With how the current labor situation stands, who knows if a supplemental draft would even occur. Two players were taken in last year's supplemental draft -- RB Harvey Unga of the Chicago Bears and NT Josh Brent of the Detroit Lions. Both picks cost seventh-round draft choices. Brent had 16 tackles last season and Unga finished on the injured reserve.
The supplemental draft usually takes place in July. Fans wondered a couple of months ago whether quarterback Terrelle Pryor might change his mind and declare for the supplemental draft, but Peter King noted that something significant with his situation would have had to of changed. Does the resignation of Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel qualify as something that would permit Pryor to change his mind?
The following comes from PFT and league spokesman Greg Aiello:
After I pointed out in response that Tressel’s resignation could result in one or more applicants, Aiello said, "There could be a supplemental draft, yes. But the supplemental draft is not a mechanism for bypassing the regular draft. It’s for players that have left school after the draft, evaluated on a case-by-case basis."
There are a total of five players who could take advantage of this, but a lot would need to happen. The players would have to declare they are changing their mind, they would need permission from the league, and then the league would need to determine whether a supplemental draft can occur since their is no active CBA agreement. The players involved include Pryor, offensive tackle Mike Adams, tailback Dan Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey and defensive end Solomon Thomas.
No other players in college have declared for the supplemental draft. If there happens to be a crazy all-OSU supplemental draft, would if be worth it for the Browns to spend a pick on any of the players?
During his tenure with the Browns, Derek Anderson did plenty of embarrassing things on the field that made Browns fans pray that the team would find a new quarterback. But when he took cheap shots at the fans and the city on his way out of town in 2010, it made Browns fans pray for his head on platter.
Anderson's embarrassing final words to Cleveland were: "The fans are ruthless and don't deserve a winner. I will never forget getting cheered when I was injured. I know at times I wasn't great. I hope and pray I'm playing when my team comes to town and (we) roll them." Charming guy.
I'm sure it's rough being a struggling player in a town that reveres football above all else, but at the end of the day, Anderson was no different than anyone else who goes to work and doesn't do their job. His petty, childish finger-pointing on his way out of town only made him look foolish and proved his detractors right, and since he was released from the team, he wound up mostly embarrassing himself.
Postscript: Anderson seemed to have learned nothing from his idiotic moves on his way out of Cleveland: After he and his teammates tanked a game with his new squad in Arizona, cameras caught him laughing on the sidelines. Sheesh, some guys never learn.
One common misunderstanding about West Coast offenses is that they only throw short or that they utilize the 3-step drop most often in the passing game. In fact, Bill Walsh's bread and butter was 5-step drop, timing-based passes.
The genius of Bill Walsh was that everything he did in the 49ers organization was coordinated and extremely detailed, and it all worked to put the team in the best possible position to win. That theme remains true in the passing game, especially in the 5-step passing game.
Timed patterns coordinate the drops of the Quarterback with his reads, the receivers' routes and the pass protection within the context of the individual play. If done well, these 5-step timing patterns could also be coordinated within the more macro context of playcalling as well.
Two of the major advantages receivers have over pass defenders are that the receivers know
Where they are going
When they are going there
Walsh saw these advantages as necessary to the success of an offense that wasn't counting on having superior talent to win. When teams are evenly matched or when the defense is slightly better than the offense, receivers can exploit these advantages in order to get open. Timing is essential to accomplishing this.
As Walsh once noted:
Too often in college football, either the quarterback is standing there waiting for the receiver, or the receiver has broken before the quarterback can throw the ball. These are the biggest flaws you will see in the forward pass. Now when the receiver breaks before the ball can be thrown, the defensive back can adjust to the receiver. Any time the quarterback holds the ball waiting for the receiver to break, the defensive back sees it and breaks on the receiver.
Timing: making use of offensive suddenness
The Quarterback must make the read of the FS and then whichever other progression above by the time he hits the fifth step in his drop. That's the level of complexity and detail Bill Walsh incorporated into his offense. One-two-three-four-five and the ball needs to be out.
The WRs run a speed out at precisely 12 yards deep (a "speed" out is rounded, not square). The WR takes seven steps in his route to get that deep, and the ball is thrown before the WR can see it leave the QB's hand. The QB's drop should take under 1.2 seconds, and the ball should be out in under 1.8 seconds.
The QB should try to throw "through the earhole" of the WR to ensure a completion, to place the ball where the WR can naturally catch it and turn upfield, to put the trajectory of the ball higher to avoid underneath defenders, and to put the ball at eye-level so the WR can turn and find it easily.
When thrown correctly, the WR makes a break and catches the ball before the CB can break on it. This gives him a chance to make some YAC, and timing this route with the QB's drop means the risk of a sack is minimized. This fully utilizes the receiver's advantage of knowing when he will make his move.
Cohesiveness: making use of offensive possibility
In order to maximize the receivers advantage of knowing where he will go, the offense needs to present a number of viable threats off of the same look so that the defense must respect many different route options and cannot begin to jump routes. If the defense jumps routes anyway, the offense must capitalize.
