DaBrowns41

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Post Deadline for Declaration Top 150 for April

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. Anthony Davis*, OT, Rutgers- 6’6 325
10. Dez Bryant*, WR, Oklahoma State- 6’2 220
11. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma- 6’5 315
12. Brian Price*, DT, UCLA- 6’2 300
13. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson- 5’11 195
14. Sam Bradford*, QB, Oklahoma- 6’4 225
15. Bryan Baluga, OT, Iowa- 6’6 312
16. Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida- 6’6 290
17. Earl Thomas*, S, Texas- 5’10 195
18. Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee- 6’3 325
19. Jerry Hughes, DE, TCU- 6’3 257
20. Jason Pierre-Paul*, DE, South Florida- 6’5 262
21. Aaron Hernandez, TE, Florida- 6’2 250
22. Everson Griffen*, DE, USC- 6’4 280
23. Johnathan Dwyer*, RB, Georgia Tech- 6’0 230
24. Arrelious Benn*, WR, Illinois- 6’2 220
25. Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho- 6’6 330
26. Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma- 6’6 258
27. Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri- 6’2 246
28. Taylor Mays, S, USC- 6’4 225
29. Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan- 6’2 260
30. Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama- 6’5 360
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. Golden Tate*, WR, Notre Dame- 5’11 195
35. Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida State- 5’11 193
36. Sergio Kindle, LB, Texas- 6’4 255
37. Bruce Campbell*, OT, Maryland- 6’7 310
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. Vladimir Ducasse, OG/OT, Massachusetts- 6’5 330
42. Daryl Washington, ILB, TCU- 6’3 235
43. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona- 6’6 265
44. Ricky Sapp, DE, Clemson- 6’6 240
45. Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State- 5’11 220
46. Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State- 6’0 197
47. Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina- 6’1 253
48. Javhid Best*, RB, California- 5’9 200
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. Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse- 6’4 293
53. Charles Brown, OT, USC- 6’6 290
54. Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forest- 6’0 190
55. Jon Asomoah, OG, Illinois- 6’6 315
56. Dexter McCluster, RB, Ole Miss- 5’8 170
57. Maurkice Pouncey, OG, Florida- 6’5 318
58. Chad Jones, S, LSU- 6’3 218
59. Anthony Dixon, RB, Miss St.- 6’1 235
60. Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss- 6’5 240
61. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas- 6’2 215
62. Kareem Jackson, CB, Alabama- 5’11 195
63. Jermaine Cunningham, DE, Florida- 6’3 251
64. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech- 6’3 229
65. Amari Spievey, CB, Iowa- 6’0 190
66. George Selvie, DE, South Florida- 6’4 250
67. Joe McKnight, RB, USC- 6’0 192
68. Dominique Franks, CB, Oklahoma- 6’0 192
69. Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas- 6’0 190
70. Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, California- 5’9 190
71. Reshad Jones, S, Georgia- 6’2 212
72. Tyson Alualu, DT, California- 6’3 290
73. Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon State- 6’4 214
74. Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers- 5’11 190
75. Danario Alexander, WR, Missouri- 6’5 215
76. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford- 6’1 235
77. Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan- 6’0 190
78. Sean Lee, LB, Penn State- 6’2 236
79. O’Brien Schofield, OLB, Wisconsin- 6’3 243
80. Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State- 5’10 190
81. Tony Washington, OT, Abilene Christian- 6’7 205
82. Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern- 6’6 281
83. Kyle Calloway, OT, Iowa- 6’7 315
84. Morgan Burnett, S, Georgia Tech- 6’1 210
85. Lamarr Houston, DT, Texas- 6’2 300
86. Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama- 6’3 305
87. Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech- 6’2 262
88. Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota- 6’2 215
89. Darryl Sharpton, ILB, Miami (Fl.)- 6’1 235
90. Anthony McCoy, TE, USC- 6’5 245
91. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati- 6’6 225
92. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn- 6’5 260
93. Dekoda Watson, LB, Florida State- 6’2 228
94. Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas- 6’3 200
95. Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia- 6’5 298
96. Myron Lewis, CB, Vanderbilt- 6’2 205
97. Jeremy Williams, WR, Tulane- 6’1 205
98. Jerome Murphy, CB, USF- 6’1 190
99. Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson- 5’10 185
100. Riley Cooper, WR, Florida- 6’3 215
101. Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU- 6’5 248
102. Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA- 5’11 180
103. Vince Oghobaase, DT, Duke- 6’5 305
104. Javier Arenas, CB, Alabama- 5’9 195
105. Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon- 6’5 243
106. Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky- 6’1 185
107. Larry Asante, S, Nebraska- 6’1 215
108. Thaddeus Gibson, DE, Ohio State- 6’2 245
109. Charles Scott, RB, LSU- 6’0 232
110. Colin Peek, TE, Alabama- 6’6 255
111. Harry Coleman, S, LSU- 6’2 205
112. J.D. Walton, C, Baylor- 6’3 304
113. Austen Lane, DE, Murray State- 6’7 270
114. James Starks, RB, Buffalo- 6’2 210
115. Ciron Black, OT, LSU- 6’5 322
116. Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee- 6’0 215
117. Roddrick Muckelroy, LB, Texas- 6’2 235
118. Rashawn Jackson, FB, Virginia- 6’1 245
119. Micah Johnson, ILB, Kentucky- 6’2 258
120. Major Wright, S, Florida- 6’0 204
121. John Skelton, QB, Fordham- 6’5 255
122. Antonio Brown, WR, Central Michigan- 5’10 181
123. Garrett Graham, TE, Wisconsin- 6’3 250
124. Jason Fox, OT, Miami (Fl.)- 6’7 314
125. Rodger Saffold, OG, Indiana- 6’5 305
126. Brandon Lang, DE, Troy- 6’4 255
127. Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia- 6’1 290
128. AJ Edds, LB, Iowa- 6’4 245
129. Ben Tate, RB, Auburn- 5’11 218
130. Zane Beadles, OG, Utah- 6’4 305
131. Kam Chancellor, S, Virginia Tech- 6’4 230
132. Rennie Curran, S, Georgia- 5’11 225
133. D’Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech- 6’2 298
134. Sergio Render, OG, Virginia Tech- 6’3 313
135. Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss- 6’3 220
136. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon- 6’2 240
137. Pat Angerer, LB, Iowa- 6’1 235
138. T.J. Ward, S, Oregon- 5’11 200
139. Koa Misi, DE, Utah- 6’3 263
140. Justin Cole, LB, San Jose State- 6’3 240
141. Tony Moeaki, TE, Iowa- 6’4 250
142. Boo Robinson, DT, Wake Forest- 6’2 295
143. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, CB, Indiana (PA)- 6’1 205
144. Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina- 6’6 322
145. Kevin Haslam, OT, Rutgers- 6’7 295
146. Freddie Barnes, WR, Bowling Green- 6’0 205
147. Chris Brown, RB, Oklahoma- 5’10 200
148. Jamar Chaney, LB, Mississippi St.- 6’1 240
149. C.J. Wilson, DE, East Carolina- 6’4 276
150. Kurt Coleman, S, Ohio State- 5’11 197

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Updated, and expanded to Top 100

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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.

Monday, December 7, 2009

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

Saturday, November 28, 2009

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.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

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.
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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.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

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.