Ben Watson Receives Praise

In ESPN's latest positional power rankings, Browns tight end Ben Watson earned a single solitary vote as the seventh-best tight end in the NFL. In an earlier ranking, Peyton Hillis also earned a single solitary vote to be placed among the top ten running backs. I don't think any Browns fan is surprised to see these two earn some praise, as sometimes it seemed that they were the only bright spots in an otherwise depressing year. As James Walker says in his AFC North blog, Watson may be in position to have an even better year next season in Pat Shurmur's West Coast offense.

In other Browns news, DT Nick Fairley and QB Colin Kaepernick have both worked out for the Browns. Fairley may very well be gone before our first pick and Kaepernick is projected to be a second rounder, which might be earlier than Holmgren wants to draft a quarterback to develop. However, gathering information is a good thing, and hopefully the Browns staff can glean some useful nuggets of knowledge from these workouts.

I apologize for not posting as often as I have been, hopefully I'm back on track now and I hope you'll stay tuned for more Browns news, updates, and opinions.

Surviving the Lockout in Cleveland

And boom went the dynamite. The lockout has begun, the Players' Union is no more, and we must now prepare for the potentially long winter ahead of us without football activities. How will the Browns handle the changes in their offseason schedule? New starting quarterback Colt McCoy cannot study the playbook to get a leg up on his new offense. Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson cannot study the playbook for the new defense he will be leading next fall. Veteran kicker Phil Dawson can still kick as many footballs as he wants in his backyard. So it's not all doom and gloom, even though the Browns will probably be one of the hardest hit teams by the lockout.

I'm not the first to say this, and I'm sure I won't be the last, but this lockout is really bad timing for the Cleveland Browns. Three new coordinators in Cleveland, a new offense, a new defense, a new head coach, and who-knows-how-many new players to add to the mix all mean that the Browns will have a lot of catching up to do before they can realistically compete with the top teams in the AFC North. Fortunately for us fans, the Browns are at the beginning of our latest rebuilding effort so it's not like we were going to contend for the division title anyways. How's that for some optimism? Unlike how Bengals fans must have felt last season, we can begin preparing ourselves for another 4-12 season right now instead of realizing it halfway through the 2011 season! Isn't that something to be proud of?

On the upside, young Colt McCoy was able to gain some valuable experience last season so at least he has something to work off of heading into next season. Fan favorite Peyton Hillis, who wore down at the end of last year, should be very happy about having more time to rest his legs in preparation for another physical season. Running back is a position that doesn't require as much time to catch up as other positions, and Hillis is already well suited to a pass-first offense. Recent second-round picks Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi should spend their free time working on improving their hands, but they will be a little behind in trying to grasp the West Coast offense concepts because of the lockout. Tight ends Ben Watson and Evan Moore should actually benefit a little from having more time off. Watson is a veteran player from New England, so he should be familiar with pass-heavy offenses and Moore can probably use as much time as possible to make sure he is healthy for next season. The offensive line is made up of veterans and smart young players like Alex Mack. Second-year guard Shawn Lauvao is the only inexperienced lineman on the roster that could see significant playing time next year.

The defensive line and linebacking corps will also have a lot of catching up to do to become acquainted with new coordinator Dick Jauron's scheme. These front seven players have the most transitioning to do as they must now learn how to play the 4-3. Veterans Scott Fujita and Matt Roth have experience playing in this scheme, so hopefully they can help the younger guys learn their new positions quickly. The defensive backfield will be the spot least affected by the scheme change, as Jerome Henderson, the defensive backs coach, was one of the few members of Eric Mangini's staff that was retained. There will be some schematic differences that affect them because of the scheme change, but not as much as other positions on the field.

As far as overall strategies are concerned, the Browns are in a pretty good place regarding the lockout. While there will be no free agency until more progress is made on the CBA, the draft will still go ahead as planned. As teams like the Ravens, Steelers, and Green Bay Packers have demonstrated, it is wise to build through the draft and that is exactly what czar Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert will be doing this offseason. So far there have been rumors of many private workouts being held for the Browns, including one for high-profile prospect Cam Newton. As we all know, Holmgren loves working with quarterbacks and any insider info he can glean from a workout can only help us in the future, even if we don't draft a quarterback high in the draft. Overall, I think the concerns about the Browns are a little overblown. Yes, the lockout will hurt, but we are rebuilding anyways so going from a potential 6-10 team to a 4-12 team is not that much of a difference, even for long-suffering Browns fans.

As always, stay tuned and keep your fingers crossed for a new CBA.

Browns Roundup

Photo courtesy of Cleveland.com.

For the first time in a while, it feels like it's actually been a busy week in the football world. Labor negotiations are ongoing, and some progress has reportedly been made. The NFL Combine started yesterday, franchise tags have been thrown around all over the place, and some free agents have already changed teams. It's a fun time.

