SB Nation - George Foster

Too Much Information: Georgia Bulldogs v. Oklahoma State Cowboys

T Kyle King — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:37 -0000

The people have spoken, and resoundingly so: "Manic Kyle" received 77.8 per cent of the 216 votes cast in yesterday’s poll to determine whether I should be upbeat or dour heading into tomorrow’s game against the Oklahoma St. Cowboys. Peppy and happy it is, then! (However . . . no streaking.)

Still, I have done what I could to get myself psyched up into the mode of Beavis with his T-shirt pulled up over the back of his head, spiking my coffee with a little tequila. (That’s a joke. I couldn’t sleep Wednesday night, so I stayed up and watched part of what may be Jack Nicholson’s worst movie, "Wolf," which was on AMC and contains a reference to pouring tequila into coffee. Trust me, I’m kidding; I would never do that, and, if you ever see me drinking tequila, go ahead and bring the car around, because it’s just about time to drive me home. The only time I have ever had another type of alcohol pass through my gullet after tequila is if it was moving in the other direction. But I digress. . . .)

Since this will be the fall’s first game for both teams, there are no reliable statistical data for either squad, so we are left to sort through the minutiae of history in search of favorable morsels, with respect to which I will endeavor, as always, to bring you not a smattering of knowledge, nor a dollop of insight, but, rather, Too Much Information:

Odds & Ends:

Saturday’s showdown marks the fourth series meeting between Oklahoma State and the Georgia Bulldogs. The Red and Black won all three previous games, including the 1947 game in Stillwater against what was then Oklahoma A&M. The Classic City Canines’ average margin of victory over the Cowboys in the prior clashes between the two is 29-11.

Oklahoma State’s football teams have answered to numerous nicknames over the years, including Cowboys, Agriculturalists, Aggies, Farmers, Tigers, Waddies, Cowpunchers, Cowpokes, and Pokes. Since they’ve been known, by turns, as both the Farmers and the Cowboys, I’m pretty sure there should be a Broadway musical about how the OSU players should be friends with themselves. As for calling themselves the "Pokes," well, I know what Augustus McCrae meant by that term.

The Bulldogs have never lost the season’s first road game under Mark Richt.

In 2008, Georgia lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Florida Gators, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, marking the ninth time in school history that the Classic City Canines have gone 0-3 against that trio of opponents in a single autumn. (It happened before in 1928, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1977.) In the seasons that followed those eight campaigns, the Bulldogs went 6-1-1 in the fall’s first game against a team currently belonging to a BCS conference other than the SEC.

The Feel Good Stat of the Week:

Much has been made of the fact that the ‘Dawgs lost a pair of first-round draft picks in Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Rockwell Moreno. The departures of two players worthy of selection in the opening round of the NFL draft represent too great a sacrifice for the team to overcome, or so the thinking goes.

The reality, however, is just a bit different. Georgia has lost two first-round draft picks in a single year on five separate occasions, most recently bidding farewell to Champ Bailey and Matt Stinchcomb in 1999, to Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud in 2001, to George Foster and Johnathan Sullivan in 2003, and to Thomas Davis and David Pollack in 2005.

In the last four seasons immediately following the loss of two first-round NFL draft picks, the Bulldogs have gone 4-0 in openers, have gone 14-3 in non-conference games (including a 4-1 regular-season mark against teams from other BCS leagues), and have won their last two marquee games to start the campaign (at Clemson in 2003 and against the Boise St. Broncos in 2005) by a combined 78-13 margin in games that were expected to be competitive, but weren’t.

The Bottom Line:

Certainly, the Cowboys’ travails over the last few days have been far less than optimal, although Oklahoma State is a highly-ranked Division I-A football program in a major conference, so it would be a mistake to assume they lack the horses to replace the players who recently have been lost.

The question in this game is the same as the question in the 2005 Boise State game, the 2006 Sugar Bowl against the West Virginia Mountaineers, the 2007 Oklahoma State game, the 2008 Sugar Bowl against the Hawaii Warriors, and the 2008 Arizona State game. Is Georgia’s opponent the real deal or a mere chimera? In four of those five instances---at least on the night the game was played---the answer was resoundingly on the side of pretender rather than contender.

Mike Gundy’s struggles against ranked opposition suggest that the Cowboys, while a solid squad, are not quite ready to take that next step. Mark Richt’s strong road record, particularly against top 25 teams, and his club’s quality performances in legitimate opening games suggest that this is precisely the sort of situation in which the Bulldogs are at their best and the Pokes are not. Both programs’ historical trends will be borne out in Stillwater tomorrow.

My Prediction: Georgia 38, Oklahoma State 28.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 24 - Pool Absent, Foster Waived

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:50:10 -0000

It doesn't really feel like training camp anymore, but a few sessions still remain. The team hit the field Monday for one of their final three public sessions; after that, everything will be closed off and geared especially towards preparing for the regular season. Rapid Reports indicates that only about 300 fans attended practice on Monday.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 24 (8/24/09)

Pool's Injury: If you recall, S Brodney Pool left Saturday's exhibition game after getting dinged. Let's hope it wasn't a concussion, but it wasn't a good sign that he was no where to be found on the practice field Monday. The team did not offer any comment on his absence either. Veteran S Mike Adams took Pool's place on Monday. Safety Hamza Abdullah has a broken finger and sat out of practice too, so the roster odds of S Bret Lockett just shot up.
Getting Some Depth Soon: It was good news to hear that OL Rex Hadnot was out on the field again. He wasn't practicing, but him being on the stationary bike is an encouraging sign that he's on schedule to return from his MCL injury within the first few weeks of the season.
Goodbye Foster: The Browns waived offensive tackle George Foster after he had a disappointing camp. It was clearly evident why the former high draft pick could not stick around with other teams. This past Saturday, he completely failed to block a rusher that caused Brett Ratliff to get drilled and fumble the football.
Purcell Gone Too: After suffering an injury, DL Melila Purcell was waived/injured. If he clears waivers, he'll revert to the injured reserve. The team also released TE John Madsen, who rarely appeared in training camp reports.
Roster Replacements: With three people gone, three people were signed, presumably only to be waived in a few weeks too. They are OT Corey Hilliard, TE Nate Jackson, and S Tra Battle.
Massaquoi's Role: He got early reps in Saturday's preseason game, and rookie Mohamed Massaquoi was lined up opposite Braylon Edwards as the No. 2 receiver Monday. The race continues between him and Joshua Cribbs, with Mike Furrey likely seeing consistent action at No. 2 and No. 3.
QB Edge to Anderson: For Monday's session, Brady Quinn had some struggles while Derek Anderson was fine. On Quinn's first attempt in a game simulation, he was intercepted by S Mike Adams on a pass intended for TE Robert Royal. Later on, he had a pass batted away from DB Rod Hood. Anderson, on the other hand, was able to roll out and fire a touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi. Later on, on perhaps the play of the day, he completed a 50-yard pass to Brian Robiskie. Robiskie laid out on the play to make the reception.
Bubble Watch: As Jerome Harrison continues to sit out with injuries, RB Noah Herron is doing well, seeing some action near the goal line in drills.

Monday's Links/Camp Sources

Pool absent, Hadnot spotted (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
QB leader in the clubhouse? None yet. (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

Monday Notes: Lions Place Kenneth Harris on Waived/Injured List, Sign Tristan Davis

Sean Yuille — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:38:51 -0000

The Lions signed running back/returner Tristan Davis (undrafted rookie from Auburn) today and put wide receiver Kenneth Harris (undrafted rookie from Georgia) on the waived/injured list. Rather than add another receiver to the team to fill Harris' roster spot, the Lions likely opted for a running back because of injuries to Maurice Morris, Allen Ervin, and Aveion Cason. Ervin and Cason missed practice today, according to CBSSports.com's Rapid Reports.
Although the Lions lost Harris, who had missed the last week or so of practice, they got Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson, and Dennis Northcutt back today. All three are expected to play on Saturday, which is great news for the quarterback who ends up starting against Indianapolis.
Jason Hanson said his recovery from knee surgery is on schedule, though he admitted he really doesn't know what that schedule is. Martin Mayhew said the plan is for Hanson to be ready for the start of the regular season, but he didn't exactly make any promises that that would happen.
Mayhew wasn't surprised that Matthew Stafford struggled on Saturday because he is a rookie playing in his second NFL game.
When asked about whether the Lions could cut Daniel Bullocks in the future (after coming to a settlement), Mayhew didn't rule out the possibility of that happening, though he said they don't plan on releasing him right now.