The following are some plays what would all look the same to the defense at first, but present differences later.
...you get the idea. You can draw up just about anything from the initial stems of this play. A cohesive offense will have other looks set up off of this specific play. For example, you might know how the opposing team schemes it's run fits and be able to run a draw off of this split flow action by the backs. Any team running this play would almost definitely include a version of an Out-n-up route:
If you can effectively run different plays from these stems, defenses will not be able to afford to guess which of the plays the offense is running on this down. The offense will have retained the advantage of knowing where it's receivers will go.
Walsh wanted to eliminate the QB standing in the pocket with nowhere to throw, and he wanted to eliminate receivers getting open only for corners to recover within seconds, preventing completions. He accomplished this by coordinating the receivers' breaks with the QB's drop and reads, as well as the protection for the play (more on protection later). This created a coordinated, cohesive set of plays as the bread and butter of "The" West Coast offense.
CLEVELAND — The Browns third "Camp Colt'' is June 9-11 at the University of Texas, receiver Josh Cribbs told The Plain Dealer.
The camp is being organized again by quarterback Colt McCoy, who hosted the first one at his alma mater April 21-23. The second one was two weeks ago at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea.
Cribbs, who attended the first two sessions, will miss this one because of a prior commitment -- his birthday bash back home in Washington, D.C.
Some of the other players attending the second camp were receivers Mohammed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie, tight ends Ben Watson and rookie Jordan Cameron, and quarterback Jake Delhomme. Cornerback Joe Haden also made an appearance even though it was an offensive skills camp.
All of the rookies have been invited again, but it is unknown which will attend. The agent for receiver Greg Little, the second-round pick out of North Carolina, will advise Little not to participate in on-field drills if he goes. Agent Andy Ross said Little has been in frequent contact with McCoy and other offensive players.
In addition to offensive drills, the players have been watching films of the West Coast offense and working out together during the three-day sessions. They also participate in off-the-field activities to help build camaraderie.
McCoy stressed after each of the previous two camps, "It's definitely a working trip.'' He also said the sessions have helped the offense get a good jump on the season in the absence of organized team activities and minicamps.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unbeknownst to viewers and even co-workers, WKYC TV 3 sports director and "radio voice of the Browns" Jim Donovan has been receiving treatment for leukemia for 11 years.
The disease is now causing him to undergo a bone marrow transplant. Donovan will take a leave of absence to have the procedure done in the coming weeks. He made the announcement on his 11 p.m. sportscast on Channel 3 tonight.
Donovan, 54, was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in the summer of 2000. The disease was treated by chemotherapy and other therapies over the years. A flare-up of the disease in January resulted in the decision to have the bone marrow procedure.
He was put on a waiting list for a donor and learned in April that a match was found.
"From the time I got diagnosed, the transplant option was always laid out to me," Donovan said in an interview prior to his sportscast. "The waiting has been kind of torturous. I think we're as ready as we can be."
A native of Boston, Donovan joined Channel 3 in 1985. In that time he's called play-by-play at the network level for NBC on NFL games, the Olympic Games and World Cup Soccer, and won numerous broadcast awards. He was named the Browns' radio voice in 1999. Calling those games has been his favorite assignment.
Donovan's trademark energy and enthusiasm never waned while the team floundered and he coped with various treatment periods. He never missed a Browns game, though he had to give up calling Indians games on Channel 3 because of a rough period in 2008.
"He gets that adrenaline rush just like a player," said Doug Dieken, the former Browns tackle and Donovan's partner on radio broadcasts. "On game day, he wakes up and he's ready to go. He puts everything he's got into it. After a game he's drained as if he played.
"He's a true professional. He's always been able to turn it up, regardless. I'm sure there's some suffering I don't see and people don't hear. It's got to take its toll. But he's a gamer."
Brooke Spectorsky, WKYC president and general manager, said that Donovan's ability to keep his battle private while performing his job at the highest level "is what makes him so exceptional."
"He's tackling this just like he's tackled every job, every project, he's ever done for us," Spectorsky said. "He puts every ounce of effort into overcoming this disease, just like he does his homework for a broadcast."
Donovan said he felt lucky that on most occasions the disease has not been debilitating physically. But "mentally, there isn't a day that goes by that you don't think about it," he said.
He said he dealt best with the disease by plunging himself into his job and staying as busy as possible. Besides calling Browns games and his duties at Channel 3, Donovan anchors Browns coverage on cable partner SportsTime Ohio. He also has served as spokesperson for several charities and frequently emcees events for the Browns.
The Browns have assured Donovan that his play-by-play job will be reserved for him when he's healthy.
"On behalf of everyone here at the Cleveland Browns, I'd like to wish Jim a speedy recovery," Browns President Mike Holmgren said in a statement. "Jim has been a respected voice in the Cleveland sports scene for many years, and his association with our organization is held in high esteem. His name has become synonymous with the Browns and we consider him a part of our family. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this process."
When not doing the games, Donovan has found peace in walking his two beloved dogs and spending time with wife Cheryl and daughter Meghan, 20.
