Cleveland Browns Offseason Talk

• Shook_12

  freddie barnes for sure. he is a solid kid.
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Oh ok, I just saw his name on the undrafted FA list on SC. Must not be updated.
• BR1986FB

  If you look at what they have done in free agency and this draft, they have actually built some depth with rooks & vets in several areas.
  
  QB- 2 veterans & 1 rookie (not counting Ratliff)...Delhomme & Wallace aren't world beaters but I expect them to buy time for McCoy to learn
  
  RB- what was a question mark may now be a strength. I expect Hardesty to be their feature back with Harrison & Hillis sharing the load. Vickers will block and James Davis could see periodic touches. "Rocky Balboa" (Chris Jennings) will likely be gone.
  
  WR- still pretty pathetic. Hope to see them add a veteran sometime soon.
  
  TE- Watson, Royal and Evan Moore. Nothing spectacular but Watson should be a safety valve for Delhomme.
  
  OL- Still a little thin. Love the selection of the kid from Arizona State. I expect him to start pretty quickly. Would have liked to have seen another O-Lineman selected.
  
  D-Line- another area of weakness, IMO. This group is aging and needs a serious infusion of youth. I expect to see that in the 2011 draft, along with WR.
  
  LB- I think we have a ton of depth here. No real terrorizing "impact" type guys but a bunch of blue collar, lunch pail guys that will get the job done.
  
  DB's- this area received a serious infusion of talent with Haden & Ward and the Sheldon Brown trade. The team had 40 sacks last year and with these new guys I expect that to improve. The secondary will allow Rob Ryan to take more chances with blitzing linebackers and exotic schemes.
  
  With that being said, do I expect them to be competitive? Yes. Do I expect them to be a threat for the AFC North? No. Until I see different (with their offseason additions), the Ravens will be the team to beat in this division with the Bengals & Steelers behind them in that order.
  
  I will say that that drafting Hardesty & Lauvao says to me that we will run, run and run some more on offense. You may see some WCO but I think this is Mangini & Daboll's "baby" offensively.
• royal_k

  

  I agree with your assessments for the most part.
  
  I think the TE position is very strong with the addition of Watson, and Evan Moore caught everything within 5ft of him last year.
  
  They won with the running game (last 4 games) last season, and with the addition of Hardesty, they should be better.
  
  The OL is solid. If we get any kind of QB and WR play, the offense should be very competitive.
• BR1986FB

  The problem at TE is the blocking. Watson couldn't block a Pop Warner player but can catch, somewhat. Royal can block but can't catch. And Moore (good hands, can't block) probably will be pushed into the background knowing Mangini.
  
  It seemed like when Mangini's back was against the wall and he had nothing to lose, he let down his guard and played the young guys who were hungry. If he does this from Game 1 we have a fighting chance.
• pkebker

  We definitely have made serious strides this offseason and addressed some serious weaknesses. Some areas we will need to address next season is WR, TE, DL, and OL (right side still can be improved). It also would be nice to infuse some attitude into the LB corps.
• BR1986FB

  Browns Draft: Three New Starters?
  
  By The Sports Xchange
  
  Posted Apr 26, 2010
  
  TSX looks at the Browns first draft under their new brain trust. Here's an objective look at the Browns haul and what to expect from their new players...
  
  DRAFT REVIEW
  
  The Browns went into the draft with holes to fill on both sides of the ball and came out of it with at least three potential starters.
  
  In the third round they took who they hope will be their quarterback of the future in Colt McCoy, but he will not have the immediate impact of cornerback Joe Haden, safety T.J. Ward and running back Montario Hardesty. All three could start.
  
  The key to this draft is whether Ward and Hardesty can stay healthy. Each had a history of injuries in college.
  
