Cleveland Browns 2011 Super Awesome In-Season Thread
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OQB
Reggie Bush would be an interesting decision....not sure the saints would cut him, but if that did happen I wouldn't mind seeing him in a Browns uniform. He is an excellent change of pace back from Hillis and Hardesty, and could lineup as a slot receiver in the WCO. Having him AND Cribbs back on Kickoff returns....man oh man that would be nice haha! -
OQB
Nice article....I knew that we were going to draft a QB late in the draft, Holmgren always does. I'd like to see them get Andy Dalton or Greg McElroy in the last few rounds.
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Crimson streak
Now that I look at aj green mire and more. I think he would be a great wco receiver. He is a truly rare player that can play really any system. If you watch some of his film he catches the ball over the middle very nicely, and he has the speed to score every time he touches the ball. On the other hand, defense is a glaring need. I would love the Patterson pick. -
BR1986FBNFL Scouting Combine: Browns analysis and potential targets
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 01:34 p.m. EST, Feb 23, 2011
The Browns' mission through March 1 is to evaluate athletes at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and fine-tune scouting reports in preparation for the draft in late April.
Browns coach Pat Shurmur and Co. know what they need, and their wish list is long. Now they must use a series of interviews and tests — physical, medical and psychological — to familiarize themselves with prospects.
''The evaluation of a draftable player is so important,'' Shurmur told the team's website, ClevelandBrowns.com. ''All of the information is there. It's just important that you get it and you evaluate if he's the right guy for you. That's a long process. I find it to be somewhat enjoyable getting to know the players that you're going to draft.
''It needs to be organized and done in a way where the coaches are involved as well as the personnel people who know the most about the players. You want to No. 1, find out about the players, see who they are and then you evaluate them based on how they played. The interaction we have with them, you'd like to see him react to certain situations and be able to evaluate that as accurately as possible.''
Here's a breakdown of the Browns' main needs and who they might watch closely at the combine:
Defensive line
Analysis: The Browns were already in the market for a young, high-profile pass rusher before they cut veteran linemen Shaun Rogers and Kenyon Coleman earlier this month, but those moves certainly have exacerbated this need. With new defensive coordinator Dick Jauron expected to employ a 4-3 scheme instead of the 3-4 system used by the Browns since 2005, they might be leaning toward using the sixth overall pick to select one of several elite defensive line prospects.
Potential first-round targets: tackles — Alabama's Marcell Dareus and Auburn's Nick Fairley; ends — Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers, North Carolina's Robert Quinn and Wisconsin's J.J. Watt.
Wide receiver
Analysis: The Browns need to complement quarterback Colt McCoy with a legitimate playmaking receiver as they switch to the West Coast offense. Therefore, they could be tempted to select Georgia's A.J. Green if he's available at No. 6. But if they go a different direction (probably defensive line) in the first round, they should still be able to pick a solid receiver early in the second round (37th overall).
Potential second-round targets: Pittsburgh's Jon Baldwin, Kentucky's Randall Cobb, Maryland's Torrey Smith and Boise State's Titus Young.
Right tackle
Analysis: The Browns recently cut John St. Clair, who started 10 games at right offensive tackle last season. Tony Pashos could be the starter in 2011 if he can rebound from foot surgery, though that might be a big ''if'' for a guy who has been placed on injured reserve two years in a row. There is no right tackle worthy of an early first-round pick this year, so the Browns might be able to address this need in the third round (70th overall) or later.
Potential middle-round targets: LSU's Joseph Barksdale, Pittsburgh's Jason Pinkston and Central Florida's Jah Reid.
Cornerback
Analysis: The Browns have Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown, but Eric Wright isn't signed for next season. Even though Haden excelled as a rookie, the secondary allowed way too many backbreaking passing plays. LSU's Patrick Peterson could become a wild card of sorts as the Browns debate whether they should select a defensive lineman or a wide receiver at No. 6. If Peterson is available, they might be lured into using their first pick on a defensive back for the second consecutive year. If not, they could look for help later.
Potential middle- and late-round targets: Citadel's Cortez Allen, Colorado's Jalil Brown, North Carolina's Kendric Burney, Virginia's Ras-I Dowling and Richmond's Justin Rogers.
