had one of top three guys around. But Eric Wright didn’t play very well.”
Wright’s future is unclear with the Browns now that his contract is up and he will likely hit the free agent market.
If the Browns re-sign Wright, they may offer him a low salary if he’s interested in staying.
Nashville, Tenn. -- Titans head coach Mike Munchak has filled his second coordinator job by hiring Chris Palmer, a former head coach with the Cleveland Browns who spent last season coaching in the UFL.
The Titans announced the hiring Tuesday afternoon, shortly before Munchak is due to introduce his new defensive coordinator Jerry Gray.
Palmer was head coach fo the Browns for two seasons, and he also spent seven seasons in the AFC South as offensive coordinator with Jacksonville and Houston. Palmer spent last season as head coach of the United Football League’s Hartford Colonels.
He was quarterbacks coach with the New York Giants between 2007 and 2009 working with Eli Manning, including their Super Bowl run when Manning was named the game’s MVP.
The Browns rounded out their coaching staff Monday with the addition of three assistants to the position coaches and two senior assistants.
They also confirmed the coaches who have been retained, as previously reported.
The newcomers are Chris Beake (offensive assistant), Chuck Bullough (defensive assistant), Shawn Mennenga (special teams assistant) and Ray Rhodes (senior assistant/defense), who was formerly head coach of the Packers and Eagles. Keith Gilbertson will also return to the coaching ranks in 2011 as senior assistant – offense after previously serving as the Browns' director of pro personnel last year.
“With our coaching staff now complete, I'm excited about the group that we have been able to assemble,” head coach Pat Shurmur said in a press release. “I believe we have a blend of coaches with a tremendous amount of experience who have proven to be excellent teachers throughout the course of their careers.
"I have known most of these guys for a considerable amount of time, and not only have I been impressed with their work, but they are all greatly respected around the league.
"Many of our coaches have been a part of winning programs, which is an important element as well. I feel very good about the strengths that each coach possesses, and I am confident this will benefit our team.''
The Browns confirmed they've retained the following coaches: Gary Brown (running backs), Steve Hagen (tight ends), Jerome Henderson (defensive backs), Kent Johnston (strength and conditioning), Rick Lyle (assistant strength and conditioning), Luke Steckel (assistant to the head coach) and George Warhop (offensive line).
Rhodes brings 30 years of NFL coaching experience, including five seasons as a head coach. He spent the past three seasons with the Houston Texans, serving first as assistant defensive backs coach in 2008 before spending the last two seasons as senior defensive assistant. Rhodes spent five seasons working under Holmgren in Seattle as defensive coordinator (2003-05) and special projects/defense (2006-07). He also worked under Holmgren in Green Bay in 1992-93.
He was the head coach in Green Bay in 1998, leading the Packers to an 8-8 record. Rhodes was the head coach in Philadelphia from 1995-98 and in his first year there he earned NFL Coach of Year honors after guiding the Eagles to a 10-6 mark.
Beake spent last season as an offensive assistant with the 49ers. Prior to that, he spent two years with the Seahawks, first as an offensive quality control coach in 2008 before serving as an offensive assistant/assistant special teams coach the following season.
Bullough has 14 years of coaching experience on the collegiate and professional levels. He spent the previous five seasons at UCLA, where he served as the linebackers coach (2006-08) and defensive coordinator (2009-10). Bullough was an assistant at Michigan State at the same time as Shurmur.
Gilbertson joined the Browns last season. He has 38 years of coaching experience, most recently with Seattle, where he served in several capacities, including offensive consultant (2005), assistant offensive line coach (2006-07) and wide receivers coach (2008).
Mennenga brings 17 years of collegiate coaching experience to the Browns’ special teams. He most recently spent the past two seasons (2009-10) as the linebackers coach at South Dakota State.
Steckel enters his third season with the Browns as the assistant to the head coach. Steckel’s father, Les, was a coach for 32 years, 23 in the NFL, including the 1984 season as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings
