Who Said The Browns Josh Cribbs Wasn’t A Receiver? He Sure Was In The Pro Bowl.

The Cleveland Browns wouldn’t use Josh Cribbs as a receiver, former coach Pat Shurmur wouldn’t let Cribbs line up as a receiver. Gee I wonder why? Did Shurmur not want the Browns to win football games? In the 2013 pro bowl maybe Cribbs was show casing his talents for other teams. Cribbs is after all a free agent now. Cribbs had 3 catches in the pro bowl for 56 yards. He was the second leading receiver on the AFC’s team. He also handled the kick returns for the AFC.

Cribbs had another 80 yards in returns handling the ball on 3 kicks. He also had 1 punt return for only 3 yards. Josh Cribbs played in the 2013 as a free agent and he showed he belonged there. The question now becomes where will Cribbs belong in the 2013 season. Cribbs still has plenty of football left in his system. Will the Browns reach out to Cribbs and offer him a new contract or will Cribbs be another former Cleveland Browns player to move onto another team to become one of the NFL’s star players?

 

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/who-said-the-browns-josh-cribbs-wasnt-a-receiver-he-sure-was-in-the-pro-bowl/

Can Cleveland Browns break the trend of 'here we go again?'

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here we go again...

I bet I wasn't the only one thinking that when the Browns introduced Rob Chudzinski as their new head coach. This is not a knock on Chudzinski. The more research I do on the former Carolina offensive coordinator, the more I like the hire.

But it's still ... Here we go again.

Two years ago, it was Pat Shurmur at a press conference like this. Four years ago, it was Eric Mangini. Chudzinski is the sixth coach since the team returned in 1999, and three have been wiped out in two years.

Here we go again...

That's why so many fans listen to the press conference for the new coach and think, "This will never work."

Chudzinski has the advantage not only of growing up a frustrated Browns fan, but being here twice as an assistant. But when he used the word "process," I winced. It was a flashback to Chris Palmer, the coach in 1999. Others have mentioned it.

Browns fans are weary of plans and "the process." They want to see progress in one place -- the victory column.

Here we go again...

At one point during the coaching search, I received several emails from fans who suddenly wanted Shurmur and his staff back because they feared the new guys would be even worse.

I much preferred Shurmur to Chip Kelly, the Oregon coach with zero pro experience in any capacity. But I have come to terms with Chudzinski, and not because he used to pretend to be Ozzie Newsome and Brian Sipe. Rather, he has had some degree of success with quarterbacks as different as Cam Newton and Derek Anderson.

The most impressive part of Chudzinski's two years as Carolina's offensive coordinator was last season with how he helped revive Newton, who was the star of his own huge pity party early in the year.

In the first eight games of 2012, Newton had six touchdown passes to eight interceptions, a 77.7 rating. The Panthers were 2-6. In the last eight games, Newton had 13 TDs, four interceptions. The Panthers were 5-3 as Newton had a 94.2 rating. That's real progress and an indication of solid coaching.

I believe Chudzinski will make Brandon Weeden a better quarterback, just as I believe Shurmur was correct insisting Weeden will be much better in 2013 for the simple reason that he's no longer an NFL rookie.

Here we go again...

That can change with a short winning streak. Remember the optimism when Mangini ended 2009 with four wins to finish at 5-11? Or when the Browns beat New Orleans and New England in back-to-back weeks in 2010? Or when they won three in a row this season?Fans are waiting for a reason to believe.

I look at the talent assembled by former general manager Tom Heckert (I still wish the Browns had kept him), and I'm optimistic. I just hope they get it right when it comes to the general manager.

The draft is coming and "Here we go again..." pops into my mind when I think of all the bad drafts. I'm trying not to think that way. I'm vowing to give everyone a fresh start. That's because two years from now, I don't want to sit through another press conference with another new coach.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2013/01/can_cleveland_browns_break_the.html

Browns Brandon Weeden Takes A Severe Beating By A Colt McCoy Clone Named Kirk Cousins

Browns 29-year-old rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden showed the home town fans who attended the last home game of the regular season he still can’t win the tough games. Weeden did something most fans thought he outgrew, he threw a couple of interceptions in the game that helped the Washington Redskins in their cause to make the play-offs this season. The fans who wished to see Colt McCoy this season got the next best thing today. The fans were able to witness first hand the kind of play McCoy would have been capable of this season. Kirk Cousins another guy who has huge success in his college career was able to roll out of the pocket all day long to find his open receivers while doing his McCoy impersonation.

Weeden struggled again in the first half of the game. The Browns defense which has played great in the 2012 season help the Browns do something that Weeden failed to do, they got the Browns into the red zone to help Richardson score the first of his 2 touchdowns. Weeden continues to show he is incapable of making good decisions. He struggled against a defense that is not rated very highly this season in the NFL and Weeden continued failing to convert on 3rd down. The Browns were only 4-12 in 3rd down conversions.

Brandon Weeden fails to demonstrate the kind of consistency it takes to win in the N.F.L. Weeden who was drafted 22 overall in the first round of the 2012 N.F.L. draft was out played by a guy that wasn’t taken until the 4th round in the 2012 draft. In his first rookie start at quarterback, Kirk Cousins outplayed Brandon Weeden by leaps and bounds. Cousins out played Weeden who has started every game this season for Cleveland. This is a further example of why Tom Heckert didn’t want to take Brandon Weeden as the Browns other first round draft pick. Weeden got beat by a back up rookie quarterback that was starting his first game.

It was almost humorous to hear the television commentators talk about the Cleveland Browns being in the hunt for the play-offs. Obviously they haven’t see Mr. Weeden play in a game when he has tough competition.  Sure the Cleveland Browns won three games in a row, the competition level was no where near what it was today.

Brandon Weeden is a great athlete, he has already failed at a M.L.B. career and he continues to struggle with his N.F.L. career. He can’t compete against a well organized team that doesn’t make a ton of mistakes to hand the Browns the win. Weeden continues to miss wide open receivers and his accuracy that we heard about leave little to be desired. There is a reason Brandon Weeden couldn’t make it as a M.L.B. Pitcher and we continue to see that wildness with his throws in the N.F.L.

Yes Brandon Weeden is a rookie. He faced a rookie today that hasn’t even started a game until today. So wake up people and realize there was a reason Heckert didn’t want to take Weeden. We are seeing in every game when the going gets tough. Brandon Weeden only completed 21 of the 35 passes he threw for 244 yards. The guy is not the future of the Cleveland Browns offense.

He has 13 more starts than Cousins and he still couldn’t get his team a win when it mattered. His mistakes continue to coat the Cleveland Browns wins….To sum it all up Weeden made major mistakes today, those mistakes just cost the Browns a run at the play offs…..

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/browns_brandon_weeden_takes_a_severe_beating_by_a_colt_mccoy_clone_named_kirk_cousins/12447292

Browns Fans Are Screaming For Haslam To Make A Move & It Doesn’t Include Starting Colt McCoy

Posted by LG on October 22, 2012 at 9:18 am.

The Browns fans have reached their last straw. Seeing Pat Shurmur let his team lose to the Indianapolis Colts was more than the great people of the City of Cleveland could handle. The die-hard fans got a glimpse of a pissed off Jimmy Haslam III from the owners box at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis when the Browns were trying to score the game winning touchdown only to see the targeted receiver drop the ball. The good people of Cleveland are calling for action from the Browns new billionaire owner. The fans want Pat Shurmur fired as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

If Haslam is listing to the fans, he can hear the screams of that’s enough. The play calling the Browns head coach uses during the games is just not getting it done. The fans can see the problems for the Cleveland Browns comes from the team’s head coach. Nothing would make the fans happier than to see Jimmy Haslam make a move to replace the team’s head coach. Sure it would be like starting over for the team. The fans I have talked with don’t care they want action and they don’t want to wait for Shurmur to be evaluated at the end of the season, they say they have seen more than enough to know Pat Shumur isn’t the guy to lead the Cleveland Browns where the team should be.