Running back
Analysis: The Browns need a reliable backup to Peyton Hillis. This year's running back class isn't filled with stars, but it's deep.
Potential middle-round targets: Syracuse's Delone Carter, West Virginia's Noel Devine, Oklahoma State's Kendall Hunter, Kentucky's Derrick Locke, Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray, Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers and California's Shane Vereen.
Linebacker
Analysis: The Browns' expected switch to a 4-3 defense will call for more linebackers who fit the scheme. Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong can make the transition, but there's not much else on the roster in part because the contracts of David Bowens and Eric Barton have been terminated. The Browns could look at middle linebackers like Michigan State's Greg Jones or Illinois' Martez Wilson in the second round or choose to pursue several other candidates down the line.
Potential middle-round targets: middle linebackers — North Carolina State's Nate Irving, Oregon's Casey Matthews, Miami's Colin McCarthy, LSU's Kelvin Sheppard; outside linebackers — North Carolina's Bruce Carter, Washington's Mason Foster, Ohio State's Ross Homan, Nevada's Dontay Moch, North Carolina's Quan Sturdivant and Connecticut's Lawrence Wilson.
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BR1986FBNFL COMBINE PREVIEW: Front seven at the front of Browns' agenda
Published: Thursday, February 24, 2011
By JEFF SCHUDEL
[email protected]
INDIANAPOLIS - Now general manager Tom Heckert can get down to the business of rebuilding the front seven of the Browns defense in a way to satisfy himself, team president Mike Holmgren and new coach Pat Shurmur.
Not to imply in his first year with the Browns that as G.M. Heckert did anything other than draft the best players he could find for Eric Mangini in 2010, but the Browns did not draft a single linebacker last year. They waited until their last pick to take a defensive end. The end, Clifton Geathers, was cut before the season started.
The ends and linebackers Heckert and his scouting entourage will be reassessing at the NFL Scouting Combine starting today will be shaped differently than the ones he might have drafted for Mangini last year; those ends would have been in the 300-pound range. These ends will be smaller and quicker. The linebackers the Browns need in the 4-3 base alignment will have to be especially strong against the run.
“I think this year you're going to see a ton of underclassmen, especially defensively, go early in this draft,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. “The first round will probably be dominated by defense. Then I think the next two or three rounds you're going to see some more offensive players than defensive players. It's the best defensive end class I've seen.”
Mayock said eight or nine ends could go in the first round. The Browns could be one of the teams selecting an end. Robert Quinn from North Carolina, J.J. Watt from Wisconsin and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus from Alabama are names that have been linked to the Browns by various draft analysts.
The Browns, and the 31 other teams in the NFL, use the Combine to confirm what their scouting reports from the recent seasons have concluded. Teams depend on game film more than measurable coming out of Lucas Oil Stadium to set their draft boards.
In some cases, however, the Combine is very important. Robert Quinn is a prime example.
Quinn did not play in 2010 because the NCAA banished him for accepting two watches and a trip to Miami from an agent. He could not return to North Carolina to play his senior season because of the ban, so teams have to rely on tape from 2009 to see what he could do on a football field.
The Combine will give Quinn the chance to show scouts what he can do in a variety of drills. Even more important for him is the interviews he will go through team by team. He has to convince his future employer he isn’t selfish and that he can be a team player.
“I think as this draft gets closer, you're going to see Quinn’s name move higher and higher,” Mayock said. “He's a physical freak. He's probably best fitted in the four man front. You could probably make a Julius Peppers comparison if you want to stay within the same school he goes to. He's a special, special athlete. You've got to figure him out off the field. He's obviously got some baggage.”
Quinn, 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, posted 11 sacks as a sophomore with the Tar Heels in 2009. Some baggage can be overlooked if the player can get to the quarterback.
2011 Combine interview schedule:Thursday – Offensive linemen, punters, kickers, tight ends and long snappers.
Friday – Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers.
Saturday - Defensive linemen and linebackers.
Sunday – Defensive backs.
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BR1986FBCleveland Browns will select a quarterback in NFL draft, says Mike Holmgren
Published: Friday, February 25, 2011, 1:20 AM Updated: Friday, February 25, 2011, 7:48 AM
By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer
INDIANAPOLIS — What's a Browns draft without quarterback chatter?
