The Cleveland Browns addressed a couple of needs in the fifth round, selecting UT-Chattanooga defensive back Buster Skrine with the 137th overall pick, and then traded up to grab Pittsburgh tackle Jason Pinkston. The Browns gave up both sixth round selections to acquire Pinkston.
In Skrine the Browns are getting speed. He had the fastest cone drill and 20 yard shuttle times of any cornerback at the combine. His 40 yard dash time was 4.37, but he has been clocked as fast as 4.22 and was on the track team. He performed well in the bench press, but some scouts say that he has difficulty breaking blocks.Unlike some of the Browns’ previous picks this year, there are no character issues with Skrine. He is considered a well above average student and was a team captain.
Jason Pinkston is a little bit of an enigma. Scouting reports were all over the map on this guy, from late 2nd/early 3rd all the way to 6th round projections. The knock on Pinkston seems to be his work ethic, particularly an aversion to the weight room. The Browns seem to think that won’t be an issue, and think he can play either guard or tackle at the pro level.
With the trade, the Browns have only 1 pick remaining in this draft. It is a compensatory pick late in the seventh round.
He was a basketball recruit at Brigham Young, then transferred to USC to pursue a football career. His potential in the West Coast offense so excited the Browns that he was targeted as the player they wanted to begin the day.
Fullback Owen Marecic, Stanford, fourth round.
Coached by former Browns great Clay Matthews in a southern California Pop Warner league, he was described by former Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh as "a phenom ... never seen a guy like this."
The only two-way starter in major college football, Marecic played as a senior at fullback and middle linebacker and scored a touchdown on offense and defense 13 seconds apart in a game against Notre Dame. All the while, he worked toward a degree in human biology and posted a grade-point average of 3.5.
I was afraid when I went to sleep Thursday night that I would wake up to the sounds of white horses, seven trumpets and earthquakes. And this morning, I frantically reached for a remote to search for a weather forecast in Hell. My gut told me it might be nippy down there. A feeling I had never felt before swept over me. It was foreign. It was frightening. It was ... confidence in the Cleveland Browns' front office.
Am I overreacting? A little dramatic? No.
Courtney Brown. William Green. Jeff Faine. Brady Quinn. The first round of the NFL Draft has been a comedy of errors in Cleveland. Except in 2008, when they didn't pick until the fourth round.
So you can understand this long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan's lack of optimism when I tuned in to watch Chris Berman act like an unintelligible 1950s cartoon character on draft night. But, alas, President Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert showed their shrewdness by ridding themselves of the No. 6 draft pick, and stocking up on extra selections this year and the next. There were four great players in this draft — I believe Cam Newton will be a flop — and they were already off the board by the time the Browns went on the clock. So, why keep a pricy top-10 pick when your needs are many? The Browns aren't one player away from success. Heck, they're not even one season away from the playoffs. It appears the front office decided to try the Bill Belichick method of seeking good value in the middle rounds. It's worked once or twice for him.
The Browns do need a receiver, and Julio Jones is a good one, but he has Braylon Edwardsesque hands. That is not a compliment. Yes, there is a chance there will be no draft choices to be had in 2012. If anyone believes the draft will no longer exist past this year, I have some WMDs to show you in Baghdad.
This wasn't some ingenious move. Most draft experts believed it should have happened. But, the Browns made it, and it was the right move. Read that last sentence again and try not to act astonished. This is uncharted territory. That's why I'm still waiting for the sun to turn black and the moon red ... or Tim Couch to ride in on a green horse.
BEREA, Ohio -- The wideout watch ended for the Browns with their third pick.
They selected North Carolina wide receiver Greg Little with the 59th overall pick acquired from the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday.
Little, 6-2 1/2 and 231 pounds, was one of several Tar Heels suspended in 2010 for accepting improper benefits.
Earlier, the Browns took Pittsburgh defensive end Jabaal Sheard with the 37th overall selection of the second round.
At 6-3 and 264 pounds and a reputed 40 speed of 4.68 seconds, Sheard fits the physical profile preferred by General Manager Tom Heckert for his defensive ends.
BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns took Pittsburgh defensive end Jabaal Sheard with the 37th overall selection of the second round. They also have the 59th pick.
At 6-3 and 264 pounds, Sheard fits the physical profile preferred by General Manager Tom Heckert for his defensive ends.
Sheard was named Big East Conference defensive player of the year after turning in nine sacks and 14.5 tackles for losses. He also had four forced fumbles.
The big year came after an arrest in the summer of 2010 for throwing a man through a glass door of an art gallery. Sheard ultimately pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.
Sheard finished his career with elbow surgery and was not able to play in the Compass Bowl and Senior Bowl.
Huge lineman anchored line during All-Big 12 senior season... Started in 2011 Senior Bowl... 2011 NFL Scouting Combine invitee... Two-year starter and former transfer from Penn State... Played all 25 games at BU, started 22... Rated nation's No. 10 defensive tackle by Phil Steele... Has squatted 665, benched 455 pounds and power cleaned 400 pounds... Traveled to Kenya for mission trip with Baylor student-athletes in May 2010.