The Cleveland Browns are 1-6 under the direction of Shumur, the fans say this is the wrong direction and the team has far too much talent to have a record this bad. Since Shurmur has taken over the head coaching job of the Cleveland Browns his record is  5-18. The fans are tired of this guys poor performance and they want a change and they want it now. The main problem is Shurmur has now fire to get his team motivated. His attitude is rubbing off on the players and he offers no inspiration. Some fans say they can’t even imagine a 330lbs guy listening to anything Pat Shurmur says and take him seriously.

This head coach has lost his team and the fans want Jimmy Haslam III to make a change now. They want a head coach that can bring some fire to this team….

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/browns-fans-are-screaming-for-haslam-to-make-a-move-it-doesnt-include-starting-colt-mccoy/

If only the Cleveland Browns could find a receiver

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking to myself about the Browns and receivers.

Question: Why did you do it?

Answer: Do what?

Q: Look at the Browns' recent history of drafting receivers? Do you like to suffer?

A: What do you think? I've been writing about Cleveland sports full-time since 1980.

Q: Isn't that the last time the Browns had good receivers?

A: Yes, the 1980s were everyone from Dave Logan to Reggie Rucker to Brian Brennan to Reggie Langhorne to Webster Slaughter. And Ozzie Newsome was one of the great pass-catching tight ends.

Q: Weren't those the days?

A: The answer is Webster Slaughter and Braylon Edwards.

Q: What's the question?

A: The last two Browns receivers to make a Pro Bowl: Slaughter in 1990 and Edwards in 2007.

Q: Well, at least that's two.

A: That's two in 22 years. That's one since the team returned in 1999.

Q: Don't you think the quarterbacks are to blame, at least to some extent?

A: They don't help, but let's consider what has happened since 1999.

Q: You mean: Besides the losing . . . besides quarterbacks being replaced along . . . besides coaches and general managers being fired?

A: We're talking receivers, right? Well, since 1999, the only one picked in the first round is Edwards. He had one superb season in 2007 with 16 touchdown passes. Two years later, he was traded to the Jets. He's had some decent years. In the last two years, he has 20 total catches . . . 15 with San Francisco in 2011 and five this season with Seattle.

Q: Meaning what?

A: The Browns have taken eight receivers in the second round since 1999. That's right, EIGHT. Guess who has been the best of that group?

Q: Kevin Johnson?

A: He led the Browns in receptions from 1999 to 2002. For four years, he caught the ball. The longer I watch Browns receivers, the more I appreciate Johnson and guys with good hands. But after he left the Browns, he only caught 52 more passes and retired after the 2005 season.

Q: The point?

A: They took Dennis Northcutt (2000), Quincy Morgan (2001) and Andre Davis (2002) in the second round. Northcutt had value as a slot receiver and returner. Morgan often appeared to be trying to catch the ball with two pingpong paddles for hands. After he left the Browns, he caught only 31 more passes. Davis was a sprinter, a returner and a marginal receiver. He played five more years after leaving the Browns, catching a total of 63 passes.

Q: I repeat, the point?

A: Brian Robiskie was a second-round pick in 2009. He was cut by the Browns, cut by Jacksonville. Travis Wilson was a third-round pick in 2006. He caught two passes for the Browns, was cut and hasn't played since.

Q: What are you trying to say?

A: It's not as if these receivers leave the Browns and become stars, as Keenan McCardell did in the middle 1990s. Most of them had their best seasons here, and most of those years were mediocre or worse. So it's not as if the Browns mishandle their receivers, who then figure out the NFL when they play for another team. They just draft the wrong guys, over and over.

Q: Why are you trying to depress everyone?

A: It hasn't mattered who did the drafting, who was the coach and who threw the passes -- the Browns have picked nine receivers in the first or second round since 1999 . . . and they rarely get it right.

Q: Didn't the current Browns regime seem to think the West Coast offense would help the receivers?

A: Yes. Along with changing quarterbacks. But Greg Little dropped balls for Colt McCoy, and now he's dropping them for Brandon Weeden. He has 17 drops in 20 NFL games.

Q: Should the Browns have picked Justin Blackmon instead of Trent Richardson?

A: Josh Gordon (a supplemental second-round Browns pick in 2012) is having a similar start to his pro career. He's caught seven passes for 93 yards. Blackmon has 10 catches for 79 yards. Jacksonville traded up to pick the Oklahoma State star at No. 5, and they want him to make an impact. So far, nothing.

Q: What about Gordon?

A: Other than having the obvious size (6-3, 220 pounds) and speed that make him look like he could be a viable NFL receiver, it's hard to know. Just as Little was a risky pick in 2011 because he didn't play the season before the draft, the same was true of Gordon. Browns General Manager Tom Heckert sees these two as having the athleticism needed by a receiver. Gordon started one year, catching 42 passes in 2010 for Baylor.

Q: And what about Little?

A: He was a star high school running back and played that position in his first two seasons at North Carolina. In 2009, coach Butch Davis switched Little to receiver, where he caught 62 passes. Then Little sat out 2010 for taking money from an agent. He did not come into the NFL with the reputation of having questionable hands -- something that was said about Braylon Edwards and Quincy Morgan in pre-draft reports.

Q: That history says what?

A: Little hasn't played much receiver. Yes, he had 12 drops but also caught 61 passes as a rookie, leading the team. Like Gordon, he hasn't played that much receiver in college or the pros. So, who knows? The key for both will be the coaching staff, along with their desire to improve.

Q: Wasn't Mohamed Massaquoi a second-round pick?

A: Eric Mangini took him (along with Robiskie) in 2009. Massaquoi caught 34, 36 and 31 passes in his first three seasons. He has nine catches this year, by far his best start. But then he missed the last game with a hamstring injury. He has been the team's most consistent receiver. Travis Benjamin (fourth round, 2012) has shown some promise, but it's so early in his career.

Q: Should the Browns have picked Julio Jones instead of making that trade?

A: In 2011, the Browns gave up the No. 5 pick to Atlanta for Jones. In return, they have these players to show for it: Phil Taylor, Brandon Weeden, Little and Owen Marecic. They also tossed in a third-rounder to move up and take Taylor, the defensive tackle who had a promising rookie season but has been injured this year.

Q: How has Jones played?

A: He caught 54 passes -- eight for touchdowns -- as a rookie. He has 16 catches and three touchdowns this season. He is receiving good reviews. He also plays with four-time Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White and a good quarterback in Matt Ryan.

Q: Was the deal worth it?

A: Too soon to know. A lot depends on Weeden. If he can establish himself as an effective quarterback, the Browns were smart to make it. If Taylor becomes a Pro Bowl-type defensive lineman as the Browns hope . . . if Little can catch the ball . . . lots of IFs. But I'll say the trade doesn't bother me because it did bring a lot of young talent to the Browns.

Q: Aren't you missing something?

A: What?

Q: Why don't the Browns sign a veteran free-agent receiver?

A: Fans have asked that for years. They have signed only one significant free-agent receiver since 1999 -- Joe Jurevicius. He's one of my favorite Browns of the new era. He caught 90 passes over two seasons (2006 and '07). But then he had a knee injury, a staph infection and several surgeries that ended his career. He was a good player, and these Browns could use someone like him now.

Q: So what's the bottom line?

A: Over and over, the Browns have dropped the ball when it comes to receivers. Maybe Massaquoi will stay healthy and develop a chemistry with Weeden. Maybe Little, Gordon and/or Benjamin will figure out the NFL. But definitely, the Browns should consider adding a veteran receiver in the off-season, no matter what happens with their young guys.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2012/09/if_only_the_cleveland_browns_c.html

To rekindle NFL rivalries, Cleveland Browns need to become relevant

By Tom Reed, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jimmy Haslam has sat in the Dawg Pound with Browns fans, stood on the field with coaches and met with team executives in their offices to gain a better understanding of the organization and what ails it.

But before setting foot in a Browns facility, he had first-hand knowledge of the team's sorry history against its chief rivals. He helped contribute to it as a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So when Haslam was asked recently if he knew how badly the Browns had been dominated by his former club, the truck stop magnate leaned across a boardroom table and quoted a statistic from his memory bank.

"Twenty-two [wins] out of the last 24 games," he said.