(More after the jump)

When asked if the Lions have any interest in superhuman sprinter Usain Bolt, Jim Schwartz said no and explained that "nobody ever won the 100 meters with somebody standing in their lane." While that is very true, I'd love to see what Bolt can do on a football field. One thing that is certain is that he would be a better kick returner than Aveion Cason.
Shaun Smith supposedly yelled at Browns GM George Kokinis after Saturday's game.

"According to WKNR radio, former Browns defensive lineman Shaun Smith, now with the Lions, gave Browns General Manager George Kokinis an expletive-filled tongue lashing in the stadium hallway Saturday night. The station reported that Kokinis said nothing and walked away.
I understand that Smith is upset over how his stay in Cleveland ended, but it's really not necessary to seek out your former team's general manager and swear at him. That just is really unprofessional and sort of embarrassing for the Lions. Speaking of embarrassing...
As many of you know, Dewayne White and Carson Butler got into a fight during warm-ups on Saturday night. After Butler scored on a pass from Drew Stanton, one of the TV announcers said that White congratulated him. That couldn't be farther from the truth, however. White explained after the game that he didn't congratulate Butler and that this feud is far from over.

"No," White said. "I don't kiss and make up. What's wrong with you? We'll probably have to go at it one more time -- when we're not playing a game in a few minutes. Next week sometime."

White sort of laughed as he said that. Then he grew more serious when asked if the two were not done yet.

"We might go at it," White said. "I'm not saying that we are. But it's going to be bad blood between us, yeah."

Butler has a history of fighting, as he and a teammate beat up a fellow Michigan student on St. Patrick's Day a couple years ago. It was bad enough that the victim had to suffer the effects of getting beat up, but it turned out he wasn't even the person they were after. That's right, they beat up the wrong person. Both Butler and the teammate eventually got kicked off the team, but Butler was allowed back the next summer. Last year against Notre Dame, Butler punched an opposing player and got ejected, landing him in Rich Rodriguez's doghouse. If I were Butler, I would be on my best behavior considering he is fighting (no pun intended) for a roster spot.
While White played especially well in the second half of the Browns game, don't get too excited. Why? Well, he was lining up against George Foster.
I shared my thoughts on what the NFL's Twitter policy should be for WashingtonPost.com's The League.

Browns Dominate Lions 20-0 in First Quarter, Go on to Win 27-10

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:20:06 -0000

More photos » by David Richard - AP

4 months ago: Cleveland Browns' Josh Cribbs (16) heads for the end zone on a punt return for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Browse more photos »

DETROIT LIONS (1-1)	GAME #2	CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-1)
	VS.
10		27

For once, I felt bad for the opposition. They don't know who their quarterback will be, they are turning the ball over, they can't stop the run very well, and they really don't have a great running back. They are last year's 0-16 Detroit Lions.

What I saw from the first overall pick in the draft, Matthew Stafford, was a complete mess. He was confused by our coverages numerous times, making it easy to bait him into dangerous throws. When our defense did leave a few players wide open, Stafford horribly overthrew them. You expect a rookie to take some time to adjust to the league, but no where near as bad as Stafford was.

That was good news for the Browns' defense though, because it gave our players the opportunity to build some confidence and quickly get the ball back into the hands of our offense. In the end, the result was almost a complete 180 from last week's debacle against the Green Bay Packers.

PRESEASON GAME 2 - LIONS VS. BROWNS (GENERAL THOUGHTS)

Preseason Game Ball - It's Time to Pay Up: Besides making progress as a wide receiver, Joshua Cribbs is just too good in the return game. If Eric Mangini wanted Cribbs to prove to him that he was worthy of a raise, then Cribbs is doing a heck of a job showing off his abilities. On the first play of the game, Cribbs returned the kickoff for a touchdown, disproving my theory that returners would have a tougher time this season without a wedge.

The play was brought back due to a phantom holding call on Abram Elam, but I'll live with that in the preseason since it gave our offense an early look on the field. In his next opportunity, coming on a punt return, Cribbs shifted through the defense and was off for an 84-yard touchdown.
The Truth on Derek Anderson: Did we learn anything new on Derek Anderson? Not really. He definitely played better than he did the previous week, and part of that had to do with making quicker decisions. Anderson was assisted by the playcalling of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who tailored the playbook to Anderson's strengths. This was Anderson, for the most part, at his best -- but we already knew he could make these plays.
The Struggles of Derek Anderson: If you're a new reader, don't get me wrong -- I like Anderson and wouldn't be ticked off if he was the opening day starter. But you can't call his performance perfect when he missed a wide open Braylon Edwards down the sideline. A better throw would've resulted in a long touchdown, and would've prevented the need for a long third down play (which Anderson did convert on).

Then during the two-minute drill, Anderson could only find RB James Davis on some dumpoffs. His lack of touch on short throws proved to be a weakness when his extra-high pass to Davis was tipped and intercepted by the Lions, allowing them to kick a field goal just before half-time. Anderson also had a play earlier in which he had no touch, firing a quick slant to Edwards either into the ground, or low and behind him for an incompletion.
Quinn - Fine From What We Saw: At least Brady Quinn didn't tank during his limited action at quarterback. I did not agree with Quinn being inserted on a 3rd-and-1 play to start the second quarter. Anderson started that drive, and at the very least, Anderson should have stayed in until the chains were moved. He started with a nice 24-yard completion to Brian Robiskie, but then the play-calling became much more conservative with an emphasis on the run and throwing short passes on third down.

John St. Clair didn't help Quinn's cause with a few penalties to set the drive back. Quinn was OK, but in no way can you look at this game and saw that Quinn lost his shot at the starting role. At best, you can say that Anderson did enough not to have Quinn be named the starter immediately following the game.
Lewis on the Ground: Looking at the stat sheet, Jamal Lewis had another low-carry average, having 3.3 yards per carry on seven attempts. I don't see this as him struggling though; that is Jamal Lewis. Remember that throughout his career, minus the times he just obliterated the Browns as a member of the Ravens, he made his mark by pounding away and staying strong during the second half of the game.
Davis' Stock Back Up: It's been about two weeks now since the James Davis show has had some highlights, but his 81-yard touchdown run changed that. It was a simple give-up call on 3rd-and-12 just before the end of the fourth-quarter -- a quick pump fake by Brett Ratliff, followed by the delayed draw handoff to Davis.

Davis shot through the line and the safeties overcommitted to the inside, allowing Davis to make a nice juke move to the outside where he then had the help of blocking from two Browns receivers. Davis then kicked it into another gear, outracing everyone to the end zone. Davis claims that it was the longest run he's had in his football career.

Rookie RB James Davis runs for an 81-yard touchdown.

Taking Advantage: DB Eric Wright took advantage of Stafford's inexperience and of the Lions' lack of healthy receivers when he intercepted the Lions' first pass of the game. His return went for about 5 yards on the stat sheet, but ended up taking him a whole football field to get that. I hate the pesky celebration penalty after the fact, but I guess a rule is a rule.
Ivy, Poteat, Francies: It was a great day to be a Browns cornerback, that's for sure. Between the three players listed in the subtitle, Corey Ivy had the most notable plays. He lit up one of the Lions' receivers on a third-and-short pass, and was also in on the tackle that caused a fumble at the start of the third quarter (Mike Adams had the recovery).

Hank Poteat had several nice plays, notably an interception near the sideline that didn't count after his hip fell just a bit out of bounds. Coye Francies, the rookie, had some tight coverage again. He left for a play or two with a hip injury, and returned on a play where he wasn't in press coverage and gave up a first down.
Quiet Night for Tight Ends: I'm not going to complain here, because I'd rather see our backs and receivers in the preseason over our tight ends. It was nice to see Steve Heiden back for his first game, catching a 20-yard pass from Derek Anderson. To see him in on a double tight end set with the first-string unit provides hope that he won't be a roster casualty.
Vickers With the Assist: I saw more of our fullbacks tonight, particularly Lawrence Vickers early on. He hit several of his blocks very well, paving some lanes open for Lewis, including on his touchdown run in the first quarter. We haven't heard much about Vickers this camp, but I believe he's still an intregal part of our running attack.

