West Coast Offense and the effect on the Browns

With the announcement of the Mike "Walrus" Holmgren in Cleveland, there's been much talk about the offense that will be run. Holmgren has always ran the Walsh West Coast Offense, while at Green Bay with Brett Favre, and Seattle with Matt Hasselbeck. What does all of this mean though? What is the West Coast Offense, and what's the difference between what we run now and what we will be running? I'm going to break down all of that in the following.

The West Coast Offense (WCO) is an offensive system loosely based on the Air Coryell system established by the Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell. Bill Walsh perfected the system that emphasizes more passing than running. Originated in the 1960's by teams like the Chargers, Raiders, and even Coryell's own Cardinals (St. Louis at the time), the Air Coryell is a system that has been greatly used by teams more and more each season. It was Bill Walsh who perfected what is now called the WCO.


What Personnel is Required for the WCO?

Quarterback- A quarterback in the WCO is supposed to be an efficient passer. A guy that can complete 62% of his passes or better, that specializes in throwing the short-intermediate routes, and can get the ball out quickly after the snap. He needs to be an accurate passer that's also very smart and can make quick reads. In the WCO, the 3 step and 5 step drops are heavily utilized in a quick striking passing game that keeps the defense on it's heels, constantly forcing them to make quick adjustments at the line. A 7-step drop is also something that has to be utilized occasionally to keep the defense honest. Faster linebackers and safeties make it nearly impossible to stick with 5-step drops for an entire game, so often hitch routes, hitch and go's along with crossing patterns are utilized in a 7-step drop. When a defense begins playing up, and compensating for the short patterns over the middle, the offense can catch the defense sleeping and hit a deep route. Scrambling ability for a quarterback is also a plus.


Runningback- A runningback in the WCO needs to be a guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield, and is more a speed runner. A guy that can also hit the hole quickly and be effective between the tackles. Pass blocking isn't as big of a need because of how quickly the QB should be getting the ball out, but it's still something that'd be a bit of a luxury.


Wide Receivers- This is a position just as important as the quarterback. Possession receivers are crucial in the WCO. The WCO requires wide receivers that can catch the ball in traffic, over the middle while having a run after catch (RAC) ability. On the other spectrum, it's crucial to have a deep ball receiver so that the defense can't creep up and shut down the short game. So speed on the outside is a big plus to keep a safety over the top of a WR, and open up the middle of the field. Finally, perfected route running. If the receivers aren't on the same page with the QB and doesn't run crisp routes, then you can kiss any sort of efficiency out the window.

Tight Ends- Another crucial position of the offense, just like the wide receiver position, you need a tight end that can be physical and fight for the ball over the middle. Guys like Jason Witten, Jeremy Shockey (NYG days), Antonio Gates, etc. are all perfect WCO tight ends. Blocking isn't always a strong suit, more just a luxury, as well. RAC ability is nice to have, but glue fingers is the most important part. A TE that can catch everything thrown his way is a HUGE weapon in the WCO.


Offensive Line- The offensive line isn't as complex as the rest of the offense. Agility is the key. Finesse blockers, usually quicker, and a bit lighter are what makes a WCO offense line great. Think Zone Blocking Scheme, but more simple.


Do the current Browns have the personnel for this?

This is yet to be decided. The WCO offense an easy offense to run. However, many people proclaimed that Brady Quinn would be an ideal candidate for a WCO, coming out of Notre Dame. Quinn was very efficient at Notre Dame, and had physical wide receivers and tight ends in a quick striking offense. He flourished with those weapons, while having quicker running backs at Notre Dame. Can he be successful at the NFL level? It is yet to be determined, but he definitely has the skill set to be successful. Quick slants, crossing patterns, flag patterns, etc. over the middle of the field is something that Quinn really did well with in college, and he definitely has the ability. However, he can't be expected to be perfect in his first season running it, as it is a big change in what he's doing right now (assuming he's the QB in 2010). As of now, I'm saying that we have the QB for the WCO. I don't see any options in the draft that would be better than Quinn.

At the runningback position, we are finally finding out what Jerome Harrison is capable of. Harrison is a runner who hits the hole very quickly, can turn a play to the outside and burn linebackers with his speed. He's also very effective out of the backfield as a pass catcher. As of now, I'm saying that we could have a runningback for this system. However, don't rule out C.J. Spiller as he is a game changing RB, and would be available in the first round.

At wide receiver, we have Mohammed Massoquoi, Brian Robiskie, Josh Cribbs, and Chansi Stuckey, along with Mike Furrey (who's seen time at safety as of late). This is the scary part. Massoquoi is not a physical receiver. Often in one on one coverage, he struggles to make a play on the ball. To add to that, his route running is piss poor. Brian Robiskie is still to be decided. He hasn't seen much playing time as his practices have been terrible, and he is struggling to pick up the current offense. He is a more physical receiver, that offers limited RAC ability, but could be a guy that would be utilized heavily in slants and crossing patterns. His route running was very solid at Ohio State, however. Cribbs is just not a wide receiver that can be counted on. He's very special for the Wildcat, reverses and on screen plays, but his forte is special teams, and most likely always will be. Stuckey is a quicker receiver that I cannot see as being a reliable option. This is a big no for having personnel.

At tight end the Browns have had a revolving door. Starting the season Robert Royal was the tight end, followed by a bit of Steve Heiden. Following him was Greg Estandia, then Michael Gaines, and finally Evan Moore. Royal is not an option for the WCO. He's strictly a blocking tight end, with very unreliable hands. Steve Heiden is at the end of his career. While he has excellent hands, it's going to be more of a question as to whether or not he can stay healthy. Estandia and Gaines most likely won't be on the roster next season. The big story here is Evan Moore who just became a Brown in the last 5 weeks or so. His hands have showed quite a bit of promise. Consistency is going to be the question. If Moore can keep it up, he may be able to develop into a nice TE for the Browns. But for now, I'm going to say that we do NOT have the personnel.

Our best offensive lineman in Joe Thomas fits perfectly into this system, protecting the blindside, as does the aging Eric Steinbach. Rookie Alex Mack is also a finesse blocker who's quite athletic as well. The biggest question is the right side. Floyd "Porkchop" Womack is a big question mark, and John St. Clair isn't worth a twinkie. The most important part of the offensive line is in place and ready to go. We just need to find a right side to complete this line and make it a top 5 offensive line in the NFL. We're 3/5 of the way there on the offensive line.

This could be a move in the right direction for the Browns. A quicker offense that is also quick hitting would be a very efficient offense that could keep the defense off the field and eat up time of possession. We have a RB that can excel in counters and traps, and I believe we have a QB that can make the quick throws, and has the intangibles to make smart decisions for us. It's all about execution.

The biggest thing to understand is that this young offense will need time. We also need to hope that we can finally have an off-season with zero QB controversy. We need a QB that can take all the reps in training camp, and learn this offense as quickly as possible for the best success.

DB41's Early Top 60 Draft Rankings

DaBrowns41’s Top 60 2010 NFL Draft Prospects

1. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska- 6’4 300
2. Gerald McCoy*, DT, Oklahoma- 6’4 297
3. Eric Berry*, S, Tennessee- 5’11 203
4. Jimmy Clausen*, QB, Notre Dame- 6’3 224
5. Rolando McClain*, LB, Alabama- 6’4 260
6. Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State- 6’5 305
7. Joe Haden*, CB, Florida- 5’11 190
8. Derrick Morgan*, DE, Georgia Tech- 6’4 270
9. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma- 6’5 315
10. Dez Bryant*, WR, Georgia Tech- 6’2 220
11. Jake Locker*, QB, Washington- 6’3 225
12. Brian Price*, DT, UCLA- 6’2 300
13. Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU- 6’3 257
14. Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama- 6’5 360
15. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson- 5’11 195
16. Anthony Davis*, OT, Rutgers- 6’6 325
17. Ryan Mallet*, QB, Arkansas- 6’7 240
18. Carlos Dunlap*, DE, Florida- 6’6 290
19. Bryan Baluga, OT, Iowa- 6’6 312
20. Cameron Heyward*, DE, Ohio State- 6’6 285
21. Sam Bradford*, QB, Oklahoma- 6’4 225
22. Everson Griffen*, DE, USC- 6’4 280
23. Taylor Mays, S, USC- 6’4 225
24. Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee- 6’3 325
25. Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas- 6’4 255
26. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma- 6’6 258
27. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri- 6’2 246
28. Johnathan Dwyer*, RB, Georgia Tech- 6’0 230
29. Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- 6’2 260
30. Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida- 6’2 250
31. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati- 6’1 189
32. Jared Odrick, DT, Penn State- 6’5 295
33. Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida- 6’3 251
34. Jason Pierre-Paul*, DE, South Florida- 6’5 262
35. Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State- 5’11 193
36. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas- 6’2 215
37. Arrelious Benn*, WR, Illinois- 6’2 220
38. Brandon LaFell, WR, LSU- 6’3 210
39. Navorro Bowman*, LB, Penn State- 6’1 230
40. Nate Allen, S, South Florida- 6’2 205
41. Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho- 6’6 330
42. Javhid Best*, RB, California- 5’9 200
43. Golden Tate*, WR, Notre Dame- 5’11 195
44. Rickey Sapp, DE, Clemson- 6’6 240
45. Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse- 6’4 293
46. Jon Asomoah, OG, Illinois- 6’6 315
47. Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina- 6’1 253
48. Kris O’Dowd*, C, USC- 6’5 305
49. Darrell Stuckey, S, Kansas- 6’1 205
50. Damian Williams*, WR, USC- 6’1 210
51. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida- 6’3 245
52. Anthony McCoy, TE, USC- 6’5 245
53. Charles Brown, OT, USC- 6’6 290
54. Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest- 6’0 190
55. Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky- 6’1 185
56. Bruce Carter*, LB, North Carolina- 6’2 225
57. Maurkice Pouncey, OG, Florida- 6’5 318
58. Marvin Austin*, DT, North Carolina- 6’3 305
59. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford- 6’1 235
60. Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss- 6’5 240