Recovery from the bone marrow transplant is expected to be about five months. Donovan said he hopes to be back behind the microphone for the coming Browns season.
"My goal is to get healthy and be back covering Cleveland sports as soon as possible. I'm going to really miss my job. I love what I do," he said.
Former members of the Cleveland Browns are making a habit of announcing their retirements during the lockout. The latest player to do so is kicker Matt Stover, who will hold a press conference Thursday with the Baltimore Ravens to announce the end of his 19-year career in the NFL.
Stover was with the Browns for five years before spending the next 13 seasons with the Ravens. Thankfully, Cleveland has had a great kicker in Phil Dawson as their starter since Stover left, and he is still going strong. After kicking for the Indianapolis Colts in 2009, Stover did not play in any games in 2010.
Joe Haden has become the Where's Waldo of Cleveland sports figures. The Cleveland Browns cornerback is EVERYWHERE, and so often it seems like he's in a bazillion places at once.
Now, courtesy of Lakewood-based Fresh Brewed Tees, T-shirts bearing his animated likeness really can place the popular football player in multiple places at once.
Tony Madalone, the owner, operator, founder, chief cook and bottle washer for the company, said the company reached out to Haden, showed him some sketches and the rest is a Browns fan's chance to have a clothes encounter with history.
Here's how the company puts it in its website:
"We've partnered with Cleveland's most beloved athlete, Joe Haden, for The Official Lockdown Joe Haden T-Shirt. Joe was the No. 7 pick overall in 2010 and was a Rookie of the Year Finalist. Cleveland has a new #23 in town. Pick up your official tee now!"
The shirts are $27.99 each. One dollar from each sale goes the Cleveland City Mission.
Browns president Mike Holmgren expressed satisfaction Tuesday in Colt McCoy’s rookie-year performance and his standing on the team. Yet Holmgren stopped just short of saying the former University of Texas standout is the answer to a quarterback question the franchise has asked since re-entering the NFL in 1999 according to Albert Breer of NFL Network.
“We have Seneca Wallace, too, and Jake Delhomme as well right now,” Holmgren said at the NFL Spring Meeting. “But (McCoy) got his feet wet last year. I didn’t necessarily want him to play that much last year, but we were injured, and so he had a chance to play. He showed us enough where he will go in, and we’re hopeful that — it’ll be competitive — but if he does what I think he can do, he’ll probably be the guy, yeah.”
McCoy has taken a leadership role with the team in organizing workouts in Austin, Texas, for Cleveland’s offensive players.
“I’ve always been impressed with Colt and his leadership ability — that’s one of the reasons we drafted him (in the third round),” Holmgren said. “So I’m not surprised by this. They love to play the game, so he’s going to do what he has to now as he gets his chance to be the starting quarterback and the leader of the football team.
“He’s going to do what he has to do, what he thinks is best, in this time we’re going through right now. I’m not surprised by it. And yeah, it puts a little smile on my face.”
The Cleveland Browns will enter the 2011-12 season with at least three eligible quarterbacks on the active roster. However, the three signal callers that will be with the team could easily be in question as multiple issues surround the current roster and could ultimately result in a massive overhaul in the near future. Seneca Wallace is one of the three gunslingers that may actually hold a slight amount of trade value, and may even be more of a prized possession than some of the quarterbacks on the open market.
Wallace played very well for the Browns last season as he was called upon on several different occasions to lead the team. After high ankle sprains limited every quarterback on Cleveland’s roster, Wallace eventually lost the starting job to Colt McCoy and was considered a question mark to return for this upcoming season. Wallace signed a three-year deal with the Browns shortly before the lockout began, but experts around the league believe that he is still clinging on to the hopes of being Cleveland’s starting quarterback.
Wallace has been in the NFL for nine seasons and has had plenty of game experience under his belt. In 56 career games, Wallace has completed 60% of his passes and has thrown for 29 touchdowns.
The Browns may consider trading Wallace only if the team can restructure a deal with Jake Delhomme in the off season. Delhomme is currently set to make a large salary in 2011 and the organization is expected to either restructure a new contract or give Delhomme his outright release when the lockout is lifted.
Many teams around the league are still looking for quality talent at the quarterback position and could be willing to pay high trade prices if they begin to feel desperate. The Browns have already shown that they can be shrewd negotiators after they managed to acquire multiple draft picks for next years’ NFL Draft and players like Peyton Hillis before the 2010-11 season.
(From left) Emmitt Smith, Dick LeBeau, Russ Grimm, John Randle, Rickey Jackson, Jerry Rice and Floyd Little were inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. The new class will have their traditional late-summer day in the sun in Canton, but the NFL's ongoing lockout could remove the Hall of Fame Game from Fawcett Stadium.
The important thing to know about the NFL owners lockout is that it will not affect the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies in Canton.
The Class of 2011 induction will take place on the night of Aug. 6 inside Fawcett Stadium no matter what federal judges say and in spite of the NFL's concerted efforts to destroy itself.