QB Derek Anderson celebrates in belief that he has won the quarterback competition (in reality, this was him celebrating Davis' TD run)

Backup QB's: I'm still not very impressed with Brett Ratliff, although our second-string offensive line is not very good in protection. Richard Bartel had his opportunity, but blew his chance when he just barely overthrew an open Lance Leggett deep down the field. I didn't get to see enough of Bartel this camp to have an opinion of him, but he'll probably be cut after the third preseason game when rosters are trimmed to 75.
Furrey & Edwards: You can just tell that our third-down offense is going to be built around Mike Furrey after these first two preseason games. Even when we're in third-and-long situations, we're throwing the ball to him on short routes to see if he can break them open. he's not that type of player, but I'd imagine that for the preseason, those are really practice situations to focus on getting him the ball on "3rd-and-7", even if it's really a "3rd-and-15". Braylon Edwards had a catch -- nothing special, but at least the talk of the drop from Green Bay can die down for another week.
Ticket Sales? The Browns are doing their 4 hot dogs, 4 drinks, 4 tickets for $99 deal again for this weekend's game against the Titans. I bet the Browns sell a few more of those packages than they did for the Lions game. A good outing at home can do that.
Bernie Ripping on Brown: Announcer Bernie Kosar really ripped on Lions sixth-round RB Aaron Brown. Once a year, there is always a player on the opposing team in the preseason that gets on Kosar's nerves. I look forward to who that player is, and boy did Kosar rip into Brown. It started after Brown took a handoff on 3rd-and-6 out of bounds for a gain of four, rather than staying in bounds to fight for the extra yardage.

A few plays later on a pass play, Brown scurried out of bounds to avoid contact. (roughly transcribed) "This Brown just doesn't appear to like contact. That is not going to show up well for him in the film room or for when any teams in the league are looking for a free agent running back." Then on the Browns' series, Kosar notes that veteran Ryan Tucker is still in the game. "13 years Ryan has been in this league, and he's one of the toughest guys I know...definitely Aaron Brown on the other side of the spectrum from TCU...he's not even close to that type of toughness the way he runs out of bounds." I might be snoozing in the second half of preseason games if it weren't for Bernie.
Special Teams & Kaluka Maiava: I'll give him this own category this week because I'm running out of fresh sub-titles. Maiava had two early special teams tackles and made some positive plays defensively. Also having a good play on special teams was veteran LB Blake Costanzo. I know Gerard Lawson is backing up Cribbs as a returner, but I can't see him making the team again.
This Week's Marcus Benard: ...is DB Bret Lockett. Lockett saw some action with the first-string defense and made several individual one-on-one tackles. That ability intrigues me, even to the point where I now might change my mind and want to keep him over backup S Nick Sorensen (who did have a nice block on Cribbs' punt return TD). I had no idea where LB Marcus Benard was this week, as I didn't hear his name mentioned once. I have to imagine he didn't even play.
Down on Foster: I'm not at all impressed by the play of George Foster. He's even rivaling Isaac Sowells when it comes to down performances. Foster was responsible for Ratliff's fumble in the third quarter, a play that led to Lions QB Drew Stanton throwing a touchdown on his first play.
Cleaning Up the Penalties: On special teams, the Browns had one too many penalties, negating a few nice punts by Dave Zastudil and Cribbs' first touchdown return. As good as the game was as a whole, we'll have a few players running laps for their mistakes.
Brownies: LB Kamerion Wimbley played well early, as did MLB Eric Barton, who made a nice play on the ball dropping back into coverage and drilled Stafford on a free blitz...RB Chris Jennings came close to blocking a punt on two consecutive possessions.
Final Word: Thanks for being a footnote, Shaun Smith.

Eric Mangini has a decision to make. Starting quarterbacks are usually named by the third preseason game, but based on our first two games, you can't really say one player outplayed the other. It should really come down to how the quarterbacks have done overall in training camp, and most importantly, who Mangini has more faith in to lead the type of offense he wants the Browns to run. If he wants mistake-free football, Quinn should be the guy. If he wants the high risk/high reward route, maybe it's Anderson.

NOTE: To all fantasy football DBN players, remember that the draft is at 9 PM EST tonight!

Here is the roll call of who participated in the game thread, with rufio and myself having the most to say...

Roll Call: kjc, doggrad87, dergru, Roger Dorn, BradyQuinnisBeast, rufio, gahnki, skipkirk, rockybrown, ChrisPokorny, irish1083, nickjs21, woodsmeister, danzig, dohior, JustBob, aufrank, BrownDawg1409, Bernie19Kosar, Juannieboy
Total Users: 20
Total Posts: 294
Total Threads: 1

Name	# of Posts
rufio	59
ChrisPokorny	59
Roger Dorn	35
JustBob	23
woodsmeister	19
gahnki	17
BradyQuinnisBeast	17
BrownDawg1409	13
rockybrown	10
skipkirk	10
Juannieboy	8
irish1083	6
aufrank	5
nickjs21	4
dergru	3
kjc	2
doggrad87	1
Bernie19Kosar	1
dohior	1
danzig	1

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 7 (Morning & Evening)

Chris Pokorny — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:05:38 -0000

LB Kamerion Wimbley had a good day generating pressure. So did LB Alex Hall (not pictured), who registered a few sacks.

View full size photo »

I was a bit busy throughout the day today, so I didn't have time to crank out a recap of the morning practice. Considering it's late in the day, rather than breaking what happened into two posts, everything will be lumped into this one post. If something needs to be distinguished between day/night practice for whatever reason, I'll mention it.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 7 [MORNING & EVENING] (8/7/09)

No Team Comment on Hadnot: Head coach Eric Mangini would not acknowledge the extent of OG Rex Hadnot's injury, but it sounds like he suffered an ACL injury and will probably miss the entire season.
Bubble Watch: I haven't heard many positive things about OT George Foster. Whether he is getting beaten by defenders, missing assignments, or getting yelled at by coaches, it's hard to say that he'll be on my next roster projection.
Solid Practice for Hall: The OLB competition is still ongoing, but Alex Hall only improved his chances today by getting to the quarterback(s) for a sack several times.

WR Braylon Edwards refuses to drop the football, as he is wrapped up by CB Brandon McDonald here.

Elam Knows How to Tackle: The Browns ran about 20 different matchups of open-field tackling drills. Grossi reports that these drills usually favor the offensive player, because with one good move, they can easily evade the defender (imagine yourself as a defender trying to guess where the offensive player is going to go). S Abram Elam excelled in the drill, being able to take down his assigned player twice -- once with WR Jordan Norwood, and the other time with WR Paul Hubbard. Good open-field tackling is something Cleveland has needed for quite awhile.
From DOWN-TOWN: Kicker Phil Dawson worked on some deep kicks in practice today, with four attempts over 50 yards. He made the first from 54 yards, missed the second and third from 52- and 56-yards, and then made the final one from 56-yards. Dawson and the special teams unit also worked on some onside kicks.
Tight Ends Busy: Our blocking tight ends were busy today, as Robert Royal and Steve Heiden each had three-four catches.
Not a Drop Yet: In four practice sessions, WR Braylon Edwards has reportedly not dropped a single pass that can be ruled as "catchable". Let's hope he keeps that up for the live games.
QB Stats: Sorry if it sounds like I am envying the reporting of Daniel Wolf too much in these training camp recaps, but it's just so refreshing to see someone take the time to provide unique and detailed information regarding the play of the quarterbacks. In this morning's report, Wolf went above and beyond in recording the stats of the quarterbacks from each drill, along with notes on the reasons why the stats looked the way they did. It'd be unfair of me to reproduce everything he said here, so check it out here for the stats.

Rex Hadnot is down, but Joe Thomas is stronger than ever as he blocks DL Corey Williams here.

