SB Nation - Gerard Lawson

Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 15

Chris Thorman — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:12:05 -0000

3 months ago: Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn (10) passes the ball to Josh Cribbs for a first down under pressure from Tennessee Titans defensive end Dave Ball (98) during a preseason NFL football game at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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Week 15 brings the Cleveland Browns to Arrowhead Stadium. At this point in the season, and at this point in our predictions, we have the Kansas City Chiefs sitting on a record of 7-6.

Crazy? Yeah, it is a little crazy. But we are after all Chiefs fans, no?

If you're a casual follower of the Browns like I am, you know about Dante Stallworth and his legal issues. You've heard about the Brady Quinn v. Derek Anderson debate. And I'm assuming you know that Eric Mangini is now the head coach.

But beyond that I don't know that much. After the jump, SB Nation's Browns blogger Chris answers some of our questions about the Browns. I've also added the Browns' depth chart as of now for more reference.

Make sure you check out Dawgs by Nature for all things Cleveland Browns.

Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3rd String
QB
RB	Jamal Lewis	Jerome Harrison	James Davis Cedric Peerman
FB	Lawrence Vickers
WR1	Braylon Edwards	Mohamed Massaquoi
WR2	Joshua Cribbs	Mike Furrey	Brian Robiskie
TE	Robert Royal	Steve Heiden	Martin Rucker
LT	Joe Thomas
LG	Eric Steinbach
C	Hank Fraley	Alex Mack
RG	Floyd Womack	Rex Hadnot
RT	John St. Clair	Phil Trautwein
Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3ird String
DE	Kenyon Coleman	C.J. Mosley
NT	Shaun Rogers	Ahtyba Rubin
DE	Robaire Smith	Corey Williams
LOLB	Kamerion Wimbley
ILB	D'Qwell Jackson	David Veikune
ILB	Eric Barton	Kaluka Maiava	Blake Costanzo
ROLB	David Bowens	Alex Hall	Leon Williams
LCB	Eric Wright	Hank Poteat	Marquis Floyd
RCB	Brandon McDonald	Coye Francies	Gerard Lawson
FS	Brodney Pool	Mike Adams	DeAngelo Smith
SS	Abram Elam	Nick Sorensen
Pos	1st String (Starter)	2nd String (Backup)	3rd String
K	Phil Dawson
P	Dave Zastudil
H	Dave Zastudil
LS	Ryan Pontbriand
KR	Joshua Cribbs	Gerard Lawson	Jerome Harrison
PR	Joshua Cribbs	Gerard Lawson	Jerome Harrison

What do the Chiefs have to worry the most about...Jamal Lewis and the running game or Braylon Edwards and the passing game?

This question is tough to answer since our game isn't until Week 15, so I'll try to base my answer as if the Chiefs were facing the Browns earlier in the year. I'd definitely pick Braylon Edwards and the passing game. The media has automatically written off the Browns, but there is still some potency on the offensive side of the ball. Just two years ago, Derek Anderson and Edwards were Pro Bowlers. Sure, last season's struggles "might" have shown their true colors, but how can anyone guarantee that Edwards won't go back to having the same type of season he had in 2007? Brady Quinn will probably be the starting quarterback. Although he doesn't sling it as much as Anderson, Brian Daboll (the Browns offensive coordinator) would be foolish to leave out the deep patterns to Edwards.

On the other hand, the running game appears bound to struggle as long as Jamal Lewis is in the lineup. He had a down season last year and has not shown the same power he used to have throughout this year's training camp. Lewis claims he's just "holding back" for the regular season, but I think it comes down to him not having very much left in the tank anymore. Fans in Cleveland like our sixth-round draft pick James Davis at running back, but I'm not going to sit here and say that he's going to be awesome. He was great in the preseason, but the real evaluation will come when he's against first stringers in the regular season. This lack of assurance in the running game almost makes Edwards and the passing game more of a threat by default.

Will the Browns use Josh Cribbs as a WR more often? The Chiefs did that with Dante Hall and it seemed to ruin him in the return game. Any thoughts/concerns on that?

Not only should the Browns use Cribbs as a receiver more often, he should and will be starting opposite Edwards (according to our depth chart). He started in the preseason and did very well. I don't think you can compare Cribbs to Dante Hall or Devin Hester in their transitions to wide receiver because they have different styles. Hall and Hester rely more on elusiveness, whereas Cribbs finds the hole, powers through it and keeps on going. During the preseason, we saw several plays against first-stringers in which Cribbs caught the ball on a quick pattern towards the sideline and then stiff-armed the first cornerback he met before being taken down a little bit later by another defender. I know the Browns took Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi in round two this year, but if it were up to me, I'd shelve their growth and give Cribbs the starting opportunity -- I'm that intrigued by him.