Yes, the Browns intend to select a quarterback with one of their seven picks, said team President Mike Holmgren.
No, it won't be early in the draft on a quarterback who could compete with or displace Colt McCoy as the starter.
"I believe in the young guy we have," Holmgren said to The Plain Dealer on Wednesday.
But that won't stop Holmgren from examining the quarterbacks projected high in this draft, Blaine Gabbert of Missouri and Cam Newton of Auburn. Or the next rung of Jake Locker of Washington and Ryan Mallett of Arkansas.
"Oh, I'm going to talk to them," Holmgren said. "I like to watch the quarterbacks, anyway, you know. But those fellas probably will be drafted pretty high. But I think we have to talk to them all. We'll probably bring them in, do our work and see what happens."
It's prudent for a few reasons.
First, if Gabbert or Newton, or the others, just blow away Holmgren, he reserves the right to change his mind about the team's situation. Second, if one of the top two quarterbacks or both fall to the Browns at No. 6, they will have a better gauge of their worth in a trade-down. And third, knowing where Gabbert and Newton place in the draft order helps the Browns get a better read on which players might be available to them at No. 6.
If Gabbert and Newton fall off the board in the top-five picks, it drops a quality player to the Browns. At least three teams in the top five have the need to seriously consider taking a quarterback first -- Carolina at No. 1, Buffalo at No. 3 and Arizona at No. 5.
The trouble is, none of the quarterbacks is a no-brainer in the mold of recent high draft picks Sam Bradford (No. 1 in 2010), Matthew Stafford (No. 1 in 2009) and Matt Ryan (No. 3 in 2008).
"I think the four quarterbacks at the top of my list have got to be figured out," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock. "That is the key to this draft, as far as the marquee names.
"How do you figure these quarterbacks out? Who are they? What are they? Who is going to be a boom guy and who is going to be a bust guy?"
Mayock has questions about all the four quarterbacks on which he has first-round grades. Here's a snapshot of his evaluations:
•Gabbert has to show if he has the "football IQ" to transition from Missouri's spread offense to the sophistication of an NFL offense.
"It's a lot harder than people understand," Mayock said. "The footwork's completely different, the reads are completely different. So when I talk about football IQ, I talk about this kid's ability to transition from what he has been to what he needs to be, and how quickly can he get it done?"
• Newton's recent ill-advised statements about wanting to be a football "icon" underscored questions about where his head is. Newton averted an NCAA suspension after his father allegedly offered his services to schools to the highest bidder. Newton went on to claim the Heisman Trophy and lead Auburn to the BCS Championship.
Mayock said Newton's throwing mechanics are superior to "running quarterbacks" Vince Young and Tim Tebow.
"There are two questions to Cam Newton," Mayock said. "He comes out of a very simple pass offense at Auburn. Basically, one look and either the ball comes out or he comes on out. Can he process from an IQ perspective a complicated NFL pass offense? And number two, there's some baggage to the kid."
• Locker has a rocket arm, but is not very accurate or consistent.
"That's a really talented kid who has first-round potential but has struggled in the pocket," Mayock said. "A lot of people are writing him off, and I'm not. I think we have to do a bunch of homework on him."
• Mallett is in the same boat, with some added off-the-field baggage issues that may drop him in estimation.
"Ryan Mallett has unbelievable, God-given ability to throw a football," Mayock said. "And when he has a clear pocket and clear vision, there's nobody in the game better. But every time I get excited, he does something from a decision-making or an accuracy perspective that bothers me. The common denominator is when he goes bad it's because of pressure in the pocket."
Mayock's next wave of quarterbacks in this draft includes Andy Dalton of Texas Christian, Christian Ponder of Florida State, Ricky Stanzi of Lake Catholic and Iowa, and Colin Kaepernick of Nevada. Kaepernick's arm strength is on par with Newton's and Mallett's.
All of those college passers are projected to go in Rounds 2 and 3. If Holmgren is adamant in going forward with McCoy as the franchise quarterback, then taking a quarterback in Rounds 2 or 3 seems counterproductive to the Browns' many other position needs.