Assuming You've Read...the above link, here is a quick recap. Both quarterbacks were more effective than they have been the past few practices. The most interesting part was the regular 11-on-11 drill, for several reasons. First off, Alex Mack was involved in another bad snap. He's having one or two of those a practice it seems, and you can't start a player on gameday if they have that problem. Against a team like the Ravens, you're definitely asking for a "gimme" turnover.

Also, Kamerion Wimbley was getting some good pressure, reports Wolf. This is also where Alex Hall recorded two of his sacks -- once on Anderson and once on Quinn. Joshua Cribbs also took a direct snap in one instance and looked to pass, but the defense shut it down and sacked him. If I go through with my intentions to visit the stadium this Sunday, I'm going to try to compile similar statistics on the quarterbacks, time permitting.
More on Massaquoi: The past few days, the camp reports have hinted towards the fact that Mohamed Massaquoi might have an edge over Brian Robiskie. The OBR's article today discusses this more in depth.
Hubbard Watch: It sounds like a quieter day for WR Paul Hubbard again, who reportedly dropped an easy one in the morning session.
Brett...WHO? It took seven days, but for the first time I believe, I am mentioning the name of QB Brett Ratliff. WHO is that you ask? He is the former Jets quarterback we acquired along with Elam, and is behind Quinn and Anderson as the No. 3 guy. In the evening session, he fired a touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards through two defenders.
Close, But No Cigar: CB Rod Hood would have had an interception on an Anderson pass in the evening session, but the ball slipped through his fingers.
Good Battles: Although Edwards has been catching everything in sight, CB Eric Wright has reportedly had very good coverage on him during camp, including today.
Offensive Line: The first-team offensive line during the evening practice was LT Joe Thomas, LG Eric Steinbach, C Alex Mack, RG Floyd Womack, and RT John St. Clair. Based on what has happened in camp, if Tucker is going to play somewhere, it looks like it might be RG.

The Browns will have one afternoon session on Saturday before taking the field for a Sunday scrimmage at the stadium.

Friday's Link Collection / Camp Sources

Training camp report - 8/7 (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Browns quarterbacks not scoring in two-minute drills (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
LB Alex Hall hopes to build on rookie season (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
What is it about George Foster? (Canton Repository, Doerschuk)
No. 2 receivers and Joshua Cribbs (Akron Beacon Journal, Thomas)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Recap: Day 6 - Man Down at Guard

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:24:27 -0000

QB Brady Quinn tried to lead the Browns offense, but he and QB Derek Anderson struggled in drills again.

View full size photo »

The biggest story of Thursday's training camp involves OG Rex Hadnot. As reported earlier, the OBR indicated that Hadnot had blown out his knee. More details have come in to the OBR, now saying that it could be a serious left knee injury. The details of the play it happened on are in the report below.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 6 (8/6/09)

How It Happened: It started out as a normal play, with Hadnot blocking DL Louis Leonard. As he was engaged with Leonard, rookie LB David Veikune rolled on the top of Hadnot's leg. Hadnot remained on the ground for awhile in pain as the team gathered around him, before being carted off. It doesn't look very good right now for Hadnot, who started 15 games for the Browns last year. We didn't project him as a starter this year, but no doubt this could improve the roster odds of C Hank Fraley, and might create an opening for someone like Dustin Fry.
Sunday Scrimmage: Head coach Eric Mangini revealed how the scrimmage will take place at the stadium this Sunday (free admission to all fans). There will be two teams -- the Brown Team and the White Team. They will play four quarters, each lasting ten minutes. Special teams coach Brad Seely will manage one team, while quarterbacks coach Carl Smith will manage the other. Mangini will be focusing on evaluating how things unfold. There will not be full-blown tackling, but the players will be in pads and allowed to make contact. It sounds much cooler than what has taken place the past several years.

RB James Davis dashes by another defender.

It Can't Be Luck, Can It? Once again, rookie RB James Davis made an impact and possibly the play of the day, running for a 55-yard touchdown after cutting against the grain.
The Quarterbacks Hit Bottom: Thanks again to Daniel Wolf of Dawg Scooper, who attended today's practice and provided the statistics for how the quarterbacks did in their drills today. Unfortunately, the results were pretty poor for both men. Here's a sample: in the first 11-on-11 drill, each quarterback was one-of-four with an interception. In an 11-on-11 one-minute drill, Quinn had poor clock management and barely moved the ball, while Anderson threw three incompletions before being sacked. If these two turned in this type of performance this Sunday, the hopes for our offense this year probably wouldn't be too high.
Robiskie Still Down the Chart: The trend seems to be continuing, as WR Braylon Edwards, WR Mike Furrey, and WR Mohamed Massaquoi seemed to be working with the first team. WR Brian Robiskie received doesn't seem like he's demoted or anything, but he's not getting the same level of work as when camp first started. It's hard to say if this is indicative of their performances, or if Mangini is just rotating the reps.

Hey look, it's TE Martin Rucker. Training camp has not provided many clues as to who the starting TE will be.

Punt Fakes in Full Effect: Thanks again to Mr. Wolf for providing some information on punt fakes. S Nick Sorensen caught the punt coverage by surprise when he took the snap and ran for about 10-15 yards. Later in the practice, P Dave Zastudil executed a fake as well. Speaking of Zastudil, CBS Sportline reported that he has been booming the ball well throughout training camp.
Wildcat Formation: The Browns worked on the "Wildcat" formation with Joshua Cribbs, but it sounds like it was much of the same stuff as last year -- Cribbs running or handing the ball off rather than passing.
Focusing on Run Drills: ClevelandBrowns.com reports that the practice involved focusing largely on running drills.
Did Not Practice: FB Charles Ali, CB Don Carey, and WR David Patten did not practice.
New Player Signed: The Browns signed a new defensive back -- Brandon Anderson, undrafted free agent from the University of Akron.
The Vike: Rookie LB David Veikune looked good, beating OT George Foster a few times. That's either good for Veikune or bad for Foster.

Thursday's Link Collection / Camp Sources

Thursday 8/6 Practice Report (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Hadnot Blows Out Knee (Orange and Brown Report, King)
New year, new goals for Williams (Official Team Site, Jackson)
Day 6 Training Camp Notes (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Browns Training Camp Report: Day 3 (Morning) - Leggett, Davis Continue to Shine

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:53:26 -0000

WR Lance Leggett continues to make plays, catching a deep ball thrown by QB Brady Quinn for an eventual touchdown.

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It's Day 3 of Cleveland Browns training camp, and the morning practice is already in the books. There weren't a lot of updates on the injury front, with a name or two even being added to the "minor" injury list.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 3 [MORNING] (8/3/09)

Welcome Back, Mr. Heiden: Tight end Steve Heiden is no longer wearing the red "limited contact" jersey, meaning he is now going through practice the same as everyone else. How pumped up was Heiden to get back into contact? So much, that he was able to take down LB Kamerion Wimbley in one-on-one tackling drills. I'm feeling the Heiden buzz already, and it really seems like a wide open competition for the starting tight end position.
Play of the Day: Once again, Lance Leggett is taking advantage of his reps. Earlier in the practice session, Brady Quinn threw the ball about 50-55 yards in the air and after juggling it a bit, Leggett was able to haul it in with DB Corey Ivy being unable to break up the play. Leggett then proceeded to run it the rest of the way for about an 80-yard touchdown. WTAM adds that another thing that made the play impressive was seeing rookie RB James Davis pick up a blitz from S Hamza Abdullah.

RB James Davis is consistently running past defenders with quick cuts.