But the Hall of Fame Game, which annually has capped off "pro football's greatest weekend" and has figuratively kicked off the coming NFL season every year but one since 1962, is in danger of not happening.
Although Hall of Fame officials are optimistically hoping the game is played, the game is perilously close to becoming the first major victim of the NFL labor war. The Hall of Fame Game, this year pitting the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams, is scheduled for Aug. 7. Hall officials have everything in place to stage the game at a moment's notice. The problem is that a game can't be played without the competing teams preparing with some semblance of a training camp.
Last year's participants opened training camp 11 and 15 days prior to the game. Averaging that to 13 days lead time, the drop-dead deadline for the Hall of Fame Game to be played might be July 25. If the Bears and Rams aren't back to work by then, the game probably would be canceled.
You might think a lot can be accomplished in 65 days for the NFL to save itself from implosion. But the owners and players essentially gave up control of their $9 billion sport on March 12 when players decertified their union and filed an antitrust lawsuit and the owners imposed a league-wide lockout.
Now the season is in the hands of $500-an-hour lawyers and federal judges. The upcoming timetable doesn't bode well for a resolution by July 25.
On June 3, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals will begin hearing arguments to permanently overturn federal district Judge Susan Nelson's pro-players ruling to lift the lockout. The three-judge panel on the appellate court already has sided with the owners to stay (or delay) Nelson's ruling.
So if the panel plays true to form, it will side with the owners and re-institute the lockout indefinitely. The owners then could keep players locked out and business shut down as a means of exerting leverage in future bargaining talks.
Even if the players are awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in their victorious TV "lockout insurance" lawsuit, which will be known sometime this month, the owners will appeal and block the actual payout -- possibly for years. That would thwart the players' leverage.
Unless a lot of people come to their senses fast, July 25 will come and go without the Bears and Rams opening training camp. While the NFL has drawn up contingency plans for a late start to the regular season -- which may involve moving the Super Bowl back one week to Feb. 12, 2012 -- there is no contingency for moving the Hall of Fame Game.
"Moving the game would not be an option," said Joe Horrigan, the Hall's vice president of communications.
Horrigan emphasized that the game "is just one event" of a packed weekend of activities that makes Canton the center of the NFL universe every summer. He said ticket sales for the game, and special ticket packages for the entire weekend, have lagged because of the uncertainty over the game. Horrigan cautioned that out-of-town visitors should make arrangements for the weekend as usual because the price of game tickets will be refunded if the game is canceled.
"Our concern is that out-of-town visitors are waiting for clarity on the game," he said. "The fear is that clarity may come too late for them to make travel plans."
The annual game preceded the opening of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. It was first played in 1962; the museum opened a year later. There was no game in 1966 because the preseason schedule was not set in time that year.
But in every year since, beginning in 1967, the Hall of Fame Game has signaled the start of the new season. First it was held on Sunday afternoon, then it was moved to immediately follow the enshrinement ceremonies on Saturday afternoon.
In 1999, the game was moved to Monday night to give the expansion rebirth of the Browns maximum network television exposure. In 2006, the game was moved to Sunday night as part of the NBC game package.
Despite the insignificance of the game's outcome and that few starters play beyond a series or two, the Sunday night kickoff has been a ratings bonanza -- for both the Hall of Fame and the NFL, Horrigan said.
"The key to us always has been and always will be the induction ceremonies," Horrigan said. "The game has been a finishing touch to a wonderful weekend."
Canceling the game won't ruin the Hall of Fame Weekend. But it certainly would sound a foreboding alarm for the 2011 NFL season and its fans.
While the Browns have been a perennially poor team – at least in recent memory – the 2010 season had a bright and shining rising star in running back Peyton Hillis. The former Bronco in his second season had a breakout year and put up some numbers that made fantasy football players wish they could have read the future. He had a huge impact in games, and earned a reputation as being a tough and aggressive runner, with the numbers to back it up, but can he do this again in 2011?
In 2010, Hillis was the Browns primary running back – partly by luck due to injuries – and earned his spot as a starter. With 270 carries for 1,177 yards, an average of 4.4 yards per carry, and 11 rushing touchdowns, his numbers tell a story of a player with a high degree of physicality, toughness, and someone who has the ability to make big plays when they really matter. He was not just a standard running back either, picking up 61 receptions for 477 yards, averaging 7.8 per carry, and pulling in two receiving touchdowns.
However, this bruising style of play takes its toll on even the most tough of players. Towards the end of the season, the physicality of the game, and Hillis’ style, of play began to show in terms of his health and performance. He became less effective and was slowed down by the toughness it takes to withstand the load. So what does this mean for him next season?
Well, first off, the Browns have a different game plan in mind than the one they used in the 2010 season. While Hillis will certainly be the primary back, there is talk of using a tandem style combination where he would share the role of running back with second year Brown, Montario Hardesty. There are concerns about Hardesty, who has been plagued by knee injuries since his college days, but sources say that he is on pace to be ready to go this season. The tandem combination would take roughly 100 carries away from Hillis.