The Browns have not been standing still while all of this is going on. Longtime Cleveland kicker Phil Dawson received the franchise tag, which will keep him in brown and orange for at least one more year.



Josh Cribbs was involved in a PR uproar involving less-than-beloved Lebron James.



Mike Holmgren has been in the news for his comments about quarterbacks and the team's draft needs. Holmgren still has his support fully behind young Colt McCoy, but he will also be meeting with other quarterbacks in the draft. This will help him gauge their value in potential trade-downs. He is also well-known for selecting a quarterback at some point in nearly every draft he's been a part of. Holmgren also wants "a home-run hitter." To me, that means A.J. Green and I would be ecstatic if that came to pass. However, Green is hardly the only "home-run hitter" in this year's draft.


It's getting to be a busy time in the NFL, so check back soon for more updates and news.

Browns Draft Strategy?

Photo courtesy of cleveland.com.

If you hadn't noticed already, I love to talk about the draft. The strategies, the rankings, the projections, the massive overload of numbers, statistics, measurements, and Wonderlic Tests is fascinating. So today we're going to take a look at potential draft strategies for the Browns.

Best Player Available (BPA)
This strategy is probably most often used by teams that are winning organizations and are drafting lower in the first round. They often don't have any glaring holes in their roster, which gives them the luxury of stockpiling talent and figuring out how to best utilize that talent later. The Patriots seem to be masters of this strategy. This is also a good strategy for teams that are extremely bad and have many gaping holes to fill, so they might as well grab the best player that will make the most impact. For example, see Lions (2009 draft) and Rams (2010 draft). Both teams had (and have) many holes to fill, but they each took the best player on their draft boards. If you're in a hole, you've got to start digging somewhere, right?

Drafting for Need
This strategy is most useful when a team has just one or two weak spots to fill, and they take the player that best fills that weak spot no matter where they are in the draft. This strategy can often lead to "reaching" for a pick that a team may have been able to acquire later, or it can lead to endless trading down to stockpile picks and still get the player that fills the one weakness. Former Browns coach Eric Mangini appeared to use this strategy in the 2009 draft. The coaching staff had decided that center was an area of need, and instead of taking the best player available (which wouldn't have filled that particular need) or reaching for center Alex Mack, the Browns traded down in the first round, acquired more assets, and still were able to draft Mack as the 21st overall pick.

In addition to these two main strategies, there are endless combinations and permutations of these plans that a team will use depending on their needs, the current draft class, and the preferences of their coach and general manager.

Now that we all understand what could happen, what do we all think will happen? With Eric Mangini calling the shots, it appeared that he preferred to draft for need. We don't have a long history to look at, but that seemed to be his strategy with his selections of Mack in the first round, Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi in the second round, and rush linebackers later in the draft. Based on the production of most of the players from that draft, I think it's safe to say that many of them were reaches that Mangini took based on need.

With GM Tom Heckert, coach Pat Shurmur, and president Mike Holmgren at the helm, I think the Browns will be taking a BPA-oriented strategy. In the 2010 draft, with Mangini, Heckert, and Holmgren, BPA happened to line up pretty well with team need as the Browns took Joe Haden, Montario Hardesty, T.J. Ward, and Colt McCoy in the first three rounds. I believe the selection of Colt McCoy in the third round is very important, because the Browns selected the best player left in the draft at that point despite having just brought in Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. I believe this shows just who was calling the shots in 2010, and how they are likely to decide in 2011 and beyond. The 2010 draft also shows a lot of balance between offense and defense, and Tom Heckert's past drafts in Philadelphia also seem to be very balanced in that regard.

I'm usually a supporter of departed coach Eric Mangini, but I will admit that Tom Heckert is a better draft decision-maker for the Browns. For this year's draft, taking the best player available is our best option at pick #6. The draft is still too far away to have a really good idea of what's going to happen in picks one through five, but those picks will have a huge impact on who the Browns choose. In my opinion (as well as ESPN's Scouts Inc.), the top four prospects in this draft are Patrick Peterson, A.J. Green, Da'Quan Bowers, and Nick Fairley, in no particular order. After that I believe there is a clear drop-off to the second-tier . If any of those top four players fall to the Browns' pick at #6, it would be wise to snatch him up immediately. If more than one of them are still available (a distinct possibility), then there will be decisions to make. Personally, I would rank them on my draft board with A.J. Green first, Da'Quan Bowers second, Nick Fairley third, and Patrick Peterson fourth. Their talent levels are all extremely high and difficult to differentiate, but this order gives more priority to positions of need for the Browns.