The Browns can score... Touchdowns?

Opening up the day this previous Sunday, I woke up a bit late, having to get ready for a Thanksgiving with a different side of the family. My other half was awake and already watching the game and said "Baby! Brady scored a touchdown!". You know... Typical chick thing because they all love Quinn's dashing good looks, along with his 12 pack abs and amazing biceps....... I should stop shouldn't I? So following that statement, I looked at her and called her a "dirty liar". I mean, that couldn't be possible couldn't? I go down for some laundry, and come back up the stairs a few minutes later hearing her screaming in excitement and said "We scored again!". I see the replay, and I rub my eyes thinking that this couldn't be true. 17 points for the Cleveland Browns and it's only halfway through the first quarter? It was true.

Cleveland opened up with a 9 play drive lasting 3.5 minutes scoring a field goal. I mean, hell, I'd have been excited if I saw that. Field goal range for the Browns. INSTANT WIN! After the ensuing kickoff, I then watch the defense give up a 63 yard pass to Calvin... I mean Bryant... No, I mean Kevin Smith... You know... The running back. Yeah... Luckily, Detroit only gets 3 points out of it.

A 13 yard kickoff return later and Brady Quinn proves to Derek Anderson and all of his haters that he, in fact, CAN throw the long ball, hitting Mohamed Massoquoi in stride for a 59 yard touchdown on the first play of the drive. Stunning, right? Following that, the Browns defense played like they did against the Ravens for a drive forcing a 3 and out, allowing Quinn and Co. to come back on the field. After a few small pickups, Quinn hits newly acquired wide receiver Chansi Stuckey down the field for a 40 yard touchdown. That's a total of two touchdowns in the game so far for the Browns offense who scored I believe all of 5 touchdowns in it's first 9 games of the season. I mean, this is some record setting stuff, right?!

Browns kick off giving the Lions the ball at the 32, when Eric Wright (Eazy-E) picks off a deep Stafford throw only to return it 47 yards giving Cleveland the ball at the Detroit 13 yard line. After an a Jeff Backus unnecessary roughness call, Cleveland starts at the Detroit 6. This couldn't end up being 3 touchdowns in one quarter of play.... could it? Indeed it was. After a Jamal Lewis 2 yard scamper, Quinn hits Joshua Cribbs for a 4 yard touchdown. So not only did the Browns get 3 touchdowns, but they got them through the air. We haven't had a QB throw 3 touchdowns in a game since November 11th.... of 2007, when Derek Anderson threw 3 touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Which ironically enough ended up having a similar outcome with the Browns defense blowing a big lead). The Browns are now leading 24-3. This is exciting stuff, right?! Well, who'd of thunk it, that the Browns defense could fail? On the next 3 Lions drives, they score touchdowns, now making it squared at 24 for the day. The Browns drive down the field and kick a field goal with 4 minutes left in the 1st half, and go into the half up 27-24. Man. What a first half for the offense. They score over half the touchdowns that they have in the previous 9 games of the season. Brady Quinn provided sparks of life for the offense, making very nice throws, while still being the victim of a few dropped touchdown catches.

So what went right in the first half for the offense? Pretty much everything, right? The difference was that the offensive line was holding their blocks, and Quinn was making his reads. He was patient with the ball, and found his open receivers, while not forcing the ball and making accurate throws. Yes... We were playing the Lions who's defense is was 26th against the pass prior to the game (they are now dead last). But it's a spark right? Perhaps it's momentum so that this offense can continue to improve.

The second half wasn't nearly as fun to watch offensively as the first, but on the bright side, we only had 2 three and outs in 5 drives, which isn't bad at all, especially considering that we are used to 6-7 three and outs a game. The Browns were only able to muster up another touchdown in the 2nd half, on a 2 yard pass to newly acquired tight end "Ross" Michael Gaines. (Ross is his given birth name, and Randy Lerner has given him permission to put it on the back of his jersey. Reebok is currently buying out all 71 "Gaines jersey's, and reprinting ones to say "Ross" on the back).

Unfortunately for the Browns, the defense continued to give up points only contributing positively in the 2nd half with a sack and an interception, and a forced fumble, that Detroit recovered. Despite the Browns success with the football (34:46 to 25:14 with time of possession), the Browns defense just could not keep the Lions out of the end zone. The heartbreaking part of the game was the final 2 plays. The "last" play of the game, Matthew Stafford threw the ball into the end zone, which was intercepted to end the game. Unfortunately, Hank Poteat was literally hugging his man in the end zone, resulting in a defensive pass interference call giving Detroit the ball on the 1 yard line, as the game cannot end on a defensive penalty. On that play, C.J. Mosley hit Stafford hard, injuring Stafford's left shoulder. Because of the rule, an injured player must sit out for one play... That is of course a timeout is called. Eric Mangini called a timeout to gather his defense to instruct them on what to do in this situation. This let Stafford come back in for the last play, in which he completed a 1 yard touchdown pass to rookie Brandon Pettigrew who was virtually uncovered. With the extra point, the game was over, and the Detroit Lions won the game by a score of 38-37, most likely saying "At least we're not Cleveland" on their way to the locker rooms.

Ok. I may have made up that last part.

Regardless, the story here today was that the Browns proved that they could, in fact, score not just points, but touchdowns. The offense looked great, despite dropping a few very easy catches that would have turned into 6 points easily. This had to be a huge boost for Brady Quinn and the offense. An offense that has looked no more than anemic put up big numbers on Sunday and was a big boost for the fans, the coaches, and most importantly the players. On third downs, the Browns were 10/19, or 52% completion, which is well beyond what the NFL average is (around 42%). The Browns had an 8.8 yard per pass average as well, which is also well beyond the NFL average (around 7.8-8.0). 16 passing first downs which trumps the average of around 12-13 a game, was also a big positive for the passing game. There really wasn't much the Browns couldn't do offensively on Sunday. Overall, the offense gets an A in my book for performance. Sure you want to take the defense that you played against into account, but when your offense has been as bad as the Browns this year, you look at any positive you can. The biggest test comes the next 3 weeks as the Browns travel to Paul Brown stadium to face the much improved Cincinnati Bengals defense, and then come back home for a 2 game stretch against two teams that get to the quarterback and force turnovers in San Diego and Pittsburgh. If we can muster up 2-3 passing touchdowns in each game, I'd say that we may very well be improving.

However, the most important portion of this blog is that my other half did end up forgiving me for repeating that she was a "dirty liar", and at the end of the day, while the outcome wasn't what I wanted, we were still smiling at the fact that the Browns offense actually proved that they can score... touchdowns.

Browns Can't Afford to Draft a QB

There's much speculation as to who is going in the top 5 and top 10 in the 2010 NFL Draft. As always, there are a few QB's that shoot up the draft boards because the need for QB is so high. This year, junior QB's Jimmy Clausen and Jake Locker are both being hyped up to be top 5-top 10 picks in the 2010 draft, assuming they come out because of the potential situation with the CBA, and with the weak QB draft. With the Browns looking to have a top 5 pick after starting the season 1-7, many people speculate what they need for their team.

I can tell you one thing: We can't afford to reach for a quarterback.

So our quarterback's right now haven't been able to do anything. They turn the ball over 3 times as much as they score touchdowns. Derek Anderson misses a wide open tight end that's 4 yards in front of him, on a regular basis, while throwing at players feet often.