This would, obviously, make it impossible for him to have the statistical prowess that he had last season. Will he still make a positive impact? Certainly, but with a tandem style running game, those stats just aren’t attainable. With the questions of durability, especially in the wake of the potential for an 18 game season, it would be reasonable to have concerns about his ability to play the entire season. Unless Hardesty goes down, or doesn’t pan out, I see Hillis having a solid season, but not to the extent to which he performed in 2010.
Original post: chatbrowns.com/articles/4168815-Can-Hillis-Have-a-Repeat-Season-in-2011
Disputing a report from Mike Lombardi of the NFL Network, the Browns will not pursue Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb.
With several former Eagles in key positions in the Browns front office, most notably general manager Tom Heckert, the Browns have emerged as a popular post-lockout landing spot for Kolb, who they reportedly attempted to acquire last off-season. During the 2011 NFL Draft, the Browns picked up an extra first-round pick in 2012 from the Atlanta Falcons, which league observers suggest could be dealt to the Eagles for Kolb.
Cleveland used a third-round pick in 2010 on University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, who completed 60.8% of his 222 pass attempts for 1,576 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions as a rookie. McCoy has a copy of the new head coach Pat Shurmur’s playbook and organized “Camp Colt”, informal player workouts that have been held in Texas and Berea, Ohio this off-season.
The Cleveland Browns made a big splash on the first day of the NFL Draft as they changed positions three times before selecting defensive tackle Phil Taylor. Taylor is was one of the largest defensive prospects in the draft and has been regarded as a monster of a defensive lineman. However, Cleveland fans have heard all of this hype once before when Shaun Rogers came to Cleveland and was expected to be an anchor on the defensive line.
Rogers had a very successful first season with the Browns but quickly fell by the wayside due to injury and lack of motivation. The Browns tried everything to get Rogers going but after several stints as a special teams player and situational lineman, the Browns cut ties. Taylor will step into his role with the Browns as the heir apparent to the former Pro-Bowler Rogers. Both players have a similar build and have both been criticized for their lack of conditioning throughout their college and early professional careers.
Taylor has one thing that Rogers seemed to be missing throughout his time with Cleveland. Taylor has already shown his drive and willingness to learn with the Browns organization and has an incredible set of football skills to help propel him to the next level. Taylor will also be playing for a large contract as his first deal will likely extend only three or four seasons.
So should browns fans be happy with Taylor?
The simple answer is yes. Cleveland needed a large body in the middle of the defensive line and also needed some youth as the wealth of experience from the Eric Mangini era seemed to hurt the team more often then help. Taylor and second-round selection, Jabaal Sheard, will become two anchors on a defensive line that has lacked stability for several seasons and should be a great compliment to current Browns players, Athyba Rubin and Matt Roth.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns rookie receiver Greg Little, their second-round pick from the Atlanta trade, didn't attend "Camp Colt'' last week at Baldwin-Wallace in Berea because of a prior family commitment, his agent told The Plain Dealer today.
"Greg is one of the hardest-working players I've ever been around and he hasn't taken a day off since he was drafted,'' said agent Andy Ross of Octagon. "After not playing for a year, he's very, very hungry to get in there and start working with his teammates.''
Ross said Little felt comfortable making the family commitment last week because under the rules of the old collective bargaining agreement, rookies wouldn't have been permitted to participate in team activities -- except for a minicamp the weekend after the draft -- until after May 16. Those rules were in place because players are still in classes in May.
Ross said that if the Browns players hold another camp -- which have been led by quarterback Colt McCoy -- he and his colleagues will advise Little on how to proceeed. In the absence of a CBA, agents can't sign injury protection agreements with the clubs that would ensure negotiation in good faith in the event of injury. The only rookie to attend last week's camp was USC tight end Jordan Cameron.
An unnamed GM last week told Sports Illustrated he was waiting for the first A.C.L. tear out of one of these camps.
"It's an issue we plan to discuss with Greg when the next opportunity comes,'' Ross said. "We hope to have a labor agreement in place by that time.''
Ross said Little would be interested in attending a players-only camp to study film and work out, but would most likely skip the on-field drills. McCoy has been teaching the fundamentals of the West Coast offense, including showing films of coach Pat Shurmur's offense from last season. The players have also spent time together attending Indians games and other activities.
So far, the details of the next camp haven't been revealed and McCoy likes to keep them quiet.
"Greg is ready to get in there and start building that camaraderie with his teammates,'' said Ross. "He's been talking to the guys on the phone and things like that.''
He said Little -- who sat out all last season at North Carolina after accepting impermissible agent benefits -- has been running hills every day in Portland, Oregon, and that he's also been returned to Athletes Performance Institute in Arizona, where he did his pre-Combine training.
"Greg is in tremendous shape and ready to go,'' said Ross.
Ross said Little and the rest of the rookie skill players are currently in Los Angeles for the rookie premier seminar, which runs through the weekend.