If the worst-case scenario comes to pass and the top four are off the board by the time the Browns' pick rolls around, then I would suggest trading down a few picks while aiming to take somebody like Julio Jones or J.J. Watt. This strategy would basically mirror Mangini's 2009 draft strategy. To extend the comparison even further, we could dangle Blaine Gabbert and/or Cam Newton (if either or both are available) in front of teams like San Francisco, Tennessee, Washington, Minnesota, or Miami. Much like Mangini dangled Mark Sanchez in front of the Jets, Heckert and Holmgren could potentially entice a QB-needy team (and there are plenty) to take the 6th pick off of our hands in exchange for their first rounder and a late-round pick or two. If there are no takers, then I would advise taking the best player remaining from the second-tier choices. Marcel Dareus and Robert Quinn would be likely picks at this point. However, I don't expect it to reach this point. If the top four prospects are gone, then at least one of the highly-rated quarterbacks will still be around to use as a pawn in Holmgren's chess match.

Another factor to consider, as discussed here by Mike Mayock of NFL Network, is the extraordinary depth of quality defensive linemen in this year's draft. The Browns could probably find a capable starter in the second round or perhaps later, while wide reciever talent in this draft doesn't seem to offer the same options. However, with the NFL Combine in a week and a long time until the draft, much could change. That's one of my favorite parts of the draft experience. Stocks can rise and fall repeatedly, because of the combine and pro days and character reports and injuries and so many other factors, anything can happen.

As always, stay tuned for more Browns coverage. Also, I reserve the right to change my mind about any of this stuff for any reason. I'm a fickle sports fan and I always remember the last highlight film I saw the best. Youtube has already managed to make me change my mind three times today, so it promises to be a fun couple of months until all of this gets sorted out once and for all (for a year, that is.)

Browns Notes and Randomness

Photo courtesy of cleveland.com.




Recently-released Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers has been busy this week. He has already visited Washington and Kansas City, and he hopes to eventually be signed by Houston. In his radio interview, he spoke glowingly of departed defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Like many fans and players, myself included, Rogers liked Ryan's excitement and energy level that he brought to the defense.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay now believes the Browns will select Marcel Dareus, DT from Alabama. McShay believes that, when healthy, Dareus is a more complete player than projected number one overall draft pick Nick Fairley. It's not exactly relevant to his success on the field, but it would be interesting to see Dareus reunited with Colt McCoy, whose season he ended in the BCS Championship Game. Dareus is a capable pass rusher and has the versatility to play in many schemes. He could conceivably fill the (large) hole vacated by Shaun Rogers.

While head coach Pat Shurmur is in his first head coaching gig, the Browns have two other coaches with head coaching experience. Defensive coordinator Dick Jauron and senior defensive assistant Ray Rhodes. Both have also been awarded Coach of the Year honors in previous seasons. This combination of new blood and experience should bode well for the Browns in the coming years.

GM Tom Heckert took some veiled potshots at departed coach Eric Mangini. In order to give credit where it is due, I didn't take much note of this article until I read this piece at Waiting for Next Year by Craig Lyndall. I agree with the vast majority of Craig's take on the subject, and I'm getting sick of hearing potshots going back and forth from current Browns personnel and former Browns personnel. It seems like it never ends.

The last I heard, there has been no significant changes with the CBA negotiotiations. I'm starting to get a little discouraged due to the complete lack of movement, but I'm still optimistic that there will be football in 2011. Time will tell. As always, stay tuned for more news and analysis.

Browns Free Agents

It's been a slow news weekend for the Browns, but here's an interesting little article from Cleveland.com. The most interesting thing that I took away from the article was the list of key players still on their roster, and their contract status. The Browns have fifteen "key players" that are not under contract for the 2011 season (assuming there is one.)

This list includes:
QB Seneca Wallace
RG Floyd Womack
FB Lawrence Vickers
RB Mike Bell
WR Chansi Stuckey
TE Evan Moore
DE Robaire Smith
DE Brian Schaefering
DE Jayme Mitchell
LB Matt Roth
LB Marcus Benard
LB Jason Trusnik
CB Eric Wright
S Abram Elam
K Phil Dawson

This list includes a lot of players that could help out our new defensive and offensive schemes, but there are some that surely won't be brought back. I would expect more cuts from the linebacking corps, since former coach Mangini chose to have so many on his roster and the new scheme doesn't rely as heavily on linebackers as Mangini's 3-4 defense. I would also expect some turnover at the quarterback position as coach Shurmur gets someone he is familiar with to mentor Colt McCoy. There have been rumors that Lawrence Vickers will not be brought back because he doesn't fit the West Coast offense that our team will be running, but surely his blocking abilities will be missed if he is not retained.

Until a new Collective Bargaining Agreement is ironed out between the owners and the NFL Players Association, don't expect much to be decided. Hopefully the CBA is put into place quickly so we can all get back to worrying about fun stuff, like free agency and the draft. Until then, we'll wait. As always, feel free to comment and check back soon.