A captain of industry who does his own homework, Haslam is aware of the Browns' epic struggles within the AFC North Division. Cleveland has the worst record (22-68) of any NFL team since 1999 in intra-division play, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Browns ride a 10-game losing streak against AFC North opponents as they travel to Cincinnati on Sunday to face the Bengals. They are 3-21 in the division since 2008.

The reasons for futility are many and include poor drafting, organizational instability, the failure to adapt to the playing styles of the top teams, and the misfortune of rejoining the division just as Pittsburgh and Baltimore were rising to the status of conference elite.

How tough has it been for the Browns and Bengals? According to a Columbus Dispatch report two years ago, Cleveland and Cincinnati each had won a game on the same day just 13 times since 1999.

Two years later, that stat remains unchanged.

Haslam doesn't need to talk to fans and media personalities in Pittsburgh and Baltimore to appreciate the state of the rivalries with the Browns. As a minority owner of the Steelers, he said that franchise's focus was the Ravens and the New England Patriots.

Among the divisional lowlights since the Browns' 1999 return:

• The offensively-challenged Browns scored 48 points in a 2004 game against the Bengals and lost by 10;

• Former Browns quarterback Tim Couch fought back tears as he spoke of hearing cheers from Cleveland fans as he was replaced by Kelly Holcomb after sustaining a concussion at the hands of the Ravens in a 2002 game; and

• The Browns were hammered so badly by the Steelers in a 2005 game on Christmas Eve -- one that featured James Harrison body-slamming a drunk Cleveland fan -- it prompted the Akron Beacon Journal to run the headline: "Season's Beatings."

While several players in the Browns' locker room say they don't put much stock into division rivalries, it's clear the new owner does. Haslam understands how playing well against the teams they meet twice a season translates. In the past 13 years, the teams with the top five intra-division records -- Indianapolis, Green Bay, New England, Pittsburgh and Baltimore -- have combined to win eight Super Bowls and 12 conference titles.

"If we can compete in our division we can win the Super Bowl," Haslam said. "That's the way we felt in Pittsburgh. If we can win the division, which means beating the Ravens and Steelers, then we are probably as good as any team in the AFC or NFC."

Lofty goals for a franchise that's never had a winning record within the AFC North.

Browns defensive end Frostee Rucker, who played his previous five seasons in Cincinnati, marveled at the change he witnessed in the Ravens during their 44-13 win over his former team Monday night.

The sight of quarterback Joe Flacco running a no-huddle offense surprised him. It was David Letterman doing the Late Show without a Top-10 List; the cast of Jersey Shore appearing in public bereft of spray-on tans.

"It's the first time I can remember them changing something up a bit," Rucker said. "We need to get something, run with it and perfect it. Both the Ravens and the Steelers have been doing it for years."

Since Flacco took the first snap of the 2008 season, the Browns have had five opening-day starting quarterbacks. If it always seems like the Browns are slow to react to what the Ravens and Steelers have been doing for a decade, it's because the organization is forever turning over rosters and coaching staffs.

Offensive tackle Joe Thomas stood in the locker room Thursday and recalled the 2009 arrival of coach Eric Mangini, who added about a half-dozen former New York Jets to the roster. They're all gone, including Mangini.

While the Browns unearth foundations and tear down walls, the Steelers and Ravens simply replace loose mortar. Running back Jamaal Lewis leaves Baltimore after the 2006 season and Ray Rice emerges two seasons later. Pittsburgh waves goodbye to outside linebacker Joey Porter in 2007 and plugs in Harrison.

"With new coaches and front office come new ideas and new players, which is fine," Thomas said. "But if you do that every couple years pretty soon you don't have any guys left that you really want."

Ravens safety Bernard Pollard is more succinct: "Cleveland hasn't been able to develop an identity." The Browns enter Sunday's game with the youngest roster in the AFC (25.55 years).

The Bengals' approach is somewhere between the Browns and the divisional powers. Marvin Lewis became the first coach in NFL history to enter his 10th season with the same franchise despite having a losing record (69-74-1). And yet, the Bengals have won two division titles and last year qualified as a wild card, giving the division three playoff teams.

In a league where patience has gone the way of the straight-ahead kicker, the Browns have been unable to fuse coach with talent and success. Perhaps the Browns are onto something defensively with professorial coordinator Dick Jauron and a unit that is young, aggressive and quicker than in seasons past.

But if Haslam makes substantial changes in the off-season, will Jauron be around to build on his progress?

"Continuity helps, but you have to be on an upward track and be steady with it," linebacker Scott Fujita said. "When you start to get players and coaching staffs on an upward trajectory that's when you start to get your continuity."

View from afar

Longtime Pittsburgh sportscaster Stan Savran grew up in Cleveland and was introduced to alcohol at old Muncipal Stadium in the form of two inebriated Steelers fans wobbling in the seats next to him.

Savran remembers when Browns-Steelers was among the NFL's fiercest rivals. He still sees Joe "Turkey" Jones planting Terry Bradshaw in the turf like a lawn dart. He recalls Jack Lambert saying "quarterbacks should wear dresses" after hitting Brian Sipe out of bounds.

As the Browns returned in 1999, fans on both sides assumed the rivalry would come back with them. Instead, the Steelers whipped the Browns, 43-0, in the opener and have been beating Cleveland lopsided ever since.

"It's like when Art Modell took the Browns to Baltimore the rivalry went with him," Pittsburgh sports radio personality Mark Madden said. "The Ravens got good and that became the team Steelers fans anticipated playing."

Savran said an entire generation of Steelers fans know the Browns as nothing but a rebuilding franchise. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisbeger is 14-1 against Cleveland.

"It's a walk-over win in their eyes," Savran said. "They don't see the Browns as a threat."

The view from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay is similar. Cleveland got to keep the colors but not Ozzie Newsome, the former Browns tight end who, as Ravens general manager, turned them into a perennial contender.

"Ravens-Browns had all the makings of a great rivalry, but you have to be competitive," Baltimore sports talk host Vinny Cerrato said. "When the schedule comes out Ravens fans want to know, 'When do we play the Steelers?' They just don't care about Cleveland."

Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson knows there's only one way to change opinion.

"We haven't earned that respect," Jackson said. "In order to get that respect we have to go out and play great football against these teams."

Kicker Phil Dawson, an original member of the expansion Browns, correctly observes that the losing hasn't been limited to the AFC North. But their winning percentage outside the division (.361) is 117 points higher.

Seven times, the Browns have won only one or zero divisional games in a season since their return.

"The passion isn't the same," Madden said. "I can't remember the last time I went to Heinz Field and heard a Steelers fan yell: 'Browns suck.'"

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/09/to_rekindle_nfl_rivalries_clev.html#incart_river_default

What The Browns Have Now Is A Real Q.B. Controversy & A Moron For A Head Coach

Posted by LG on September 11, 2012 at 10:15 pm.

The Cleveland Browns the team that has the best fans in the world are now faced with a good old fashion quarterback controversy and the head coach has no idea how to handle it. The fans that attended the Browns home opener were already booing the Browns 28-year-old rookie Brandon Weeden and they wanted to see Colt McCoy and get the Browns an opening day win, something that hasn’t been done in the past 7 years. Can you blame the fans for being a little irate? Why not, the Browns were close, they were in a game that many picked for them to be out of by halftime.

The Cleveland Browns defense all but gift wrapped the game for head coach Pat Shurmur, by now the people who know football in the town have already pegged Shurmur as a moron that has no business coaching football in the NFL and  Shumur himself placed the exclamation point on his moron-ness by not going for the 2 point conversion when the Browns defense scored their only touchdown. Amazingly the Browns would end up losing the game by the one point Shurmur denied the Browns from putting on the scoreboard.  What did that tell us Browns fans? Pat Shurmur doesn’t even have enough faith in his rookie Q.B. Weeden to let him go for 2 points.

Here’s a thought for you Shurmur, Josh Cribbs could have tossed a touchdown pass for a 2 point conversion if you didn’t want to put Colt McCoy in the game. Yes that is right Shurmur, Cribbs can throw the football, you pulled off a trick play with Benjamin, why not pull one off with the guy the Browns had listed as their 3rd string Q.B. before your sorry butt got to Cleveland?