2010 (Senior): Starting nose guard in all 13 games, All-Big 12 honoree as senior... Earned second-team All-Big 12 honors (league coaches, AP, Columbia Tribune, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Kansas City Star, Phil Steele, Rivals.com, San Antonio Express-News, Waco Tribune-Herald)... Named to ESPN.com All-Big 12 Bowl team... Named second-team "All-Texas" by Dave Campbell's Texas Football publication... One of eight Bears to start all 13 games... Totaled 62 tackles (35 solo), seven for loss including two sacks, three QB hurries, two pass breakups and one forced fumble... 62 tackles most by BU interior lineman since 2002 (76 by Ethan Kelley)... Seven TFL ranked second on squad... Made five tackles at No. 4 TCU in third game... Set then-career-high with eight tackles (six solo) vs. Texas Tech in sixth game... Tied then-career-high eight tackles, also one sack (eight yards) and forced fumble in win at Colorado... Made five tackles including 10-yard sack in win vs. Kansas State in eighth game... Had five stops (four solo), hurry and PBU at Texas in ninth game... Made seven tackles (five solo) and PBU vs. No. 16 Oklahoma in 12th game... Had career-high 10 tackles in final collegiate game in Texas Bowl vs. Illinois.
2009 (Junior): Played all 12 games and started nine at defensive tackle as junior in first season at Baylor in 2009... Earned first Baylor letter... Totaled 25 tackles (2.5 for loss), an assisted sack, five QB hurries, two blocked kicks and one interception on season... Made more than half (13) of season's tackles (25) in first three games... Battled turf toe injury through middle portion of season... Made big splash in Baylor debut in season-opening win at Wake Forest, had four tackles (two solo) including one for loss and made career-first interception... Had four tackles, one QB hurry and blocked field goal (44-yard attempt on last play of first half) in second game vs. UConn... Had season-high and career-high-tying five tackles and an assisted sack in win over Northwestern State in third game... Made second kick block, PAT in third quarter, vs. Kent State in fourth game... Suffered turf toe injury in fifth game at No. 19 Oklahoma, limited and did not start following two games at Iowa State and vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State... Returned to starting lineup and had three tackles and two hurries vs. Nebraska in eighth game... Preseason Big 12 Newcomer of Year selection by media.
2008 (Redshirt): Transferred to Baylor from Penn State in September 2008, sat out season in compliance with NCAA Division I transfer policy but practiced with team... Redshirted to retain eligibility... Selected to spring 2009 Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.
At Penn State (2006 & 2007): Played freshman (2006) and sophomore (2007) seasons at Penn State... Member of defensive line in 2007 that ranked seventh nationally in rushing defense (93.8 ypg), allowed only three runs of longer than 18 yards in 449 attempts and held opposition to nine rushing touchdowns in 13 games... Slowed early in season due to knee injury sustained during preseason drills but quickly returned to action and started Nittany Lions' final five games... Played 12 games... Credited with 20 tackles, 12 solo efforts, with 6.5 tackles for loss resulting in loss of 26 yards... Tallied 3.0 sacks, good for loss of 18 yards, and recovered two fumbles... Sixth on team in minus-yardage hits... Recorded five tackles, three solo efforts, and a sack at Michigan State... Backed that effort with five-tackle performance that included one tackle for loss against Texas A&M at Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas... Also made two tackles each against Notre Dame, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio State... Both tackles against Indiana were behind line, including one sack... Also recovered fourth-quarter fumble against Indiana... Saw action on 410 snaps, including 59 against Texas A&M and 58 at Michigan State... Made collegiate debut as true freshman against Michigan in 2006... Played season's final seven games... Logged 53 plays, including 14 against Illinois and 12 against Temple.
High School: Prepped at Gwynn Park High School in Clinton, Md.... Played offensive and defensive line for head coach Dan Hayes... Earned first-team all-state and Washington Post first-team all-metro honors as senior... Registered 77 tackles with 10 sacks that season... Recorded 30 tackles during junior campaign with two sacks and a forced fumble... Also credited with 30 pancake blocks along offensive line as junior.
Personal: Full name is Phillip Eugene Taylor... Born April 7, 1988...Graduated in December 2010 with degree in general studies.
Analysis
Pass rush: Though his job is usually not to provide primary pass rush, he can push the pocket with strength and flashes quickness off the snap and a swim move to get past lesser centers. Gives good effort to reach the quarterback if he sits in the pocket too long. Tries violent hands to shed blocks. Not very effective on inside twists, though he can take out the left tackle when twisting outside to free up the defensive end. Once stood up by initial contact, it's tough for him to re-start his rush.
Run defense: Shows excellent strength and mobility as a run defender. Plays with leverage against double-teams and keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. Pushes back his man and spins off single and tandem blocks with balance to make the play. Moves down the line well, stays low despite his height to wrap up shorter backs. Willing and able to reach the sideline, takes deep angles to prevent huge runs. Defeats cut blocks and maintains balance to track down ballcarriers. Gets low in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Does not dominate smaller centers. At his best when used in a rotation.
Explosion: Explodes from four-point stance into blockers, consistently getting push up front. Gets off low and quick near goal line to set the line backwards. Despite his size, flashes the quickness to penetrate the "A" gap. Requires double-teams to keep him out of the backfield.
Strength: Huge frame and upper-body development give him the strength to be a 3-4 nose tackle at the next level. Moves offensive linemen to either side with relative ease when covering two gaps. Forces fumbles with one hand punching at the ball while ballcarrier comes through the hole. Uses leverage to hold the line against double teams.