Browns Getting Younger

Browns coach Pat Shurmur will go without an offensive coordinator in his first year as head coach. Image courtesy of Chuck Crow of the Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com.

In keeping with the theme of change this offseason, the Browns have released six veteran players. The six players released yesterday were TE Robert Royal, NT Shaun Rogers, RT John St. Clair, DE Kenyon Coleman, LB David Bowens and LB Eric Barton. None of them are under 30 years old, so this will open up more room for younger players. Coleman, Barton, and Bowens came with Mangini from New York. Shaun Rogers is the biggest name on this list, but he has underachieved the last two seasons after his best year in 2008. The losses of Rogers and Kenyon Coleman reduce depth on the defensive line, but open up spots for defensive linemen that fit a 4-3 scheme better. Robert Royal is best known for his amazing lack of hands, but he was a reliable veteran presence. Bowens had some outstanding moments last season (his two interception game in New Orleans), but the 33-year old would likely not have been able to earn playing time this season. For the most part, the release of these veterans is not unexpected and they will not be missed very much. As a fan, I thank them for their efforts and I wish them the best, but it's time for the Browns to move on.





ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay projects the Browns to take Marcel Dareus, DT from Alabama. The entire draft is Insider Only, but ESPN AFC North blogger James Walker broke down the relevant picks for us. The release of some veteran linemen definitely opens the door for a young, dominant defensive lineman. We will likely see more predictions like this one as long as A.J. Green, WR from Georgia, is expected to go to the Bengals to appease Carson Palmer. As Walker points out, both Cleveland and Cincinatti need dynamic pass rushers at the defensive end spots.





As expected, head coach Pat Shurmur has declared that he will run the offense this year. Shurmur spoke at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards show. For those that remember Eric Mangini's controversial treatment of Shaun Rogers when Mangini arrived in Cleveland, there are no such issues with coach Shurmur. He met with Josh Cribbs at the event, and he believes the two are on the same page. Hopefully the fact that our coach introduces himself to players will allow our team to be successful this season.





This doesn't involve the Browns, but Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle was quoted as saying "there were times where we hope [Michael Vick] gets hurt." Buehrle is a well-known animal rights activist, so obviously his morality is above questioning while Michael Vick is a well-known felon. Buehrle said that "something bad needs to happen to these guys." Being imprisoned for 19 months is not enough of a punishment according to Buehrle, so vigilante justice from the NFL's linebackers is probably a more fitting punishment that will make Buehrle feel better. I won't pretend to be impartial on this subject, because Vick was caught, sentenced, imprisoned, and (hopefully) rehabilitated. He has paid his debt to society, as decided by a judge and jury. Dogfighting is a horrific crime that should be stopped entirely, and Michael Vick is now doing his part to help put an end to it. He has raised awareness of the issue and he has been speaking in schools about the horrors of dogfighting. Education and awareness are the best preventative measures that will keep this form of cruelty from occurring. Hopefully these actions will help change the culture that sees dogfighting as acceptable, and will move that culture in a more positive direction.





Agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment. Around Pro Football welcomes all commenters to share their opinions.

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!

January Doldrums and Browns News

Well, this is about the time of year where Browns news is slowing down. Everyone is focused on the Super Bowl that's coming up, free agency has yet to start, and the draft is still pretty far away. However, there are still a few headlines worth bringing up.

First of all, the Browns hired Chris Tabor as the new special teams coordinator. He has been an assistant on the Bears special teams staff for the last three years, and is highly thought of by head coach Pat Shurmur. That leaves the offensive coordinator position as the last major open spot on the coaching staff.

Jerry Jones has glowing things to say about his new defensive coordinator, Rob Ryan. As Cleveland fans, I'm sure we can all agree that Rob Ryan definitely leaves an impression on a team and a fanbase. I thought it was great to see a guy with so much passion leading our defense. I think he'll do very well in Dallas, especially with the increased amounts of talent they have on defense.

Ben Watson spoke in a chat on ESPN.com about the coaching situation, the Super Bowl, and the labor situation. He believes that stability is a key factor in a team's success. He's also picking the Packers to win the big game.

Speaking more about the draft, Mel Kiper believes the Browns should take either A.J. Green or DE Robert Quinn at #6. Either player would fill a huge need. Quinn is a force as a pass rusher, even though he was forced to sit out a year. A.J. Green would add playmaking ability to our receiving corps.

In completely unrelated news, the Buckeyes have the nation's top-ranked basketball team and punctuated that with a resounding victory over the Purdue Boilermakers last night. Go Bucks!

As always, feel free to weigh in using the comments and stay tuned for more news and analysis. Also, follow me on Twitter @legoman0721.