Cleveland Browns
Nannie Francies Can Party With Us — KSK Kontent Klearinghouse
- SportsGrid posted this Cleveland Browns fan’s license plate. Like most Browns things, it is sad. Like all sad Browns things, I enjoy it immensely.
- It appears that the ****** comments that Brady Quinn made in Michael Silver’s GQ piece, while technically accurate, don’t represent the full picture of what Quinn had to say about the Runslinger in his interview, to which I say “I don’t geeeve a sheeet” in a bad French accent. Meanwhile, Busted Coverage compiled a list of 21 butthurtastic tweets from Tebow fans irate that one of the gays decided to get uppity and speak his mind.
- Speaking of Timmah, we already did something gagging on his reading “Green Eggs and Ham” to the non-home-schooled children, but we didn’t put together a bizarre animated autotune video of his reading, and that’s an important thing.
- Warren Moon’s ex-wife was charged for public lewdness for allegedly getting it on at a rodeo trail ride camp. …
Browns, D’Qwell Jackson started negotiating last week
According to Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram, the Cleveland Browns top priority is re-signing linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, when it comes to free agency.
Both the Browns and Jackson’s representatives started talking last week and they’re both looking to get a multi-year extension done. If they’re unable to get a deal done by the March 5th deadline to tag players, the Browns will likely place the franchise tag on Jackson in order to keep him from leaving.
Shurmur: Media Making Predictions While Team is Still Gathering Info
Prior to the Cleveland Browns front office frantically typing “Indianapolis, IN” into their Garmin Nuvi, head coach Pat Shurmur took a few minutes with the local media to discuss what the next few days of the NFL combine could provide.
With the team rumored to be in the mix for quarterback Robert Griffin III, running back Trent Richardson and a litany of other impact players, Shurmur was quick to dismiss the notion that the team has decided on any one player with whom they would select with their fourth-overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
“I think what happens is, there’s a lot that gets said and written at this time and it’s very interesting to everyone,” Shurmur stated. “Folks are making predictions while we’re still gathering information. That’s the important part. That’s the exciting thing about the Combine.”
When not discussing would-be draftees, Shurmur gave another vote of confidence for the team’s c…
Shurmur: Serious draft work starts at Combine
BEREA — Pat Shurmur has read all the predictions that have the Cleveland Browns trading up to take Robert Griffin III in the NFL Draft.But called the predictions just that — predictions.I have never met the man, Shurmur said of Griffin, the Baylor quarterback whom most expect to become a Brown.To Shurmur, in-depth scouting begins this week at the NFLs Scouting Combine, and part of his process is getting to know a player as well as he can. So he wasnt about to reveal a great deal about the Browns plans or thinking. Except to say he was excited about the Combine’s workouts and interviews.Folks are making predictions, Shurmur said, when were still gathering information.He did say that Griffin is obviously very accomplished as a college quarterback.As we go through it all well determine if hes what everybody says he is, Shurmur said, adding that not revealing everything the Browns plan to do is part of the draft process.Shurmurs media gaggle was as a prelude to the Combine, which will be Thursday through Sunday in Indianapolis. He addressed a number of topics, among them the re-signing of running back Peyton Hillis and linebacker DQwell Jackson.Shurmur made no secret of the teams intentions with Jackson.Hes a guy we want back, Shurmur said.Expect him to sign a long-term deal or receive the franchise tag.As for Hillis, Shurmur was not as definitive.I liked what I saw when he was in there playing healthy, Shurmur said.Hillis did not endear himself to the Browns with some of his actions last season, and its not known how much money he is seeking. If Hillis doesnt re-sign, the Browns would look to upgrade via free agency or the draft.On other topics, Shurmur said:—Colt McCoy should spend the offseason trying to improve as much as he can. Shurmur said McCoy can dramatically improve — which means win games — and he will work at it.I think all players live with the thought that theyre bringing in other guys (at their position), Shurmur said. With that in mind, Shurmur said McCoy can attack this offseason and get as good as he can get within our system.He added that this offseason is about helping McCoy and helping the Browns solidify the position. We need to do what we can to get the quarterback thing right, Shurmur said.–As of mid-February, the plan calls for Shurmur to continue calling plays, though he stressed over and over that drawing up the game plan and playcard will be a collaborative effort with new offensive coordinator Brad Childress and the offensive staff. The plan now calls for Childress to be in the press box, with Shurmur on the field.There is constant interaction, Shurmur said, as well as constant communication.–He said he has no worries working with Childress. He said the two were hired the same day to work for Andy Reid in Philadelphia. They jogged every day and lived in the same neighborhood.I trust Brad, Childress said.–If Jackson does not get the franchise tag, the team could use it again on placekicker Phil Dawson. Dawson and cornerback Dmitri Patterson are two potential free agents Shurmur said he would like back.–The coach does not think it will be a hard sell to convince free agents to come and play for the Browns.Theres no place else Id rather be, Shurmur said.