Tackling: Running backs get swallowed up when crossing his path, and he can separate the ball from a ballcarrier with pure strength. Stays low despite his height and will capture backs from behind if they have not yet hit their stride. Chase and hustle are impressive for his size, will chase backs down the line, help linebackers make stops at the second level, and takes deep angles to chase down running backs 20 yards down the sideline.
Intangibles: Sprained his knee in 2007 preseason at Penn State, losing starting job to future first-round pick Jared Odrick. Charged with felony aggravated assault during a fraternity function at a Penn State student union in October 2007; the charge was eventually dropped. Really turned up his game the second half of 2010; scouts could see that as maturity or wonder if he can maintain that level of play.
Compares to: Kris Jenkins, Jets -- Big and powerful, Taylor projects nicely as an interior player in both the 4-3 and 3-4 alignments.
The Browns traded their number 6 pick to Atlanta for their number 27 pick. At the last minute, they traded with Kansas City to grab Baylor Defensive Lineman Phil Taylor at the number 21 spot. Phew...More to come.
P.S.. as an aside...Browns Running Back and Madden 2012 Cover Superstar Peyton Hillis announced the selection (don't forget he is in NYC to do the Top Ten on Letterman)
I also like the posted pic because, if you noticed, Browns QB Colt McCoy is in it.
The Browns received five picks -- Atlanta's first (27th overall), second (59th) and fourth-rounder (124th), and also Atlanta's first- and fourth-round selections in 2012. The trade gives the Browns 10 picks in this year's draft. They have two in the second, two in the fourth, two in the sixth, and one in each of the remaining four rounds.
The overall selections currently owned by the Browns are: Nos. 27, 37, 59, 70, 102, 124, 137, 168, 170, and 248.
I don't know...I guess there is a reason why I am reporting this instead of participating in it.
The Cleveland Browns just traded their 6th pick to Atlanta. With that pick, the Atlanta Falcons took WR Julio Jones. The Browns now have the 27th pick in the first round. No word yet on what they got from Atlanta (it better be a lot) Stay tuned...
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns enter Thursday night's first round of the NFL draft leaning toward conservatism.
The litany of recent past draft mistakes -- some made on gut feelings, others on a hope and a prayer -- haunts President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert. They're the ones wielding the shovels, consigned to digging the franchise out of a mess created by bad drafts.
"The graphic of our past drafts, past No. 1 picks ... we've talked about how that's affected the team over the last number of years," Holmgren said. "I'm not placing blame. It's just a fact of life.
"I guess my marching orders [to Heckert] then is I'm less likely to take a chance. I want someone solid.
"It's really important for us for the next 2-3 years to make sure the guys we pick have a real good chance to play for a while. In the past, that hurt the team, in my opinion. We're trying to avoid that. There are no slam dunks. But we're probably going to be a little more conservative than a team that doesn't have as many needs as us."
That attitude would appear to rule out talented players with higher degrees of risks, such as Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers, Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn and Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith. The Browns conducted visits with all these highly rated prospects, each of whom could fill an obvious need.
The Browns enter the three days of the NFL draft with eight picks. They are far more inclined to add to that haul by trading down than to reduce it by trading up for a player they fall in love with.
"We are talking to people about trading," Holmgren said. "I am not going into any more detail than that. The only thing I challenged Tom to do, I want to know names [if we trade down]. I would like some strategy to shoot for and have some reasonable idea of who we can get. I don't think you just trade down to trade.
"[A trade] has to make absolute sense to us, otherwise we take the player. I know we need other things, [but we'd] just take the player."
The Browns did not trade down in the 2010 draft -- Heckert's first in charge. Rather, they packaged three mid-round picks to Philadelphia on the second day to move up into the second round for running back Montario Hardesty. Hardesty had a history of injuries at Tennessee. He wound up missing his rookie season after suffering a torn knee ligament.
Otherwise, Heckert's first draft netted three starting players -- cornerback Joe Haden (first round), safety T.J. Ward (second) and quarterback Colt McCoy (third). Hardesty is expected to be ready to relaunch his career in summer training camp and could share the backfield with Peyton Hillis. Guard Shawn Lauvao (third) also is considered a potential starter this season.
"I think we got a decent start last year [on his master plan]," Holmgren said.
Heckert has said the Browns still have "holes to fill all over the place."
The Browns can't disguise their needs at defensive line. The switch to a 4-3 defensive alignment calls for two starting pass rushers at defensive end. There is also a void at the tackle spot next to ascending star Ahtyba Rubin. But Holmgren's directive and Heckert's history suggest these multiple needs will be attacked after the first round.
"That's a need," Holmgren said of the D-line. "But that need can't force you to reach."
Wide receiver and cornerback are also needs, and the Browns very well could be staring at one of the best two in this draft at each position.
Georgia receiver A.J. Green and Alabama's Julio Jones became popular choices for the Browns in the thousands of mock drafts conducted by experts, media and fans. Holmgren fed the frenzy by announcing at the NFL Scouting Combine that he was looking for a "home run hitter" on offense.
But Holmgren has delivered the seemingly conflicting message that he has a high opinion of his current receivers, who have been belittled by everyone outside the team.
"I would keep our feelings about what we have and my feelings about getting a striker separate," he said. "I think our guys [are now in] a new system -- a little more receiver-friendly -- so we will learn a lot more in my opinion about who are receivers are than I did last year. I think there were games last year when they weren't much of a factor, but why?
