SB Nation - D'Qwell Jackson

Eric Barton Goes on Injured Reserve

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:37:38 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

The Browns placed veteran inside linebacker Eric Barton on the injured reserve today, putting an end to his season. Barton had a bulging disc in his neck from before the bye week against the Chicago Bears. LB D'Qwell Jackson's season ended a few weeks ago due to injury.

It has already been confirmed that former starting outside linebacker David Bowens will start at one of the inside linebacker positions. It is likely that rookie Kaluka Maiava will start at the other one.

With the move, the Browns are back to having two open roster spots.

In practice squad moves, WR Darnell Jenkins' run with the team didn't last too long as he was released to make room for RB Thomas Brown. Here is what the OBR says about Brown:

Brown, originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round (172^nd overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft, was waived by the Falcons on September 5, 2009. A four-year letterman at the University of Georgia (2004-07), Brown ranks fifth in Bulldogs history with 2,646 rushing yards. He also recorded 23 rushing touchdowns. Born on May 15, 1986, the 5-8, 200-pounder is a native of Tucker, Georgia.

My guess is that if we haven't already promoted two players from our practice squad to take our open roster spots, we'll probably sign two free agents from other teams (or grab two players from other teams' practice squads).

UPDATE (9:55 PM):

Pro Football Talk reported that per a league source, the Browns worked out LB Rocky Boiman today. Boiman was originally a fourth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans back in 2002. Boiman saw the most action of his career last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, when he played in 11 games and registered 73 tackles. Boiman also has a Super Bowl ring from his days with the Indianapolis Colts.

Pondering Green Bay's A.J. Hawk as a bust

Mocking Dan — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:30:57 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

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The struggles of Green Bay fourth-year linebacker are becoming troublesome.

In Green Bay's last game, Hawk only played on nine snaps. In 125 plays over the last two games, Hawk has only been on the field for 31 snaps.

Hawk's playing time dipped earlier this season when the Packers took him out of their nickel formations. While Hawk towed the company line about his reduced role at first, he's clearly become a frustrated player.

He rarely talks to the media now and immediately left the field following the Detroit game.

"If I was A.J. Hawk, I'd be disappointed I wasn't playing either," Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters this week. "Yeah, he hasn't played a whole lot the last two weeks, but I don't really think anything's going on. . . . He just doesn't have a lot of opportunities right now."

When Hawk came out of Ohio State, he was largely viewed as a can't-miss inside linebacker. He had a very good rookie season with 121 tackles, three and a half sacks and two interceptions.

But his play has dropped since then. While injuries can be attributed to his struggles last season, he's healthy this year.

Green Bay's new 3-4 scheme just doesn't suit Hawk's strength of being a straight-ahead run stopper. Hawk is best when a play develops in front of him, not when he has to work through blocks and make plays.

He has trouble flipping his hips and moving laterally and struggles mightily in pass coverage.

Because of where he wad drafted and that he's on pace for the worst season of his career, in a contract year no less, Hawk has to be considered a possible bust.

Not helping his cause is the play of fellow 2006 middle linebackers DeMeco Ryans and D'Qwell Jackson. Each has lead the NFL in tackles while Hawk, picked a whole round higher, is struggling.

Can Hawk still find success in his career? Absolutely. But it just might not be in Green Bay.

This is the first part of a five-part mini-series contemplating big-name players who might be busts.

The Browns Lose LB D'Qwell Jackson

Brandon — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:15:12 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

2 months ago: Buffalo Bills' Terrell Owens can't make the catch as Cleveland Browns' Brodney Pool (21) and D'Qwell Jackson (52) break up the pass during the first half of the NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

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As if the Cleveland Browns didn't have enough problems, what with the refs already out to get them, they lost one of their best defensive players for the season. LB D'Qwell Jackson suffered a season ending shoulder injury in their loss last Sunday. From Dawgs By Nature:

With Jackson being the team's defensive captain and Mangini's highest-coveted played on defense, the loss is a big blow to the defense...

Eric Barton now takes on a bigger role, as it would seem to make sense for him to take over some of Jackson's responsibilities. Jackson already had 57 tackles this season.

LB D'Qwell Jackson Goes on Injured Reserve

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:54:35 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

4 months ago: Cleveland Browns wide receiver Paul Hubbard (89) catches a pass as Cleveland Browns linebacker D'Qwell Jackson (52) defends at the Cleveland Browns NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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The Cleveland Browns placed LB D'Qwell Jackson on the injured reserve Tuesday due to a shoulder injury. Jackson suffered the injury during the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With Jackson being the team's defensive captain and Mangini's highest-coveted played on defense, the loss is a big blow to the defense. In a positive light, it should provide some first-year experience to either David Veikune or Kaluka Maiava. Considering Jackson is in line to be one of our starting middle linebackers for the foreseeable future though, it would've been ideal to have Veikune or Maiava be able to work alongside Jackson. Another option at inside linebacker is Jason Trusnik, who started in place of Wimbley against the Steelers.

Eric Barton now takes on a bigger role, as it would seem to make sense for him to take over some of Jackson's responsibilities. Jackson already had 57 tackles this season.

Assuming Kamerion Wimbley returns from the flu this weekend, this is my guess for the starting linebacker unit that will be on the field against the Green Bay Packers:

David Bowens - Eric Barton - Jason Trusnik - Kamerion Wimbley

I think Maiava will split reps with Trusnik, but I don't think Mangini will throw him into the starting unit just yet, especially with the "respect" he showed to Trusnik last week by starting him over Alex Hall.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 10 (Morning) - Depth Chart Released

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:55:04 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

4 months ago: Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Harrison, left, catches a pass over Cleveland Browns linebacker Alex Hall at the Cleveland Browns NFL football training camp Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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The Browns had a rare day off on Monday to rest from the scrimmage played on Sunday. They were back to work Tuesday morning in Berea though, and they'll finish off with another evening session later tonight.

Something a little unusual did happen in practice though, and I say that due to the poster who was insistent that QB Brett Ratliff being on Derek Anderson's team was a sign of his position on the depth chart. What happened? Find out below...

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 10 [MORNING] (8/11/09)

Ratliff Works With First Team: You read that correctly -- Brett Ratliff, who has mostly been working with the second- or third-string teams, had an opportunity to get some time in with the ones. I still wouldn't read much into this, especially when as you'll see below, Eric Mangini has listed "Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn" as "co-starters" on the depth chart he submitted to the league for the Packers game this week.

QB Brett Ratliff worked with the first-team offense in the two-minute drill and scored.