With the draft over and the NFL still in lockout mode, it is difficult for fans to feel engaged in football discussions. Fortunately for fans of all the Cleveland sports teams, there has been positive news when it comes to teams besides the Browns.
The Cleveland Indians have the best record in baseball at 26-13. That is a .667 winning percentage, and they have already had more dramatic walkoff wins than I remember all of last season. Attendance figures have been slowly creeping up, and I think more fans are convinced now that this team is not a fluke. With the way they are playing, warm weather on the way, and some great series coming up (i.e. the Cincinnati Reds), I think we're going to be seeing some heavier crowds and help pump even more energy into Progressive Field.
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season with a terrible record, but the best news since the post-LeBron era came yesterday when the NBA lottery awarded the team with the first and fourth overall picks in the draft. Given some of the pieces the team already has (veterans Baron Davis and Antwan Jamison, and the energetic Anderson Varejao), along with some of the young players developed last year, acquiring two premiere players in the draft will renew the buzz surrounding the Cavaliers.
Will we ever find another LeBron? Probably not, but we can get some core players to help get this team right back into contention.
Meanwhile, the best thing the players of the Browns can do right now is to pull off as many good public relations moves as they can. Maybe some people could give two cents less about Joe Haden and Joshua Cribbs showing their love for the city of Cleveland by attending sporting events related to the Indians or Cavaliers, but I get a kick out of it. After periods of 'betrayal' in football, basketball, and baseball in Cleveland, it is nice to see some loyalty.
Monday the Buccaneers said “no” to being the team to be represented this summer on HBO’s annual football training camp show – “Hard Knocks.” So James Walker of ESPN threw out the idea that maybe one of the AFC North teams would step in and take their place.
How about the Browns, a team that is coming off a tough season, but could be an interesting story for the show. Here’s what Walker says about the Browns chances of being on the show.
The Cleveland Browns may be an interesting story. Former Browns coach Eric Mangini said he would never do it, but the new regime of president Mike Holmgren, general manager Tom Heckert and rookie coach Pat Shurmur may be more forthcoming. But the Browns don’t have a lot of star power and HBO already did the “struggling Ohio football team” story two years ago in Cincinnati. So there’s probably not much interest in Cleveland.
But even one of the best has the right to be wrong.
Walker and ESPN's Power Rankings crew say (it's even hard to type) the Pittsburgh Steelers have the best-looking helmet in the NFL.
Walker explains that the Steelers' helmet has a combination of solid colors, symbolism and uniqueness. The Steelers also are the only NFL team with the helmet logo on one side.
Ho hum
When it comes to the Browns, Walker writes:
It's also worthy to note the Cleveland Browns registered their first top-10 finish in this year's Power Rankings series. The Browns' helmet ranked No. 8 in the NFL. I did not vote for the Browns and actually feel their helmet is one of the worst in the league. But, again, the voting really came down to personal tastes.
Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio reports the Browns have cut ties with longtime player development director and former assistant coach Jerry Butler, two sources have confirmed.
The move is a surprising one given Butler’s longevity with the team and in the league and the respect he’s earned in NFL circles. The Browns made some confirmed cuts on the business side of their operations earlier in the offseason but have not laid off employees or cut wages due to the NFL lockout.
Butler, whose nine-year NFL playing career included being named AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Bills in 1979, served as the Browns’ wide receivers coach in 1999 and 2000 under then-coach Chris Palmer. He moved into his role as director of player Development the following year.
AKRON, Ohio -- It was all Pat Shurmur could do last week to not hop in the car and drive three minutes down the road to Baldwin-Wallace College and take a peek at his players installing the new West Coast offense.
"[We were] tempted, but we made a decision we're going to follow the rules, so it was not something that we wanted to jeopardize getting ourselves in trouble," Shurmur said Monday night at the Akron Browns Backers Banquet at Tangier Restaurant.
Still, it warmed Shurmur's heart that his players were sweating it out in Berea instead of on a beach in the Bahamas. It was the second installment of the Colt McCoy-led "Camp Colt," the first one coming last month at the University of Texas.
"I think it's terrific," Shurmur said. "Some of our players have obviously taken leadership roles in making sure the guys get together, some of our key players, and I think that's a good thing."
He said he wasn't having visions of Achilles popping and anterior cruciate ligaments tearing during the three-day session.
"They work out a lot of times by themselves, so injury isn't a big concern," said Shurmur. "They know how to take care of themselves. They're all professionals. I think the type of workouts that they're doing will be a way for them to get in shape and not get injured."
Shurmur said he's been particularly impressed with the way his young quarterback has taken the leadership role. McCoy has a playbook and has been teaching the offense's fundamentals.
"We know what we read, because we haven't been able to communicate," said Shurmur. "From what I've seen, he's really done a good job of trying to get the players together, work out and really do as much as we can do until we get them back into Berea."
Shurmur said he thinks the sessions can go a long way toward laying the foundation.
"I think they have a feel for some of the concepts that we're going to run, and they've been given some information so that they can decipher what we're looking to teach when they get here," he said.