Not Practicing: Among the players still not practicing: WR Braylon Edwards, DL Shaun Rogers, DB Don Carey, and FB Charles Ali. CB Eric Wright left the morning practice late with an apparent tweaked hamstring.
Backup Nose Tackle: With Rogers sidelined, it's a good opportunity for the coaches to see which player is best suited for the backup nose tackle position. According to the OBR, Robaire Smith, Louis Leonard, C.J. Mosley, and Ahtyba Rubin have each had some work there, with Rubin standing out the most.
Average Day at Quarterback: Neither of the quarterbacks particularly outshined the other, as both of them failed to produce a score in this morning's two-minute drills. Among their biggest mistakes of the practice -- Anderson gave a pick six to Hamza Abdullah, while Quinn threw behind WR Jordan Norwood on a would-be touchdown.
Bubble Watch: So far, WR Paul Hubbard is experiencing some of the same issues he faced in camp last year -- not being able to catch the ball consistently. The OBR reports that Hubbard was up and down Monday, cutting off a route to lead to an incompletion, then coming back to make a spectacular catch, only to come back and have another negative play. On the defensive side of things, CB Corey Ivy stood out with two nice pass breakups.

OLB Alex Hall gets the better of TE Martin Rucker in a rushing drill.

Asset on Special Teams: Head coach Eric Mangini noted that RB James Davis has been one of the first players down the field in special teams drills. That'll be something to look out for during the preseason; perhaps he can make it so Joshua Cribbs doesn't have to work so hard.
Rucker's Blocking: Tight end Martin Rucker didn't handle his OLB as well as Heiden did to Wimbley. Rucker was generally overpowered by Alex Hall during drills.
NoMo Drops: According to a fan's report, WR Mohamed Massaquoi struggled in the morning with several drops. Staying on par, WR Brian Robiskie was once again catching the ball well.
Harrison Holds Up: Daniel Wolf of Dawg Scooper noted that RB Jerome Harrison held his own on a blitz from LB Eric Barton. Still, with James Davis impressing day-by-day (he again had big runs, including a 50+ yarder), you have to wonder if he will slip into the Leon Washington role instead of Harrison.
Foster Struggling: While it doesn't sound like he's anywhere near "Nat Dorsey or Isaac Sowells bad", OT George Foster's abilities seem to be behind those of Ryan Tucker, John St. Clair, and Floyd Womack. Foster was being given a tough time by OLB David Bowens.
No News is...Good News?: If anyone attends camp, please let us know about Brodney Pool and/or Abram Elam. The news on them the first three days has been scarce.

The evening practice report will be up either late tonight or some time tomorrow morning.

Sunday's Evening Link Collection / Camp Sources

Lane's Training Camp Quick Hits (Orange and Brown Report, Adkins)
Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
QBs stymied in two-minute drills (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
Monday AM Aug. 3 - Heiden Cleared (Akron Becaon Journal, Ridenour)

Browns Training Camp Report: Day 2 - Shaun Rogers Sits Out

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:55:42 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Cleveland Browns DL Shaun Rogers rides a stationary bicycle at the Cleveland Browns NFL football training camp Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009.

Browse more photos »

The Cleveland Browns hit the field for an afternoon practice in Berea today, and one thing stood out -- the massive Shaun Rogers was riding the stationary bicycle instead of being on the field.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 2 (8/2/09)

Big Baby Sits: Star defensive tackle Shaun Rogers did not practice Sunday afternoon. It is believed that he hurt himself during Saturday's evening session, but it isn't believed to be anything too serious. The team did not comment on his status.
Cornerback Swap: Rookie defensive back Coye Francies only missed one day of training camp, as he suited up and was in action today. Our other rookie draft pick at the cornerback position, Don Carey, did not practice after hurting his shoulder in Saturday's evening session.
Getting Into Shape: The laps are starting to accumulate. These plays were amidst the series that led to the entire offense running a lap: Alex Mack miscues the snap count, allowing a free defender through the line; Isaac Sowells and Kurt Quarterman jumped offsides; Hank Fraley snapped the ball into the ground. The players themselves seemed to agree that they deserved to run.

CB Brandon McDonald had a good day, breaking up several passes.

Edge to Anderson, Again: For the second straight day, the quarterback competition reportedly belonged to Derek Anderson. I'll recap Anderson first, and then Quinn. In 7-on-7 drills, Anderson had four plays and three touchdowns in three of them -- one each to RB James Davis, TE Robert Royal, and TE Aaron Walker. To end practice, both quarterbacks ran the two-minute drill. Anderson led the offense down the field against the second-string defense, and with 20 seconds remaining, he fired a 20-yard touchdown to Joshua Cribbs.
The Day for Quinn: The two-minute drill didn't go as well for Brady Quinn, who faced the first-team defense. On a 4th-and-15 play, Quinn had Lance Leggett open but threw behind him to end the drive. Quinn isn't necessarily doing bad in camp, as both quarterbacks reportedly have a good grip of the offense. Anderson is just having the same solid camp he usually does -- whether that translates to gameday or not is the problem.
New Reps On the Line: The rotation on the offensive line continues, with Ryan Tucker and George Foster playing with the first team. Both players started slowly, but by the end of practice, Tucker was running his drills effectively. Foster, on the other hand, appeared to struggle.
Bubble Watch: Featured in today's bubble watch is OL Isaac Sowells, and the news isn't good. The OBR reports that he has had a difficult time gaining leverage against defensive linemen and linebackers thus far.
McDonald Shines: In a span of six passes, Brady Quinn threw the ball to Lance Leggett four times. Leggett was unable to come away with any of the balls, as Brandon McDonald had two nice breakups.

Rookie RB James Davis has had a great start to camp.

Pass Interference: The defensive backs were getting flagged for a few pass interferences, including Roderick Hood twice and Eric Wright at least once.
Hello, Mr. Norwood: I was disappointed to not hear anything about Jordan Norwood yesterday, but the OBR delivered today:

"...undrafted free agent Jordan Norwood continues to make plays and be noticed. Running solid route after solid route, Norwood is not making plays solely against the bottom-of-the-depth chart type players. This rookie has made a number of acrobatic grabs, as well as the ordinary type in his productive practices to date."
Buddy Ryan: Rob Ryan's father, Buddy Ryan, attended camp today.
Ali Taken Out: Fullback Charles Ali was escorted off the field after big collisions with Beau Bell and D'Qwell Jackson, reports WTAM.
Praise for James Davis: The OBR has praised the play of rookie RB James Davis over the past two days: "The Browns offense looks to be a one-cut-and-go type rushing attack, which fits perfectly into the natural ability of the Clemson product." I have to admit, while I never mind hearing positive news about one of our players, I wish I was hearing this about Jerome Harrison.

The Browns will have two practices on Monday -- one in the morning and one in the evening.

Saturday's Evening Link Collection / Camp Sources

Lane's View: Day 2 (Orange and Brown Report, Adkins)
Sunday Aug. 2 (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Day 2 of training camp (WTAM, Knott)
Mangini Has Two, Will Keep Two (Taylor)

2009 Denver Broncos - Breaking Down the Roster -- Guards/Centers

Jeremy Bolander — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:30:10 -0000

Denver Broncos offensive linemen take part in drills during the team's football minicamp at the Broncos headquarters in Englewood, Colo., on Sunday, June 14, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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If you listen very closely you might hear, at a distance, a faint, almost imperceptible sound.

In the wake of resigning C Casey Wiegmann to a two-year, five-and-a-half million-dollar contract, one could be forgiven for suspecting that this sound is the dismay and despair of defensive lines throughout the league who must now contest with what is arguably one of the strongest, most coherent and most productive offensive line units in the NFL. Within that unit, no group works together more closely, or relies on each other as much as the guards and centers.

Casey's return, combined with the returns of LG Ben Hamilton and RG Chris Kuper, would do well to inspire a certain level of despondency in Denver's 2009 opponents, as it was an interior unit which ranked 1st overall in ALY (Adjusted Line Yardage), and 5th overall in ALY solely in the cramped spaces between the right and left guards. When one factors in the added emphasis on pulling guards that is a hallmark of the McDaniels offense (ranked 2nd overall ahead of Denver for guard-to-guard ALY in 2008), and the addition of multiple blue-chip RBs to the stable, the Denver rushing attack should indeed be fearsome.

But the sound that can be heard on the edges of training camps around the league are not the wails and moans of teams who fear having to do battle with such a proven unit. This is the NFL. What the sound portends is the approaching storm. A league full of defensive lines who desire nothing less than to tear apart this line's reputation and cast it down to the perceived depths of incompetence that the rest of the team is rumored to have reached. They will believe, fully, that annihilating Denver at the point of attack will reduce the Broncos to an afterthought that can be easily tossed aside. These defenses have made up their minds to do battle, and they will be focused, louder, more terrible, less relenting. Like Northerlies they will blow in every week, where they must be rebuffed by Denver's varied, complex schemes, swift, repeated blows and confusing attacks which resemble withdrawals.