So if Holmgren waits for a later round to select a developmental prospect, the candidates may include Pat Devlin of Delaware, Greg McElroy of Alabama, Tyrod Taylor of Virginia Tech and T.J. Yates of North Carolina.
Of those, Devlin may be the one to watch as a possible Browns pick.
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BR1986FBGetting stronger key for McCoy
Former Browns executive sees promise in QB
By Marla Ridenour
and Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writers
Published on Friday, Feb 25, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS: Second-year quarterback Colt McCoy is ready to take the reins as the Browns' starter in 2011.
But NFL Network analyst Mike Lombardi, who served as Browns director of player personnel under coach Bill Belichick, said McCoy has some work to do in the weight room to be their answer long term.
Listed as 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, McCoy compiled a 2-6 record as a rookie with a passer rating of 74.5. He completed 60.8 percent and threw six touchdown passes but had nine interceptions, six in the final two games.
''I think Colt did a really good job for a young quarterback,'' Lombardi said Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. ''[As far as] durability, I think his body's got to get bigger, his body's got to get stronger, his arm's got to improve.
''He's got to follow the same thing that [Green Bay's] Aaron Rodgers did. Now he's got to take the next step forward. That's going to be difficult until he changes his body.''
Here's what Lombardi said on other Browns issues:
• At No. 6, should they pick Georgia receiver A.J. Green or a defensive lineman?
''I would prefer to pick a defensive lineman, the hardest thing to find in the draft,'' Lombardi said. ''But they need outside receivers. Them and Baltimore might be the two slowest teams in football.''
Would the Browns' expected switch to a 4-3 defense change your mind?
''Yeah, then you'd better make sure you have an end,'' Lombardi said. ''Then you've got to manipulate the players you have on the roster. It's not as easy to go from a 3-4 to a 4-3 as people think it is.''
• How high will North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn be selected, considering he was suspended last season?
''I think he'll go in the top five,'' Lombardi said. ''I think he's one of the best defensive linemen in the draft. I could see him being the first pick.''
Impressive passion
Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he chose Rob Ryan as his defensive coordinator in part because the organization wanted someone who is familiar with a 3-4 defensive scheme. But the presentation that Ryan, who served as the Browns' defensive coordinator the past two seasons, gave in his interview put him over the top.
''He came into my office, and he had a coat and tie on and his hair was nicely combed,'' Garrett said. ''He looked good, but we started talking about football. And about three minutes into the conversation, I've never seen a guy want to get out of a coat and tie more than this guy.
''So I said, 'Rob, just take that thing off.' So literally he [ripped off his coat], got rid of the tie, grabbed the pen and started going on the board, and it didn't take long. I was impressed by the effort. I was impressed by the coat and tie, and then I was equally impressed by [him] getting rid of it and getting going and really being who he is.''
First-time challenges
St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo knows Browns coach Pat Shurmur well. He also knows what it's like to transition from being an NFL coordinator to a first-time head coach.
Spagnuolo spent two seasons as the New York Giants' defensive chief before being hired by the Rams in 2009, while Shurmur had two years running the Rams' offense.
Asked about Shurmur's greatest challenge, Spagnuolo said, ''The immediate thing is you realize how many people rely on you every minute of every day. You might have a list of things that you're prepared to do in a daily routine, and you've got to realize that any time you've got to drop that at the service of other people. I don't know if Pat will feel the same way, but I know that was a challenge initially for me, realizing that you were there to serve everybody else. It might be early in the morning or late at night that you finally get around to do the things you thought you were going to get done.''
Shurmur's new role will seemingly be more arduous because he will also serve as offensive coordinator. Will it be tough for Shurmur to juggle responsibilities?
''I don't know that,'' Spagnuolo said. ''If you look around the league, other people have done it, and some people have done it real successfully. So I'm sure Pat's planning on doing the same thing.''
Good salesman
Browns offensive coordinator Brian Daboll wasted no time finding a landing spot after coach Eric Mangini was fired on Jan. 3. Although the Browns ranked 29th in offense and 31st in points scored in 2010, Daboll was hired to the same post by the Miami Dolphins on Jan. 14.
''Brian's track record was intriguing to us,'' Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland said. ''His history with quarterbacks. His history of being a defensive coach and an offensive coach. Coach [Tony] Sparano and myself were really impressed with how he put a plan together for our offensive players.