If nothing else, he said, the field drills should help McCoy develop timing with his receivers. The players also are watching plenty of film, including some of Shurmur's Rams offense last season.
"When you talk about a quarterback working with receivers, it's about timing and execution," said Shurmur. "So it's all about getting used to one another, the depth that the routes are being run, the timing that the quarterback is throwing it with. All those things are very important, and they can do some of that stuff on their own."
Shurmur said he was happy to see rookie tight end Jordan Cameron attend the Berea workouts. Next time, the players hope to have receiver Greg Little and fullback Owen Marecic on hand.
"I think that's great," said Shurmur. "That tells me that Colt and some of the other guys have reached out to our new draft picks, who they really don't know yet. So I think that's a good thing."
Shurmur said he's confident the Browns will be able to catch up when the NFL is back in business, despite the two new systems being installed and the new staff. He added the Browns will "aggressively pursue" some possible free agents they've targeted as soon as they're able.
"Maybe it's my young enthusiasm, but I really feel good about what we're going to teach, and I really feel great about the guys we have and the coaches that are going to teach it," said Shurmur. "From what I've learned about the players that were on this team, there's a lot of guys willing to learn that are going to pick it up fast. Every team, even if you're an established team, somewhat recreates itself each year. There's going to be learning for everybody."
On his drive down to Akron on Monday night, Shurmur heard the news that the 8th U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the NFL's lockout remains in place -- at least until a June 3 hearing.
"We'll just deal with it, and I think when we're up and running, we'll get it done," he said.
The folks at Bleacher Report seem to think so.
They wrote that, entering last season, Shawn Lauvao was a well-regarded rookie out of Arizona State who was expected to help improve the Browns' troubled offensive line. He appeared to have the talent to do it, but unfortunately, his health didn't cooperate, and injuries prevented him from making an impact his rookie season.
A third-round pick in 2010, Lauvao is listed currently as an offensive tackle but likely is best suited to the RG position. That he has the talent to improve the terribly troubled right side of the Browns offensive line seems pretty clear, but whether he can remain healthy enough to put that talent to good use is another story.
While past precedent should caution us to be wary about Lauvao's health going forward, at the moment, he is supposedly in good enough shape to project as a possible starter for 2011. If Lauvao can stay on the field for all of 2011 (or even the majority of it), he has great potential to wind up being a breakout performer for the Browns.
A healthy Lauvao would bolster the right side of the line, greatly improving Colt McCoy's protection which will, of course, ultimately improve the success of the offense as a whole.
The bottom line is, Lauvao is one of the players who the Browns need a breakout season from the most, and if healthy, Lauvao should be able to deliver.
You never know what you're going to see at the ballpark.
Friday night some of the 33,774 fans who turned out to watch the Indians beat Seattle, 5-4, on Travis Hafner's walk-off homer with two out in the ninth inning, may have been surprised to see Tony Sipp, in full uniform, walking in the seats watching the game.
That would be unusual, to say the least, because Sipp pitched the final 1 1/3 innings Friday night to earn the victory.
So who was the Tony Sipp double that some fans asked for an autograph? None other than Browns cornerback Joe Haden. Tony Amato, the Indians' clubhouse manager, supplied Haden with the uniform.
Haden isn't done. Later this season he wants to impersonate Michael Brantley during a game. During the Cavs' season, Haden attended games and sat near the bench wearing the uniforms of Anderson Varejao, Baron Davis and J.J. Hickson.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the NFL owners' lockout stretched into its third month, some teams are implementing paycuts for low-salaried employees to save dimes in their $9 billion enterprise.
The Miami Herald reported that the Dolphins informed employees last week they will cut pay 20 percent for anyone making more than $75,000. Lower-salaried employees will take cuts of 15 or 10 percent.
Other teams that previously imposed paycuts include the Cardinals, Bills, Jets, Packers, Chargers and Raiders, according to reports. The Browns are holding firm to not institute any cuts at present.
Although they are downsizing the security department, say several sources, the Browns have not demanded paycuts, furloughs or other cost-cutting measures. They are holding true to comments made by President Mike Holmgren a few days after the lockout started on March 12.
At that time, Holmgren said, "It's going to be business as usual in the building for the Cleveland Browns. Our philosophy is that we're going to keep people working. We have a lot of good people working hard, doing their jobs, and we will continue to do that."
Last month, the NFL reduced salaries of its employees by 12 percent. Previously, Commissioner Roger Goodell and chief legal counsel Jeff Pash reduced their salaries to $1 until the lockout ends.
Two months ago, Holmgren joked, "I'm going on record. I am not working for $1 a year." But he also said with caution, "If the time comes where financially we get struck down, it probably starts with me."
Just about every head coach and assistant coach hired in the last three years has lockout language in their contracts, but most don't take effect until 90 days into the lockout. The current lockout reached 64 days on Sunday.
Larry Kennan, head of the NFL Coaches Association, which is not a formal union, said "a lot" of teams began taking money out of coaches salaries at the start of the lockout. He estimated as many as 13 teams currently are deducting coaches' pay.