Of course, it's not all the QB's is it. No, it's not nearly all on the QB's, and even as a Derek Anderson hater, I have to be unbiased and see how many drops this offense has, as well as how many fumbles they have. Toss in the terrible passes, and it's just a recipe for disaster. Would a great QB help this team? Sure, but not as much as you'd think. Besides, there aren't any great QB's in this draft. There are just some talented kids who are athletic and have big arms.

But no matter how athletic somebody is, and no matter how far they can throw the ball, it doesn't mean that you have to reach for them. There are so many things to judge quarterbacks on: throwing power, accuracy, touch, intelligence, as well as intangibles. You also like to see QB's have 25-30 starts in college and have a winning career if you're going to draft him in the top 10, which neither Clausen or Locker have. So what gives?

The biggest reason why the Browns can't afford to take a quarterback is because there are no play makers on the offense. The best thing about this offense is our offensive line with Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, and the emergence of Alex Mack. However, Floyd Womack is less than impressive, and every time I see a DE or OLB getting into the backfield, who else do I see chasing the guy but John St. Clair after getting beat so often. But other than Mack, Steinbach, and Thomas, who is there?

Well, there's Joshua Cribbs... kind of. What does Cribbs do for a QB? He's a below average wide receiver and his only role is potentially in the backfield, while running the wildcat while our QB is lined up as a WR. So who else?

Jerome Harrison? He's actually a solid player. But we never get to see him play. Harrison has only showed great things when he gets in the game (unless he's staying in the backfield to block), and he never plays. It's puzzling, really. Either way, he's not enough of a play maker to make defenses afraid and game plan around him.

Mohamed Massaquoi? Well, after his 8 catch 148 yard performance against the Bengals, he really hasn't done much. He did have 5 catches for 83 yards against Pittsburgh. So I guess the talent is there. The problem with Massaquoi is that he gets taken out of games too easily. He's inconsistent as well, just like at Georgia. One game he'll have 10 catches for 150 yards and 2 TD's, and then he'll have 4 drops in another game, just like after the Cincy game, he had 4-5 drops the following week against Buffalo.

Twinkle toes... Er, I mean Jamal Lewis? He's reportedly done after this season (Thankfully!), and even if he wasn't, he struggles to run through a hole that a train could fit through at times. Not to mention, with defenses not needing to drop back many people because of how ineffective our passing game has been, they get to stack the line.

Who else do we have? That's just it... Nobody.

Let's look at some history, shall we?

I'm going to look at some of the more successful 1st Round QB's over the last 10 years, compared to some that haven't been successful. See if you can find the trend.

Successful QB's


Joe Flacco (Baltimore)- Flacco came into Baltimore last season with Willis McGahee, Derrick Mason, and Todd Heap as offensive weapons, plus Ray Rice was drafted.

Matt Ryan (Atlanta)- Ryan came into an offense that just signed the former standout that played behind LaDainian Tomlinson in Michael Turner. Add Roddy White who was a 1,200 yard receiver prior to Ryan (with Joey Harrington throwing him the ball), and Ryan also had Alge Crumpler who was usually good for 700-800 yards and 7-8 touchdowns.

Jay Cutler (Denver)- Cutler came into the Denver offense led by Jake Plummer. He got the pleasure of playing with the now retired Rod Smith, and a very talented Javon Walker who was a 1,300 yard receiver prior to injury. Sprinkle in a little Brandon Marshall and add in Shannahan's zone blocking scheme that makes lanes that even my grandmother could run through, and you've got a recipe for success.

Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay)- Rodgers was drafted in 2005 to take over for Brett Favre who many thought would retire following 2005... Well Favre lasted until 2007, letting Rodgers learn from one of the best QB's of the last 20 years. Add in Greg Jennings acquired in '06, along with Donald Driver, and an efficient Ryan Grant, and you've got talent.

Eli Manning (New York Giants)- Manning was drafted in 2004 getting the pleasure of playing with Pro-Bowler Tiki Barber, along with a great WR duo in Amani Toomer (1,000+ yard receiver annually) and Ike Hilliard. That wasn't it, he also had Jeremy Shockey who some would swear had stick 'em on his hands earlier in his career. A season later, Brandon Jacobs was drafted as well.

Philip Rivers (San Diego)- Rivers came into San Diego waiting his turn to hand the ball of to the best RB in the league from around 2002-2007, and throw the ball to a top 3 TE in the league . Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson in their primes were as big of play makers as you could get.

Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh)- Despite having a terrible offensive line, Big Ben got some great treatment in Pittsburgh coming into a team that featured Jerome Bettis at RB, along with Hines Ward and Plaxico Burress at WR's.

Carson Palmer (Cincinnati)- Palmer went into Cincinnati with the play maker formerly known as Chad Johnson. Not only did he have Johnson, but he had a underachieving Peter Warrick who still made a few plays here and there, but most importantly he had a 1,400 yard rusher in Rudi Johnson.

Donovan McNabb is the only one of these QB's not to start out with a stud offensively.
___________________________________________

Unsuccessful QB's

(Disclaimer leaving out Vince Young, Brady Quinn, and Matt Leinart for lack of opportunity)

Jamarcus Russell (Oakland)- Had Justin Fargas in 2007 who had a solid season rushing, but has never been consistent. Not much else.


Alex Smith (San Francisco)- Had rookie Frank Gore offensively, along with a slightly above average Brandon Lloyd.

J.P. Losman (Buffalo)- JP's rookie year he didn't play because of Bledsoe, but McGahee rushed for 13 TD's and had a great season. JP gets about 8 starts in 2005, but McGahee's YPC goes down, and overall play went down. Eric Moulds was the top option for Losman as well, which wasn't terrible, but he wasn't nearly the same Moulds from 1998-2002. Not to mention a terrible offensive line.

Byron Leftwich (Jacksonville)- Leftwich had a very young line to work with, but had a fantastic rusher in Fred Taylor. However, he had nobody to throw to, if he could stand upright.

Rex Grossman (Chicago)- Grossman only started 6 games out of his first two seasons with a team that had Anthony Thomas and Thomas Jones in each of those seasons, both who were solid rushers. However, there were no WR's, TE's, or an offensive line for that matter. The season that Rex Grossman played decently, he had a 1,200 yard rusher, a pass catching TE, and a veteran receiver in Muhsin Muhammed, and a good pass catcher in Berrian.

David Carr (Houston)- Houston being an expansion team, they weren't expected to have any players, and they didn't. Carr spent most of his time in Houston on his back, attempting to hand the ball off to former Buckeye Johnathan Wells (2.7 YPC), and throwing the ball to Corey Bradford and Billy Miller. The Texans got him a RB in Domanick Williams, and a stud WR in Andre Johnson, and they went 7-9 in 2004 in just their 3rd season in the NFL. Once Williams faded away, the only option that Carr had was Johnson... If he could stay on his feet long enough to get it to him.

Joey Harrington (Detroit)- Harrington went to a Detroit team whose #1 wide receiver was Az-Zahir Hakim. Need I say more?

Patrick Ramsey (Washington)- Ramsey had a mediocre Stephen Davis as his #1 RB, and 1 year wonder in Rod Gardner as a WR. Ramsey's 2nd season his leading rusher was Trung Canidate who rushed for just over 600 yards. His only true option was Laveranues Coles, with an inconsistent offensive line.

Michael Vick (Atlanta)- Vick was a different type of quarterback. However, he didn't have any options on offense when drafted either. Atlanta's best WR then was 35 year old Terance Mathis. There was no more running game as Jamal Anderson was washed up.

Akili Smith (Cincinnati)- Smith didn't play much his rookie year when he had Corey Dillon and Darnay Scott. Scott emerged as an above average receiver for the Bengals for a few seasons, until he missed the 2000 season with injury. Smith started 11 games in 2000 with a bad offensive line, inexperienced, and lackluster WR's, but at least had a great running game. Unfortunately, just a running game wouldn't do it. He only started 2 more games after that season.


Tim Couch (Cleveland)- I think we know how this one turned out. Expansion team QB. His best receiver was Kevin Johnson. Terry Kirby was his leading rusher. Couch got sacked so much that I'm pretty sure that his life is permanently scarred for life.


Cade McNown (Chicago)- McNown had the oh so amazing (sarcasm off) Curtis Enis and James Allen as his first two RB's in the league. Marcus Robinson had a 1 hit wonder season in McNown's rookie year, as Bobby Engram also stepped up, but those WR's weren't enough.


All of these QB's either had one playmaker or less, while all of the successful guys usually had a solid OL, along with 2 playmakers at least.

Jason Campbell is the only QB that busted and it doesn't make sense considering he has Clinton Portis, Chris Cooley, Santana Moss/Laveranues Coles, etc.

Daunte Culpepper was a very solid player (yet inconsistent), prior to tear his ACL, MCL, and PCL. Since that accident, he hasn't been the same.