No that we have that out-of-the-way let’s get down to the real problem the Browns fans are facing. Sure the Browns have a new Q.B., sure this guy is a rookie and sure we can’t hurt the guy who is making millions of dollars to go out and win football games feelings, or he might want to run back to Oklahoma just like he did we he couldn’t cut the mustard in major league baseball. Yes folks Brandon Weeden comes from a failed baseball career and he is now working on a failed football career.

Needless to say it has been a rough couple of months for us here at CS-360. We happen to tell it like it is and we use facts to back up our articles.  One fact I would like to point out to you is, Brandon Weeden playing for 4 quarters in a football game and finishing the day with a 5.1 Q.B. rating is terrible. It down right sucks. For those of you who think this can improve, let me point out the obvious.  If Weeden goes to Cincinnati to play the Bengals and comes out with a 10.2 rating he would be twice as good as he was lest week. If he comes out with a 15.3 he would be three times better than he was last week, but guess what people, you aren’t going to win in the NFL with that kind of rating, trust me.

Now by this time a lot of you fans are thinking this guy really hates Brandon Weeden. Believe me when I tell you this, I don’t hate anyone especially Brandon Weeden. The reason I am writing this article is because this is the kind of quarterback the Cleveland Browns hierarchy picked to stick us Browns fans with. Then Mike Holmgren, not Tom Heckert talked his hand  picked moron Pat Shurmur into keeping his mouth shut and naming Weeden the Browns starter before they ever saw the Weeden panic,yes panic that forces him to  drop the football. Yes sir, even though the Cleveland Browns front office had privilege to the same information on Brandon Weeden as everyone else in the free world, they made the choice to ignore it and just go with a self-made failure as their starting quarterback.

There are people who make a living scouting guys in College who play football, these are professional scouts, they know who can get the job done and who won’t be able to perform in the NFL. It is hysterical how most of these scouts said Brandon Weeden can’t take the pressure of a pass rush.  It is even more hysterical how these same scouts said if Weeden faces any pressure, he is prone to make mistakes that will lead to turn overs. It is even more hysterical how the guys running the Browns with the exception of Tom Heckert chose to ignore everything the professional football scouts had to say about Brandon Weeden.  For those of you who are thinking I’m nuts, just google everything you can find on Brandon Weeden. You’ll find the information these scouts reported, I did. Go ahead have a look.

Now that we are smack in the middle of it, the good people running the team Cleveland Loves the most, aren’t going to say they made a mistake. They are stuck with Brandon Weeden as the Browns starting quarterback. The question is for how long do the fans who buy the tickets and support this team have to put up with this garbage Shumur is putting on the field? When you are 28 going on 29 you are pretty much set in your ways. You have heard the saying a million times “you can’t teach an old dog a new trick”. That is what we the fans of the Cleveland Browns have here folks. We have an old dog that can’t learn new tricks.

To make maters worse, we have a new head coach that has no business being in this position, he doesn’t possess the experience to know how to correct the situation. When you put these 2 problems together, you end up with a losing football team. When you have a guy playing Q.B. for your team that is afraid to take a hit in your backfield you have a problem. You either are born with the courage to get the job done or you are going to be squeamish and make a ton of mistakes. I believe we have the later with Brandon Weeden.

People were down on CS-360 in the preseason when I pointed out the obvious, now that others are seeing it in the regular season they don’t think I was to far off.  Yet you have the fans who think there is some kind of magic pill they have in the locker room and by this Sunday Brandon Weeden is going to come out transformed into the next Joe Montana. It isn’t going to happen people. Brandon Weeden is not going to turn the Browns into a winner. The head coach who has refused to admit he was wrong is going to subject us to more of the same. Shumur is the same guy who told us before the Browns final preseason game how ready Brandon Weeden was, he is the same guy that told us before the Eagles game how ready Weeden was, he is the same guy who has no answers as to how correct the situation. Shurmur said Weeden needs to throw the ball better.

If Shurmur was telling the truth when he told the fans how ready Weeden was, then the Browns have a coach running the team that doesn’t know what ready is. Now that’s a problem…. A lot of people tell me I am not a football coach and I wouldn’t know what to do in this situation. I can tell you this, I have a lot of common sense something the people who are presently running the Browns lack.  I would have waited to see how Brandon Weeden performed in a couple of preseason games before naming him the starting Q.B.  Especially after ready the scouting reports on Brandon Weeden. Better yet I would not have drafted Brandon Weeden in the first place, I would have taken players who would have improved the Browns as a team….

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/what-the-browns-have-now-is-a-real-q-b-controversy-a-moron-for-a-head-coach/

3 Million And One Reasons The Cleveland Browns Need To Cut Seneca Wallace

Posted by LG on August 30, 2012 at 9:14 am.

Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Seneca Wallace continues to promote his Colt McCoy hate campaign publicly. Wallace took to the airways to once again say he won’t be Colt McCoy’s mentor. The Cleveland Fans should be happy about that fact. McCoy at least won some games last season that is more than we can say about Seneca Wallace.

When the Browns picked Weeden in the draft this year, Wallace was the first in line to say he would be more than happy to bring Weeden along, yet in the Browns first preseason game and Weeden was struggling, it was Colt McCoy on the sidelines going over the photos with a coach and Brandon Weeden, Wallace was nowhere to be seen.  The Browns don’t need a player like Seneca Wallace who won’t help the team. Wallace’s dislike for McCoy has been clear since McCoy took the starting role away from Wallace.

Seneca Wallace has been in the NFL long enough to know that on any given Sunday a quarterback can go down to injury, if memory serves me that is how McCoy took the starting role in the first place. It Was Wallace who had to be replaced due to injury. For Wallace to continue to blast his team-mate by saying he refuses to help, it demonstrates that Seneca Wallace is not a team layer. This is the first reason the Browns need to cut their ties with him.

The other 3 million reasons Wallace should go is his 3 million dollar salary. There is no way on GOD’s green earth Seneca Wallace is worth 3 million dollars a year. It is Seneca Wallace who could use the mentor, he should have learned this preseason how to deal with adversity, he should have studied how Colt McCoy has dealt with the Cleveland Browns quarterback situation with dignity and class. McCoy just want the Browns to win. That is more than we can say about Seneca Wallace…..

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/3-million-and-one-reason-the-cleveland-browns-need-to-cut-seneca-wallace/

Browns Quarterback Colt McCoy Plays Better Than Weeden Remember Concussion Gate?

Posted by LG on August 18, 2012 at 8:14 am.

Have you ever seen a case where a quarterback like Colt McCoy gets blamed for an entire failed season the way Pat Shurmur, Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert are doing to Colt? Have you seen the Browns this season in the two preseason games? Have you seen how good Colt McCoy looks, the way he handles the pressure and the way he is able to scramble to get the team down field? McCoy still has the longest rush this year in the preseason. Something you’ll never see Brandon Weeden do is scramble out of trouble, with the Browns offensive line Cleveland is going to need a quarterback that can run away from trouble. Yet the Cleveland Browns coaching staff and front office are willing to throw away a perfectly good quarterback like Colt McCoy. Why? Because of the way the Browns were embarrassed during the Colt McCoy concussion.

You can’t ignore the numbers McCoy is putting up this preseason and you can’t ignore how good McCoy looks at moving the Browns down field. Now is where all you Cleveland fans who have drunk the Kool Aid come in and say,”McCoy is Facing 2′s and 3′s” Save it. Brandon Weeden didn’t face all 1′s the other night in G.B. either, don’t let this scripted act to get you to swallow Weeden as the better quarterback blind you from the truth.

McCoy’s family pissed off the Browns front office by going to the media and doing interviews about the way Pat Shurmur put Colt McCoy back into the Pittsburgh game with a concussion and Colts dad was not satisfied with the way Shurmur handled McCoys concussion, when he talked the Browns organization as a whole got a black eye. Lets face it fans, Shurmur couldn’t handle managing the clock last season let alone a guy who had his bell rung.  You could tell Pat Shurmur is still thinking about that, look at how he is handling the Mohamed Massaquoi situation. Shurmur gets on the defensive right away when asked about the MoMAss injury.