...And He Scored With Them: Ratliff didn't work the entire practice with the first-team. He only received the opportunity when it came to the two-minute drill, a drill the Browns have struggled to score in during camp. Ratliff took the first-team offense down the field for 71 yards with about a minute still left on the clock. Tony Grossi of the Plain Dealer does note that Ratliff did have some luck on his hand.

For example, on a fourth-down play, a tipped pass still found the arms of Jerome Harrison for a first down. On the scoring play, Braylon Edwards caught a pass one-handed, put a move on Brandon McDonald, and went past him 30 yards for the touchdown. Grossi says that McDonald almost stopped playing on the play though, because he thought the referee was going to call Edwards down (the touch tackle rule).
New Role For Francies: With WR Syndric Steptoe out for the season, the person taking his place in backup return duties is rookie CB Coye Francies. Joshua Cribbs and CB Gerard Lawson are still the players ahead of him on the depth chart.
Injury Notes: Today, we were able to welcome FB Charles Ali back to the field. TE Steve Heiden was also practicing after sitting out Sunday's scrimmage. WR Lance Leggett and TE John Madsen were with the trainers, while the work of WR David Patten was limited.
Mangini on Scrimmage: In talking about players who stood out from the scrimmage, he noted WR Mohamed Massaquoi and CB Coye Francies. It feels kind of cool that I had the same opinion at the scrimmage that Mangini did.
Goofing Up The Trickery: The offense tried to run a trick play for a double reverse. After Brady Quinn handed the ball to WR Brian Robiskie, Robiskie tried to hand it to WR Mike Furrey. The exchange was mishandled though, leading to a fumble recovery and touchdown return by DE Robaire Smith.
Positive Day for Wimbley: After not getting a lot of practice as the Sunday scrimmage, LB Kamerion Wimbley was making things happen this morning, beating Ryan Tucker and George Foster off the edge in two instances. I could praise LB D'Qwell Jackson again too, but he's having a good practice every time.

The Browns ran a lot of running drills Tuesday morning, as Jamal Lewis carries the ball here.

Quarterback Derby: Daniel Wolf has this morning's statistics for the quarterbacks in their drills, and it sounds like both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson had pretty good practices. It figures that they continue the trend of one of them not being able to run away from the other. My favorite play I read about was Anderson lobbing a nice pass to RB Jerome Harrison for about 30 yards, as he was covered by LB Alex Hall. That play can be seen in the picture at the top of this post.
Bubble Watch: After LB David Bowens tipped a pass from Anderson, WR Paul Hubbard was still able to pull the ball in.
False Starts: The word "FOCUS" was painted on the field today around the 20-yard line. Apparantly that had the opposite of the intended effect on the players, as there were more false starts than perhaps any other session in camp. The mishaps didn't go unpunished; players continued to run laps for their mistakes.
Hood Picking Things Up: After some questioning of his ability to make a play on the ball from his days in Arizona, CB Roderick Hood snagged two interceptions, one of them coming off of QB Richard Bartel. It wasn't a very good practice for Bartel, who will probably be considered for the first batch of cuts (I believe those come some time after the first preseason game).
Brownies: There was a heavy focus on the running game in drills...WR Joshua Cribbs continue to catch the ball as a receiver.

Now, let's get to the starting depth chart release by Mangini (credit to Steve Doerschuk for posting):

QB: Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn, Brett Ratliff, Richard Bartel
RB: Jamal Lewis; Jerome Harrison; James Davis; Noah Herron
WR: Braylon Edwards, David Patten, Mohamed Massaquoi, Paul Hubbard, Jordan Norwood
WR: Mike Furrey, Joshua Cribbs, Brian Robiskie, Lance Leggett
TE: Robert Royal, Steve Heiden, Martin Rucker, John Madsen, Aaron Walker
FB: Lawrence Vickers, Charles Ali
LT: Joe Thomas, George Foster
LG: Eric Steinbach, Kurt Quarterman, Dustin Fry
C: Hank Fraley, Alex Mack
RG: Floyd Womack, Isaac Sowells, Fred Weary
RT: John St. Clair, Ryan Tucker, Branndon Braxton

LE: Corey Williams, C.J. Mosley, Santonio Thomas, Melila Purcell
NT: Shaun Rogers, Ahtyba Rubin, Adam Hoppel
RE: Kenyon Coleman, Robaire Smith, Louis Leonard
ROLB: Kamerion Wimbley, Titus Brown, David Veikune
ILB: D’Qwell Jackson, Beau Bell, Marcus Benard
ILB: Eric Barton, Kaluka Maiava, Philip Hunt, Blake Costanzo
LOLB: David Bowens, Alex Hall, Leon Williams, Bo Ruud
CB: Eric Wright, Hank Poteat, Corey Ivy, Brandon Anderson
CB: Brandon McDonald, Rod Hood, Coye Francies, Gerard Lawson
SS: Abram Elam, Nick Sorensen, Hamza Abdulla
FS: Brodney Pool, Mike Adams, Bret Lockett

KR: Joshua Cribbs, Jerome Harrison
PR: Joshua Cribbs, Jerome Harrison
PK: Phil Dawson
P: Dave Zastudil
H: Dave Zastudil
LS: Ryan Pontbriand

It figures that Mangini has to stay mum on the quarterback situation, eh? I would have liked to have seen how Alex Mack fared with the first-stringers even if he isn't projected to start the season. On the defensive side of the ball, Corey Williams is now in the starting lineup, contrary to Sunday's scrimmage. I wonder if that has to do with the coaches not wanting to put too much physical pressure on Robaire Smith yet, since it sounds like Smith has been very good in camp. No surprises in the secondary, but at linebacker Mangini is sticking with the All-Jets group on one side.

Tuesday Morning's Links/Camp Sources

Tuesday 8/11 morning practice (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Bartel gets reps with first team (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
Abe & the Depth Chart (Orange and Brown Report, Taylor)
Tuesday AM: Ratliff gets chance (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)

Eddie Royal's 93 yard Touchdown: Whose fault was it?

rufio — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:28:21 -0000

Things were good. Brady Quinn had led the Browns to 23 points in just over three quarters of game time in his first start for the Cleveland Browns. Quinn, named the starting quarterback before a Thursday night game had a very short week to prepare and he was leading his team to success.

The Browns defense had done an admirable job while holding the Broncos' high-powered passing attack to only 13 points in those same three quarters of play.

Even the Special Teams unit seemed to be on, as Dave Zastudil had just pinned the Broncos at their own 7 yard line.

Then disaster struck.

With the statistics of "The Drive" on the screen, Jay Cutler hit Eddie Royal for 93 yards and a TD. In less than 15 seconds, the momentum swung to Denver and the Browns' 10 point lead was down to 3.

