Monday's Roundup: Browns Have No OC

Good morning Browns fans. As you're all recovering from your Pro Bowl parties yesterday, I'm sure that you will be very interested in learning that the Browns will not have an offensive coordinator next season. Head coach Pat Shurmur will be calling the plays, as has been previously stated, and new quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple will work closely with Colt McCoy. Whipple has an impressive resume' that includes an NCAA Division 1-AA national championship, many offensive records at many different schools, and significant work with Ben Roethlisberger when he came into the league. Most recently he was the offensive coordinator of the Miami Hurricanes, where they finished 33rd in the nation in total offense.

In other coaching news, the Browns have reportedly hired Bill Davis to coach the linebackers. He has most recently been the defensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals. Davis brings 19 years of experience to his new job, and he returns to his familiar stomping grounds in Cleveland. He was on the coaching staff in the same role under head coach Chris Palmer in 1999.

There's not much to say about the Pro Bowl, other than the fact that Joe Thomas made lots of money for his third consecutive Pro Bowl (a $1.5 million bonus) and Alex Mack recorded multiple tackles (only one is shown in the box score though) as well as his first known receiving touchdown! If you don't believe it, here's the video:

Alex Mack Rumbles for the Score!

It may not have been all that legitimate and it may have been on a lateral, but he looked pretty svelte rumbling for 40 yards and diving into the end zone. Maybe we should work in some Center End Around plays for this season...

Should the Browns make an offer to the Eagles for QB Kevin Kolb? According to Cleveland.com, about %75 of Browns fans say no, and I agree. I like where Colt McCoy is going, and I think the asking price is too high for Kolb.

Coming up on Wednesday will be my opinions on this year's Senior Bowl, with a few facts thrown in just to cover my bases. As always, the comments are open and check back soon!

Bills Win "Other" Lottery Draft

Years ago, when I was a wee lad, I loved the Senior Bowl. I got to see my favorite players from my favorite college team, the University of Maryland, do battle against the best players in the land. Well, times change and these days most of the best college players leave for the NFL before their senior season. While the Senior Bowl may have less talent these days, it still is popular (today's game is sold out) and coaches still scout the Senior Bowl players very heavily.

What does this have to do with an "NFL Draft" you ask? Believe it or not, the NFL holds a lottery to see which two NFL teams' coaching staffs get to coach in the game. That's right, NFL teams are drafted to coach in the Senior Bowl! Basically, the NFL starts at the bottom of the league (in terms of won-loss record) and works its way up. Teams can decline to provide a coaching staff, if they choose.

This year, the two bottom feeders did decline. Neither of these two teams (which the NFL considers worse than the Buffalo Bills) currently have a head coach. And with no head coach the state of the teams' assistant coaches is also in disarray. So when the NFL asked the Bills to coach one of the squads, Head Coach Chan Gailey jumped at the chance.

The NFL decides which team is assigned to which squad. Apparently, the south team is more coveted as scouts believe there is more talent from southern collegiate programs. While most fans assume the NFL coaching staffs are game planning and installing a system for the game (which they are), they actually do much more. In reality, the two Senior Bowl coaching staffs can run their own personal combines.

While preparing for the game the coaches can run drills to test individual players. The coaching staffs can also have players run plays to see how they perform in certain schemes and situations. They can even have them practice in different positions to see if they can handle spots that they didn't play in college. Lastly, the coaching staffs get an enormous amount of time to get to know the players individually. Yessir, nothing like having your own personal mini camp with the best seniors in the land!

The Bills got the coveted south squad. Here's hoping Chan Gailey and his new staff (minus Dave Wannstedt who stayed in Buffalo to evaluate the current Bills roster - poor, poor, Davey Boy) unearth a few finds in the practices leading up to the game. Heaven knows the Bills need all the help they can get!