  BEST PICK: Cornerback Joe Haden: The secondary was abysmal last season. The Browns missed safety Eric Berry by two picks, but they got the best cornerback in the draft. The Browns are not discouraged by a slow 40-yard dash time at the combine. He should be an immediate starter at right corner. He is a better tackler than Brandon McDonald, who started 10 games last season.
  
  COULD SURPRISE: Offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao: Seven picks after they drafted Colt McCoy, about a half an hour later, the Browns drafted Lauvao from Arizona State. The McCoy buzz drowned out coach Eric Mangini's praise of Lauvao, who could challenge for a starting job at right guard. Lauvao has a defensive background. He has a good base and won't give ground.
  
  A closer look at the Browns' picks:
  
  Round 1/7 -- Joe Haden, CB, 5-11, 193, Florida
  
  The Browns ranked 29th in the NFL in pass defense last season. They traded for CB Sheldon Brown, but wanted more. When safety Eric Berry went fifth, the Browns took the best corner in the draft two picks later.
  
  Round 2/38 -- T.J. Ward, FS, 5-11, 208, Oregon
  
  Safety was the biggest need on defense. Ward has a reputation as a hard hitter, but he also has a history of knee injuries. He had only three interceptions in college. The Eagles took safety Nate Allen one pick before the Browns took Ward.
  
  Round 2/59 -- Montario Hardesty, RB, 5-11 1/2, 225, Tennessee
  
  The Browns look at Hardesty as "a banger" and plan to make him their feature back. After a series of knee injuries he started 13 games and rushed for 1,345 yards last season.
  
  Round 3/85 - Colt McCoy, QB, 6-2, 212, Texas
  
  Before the draft McCoy said if he could hand-pick his destination it would be Cleveland because of Mike Holmgren. McCoy will learn behind Jake Delhomme. McCoy completed 70.3 percent of his passes at Texas.
  
  Round 3/92 -- Shawn Lauvao, OL, 6-3, 305, Arizona State
  
  Lauvao can play guard or tackle. The Browns could use an upgrade at right guard and right tackle. He's a smart player. He graduated in 3 1/2 years with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and is close to earning his Masters.
  
  Round 5/160 -- Larry Asante, SS, 5-11, 210, Nebraska
  
  Asante is tough and physical. He'll play special teams.
  
  Round 6/177 -- Carlton Mitchell, WR, 6-3, 215, South Florida
  
  Mitchell is a big target at a position of need. The knock on him is he uses his chest to catch the ball too much.
  
  Round 6/186 -- Clifton Geathers, DE, 6-7, 299, South Carolina
  
  Geathers left school after his junior season. He is raw.
  
  --The Browns put more beef in their depleted secondary when they used the seventh pick in the draft on Joe Haden from the University of Florida, universally regarded as the best cornerback in the draft.
  
  "He's a green sticker guy," coach Eric Mangini said. "He's smart, tough, hard-working, competitive, somebody who is selfless and somebody who football means something to. If they have all those things, which our scout's grade, then we gives them a green sticker."
  
  Earlier this month the Browns swapped a fourth-round pick and a fifth-round pick to the Eagles for cornerback Sheldon Brown and linebacker Chris Gocong.
  
  Haden, speaking in a conference call from New York 15 minutes after the Browns drafted him, said at first he was worried his slow time in the 40 would hurt his draft status. Browns general manager Tom Heckert wasn't concerned. In fact, he said he was impressed because Haden aggravated a back injury during the bench press but was willing to run at the combine anyway.
  
  When Haden ran for the Browns at the Gators pro day he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds. If the Browns had any doubts they were erased.
  
  "I knew I had another chance," Haden said Thursday night. "At the end of the day the scouts I talked to said, 'Joe, you don't look 4.5 on film. You look a lot faster.
  
  "I definitely had a good idea when I talked to coach (Mike) Holmgren, he was interested in taking me at no. 7. When I left my visit to Cleveland earlier this month), I didn't talk to anybody from Cleveland, I didn't know if they stopped liking me or what happened."
  