At first, it appeared that CB Brandon McDonald was to blame. He was the only one in the vicinity of Royal and was the one eating Royal's dust as he caught the ball and raced for the TD. Upon further review, that might not have been the case. Before we get down to the finger pointing, let's go through the play.

Our defense is in it's base 3-4 alignment, countering Denver's 2 TE, 1 RB, 2 WR personnel. TE Tony Scheffler is in the slot toward the bottom of the screen, currently obscured by the foretelling graphic.

Initially, we set up in a Cover-3 look. Sean Jones is the safety toward the top of the screen (the "strong" side of the formation is to the defense's right/offense's left). Jones scoots up and CBs Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald scoot back along with FS Brodney Pool, showing the Cover-3 shell.

ILB Andra Davis appears to hear something as QB Jay Cutler goes through his cadence or barks out an offensive audible. Davis motions to McDonald and other defenders, apparently audibling to a different play or a different coverage or notifying them that a certain play is coming.

McDonald acknowledges the check, and for some reason points to the sideline.

McDonald then motions to someone, waving them toward him.

Chris Collinsworth (who was broadcasting the game) pointed out that it appears the Browns were in either a Cover-4 shell or in straight man to man coverage with no deep help after Davis' audible and before the snap. Collinsworth also notes how unusual it is that Sean Jones does not move over to help McDonald once TE Daniel Grahm does not threaten his area of the field.

I do not believe we were in straight man to man coverage. There is almost only one reason to be in straight man, and that is because you are sending a huge blitz. We only sent 4 rushers at Cutler. Also, ILB D'Qwell Jackson appears to be covering a zone and OLB Kamerion Wimbley appears to leave TE Daniel Grahm to drop in to a zone after jamming Grahm at the line of scrimmage.

Our OLBs jam the TEs at the line of scrimmage, as Jackson drops into a zone. Pool notices that the TE on his side is not going to run deep, so he works his way over to help Wright cover WR Brandon Marshall.

As Cutler pump fakes to Royal's fake slant, McDonald bites. Royal turns that slant in to a "slant and go" route and McDonald is beat. You can clearly see in this image how Pool appears to be playing Cover-4, but Jones is in underneath coverage, guarding almost the exact same spot as D'Qwell Jackson.

So what happened?

For me, it boils down to a few questions:

1. What is the coverage?

As I said earlier, I highly doubt this was supposed to be pure man-to-man coverage. Jackson is playing zone, WImbley is playing zone, and Pool appears to be playing zone. There would be no reason to take such a reckless risk unless you were sending seven rushers at the QB, knowing you would get an unblocked player to Cutler and knowing that he would have to take a big hit and still get the ball out.

I am fairly certain this should have been Cover-4 zone coverage. Jones should have dropped deep. McGinest, Jackson, and Wimbley all played their underneath zones fairly well.

2. What was Davis' signal about?

Davis' signal--I think--is a cue to McDonald about the route Royal is about to run. Davis makes sure McDonald hears him, but doesn't seem to care as much as to whether the DBs on the other half of the field hear/see him. He doesn't even seem to care if Jones hears him.

If Davis' signal is a cue that a slant is coming, how did he know and why wasn't a slant thrown?

A while ago, I was watching the NFL films version of the Green Bay vs. San Francisco playoff game in the 90s with "the Catch II". Steve Youg provided some commentary from the game and noted on one play that since both SF and GB ran the west coast offense, they had similar terminology and often could know what the opposing offense was doing.

Because of this, they would plant several "fake" audibles every game: they would use the terms that meant "Owens will run a post route" but then would actually have Owens run a post-corner, scorching the defense.

It is possible that Cutler and Denver "booby-trapped" their audible, here. The Browns thought they knew what was going on, but Denver was in control all along.

3. Who the heck is McDonald waiving at?

Originally, I thought McDonald was waiving at Sean Jones to come over and help him deep. I think it's pretty clear from the images that McDonald is waiving at someone closer to the ball. This could be:

a. OLB Kamerion Wimbley, motioning for him to drop back in zone coverage to cover the slant if it is indeed thrown

b. Cutler, taunting him.

Option b. would my theory about the "booby-trapped" audible, with McDonald thinking he knows what route is coming and feeling even more like an idiot after he gets scorched.

4. What is Sean Jones doing?

I have no idea what Sean Jones is doing. He is covering almost the same exact area as D'Qwell Jackson, he looks almost surprised that Jackson is there, and he is looking to cover TE Daniel Grahm, who is already blanketed by Wimbley and Jackson.

Jones is effectively covering grass (not covering anyone). If the Browns should indeed have been in a Cover-4, he needed to help McDonald. If Jones is assigned to any other part of the field, he needs to be freeing up a LB to cover the slant if it is indeed thrown, allowing McDonald to stay deep.

Conclusions

I believe McDonald is to blame for the catch, but I still believe Jones is at least partially to blame for the score. He should have been helping McDonald cover Royal deep, and even if he was out of position, he should have been able to tackle Royal after he caught the ball.

One or more coaches could have also been to blame. If they thought they knew some of Denver's terminology (i.e. that Royal was going to run a slant), they could have schemed a much more effective play to stop it. If they truly decided to have McDonald attempt to jump the route with no help and 93 yards behind the defense, it was an incredibly inept decision. That isn't to mention that they in fact had no idea as to what was coming on this play.

Multiple things didn't go well for us on this play, and hopefully new head coach Eric Mangini and new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan can mimize that type of play for the Browns' Defense in the future. Even if that type of play does happen, I believe this year's Browns will be better equipped to stave off the opposing team's charge and regain momentum because of Mangini's coaching style.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2009: Inside Linebacker Preview (Maiava or Bell?)

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:21:24 -0000

After covering the quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks, defensive linemen, offensive linemen, wide receivers, and tight ends, it's time for the defense to start getting some more attention as we approach training camp. Although the order of this training camp preview was done randomly, it's fitting that the linebackers and the secondary will be covered over the next two weeks, as they will yield some of the most interesting and competitive training camp battles.

This week is officially titled "Hard Hits and Klutch Kicks"; the linebackers will be discussed until Thursday, and then the special teams unit will be the topic of discussion heading into the weekend. Today, specifically, is dedicated to the players competing for a spot as an inside linebacker.

Also, if you didn't catch it last week, don't forget to look back at Part 1 of rufio's explanation of the 46 defense as it pertains to the Cleveland Browns.

1. D'QWELL JACKSON - STARTING INSIDE LINEBACKER

D'Qwell Jackson (#52)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 240
College: Maryland
Experience: 4 years
Stats: 154 tackles in 2008

It didn't take long for head coach Eric Mangini to announce D'Qwell Jackson as a favorite of his. Earlier in the offseason, reports were indicating that Mangini would consider listening to a trade for anybody on the roster except for two players: Joe Thomas, and then Jackson.