The Chiefs are just transitioning to the 3-4 defense. Can you talk a little bit about what the Browns transition to the 3-4 was like a few years ago and how it stands now?

The transition was exciting at first. All we could think about is how our defense was going to be nasty like the Ravens defense. And then, something bad happened -- we saw Romeo Crennel's 3-4 defense in action. Ever since then, it's been a nightmare. We never generated any pressure. We never stopped the run. We never stood out from any other defense in the NFL. Most importantly, we barely had any of the type of players we needed for the system. Last year we acquired Shaun Rogers, but one man can only do so much. I think Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan have done a better job finding players that are comfortable with the 3-4 alignment, but we're several years into the defense and aren't even half as good as the Ravens' defense.

Many thanks to Chris for stopping by and giving us his answers! Read more about the Browns at Dawgs by Nature.

My prediction for this game is, let's say....17 to 13 in favor of our Chiefs. I don't think we'll have faith in this offense very often this year. Current record at this point: 8-6.

Check out all of our season game previews at this link.

Things That Make You Go "Hmmm" -- Browns Claim RB Cedric Peerman, OT Phil Trautwein, CB DeAngelo Smith

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:47:29 -0000

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

Baltimore Ravens running back Cedric Peerman carries the ball during drills at training camp back in July.

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The Cleveland Browns trimmed their roster down to 52 players Saturday, giving them one free spot to add a player off of waivers.

Today, the team added three players:

RB Cedric Peerman: Peerman was a sixth-round draft choice by the Baltimore Ravens this year. He has good speed (4.45) and is a threat as a receiver as well.
RT Phil Trautwein: He will be our backup right tackle for the time being. He was an undrafted free agent in camp with the St. Louis Rams.
CB DeAngelo Smith: The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that we signed Smith, a fifth round pick this year of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Browns' roster is now at 55 players, so two players will have to be cut. Chances are it won't be an offensive lineman -- could it possibly be a running back? I'd hate to see Jerome Harrison go, and if we didn't cut Jamal Lewis yesterday, why would we do it today? We should have an update soon as to how the Browns handled this situation.

EDIT: With Smith added, I'd imagine either Gerard Lawson or Bret Lockett will get the boot.

Browns Cut CB Corey Ivy, RB Noah Herron

Chris Pokorny — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:43:13 -0000

According to the National Football Post, the Cleveland Browns cut CB Corey Ivy and RB Noah Herron.

The release of Ivy is particularly surprising. When Eric Mangini took over the Browns, the team was lacking depth at cornerback, specifically the nickel back position. Corey Ivy, Roderick Hood, and Hank Poteat were brought in to contend for that role, and the team has waived the frontrunners in Ivy and Hood already. This seems to increase the roster odds of DB Gerard Lawson to make the team.

The release of Herron helps the roster odds of FB Charles Ali. The remainder of the cuts should be in later today before the 6 PM deadline.

WR Jordan Norwood, via his Twitter feed, stated yesterday that he was released.

Stay tuned to Dawgs By Nature for all of the latest on the Browns cuts.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 26 - The Final Session

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:09:03 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

3 months ago: Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis, center, runs up the middle during practice at the Cleveland Browns NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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The Cleveland Browns wrapped up training camp Wednesday with their final public session of the year. Fan attendance had died down the past couple days (not unusual), as the team prepares for the Tennessee Titans this Saturday. It's do or die time for players who are "on the bubble".

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 26 (8/26/09)

Tucker Missing Again: The random injuries/absences with Ryan Tucker continue to appear, making it seem more and more unlikely that his body will hold up to ever be a full-time starter again. Tucker was no where to be seen during the final practice. S Brodney Pool still remains absent.
Edwards Slipping: After catching everything in sight the first few days he participated in training camp, WR Braylon Edwards is starting to revert to old habits with a couple of drops each practice. He had at least two drops Wednesday. He also lost his shoe on one of his catches.
Play of the Day: A highlight play came when QB Derek Anderson threw a deep pass down the left sideline. RB James Davis made a one-handed catch after beating his defender. WR Lance Leggett also made a nice grab when he dove near the sidelines on an Anderson pass.
Two Minute Method: When Anderson kept throwing to James Davis in the two-minute warning against Detroit, things didn't work out. QB Brady Quinn ran the two-minute offense Wednesday and led the team to a 37-yard field goal by Phil Dawson. He got down there mainly by throwing four passes to RB Jamal Lewis. He also threw two passes to TE Martin Rucker.
Picked Off: CB Eric Wright intercepted a psss by QB Brett Ratliff, continuing upon his impressive camp. Ratliff did complete a deep pass to WR Brian Robiskie over DB Gerard Lawson though. Ratliff also worked the two-minute offense and led the Browns to a Dawson field goal.
Tight End News: With starter Robert Royal riding a stationary bike, veteran Steve Heiden pulled in a sideline pass from Brady Quinn with LB D'Qwell Jackson in coverage.
Brownies: Mangini said that Quinn and Anderson will both trade off opportunities this Saturday, with some of their reps going into the third quarter. Joshua Cribbs was acting like Vince Young for the scout team offense.