''I wasn't necessarily looking at what his production was with Cleveland. I know there were some things there that were different, but we've got different personnel. The way he presented his plan with us, with our personnel, was very impressive to us.''
Brownies
San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, who spent the past four years at Stanford, said he was never contacted by the Browns. . . . The Oakland Raiders placed the franchise tag on former Browns linebacker Kamerion Wimbley.
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BR1986FBBrowns CB Joe Haden visits team's facility to learn new defensive system
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 07:57 a.m. EST, Feb 24, 2011
Browns cornerback Joe Haden has been poking around the team's headquarters in Berea, trying to learn what he can about new defensive coordinator Dick Jauron's system. During an interview Wednesday with Pro Football Talk Live, Haden said he will return to the Browns' facility Thursday to cram before a potential lockout threatens his chances to study with the coaches.
"I went up and actually talked to the coaching staff," Haden said. "I met up with them probably a week ago and talked to coach (Pat) Shurmur for like 30 minutes. (I) talked to my position coach. They kept him, (defensive backs) coach Jerome Henderson, and that's one thing I was happy about a whole lot 'cause me, (safety) T.J. (Ward), (cornerback) Sheldon (Brown), we had a really good, really close relationship with our coach.
"(Henderson) was talking to me and Sheldon, and (he said) the (terminology) of the defense, like the way the defense is going to be called is going to be easier. And he just feels like the way that (the coaches) teach, we're going to have more individual time to learn. But he was talking like he really likes the way the defense is going to be run this year, and it made me definitely excited."
Haden expressed admiration for coach Eric Mangini, though he understands Browns President Mike Holmgren's choice to make a coaching change in early January.
"(Holmgren) told us that he really loved Mangini," Haden said. "He's a good coach. But he just wasn't what (Holmgren) was looking for, and Holmgren told us that he didn't come to the Browns to lose. That's one thing he doesn't want to do. Everywhere he goes, he wins."
Haden has faith the Browns will turn the corner because Holmgren is calling the shots. Haden said Holmgren earned his trust before the 2010 NFL Draft, in which the Browns selected Haden with the seventh overall pick.
"I definitely knew that they were interested (in drafting me)," Haden said. "Matter of fact, I had a sit-down with coach Holmgren on my visit. The Browns brought me in for a visit, so I met with him. He was like, 'Joe, just to let you know, we're very, very interested in you. Just to let you know, not trying to blow smoke, if the decision comes up to me, you're coming to the Browns at No. 7.' So once he told me that, I was like, 'Man, hopefully the decision comes to him.
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BR1986FBJoe Haden likes cornerback Patrick Peterson, receiver A.J. Green in NFL draft: Cleveland Browns Insider
Published: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 1:15 AM Updated: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 1:16 AM
By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
INDIANAPOLIS — Browns cornerback Joe Haden, a finalist for NFL Rookie of the Year, would be thrilled if the Browns could land either premier cornerback Patrick Peterson of LSU or top receiver A.J. Green of Georgia with the No. 6 pick in the draft.
"If Patrick gets all the way to No. 6, for sure we should get him," said Haden, who tied for fifth in the NFL with six interceptions. "It would almost be a no-brainer. The more talent the better. He's definitely a top-five talent. I've watched him and I really like him."
Browns General Manager Tom Heckert said the Browns wouldn't hesitate to take Peterson at No. 6 a year after picking Haden at No. 7.
"If there's a really good one, you're not gonna pass on him," Heckert said. "So I think corner is just as good a possibility as anything. I go back to Philadel phia, where we had Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor, two Pro Bowl corners. We drafted Lito [Sheppard] and Sheldon [Brown] one, two in the same draft. I wouldn't have any problem with that. I mean you've got to have three corners."
Haden, in a phone interview, said the 6-0, 220-pound corner has little downside.
"Patrick is fast, strong, he can jump, and he's an excellent cover corner," Haden said. "On top of that, his special teams play is amazing. He can punt return, kick return. If he's on the board at No. 6, it'd be a great upgrade for us. Me, T.J. Ward and Patrick in the secondary would be crazy."
Haden is also high on Green, whom he played against while at Florida.