I can't tell if I've been blind or if Mangini is trying to set it in stone that he wants Jackson to step up as the new leader of the defense with Andra Davis gone, but Jackson has not played like the type of player that you put on an "untouchable list". When you think of the top AFC linebackers the past several years, Jackson fails to come close to his counterparts on the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers. Overall, Jackson has been a good, but not great, player. He doesn't have that dominant presence of meeting a running back head on at the line of scrimmage for no gain all by himself. He also wasn't making tackles six yards down the field as often as Davis was.

It's not saying much, but last year, Jackson was our best linebacker. He looks like a decent linebacker for a 3-4 system, but not the Ray Lewis that sets the tone defensively. Perhaps that will change with the new regime, different schemes, and a higher level of responsibility this season. Jackson's job is as safe as you can get; he won't have anyone fighting for his job.

Job Security: A+
Player Quality: B
Final Roster Odds: 100%

2. ERIC BARTON - STARTING INSIDE LINEBACKER

Eric Barton (#50)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 245
College: Maryland
Experience: 11 years
Stats: 119 tackles in 2008

They might not be from the same era, but Eric Barton has something from the past in common with Jackson -- they both played at Maryland. Now, they'll both have something in common -- being a starting linebacker for the Browns.

Barton has been an established, well-respected linebacker in the league for awhile with the New York Jets and should be considered an immediate upgrade over Andra Davis. Barton isn't among the elite linebackers either, but he is a better tackler than Davis and also does not appear to be running like a turtle on every play that isn't in the snow.

The most important thing about the Browns adding Barton is his intelligence factor. Mangini has praised Barton for his intelligence and his ability to call signals. While I don't believe it has been confirmed, that should mean that Barton, who will be partially familiar with the defensive system to be put into place, will be wearing the headset in his helmet this season. Last year, Davis and Leon Williams shared that responsibility.

Overall, it was disappointing that the Browns couldn't add a Pro Bowl caliber player to the inside linebacker position. Nonetheless, while inside linebacker might not be a strength for the Browns this season, the addition of Barton prevents it from being too much of a weakness.

Job Security: A-
Player Quality: B-
Final Roster Odds: 100%

3. KALUKA MAIAVA - BACKUP INSIDE LINEBACKER

Kaluka Maiava (#56)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 229
College: USC
Experience: Rookie
Note: 4th round pick

This is where things get thin really fast, although Leon Williams could play on the inside still (for training camp, he will be in the OLB preview).

In one corner, you have 2009 fourth-round rookie draft pick Kaluka Maiava from USC. In the other corner, you have 2008 fourth-round rookie draft pick Beau Bell from UNLV. Thanks again to Romeo Crennel's poor utilization of young players, Bell does not have the experience factor on his side, making this almost like a rookie on rookie competition.

If you're looking for a reason why Maiava could be a steal, then here it is: he was USC's "unknown" in a way, because he was overshadowed by the likes of Clay Matthews, Rey Maualuga, and Brian Cushing, who were all starters and were all taken on Day 1. He is used to coming in as a rotational player and is known for his toughness, but the fact that he wasn't a starter behind a trio of future NFL starting linebackers leads to the question -- if Maiava could've been given a starting opportunity instead, would he have played just as well?

Maiava is also the nephew of actor and former WWE wrestler The Rock (aka Dwayne Johnson).

Final Roster Odds: 98%

4. BEAU BELL - BACKUP INSIDE LINEBACKER

Beau Bell (#58)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 250
College: UNLV
Experience: 2 years
Note: 4th round pick in '08

Ok, so let's try to evaluate Beau Bell on all of the plays he registered tackles on last season. Hmmm...maybe that's not a good idea, since there were only three of them. And, while I can't recall for certain, I believe some of those came on special teams; I don't know if we ever even saw him in the linebacker rotation during the regular season.

Bell did have nagging knee problems throughout the season, but I don't buy that as an excuse for not playing him. Here's a quote from Crennel late last season that should have brought out the monkey-scratcher:

[Crennel] added that rookie linebacker Beau Bell has been making good progress, "but just finding the chance to get him up and active is an issue."

In response to that, DBN member Roger Dorn conveyed what most of the fans were thinking:

Another moment of brilliance from Romeo. Our linebackers might be the worst in the league and Crennel acts like Bell is being blocked? Either tell us that Bell is worse than our bad linebackers straight up or give him a chance to play.

The fans have not given up on Bell yet, and I think many of us are still very intrigued by the potential he showed in college. I put him behind Maiava though because he was Mangini's choice, and thus has a potential leg up in terms of favoritism. With our lack of depth at ILB, even if Bell doesn't shine, he should stick on the roster as a special teams contributor, where he forced a fumble last season on a hit that seemed harder than Andra Davis ever delivered.

Another option is that Bell could still fit on a practice squad, but before that, another team would probably snatch him up.

Player Quality: TBD
Final Roster Odds: 70%

5. BO RUUD - BACKUP INSIDE LINEBACKER

Bo Ruud (#43)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 235
College: Nebraska
Experience: 2 years
Note: Former 6th rounder

Bo Ruud was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 6th round of the 2008 draft, but missed most of the season with an ankle injury. If you're familiar with Tampa Bay Buccaneers ILB Barrett Ruud, Bo is his brother. If [Bo] Rudd ended up anything like his brother, fans would be ecstatic.

When Ruud was drafted by the Patriots, their team website had a nice article that mentioned Ruud's desire to look at film:

"I'm kind of obsessed about it," Ruud said shortly after the Patriots took him in the sixth round (197 overall). "I will tell people there is not one linebacker in the country that spends more time watching film than me. It's one thing I actually enjoy doing and it helps. I think football is really important."

Not surprisingly, Ruud said he's been doing it since high school with his brother and continued the practice ever since. When Barrett made it to the NFL, Bo stepped it up a level.

"I was actually trying to do what he was doing at the pros while at the college level. You hear about all the great football players doing that and you just try to replicate that work ethic and study habits and see what that does for you."

Link

Ruud's size makes him a likely candidate to play inside linebacker for the Browns, where he'll try to be the "surprise" player to overtake either Bell's or Maiava's backup position.

Final Roster Odds: 30%
Practice Squad Odds: 75% (at least I would like to see him there)

6. BLAKE COSTANZO - SPECIAL TEAMS LINEBACKER

Blake Costanzo (#--)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 235
College: Lafayette
Experience: 3 years
Note: ST demon?

I don't know whether Blake Costanzo really stands out as an inside or outside linebacker specifically, but for this preview, he's getting the "inside" billing. He wasn't signed for that though; he was signed for his ability to contribute on special teams.