Chad Pennington was somewhat the same way. He had a great season going with 22 TD's and 6 INT's, but injuries just killed him in the long run, and now he's starting to rebound.

Since 1999, there have been 26 first round QB's. 8 of those QB's are doing well for their teams. Brady Quinn, Leinart, and Young all haven't gotten true opportunities, which still shows 15/26 QB's failing that were drafted in the first round. Those 15 guys were also drafted without hardly any talent around them.

Point is, if you want to use a first round pick on a QB, you've got to make sure he has offensive talent around him. Make sure that he can get the ball to play makers, otherwise these young QB's try to do too much, and they get so much pressure on them, and they buckle.

We just need to give Quinn a season as he's very cheap (700k base salary in 2010), and see if he can develop. If we can't, we'll move on after that. But we have a great opportunity to shore up the defense and improve big time. Especially because we have a passionate defensive coordinator that loves the game, and loves the hits and plays.

Adding onto my last blog about defensive talent, this draft is just too good to pass up on the defensive talent, especially guys like Suh, Berry, and McCoy.

So recapping, the three big reasons I don't want a QB for the Browns are:

1) We have no play makers that can support him, and we only have half a line to keep him on his feet. We can't support raw talent with nobody to help him out.

2) The QB's potentially in this draft class (which there's no guarantee that they come out), are still not worth top 5 or even top 10 picks in my eyes. They are talented, but very raw, which is scary.

3) There's too much talent defensively in this draft. Rob Ryan will be like a kid at a candy store wanting to grab one of everything. There are tons of defensive lineman, and tons of pass rushers, with a limited amount of offensive talent.

Cleveland: Looking Ahead to the 2010 NFL Draft

As a Browns fan, October is never too early to look at the next years NFL Draft. In the case this year, it's looking like the Browns are due for yet another top 5 pick.

So first we need to establish the needs of the Browns. We'll start with a roster analysis.

Quarterback: Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson, Brett Ratliff
Runningback: Jamal Lewis, Jerome Harrison, Chris Jennings/James Davis
Fullback: Lawrence Vickers
Wide Receiver: Mohamed Massoquoi, Brian Robiskie, Mike Furrey, Joshua Cribbs, Chansey Stuckey, Ray Ventrone
Tight End: Steve Heiden, Robert Royal, Greg Estandia
Offensive Tackle: Joe Thomas, John St. Clair, Billy Yates
Offensive Guard: Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Rex Hadnot
Center: Alex Mack, Hank Fraley, Rex Hadnot

Defensive Line: Shaun Rogers (NT), Kenyon Coleman, Corey Williams, Robaire Smith, CJ Mosley, Ahtyba Rubin (NT)
Linebackers: Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson, Eric Barton, Alex Hall, David Bowens, David Veikune, Kaluka Maiava, Jason Trusnik, Blake Constanzo
Safeties: Abram Elam, Brodney Pool, Mike Adams, Nick Sorensen
Cornerbacks: Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Coye Francies, Anthony Madison, Gerard Lawson, Hank Poteat

K: Phil Dawson, Billy Cundiff
P: Dave Zastudil
LS: Ryan Pontbriand

So looking at the base roster, we have glaring needs at: QB, RB, WR, TE, DE, OLB (1), ILB (1), S, and CB.

We're not sure what's going to happen with Quinn and Anderson, but as of now, it looks like we're going to need a quarterback with our first pick...

But here's the deal. If we're drafting in the top 5, we've got some big names to look at. Players like Eric Berry*, Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy*, Carlos Dunlap*, Joe Haden*, Rolando McClain*, Dez Bryant*. On top of them, we've got QB's moving up in the draft boards like Jake Locker*, Jimmy Clausen*, and Sam Bradford*.

So many people debate what we need to draft, and why. I'm a big fan of drafting Best Player Available (BPA), in correlation with need. Basically what that means if you take the best player available in a position that you still need. So if you have Peyton Manning, and Jake Locker is the best player, go to the next best player overall, in a position that you need. There are many teams that still draft based on need, which can be bad at times because you can reach for a player.

Here's my rank of those players listed in terms of overall talent.

1) Eric Berry
2a) Gerald McCoy
2b) Ndamukong Suh
3)Rolando McClain
4) Jake Locker
5) Carlos Dunlap
6) Dez Bryant
7) Joe Haden
8) Jimmy Clausen
9) Sam Bradford

Bradford to me is a 2nd round pick now because of the 2nd shoulder injury in one season. I'm not taking a chance on him. But for now some experts have in as a top 15-20 pick.

So looking at this, we see how big a need for quarterback is potentially (assuming Quinn doesn't go back in, or he goes back in and shows no improvement), as well as DE, and S. Safety isn't a HUGE need for the Browns, but it's pretty big and it's important to have a play maker like Ed Reed, Polamalu, Bob Sanders, Brian Dawkins, etc.

If I'm sitting at #1 with that top 5, I have a tough choice to make. I have to weigh out all the positives and negatives of drafting each player. So what am I getting when drafting these players?

Eric Berry- With Berry you get a play making safety. He's easily the best defensive player in the nation, and possibly the best overall talent in the nation. He's as close to NFL ready as a player will get as well, especially this year working with former defensive coaching juggernaut Monte Kiffin. Berry has a game changing ability, sort of like Ed Reed. He's not the biggest guy (5'11 205), and he won't knock anybody out, but he's one of the most fundamentally sound players in the draft. He's got excellent hands, as well as instincts and pass/run recognition. He can play cornerback, safety, and even a little linebacker. He'll rush the passer, he'll drop back into a middle third in coverage, or he'll cover a teams best receiver man on. This is a guy that teams just cannot pass on. Remember Eric Turner? Yeah, he's that good, if not better.
NFL Comparison- Ed Reed

Ndamukong Suh- (Pronounced En-dom-ah-ken Soo) Suh is an absolute monster against the run. He's very strong and has a very high motor. He's one of the few DT's in the NCAA that rarely takes plays off, which is very important for the NFL. He's got excellent hand usage, maintaining that important separation with the linemen so that he doesn't get pushed and pulled around. He dominates offensive guards and centers being double teamed often. You just can't run up the middle against this guy. His pass rush skills are very solid as well, but not the greatest. The best part about him is his ability to play in space, as well as his versatility. He could play 34 NT for a few plays, and play 34 DE.
NFL Comparison- Ty Warren

Gerald McCoy- McCoy is on the same level as Suh, except their roles are reversed. McCoy is an elite pass rusher. He's very stout against the run as well, but his pass rushing skills are what causes teams to have to double him up, which is perfect for a 34 defense. He's got quick feet and uses his hands very well, again maintaining that separation that defensive lineman need to do. McCoy is quite strong, and is a space eater with great lateral movement.
NFL Comparison- Richard Seymour

Rolando McClain- McClain is a linebacker who makes his presence felt when you are on the opposing sideline. He's a big hitting linebacker at 6'4 254 pounds who is one of the most fundamentally sound tacklers in the nation. He wraps up and puts players on the ground, rarely missing tackles, especially in the open field. His instincts are fantastic when it comes to play recognition, and he's a very difficult linebacker to block. He's very good at shedding blocks and is an all around linebacker. He's a leader on the field, and an academic player as well as an Honor Roll student. Last season he was a finalist for the Butkus Award, and it'll be hard for him not to win that this season being the leader of the nations 2nd best defense.
NFL Comparison- Patrick Willis

Jake Locker- Locker is quite the athlete. When he hurt his hand in 2008, he wanted to play safety for the Huskies defense. Jake Locker is a quarterback who has a weak supporting cast. He has to make a lot of plays on his own as there is not much of a running game or wide receiver support for him, which is why it's hard to look at his stats as telling the true story to his collegiate career. Locker is a big armed guy who can make all the NFL throws, while also being elusive and evading defenders trying to bring him down in the backfield. His problem is that he struggles with touch, and short/intermediate passing (sound familiar?). However, with Locker, he's shown improvement each year according to the coaches, and has developed as quite the leader. Locker is only a junior, so he may stay for his last season instead of opting for the NFL.
NFL Comparison- Donovan McNabb

Jimmy Clausen- Clausen is the prototype NFL QB. Like Locker, he can make all the throws. He's a strong armed QB who's accuracy down the field is fantastic, and his intermediate game is very good too. He puts good touch on most of his passes, and doesn't force the ball. He's a good decision maker in the pocket, and can evade the rush if needed. His production hasn't been the greatest at Notre Dame, which is something many people are skeptical of, but his overall mechanics are the best out of any quarterback potentially coming out in 2010.
NFL Comparison- Aaron Rodgers

Looking at these guys, I find it hard to believe that none of them will be available with our pick. But if you had the #1 pick, who would you take? All of these positions are a substantial need for our beloved Cleveland Browns. So how do you make your choice?