Wednesday's Links/Camp Sources

Battle for starting center position still unresolved (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)
Seemingly no urgency for Rogers (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Training camp log: Day 26 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

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)

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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 18 (Morning) - Alex Mack Plays Some Guard

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:16:31 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards makes a great catch over defensive back Corey Ivy during practice Tuesday morning.

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Thank you WKYC and the Cleveland Browns. With a possible blackout looming in the Cleveland area for this weekend's Great Lakes Classic, WKYC and the Browns came to an agreement to eat the cost of the 4,500 or so unsold tickets.

Two practices were scheduled for the Browns today. There was a threat of rain in the morning, but the drops never came. Let's get to the recap...

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 18 [MORNING] (8/18/09)

Get Out of ~~Jail~~ Practice Free Card: It was unusual to see Joe Thomas absent from the field this morning. No worries for our star left tackle though -- apparently he received a non-transferable "day off from practice" card for exceptional work in offseason conditioning programs. Thomas cashed in this morning. It actually gave Mangini the opportunity to move some players around for experience purposes. Eric Steinbach worked at left tackle while Alex Mack worked at left guard and Hank Fraley worked at center for the first team.
New RB, LB Waived: The Browns waived LB Phillip Hunt. Taking his place is RB Chris Jennings, who is 5-10, 218 pounds from the University of Arizona. He has spent some time in the CFL. Jennings had some reps in practice, showing some effectiveness.
Cribbs' Stock Stays High: Continuing to make plays, Joshua Cribbs caught a 45-yard touchdown pass against CB Eric Wright. Credit to QB Brett Ratliff on the play too though, because he needed a perfect pass to beat Wright's near-perfect coverage. Cribbs also ran a nice route to fool DB Gerard Lawson.
Anderson Struggles in No Huddle: It wasn't a good no huddle 11-on-11 drill for Derek Anderson, who went 0-for-4 in his attempt. Part of the problem, according to Dawg Scooper, is that Anderson failed to read two cornerback blitzes pre-snap. He was sacked in both instances -- once by Hank Poteat and once by Brandon McDonald. Quinn fared better, going 6-of-6 for 51 yards.
Mangini Upset at Quinn: To end practice, a drill was put in place where 50 seconds were on the clock and the quarterbacks started at their own 25-yard line. In the situation, the score was supposed to be a tie score, 17-17. On Quinn's first pass, he threw an interception to CB Brandon McDonald who took it for a pick six. The pass was intended for Braylon Edwards, but it was no where near him. After the play, Edwards and Quinn deemed that there was a miscommunication between the two.
Same Drill With Anderson: The drill didn't go any better for Anderson. With 50 seconds to work with, the first play was an in-bounds, 8-yard completion to Brian Robiskie that drained the clock. After a few penalties on the drive, it ended with a punt.
Play of the Day: WR Braylon Edwards made a nice 30-yard catch over CB Corey Ivy near the sideline, able to keep his feet in bounds.
Onside Kick Executed...Somewhat: K Phil Dawson executed an onside kick, as it went the proper distance and was grabbed on one bounce by S Mike Adams. However, it wouldn't have counted since a member of the kicking team was offsides.
Injury Notes: DL Shaun Rogers, LB David Bowens, OL Ryan Tucker, RB Jerome Harrison and WR David Patten rode the exercise bikes.

The Browns will hit the field later tonight for an evening session.

Tuesday Morning's Links/Camp Sources

Tuesday 8/18 Practice (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Tuesday AM: Mangini lets loose (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Tuesday camp notes (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)
Browns game will be televised this weekend (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 5 (Morning) - Braylon Edwards Returns

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:11:44 -0000

Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards made his debut in training camp on Day 5. He didn't disappoint.

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After missing the first four days of training camp with an "undisclosed" injury, Cleveland Browns WR Braylon Edwards returned to the team for Day 5 of training camp. Did he make an impact during his first practice session since last year?