"I think they're better than what people think they are, but does that mean I wouldn't want someone [else] to scare the defense? No. We're going to need four, five receivers in this offense."
But he won't tip his hand whether Green or Jones are in his sights.
"I've made a living a little bit finding receivers in the second and third round that have been very good players for us," Holmgren said. "I think there is probably a guy later that can come and be really, really good."
As for the other obvious position of need, the Browns visited with or worked out 12 prospects at cornerback, a few of which can also play safety. The top cornerback in the draft is Patrick Peterson of LSU. If the Browns devoted the sixth overall pick on Peterson after taking Haden seventh a year ago, they would be only the second team in history to use top 10 picks in back-to-back drafts on cornerbacks.
Baltimore drafted Duane Starks 10th overall in 1998 and took Chris McAlister, also 10th overall, the following year.
"Absolutely, we love him as a player," Holmgren said of Peterson. "I don't see anything wrong with devoting two years in a row to cornerbacks if that's what you need to do. Particularly, seeing more spread offenses [with multiple receivers] like you do now. Corners are always a premium, but if you can lock up a couple guys and have them play ... you're ahead of the curve."
If Peterson is off the board before the Browns pick, they could consider Prince Amukamara of Nebraska.
At his final pre-draft press conference last week, Heckert said, "There are six guys that we'd be happy with [in the first round]."
As the draft drew closer, Holmgren increased that number to seven players. A few might be in a second wave of options if the team traded down.
Well, the people have spoken. And they love Peyton Hillis--13 million votes later, and Peyton Hillis will be on the cover of Madden 2012. That's it, right? They love Hillis? Or maybe enough of them just hate Michael Vick? Or maybe enough people want to see something positive happen to Cleveland? Or perhaps it's just that everyone's grandpa was a Browns fan, and so it follows through the generations? Or maybe Browns fans are just really really passionate.
Or, of course, perhaps it's just an extension of the curse, and so of course it's a Cleveland player finally. Which curse, you may ask? It could be any number of curses when talking about Cleveland sports history, but in this case, of course, we're talking about the Madden Curse. From Eddie George to Daunte Culpepper to Ray Lewis to Shaun Alexander to Vince Young to LaDanian Tomlinson to Troy Polamalu, injury and misfortune has affected many (but not all) video game cover models. But, of course, let's look at the reality--normally, stars on the cover are coming off several great years in a row, often with deep runs into the playoffs which made them famous. Which means, in many cases, they had a lot of miles on them that could lead their production nearly only down. Now, of course, Peyton hit a minor wall last year, but he's still on the upside of his career, as this was a fan-driven contest, and not a career appreciation award. So breathe easy, Browns fans. It's not a curse, it's NFL career curves. And Peyton Hillis is still on the right side of that curve. Let's just hope the final cover is something cooler like him hurdling a defender or bowling over a linebacker on his way to the end zone.
Just don't be ashamed to knock on wood a few times.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns' cursed streak is over. But now there's the Madden Curse to contend with.
Peyton Hillis will grace the cover of the popular EA Sports game. EA Sports announced Wednesday on ESPN2's "SportsNation." Hillis won the honor by popular vote over a five-week online competition culminating in a final against Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick.
Hillis had 66 percent of nearly 1.1 million fan votes in the finals against Vick. Throughout the competition, about 13 million votes were logged.
"It's pretty overwhelming," Hillis said in a phone interview. "This whole process has been really unexpected. I've got to give it up to the Cleveland fans. It shows how big Cleveland fans are to the players, and I'm going to try my best for them."
Hillis becomes the first Brown to appear on the cover of Madden. The 25-year-old from Arkansas rushed for 1,177 yards in his first season with the team in 2010, becoming the first white running back to amass more than 1,000 yards rushing in 25 years.
The Browns have not won a championship in 47 years, so this is a minor victory for the luckless team. However, Hillis now must contend with the legendary "Madden Cover Curse." Players who appear on the cover of the video game have typically suffered a decline in production the following season, often because of injury.
Hillis, however, laughed at the suggestion of a curse, while EA Sports senior product manager Anthony Stevenson contends the game's previous bad luck and the troubles experienced by the Browns franchise will cancel each other out.
"If you put the two together, the Browns make the playoffs," Stevenson said. "I'm going to go ahead and go with that."
Hillis' selection was buoyed by a landslide of Browns fans votes, according to Stevenson.
"Peyton won pretty handily and there's no doubt it was thanks to the fans of Cleveland and Arkansas and all his other fans out there," he said.
The cover not only provides Hillis with publicity, but comes with $125,000 in return for about a week of promotional duties. One of his first obligations will be to present the Top 10 on Thursday's Late Show with David Letterman.
I am certain that the viewers of this little blog had something to do with this win. Thank you all for your viewership and votes...GO BROWNS!!!
Whenever the Browns express their faith in Colt McCoy, they stop just short of proclaiming him their franchise quarterback.
"I believe in the young guy we have," President Mike Holmgren said at the beginning of the draft process. Then he added, "I'm pretty sure we'll take one later in the draft."
General Manager Tom Heckert said: "We have all the confidence in the world Colt's going to be good. He's played, what, eight games? That's the only question, the experience. He's had some good days and some bad days. We think he's going to be good."
In his most recent comments, coach Pat Shurmur said: "I really am a Colt McCoy guy. He's got all the attributes you're looking for, the skill and ability to be a fine quarterback in this league."