Last season with the Buffalo Bills, he led the team with 26 special teams tackles. He was waived in June due to an influx of young talent coming in at the linebacker position, and fans were somewhat disappointed to see him go. He could be this year's Kris Griffin. I couldn't find a jersey number for him yet, so if anyone has it, let me know.

Final Roster Odds: 60%

7. DAVID HOLLOWAY - PRACTICE SQUAD INSIDE LINEBACKER

David Holloway (#54)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 234
College: Maryland
Experience: 3 years
Note: More Maryland ties

Holloway has some experience at both inside and outside linebacker positions, so this is again a loose process when I list him as an inside linebacker. He was an undrafted free agent two years ago for the Arizona Cardinals. The Browns signed him to their practice squad late last season, as he returns now to compete for that spot again.

Here is an assessment Revenge of the Birds, our Arizona Cardinals affiliate, gave on Holloway heading into training camp last season:

Hollaway was an undrafted free agent out of Maryland last year and he spent nearly the entire season on the practice squad (activated for last game but didn't play). He's undersized (6'2 230) but athletic (4.72 forty, 32 bench reps) and could push for a roster spot this year. He's got experience playing on the inside and outside but his pass rush skills are best suited for the outside. He's had a full season to learn Pendergast's system and could have a leg up on Harrington in camp.

Link

Another interesting note is that Holloway was in the same starting lineup as D'Qwell Jackson during their Maryland days. While Jackson operated at middle linebacker, Holloway played strongside linebacker.

Final Roster Odds: <2%
Practice Squad Odds: 20%

8. JONATHAN FOSTER - UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT INSIDE LINEBACKER

Jonathan Foster (#48)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 230
College: Central State
Experience: Rookie
Note: UDFA

There's not a lot to go by on Jonathan Foster, who played for Central State (Ohio) in college. He is from Ann Arbor, Michigan and played outside linebacker at college; so, again, this is another player who could really be trying out for outside linebacker.

Unfortunately, beyond that, I can find literally nothing on Foster. For him not being out there as a "name" in the first place, I guess a positive would be the fact that Mangini is giving him another look in training camp. I'm grasping for straws here folks. In the picture to the right, he's one of the player's stretching on the ground.

*EDIT (7/21/09): Foster was waived prior to the start of training camp.

Final Roster Odds: <0.1%
Practice Squad Odds: I literally have no idea

ILB Position Quality (Overall): C

There is nothing spectacular at the position yet, but we are in a little better shape than last year with Davis gone. The backup middle linebacker is a question mark, but Bell and Maiava both have potential. It would be outstanding if both of them pan out with one of them cutting into Barton's playing time at some point in the season.

Feel free to discuss a variety of issues at linebacker in the comments section, such as whether Leon Williams/David Veikune should be inside or outside, if DQ is the real deal, or players listed on this who you believe should've been listed at outside linebacker (or vice-versa).

Poll

Which player would you rather see worked into the ILB rotation more this season?

Beau Bell

452 votes

Kaluka Maiava

546 votes

Bo Ruud

115 votes

1113 votes | Poll has closed

3-4 vs. 4-3: How Will It Effect the Arizona Cardinals Line Backers

Hawkwind — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:21:35 -0000

A while back we took a look at what it meant to be a defensive lineman in a 3-4 defense and how the Arizona Cardinals personnel fit into that scheme. Today though we'll shift our focus to the line backing corps to not only see where how our roster fits the system, but also what should be expected from each position. For most of the comparisons and expectations we'll look at nine other teams that run the 3-4 defense (Steelers, Chargers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Browns, Jets, Patriots, Ravens and 49ers). Here's the same disclaimer that we used in our look at the defensive line:

I'll be the first to tell you I'm no football expert or former defensive coordinator at any level, but I've done some nerd-like research (after all that's what the interenet is for right?) into the 3-4 since Ken Whisenhunt brought the scheme to the desert. It's not only a completely different defensive scheme with different responsibilities but it's also takes a different mindset for players, as well as a different kind of player. For the sake of simplicity in this article, we'll assume that there won't be much of a change for the secondary. The only tangible difference I could find was that they'll probably run more man-to-man coverage, but the Cardinals were never a big 'zone coverage' team to begin with. That allows us to focus on the front seven and more specifically, what the changes will be for the defensive line and linebackers as a whole and individually.

Outside Linebackers: Of the nine teams that we're using as our 3-4 models, the average size of the OLB spot is 6'3, 261.5 pounds with the smallest being Manny Lawson (6'5, 240) and Matt Roth of the Dolphins (6'4 275) comes in as the biggest. The average production from these 18 starters in 2008 was 62.8 tackles and 8.3 sacks, although we did use Shawne Merriman's stats from 2007. Out of our nine models, six of the teams had a OLB lead their team in sacks. Of the remaining three teams (Jets, Patriots and Browns), two were led by defensive ends (Jets and Patriots with eight sacks) and the Browns were actually led by their nose tackle, Shaun Rogers, who logged 4.5 sacks.

The job of an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense is very similar to a defensive end in a 4-3, with one major exception. Although they do share the same responsibilities as a run defender and primary pass rusher, they also have the added responsibility of dropping into coverage on occasion. It's also important that the OLB is strong enough set the corner of the defense and funnel running plays back towards the middle of the field and flowing interior linebackers, but no job is more important that their ability to rush the passer. The six teams that had an OLB lead their team in sacks had an average defensive ranking of 10.6 (in terms of yards per game in 2008) while the other three teams had an average ranking of 17.3.

Cardinals current personnel: There are a handful of guys who will see time and fit the 'mold' of a 3-4 OLB. Guys like Chike Okeafor (6'5 247), Clark Haggans (6'4, 243) and Cody Brown (6'2, 244) figure to be the three guys who see the most time at OLB this season and all possess the pass rush skills to fill the position but as you can see, they're all of the small end of the OLB spectrum. Bertrand Berry (6'3, 260), Will Davis (6'2, 262) and Victor Hobson (6'0, 252) will be fighting for roster spots and playing time behind the 'big three' and could provide some bulk when they're in the game. Of this group, Okeafor and Berry are proven pass rushers from the defensive end position those skills should translate to the OLB position. Haggans has the track record of a complete OLB capable of holding his own in the running game and performing well in coverage but he's never been a major force in the pass rush department. Brown and Davis both possess the ability to rush the passer and it'll be interesting to see how quickly they are thrown into the mix. Hobson is a wild-card who has experience in the position and could be a decent fill-in starter.