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 5 [MORNING] (8/5/09)

All Eyes on No. 17: You couldn't help but notice the Browns' No. 1 receiver back on the field. Assuming everything goes right, this is encouraging news that he should be able to participate in the preseason games. It also gave Eric Mangini some time to look at some of the value we can get from the other receivers on the roster this season. Edwards looked good in his first practice, and also had the catch of the day. On a pass to the left corner of the end zone from QB Derek Anderson, Edwards peeled the ball off of the helmet of CB Gerard Lawson for a touchdown.
Doerschuk on Edwards: Usually I leave the links for the bottom of these posts, but I'll cite this one here. In the link, Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository has a nice small blog on how things looked to be fine between Mangini and Edwards.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and his father, Buddy Ryan, evaluating the defense.

Goal Line Drill for Quinn: Today, the team ran goal line drills, and Tony Grossi of the Plain Dealer gave the details for each QB. First, let's start with Quinn, who worked with the first team. The first two plays saw Jamal Lewis get stuffed. On the third play, Quinn ran a playaction fake and lofted the ball to FB Lawrence Vickers for a touchdown.
Goal Line Drill for Anderson: Anderson had to work with the second team offense. On the first play, Anderson scored on a bootleg touchdown run. On the second play, RB James Davis was stopped by a swarm of defenders. Finally, Anderson was sacked on a rollout on the third play by DL Corey Williams. There might have been more goal line drills for both quarterbacks.
Wimbley at Tight End? During Anderson's drill, Grossi noted that LB Kamerion Wimbley lined up at tight end on the play Davis ran on.
Lawson's Roster Chances: Doerschuk believes that second-year CB Gerard Lawson has a good shot at making the team. Not because he is a good cornerback, but because he is the "fastest player on the team" and is good on special teams.
Mack With the Pancake: It happens. The OBR reports that C Alex Mack was able to pancake DT Shaun Rogers. Daniel Wolf of Dawg Scooper notes that Rogers manhandled Mack on more than one occasion, and believes the rookie still has quite a bit of work to do.

CB Brandon McDonald breaks up a pass for WR Jordan Norwood.

Robiskie's Reps Lessened: Grossi noticed that the reps of WR Mohamed Massaquoi and WR Paul Hubbard seemed to increase, while the reps of WR Brian Robiskie decreased. Quinn was intercepted by DB Coye Francies when a ball bounced off of Massaquoi as he was going to the ground for the catch.
Low Key on Harrison: This has not been the "pimpage" camp for Jerome Harrison. Wolf also noted that Harrison had a few short gains, while RB James Davis continued to excel.
Still Nothing Special: The quarterbacks still aren't showing anything that makes fans go "wow, this guy is really good". Maybe the return of a star receiver in Edwards will help the quarterbacks due to the spectacular plays he can make. If one quarterback was to be favored in that aspect though, I think it would be Anderson.

The Browns will be featured on Sirius NFL Radio from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST. Unfortunately, I won't be able to give live play-by-play of the segments like I have the past two years. The team will be having their evening session later tonight. Be sure to check out Dawg Scooper's thoughts again -- another good, personable read.

Wednesday's Evening Link Collection / Camp Sources

Training Camp Report: Wednesday AM Report (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Braylon Edwards shines in first practice (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Grossi)
Day 5 practice notes (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)
Tucker encouraged; Mangini noncommittal on Stallworth (Canton Repository, Doerschuk)
Relaxed, Happy Braylon Edwards Speaks (Orange and Brown Report, King)
Five Questions: John St. Clair (Official Team Site, Florjancic)

Browns Training Camp Report: Day 3 (Evening) - Hubbard's Rebound

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:34:46 -0000

After a rough start to camp, WR Paul Hubbard got things going during the evening session of Day 3. Photo via photos.theobr.com

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If you missed the morning report on Day 3 of Cleveland Browns training camp, then click here. In the evening session of Day 3, things turned around for one player in particular -- wide receiver Paul Hubbard. After looking like camp fodder over the first several practices, something set him on fire for the PM practice.

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

The Paul Hubbard Show: In total, Hubbard recorded five catches and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns was a deep ball from QB Richard Bartel, a play in which Hubbard dodged the double coverage of S Nick Sorensen and CB Gerard Lawson. You might be thinking, "hey, does one good practice really garner that much attention for a player?" Well, in almost all of the media outlet reports for the evening, Hubbard was praised like you wouldn't believe.