Because the Browns were put through the wringers last season by the NFL and the entire top brass had to be questioned form top to bottom about the procedures they used when James Harrison hit McCoy and gave him a concussion, they have a very bad taste in their mouth for Colt McCoy. Now the team is trying to say they have a great rookie quarterback, they seem to think the fans don’t know numbers and the team can just rid themselves of McCoy and the fans are too stupid to know any different.

Look at the numbers people, football is a game of stats. The Numbers don’t lie. Colt McCoy is a better quarterback than Brandon Weeden. The Browns coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball stink and because of Shurmur’s embarrassment last season he is throwing the better of the two quarterbacks under the bus. Sure McCoy played against some 2′ and 3′s this season. He also had 2′s and 3′s out on the field with him. Put Colt out there with the first team and he would do well.

The Browns entire offense stunk last season, it wasn’t all Colt McCoy. The Browns had no running game, no receivers that could catch the ball, and no imagination in play calling what so ever. Be honest, you can’t possibly blame all this on Colt McCoy. Be Honest on your assessment about who the better Q.B. is too, the numbers say it is Colt McCoy, because Pat Shurmur took a instant disliking to Colt the moment the NFL Proctologist showed up at Shurmur’s door to examine the way he handled the Concussion McCoy had. Shurmur needs to forget that crap and put the best players on the field to give Cleveland a chance to win games. Now many of you equate my want to win to Weeden hating. Nothing could be further than the truth. I don’t hate anyone, I just see who the better Q.B. is by the numbers and know Shurmur’s dis-like for McCoy is going to cost the Browns wins. Can Weeden play in the NFL? Sure one day maybe, but for now he isn’t ready….Don’t let this strong arm stuff fool ya folks, when was the last time you saw the Browns throw a 70 yard pass down the field? Shurmur call 5 to 10 yard pass plays 99%of the time.

After one quarter of football in Green Bay Weeden was 3 for 8…..After the 2nd the Browns play calling of 2,3 5 yard pass plays helped to pad his numbers. That is what made him look better than week one. After the first quarter against the 1′s Weeden was no better than week one. Check the numbers yourself…..

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/browns-quarterback-colt-mccoy-plays-better-than-weeden-remember-concussion-gate/

This is not your Grandfathers Cleveland Browns offense, they are “Brand New”

July 30, 2012 By Djranell Henderson

This is not your Grandfathers Cleveland Browns, or your fathers for that matter.

They are not even the Cleveland Browns from last year…They are “Brand New”

The signing of Brad Childress is huge. Last year first year Head Coach Pat Shurmer thought that he could handle both the Head Coaching duties as well as the offensive coordinator job. Anyone who knows anything about football knows that was a mistake. Shurmer barely scratched the surface of being an offensive coordinator in the NFL, but for some reason thought he could do both with the Cleveland Browns.

No I don’t think so.

Coach Childress is a former head coach for the Minnesota Vikings; he helped his team to two playoff appearances in a five year span. The Vikings have Adrian Peterson as the feature back, something the Browns plan to do with Trent Richardson.   Coach Childress will not call plays that will be Pat Shurmer’s job. What he will do is help with practice and game plan schedules for the offense. This is a huge step in the right direction for the Browns. This will allow Coach Shurmer time to evaluate both sides of the ball including special teams.

Nolan Cromwell was hired as the senior offensive assistant; he has helped the Packers and Seahawks with offensive development and really brings another person to help with the players and the game plan.  Nolan is one of the most vocal coaches on the team and is usually identified in articles as someone who is really pushing the development of the wide receivers.

The Reality of the Situation

The Cleveland Browns finished with the 29^th offense in the NFL in 2011 and that is pitiful. There are not many positives to take from last season. So we are going to let the Cleveland Browns start the season, Brand New. The past is the past and this is the new Cleveland Browns offense

We will have improved play from the Quarterback

• Brandon Weeden is a quarterback that is a big guy; he can really sling the ball all over the field, and he beat all of the elite QB competition in college. His size to look over the line and the ability to stretch the field is something sorely missed from the Cleveland Browns offense. Defenses can no longer put 8 players in the box and play man to man on the perimeters. They have to play us straight up because Brandon can make all the throws. I don’t really expect Brandon to come in and struggle. Tom Heckert has made great decisions in the draft and I can’t see him missing on Brandon Weeden.  With the way rookie QB’s have come in and played well, I can only see Brandon coming in and playing well. He will throw some interceptions and may get smacked around in the pocket, but that’s development. No matter what his age is, he is a rookie.
• Colt McCoy should be the backup, even though I think they are going to just release him. Seneca Wallace is not great, he cost us more money than Colt and he is not great, BUT what do I know.

Cleveland Browns have a Stallion at the RB position, and some Thoroughbreds to help out

In today’s NFL, The 3 down back is almost non-existent. Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Ray Rice may be the only ones that carry the load for their teams. But the New York Giants employ a multiple back system, and it turned into a Super Bowl.

• Trent Richardson was the best player in college football in 2011 hands down; no questions need to be asked. To be a running back in the SEC and dominate the competition reminds me of what Cam Newton did to similar competition, and we see what he did in the NFL. I know they play two different positions but, can you name the QB on Alabama, or name a receiver on that team. That same team that won the BCS National Championship. Exactly. His size is similar in muscle build to Adrian Peterson. But he has the low center of gravity like Ray Rice and a Maurice Jones-Drew that will allow him to hide behind blockers and because of low center of gravity maintain balance as he runs through running lanes. You have to make a commitment to tackle Trent Richardson, and that is something I don’t think a lot of people will want to do one-on-one
• Montario Hardesty is hopefully healthy, the positive is we don’t really need him to do anything other than just be able to provide some reps.  Brandon Jackson was the running back on the Super Bowl Green Bay Packers in 2010. Injury sidelined him last year but this year he is healthy and ready to provide depth. He is very familiar with the west coast offense and will help Trent understand concepts. Chris Ogbonnaya played decent enough in relief to push Montario if he does not play better.
• Owen Marecic was a two way player at Stanford, where he played FB and LB. He has to be smart, but never looked the part last year. The concussions did not help him. He reconditioned his body in hopes to hold off 7^th round pick Brad Smelley from Alabama. Smelley has versatility and great hands coming out of the backfield. I think they will keep both players because of Smelly versatility and Marecics history of concussions

There is something that goes on in the NFL and everybody does it…its follow the leader. If you do it, we will do it to. Right now a team like New England has TE’s that are the staple to their offense. The Two TE set is taking he league by storm.

• Ben Watson is a concussion waiting to happen, I don’t hope it happens to him but it’s something that could happen. Watson has always seem committed to the team and is a Super Bowl champion so he knows what it takes to get there. Jordan Cameron has done nothing but make a name for himself in the offseason. Pat Shurmer has done nothing but praise Jordan for his development in the offseason. We all know about Jordan’s former basketball career.  Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham turned into studs after a second season in the NFL. We can only wish that he turns out to be half as good.
• Evan Moore is one of my favorite players on the team. One play that stands out to me was a game against the New York Jets. Evan Moore was lined up man to man vs. Revis Island and caught a quick slant for a TD. His size is a mismatch for many defensive players; I don’t know why he did not get on the field especially after being given a new contract. Maybe it was his blocking and the addition of Mitchell Swartz will allow Evan to get more playing time. I can see Jordan Cameron and Evan Moore causing trouble for many a defense in the NFL. Alex Smith is a great blocker and can be an asset with that skill set, but he may not have a home with the Browns.