Why Browns don’t need to trade both 1st round picks to move up for Griffin
The general consensus is that the Cleveland Browns will ultimately win the bidding war for Robert Griffin III due to the fact that they own two 1st round picks, and therefore can offer more than the Redskins or Dolphins. However, the Browns should be able to win the Griffin sweepstakes without parting with the 22nd pick.
For starters, the Browns also own the 37th pick, two spots higher than the Redskins 2nd-round pick. If the Redskins offer their 1st and 2nd round selections, the Browns can out-bid them simply by matching the offer.
On top of that, the Rams may not be interested in dropping all the way to No. 6. By sliding to No. 4, the Redskins are still guaranteed to get either Matt Kalil or Justin Blackmon – most likely the top two prospects on their draft board. Any GM would be thrilled to land one of their two favorite prospects at No. 4 and pick up an additional second-round pick in the process. So whatever the Redskins offer to sweeten the pot beyond the Browns 1st and 2nd round picks may not be worth it to St. Louis.
The Best Browns Since 1999 – Linebackers
Inside linebacker hasn’t been a position of strength overall for the Browns since 1999. They’ve had some solid players and some very good players, but they’ve lacked a superstar. Still, in Browns fans minds the choices were pretty clear. D’Qwell Jackson scored over 2700 first place votes while Andra Davis came in a distant second with 661. Davis crushed the competition with 1568 second place votes with Jackson taking 720 and Chris Gocong scoring 485 votes.
Third place was closer as Browns fans tried to sort out the best of the rest. Gocong had the most third place votes with 898. Andra Davis had 560. Dwayne Rudd had 547. Wali Rainer beat Earl Holmes 409-404.
Outside linebacker was also a pretty clear choice for Browns fans. Jamir Miller crushed the competition for first with 2280 votes compared to Wimbley’s 528. The second place voting was clearly taken by Wimbley with over 1200 while Fujita (690,) McGinest (473,) and Matt Roth (466,) tried t…
Cleveland Browns: Mike Holmgren must stick with Colt McCoy
The Cleveland Browns have a major decision to address, a decision that will have an impact on not only the performance of the Browns this season, but will also be a defining moment in team president Mike Holmgrens three to five year plan. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy has taken a lot of criticism for his performance last season and many sports analysts are suggesting he be replaced–but with who?
Browns Offseason Priority: Find Some Playmakers
While most Cleveland Browns fans would prefer to blame Colt McCoy for disappointing offensive performance, the fact is no quarterback could have salvaged the Browns offense in 2011.
Could Griffin be the Browns superman?
Aside from rookie Greg Little, who showed some promise, the Browns simply lack the playmakers necessary to consistently put points on the scoreboard. And the issue goes beyond the wide receiver position. While a healthy Peyton Hillis will help (if he’s re-signed) even he isn’t a true playmaker. What the Browns need is someone their opponents need to game plan for, someone who can change the course of the game in a single play.