Nobody uses the word "great" in regards to McCoy's potential.
Even Jon Gruden, one of McCoy's most unabashed fans, hedges. In response to a question about McCoy's arm strength, Gruden said, "I think he's got enough arm to succeed in Cleveland and in the NFL."
The question is the definition of succeeding. Is it taking a team to .500 or even 10-6? Or is it taking a team to the Super Bowl?
The Browns likely won't say McCoy is the guy to take them to the Super Bowl because they don't know. That's OK. The San Francisco 49ers didn't know about Joe Montana until his third season.
They will have a better gauge on McCoy's professional ceiling after he goes through a season in Holmgren's west coast offense coached by Shurmur, who has 12 NFL seasons invested in the system.
McCoy also will benefit more this season from backup Seneca Wallace's experience in the WCO. What the Browns tried to do on offense last season was perplexing to everyone, especially Wallace. He'll be more of an asset to McCoy this season, which partly explains his new three-year contract.
Deposed 2010 starter Jake Delhomme is still under contract for a king's ransom. If Holmgren is successful in selecting a developmental quarterback in the latter stages of the draft, it's conceivable Delhomme would be let go. That transaction would be dependent on the performance of the rookie quarterback in training camp -- if there is one.
Westlake, Ohio -- "I'm happy,'' said Browns President Mike Holmgren as he sped through the lobby of the LaCentre Conference and Banquet Facility in Westlake Monday night.
Part of the reason was that Holmgren had just been received the inaugural Distinguished American Award from the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the National Football Foundation during the group's awards banquet.
But the real reason is that during the course of the festivities, the federal judge in Minnesota ordered the injunction behind the NFL lockout lifted. Though NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tweeted that the league had no plans to start the league year until having an opportunity to seek a stay, Holmgren said he was ready to get back to work.
Asked if the Browns facilities in Berea would be open Tuesday, the coach quickly said, "We're always open." But he couldn't say whether any players would be at work.
The lifting of the lockout added a second element to what was already expected to be an evening more newsworthy than the typical rubber chicken sports banquet. And not the least of which was the filet mignon (cooked to medium rare perfection) supplanting the chicken.
Ohio State Jim Tressel showed up as scheduled to present the award named for his father, Lee Tressel, even though the NCAA earlier Monday leveled charges of rules violations that could cost the Buckeyes coach his job. One report noted that 13 coaches in various sports have been accused of 10.1 violations, of the same severity as those facing Tressel for withholding information that essentially led to allowing athletes who would be ineligible to play in games last season.
"This is one of those special banquets you wouldn't miss for anything,'' Tressel told the packed ballroom of high school and college athletes and their families, friends and coaches.
Not even the threat of further NCAA sanctions, apparently.
Tressel, looking grim in a tailored suit, didn't speak to reporters, and indeed slipped out a side door during the speeches, thus avoiding the phalanx of reporters that followed him wherever he moved. However, he did spend several private moments with Holmgren in a lobby outside the banquet hall before the festivities began, and he spoke animatedly with Holmgren and Boardman native (and longtime friend) Bernie Kosar, who received the Dino Lucarelli Lifetime Achievement Award, on the dais.
The award bearing Lee Tressel's name normally is given to the college coach of the year. This year, it went to an entire football team, the Miami Redhawks
.
Don Treadwell, the Redhawks head coach, was a wide receiver there under Tressel, who was quarterbacks and receivers coach at the school. At the time, though, the now bald-pated Treadwell sported a trendy Afro. Pointing that out was Tressel's sole attempt at humor on the evening.
"There's something sacred about the cradle of coaches,'' Tressel said, apparently fighting emotions that had to be running high on the heels of the day's events.
Funny guy: Mike Holmgren had the line of the night. One of the postgraduate scholarship winners was Andrew Ford, a College of Wooster defensive back who is pursuing a doctorate in chemistry. Holmgren's line: "I heard someone here was getting a PhD in chemistry. I went to USC. I don't even know if they offered that course.''
Inspiration Award winner: Matt Galland, one of 20 graduating high school seniors honored at the banquet, launched an organization called Rush for a Cause that's aimed at helping athletes who suffer catastrophic injuries. It was inspired by the travails endured by Kory Wiita, a Medina Highland player who was paralyzed in the final game of the 2009 season. Galland received the Inspiration Award for his efforts, and used his time at the lectern to call on Tressel to take the push to the collegiate level and Holmgren to do the same nationally. Tressel left without responding but Holmgren told Galland, "I'm here to tell you, Matt, that the Cleveland Browns are the first team on your Christmas list.''
Bernie on Colt: Bernie Kosar, noting that quarterbacks and offensive coordinators "are the victims and beneficiaries'' of the guys around you, said he expects the Browns' draft to bolster the weapons in quarterback Colt McCoy's arsenal. He also said that the biggest leap in a quarterback's career comes between the rookie and sophomore season. He knows the team, he knows the huddle, he knows what's expected of him, he knows the offense. Well, because of the lockout, McCoy may not know the offense as well as he'd like, but Kosar said he did expect that having Pat Shurmur as his coach, and running a West Coast style offense will help the young quarterback.
CLEVELAND -- Browns receiver Josh Cribbs told the Plain Dealer Monday that he and several other players will go to the team facility in Berea Tueday morning now that the lockout has been lifted by Judge Susan Nelson.