But even early success against such hordes won't be enviable. The opponents will bristle with hostility at every loss, as if upset by human intelligence, and the attack will be renewed again.

This will be a season of such storms, and the guards and centers are the prow of the ship that Denver must steer steadfastly into them...

Ben Hamilton

#50 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 290

Born: Aug 18, 1977

Age: 32

College: Minnesota

Contract: 2009: $3.34m $4.39 against the cap, 2010: Free Agent

Acquired:Draft #4a (113th overall), 2001

One year removed from a season-long absence due to post-concussion syndrome, Ben Hamilton saw his reputation take a bit of a hit in 2008. Of course, he was still elite, but perhaps the expectation was that, as the longest-tenured member of the Broncos line, he should also be its best member. As it stood, he gave up the most sacks and was flagged for the most penalties, and in a way seemed to be the weak link. Yet, as noted above, the line still managed to clock in as one the finest units in the league, in every measurable statistic.

Maybe he really wasn't that bad?

He certainly has to be looking forward to his contract year, especially in conjunction with his run of good health and the line talent that has been amassed around him. He has been nothing less than a pro's pro, beginning with his first season starting for Denver, where he played both center and guard, covering for an injury to Tom Nalen. He also has been exceptionally durable, and except for the 2007 season (a case where toughness is trumped only by long-term concern and care taken for the unknowns involved in post-concussion symptoms) has yet to miss a start in any game the Broncos have played since he was promoted to the active roster after a stint in NFL Europe.

Of interest is that since the final game of the 2003 regular season, Hamilton has yet to log any more snaps at center. With the accrued depth at center over the last two seasons, there is a developing chance that Hamilton may not be the first name called upon if Wiegmann were to go down with an injury (though it is likely he would be the second name called up.)

Hamilton's leadership on the line, too, should not be overlooked; with a contingent of new, young guards behind him, it is imperative to hang onto the veteran player in order to smooth their transition into the Bronco's complex scheme. Next year, Hamilton's story should be quite interesting in the offseason; but for now, it's steady as she goes.

Casey Wiegmann

#62 / Center / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-2

Weight: 285

Born: Jul 20, 1975

Age: 34

College: Iowa

Contract: 2009: $2.5m, 2010: $2.2, 2011: Free Agent

Acquired: Unrestriced Free Agent (Kansas City), 2008

With the restructured contract handled with significant professionalism, Casey Wiegmann looks to continue his streak of 8,046 consecutive offensive snaps (tops among offensive linemen). He is nothing if he is not durable, and as his battle with Kris Jenkins will attest to, he is playing with as much savvy and intensity as could be asked for from a 34-year-old lineman.

When a soul refuses to yield to the weaknesses of the body, it is a source of immense power, and Wiegmann has certainly learned how to tap that, regaining in tenacity what he loses in vigor. But he also benefits greatly from his natural physicality, as a smaller lineman with good girth and strength, which allows him to move fluidly and easily within the confines of his area of work, which goes part and parcel with the demands placed on the center in an offense which features pulling guards (as it is usually the center who must execute the athletic 'trap' part of the block). He was well suited to a pure zone-blocking scheme, but he is eminently suited to the new wrinkles that McDaniels has brought into town for this offense, including being an above-average snapper in the shotgun.

With his experience doing the line calls, and spearheading multiple league-leading rushing and passing offenses (2003, 2006 and 2008) the offense is in completely capable hands with Wiegmann.

Chris Kuper

#73 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 302

Born: Dec 19, 1982

Age: 26

College: North Dakota

Contract: 2009: $1.01m, 2010: Free Agent

Acquired: Draft #5 (161th overall), 2006

Chris Kuper is what I would consider an almost-ideal starting guard for Denver's system. Big and athletic, very strong and terrifically balanced only begin to describe Kuper. He is also versatile, having started his career with Denver on the left side subbing for Chris Myers (who had been subbing for Hamilton in 2007), before moving over to the right side to replace Montrae Holland. In both instances, he made the most of his opportunities, and can be counted on as a player who rises to meet expectations. He also slid over to left tackle during his senior year in college, and showed that in addition to being a sound technician as a guard he could also show the athleticism and awareness to adequately man the pass-protection schemes. He isn't likely to see any snaps at center.

Since coming to Denver he has improved significantly in one particular category: reach blocks. Early in his career he would extend too far when blocking away on reach blocks or when moving to the second level, and while his athleticism and quickness still made him a force against the linebackers, he has since learned to use his long arms (a major asset) to get into his blocks under control, where he can use his strength to redirect. He is also an excellent pulling and trapping guard, who will be perfect for the new offense, and he strengthens any interior unit that he is a part of with his ability to switch off and onto blocks during defensive stunts and blitzes, a combination of intelligence and quickness. He makes his center's job easier by a large margin.

In addition, he is durable and exceptionally tough, maintaining a starting streak by playing with a broken hand last year that looked like a side of ham strapped to his wrist. Depsite the injury there was simply no noticeable dropoff in his play. He is the type of player that refuses to be the weak link.

There can be an expectation that the Denver line will fall a bit short of the elevated level of play last year, due to both the schedule and the idea that teams will be gunning for them. However, I think that Kuper, being in his prime and entering a contract year, has the goods to be even better than last year, and will catch on around the league as one of the premier free agents at guard in 2010. Denver should be in the top two or three teams in the league when running off his flanks. Like with Hamilton, 2010 will be another story, especially during the offseason; but for now, we are exceptionally solid.

Kory Lichtensteiger

#67 / Center / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 295

Born: Mar 22, 1985

Age: 24

College: Bowling Green

Contract: Escalators are available in the final year if he plays 35% of the offensive snaps in two of his first three seasons. 2009: $385,000, 2010: $470,000, 2011: $555,000, 2012: Free Agent

Acquired: Draft #4a (108th overall), 2008

Kory Lichtensteiger is a player who is used to being the best: best lineman on his high school team, then district, then division, then college, and most recently the Rimington Award winner in 2008 for the nation's best collegiate center.

After seeing action in every game as a rookie, Kory doesn't look to be slowing down or tailing off anytime soon, having logged special teams contributions in all 16 games of 2008, while lining up as an H-back on numerous goal-line formations, most of which were scoring plays.

Looking forward, the first thing you see is his ideal somatotype for center: squat, stocky, long arms, thick upper body and strong lower body. His quickness makes him highly effective in tight spaces, and his intelligence (awarded the Falcon Medal of Honor, which is given to a player that exemplifies sportsmanship and scholarship) makes him a consistent contributor in terms of properly reading and making line calls. He made a name for himself in college by leading the NCAA's centers in sustained blocks, which is a measure of tenacity, strength and will. He finished first in this category in 2008 by a wide margin.

He did primarily shotgun snapping at BGSU, and it was all quality work, which fits well with the expected offensive scheme. It remains to be seen how prepared he has been for the classic under-center exchange, but as it is a function of hand quickness, it can be expected that he will adapt and perform well in this area, as he shows excellent hand quickness and placement on reach blocks and when locking up the body of the defender.

His versatility is the opposite of Chris Kuper's, being as he is eminently suited for interior blocking. As a guard he registered 184 knockdowns in his first two years at BGSU, mostly on pulls and traps; so again, he seems to be a perfect fit going forward. He is not quite the quick lateral mover that Kuper is, and so it is expected that Kory will not see time subbing on the outside, and also that he will likely have a learning curve in pass protection slightly behind his run blocking.

Lichtensteiger is an excellent prospect to have in the wings who will be ready to contribute as a starter sooner than later.

Matt McChesney

#60 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 310

Born: Nov 06, 1981

Age: 27

College: Colorado

Contract: Undisclosed

Acquired: Free Agent, 2009 (Miami)

Before you say roster fodder, consider his unique brand of versatility. He played DT at Colorado, and logged snaps there for both St. Louis and the Jets before a knee injury landed him on two different versions of IR in two years (due to NFL Europe rules at the time).