The easiest solution to this problem would be to add Robert Griffin III. While I believe Colt McCoy can be an effective starter if surrounded by a strong supporting cast, he will never have Griffin’s playmaking ability. McCoy can win with the right teammates, but Griffin has the potential to turn his teammates into winners.
But if Griffin is off the board, hope is not lost. The Browns still own three of the top 37 picks, and could acquire another if they trade down – which would make sense if the lose out in the bidding for Griffin.
If the Browns move back 5-10 slots to the middle of the 1st round they could potentially add Kendall Wright, who would immediately add a new dimension to their offense given his ability to stretch the field.
Then, either at No. 22 or in the 2nd round, the Browns could add another weapon – perhaps a playmaker at running back (Doug Martin or David Wilson) or a pass-catching tight end such as Coby Fleener or Ladarius Green.
The bottom line is this: the Browns have some glaring holes, but also have the ammunition necessary to address their areas of concern. Adding Griffin would help, but all will not be lost if they’re forced to return with Colt McCoy as the starter in 2012.
The Best Browns Since 1999 – Cornerbacks
The Browns have struggled mostly to find top of the line starters at the cornerback position. There’s a reason that Tom Heckert drafted Joe Haden and traded for Sheldon Brown when he arrived in Cleveland. And for as much complaining as some fans do about Sheldon Brown, he has brought a lot to the table for the Browns in coverage. It seems that sometimes corners do get beaten, but that just isn’t acceptable for the guy who gets thrown at opposite Joe Haden, I guess. Anyway, on with the list.
Joe Haden ran away with the first place voting. He had over 2800 votes and Leigh Bodden was second with 236. The second place voting was pretty tight between Leigh Bodden and Daylon McCutcheon. Bodden edged him out with 882 to 788.
One of the biggest disappointments on this list is Gary Baxter. With his injuries soon after arriving in Cleveland, he couldn’t compete for the top of this list. By all accounts prior to those catastrophic injuries where he blew out both knee…
If I Ran The Cleveland Browns…
We all know that the franchise mode in Madden is fun, and the detail-oriented amongst us loved NFL Head Coach. While these games may be fun, we all know in the back of our minds that nothing can replicate the feeling of sitting in our favorite team’s front office and having the ability to make the big decisions that will help the Lombardi Trophy wind up in our team’s trophy case in February.
Many of us may be adults, but we’re never going to be too old to daydream about what we’d do if we had the opportunity to lead our favorite teams.
What would I do if I ran the Browns?
If I ran the Browns…
…The Browns would be major players in free agency.
There aren’t very many positive memories that Browns fans can take away from Romeo Crennel’s disastrous tenure as head coach of the Browns. The 10-6 season in 2007 was memorable, but since it didn’t lead to a playoff appearance, many Browns fans tend to forget about this season.
…
NFL Free Agency: The Browns and the cost of franchising
Last year the Browns tagged kicker Phil Dawson a year ago with their franchise tag and paid the veteran kicker $3.25 million. While Dawson may have wanted a longer term deal from the team, a 36-year-old kicker can’t really ask for much better time to be tagged and guaranteed a bigger lump sum, albeit for a single year. This year, it will be interesting to see if the Browns choose to use the tag and if so, on whom.
The period for franchising players starts today and runs through March 5th. This is the first year that the new rules from the latest collective bargaining agreement are in place as well. They are the product of a very complicated formula, but ultimately it reduces the cost somewhat.
Quarterback: $14.4 million (down from $16.1 million in 2011, $16.4 million in 2010)
Running back: $7.7 million (down from $9.6 million in 2011, $8.2 million in 2010)
Wide receiver: $9.4 million (down from 11.4 million in 2011, $9.5 million in 2010)
Tight end: $5.4 million (down from …
Improvement at QB is complicated for Browns
Robert Griffin III continues to be the hot button topic in Cleveland, where a vocal group of fans believes he is the teams future. While some clamor for him to be the teams selection in Aprils NFL either with a trade up to the second spot or with the fourth pick others wonder if Griffin is hype.
Both opinions are held strongly.