Inside Linebackers: Of the nine teams that we're using as our 3-4 models, the average size of the ILB is 6'1, 244 pounds with the smallest being Stephen Cooper (6'1, 235) while Channing Crowder (6'2, 250) comes in as the biggest. The average production from these 18 starters in 2008 was 101 tackles and a sack and a half. Seven of the nine teams saw one of their inside backers lead the team in tackles and the two top tacklers in the NFL were members of 3-4 defenses (D'Qwell Jackson and Patrick Willis). Eight of the nine teams had at least one of their inside backers record at least 100 tackles and the only team that missed that mark, Chargers, saw their ILB record 98 tackles despite missing the first four games.

For inside linebackers in a 3-4 defense, they have a single responsibility above all others: tackle the guy with the ball. For the most part, the inside backers are protected by their defensive line and they're expected to make tackles from side line to side line. These backers normally aren't a big factor in the pass rush department with only one player, Bradie James, recording more than 3.5 sacks. The primary reason for their lack of sack totals is because they're a significant factor in the passing game. Considering that most OLB's are rushing the quarterback, most of the inside backers are covering backs or tight ends or dropping into short zone coverages.

Cardinals current personnel: Karlos Dansby (6'4, 250) and Gerald Hayes (6'1, 249) are the starters for the Cardinals on the inside and they're both above average in terms of size and Dansby will be the only player in our sample size who is taller than 6'2. The duo of Dansby and Hayes are a great combination and they post stats that are very much in line with the better ILB groups in Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Dallas. As for the backups, Victor Hobson (6'0, 252) could see time on the inside although all eyes will likely be on Ali Highsmith. He was undrafted last year because of questions about his lack of size (6'1, 230), but it'll be interested to see how much bulk he adds by this year's training camp. The only other guy vying for a roster spot or playing time is Pago Togafau but his height, or lack thereof (5'10, 240), will always hinder his chances.

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Overall there were a couple of things that jumped out to me while doing this nerdy research. First, this defense can be effective without having a truly premier pass rusher on the outside. The Patriots defense ranked tenth in yards per game and eighth in points per game yet their starting outside linebackers combined for just 10.5 sacks. Second, Karlos Dansby has the potential to be truly special as an inside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. His ability to rush the passer just as well as he can drop into coverage set him apart from the group and if the defensive line in front of him can keep him clean, he could in store for a monster season. And finally, I'll be keeping a close eye on Victor Hobson throughout training camp and the preseason. It's highly unlikely that our starting four linebackers will play all 16 games and Hobson's experience in the 3-4 scheme could make him the next guy in line at all four spots. So did all of that make any sense? What do you think of how our line backers would look? Who is the most crititcal player in this group of guys?

46 Part I

rufio — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:37:11 -0000

New Head Coach Eric Mangini and new Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan have me excited about our defense. With promises to "attack" and to be a hard working unit coming from Rob Ryan, one of the few tactical changes we have heard about has been the addition of the 46 defense to the Cleveland Browns' repertoire.

Rob Ryan's father, Buddy Ryan, ran the 46 with great success, most notably with the 1985 Chicago Bears. Buddy Ryan is credited as the creator of the 46 defense.

When looking at the 46 defense, it will be important to keep a few things in mind.

Theoretically, every player on the field can attempt to do any number of things on a given play after the snap. They can blitz shooting through a gap, they can attempt to take up any number of blockers, they can drop into any number of zone coverages, and they can play man to man defense on any of the five position players, etc. This goes for any formation, not just the 46.

Our coaches seem intent on turning this theory into reality. A true "hybrid" defense is one in which multiple players are not only assigned a wide variety of responsibilities, but are actually versatile enough to do everything asked of them and to do those things well.

The 46 is a tool in the arsenal of a defensive playcaller. It is just like any other formation in that it has strengths and weaknesses. Without creative and brave play design and playcalling, and without talented, intelligent and disciplined players, those strengths are negated and those weaknesses highlighted.

In Part I of this survey of the 46, I will discuss the 46 alignment against a normal I-formation offense with 2 wide receivers, a tight end, and two running backs (either one RB and one FB or two of either). To counter, a normal 46 defense uses 4 down linemen, 3 linebackers, 2 safeties, and 2 cornerbacks.

The 46 begins with a big shift of the defensive line to the "weakside" (non-TE side) of the field.

Right End:

The RE lines up way wide at what some coaches call the "9-technique". This should be at least 1 yard wide (horizontally) of the weakside offensive tackle (here, the Left Tackle).

Desired Skills: speed rushing, some coverage ability

NFL ideal: Dwight Freeney, Colts

Probable Brown playing the position: Kamerion Wimbley

Left End:

The LE lines up much more like a DT than a DE. He begins head-up over (directly in front of) the strongside guard (here, the Right Guard).

Desired Skills: strength, power, explosion. Ability to be an effective rusher in a small area and to push the pocket needed. Ability to stunt around other defensive linemen required for optimal blitzing. Zone coverage ability a plus but not needed. Probably at least 290lbs.

NFL ideal: Haloti Ngata, Ravens

Probable Brown playing the position: Robaire Smith

Left Defensive Tackle/Nose Tackle:

The Left Defensive Tackle lines up directly over the Center.

Desired Skills: same as Left End, but bigger. Can sacrifice some mobility for strength/size. Probably at least 320lbs and strong.

NFL ideal: Shaun Rogers,

Probable Brown playing the position: Shaun Rogers

Right Defensive Tackle:

The Right Defensive Tackle lines up directly over the weakside offensive guard (here, the Left Guard).

Desired Skills: same as Left End

NFL ideal: Sedrick Ellis, Saints or Kevin Williams, Vikings,

Probable Brown playing the position: Corey Williams

So, the line should look like this:

Now that the defensive line has shifted to the weakside of the play, where do you think the linebackers are going? Yep, they are shifting dramatically to the strong side of the play.

They shift so much, in fact, that the Outside Linebackers are no longer called the "Sam" and "Will" (strongside and weakside, or, alternately left and right) linebackers. The artist formerly known as the "Sam" linebacker is called a "Jack" linebacker in the 46, and the "Will" linebacker changes his name to "Charlie". It wouldn't make sense to call a linebacker on the left of the formation a "right outside linebacker", which is why the change in names occurs.

"Left" Outside Linebacker--The "Jack":

The "Jack" linebacker lines up on the line of scrimmage, with his inside foot on the outside foot of the tight end.

Desired Skills: pass rushing, coverage, run-stopping ability, speed

NFL ideal: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys

Probable Brown playing the position: David Bowens

"Right" Outside Linebacker--The "Charlie":

The "Charlie" linebacker lines up right next to the "Jack" on the line of scrimmage, with his outside foot on the inside foot of the tight end. The positioning of these two "outside" linebackers means that the tight end will have a difficult time getting a free release off the line of scrimmage if he isn't staying in to block.