  Mangini said incumbent starting cornerback Eric Wright, Brown and Haden will compete for the two starting jobs at cornerback. The one who does not start would be the nickel back. Mangini said he has no plans to convert Brown to safety permanently.
  
  "You can never have too many good corners," Mangini said. "A lot of teams we play have a lot of good receivers. We'll probably be in a lot of multiple defensive back sets, whether that's three corners or some combination of that.
  
  "I have used corners to play safety that have covered the slot receiver. The one thing Joe gives us is depth at the position."
  
  This is the start of the Holmgren era, but it was Heckert who made the pick. He chose Haden over running back C.J. Spiller, defensive end Derrick Morgan, linebacker Rolando McClain and safety Earl Thomas, among others.
  
  "Joe is a guy we spent a lot of time with and a lot of time evaluating," Heckert said. "He's a big corner that can really play the run. We think he has good cover ability. He's a smart kid and he's tough. He's a guy we liked all along."
  
  Haden has drawn comparisons to Leon Hall, the cornerback from Michigan taken by the Bengals in the first round in 2007 and Darrelle Revis, a cornerback Mangini coached when he was ran the Jets.
  
  Haden went to Florida intending to play quarterback, but Tim Tebow was there, so that wasn't going to work. The coaches switched him to wide receiver, but he was behind Percy Harvin (now with the Vikings) so that didn't work.
  
  In the end he was switched to cornerback and learned his craft on the fly.
  
  "His first year, Joe wasn't a good corner," Florida head coach Urban Meyer told NFLDraftScout.com. "He was an athlete, a tough guy. Corner takes a lot of confidence. It takes a lot of God-given ability. That's one of the hardest job descriptions there are. He always studies the game. Joe understands splits of receivers. He understands pattern concepts."
  
  The scouting report on Haden says he has good speed to cover receivers on deep routes. It says he is strong in man coverage and is smooth and fluid in zone coverage.
  
  NOTES, QUOTES
  
  --Fans in Cleveland are excited about getting QB Colt McCoy with the 85th pick in the draft. In 2005 the Browns used a third-round pick on Charlie Frye. Frye was picked 67th. He was gone two years later.
  
  --The Browns used their first pick on cornerback Joe Haden and their second pick on safety T.J. Ward. It is the first time since 1984 the Browns used their first two picks on defensive backs.
  
  --The Browns open their 2010 season in Tampa. This marks the first time since their return in 1999 they are opening their season on the road.
  
  --Ben Roethlisberger's suspension will be watched closely by the Browns. They play the Steelers in Pittsburgh in the sixth week of the NFL season. They won't have to face Roethlisberger if his suspension lasts six games.
  
  QUOTE TO NOTE: "You can't fix everything in one year." -- Browns president Mike Holmgren after the Browns made eight draft picks.
  
  http://cle.scout.com/2/965691.html
• Sonofanump

  Who was the nickel back last year?
• Wooball

  

  Sonofanump wrote: Who was the nickel back last year?

  Either Brandon McDonald or Mike Adams
• BR1986FB

  I think it was Adams because if the Browns gave a "nickel" for McDonald, I'd want it "back."
• Shook_12

  hopefully mcdonald is on his way out of cleveland. when i went to the games i was always worried about mcdonald getting burnt. dude is out right horrible. if haden can produce i think it safe to say we have the 3 best c backs in the afc north. mike adams would be good in the dime. not to sure about abe elam. very dissappointed in his play last year.
• pkebker

  Has Holmgren or Heckert explained their reasoning for taking Haden over Thomas? I like the pick, but I would have like Thomas more...
• Shook_12

  maybe the felt thomas was more of a reach? but the way it sounded their big board went like this :
  
  1. eric berry
  2. joe haden
  3. kyle wilson
  
  bc michael smith reported that when the browns were on the clock it was down to joe haden and kyle wilson. thats just what i heard.
• BR1986FB