The situation is complex, not merely regarding the drafting of Griffin but with improving the quarterback position overall.
Lets just suppose that the Browns believe Colt McCoy is not the long-term answer at quarterback. This is a statement based not on anything anyone has said or done, but is pure supposition, for “argument’s” sake.
Where do the Browns turn if they dont like McCoy and dont want to draft Griffin?
The first option is the trade market, but that doesnt seem like a likely outcome. Trading a first-round pick or two for a quarterback that is the cost just does not seem likely.
Which leaves the draft or free agency.
At this point, the best free agent quarterback on the market will be Matt Flynn. He is the Packers backup who threw for a godzillion (its a technical term, look it up) yards playing in place of Aaron Rodgers in the season finale.
That game broke the hearts of teams that were trying to fly under the radar to snap up Flynn in free agency (yes, that might have been the Browns). Now hes the top targeted quarterback, with teams like Miami, Seattle, Washington(with gobs of salary cap room and an owner willing to spend) and perhaps the Browns interested.
Who are the other top free agent quarterbacks?
Pro Football Focus (ProFootballFocus.com) has Drew Brees first, Flynn second and Alex Smith third.
Forget Brees. Hes going to sign with New Orleans. As the New Orleans Times-Picayune pointed out this past weekend, retaining Brees is the most important decision in the history of the franchise.
Forget Smith. San Francisco will re-sign him or franchise him, but hes not going to leave the womb of Jim Harbaugh.
That leaves Flynn.
And fourth is .. David Garrard.
Yes, the guy who did not play a down last season is ranked fourth.
Fifth: Jason Campbell.
Sixth: Kyle Orton.
Seventh: Chad Henne.
Need we go on?
In his annual rankings, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com doesnt even include Brees; he does not think hell reach free agency. He puts Smith as the 30th best overall player, Flynn as 35th. There are no other quarterbacks in his top 50. He puts Flynn as the best free agent match for the Browns.
This is where things get tricky, though.
Because free agents always, always, always (note the emphasis) make more than everyone expects. A team like the Browns would have to value Flynn enough to pay him 50 million when he has two starts in his career. He could be legit, or he could be Scott Mitchell.
If the Browns cant get Flynn, guys like Garrard, Orton, Henne and Campbell do not seem like much of an upgrade over McCoy.
Which leaves the draft. But that process provides a lot of uncertainty, too. Griffin could be the guy, but there also have been guys like David Carr and Tim Couch and Akili Smith and JaMarcus Russell taken high who did not turn out (Note: Not comparing them to Griffin, just saying the draft provides no guarantees).
There are no easy solutions. The Browns could stick with McCoy ,re-sign Peyton Hillis and draft a cornerback and offensive tackle in the first round.
They also could go with Griffin, which might require a trade.
The one certainty: The Browns will never say anything negative about McCoy, because even if they decide they want to upgrade the quarterback position, there is no guarantee they can get that task accomplished.
In the end, they just might need McCoy.
Improvement at QB is complicated for Browns
Robert Griffin III continues to be the hot button topic in Cleveland, where a vocal group of fans believes he is the teams future. While some clamor for him to be the teams selection in Aprils NFL either with a trade up to the second spot or with the fourth pick others wonder if Griffin is hype.
Both opinions are held strongly.
The situation is complex, not merely regarding the drafting of Griffin but with improving the quarterback position overall.
Lets just suppose that the Browns believe Colt McCoy is not the long-term answer at quarterback. This is a statement based not on anything anyone has said or done, but is pure supposition, for “argument’s” sake.
Where do the Browns turn if they dont like McCoy and dont want to draft Griffin?
The first option is the trade market, but that doesnt seem like a likely outcome. Trading a first-round pick or two for a quarterback that is the cost just does not seem likely.
Which leaves the draft or free agency.
At this point, the best free agent quarterback on the market will be Matt Flynn. He is the Packers backup who threw for a godzillion (its a technical term, look it up) yards playing in place of Aaron Rodgers in the season finale.