For me, it's easy. I like both Clausen and Locker a lot. However, quarterbacks are much bigger projects in the NFL, compared to 34 DE's and safeties. With the lack of support our offense could give a rookie QB, I'm hard pressed to take a young QB just to ruin him because he has no WR's, no RB, no TE, and no blocking from the right side of the line. I personally don't believe that every single QB we've had in Cleveland was absolutely terrible. I feel like had most of these QB's had some sort of running game, or even wide receivers that could run crisp routes and catch, or even a line that blocked, they'd all be at least average.

What I'm getting at is that I don't want a quarterback this year. I know that we're just going to rush him in, because we have no other option. Mangini doesn't like Quinn because Quinn questioned the playcalling (even though it was deservedly so), and Derek Anderson can't be on this team next year because he's due to make 7.45 million dollars. If we pay DA that much next year, I'm going to crap a brick. He's barely worth the 1.45M that he's making this season. So who do I want?

That comes down to Suh, McCoy, and Berry. All 3 are positions of need, however DE may be the bigger need. If we grab Suh, or McCoy, we can have a stout rush defense with Shaun Rogers, Suh/McCoy, and Kenyon Coleman, along with our linebackers. If we draft Berry, we can have a player that's actually feared in the secondary. Teams throw the deep ball on the Browns more often than most teams because our safeties are slow, and struggle in coverage, zone coverage more specifically. With Berry back there, we keep teams from throwing in the 5-15 yard range, and taking less shots down the field. Not to mention we still get good run support.

My pick is Eric Berry. It's really a no brainer. In Cleveland, we need football players, not projects like Clausen and Locker. We've always reached for need, and it's turned out to be bad. We reached for Gerard Warren (Ladainian Tomlinson, Richard Seymour), we reached for Courtney Brown (Lavar Arrington, Chris Samuels, Jamal Lewis), we reached for Kamerion Wimbley (Haloti Ngata), as well as William Green (Ed Reed). That's just the gist of what I'm saying. Sure hindsight is 20/20, but there's no question that we reached. We took players that we needed over positions that we needed less, but had better value.

Eric Berry needs to be in Cleveland in 2010. We've got 11 picks. If Braylon Edwards gets to 55 catches with the Jets, we could add another first day pick and grab more talent. Like I said, we need football players and talent, not projects. We aren't New England, Indianapolis, or Pittsburgh. We can't take chances on guys like Lawrence Timmons, Brandon Merriweather, etc. and try to develop them. We need football players.

Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn?

Really, the only thing worth discussing with the Cleveland Browns is the quarterback situation. It seems year in and year out that there's always a "controversy" with the Browns.

1999- Tim Couch/Ty Detmer
2000- Tim Couch/Doug Pederson
2001-2003- Tim Couch/Kelly Holcomb
2004- Jeff Garcia/Luke McCown
2005- Trent Dilfer/Charlie Frye
2006- Charlie Frye
2007- Charlie Frye/Derek Anderson
2008- Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn
2009- Brady Quinn/Derek Anderson
2010- ????

You'd think that one day the Cleveland Browns would find a quarterback worth something... But then again, we are the Browns.

Focusing on the current controversy at hand, I am working on showing why Derek Anderson (so far) isn't much better, if at all, an option to help the Cleveland Browns offensively. As noted in my recent blog, the offense as a whole is just plain terrible. Let's look at some statistics:

Derek Anderson

22 total first downs- 14 pass-8 rush
5/18- Cincy- 14th against the pass

9 total first downs- 1 pass- 8 rush
4/16- Buffalo- 28th against the pass

Brady Quinn

11 total first downs- 10 pass-1 run
3/14- Denver- 4th against the pass

17 total first downs- 10 pass-5 run-2 penalty
3/12- Minnesota- 11th against the pass

This is what's confusing.

Sure against Cincy we did pretty well. They a solid defense against the pass.

Buffalo was a disaster (I know there were drops, but considering the drops and drive killing penalties BQ had, I considered it a wash).

I left out the Baltimore game because it's not completely fair to judge either QB considering the circumstances. Some could argue that Baltimore changed their coverage to more of a bend but not break because of the huge lead. Either way, 3 interceptions by Anderson was obviously not helping his cause as "being a better option".

So BQ combined for 28 first downs, 20 of them passing compared to DA's 29 first downs, 15 have been through the air.

Third down conversions, there hasn't been much difference. BQ was around 23.8% converting on 3rd down, and DA is around 26.2% converting on third down. And BQ's play was against much tougher defenses AND he didn't have much help in the run game. Some argue that the run game has been helped because of DA's arm. I call BS. The running game has been helped because of Jerome Harrison against Cincy's mediocre rush D, and Jamal against Buffalo's terrible rush D. I don't think that DA starting against Denver and Minny would have yielded a different or more impressive outcome.

I just don't see how "taking chances" is so much better, when we aren't completing passes and converting any differently. The chances DA takes are usually ones that aren't in the Browns' favor, consistently throwing into double, sometimes triple coverage. Quinn is the exact opposite being more hesitant to throw down the field and checking down too much.

I think these stats just go to show you how it's not necessarily on the QB's, compared to the rest of the offense.

So DA fans, let's not act like he's doing anything much better, if at all. And BQ fans, don't get excited because BQ wasn't doing that well, but he wasn't doing terribly either, especially given the circumstances.

Cleveland just needs to figure out what they want to do. Coach Eric Mangini already stated "We're not looking to move Brady Quinn." and "We get calls all the time that we listen to. Brady is a Cleveland Brown and that's not anything we're looking to do."per the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2009/10/brady_quinn_says_home_sale_doe.html

Derek Anderson has already proven that he cannot be the quarterback of this football team and win football games consistently. Anderson specializes at beating up on teams significantly inferior, as in 2007 he threw 19 of his 29 touchdowns against teams who drafted in the top 9 of the 2008 NFL Draft. Against playoff teams, Anderson was significantly worse, turning the ball over on many occasions, and often hurting his team more than helping him. Opening up the 2008 season, Anderson started with embarrassing losses to Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore, all statistically top defenses, which only reinforced the argument that he can't succeed versus great teams.

All in all, if Cleveland wants to be smart financially, I understand. Let DA start a few more games, then give Quinn the rest of the season so he can't hit escalators. But it's piss poor management like this in Cleveland that gives us 2 winning seasons in 9 years.

The Cleveland Offensive Mystery

As I sit here and think about the Cleveland Browns win over Buffalo, I wonder "How the hell did that happen?".

Our starting quarterback Derek Anderson went 2 for 17 with 23 yards and an interception, against the leagues 3rd worst pass defense. Not to mention, the Bills were missing 2 safeties and a cornerback, which should have made things easier. After this performance, by Anderson, and his ever so fantastic 3 interceptions in one half of football against Baltimore 2 weeks prior, I can only question what he's doing that is so much better than Brady Quinn.

Brady Quinn struggled in his first 2.5 games, and there is no doubt in my mind that there is a lot of improvements that need(ed) to be made. In his first start against Minnesota, he completed 21 passes out of 35 attempts for 205 yards had a touchdown, and an interception. He struggled on 3rd downs converting on just 25% of his passes, however was a victim to 6 drops in the game. 2 of the drops came on one drive by tight end Robert Royal, while he had another 3rd down drop. Joshua Cribbs had a drop on 2nd down in the 2nd quarter, and Mike Furrey had 2 drops in the game. Another problem was the running game. Jamal Lewis doesn't scare anybody. He dances to the line of scrimmage and doesn't hit the hole like 2003 Jamal Lewis does, which is expected with all of the carries he's had over his career. Minnesota's defense is 10th in the league in points against. They are very good, especially against the run. At halftime, the score was 13-10 Browns and it looked promising. Brady's one interception, it was a mis-communication with Braylon Edwards. Based on the coverage presented, Braylon ran the wrong route (one of many reasons he's a Jet now). He ran a seam despite being covered by the corner and having the safety over the top. The pass was thrown to the outside, where only Braylon could have caught it... had he ran the right route. Because the lack of first downs, however, the defense just could not hold AP any longer. He was held to 26 yards in the first half before exploding for 154 more in the 2nd half. The defense couldn't handle being on the field so much. Quinn's worst play of the game was him trying to scramble and throw on the run, in which he fumbled the ball trying to throw it, counting as a sack, and a fumble. Other than that, for his first start in 2009, against a top defense, his play wasn't as bad, given the circumstances.