Everybody was calling the Cleveland Browns Wide Receivers a joke. It’s weird what the addition of one player will do to change the mindset of an entire group

• Greg Little played better than anyone could have or would have expected last year. He finished statistically right up there with Julio Jones and A.J. Green. I’m not worried about his drops, he missed an entire season of football and he only caught passes 10 yards and in, so he always had to worry about getting hit. That’s a bit of a shocker for a rookie who did not play for a year. Greg lost weight and looks ready to explode into a very good receiver.  Josh Gordon is the addition that has changed the landscape of the view people have of The Cleveland Browns wide receivers. Josh is similar to Greg Little in the fact that they are big receivers who enjoy catching the ball and turning into big plays
• Mohammed Massaguoi is barely holding onto a position. He has not ever been productive but has the full support of the coaches and front office. I believe he can make his own bed this year, if he does not play well, josh Gordon will take his playing time away. Something that I think will happen anyway. Josh Cribbs wants to be a receiver, even I want him to get some time at receiver but he is so special to the Special teams. I want to see him add on the performance he started last year when he had his best year as a receiver. Cribbs makes plays and catches the ball in traffic and has big play potential. He is a talent that needs to be utilized on offense. Period. Let Norwood and Benjamin handle the Kick return duties
• Jordan Norwood is really turning into a pretty good receiver. He is small but he makes plays in the open field. There is competition for him to keep that spot so he must show improvement. Travis Benjamin could be a slot guy but more than likely will be used as a downfield threat. He has impressed with his route tunning and sure hands
• Carlton Mitchell is tall and fast and the fans hope that he gets better, but it wont happen. Josh Cooper is Brandon Weeden’s buddy from college. He has nice hands and knows how to find the soft spot in zones. He is another fan friendly player that probably wont make the team

About the Offensive Line…I am happy that we have added depth and know it is being considered strength. I have never really been too interested in writing about offensive lineman. So I took a great article from Chris Pokorny at Dawgs by Nature that gives a great breakdown of what people have been saying about The Cleveland Browns and the offensive Line      

http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2012/7/18/3168704/high-praise-coming-everywhere-for-browns-offensive-line

Breakdown

This offense will not be a juggernaut of an offense like the Green Bay Packers this year, but they will be much improved. I fully expect the offense to finish in the Top 10 in rushing and the Top 15 for passing.  

The Browns may have only won 4 games last year, but it’s not like they were blown out of all the games. There were 6 games that we loss by 7 points or less.

I’m not the type to look at a schedule and start counting wins and losses, but I have heard that the Browns have one of the toughest schedules, but you never know what a team is going to bring on any given Sunday.

I am sure that the Cleveland Browns will be a ground and pound offense. I am not getting caught up in the hype of Brandon Weeden and Josh Gordon coming to town and suddenly making us into the New England Patriots or the Saints. We are Cleveland, and we play in the AFC North.  

If anything those moves are in place so that the running game can excel. As I stated earlier no one can put 8 men in the box anymore because of the threat that Brandon can make a throw that will hurt them. In turn there should be running lanes and space for Trent to play. 

The Browns have a multiple back system, which includes a beast in Trent Richardson. He never has to come off the field but can you imagine what a fresh legged Trent could do in the 4^th quarter of games.

The Browns have multiple TE’s that can stretch the field and play in multiple sets. Remember Ben Watson came from New England where it all started.

The Browns have built an offensive line through the draft and has depth.

The Browns have a mature strong armed rookie QB that is ready to prove doubters wrong.

And lastly, The Browns have a WR crew that has been underestimated and undervalued. But since the addition of Josh Gordon no one has been complaining about the depth.

I would like to say that some people are thoroughly missing what the Browns are doing here, but maybe I am a homer.

Only Time will tell.

Here is my story on the Cleveland Browns defense

http://isportsweb.com/2012/07/26/the-cleveland-browns-defense-ready-to-repeat-as-a-top-10-defense-in-the-nfl/

http://isportsweb.com/2012/07/30/this-is-not-your-cleveland-browns-offense-they-brand-new/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+isportsweb+%28isportsweb%29

Browns Colt McCoy Says It’s Been A Rough Few Years In Cleveland

Posted by LG on July 4, 2012 at 8:08 pm.

The Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Colt McCoy did a story in Texas for the NFL saying it has been a rough ride in Cleveland the past three years. Make no mistake about this, McCoy likes Cleveland and he wants to stay here to help turn this Cleveland Browns team into a winner. McCoy went on to say, he has had a couple of coaches, three O.C.’s and the team really never had any stability. The Browns drafted Brandon Weeden, many think Weeden will get the starting job and the Browns may trade Colt McCoy. Some say the only way McCoy would start again for the Cleveland Browns is if Brandon Weeden got hurt in training camp.

Colt wants to be in Cleveland, even after the Browns told him he would be the guy this season and they went out and drafted Weeden in the NFL Draft. The Browns may have been a little less than truthful with McCoy and this kid still wants to stay in Cleveland. I get a kick out of all the people who think Weeden will take over as the Browns starting quarterback. I mean come on, Weeden has yet to play one down in the NFL and he has now idea how it feels to get hit by a NFL pass rush. Even Bernie Kosar had a learning curve coming from college into the NFL and we all know Bernie was one hell of a smart quarterback too.

The Browns should keep Colt McCoy. This kid has nothing but heart. The Cleveland Browns had Gary Danelson here to teach Bernie Kosar. Who did Colt McCoy have to help him? He had a guy on the side-lines that wouldn’t lift a finger to help him in Seneca Walllace. Wallace even said his job wasn’t to teach Colt McCoy and he wasn’t good at teaching, yet he jumped right up and offered to teach Brandon Weeden.

If the Cleveland Browns need to get rid of a quarterback and they do, they need to get rid of Seneca Wallace. Getting rid of Colt McCoy would be a big mistake. Just like drafting a 28-year-old soon 29 years old rookie quarterback is a mistake. Two wrongs have yet to ever equal one right. To get rid of Colt McCoy would be a serous mistake the Cleveland Browns can’t afford to make…..

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/browns-colt-mccoy-says-its-been-a-rough-few-years-in-cleveland/

Cowboys aren’t interested in Colt McCoy

With the Cleveland Browns willing to accept pretty much anything in order to dump quarterback Colt McCoy, you would think there would be at least a few teams interested.  So far that doesn’t seem to be the case.

One team that you can cross off the list of potential landing spots for McCoy is the Dallas Cowboys, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com.

It looks like Stephen Mcgee will be the Cowboys’ third quarterback going into training camp.

http://profootballzone.com/nfl/cowboys-arent-interested-in-colt-mccoy/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ProFootballZone+%28Pro+Football+Zone%29

Three Reasons The Cleveland Browns Should Get Rid Of Seneca Wallace

Posted by LG on June 21, 2012 at 6:22 am.

The Cleveland Browns have a abundance of quarterbacks coming into camp this season. With drafting Brandon Weeden in the first round of the NFL draft the Cleveland fans are thinking Weeden could move into the starting role. With that being said it is no secret Seneca Wallace doen’t want to be the third string Q.B.. Wallace is one guy who has been vocal about not riding the bench even though he should have been use to it by now his tenth year in the NFL.

There are three reason the Browns should release Wallace, the three reasons are simple. He started in the last three games of the 2011 season and could not get the Browns a win. Why should Wallace get to stay and run his mouth about him being the guy to mentor Brandon Weeden? Wallace has never been the guy. He is a weak back-up NFL quarterback at best. His dis-like of Colt McCoy has been clear to see. Wallace refused to help McCoy last season even though it may have lead to the Browns being a better football team.

Wallace is a guy who put his own personal wants and needs above that of the Cleveland Browns,there is not any player that should be able to get away with that on the Cleveland Browns. Wallace had three chances to show something to the Cleveland Browns and the fans last season and he showed why he is a back up quarterback at best. Three starts no wins, these are the reasons the Browns should cut Seneca Wallace and if Brandon Weeden gets the starting role and the team makes Colt McCoy the back up, the Browns will at least have a guy with plenty of heart that could get the team a win.

Losing all three games he started in McCoy’s absence, are three reasons the Browns should cut Seneca Wallace.

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/three-reasons-the-cleveland-browns-should-get-rid-of-seneca-wallace/

Browns President Mike Holmgren Likes Colt McCoy Why Not Tony Grossi?

Posted by LG on June 18, 2012 at 6:33 am.

Many people in Cleveland May already know, former Browns Beat writer Tony Grossi does things to irritate the Cleveland Browns and team President Mike Holmgren. The latest is Grossi’s attempts to interpret things Holmgren says negatively when it comes to what the team is going to do with Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. Browns President Holmgren said at his latest press conference, he liked Colt McCoy and   the Browns would determine who their starting quarterback would be before the season starts. Grossi then comes out saying the Cleveland Browns would look to deal McCoy and would ask very little in return for him.