"There are several teams that have clauses that say they can take money, but they haven't done so yet," Kennan said in an interview on Friday. He said 90 days is more of a benchmark to do so than 60 days.
Kennan said the Browns "are one of the better teams that are not going to do that until they feel they have to. With the Browns, it might be six months before they take any money from their coaches.
"That's kind of the benchmark for some of the real good teams that don't want to take money. Six months would take you up to September when the games are not being played. So they would have to do something at that point."
Greg Little was drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Browns.
Little is an elite wide receiver prospect who fell in the draft due to character concerns, but he found himself in one of the best positions possible by landing on the Browns, who are devoid of a true No. 1 receiver and run a West Coast offense that suits Little’s physical, yards-after-the-catch style of play.
Similar to Brandon Marshall, Little is a former running back who displays excellent ability in the open field once he has the ball in his hands.
Here are Mike Holmgren’s thoughts on Greg Little:
“Because of how the draft fell, we did the right thing, first of all. Secondly, in Little, I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised if you don’t know him very well. He’s a young man who has a tremendous upside.
"A home-run hitter isn’t necessarily everyone going out for a long one. Yards after a catch and a receiver’s ability to break a tackle and move after the catch can be a home run of sorts. That’s where one of his strengths is, and I’m hopeful we added to our receiver pile.”
As stated above, Little is not a home-run threat in the traditional sense, but he is a home-run threat nonetheless because of his unique ability to find the end zone.
Little is also the strongest receiver in this draft class as evidenced by him leading the way for all receivers with 27 bench-press reps.
Fantasy Impact:
The Browns' brass envision Little as their No. 1 receiver this year, and there is no reason to think anything different will play out this season, especially with the dearth of potential No. 1 receivers currently on the Browns' roster.
Massaquoi is best suited for a No. 2 role, and Brian Robiskie is probably best suited for the slot if he is to have any value in the NFL.
Little is looking like a flex option with WR3 upside in his rookie campaign and should get plenty of red-zone looks.
It is hard to project numbers for Little as he sat out the 2010 season for receiving financial benefits from his agent, but a 65-reception, 850-yard, six-TD season seems like his floor, health permitting.
Whatever his future with the Browns maybe, it hasn’t stopped quarterback Jake Delhomme joining his teammates at their players-only workouts, led by new starter Colt McCoy. from
The players have been practicing in T-shirts and shorts, working out in the weight room, watching film, and, hopefully, playing lots of great pranks on each other in an effort to bond like teams in movies do. Either way, these workouts are a great way for a young offense to wrap its mind around an entirely new playbook.
Delhomme’s presence at the workouts is another great sign, not because McCoy couldn’t handle this “minicamp” himself, but because Delhomme’s a veteran who is simply lending his hand in getting these skill players ready. There is no doubt that despite his lackluster and, occasionally, difficult-to-watch play on the field last season, Delhomme is an ideal influence on McCoy and the young receiving corps. His contribution to their development simply by being a veteran voice should not be overlooked.
This second edition of player workouts finds many of the same cast of characters in attendance from the first “Camp Colt”, which took place at the University of Texas. There is no word yet on the possibility of a third set of workouts taking place at Kent State University, which is Josh Cribbs‘ alma mater.
The Cleveland Browns have been consistent with their intentions for Colt McCoy for the 2011 season. However, fans are beginning to wonder who will follow the former Texas Longhorn on the depth chart moving forward. MikeHolmgren was very persistent in evaluating quarterback talent over the course of the 2011 NFL Draft scouting period, but the team decided to go a different direction under the control of Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur.
Cleveland may not be the first team on the list of potential landing spots for the top quarterbacks available this summer. Although, it would be foolish to count the Browns out given the current state of the roster. SenecaWallace is widely expected to be Cleveland’s second string option, but was quite clear that his intentions were to start for an NFL team before he signed a three-year extension. Jake Delhomme’s future with the club is surrounded with uncertainty as the 13-year veteran is expected to either take a pay cut or be released by the organization this summer.
If Cleveland does decide to look at the quarterback position this summer, here are three players the team may want to consider:
Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia Eagles: Kolb has played in a West Coast system over his entire career with the Eagles and also has strong ties to Tom Heckert dating back to his tenure in Philadelphia’s front office. Kolb has been coveted by many teams for several years but has simply not been able to break the hold that has been keeping him behind MichaelVick in Philly.
Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos: Kyle Orton has not had much time within the Broncos organization but is quickly being pushed out the door with Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn on the depth chart. Orton has put up better numbers than anyone on the Browns’ roster and could work well with an offensive guru like Pat Shurmur or Mike Holmgren.
Marc Bulger, Free Agent: Bulger is in the same boat as JakeDelhomme but has the advantage of previously working with Pat Shurmur under his belt. Bulger worked as the backup signal caller for the Rams while Shurmur was the offensive coordinator and may have impressed enough to warrant another chance in Cleveland. The Browns will not likely take a player like Bulger expecting him to play while with the team. Original story: chatbrowns.com Posted by Brian Murtaugh