Brady's second start was against the Bronco's, who have surprised many critics this season despite losing potential franchise quarterback Jay Cutler (trade), and the Brandon Marshall debacle. The Broncos are currently the best defensive in points against, and rank no worse than 6th in yards against in rushing, passing, and overall. For a first year 34 team, they've handled the transition very, very well. The Browns, once again, were in this game at halftime with the score being just 10-6, in Denver's favor. Quinn had a slightly worse game, throwing for just 161 yards on 31 attempts and 18 completions. However, once again, he can't get anything going for him on the ground, with Jamal getting 14 carries for 38 yards. He relies on his receivers to make plays, and his offensive line to block. One big problem for Quinn was the blocking from the right side of the line. Elvis Dumervil sacked Quinn 4 times, and twice on one drive. The worst part is that we were very close to our own end zone, and it was very close to being a safety. John St. Clair needed help, and we didn't adjust. Quinn and the offense struggled to convert on third downs yet again, converting only 21% in this game. Once again, the defense struggled in the 2nd half, and couldn't handle being on the field. The fatigue started to set in. On a crucial drive, Alex Mack fumbled the snap which hit Brady's ankles. Quinn tried to dive on it, and was too late, and we turned the ball over within the 5 yard line of our own field practically handing Denver points. Given the circumstances, Quinn played average. Last year, Denver was Quinn's first start and he played a very good game against them, only to lose thanks to a very poor defensive effort and dropped passes by Kellen Winslow. In the Denver game, the Browns had 4 total drops all by Cribbs, Royal, and one by former Brown Braylon Edwards. The Browns went on to lose 27-6.

Brady's third start was against the division rival Baltimore Ravens. It was Quinn's first start against a division rival. The game started out with an interception by Quinn on the first drive, leading to a Willis McGahee touchdown. The interception was all on Quinn as he didn't get enough air on the 10 yard out, which is a throw that he's always struggled with, even in college. After a few run, run, pass, punt drives by the Browns, we started to find ourselves in a hole, being down 20-0 against the division rival Ravens. Quinn was 6/8 for 34 yards and an interception in the first half. Yet again, the Browns struggled to run the ball against a great rush defense team, and we struggled to throw the ball down the field.

Being down 20-0, Coach Eric Mangini wanted to provide a spark and opened up the 2nd half with Derek Anderson under the helm. Anderson's first drive, he threw an interception. He had about 8 yards to throw the ball in front of the receiver, threw it behind him, and it was picked off. A few drives later, Anderson see's Braylon Edwards down the field, and throws it into triple coverage. Braylon was clearly covered and he took a chance. That's the 2nd interception. Anderson leads us down the field on a solid drive getting us a field goal, providing some home for Cleveland to get a legit offensive touchdown for the first time in 9 games dating back to 2008. A drive later, Anderson throws yet another terrible pass behind the receiver, being intercepted. 3 interceptions in one half of football. The Browns went on to lose the game 34-3, and Cleveland was a mess. Keep in mind the Ravens defense is 12th in points against per game, and cause fits for many offenses.

Coach Mangini was quoted saying "What Derek did out there was impressive", speaking of the drive in which we got 3 points, and named Anderson the starter against the Bengals the following week. After 3 three and outs out of 4 drives, Anderson and the Browns took advantage of a Brodney Pool interception and drove the ball 39 yards down the field for the first "real" Browns touchdown in over half a season. That cut the Bengals lead to 14-7 after the Browns defense struggled early against the potent Bengals offense. Keep in mind the Bengals defense is 9th in points against, but are very suspect in the passing game, and only had 1 interception on defense through 4 games (J. Joseph). The next drive, Anderson leads the Browns to the Bengals 8 yard line for a potential game tying touchdown. Instead, he throws an interception, negating everything the offense did that drive. Luckily, the defense gets a stop, and Anderson hooks up with rookie wide receiver Mohamed Massoquoi for a 20 yard pass and a 13 yard pass. Jerome Harrison, the backup running back is in for an inactive Jamal Lewis, had a field day against the Bengals, and really loosened up the defense for Anderson, running for 121 yards on just 29 carries. Unfortunately, after scoring another touchdown, the offense could do very little. A big problem with Derek Anderson is his incomplete passes. When the pressure is on, he struggles to complete passes, especially short balls. Long story short, Anderson completes just over 50% of his passes, throws a touchdown, and an interception, and the Browns lose in a heartbreaker in overtime. The defense really stepped up in the 2nd half, allowing the Browns offense to try and come back. Josh Cribbs was really on his game with numerous nice punt and kick off returns allowing the Browns offense to start on at least their own 30 yard line seven times, including twice inside Bengals territory.

Finally, we get to the Buffalo game. You already know what happens. The Browns won a football game. It's true. But how did they do it while only completing two passes? As stated at the beginning, Anderson completed 2 passes on 17 attempts for 23 yards and an interception. At one point in time his Quarterback Rating was 4.9. Keep in mind under 75 is below average. Anderson threw two more incomplete passes and his rating actually raised to 15. How funny is that? I can tell you how the Browns won this game: Buffalo didn't want to win. Buffalo had 13 penalties in the game. They also had 3 turnovers, one in which proved to be very costly when wide receiver Roscoe Parrish fumbled the ball on the Buffalo 16 yard line, allowing the go ahead field goal. The only thing Cleveland really did well other than punting the ball was rushing. Jamal Lewis ran with a full head of steam.... and the Bills have the 29th ranked rushing defense in the league. Prior to yesterdays game, the Bills had the 3rd worst pass defense in the league as well, and despite missing two safeties and a starting cornerback, they made Cleveland look silly. Now, even as Derek Anderson's biggest hater, I will admit that there were about 4-5 passes that should have been caught that were not, one specifically by tight end Robert Royal that should have been 6 points. However, no matter what quarterback is playing, 2/17 and 23 yards with a turnover is unacceptable. As a quarterback, you need to make adjustments. The Cleveland defense played very well despite all the 3 and outs. But can you really give congrats to defense when they are playing a team that scores just over 15 points a game, and has an offense almost as bad as it's own teams?

Regardless, the Browns won that game, and it's nice to see as a Browns fan. It is also true what they say: there is no column for "Pretty" in the standings.

So what is the real problem with the Browns offense? Derek Anderson hasn't made a difference in the same amount of playing time that Quinn has had. Many Derek Anderson fans said that if this offense didn't improve with Anderson in there, than it's not necessarily Quinn's fault.

However, because of this win, many people seem to think that Anderson is a much better fit than Quinn, even though in less attempts, Quinn has more yards, less interceptions, a better QB Rating, better Yards Per Attempt, and the same amount of touchdowns.

It's unfortunate for Quinn who, while he didn't play well, didn't really get a fair chance. As soon as Anderson was noted to start against the Bengals, the coaches made a few offensive changes. They started playing Hank Fraley at right guard instead of Floyd "Porkchop" Womack, who had become a liability, they gave rookie wide receiver Mohamed Massoquoi a chance to start games instead of Mike Furrey and Josh Cribbs who both had many drops in the first 3 games, and most importantly, they put in a running back who hits the holes, and gets quality yardage. What happens if you give Quinn what was given to Anderson? Maybe Quinn gets time to throw the ball. Maybe the defense respects the run and has to put more men in the box. Maybe he gets an option to throw to that doesn't drop the ball as often (perhaps not the case as Massoquoi dropped 2 passes yesterday).

The play-calling has been very suspect by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Daboll is a rookie coordinator who is, obviously, learning the ropes. Prior to Braylon's departure, the wide receivers ran 5-7 yards routes, while Braylon ran a 15-20 yard route. Braylon being a very, very good receiver, was covered over the top with a safety roughly 80% of the time. Remember, with the lack of a running game, and the ineffectiveness of an offensive line, teams could rush 3 and 4 guys and get into the backfield, leaving more options to cover the already below average wide receiver corps in Cleveland. Add in the fact that we are running consecutive wildcat runs up the middle in the red zone, and drawing up poor running plays, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Another problem is the lack of adjustments made by the coaching. In the Denver game, Quinn was sacked 4 times by one player. After the 2nd sack, you need to make an adjustment and put a tight end next to the offensive tackle (in this case John St. Clair), to help out with the blocking. Was that adjustment ever made? No. Yesterday, we had Buffalo putting 9 men in the box (surprising right?), and we have a quarterback that can throw the ball down the field, and what happens? We run right up the middle. Somehow it worked for us (it was Buffalo), and it's not nearly as bad as what it could have been.

I think the biggest issue I have with the lack of adjustments is the fact that we are making a blocking tight end run a 10-15 yard route 60% of the time he runs routes. He's usually running a route 85% of his plays as well, and he has roughly 7 drops on the season, already. His drops have been very costly as well, a few of them on third downs, and 1 that would have been a touchdown. Not to mention, we are struggling to protect our quarterbacks, so why are we trying to keep a running back that struggles to block back to help, when we can keep the tight end out, and use a running back that's good at catching out of the backfield to run a route.