In an effort to stick on a roster, McChesney went through a position switch to OG, where he has noted that his intensity and aggressiveness, while helpful, have needed to be dialed back, a task which has taken up most of his learning curve since the switch in early 2007, but which has improved enough to get him a look from 2008 Miami Dolphins architect Bill Parcells.

But most of his learning curve was taken up by figuring out how to deal with the loss of his little brother, who died in an accident on the Roaring Fork River. Those kinds of events change people, and McChesney is no different. By going back to his roots (he dreamed of someday playing for the Denver Broncos when he was a kid in the South Stands screaming his lungs out for them) and being close to his family, he hopes to break onto a roster where there is already top talent and very little room for error.

Described as "tough and smart," he seems to fit the general mold of players that McX are looking for, and might make his dream come true in 2009's Training Camp.

Mitch Erickson

#61 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-6

Weight: 290

Born: May 14, 1985

Age: 24

College: South Dakota State

Contract: Reserve/Futures Contract

Acquired: Rookie Free Agent, 2008

After leading SDSU to a Great West title, Mitch Erickson made it to Denver's practice squad where he is working on adding bulk and improving his balance. With the five starters well established and over ten backups vying for spots on the line, he will need to show that he spent 2008 picking up on all the little things.

His flexibility is of the guard-to-tackle variety, where he logged starts in all 44 of his career college games. At his height and weight, he seems better suited to back up LG, or moving out to back up the RT position. In the 2008 training camp he got most of his reps at RT, and is quite similar to former Bronco Eric Pears, in both build and playing style, with some of the same shortcomings.

My gut says that while Mitch probably has the right attitude, and is a tough player, he may a bit too much of the Shanahan mold. I would expect him to have a very difficult time making this roster.

Pat Murray

#72 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 310

Born: Oct 31, 1984

Age: 24

College: Truman State

Contract: 2009: $385,000, 2010: Restricted Free Agent

Acquired:Practice Squad Signee (Seattle), 2008

A better physical specimen in terms of what McX are looking for in a lineman, everything about Pat Murray indicates that he is at best an ideal candidate for the practice squad. His best attribute is his "jack of all trades" versatility, having logged most of his experience at RT in college, yet seeing extensive practice reps at both guard and center while in Green Bay and Seattle.

In general, his playing style and college play isn't ideally suited to the offensive scheme (it is more of a drive-blocking style) but there is no doubt that his versatility makes him a boon in practice and training camp in order to field 2nd- and 3rd-team lines in order to run drills.

But eventually those drills become pregame practices, and somewhere in that transition Murray usually gets lost. With the severity of the numbers crunch coming up for the interior linemen, Murray will need one heck of an opportunity to arise even to scratch back into the practice squad. Could quite likely be the first offensive lineman cut.

Seth Olsen

#70 / Guard / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-4

Weight: 306

Born: Dec 17, 1985

Age: 23

College: Iowa

Contract:

Rookie

Acquired:

Draft #4b (132nd overall), 2009

Seth Olsen is one of those naturally "big" linemen, the kind with the good bone girth as opposed to being just 'weighty', and he is well balanced in that area, having good strength in both his lower and upper body. He excels at using his hands, and his hand technique is the strongest part of his game. Intelligent, tough and resourceful, he was also trained in the art of zone blocking at Iowa, and so has an advantage in that department.

However, his second-level play is an order of magnitude below where it needs to be to compete with the current veteran guards, his most likely position. He will need to work on regaining leverage at the second level instead of leaving his feet to make a block, or extending out of control and thereby lunging past defenders. If he can bring that element of his game in line, his hand play should take care of the rest.

In a way, Olsen is a significant departure from the traditional "Shanahan" offensive lineman, and I see him as very much the product of the new scheme and philosophy ideas that McDaniels holds, so adjusting to Olsen's skill set may take a little while. Olsen is not the quickest player, and does not have the best lateral agility, something which was prized under Shanahan, and Olsen could even be accused of "trudging", something I haven't seen in the starting lineup since George Foster left town.

But he is a smart, tough technician with an aggressive mean streak and the versatility to man both RG and RT, and even has experience at LT and LG. Ideally a right guard, he has the natural physical makeup to be the lead candidate for the first backup G/T combo player (with Kory being the first G/C combo), as he has the natural girth and trained leverage to effectively "sit down" in pass protection, a major boon when having to be inserted in case of injury to a starter.

Olsen has significant improvements to make to be a starter-quality player, but the backup job appears to be his to lose.

Blake Schlueter

#63 / Center / Denver Broncos

Height: 6-3

Weight: 284

Born: Apr 22, 1986

Age: 23

College: T-C-U

Contract:

Rookie

Acquired:

Draft #7 (225th overall), 2009

Denver's final pick in the 2009 draft, some immediately questioned whether Lichtensteiger had a future in Denver. Don't. Schlueter is an excellent find and a terrific opportunity to insure both the guard and center position, with a tenacious, mean and intelligent player.

He is a good size already to man the center position, but his body type is a bit different from Wiegmann (though similar to Hamilton) so he may need to add some bulk in order to play at Casey's level in the middle, and to anchor effectively in pass blocking.

Where Schlueter really impresses is his potential for special teams. You've seen it before, but here are his pro day numbers:

40 yard dash	4.79
20 yard dash	2.77
10 yard dash	1.64
225lb bench reps	28
vertical jump	35"
broad jump	9'3"
20 yard shuttle	4.28
3 cone drill	7.42

This is an exceptionally athletic, and more importantly, driven young man. He is a wild card that will make it difficult for the coaches to settle on the eventual active roster, but with McDaniels' deep respect for the role of special teams, it seems quite likely that Schlueter will be part of the active gameday 45-man roster, which means he is putting significant pressure on backups like Murray, Erickson and McChesney.

If Schlueter can maintain his drive right through training camp, than just like his pro day, he will be impossible to ignore.

SUMMARY

2009 looks to feature as strong a group of interior lineman as Denver could hope for in an offseason of significant tumult. The starting trio of Kuper, Wiegmann, and Hamilton have the combination of experience, talent and camaraderie that will keep the unit playing at a high level, while backups such as Olsen and Lichtensteiger give the starting offense confidence that the wheels will stay on in the event of injury. Players like McChesney and Schlueter will drive the above group even harder, and the additions of Murray and Erickson should keep the entire unit running smoothly throughout training camp, perhaps earning themselves a future look.

But when the leaves begin to fall, there will likely only be ten total linemen kept, including tackles, and only seven will be expected to be activated for game day. With players like Schlueter too talented to keep off of the special teams roster, and players like Licthensteiger (also a special teamer) too critical to risk leaving off the game day roster in the event of injury, good players like Olsen may find themselves in a tragic numbers crunch, which at best may keep them off the active roster, at worst may put them in danger of having to clear waivers just to make the PS, and even then they won't be completely safe.

One drawback to solid team-building philosophies are the roster limits and their unsympathetic treatment of excellent depth at a position. And with a major free agency period for Hamilton and Kuper coming up in 2010 these roster decisions will end up having far-reaching consequences. They have to be made with utmost care.

The battle from within can be as critical as the battle without, and the coming storm demands proper choices now. Forces amass against this unit, waiting for the smallest weakness to show up.

It has been said that Wind is all winds, Force is all force. The whole of that horde is now coming.

On one side, that legion.

And on the other?

We must be shrewd.

Poll

What are the chances that their could be a surprise cut or trade from the group of Ben, Chris, Casey, Licks Ten Tigers, Seth and Blake?

Zero chance. They are all keepers in some capacity.

137 votes

Mild. I could see one of the rookies not making the cut.

212 votes

Moderate. Licks Ten Tigers is part of the old regime, he may not be the apple of McX's eye.

56 votes

Surprising. There are rumblings that Hamilton doesn't fit the long term plan.

64 votes

Exceptionally surprising. We paid Casey just so we could cut him...