Grossi covered the Browns for years with the local news-paper the Cleveland Plain dealer before being removed last season after he let a tweet get out about Browns owner Randy Learner. Grossi may be slightly out of touch with reality when it comes to the statements he continues to make about the Cleveland Browns. Grossi who now works for ESPN Cleveland continues to make assertions about the Browns looking though his eyes only. Grossi must not be listening to the same statements the Browns are making when they hold these press conferences.

The Cleveland Browns were less than impressed with the things Grossi has written about the team and Grossi continues to come out with these jaded views of what the Browns should do. Mike Holmgren has to be fit to be tied when it comes to Tony Grossi and sooner rather than later the Teams President may want to limit the amount of coverage made available to Grossi. If the Browns do deal McCoy, of course Grossi would looks as though he had the inside scoop. I really don’t know why the Cleveland Browns would deal McCoy who can win some football games in favor of having Seneca Wallace as the back-up when he could get any wins last season at all. Besides, Wallace has been in the league for ten years. McCoy is still young, he didn’t have a very good chance last season and the Browns know that.

It is just too bad Tony Grossi doesn’t know it. As it comes closer to the NFL season we will see what moves the Cleveland Browns make. As far as listening to Grossi, I guess we have little choice.

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/browns-president-mike-holmgren-likes-colt-mccoy-why-not-tony-grossi/

Browns QB Seneca Wallace says “probably not” to the Browns keeping both him and Colt McCoy.

Browns QB Seneca Wallace has decided to force the team’s hand in a series of quotes today that could down as a classic case of “be careful what you wish for you just might get it.”

In assessing whether or not the Browns will keep both him and Colt McCoy to backup Brandon Weeden, Wallace was blunt in his statement to the media according to cleveland.com

“Can any of you guys see all three of us being here?” Wallace said. “You’ve written about it, so that answers your question…Probably not,” he said.

Wallace went on to more or less state that he could ask for a trade if he’s listed as the third guy on the depth chart by responding to the question with  ”I don’t know, we’ll see when it gets to that point.”

“No, not really (I don’t want to be the No. 3),” said Wallace.”That’s something that obviously for no reason you go down to the third guy, and we all know the third guy doesn’t dress on Sundays and if that comes down to that decision, obviously neither one of us (him or McCoy)wants to be that third guy.”

As for how he wants the Browns to handle all of this drama, Wallace feels like it’s time to move forward with Weeden…he just wants to be the backup.

“If you’re going to move forward with a guy and (want him to) be your franchise guy, you need to put all of your focus on that guy and let him play and take all of the media situations out of it and the fan situations out of it and let him play in order to build that franchise the way you want it.”

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Colt is still fighting for the number one spot.

“When I come out to practice, in my mind, I’m the starter,” said McCoy.

Wow.  I hear where Wallace is coming from but if he really wants to “focus” on helping Weeden be the franchise guy then he should be laying low.

McCoy maybe fighting for his job but Wallace has certainly not done himself any favors by throwing in his two cents publicly.

He was always a favorite of Mike Holmgren’s who brought him with him from Seattle.  There is no shortage backup guys in the NFL, so really saying what you are and are not willing to do in the press is not a good look.

http://www.playersview.net/browns-qb-seneca-wallace-says-probably-not-to-the-browns-keeping-both-him-and-colt-mccoy/

The time has come for the Cleveland Browns to trade or release QB Colt McCoy

By Eric Schmidt

Despite the politically correct chatter coming from the coaching staff and front office of the Cleveland Browns, rookie QB Brandon Weeden will likely be the starter in Week One for the club this season. The Browns organization can say all they want that Weeden will have to earn the starting job, but a team doesn’t draft a quarterback in the first-round who turns 29 later this year, to sit on the bench. The time has come for the Browns to either trade or move QB Colt McCoy.

Team OTAs and mini-camps will be winding down over the next few weeks as the NFL readies itself for the opening of training camp in late July. Weeden will head into camp and needs to get as many repetitions as he can record before the start of the regular season. It is apparent that a rift has opened between the Browns and McCoy, so keeping him on the roster just creates a distraction as well as hurts Weeden in practice.

Personally, I don’t think that the Browns surrounded McCoy with the offensive weapons he needed in order to succeed while he was starting for the franchise. Whether or not the selection of Weeden was the right choice for the Browns remains to be seen, but the team pushed their chips to the center of the table in April and selected Weeden. If that is the direction the franchise wants to go, then go with it.

The selection of McCoy was a reach two seasons ago, entering the league with questions surrounding his arm strength. The experiment, however misguided it was, seems to have come to an end. Move on. Allow McCoy to create a fresh start with another team. He will turn 26 later this season and allow him to try to pursue his career elsewhere. The club has veteran Seneca Wallace under contract for the next two seasons, at that time, the Browns should have an idea whether or not Weeden is going to have a successful NFL career or if the Browns need to blow the position up starting all over once again.

End the distractions, give each Weeden and McCoy a fair shake.

http://www.thepigskinreport.com/2012/06/the-time-has-come-for-the-cleveland-browns-to-trade-or-release-qb-colt-mccoy/

The Cleveland Browns Gave Colt McCoys Jersey Number To HorseShoe Casino

Posted by LG on June 4, 2012 at 6:35 am.

Colt McCoy who was promised the chance to compete for the teams starting quarterback position has seen his jersey number given to the new Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns gave a jersey to the casino and it has the number 12 on the back of it and the name Horseshoe on it. Why would the Browns give a jersey to the Casino with McCoy’s number on it? Isn’t this a bit disrespectful? Why Not give them one with Brandon Weeden’s number on the back?

The Browns may have already made up their minds on who the starter will be once the season opens up. McCoy may be just going through the motions with little to gain. The Cleveland Browns may not even have Colt McCoy on the teams roster once the season starts. For the team to give a jersey to the new Casino with McCoy’s number on the back shows me the Browns have very little respect for the quarterback. It is going to be interesting to see how the Cleveland Browns deal with McCoy’s future.

http://clevelandsports360.com/wordpress/the-cleveland-browns-gave-colt-mccoys-jersey-number-to-horseshoe-casino/

Open question to Cleveland Browns fans: Who do you want, Coach Shurmur or Coach Klein?

Michael W. Youngman--Lead Analyst C.B.R.

Recently the Sporting News has released their NFL Head Coach rankings and not surprisingly the Cleveland Browns’ Pat Shurmur is near the bottom ranking 26 out of the 32 head coaches in the NFL. The rankings take into consideration both what a coach has accomplished thus far and where their status stands as of now. 18 of the 32 coaches listed in the pole have three years or less experience as a head coach. Also it includes Joe Vitt of the New Orleans Saints who will be coaching the team in Sean Payton’s absence this season due to his suspension for his role in the “bounty” scandal.

Shurmur's team had a rough start last year. He had no offseason program due to the lock-out, a weak offense which struggled to score points, and the team finished 4-12. So it’s not surprising that Shurmur wound end up near the bottom of the rankings. In fact Shurmur has “at times” appeared lost on the sidelines. He has made mental mistakes in play calling and sometimes resembles more like a spectator than a coach. As I was watching TV the other day I came across the classic Adam Sandler film “The Waterboy (1998)” and it made me think of an excellent question for the very loyal Cleveland Browns fan. Who do you want on the sidelines for the Cleveland Browns, Coach Shurmur, or Coach Klein (played by Henry Winkler)? Let’s compare the two.

Past coaching experience:
Coach Shurmur came to the Browns with 11 years of coaching experience in the NFL prior to last season. He came to Cleveland by way of St. Louis but he spent most of his coaching career under Eagles coach Andy Reid as an assistant in one form or another.
Coach Klein came to the Louisiana Mud Dogs by way of assistant coaching experience at fictional Louisiana University under famed Coach Cabinaugh. Unfortunately he was taken advantage of by fellow assistant coach Red Beaulleu and apparently suffered a nervous breakdown shortly after which gives coach Klein his “spaced out” personality. It is not clear if coach Shurmur had a nervous breakdown in his past but he does have that slightly medicated look at times when on the sidelines.