Hopefully Coach Mangini will give Brady Quinn a chance before he trades him off, however. You simply can't judge an NFL player after 5.5 games, let alone an quarterback. Imagine if we judged Eli Manning after just a few games. How about Drew Brees, and even Peyton Manning? Especially with the lackluster talent around him. Even Charlie Frye got 19 starts. Ryan Leaf got numerous starts, as did Akili Smith, Cade McNown, and numerous other first-third round quarterbacks.

I suspect that a big reason to pull Quinn was to prevent him from getting his bonus. Cleveland isn't a playoff bound team, and it would be silly to play a QB 70% or more of the snaps and pay him significantly more money if it won't benefit you. Recent speculation has been that Brady Quinn could be leaving Cleveland as early as this week, but most likely it'll be at the end of the season.

Personally, I don't want to let go of a promising young quarterback until we are sure that he's not the future. It's apparent that Anderson is not a franchise quarterback and he needs A LOT of help, and playing bad defenses to succeed in Cleveland. We also can't afford to pay Anderson's 7.45 million dollar base salary next season, which is significant compared to his 1.45 million base salary from this season. Quinn is only to make 700k this year and next, and is an experiment and we'd be foolish financially to get rid of him, as well as mentally considering he is a talented, hard working player. Could Brady Quinn bust? Definitely, but it's way too early to tell.

Overall, getting off the Brady/Anderson talk, this offense is scary to watch. I almost feel that an SEC offense can put up more points on some teams than this putrid Browns offense. Hopefully we'll start to see progression, but it's unlikely with the lack of wide receivers, running game, and quarterback play.

Hindsight 20/20? We'll find out.

So we've got the media all down our backs for a "horrible" draft we had. Peter King had nothing good to say. Dave-Te Thomas had nothing good to say, as well as many others. So what do they think we could have done better?

Personally, while I lacked excitement about our draft, I can't be upset, as I felt we received some pretty solid players, including in our trades.

What exactly went down?

#5 Pick- Browns fans stood up watching Cleveland on the clock. Some of us wanted Orakpo, Raji, Crabtree, Sanchez, and most of us wanted to trade down. Most of us got what we wanted. We sent pick #5 overall to the New York Jets for safety Abram Elam, defensive end Kenyon Coleman, quarterback Brett Ratliff, along with picks 17 overall (First) and 52 overall (Second).

What would I change?
- The only thing differently I would have liked is a 6th or 7th rounder to add another camp body. New York Jets select Mark Sanchez, bust... I mean quarterback, USC. However, I loved this trade. We don't have to pay for a top 5-10 pick, and we add a quality starter at defensive end, a #2 quarterback, and a starting strong safety. Great move.

#17 Pick- The Cleveland Browns trade pick #17 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for pick #19 overall (First), and pick #191 (Sixth). Tampa Bay selected Josh Freeman, quarterback, Kansas State.

What would I change?
- I think we could have received a 4th/5th rounder from Tampa Bay. They really wanted Freeman, and we just played the nice guys, and said, "sure, just give us a 6th or something, and you can have it".

#19 Pick- The Cleveland Browns trade pick #19 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles for pick #21 overall (First), and pick #195 (Sixth). Philadelphia selects wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.

What would I change?
- Absolutely nothing. We weren't ready to pick, and we added a late round pick. The Eagles knew that the Lions weren't going for Maclin, but wanted to grab him right away, just in case we were looking at him.

#21 Pick- The Cleveland Browns select center, Alex Mack, University of California. Mack is a versatile center. Mack is a hard working, intelligent player. He's got outstanding leverage, and finishes every play. Most importantly for offensive lineman, he's durable. He doesn't have many negatives about him, which is fantastic.

What would I change?
- First, let me say that we needed a center/guard badly. I'm not disappointed with this pick, however, Eric Wood, Antoine Caldwell, and even Max Unger were guys that we could have had in a later round or two. Chris Wells, Evander "Ziggy" Hood, Clay Matthews III, Vontae Davis and even Donald Brown (who I am not that high on), could have all been better picks at #21. However, we made our offensive line much stronger. I'm hoping that we will start Hadnot at center for a year (his natural position), and give Mack work at guard. I don't want to overwhelm him too much. His sophomore year he can take over at center.

Pick #36- The Cleveland Browns select wide receiver, Brian Robiskie, Ohio State. Robiskie is an excellent possession receiver, with great hands. He runs very crisp routes, and would have been a 1st round pick, had the Buckeyes had a true quarterback to throw to him.

What would I change?
- Wide receiver is a need for us. I wouldn't change it a bit. He compliments Braylon very well, and we need another option for Brady Quinn.

Pick #50- The Cleveland Browns select wide receiver, Mohammed Massoquoi, Georgia. Massaquoi is a wide receiver who does his best work in the middle of the field, underneath the secondary. However, he has a huge problem with dropped balls. Out of 81 balls thrown to him his senior season, he caught 41 of them. I believe only 13 or so were deflected. Now the difference isn't necessarily drops, but he's obviously not working as hard as he can to catch the football.

What would I change?
- We really need cornerback depth, an outside linebacker, a right tackle and a running back. Phil Loadholt, while not the best left tackle in college, fits the right tackle spot perfectly. He's an excellent run blocker, who has a great reach and will do well in pass blocking. Paul Kruger is a 6'4 265 pound monster edge rusher. Kruger absolutely ate up Alabama in his bowl game, and was very underrated the entire season for Utah. Kruger on the other side of Wimbely could make offenses cry. Sean Smith is a corner/safety from Utah who has a ton of upside. He's a large (6'4 215) guy who can make tackles and plays very well in man to man. He could have been used as a nickel back or compete for the starting safety position.

Pick #52- The Cleveland Browns select defensive end/outside linebacker, David Veikune, University of Hawaii. Veikune is a hard working power rusher who has good speed. He's a tough hitter, and plays contain very well.

What would I change?
- I like Veikune a lot. However, I question his ability to learn the playbook, drop back in coverage, and overpower NFL tackles. Loadholt, Kruger, Smith, and William Beatty were all available, and I think we could have gotten better value. Jarron Gilbert and Shonn Greene were also available.

The Browns had a late start to day two, lacking a third round pick. It wasn't until the 4th pick in the 4th round did we have a selection.

Pick #104- The Cleveland Browns select linebacker, Kaluka Maiava, USC. Maiava is a quick hitting linebacker who was a special teams guy for 3 years in USC. He got a lot of playing time and was USC's 4th best linebacker (which isn't necessarily a bad thing as they were talented).

What would I change?
- Maiava is undersized to play in this 3-4 defense, in my opinion. He's going to be a great special teams player, but won't see much playing time unless we switch to a Tampa 2 defense and he becomes a weak side OLB. Vaughn Martin, defensive tackle, Western Ontario, Shawn Nelson, tight end, Southern Miss, or Lawrence Sidbury Jr., outside linebacker, Richmond would have all been better choices. Vaughn Martin is one of the most underrated players in the draft. He's a big guy who would be a great nose tackle in a 3-4. He absolutely over powers people. He's going to have a great career in San Diego. Sidbury Jr. is a project edge rusher with good upside. Shawn Nelson is an athletic tight end with very good hands. We don't know who we really have at tight end with Rucker, and an aging Steve Heiden.

Pick #177- The Cleveland Browns select cornerback, Don Carey, Norfolk State. Carey is a speedy guy with good cover skills. He's not well known because of his smaller school play, but he's a sixth round project.

What would I change?
- I would have looked at Bear Pascoe, tight end, Fresno State. But you can't go wrong with a project guy who has a history of hard work. He's a perfect Mangini guy.

Pick #191- The Cleveland Browns select cornerback, Coye Francis, San Jose State. Francis is a taller, more athletic guy who did well in zone coverage and returning kicks.

What would I change?
- Mangini took a bit of a chance here as Francis has had a small character issue. He's not a bad person at all, and he's another great project pick.

Pick #195- The Cleveland Browns select running back, James Davis, Clemson. Davis is a hard runner, very hard. He's a tank to take down, and is great right up the middle.

What would I change?
- Not a thing. I don't think he's an every down back. Most 6th round running backs aren't. However, with an impressive training camp, he could find his way past the practice squad and onto the 53 man roster with his ability to split the middle of the defense. He's a tough guy to bring down, however is extremely poor in pass protection. He's a 2nd-3rd round talent who slipped due to a poor 40 yard dash time, and because his production declined thanks to Clemson's switch to a zone blocking scheme which they just could not excecute at all in 2008. I think Davis was a steal. But don't be surprised if he doesn't fare well as a Brown. He's a 6th rounder, but he's also a hard working kid who's a Mangini guy.