That game broke the hearts of teams that were trying to fly under the radar to snap up Flynn in free agency (yes, that might have been the Browns). Now hes the top targeted quarterback, with teams like Miami, Seattle, Washington(with gobs of salary cap room and an owner willing to spend) and perhaps the Browns interested.
Who are the other top free agent quarterbacks?
Pro Football Focus (ProFootballFocus.com) has Drew Brees first, Flynn second and Alex Smith third.
Forget Brees. Hes going to sign with New Orleans. As the New Orleans Times-Picayune pointed out this past weekend, retaining Brees is the most important decision in the history of the franchise.
Forget Smith. San Francisco will re-sign him or franchise him, but hes not going to leave the womb of Jim Harbaugh.
That leaves Flynn.
And fourth is .. David Garrard.
Yes, the guy who did not play a down last season is ranked fourth.
Fifth: Jason Campbell.
Sixth: Kyle Orton.
Seventh: Chad Henne.
Need we go on?
In his annual rankings, Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com doesnt even include Brees; he does not think hell reach free agency. He puts Smith as the 30th best overall player, Flynn as 35th. There are no other quarterbacks in his top 50. He puts Flynn as the best free agent match for the Browns.
This is where things get tricky, though.
Because free agents always, always, always (note the emphasis) make more than everyone expects. A team like the Browns would have to value Flynn enough to pay him 50 million when he has two starts in his career. He could be legit, or he could be Scott Mitchell.
If the Browns cant get Flynn, guys like Garrard, Orton, Henne and Campbell do not seem like much of an upgrade over McCoy.
Which leaves the draft. But that process provides a lot of uncertainty, too. Griffin could be the guy, but there also have been guys like David Carr and Tim Couch and Akili Smith and JaMarcus Russell taken high who did not turn out (Note: Not comparing them to Griffin, just saying the draft provides no guarantees).
There are no easy solutions. The Browns could stick with McCoy ,re-sign Peyton Hillis and draft a cornerback and offensive tackle in the first round.
They also could go with Griffin, which might require a trade.
The one certainty: The Browns will never say anything negative about McCoy, because even if they decide they want to upgrade the quarterback position, there is no guarantee they can get that task accomplished.
In the end, they just might need McCoy.
The Best Browns Since 1999 – Defensive Ends
It says an awful lot about the season that Jabaal Sheard had as a rookie that he dominated the competition here. Granted the competition was a bit skewed because the Browns played 3-4 so long and especially during Kamerion Wimbley’s time in Cleveland. Still, there are a lot of years of defensive ends that Sheard had to compete against for the honor of being number one in Browns fans’ minds.
Sheard scored 1944 first place votes. Kenard Lang had 571 and Courtney Brown had 417 as the next two closest. Robaire Smith crushed Courtney Brown in the second place voting 700-500 in order to overcome that first place vote deficit.
You will notice that Sheard is basically the only current Cleveland Browns player on the radar here. Jayme Mitchell came in 10th and that is probably an insult to Michael Meyers.
Kick returner wasn’t close and shouldn’t have been close.
Stay tuned for next week when we start to get into defense and eventually quarterback.
Offensive Line -…
While We’re Waiting… Evaluating Tom Heckert, keeping up in a small market and Browns CBs praised
While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
Evaluating Heckert- “The Browns, who are well under the cap, were not aggressive last offseason and don’t expect much to change this year. Heckert is not a go-for-broke type GM like Phil Savage. Think patience. I know that is a word Browns fans get sick at the sight of, but Heckert’s plan is not a quick turnaround. He is aware the Browns need offensive playmakers. He said so toward the end of the 2011 season, but throwing money at the hot free agents is not his M.O. The Browns are building for long term and not looking to repeat the one-year wonder like 2007.
Last season, Young wasn’t an impact player and Jackson got hurt. Heckert took to resigning current Browns players and we’ll see if that trend continues this offseason with the likes of Peyton Hillis, Phil Dawson and…