Coaching expertise
Pat Shurmur is known as an offensive minded coach. He comes from the Andy Reid coaching tree and runs probably the last “pure” form of the West Coast Offense in the league. However a weak offense last season did not reflect his offensive expertise and the only true reliable offensive weapon was “Old Faithful” Phil Dawson who made seven 50+ yard field goals in 2011 and made 24 of 29 attempts total. But the big bright spot for the Browns last season was the defense and its leader middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson who led the team and most of the league in tackles (2nd in NFL).
Coach Klein was known for his offensive creativity however the Mud Dog offense was lack luster as Klein's confidence was shaky at best. His team’s only offensive weapon was (like the Browns) their kicker Derek Wallace (Lawrence Gillard Jr.). However it was the defense that carried the Louisiana Mud Dogs a trip to the Bourbon Bowl. The leader of that Defense was middle linebacker Bobby Boucher Jr. (Adam Sandler) whose relentless rage was the true bright spot of the team. Of course by the end of the film coach Klein was able to show off his expertise and designed plays that helped the offense score points and won the Bourbon Bowl. So I guess coach Klein wins that round.

Presentation and Personality
One thing I do miss about some of the former coaches that have been in Cleveland is their personality. For example I took a great deal of enjoyment out of Romeo Crennel’s press conferences. Even Butch Davis was wildly animated at times. But Pat Shurmur (even though he may be a good coach) has to be the dullest head coach in the NFL. His press conferences and demeanor on the sidelines is similar to watching grass grow.  Coach Klein on the other hand appears entertaining on the sidelines. It’s as if he isn’t exactly sure where he is but he is having fun and showing emotion even if it is rather odd.
So there you have the two coaches side by side. So if you were Mike Holmgren which would you choose to run your team? Coach Shurmur or Coach Klein? You can vote below.
On a small side note, doesn’t coach Farmer Fran in the film remind you of Dallas’s Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan? The resemblance is eerie.

Colt McCoy is a long shot to be starting QB for the Cleveland Browns

Michael W. Youngman--Lead Analyst C.B.R.

As OTA’s continue through the summer on their way to the preseason, there is once again a quarterback controversy growing in Berea. Everyone has weighed in including Tom Heckert, Mike Holmgren, and of course Pat Shurmur. The consensus from the trio is that this is a fair competition between incumbent starter Colt McCoy and 1st round draft selection Brandon Weeden. And just to be “extra” fair they have also pointed out that career backup Seneca Wallace is also in the race.
But in reality we all know that (short of him setting himself on fire), Weeden will be the Cleveland Browns starter at the outset of the 2012 season. The evidence has been clear from the start. The Browns have pursued many avenues during this offseason in regards to replacing McCoy. They attempted to trade with the Rams in order to go after Robert Griffin III, Discussed possibly trading for Sam Bradford, and finally the selection of Weeden in the 1st round. And just in case that’s not enough evidence to convince you of a lack of faith in McCoy, they also played with the idea of trading him during the draft. All of it adds up to this “open Competition” for the starting QB role being nothing more than an exercise in futility for McCoy.  So for those of you hoping to see #12 under center at the start of the season, here are four things more likely to happen the Colt McCoy being named the Cleveland Browns starting QB.

Chances of being killed by a vending machine 112 million to 1
Believe it or not there is an average of two deaths a year in the United States occurring as a result of being crushed by a vending machine. How exactly this occurs I can’t even begin to speculate, but in the future you should probably rethink snacking at the office.

Left-handed people dying because they are left handed 4.4 million to 1
How does a left-handed person die because their left handed? As it turns out approximately 2,500 southpaws die each year as a result of misuse of right-hand bias products such as power saws. And if that’s not bad enough a left-handed person lives on average 14 years less than right-handed people. I have heard that the Jets Mark Sanchez recently purchased a power saw for Tim Tebow. I’m sure Marks fingers are crossed.

Being struck by lightning 576,000 to 1
Obviously if the odds are 576,000 to one of being struck by lightning, the chances of it ever happening are remote, right? Don’t tell that to Roy Sullivan who was a former park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Between 1942 -1977 poor Roy was hit by lightning seven times and is recognized as the record holder in the “Guinness Book of World Records”. As an ironic side note, Roy’s middle name was Cleveland. If I’m lying may God strike me……………never mind.

Being on a flight with a drunk pilot 117 to 1
According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) statistics over the past decade, an average 12 pilots a year test positive for a blood alcohol level of over 0.04 percent. This average is out of a sample size of around 10,000 random tests a year. So does this mean that air turbulence is a real phenomenon, or just your pilot steering around a pink elephant?

At the end of the day Brandon Weeden will be given the opportunity over the incumbent starting quarterback Colt McCoy. Regardless of what any of the team’s coaches or personnel says, the Browns have chosen a different direction and that direction is Brandon Weeden.

http://www.clevelandbrownsreport.info/2012/05/colt-mccoy-is-long-shot-to-be-starting.html

Good backup quarterbacks are valuable, and Colt McCoy could be that for Cleveland Browns: Terry Pluto

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A large number of media people and fans keep insisting the Browns have to cut or trade Colt McCoy.

Why?

Because McCoy was the starter last year? Because a guy whose career record as a starter is 6-14 and he will "divide the locker room" if rookie Brendan Weeden takes his job?

Or because McCoy will be looking over Weeden's shoulder in practice?

No, he won't, unless McCoy is on a stepladder.

The fact is, watching McCoy and Weeden at the Browns' organized team activities, Weeden is the superior physical specimen. He is taller, wider and has the stronger, more accurate arm.

Anyone can see that, including McCoy and his teammates.

That's critical because players are bottom-line guys. They want to win and win now. If Weeden looks like the better player, they will want him to start -- regardless of how much they respect McCoy, or if they believe McCoy was not given a fair shot.

In pro sports, talent rules.

Is McCoy thrilled with being in camp, knowing the team is committed to Weeden?

Of course not.

Does he sense that, for all the talk of "competition" for the starting quarterback's job, it belongs to Weeden unless something drastic happens?

Yes, he does.

Does he like it?

Obviously not, but he handled questions about it professionally, trying very hard not to say anything controversial.

While he talked about earning a starting job as a high school and college quarterback, this is the first time in his life that McCoy knows someone else will take his spot in the lineup. That's never happened to him.

But it happens to most NFL quarterbacks at some point.

How many times has everyone from Derek Anderson to Frank Ryan to Rex Grossman to Ryan Fitzgerald to Kyle Orton to Vinnie Testaverde to Tim Couch been in and out of the lineup?

Yes, Tim Couch.

In 2002, the Browns were 9-7 and made the playoffs with Couch. But he was injured, and Kelly Holcomb had a huge playoff game during a loss in Pittsburgh. The next season, coach Butch Davis opened the year with Holcomb.

There was no outcry that Couch had to be traded. He stuck around, won the job back and eventually lost it again as his body was turned to raw meat after all the sacks and pounding of his early days with the Browns.

The rarity is the quarterback who starts and remains a starter for the same team for most of his career.

McCoy should realize that, just as he must know that no team was demanding his services -- or he would have been traded already.

So why should the Browns walk away from a 25-year-old quarterback who has started 20 games and should improve in his third season? The only reason to do so is if McCoy creates a distraction with his attitude, and that doesn't appear to be the case.

Besides, it's likely the backup will start some games -- no matter who opens at quarterback. Only once (Couch in 2001) did a Browns quarterback start all 16 games.

Yes, the Browns have Seneca Wallace, another veteran quarterback.

Weeden praised Wallace for being extremely helpful in the early days of camp, a good move for Wallace's career.

But if there is a choice between a 31-year-old Wallace making $3 million a year and McCoy at $550,000 -- remember, these contracts are not guaranteed -- why not go with McCoy? He is younger, cheaper and far more likely to take a step forward in his career than Wallace.

If McCoy is smart, he will "compete" for the starting job, embrace the backup role if that's his assignment, and the Browns would be wise to give him the chance to do so.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2012/05/good_backup_quarterbacks_are_v.html