  I'm also assuming they felt Thomas was a bigger reach. As I mentioned before, I saw quite a few mocks leading up to the week of the draft that had Haden falling to the Steelers at #18. So they were both reaches if you ask me. There were some who still had Haden as a top 10 pick though.
• bases_loaded

  

  Is it because he ran a slow forty time at the combine? For months Haden was "our guy". Is it the one slow forty he ran or was it the idea that Berry might have fallen to us that has everyone so pissy about the pick?
• BR1986FB

  Jaguars bid farewell to John Henderson
  Posted by Michael David Smith on April 26, 2010 8:15 AM ET
  
  John Henderson is about to leave the only team he's ever played for.
  
  Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Jacksonville will release Henderson today.
  
  The Jaguars had been shopping Henderson in a trade, and Schefter reports that the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants had expressed some interest. But now he'll become an unrestricted free agent.
  
  The Jaguars used their top two draft picks on defensive tackles, which made it clear that they wanted to get younger at the position. Henderson had two years and $11 million left on his contract.
  
  The 31-year-old Henderson was drafted by the Jaguars in 2002 and has been a starter on their defensive line ever since. He has missed only four games in eight seasons, but now he'll have to find a new trainer to slap him in the face every Sunday.
  
  http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/26/jaguars-bid-farewell-to-john-henderson/
• BR1986FB

  With the drafting of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys have put Patrick Crayton on the trading block. Interest? No interest?
• BR1986FB

  http://www.carltonmitchell.net/
• Wooball

  

  I'd have interest in Crayton if they cut him, but I wouldn't trade for him. If I am trading for a Cowboys receiver, I am making an offer for Roy Williams who has been a bust for what the 'boys gave the Lions. I think he could be had for a relatively low price.
• jmog

  I liked the Haden pick even more the day after the 1st round when I had read he played QB in HS and started out as a WR in college.
  
  He understands WR routes and is still raw/getting better.
  
  Kind of reminds me of Chris Gamble from OSU a few years ago, played WR but got converted to CB because OSU didn't have anyone else...Gamble is now a top 10 CB in the NFL.
• Sonofanump

  http://www.carltonmitchell.net/combine/
  
  This guy looks like a #1 receiver in the making. Not saying he is one now. That is something not on the team currently. Mo Mass is a #2 or #3 type guy. Beyond that, nothing else on the roster gives any impression of a NFL starting WR.
• Shook_12

  BR1986FB wrote: With the drafting of Dez Bryant, the Cowboys have put Patrick Crayton on the trading block. Interest? No interest?

  i would show some interest. try and feel the cowboys out. maybe even roy williams. dude hasn't really accomplished much but should be farely cheap. i would try and snag one of these two wide outs. then starters look like
  
  1. crayton or williams
  2.mitchell
  3. momass
  
  solid line up with robo and stuckey being a 4th choice.
• mucalum49

  

  Sonofanump wrote: http://www.carltonmitchell.net/combine/
  
  This guy looks like a #1 receiver in the making. Not saying he is one now. That is something not on the team currently. Mo Mass is a #2 or #3 type guy. Beyond that, nothing else on the roster gives any impression of a NFL starting WR.

  I agree about Mitchell. I LOL'd on another thread where someone said he is a possession receiver at best. I don't think a 6'3 215lb wide out that runs a 4.45-4.5 is a possession receiver. He has the same size and speed as Brandon Marshall with the same label coming out of school... raw. This kid has all the physical size and talents to be a good one. Let's hope he can really take a grasp of the system and get the mental attributes on his side as well.
• krazie45

  

  Would love to sign Henderson to shore up that defensive front. Guy is a great player.
• pkebker

  I'm interested to see if having a better qb this year will make our WR seem better than last year. We criticize the WR position a lot, but a lot of their lack of production was due to poor QB play. We definitely need improvement at wideout, but a better qb may make it seem less of a need.