"We're going to go to work tomorrow to see if they'll let us in the building at 10 a.m. to test the waters al ittle bit,'' said Cribbs in a text.
Browns President Mike Holmgren said Monday night at the National Football Foundation banquet that he was happy the lockout was lifted. He said the Browns facility is always open. Asked if he though players would show up, he said, "we'll see.''
The NFL Owners are appealing the ruling and are confident a stay of the lockout will be ordered.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Associated Press in an email: "If a player comes to the facility, he'll be treated with courtesy and respect.''
Although players will be let in, they might not be permitted to use the weight room, ESPN's Adam Schefter said.
The NFLPA emailed players Monday night suggesting they report to work on Tuesday. Most of the Browns players are not in town, but some of the ones who are will show up to try to work out, including tight end Ben Watson. Some of them will try do so in part to receive their bonuses for participating in the offseason workouts.
Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, who was an executive board member of the players union before it disbanded, said he received a flood of calls and emails from teammates asking if they should return to work. "Basically, I told them: 'I don't see why not,' " he said in an email late Monday.
Fujita -- who is not in town and won't be reporting -- added that, "Unless and until the judge issues an order for a stay (delay of the injunction), the teams will be in violation of Judge Nelson's order if they don't allow access."
Cribbs and about a dozen other offensive players just returned from Camp Colt, a "minicamp'' organized by Colt McCoy in Austin, Texas,
If the stay is not granted, the NFL must immediately resume business in some fashion. It means a frenzied free agency period could begin on the eve of the draft, which is Thursday through Saturday.
A disgruntled Cleveland Browns fan has filed a lawsuit against the team in an effort to prevent the Browns from collecting the money the fan paid for season tickets. Ken Lanci has filed two motions in the Cuyahoga Court of Common Pleas and the outcome in his case will likely set a precedent for other fans who have already paid for season tickets despite the uncertainty of a 2011 NFL season.
Lanci already made an attempt to contact the NFL, but did not receive the answer he was looking for, so he has decided to go straight at his team.
"Since the NFL has not listened to reason, my aim is to pressure them through litigation to respond," Lanci said. "These amendments ask the Court to strike down the Browns' Lockout Ticket Policy as unconscionable because it requires season ticket holders to pay their ticket money up front, even though the Browns are participating in a lockout that prevents games from being played."
Mr. Lanci is seeking $25,000 in damages, but it is currently undetermined if the case will go to court. The plaintiff isn’t looking to encourage all fans to follow in his footsteps, but rather wants to apply pressure in order to force an NFL season to occur.
"Other season ticket holders would need to file their own actions in order to receive damages, but success here almost certainly would result in success in similar actions, creating financial pressure for the NFL to settle with the players."
This story is quite remarkable on multiple levels. For one, it’s miraculous that the Browns have fans that consider themselves die-hards. On a grander scale, it’s not good for a struggling organization to be fighting with both the players and fans. Fans will likely side with Lanci, as he appears to be an average Joe who just wants to see some football in 2011.
As the NFL labor dispute drags on with no end in sight, Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden expressed his opinion about who's winning the less important battle in the court of public opinion.
The second-year starter says the players are the clear winner in that competition over the NFL owners.
“The fans are definitely on the players’ side,” Haden said in a recent video interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “The owners? C'mon. They’re making billions and billions. We’re making millions, but they’re making billions. It’s like, 'C'mon, guys.'"
Judge Susan Richard Nelson is expected to rule in favor of the players' request for a preliminary injunction to halt the lockout as soon as Monday.
However, that pending decision would be immediately appealed to the Eighth Circuit which might be more favorable to the owners.
Drafted in the first round last year, Haden just wants to see a deal get done, period.
"Let’s just get an agreement," Haden said. "Let’s get everything right. It was good before the lockout. Let’s get it back to the way it was. I’m ready to play football.
"Fans are ready to watch football. The owners are ready to sit in their suites and watch football, too. So, let’s just get it all together.”
"C'mon, guys."? Did I just hear that right?...Billionaires Vs. Millionaires? O.K., just to set the record straight, I am an avid football fan and especially a Cleveland Browns fan. I would hate to see the season lost but what is the problem here? Have you been to a professional sporting event lately? If not, you better be prepared to spend the better part of $400.00 for two people to see one game. Hmmm...spend $400.00 to see a game or maybe fill the tank up on my vehicle 6 or 8 times and save the gas by watching the game at home.
I like to tell one story. When I was much younger, I lived about a block and a half from the Shaker Rapid Transit Stop at Shaker Blvd. And Green Rd. When I was on summer break from school I would have one dollar in my pocket. I could take the Rapid Transit for 15 cents to the Terminal Tower, get a transfer back for free, walk a few blocks to the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, buy four bags of peanuts for 25 cents, and get a general admission ticket (i.e. bleacher seat but once you were in the stadium you could pretty much move to any seat you wanted to) to a Cleveland Indians game for 50 cents. That was a total of 90 cents to see a sporting event (if I was lucky, I could get a bottle of soda for 10 cents, oh well there goes my dollar)
Now granted, that was back in the mid 1960's however let me put this into perspective. In 1964 the Federal Minimum wage was $1.25 per hour. That means I got to watch a major league game for less than one hours worth of work (and also eat 4 bags of peanuts with transportation included).
Now the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. So if you double that the cost of seeing a major sporting event for two people (peanuts and transportation included) should be $14.50.