Desired Skills: Same as the "Jack". Having two guys with identical skills makes your defense more unpredictable, having two with different sets of skills makes your defense more versatile as a whole.

NFL ideal: Shaun Phillips, Chargers

Probable Brown playing the position: David Veikune

"Middle" Linebacker--The "Mike":

The third linebacker--the "Mike" linebacker--lines up about 4 yards off the line of scrimmage, in front of the strong side offensive tackle.

Desired Skills: Mike: tackling, intelligence, play-reading, speed, strength, coverage, some blitzing ability.

NFL ideal: Ray Lewis, Ravens or Patrick Willis, 49ers

Probable Brown playing the position: D'Qwell Jackson

So with the LBs added, the 46 looks like this:

"Strong" Safety:

The strong safety in a 46 plays in a spot traditionally occupied by a linebacker. He walks up to 4 or so yards off the line of scrimmage (even with the Mike LB) over the weakside offensive tackle.

Desired Skills: tackling, coverage, play-reading ability, some blitzing ability. The more versatile this player is, the better. Should be a good actor.

NFL ideal: Troy Polamalu, Steelers or Brian Dawkins, Broncos (via 3-5 years ago)

Probable Brown playing the position: Abe Elam

"Weak" or "Free" Safety:

The weakside safety lines up about 8-10 yards off the line of scrimmage, and can be anywhere from the center to the weakside offensive tackle, horizontally speaking.

Desired Skills: "centerfielder", ball-hawking, coverage, tackling. Ability to hold up in man coverage like a CB a definite plus. Needs to be a good actor.

NFL ideal: Ed Reed, Ravens

Probable Brown playing the position: Brodney Pool

Cornerbacks:

The cornerbacks line up 7 or 8 yards off the line of scrimmage, and they need to be in position to get inside of the wide receiver in front of them. It is common to see cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage "on an island" (with no help) in a 46. If this is the case (and in the vast majority of cases even when it isn't the case), corners will try to remain inside the receiver to force the receiver outside. This allows DBs to use the sideline "as the 12th defender" to make potential receiving area much smaller. It also forces throws that will be in the air longer (think 7 yard "in" route vs. 7 yard "out" route), gives the DBs an opportunity to break up the pass, and forces the QB to plant and step into his throw (and hopefully a rush).

Desired Skills: coverage, especially the ability to hold up one on one vs. a WR. Hitting ability and run stopping a plus.

NFL ideal: Nnamdi Asomugha, Raiders or Champ Bailey, Broncos

Probable Brown playing the position: Rod Hood and Eric Wright

Considerations

More pass rushers, closer to the line of scrimmage

The 46 isn't a huge change from more common defenses because of where the players line up (with the exception that in the 46, there is almost always only one safety deep before the snap). For example, compare and contrast the full 46 formation above with a common 3-4 alignment with the SS as the 8th man in the box.

(side note: the linebackers in this 3-4 are named Will, Mike, Ted, and Sam represented here by letters W, M, T, and S from left to right).

The players are aligned in the exact same spots! The difference is which players are where. Also, one additional player has his hand on the ground in a 46.

Since different players do different things well (say, Shaun Rogers' ability to beat blockers and poor coverage ability vs. Brandon McDonald's relatively good coverage and poor ability to shed blockers) the 46's changes in player positioning give the offense a different "look".

In the 46, trading a strong safety (who the offense should be able to block 1-on-1 with a running back) for a rush linebacker (who the offense shouldn't be able block 1-on-1 with a running back) and putting an extra player's hand on the ground is an indication that a whole lot of man is going to be coming at the QB after the snap.

Even if the players that become the RE, the Charley, and the Jack are all going to blitz after the snap anyway, putting them all at the line means if they do blitz they are going to be that much closer to the QB as he plants to throw on a 5- or 7-step drop.

Putting more potential pass rushers at the line of scrimmage is one of the main changes from the 3-4 or 4-3 formations to the 46 formation. Doing this implies to the offense that a rush is coming and that if it does, it will come very quickly. A true hybrid defense would be able to show the offense this kind of look and still drop 8 or 9 players into coverage. Once an offense isn't expecting what the defense is about to do--or potentially even better, once the offense has no idea what to expect--the defense has the advantage.

8 men in the box and showing a Cover-1/Cover-3 shell

I alluded to another important thing about the 46 earlier: there is only one safety deep. When one safety is deep and the other is in the box, a defense is "showing" a Cover-1 or Cover-3 shell. It is pretty easy to see how a defense would settle in to either after the snap:

Cover-1

Cover-3

If a defense stays predictable and only utilizes a Cover-1 or Cover-3 shell from the 46, the quarterback will know what to expect after the snap. That's bad news for the defense because the quarterback then does not have to read the defense after the snap, and the defense loses precious seconds in the race between the quarterback attempting to deliver the ball and the pass rushers trying to sack him before he does. Additionally, a smart and empowered QB can exploit that information by changing the play or a few routes that work well against the defense he knows is coming.

A creative and brave defensive coordinator can run a lot of different coverages out of the 46, though. If they have versatile and skilled defensive players, even better. Done effectively, a defense can act like they will be in one coverage and then do something different, which should buy them time after the snap and allow their pass rushers slightly more time to get to the QB.

From any given "look", the only limiting factor in a player's ability to complete any assignment is his speed (and sometimes strength, i.e. vs. the offensive line). So, just because the 46 gives a more aggressive "look" does not mean that the defense will play aggressively after the snap. Similarly, just because the 46 gives the offense a Cover-3 look does not mean a Cover-3 defense is coming.

Here are a few more complex coverages:

Cover-2

Mixed Man/Zone

Stay tuned for part II on the 46, including more "considerations" and how the 46 lines up against a 3 WR package.

Latest Mangini Presser: Wimbley Growing, Insight on QB's

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:27:18 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

6 months ago: Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, center, looks to pass during a voluntary football practice at the team's headquarters in Berea, Ohio, Thursday, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Browse more photos »

Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini met with the media again on Thursday for a press conference. Here are some of his statements, along with my thoughts:

(On how much Kamerion Wimbley can grow at outside linebacker) - "He has definitely done a lot of positive things at outside linebacker. He had a couple sacks against us his rookie season, and I think another one, one of the other times we played against the Browns in the past. What we are trying to do with Kamerion, like with all the defensive players, is the building of flexibility. Work him both on the right, on the left, work him at sub at different positions, so we can continue to build upon the base that he has and expand it. The more versatile he is, the more roles we can give him, the different matchups we can create. That is something that we worked hard on with Bryan Thomas who was another defensive end that made the transition and it's important."