Overall, I think we got solid value in our draft, but we got a lot more projects than I think we needed. Veikune is a guy who the Browns want to make into an OLB/ILB. Maiva is a special teams guy who should not have been draft so high, and Massoquoi is a huge risk with his poor hands.

If I were George Kokinis, my draft would have played out like this:

#21- Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State- This is not my Ohio State bias. He's just not as injury prone as people make him out to be. He missed 3 starts in 3 seasons. Those 3 starts were all in his junior season as Ohio State. He missed the 2nd half of the Texas game with, what I believe was a concussion. 3.5 games I guess you could say. However, he's a perfect north/south runner that the Browns need in the AFC North. Clay Matthews Jr. is the other player I'd have considered along with Beanie.


#36- Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State- After Braylon, there's no telling who our wide receivers could be. David Patten is injury prone and is a better slot receiver, Josh Cribbs isn't a full time receiver, Syndric Steptoe is afraid to catch the ball in the middle of the field, and we traded Kellen Winslow who was our most efficient pass catcher.

#50- Paul Kruger, DE/OLB, Utah- Kruger is a tough, physical pass rusher who makes offensive tackles pee themselves. He comes at you hard, and is a very hard worker that fits the mold of a 3-4 outside linebacker better than most in the draft.

#52- Sean Smith, CB/S, Utah- Smith is a versatile guy, which is important in our secondary. If we have an injury at safety, he can step in and we probably wouldn't miss a beat. However, he's a tough corner who jams receivers at the line and can take a hit from a runner coming at him.

#104- Vaughn Martin, DT, Western Ontario- I'm not confident that Shaun Smith will be on this team much longer, and I don't know if Rubin is a guy that can play nose tackle consistently if Rogers needs a breather. Martin is a guy who could probably step in right away and contribute, and maybe let us experiment with Shaun Rogers at defensive end. He's a power guy who controls centers which forces the running back to look elsewhere for a hole.

#177- Bear Pascoe, TE, Fresno St.- Pascoe is a physical tight end who is in the Steve Heiden mold. He's an efficient run blocker, and he's not too shabby with the hands. He's a tall guy who'd be a great red zone talent.

#191- Don Carey, CB, Norfolk State- I loved the Carey pick. I think he slips a few more spots from #177.

#195- A.Q. Shipley, C, Penn St.- Shipley is a smaller, more athletic center, but most importantly very smart. He'd be a guy who could come in and start in a season or two.


I know I didn't address the offensive line until the last pick, but I think with our free agent signings we could wait another season before drafting a more quality center, right guard, or even right tackle. I think people undersestimate St. Clair at the right tackle spot, and I truly think Tucker will stay healthy all season. If he doesn't we still have Womack to play right guard and Hadnot to play center. Regardless, there's a reason why I'm not the Cleveland Browns general manager, and hopefully we'll prove all the members of the media wrong who doubt us. We've got a lot of talent to play with and we'll see how Mangini and Co. handle these athletes. Perhaps the Browns can become a playoff team in 2 years or less, however, it's quite possible that we end up back at the bottom of the AFC North.

I'm sometimes an optimist, so I'm thinking the former.

Defensive Line: The Difference Maker

A little over a year ago, I posted a blog about the defensive line, and how important it is to the 34 defense. As some may know, I am in belief that with lack of defensive line play, there is little success with the other 8 defenders. With injuries to Robaire Smith, and Corey Williams, our defensive line remained inadequate and did not perform to expectations. Regardless, even if the two were healthy, we still lacked quality depth to fill all positions as the defensive line in a 34 requires a bit of rotation.
Robaire Smith is expected to be at 100% come training camp time, as is Corey Williams. However, the Mangini Administration went out and addressed the defensive line even more, knowing the depth issues we have. What first needs to be known is that Mangini's defensive ends are different from Romeo Crennel's. Mangini prefers smaller, more athletic defensive ends who still have the strength to demand double teams. Crennel threw in DE's in which were big, slow, but explosive off the ball. Either way works, as long as you have the right personnel, which we have not had since we instituted the 34 in 2006. Our returning defensive lineman are: Louis Leonard, Melila Purcell, Shaun Rogers, Ahtyba Rubin, Shaun Smith, Robaire Smith, Santonio Thomas, and Corey Williams. Along with those guys, we have the additions of Kenyon Coleman, C.J. Mosley, and undrafted free agent signing Adam Hoppel. The addition of Kenyon Coleman, alone, makes this defensive line 5 times better, and Mosley adds a bit of youth, but experience and is a guy familiar with Mangini's 34. Here's a little introduction to our two newly acquired DE's that I expect to make the final roster.

Kenyon Coleman: Coleman is going into his 8th year as a pro. He was taken by the Oakland Raiders who let him go after he played in one game in 2002, as he did not fit into their system well enough for them to keep on the team. The Dallas Cowboys signed him in 2003 to be a depth DE for their newly installed 34 defense courtesy of Bill Parcells. Coleman played special teams, earning playing time on the defense at times for next 3 years, in which he continued to make the team as a rising player. After raking up 30 tackles (25 in which were solo) in 2006, without starting a game, the Cowboys realized what kind of impact he made for their defense and their rotation. 30 tackles for a DE receiving half the playing time one usually gets means that he's making plays, even when not necessarily being asked to. However, he became a free agent, and the New York Jets signed him right away scooping him up for their newly installed 34 defense, courtesy of new Browns head coach, Eric Mangini. Coleman has started 29 of his last 32 games for the New York Jets, and was a huge part of a defense that, in 2008, was 7th in the NFL in rush defense. Coleman's strengths are that he gets of the ball quickly. Some DE's are taught to basically stand up their man, while creating enough of a push to force another blocker on them, so that the LB's are free to roam. While Coleman did that well, he also got into the backfield to force the play in whichever way it favored the defense being run, or making a tackle for loss (TFL). I fully expect Coleman to start for this team come September. He's got all the tools we need, and while he's not young (30 years old), he's not going to be a stopgap player, and he'll be able to at least contribute to a rotation for 4-5 years.

C.J. Mosley: Mosley is going into his 5th year as a pro. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in which he spent just one season with. He was traded at the 2006 draft to the New York Jets for QB Brooks Bollinger. Mosley isn't your typical 34 DE. He's a bit on the short side at 6'2, and lacks the necessary burst to be a legit starter. However, he's a solid rotational guy who won't hurt you when he's in. He does a very good job at holding up OT's while sometimes needing a guard to come and help, however, he tends to take plays off. He is a hard worker, and Mangini plans to work with him to improve his motor so that he can be a consistent player that does his job on every play. He's a good, young, developmental talent who will see plenty of time on the field for the Browns.
Now, I'm predicting that Purcell/Thomas and Hoppel will be gone come the start of the season, and even at that, we'll still have a DE rotation of Williams, Robaire, Shaun Smith, Leonard, Coleman, Purcell/Thomas (whichever one stays) and Mosley. Our NT depth will be Shaun Rogers, Ahtyba Rubin, and Shaun Smith. Leonard can also play NT if needed. I really like where this defensive line is headed. The defensive line is, in fact, the key to the 34 defense. If the defensive lineman don't take up space, and even penetrate, then the linebackers cannot get free to make the plays in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. See, our problem the past few years has been that our DE's don't occupy blocks OR penetrate. They tend to get hooked on an offensive tackle, and stood straight up, allowing a guard, or center free to block a linebacker, along with a fullback still left leading the way for a running back to go up the hole. This is the reason why our secondary gets quite a few tackle opportunities. Regardless to what people think, our LB's aren't able to do their jobs either. D'Qwell may register more than 100 tackles in a season, but how many of those are beyond the line of scrimmage, because our ILB's can't get in to make a play? The DE's are even more important to the OLB's. Even though Kamerion Wimbley does need to be stronger, he's still not able to rush the passer because the DE on his side isn't doing his job. That DE should be occupying either the guard and tackle, or the tackle and the tight end. A guard and tackle is ideal, as Wimbley should have no problem getting off the block of a tight end. However, Wimbley always gets wrapped up with an OT, and 1) has trouble getting around to the QB, and 2) has trouble maintaining contain on his side against the run (which is CRUCIAL for an OLB).

Overall, if the defensive line are the first part, and most crucial part of the 3 way chain which is the 34 defense. If the defensive line occupies blocks, or can even penetrate the offensive line, the linebackers can make their plays at or behind the LOS on run plays, or blitz from any angle to make the quarterback get the ball out faster, or sack him. If the quarterback is pressured, the secondary isn't covering receivers for 6-8 seconds while the quarterback has enough time to read the sunday paper, prior to completing his pass. Our secondary, despite lack of depth, isn't as bad as it's made out to be. We have two very promising, young cornerbacks in Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald who would love to have the front seven pressure the QB. It'll make the secondary's job ten times easier, and will make our defense much less predictable.