Now the Browns were a little different story as the cost of a ticket was slightly higher namely $3.00 per seat. That means you had to work 2.4 hours to get a seat to a Browns game. In today's dollar that would equate to $17.40 (2.4 X $7.25 = $17.40). Ever heard of a football ticket going for $17.40? Me neither. So I guess what I am trying to say is that if you want to charge me for 2.4 hours of work for a ticket to a game, then I am all for that (heck, I would even spring for my own peanuts). Otherwise, take your Billionaires Vs. Millionaires statement and stick it...well you know where.
By the way, did I tell you you could have seen the Beatles in concert for $4.00 (3.2 hours of work, peanuts not included)
I had initially read that the final voting for the Madden 2012 cover would end this weekend. Well...that is not correct. You have until Wednesday, April 27. The winner will be announced at 4:00pm (EST) on that date on ESPN2.
Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown said Wednesday on Sirius XM Mad Dog Radio that he still has a bad taste in his mouth about being let go by the Browns last year.
“I’m a Cleveland Brown for life but, man, I’ll tell you, I live in a positive world and I like to be able to help and I’ll never like to get in anybody’s way. And when I think of my experience with the Browns it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth because my intentions were good, and I was asked to participate, and I worked in that city very hard to represent the Browns. And I even got awards for working with organizations in the name of the Browns.
"And, of course, I wanted them to win but it’s like because they didn’t win then everybody is to blame. And when you get a new regime that comes in and they say, ‘OK, everybody’s gone.’ And you say, ‘Well, I’m gone, too?’ ‘Yeah, you’re gone, too.’ It’s not a great feeling and it’s all about feeling. It’s like what am I to this organization? On one hand you want to give me a Ring of Honor. On the other hand you want to deal in dishonor.
"So I wish the organization well but I’m happy just to go my way and to live my life because I’m going to try to help people and help situations with Amer-I-Can, my organization, and that’s going well. And I don’t wish any bad luck, I don’t have any ill feelings, only how I feel, it’s about my feelings and just how I feel. And that’s the way it is, you know? But there’s no blame, there’s no finger-pointing, none of that in my repertoire. So that’s an honest analysis of just my feelings.''
Brown declined to attend the Browns Ring of Honor ceremony last season because of the way he was let go as a team consultant.
It has been a tough few years for the fans of Cleveland, who have been without a championship since 1964, but the popularity of running back Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns could have him emerge victorious and on the cover of Madden 2012.
The Browns finished the 2010 NFL season with only five wins, hold the sixth pick in the upcoming 2011 NFL draft, and still have somehow managed to have a player represent them in the Madden cover selection.
Peyton Hillis deserves every bit of publicity he gets.
Hillis was the Browns’ offense for 2010. He was 12th in rushing with 1,164 yards and 11 touchdowns and was 36th in the league in receptions with 60, third among running backs in that category.
Go ahead and try to find another white running back who has amassed at least 1,000 yards rushing; you won’t find one in 2010 other than Peyton Hillis. In fact, the last white running back to gain at least 1,000 yards was Craig James of the New England Patriots in 1985.
Peyton Hillis has publicly said that during the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens games, many of his opponents would talk trash by saying, “Come on white boy, you can’t run,” and etc… Hillis was only inspired and it has showed.
Despite those that believe race has no place in the NFL the fact that his opposing teams call him out for being white proves that it’s not just speculation.
Peyton Hillis, who was ranked 10th in the bracket challenge, knocked out Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, just edged Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, smoked Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, and in a shocker K.O.’d Aaron Rodgers of the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.
In another odd appearance, his competition is Michael Vick, who was going to get knocked out early by all those haters.
The winner of the Hillis-Vick showdown will be announced April 27 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Is the reason for Peyton’s sudden popularity because of his play, because of the Browns faithful, or is it because he is a minority as white running back?
While on the Dan Patrick Show, Hillis stated he was a team player and kept his mouth shut. He wanted nothing else but to get on the field. When the Broncos traded him he was upset at first, but now that he has found a home in Cleveland the Broncos are nothing but a distant memory.
“When you walk around Cleveland, the fans are starving for a winner and a successful team, and you saw how upset they were when LeBron left,” Hillis said. “You just want to win it for them. …The fans support you, and even in my home state I don’t get as much recognition as I do in Cleveland.”
He’s even started getting nicknames like Chuck Norris and the Albino Rhino, but despite the trash being talked to him by the other players he continues to excel.
Kelly Carroll, manager of the Cleveland Browns team’s official fan club “Browns Backers”, said earlier this week “It’s no surprise to me that he ended up pulling ahead, and I’d attribute that a lot to our Browns Backers across the country.”
Carroll praised Browns fans nationwide for a social-media-driven grassroots campaign that led to the upset, but now that Peyton Hillis is up against the media monster that is Michael Vick, will his race and good natured status be what actually propels him to be the winner?
No matter what is propelling him to the cover, this running back continues to power over others and has the entire city of Cleveland behind him.
This is an actual complaint letter sent by a season ticket holder to the Cleveland Browns in 1974.
Here is an enlarged image of the text.
Here is the response that Dale Cox received.
Here is a larger version of the text.
The year was 1974. Mike Phipps was the quarterback, and the Browns were having a lousy season. They would finish 4-10. (The more things change . . .)