(On if the defense can get Wimbley to be an impact player like he was in his rookie season) - "What I am looking for from Kamerion is not just impact in terms of rushing the passer, but impact as an outside linebacker in this system. Sacks sometimes come in bunches. Sometimes there's a bunch of them and sometimes you go on a little bit of a drought. The key thing isn't to focus on the volume, the numbers. The key thing is to focus on the process. That's what we are doing with Kamerion and with all of the guys, is to focus on the things that he can do better as a pass rusher. The things that he can do better in the running game. How to vary up his pass rush and it's an ongoing process. I stress, it's not just Kamerion with that.

We are always trying to give; here is your core move, what's your counter off of that move, what's your secondary move, what's your counter off of that move. The ability to move the player from right to left, get in the sub package, maybe have him as a walk around type of guy. All of those things can produce sacks. All of those things can take advantage of strengths. In order to take advantage of those strengths, you have to build in that flexibility and that is something that we are focusing on from a scheme perspective, and also individually identifying strengths and weaknesses, really working on the weaknesses and really trying to complement the strengths."

(On if Wimbley can be versatile and play multiple positions) - "That's what we are trying to find out. I think that he has worked hard at learning the different positions. With Bryan Thomas, he went from defensive end to outside linebacker, and then he was able to do a good job there. He carved out a role in sub where sometimes he was defensive end; sometimes he was a walk around guy. I think those are two guys from similar backgrounds. So my anticipation is, with hard work and building on the reps that you get and anything is possible, but you still have to see it."

Thoughts: It would be nice to see Wimbley back on track, and to be something other than just a pass-rushing linebacker. Mangini indicated that they will focus on things such as Wimbley's counter and second moves, something that has been a significant problem for him. The last regime failed miserably at getting through to him; hopefully the new one has better luck.

As far as seeing Wimbley at other positions, it's hard to say. I was for that last season, but now, I would like him to focus on his current position under the assumption that legitimate "coaching" will be taking place.

(On if Bowens' main spot will be at outside linebacker) - "That was his starting point in New York, but he did end up starting five games for us at inside linebacker and did a nice job. The more that these guys can play inside or outside, now you are just moving the parts around. If they are looking for Bowens outside and now he is moved to inside and the inside linebacker is moved to outside and you just keep moving the pieces and things don't make sense. Now, its post snap decisions, its tendency breakers, but that has to be built. You can't just throw it out there."

Thoughts: With all of the love for D'Qwell Jackson and a somewhat open outside linebacker position opposite Wimbley, I'd expect David Bowens to stay on the outside.

(On what criteria he uses to judge the quarterbacks) - "The big one for me is huddle presence and the ability to run the offense. Who can most effectively run the offense? Who can look at the defense, understand what the coverage is and go to the right place with the ball? Who can see a blitz look and put us into the right play? Who can do the "check with me's," where you have two plays called and understand that this is the better of the two selections? Those things are huge because there is always going to be a right answer. The ability for us offensively, to get to the right answer, in a short amount of time, under pressure, that's what's going to drive the decision."

(On if he can see that from last year's tapes) - "It's harder because you don't know what the player was told. You don't know what the thought process was going into the game. You don't know what they were facing defensively. If you're projecting, sometimes you are way off base. You think that he should have gone somewhere with the ball, but when you actually understand what was being taught or asked or anticipated, it's really not true."

Thoughts: Derek Anderson: "Can't I just go out there and rope the ball to the receiver?" I understand Mangini's point about not being able to scrutinize every detail of the tapes, but there were many "what the ..." moments for Mr. Anderson last season. Brady Quinn had some of those moments in the Buffalo game too, but Anderson was the one who had more opportunities.

(On if he will scrimmage any other teams) - "We are not going to do that this year, no."

(On if he is against scrimmages) - "No, I am not generally against it. I've done it, worked against some other teams over the course of my career. I think there is some real value to that. I don't think it's important either way."

(On if a scrimmage will take away from the learning process) - "Sometimes it's that. Sometimes it's the days that the other teams want to do it just don't really fit into your installation progression. It's got to fit right for both teams for us to do it."

Thoughts: Former head coach Butch Davis was the last Browns coach to have opposing teams come in during training camp. I was always a big advocate of these scrimmages, so it's disappointing that Mangini isn't instituting it. Hopefully the Family Fun Day training camp session still takes place at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

(On if Mack is in a tough situation because Hank Fraley was voted a team captain last season) - "There is always going to be competition every year for every spot. The veterans have been in positions where new guys are brought in. For rookies, this is a little bit new for them. I go back to Otis (Smith). It was every year someone was brought in to beat him out and every year he beat them out. Each guy has a chance to prove who should be the best player and the best player will play. That being said, with all of the competitions going on, I expect it to be a spirit of helping each other get better. That was the nice thing in New York with the quarterback competition; because those guys went out and worked hard every day then they were in the meeting rooms helping each other get better. That to me is what a teammate should do."

Thoughts: I think it's clear that Alex Mack will start at center, but you never know. Based on history, odds seem to indicate that a starting offensive lineman will go down in camp.

(On Donte' Stallworth falling behind on the field) - "There is a lot of information going in and this is a nice time to provide a base of information. Moving to training camp, the one that veteran players have over rookie players, and I keep trying to explain this to our rookies, is they have things that they can apply back to, or look back to. So, "40 Gut" is the same as what we called it last year, which was "Play X" or something they did with another team. That's how a lot of veterans learn; they apply concepts to concepts they already know. Those neurons are already in place. The rookies, they are building neurons, so it takes a little longer."

Thoughts: I really don't sympathize with Stallworth, but I can't really say how I would feel if he were back practicing with the team. As a receiver, he can still bring something to the table despite how much of a complete, 99% waste he was last season. I think we've acquired enough talent in the offseason to push him aside though.

(On if his past defensive experiences will help in making a quarterback decision) - "One of the problems defensively is not knowing who the starting quarterback is going to be. That is always a huge problem defensively. I hated when I didn't know who their starting quarterback for the other team was. It's a huge, huge headache. From my perspective, I think where I can add value to the quarterbacks and to the offense is explaining why. Why does this route hurt the defense? Why does this play hurt the defense? That is what I am constantly trying to do. When I sit in that room say ok, here's what we are doing fellas and this is why it's a problem. If you do it this way, this is the bind you are going to put them into. I think that hopefully adds something to the system."

(On if both quarterbacks could see playing time) - "I would anticipate having a starter and moving forward with that starter, but I don't rule out anything."

Thoughts: I don't see this being a two-quarterback system. It's still Brady Quinn's job to lose.

Look forward to a piece on Browns safety Abram Elam soon.