"He was the best receiver I played against," Haden said. "He was tall, long and fast. Even though he's fast, he still has really good feet coming out of his breaks. He can go deep and he catches everything. He's a talent."
Haden likes Peterson and Green so much that he doubts they'll be there at No. 6.
"I'd be very surprised," he said.
Haden said secondary coach Jerome Henderson, a holdover from Eric Mangini's staff, told him the new defense is less complicated. "He said we'll be able to play a lot faster because there's a lot less to think about," said Haden.
Tenders coming: Heckert said the Browns will tender most of their four-to-six year veterans, making them restricted free agents. The players affected include linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, fullback Lawrence Vickers, cornerback Eric Wright, and safety Abe Elam. It's unclear if the tenders will hold up under a new collective bargaining agreement.
Dawson mum: Heckert has no idea if kicker Phil Dawson plans to sign his franchise tender, which will be for about $3.25 million. Dawson wanted to test the market and seemed primed for a fresh start.
"I have not talked to him," Heckert said. "I've tried to get a hold of him. I've spoken to his agent."
He said the Browns would love to sign him to a multiyear deal.
"Any time we've got a guy that we like and we want, we'd love to have him longterm," he said.
Wallace coveted: Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur want to re-sign Seneca Wallace, who's set to become an unrestricted free agent. Wallace said he wants a chance to start somewhere. They also said they wouldn't rule out having both Wallace and Jake Delhomme back. Delhomme would most likely have to take a pay cut from his $5.4 million base salary.
"We haven't had this discussion with Jake," Heckert said. "That will be something down the road that we talk to him about."
Heckert can and might talk to Wallace and other unrestricted free agents before the CBA expires Thursday.
"We want Seneca back. He knows that. I think he's at least open to it. So we'll have to wait and see," Heckert said. "He got a chance to play and played pretty well and got hurt."
Added Shurmur: "I'm a Seneca fan. He's a West Coast quarterback. I'm not thinking just about the wildcat. He can line up under center. He's done it for a lot of years in this system."
Heckert said it's not "super far out" to bring back both Wallace and Delhomme. "If not, you have to find another one," he said.
Shurmur said he likes Delhomme in the mentoring role for Colt McCoy.
"I saw it in St. Louis. A.J. Feely was outstanding for Sam Bradford," he said.
"When I had the chance to meet Jake, I sensed that. What I know about Jake, he's an outstanding person."
Jackson wanted: Heckert said the Browns want D'Qwell Jackson back despite season-ending pectoral injuries the past two years. The Browns are expected to restrict him for the second straight year. He said Jackson is better suited to the 4-3, which the Browns are switching to.
"I think he is and I think D'Qwell feels that way," he said. "He can play either one, a 4-3's probably better for him. He's not a huge guy inside. In a 4-3 he can play [middle linebacker] or [strongside linebacker]. He's just better suited body-type."
On Green: Heckert acknowledged a lot of teams pass on receivers in the top 10 because of the bust-factor. But Heckert and Shurmur didn't rule out Green, a potential gamebreaker.
"Explosive players on offense are what you're looking for," Shurmur said. "Obviously, he fits in that explosive player category."
Pashos set: Heckert said the Browns are set at right tackle with Tony Pashos, who went on injured reserve Oct. 20 with an ankle injury.
"We like Tony, we really do," Heckert said. "I thought Tony played really, really well before he got hurt. Tony's our starter."
Double H backfield: Shurmur said he can see Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty together in the backfield. "Obviously in traditional two-back sets you can have two halfbacks in there which we did quite a bit in Philadelphia when we had Correll Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook. You can still run traditional I-formation-type plays but use them and utilize them as either runners or pass-receivers."
He said both the tailback and fullback will need to have good hands.
Kelce ill: University of Cincinnati center Jason Kelce, a native of Cleveland Heights, suffered a bad case of stomach flu Monday that derailed his combine.
Kelce said he lost 15 pounds, dropping him to 280 on his official weigh-in, and had to cancel his bench-press Friday. He hopes to get some food down and be able to run for scouts today.
Kelce said teams assured him he won't lose his draft status as long as he recovers his strength and can work out at his pro day.