10 votes

479 votes | Poll has closed

Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2009: Offensive Line Preview (Part 2)

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:48:08 -0000

It's time for our final piece in the trenches this week as part of our Cleveland Browns training camp 2009 preview. On Wednesday, we previewed the starters/contenders for the offensive line, with extra focus on the right side of the line.

As it stands right now, here are the top two scenarios for the right side of the line you would like to see:

-Womack at RG, Tucker at RT (45%)
-Tucker at RG, St. Clair at RT (23%)

97% of the voters agree that Ryan Tucker should start. Of those people, 59% of them want a scenario in which Tucker starts at right tackle, while the other 41% want him to start at right guard. I was in the group that preferred Womack at RG and Tucker at RT.

8. HANK FRALEY - BACKUP CENTER

Hank Fraley (#66)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 310
College: Robert Morris
Experience: 10 years
Note: Valuable experience

From being a team captain in 2008 to (presumably) being on the bench in 2009, there is an outside chance that Hank Fraley will start at the right guard position for the Browns. Not many of us think that will happen though, considering he received just 2% of the votes in Wednesday's poll.

Fraley's best chance at starting will be at the center position. If that happens, Fraley probably won't really "win" the job; it'll just be a case in which Alex Mack appears to need a lot more work at the NFL level.

Fraley began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, helping pave the way to several NFC Championship games. In 2006, the Browns were desperate at the center position. LeCharles Bentley went down with an injury on the first play of training camp, and Bob Hallen said "screw this" and retired. All we had left were a couple of third-string free agents competing for a starting role. Phil Savage was able to make one of his best acquisitions during his time in Cleveland in Fraley, who was coming off of a shoulder injury the previous season. Fraley exceeded expectations in 2006 and 2007, but he failed to reach those expectations in 2008. Maybe it's a little unfair to write him off after one bad season, but either way, Fraley was never intended to be a long-term solution. His chances at making the roster this year might come down to who the coaching staff likes better -- Fraley or Rex Hadnot. I think there will be room for both of them.

Player Quality: C-
Final Roster Odds: 60%

9. GEORGE FOSTER - BACKUP LEFT TACKLE

George Foster (#72)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 338
College: Georgia
Experience: 7 years
Note: Former 1st rounder

Signed in June by the Browns, George Foster is a former first-round pick of the Denver Broncos. Of the people not listed in Part 1 of the offensive line preview, Foster has the best chance at starting. In 68 career games, he has started in 57 of them, with most of those starts coming at right tackle.

Foster's build is right in line with what Mangini is seeking: 6-5, 338 pounds. When he was signed, you guys debated what role he (as well as other lineman) could play this year. When you have several veteran players, I imagine a competition being between two players, maybe three at most. Ryan Tucker, Floyd Womack, and John St. Clair are already competing for the right tackle position. Can Foster really even have a chance to see some reps in training camp at right tackle? That's where the question of, "wait a second, does that mean Joe Thomas is the only player on the depth chart getting reps at left tackle?" That's where Foster potentially comes in.

But, that could easily change. Maybe Mangini will stick to something like this in training camp:

LT: Thomas, St. Clair
LG: Steinbach, Hadnot
C: Mack, Fraley
RG: Tucker, Womack
RT: Tucker, Foster

There's really no definitive reason why St. Clair would receive the shot at right tackle over Foster. We'll have to wait and see how things unfold in training camp.

Player Quality: C+
Final Roster Odds: 80%

10. ISAAC SOWELLS - BACKUP...GUARD? TACKLE?

Isaac Sowells (#61)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 320
College: Indiana
Experience: 4 years
Note: Quiet 4th rounder

With all of the veteran talent on the Browns line now, I'm surprised that Isaac Sowells is even being allowed to stick around for training camp. I fault Romeo Crennel for only having a fourth-round draft pick participate in one game during his first two seasons when there were opportunities for him to play more, but he wasn't very impressive in backup duty last season.

Overall, Sowells doesn't have much experience despite entering his fourth year in the league, doesn't appear to play at a high level, doesn't appear to be in-line of seeing very many reps, and is not eligible for the practice squad. The deck is stacked against Sowells; barring a couple of injuries in training camp to other players, Sowells will probably be an early cut so the team can get a better look at some of the undrafted free agents that might go on the practice squad.

Player Quality: D?
Final Roster Odds: 10%

11. DUSTIN FRY - YOUNGER BACKUP CENTER

Dustin Fry (#62)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 314
College: Clemson
Experience: 3 years
Note: Former 5th rounder

Dustin Fry was a 5th round draft choice of the St. Louis Rams in 2007. He played in four games that year, but in 2008, he was released from the team's practice squad. The Browns added him to their practice squad a week later, and that is where he finished the 2008 campaign.

Fry played college football at Clemson where he played in 47 games, starting 36, registering 171 knockdown blocks on 2,192 plays.

Back in the 2007 season, there seemed to be serious consideration that Fry would be the starting center for the Rams. Things didn't unfold that way though, and fans were surprised that Fry only made the practice squad in 2008 after their team's line had struggled the year before. Fry can also play the guard position.

Final Roster Odds: 10%
Practice Squad Odds: 40% (if eligible)

12. KURT QUARTERMAN - PRACTICE SQUAD GUARD

Kurt Quarterman (#63)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 348
College: Louisville
Experience: 2 years
Note: He's HUGE

During the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Kurt Quarterman was signed and released from the practice squads of the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants several times. He was added to the Browns' practice squad last season at the end of October. Like Fry, that is where he finished the season.

One thing sort of stands out when you look at Quarterman's profile box to the right: he's HUGE. If the weigh-ins are accurate, he is the second-largest person on the team, second only to Shaun Rogers. Maybe I'm making too big of a deal out of Mangini's craving for large offensive linemen, but on size alone, that has to give Quarterman an advantage to making the practice squad.

Final Roster Odds: 2%
Practice Squad Odds: 60%

13. MARLON DAVIS - UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT GUARD

Marlon Davis (#79)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 300
College: Alabama
Experience: Rookie
Note: Only UDFA

Guard Marlon Davis is our lone undrafted free agent offensive lineman this season. Davis was a four-year member of the Crimson Tide offensive line. He became a starter as a junior in 2007, and started all 11 games as a senior including the All State Sugar Bowl against Utah.

Here is a scouting report from Sports Illustrated on him:

POSITIVES: Undersized, low-to-the-ground lineman best in a small area. Bends his knees, blocks with leverage, and seals defenders from the action with solid body positioning. Squares into opponents turning them off the line and displays good strength at the initial point of attack. Quickly gets into blocks, patient in pass protection, and keeps his head on a swivel. Flashes the ability to pull across the line of scrimmage, block in motion, and gets chips on linebackers. Works well with line-mates and plays with a large degree of explosion.

NEGATIVES: Must improve his overall strength as he struggles to finish blocks. Bends at the waist or overextends into blocks, which adversely affects his balance. Not light on his feet and struggles sliding in space.

ANALYSIS: Davis is a solid small area mauler with the body type to play guard in the NFL. He must improve his strength and iron out his game, yet he is worth a look in camp this summer.

Link

It's hard to imagine him getting a legitimate shot at the roster. He'll be fighting for a practice squad position.

Final Roster Odds: <0.5%
Practice Squad Odds: 15% (pure guess)

OL Position Quality: B (Backups Only)

The grade above takes into consideration what the Browns will have between the two players that do not win a starting role from Part 1 of the preview. Our depth far surpasses what we have had in the past, as everybody has significant starting experience. What we are lacking is youth in our depth. That might come down to how a younger player like Fry can contribute on special teams. If Fry is needed there, maybe Fraley gets the boot and we go with Fry/Hadnot as the potential backup centers.

Right now, here are the nine offensive linemen I think will make the roster: Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Ryan Tucker, Alex Mack, Floyd Womack, John St. Clair, Rex Hadnot, George Foster, and Hank Fraley. All veterans (minus Mack). When training camp rolls around, it'll be easier to speculate which youngsters might usurp one of the veterans.

Poll

Which non-veteran backup offensive lineman, excluding Isaac Sowells, are you most intrigued by?

Dustin Fry

83 votes

Kurt Quarterman

101 votes

Marlon Davis

68 votes

252 votes | Poll has closed