Dale O. Cox, a season-ticket holder and attorney from Akron, was bothered by fans making paper airplanes out of game programs and sending them out onto the field and into other areas of the stands. He expressed his displeasure in writing -- and threatened legal action if anyone in his party were injured by one of the airplanes.
The letter found its way to Bailey's desk. He responded with a two-sentence note: "Dear Mr. Cox, Attached is a letter we received on Nov. 19, 1974. I feel you should be aware that some a - - - - - - is signing your name to stupid letters."
He copied team owner Art Modell.
Bailey, 66, now lives in San Diego, where he is a senior consultant with Brailsford and Dunlavey, a sports-facility planning company. "I was all of 28 years old when I wrote that letter. I should have been more cautious. I'm just glad my mother's not around to see that letter."
And what was Modell's reaction?
"After I wrote it, I heard about it right away from Art. He said something like, 'What the hell are you doing?' He was not a guy lacking passion," Bailey said.
"That stadium was a big place to fill. And there were plenty of seats behind poles. But I have good memories about those times."
Cox, 72, who wrote the complaint, is now in private practice as a lawyer in Orofino, Idaho.
"I'm still a Browns season-ticket holder," he said. "I found out that Bailey and I both went to the University of Michigan Law School."
Was he angry at Bailey's response?
"No. I thought it was pretty cool," he said with a laugh. "I've used that letter a couple times myself since."
Modell, reached at home in Baltimore, doesn't remember either the letters or chewing Bailey out. But:
"If Bailey says it happened," Modell said, "then I'd believe him."
CLEVELAND---“Building momentum. Accelerating Change. The future is within our reach.”
Those phrases were part of the introduction to the presentation unveiling the Cleveland Lakefront District Concept during a press conference inside the Legends Club at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Wednesday morning. The concept is six-fold and involves job creation, private development, connections among the existing assets, developing public spaces, leveraging investment and community use.
“This is kind of an exciting day for us,” said Browns president Mike Holmgren. “We are going to, hopefully, paint a picture that can be exciting for the city of Cleveland. I am here because of Randy Lerner. He has given me the opportunity of a lifetime. He cares deeply about this city; he cares deeply about his football team. As we were piecing the ideas together, he said, ‘Full speed ahead. Let’s go. This is a great idea.’ He has been a part of this since Day One.”
“When I looked at the Lakefront, even in my lifetime, I can see the changes,” Cleveland mayor Frank G. Jackson said. “We have developed numerous plans around the development of the Lakefront and those plans served as a general blueprint of how to proceed. If we’re to move the agenda forward and really begin to get into the doing phase, we’re going to have to have significant private investment.”
Fred Nance, a senior advisor to Holmgren, gave the presentation.
“We’re not going to get hung up on turf; we’re not going to get hung up on, ‘Well, my plan goes 50 yards this way and your plan goes 50 yards into my plan,’” Nance said. “The idea is, we’re all in this together. We want this community developed; we want this lakefront developed and we’re going to go out and determine what is the appetite in the private sector to invest in this lakefront.
“We’ll work out any differences, any issues,” he continued. “There is no reason this beautiful lakefront can’t be an asset that makes us all successful.”
Holmgren and Jackson were joined at the press conference by Joe Roman (Greater Cleveland Partnership), Will Friedman (Cleveland, Cuyahoga Port Authority), Linda Abraham-Silver (Great Lakes Science Center), Terry Stewart (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), Joe Calabrese (Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority), Ricky Smith (Department of Port Control, City of Cleveland), Tony Coyne (Cleveland City Planning Commission and Group Plan Commission), Martin J. Sweeney (Cleveland City Council President) and Ron Robinson (Hammes Company).
Hammes Company has worked on multiple unique projects, including New Meadowlands Stadium for the New York Giants and Jets, Ford Field in Detroit and renovations at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.
“When we started working on that project (in Green Bay) back in 1999 and 2000, their annual visitation at the stadium was about 700,000 people for the football games,” Robinson said. “Today, in Green Bay, their annual visitation is over three million. The next phase will increase that visitation. These types of facilities and the magic of NFL football really do work as an agent to catalyze different, unique assets and brings things together in a way that many other things can’t.”
With regard to the connecting of existing assets, the concept is to get downtown visitors to use the waterfront line and RTA’s current and proposed trolley routes to arrive at a multitude of landmarks, including the Great Lake Science Center, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Lakefront Entertainment, Community and Waterfront Districts, Cleveland’s Medical Mart, Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Quicken Loans Arena, Progressive Field, Tower City Center, 4th Street, Playhouse Square, as well as the businesses and residents in the Warehouse District.
“We are not developers; we are in the football business,” Holmgren said. “We are a neighbor, a partner with these people in this area. We saw our role, as much as anything, as a catalyst and maybe the group that can bring people together and encourage other investors.
“I was a football coach for 40 years; that’s what I did and that was my focus,” he concluded. “Where we lived, we became a part of that city. We moved to Cleveland. Cleveland is our city. This is my city and in my role as president, it is my obligation to not only put a good product on the field, but to get involved in helping Cleveland, doing what we can as an organization, to make this better.”
Jason Pinkston is a little bit of an enigma. Scouting reports were all over the map on this guy, from late 2nd/early 3rd all the way to 6th round projections. The knock on Pinkston seems to be his work ethic, particularly an aversion to the weight room. The Browns seem to think that won’t be an issue, and think he can play either guard or tackle at the pro level.