"Pretty much the worst [time to get sick]," Kelce said. "What I'm hearing from most teams is as long as I put the weight back on and work out at my pro day, it won't be a setback."
Scouting services project Kelce as a late-round pick.
Plain Dealer reporter Tony Grossi contributed to this report.
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BR1986FBCleveland Browns GM says Browns WR Brian Robiskie's future with team is bright
Published: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 9:58 PM Updated: Saturday, February 26, 2011, 10:22 PM
Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer
The future looks bright for Brian Robiskie in the West Coast offense.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Browns General Manager Tom Heckert thinks receiver Brian Robiskie, who came on strong at the end of last season, is a great fit for the new West Coast offense.
"I think Brian's got a great future for us, I really do,'' said Heckert. "He can catch the football, he's a bigger guy, I think he fits very, very well in what we're doing offensively. We run a lot of slants and shallow crossing routes and I think he's very, very good at that. I think he's going to be good for us.''
Heckert acknowledged the team saw progress with Robiskie, a second-round pick in 2009, as the season wore on. Of course, the receivers weren't involved in the offense as much as they will be in the new scheme.
"He didn't catch a ton of balls (29 for 310 yards and three TDs), but we saw improvement and I think he's got a chance to be a good player, I really do,'' said Heckert.
Heckert took exception to NFL Network's Mike Lombardi saying the Browns and Ravens are two of the slowest teams in the NFL receiver-wise.
"I don't think we have one blazing guy, but I don't think our receivers are slow by any stretch, I really don't," he said. "Both of those guys came out and ran pretty well. I don't know if we have a complete burner, but I don't see us as a slow wide receiver group.
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Commander of Awesome
I hope Heckert is right, Getting production out of Robo and MoMass would be really beneficial. I still have my doubts. -
Writerbuckeye
I've felt all along that the main problem with Cleveland's wideouts was at QB. By continuously changing who is throwing the ball, you can't possibly develop any timing or chemistry worth a damn.
Get a true burner into the WR rotation, and I think everyone improves dramatically -- again assuming we've got one QB consistently throwing the ball (hopefully McCoy).
Since Robo and Mo Mass were drafted, Cleveland hasn't had consistency at QB AND they've all been one slot out of position. With a burner at no. 1, and everyone shifting down, I think we will see dramatic improvement in production at all positions. -
BR1986FB
May also have something to do with the former head coaches (Mangini) ultra-conservative nature.Writerbuckeye;694579 wrote:I've felt all along that the main problem with Cleveland's wideouts was at QB. By continuously changing who is throwing the ball, you can't possibly develop any timing or chemistry worth a damn. -
SonofanumpI do not think Robo can get himself free against man coverage, he needs rubs or run in routes or find holes in zones.
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BR1986FBOk...you're going to be stunned so you might want to sit down before you read this. Today the Chicago Bears released Tommie Harris, Hunter Hillenmeyer and the IMMORTAL Kevin Shaffer.
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OQB
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OneBuckeye
I would take him, thats for sure. -
bases_loaded
OneBuckeye;694848 wrote:I would take him, thats for sure.
Someone will overpay for him...hip surgery...ehhh..I want him for the right price. If the Vikings didn't tag him that tells me they worry about the hip. -
OneBuckeye
Clinton Portis was also released today.
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OQB
The Viking have a lot of guys who were key components to their success with contracts ending...with the head coach being defensive minded, I think that's why they kept more of the defensive guys and let rice test fa...
I wouldn't mind getting him. -
bucki would stay away from rosenhaus clients, seems like his clients are always over paid.
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se-alum
Doesn't that mean you think he can get open against man coverage?Sonofanump;694732 wrote:I do not think Robo can not get himself free against man coverage, he needs rubs or run in routes or find holes in zones. -
Sonofanumpse-alum;694883 wrote:Doesn't that mean you think he can get open against man coverage?
No he needs help to run against man, his breaks are slow and he has a tendency to push off on out routes. -
OQB
Was titus young at the combine and if so, what were his numbers?
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se-alum
Sonofanump;694953 wrote:No he needs help to run against man, his breaks are slow and he has a tendency to push off on out routes.
By not thinking some can't, means that you think they can.Sonofanump wrote:I do not think Robo can not get himself free against man coverage