Maria Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal went so far as to say that Hubbard might be looking to contend for the No. 2 receiver role. I wouldn't go that far, but if Hubbard can string together a few more practices like this, it raises the question of whether Mangini would choose a more consistent player like Lance Leggett, or a potential big-playmaker in Hubbard for a surprise roster spot. I'd still prefer the likes of Leggett.
Steptoe Your Way Down: To contrast Hubbard's great practice was WR Syndric Steptoe, who reportedly dropped four passes in the evening session, with three of them occurring within close proximity of each other. According to the OBR Twitter feed, one of those drops was a perfect 35-yard corner pass from QB Brady Quinn.
Extra Note on Hubbard: One thing to consider about Hubbard's excellent practice -- for the evening session, the team was not in pads. Just something to ponder about.
Safety Updates At Last! This morning I begged for some updates on our starting safeties, and coincidentally, the positive reports came in for S Abram Elam. Elam had two interceptions; one on a failed trick play, and the other when he jumped in front of a Quinn pass intended for TE Aaron Walker.
Rough Evening for Quinn: Besides getting picked off by Elam, Quinn was also intercepted by LB Eric Barton. The early portion of the practice saw the quarterbacks working on fade routes to the corner of the end zone.
Wait...What? This one stood out from Steve Doerschuk's report regarding OG Eric Steinbach. I'll quote it entirely to best serve its purpose:

Something Joe Thomas said today caught me off guard. Big Joe said it would be strange playing without Eric Steinbach after they spent two seasons side by side, but he added, "Whoever ends up at left guard I’m sure will do very well." I had begun to think Steinbach was locking down the position. Maybe he is, but …
Injury Updates: I'm pleased to report that CB Eric Wright returned to practice after leaving this morning's session. LB David Bowens was on the stationary bike for the night though. All other injured players reportedly retained their same status.
Take a Seat: Doerschuk also reports that LB Leon Williams lit up RB James Davis big time during a live blocking drill.
Not as Unpleasant as We Thought: The news regarding DL Shaun Smith seemed a little more upbeat today. He has lost some weight and is down to a reported 315 pounds and was having fun with his teammates earlier. On the OBR's Twitter feed, it was stated that he was giving C Hank Fraley a difficult time in blocking drills.

Tomorrow's practice is closed to the public. However, the media should be able to attend, so there should still be manageable report to put together here. Be sure to check out Abram Elam's blog post (check the links below) for his thoughts on which players are standing out in training camp thus far.

Sunday's Evening Link Collection / Camp Sources

A New Paul Hubbard Appears (Canton Repository, Doerschuk)
Monday PM Aug. 3: Hubbard's Day (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Abram Elam's Training Camp Blog (AbeElam.com, Elam)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2009: Cornerback Preview (Part 2)

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:43:28 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

6 months ago: Cleveland Browns' Gerard Lawson (30) beats Don Carey during a kick return drill at a voluntary football practice at the team's headquarters in Berea, Ohio, Thursday, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Browse more photos »

This is it -- the final piece of the final position preview before training camp. If you missed Part 1 of the cornerback preview, then here it is. Part 2 is much shorter, with only three players remaining. While none of these three players specifically have a great chance at making the final roster, chances are at least one of them will end up on the 53-man list, with one or two of the other players headed to the practice squad.

6. COYE FRANCIES - BACKUP ROOKIE CORNERBACK

Coye Francies (#25)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
College: San Jose State
Experience: Rookie
Note: 6th round pick

Should we judge Francies' potential based on the round he was chosen in, or the round he could have been chosen in? While Francies was a sixth-round pick, being drafted after Don Carey no less, here is the scouting report that the Sporting News had on him prior to the draft:

Francies first grabbed our attention with his playmaking ability at Oregon State in ’06. But he was then dismissed from the Beavers and had to sit out the ’07 season after transferring. His blend of athleticism and speed is hard to find in tall cornerbacks, and he also shows good instincts, ball skills and the willingness to tackle in run support. He played safety at times in ’08, and that versatility further boosts his value. A strong Senior Bowl week makes squeaking into the first round a possibility, with a high second-round pick almost a certainty.

In fairness, the Sporting News gave him the highest rating. In terms of consistency, most of the other major draft sites projected him as a fourth-rounder, which makes him the type of player you can gave the "steal" label to.

Why did Francies' stock slip? It could be due to "character issues", since Francies was arrested and thrown off Oregon State's team in 2007 for having illegal weapons possession. The last Browns cornerback to see their stock fall due to off-the-field-issues was Eric Wright, although he was still taken in the second round. However, this really seemed to be Francies' only known character issue.

Mocking the Draft, our SB Nation affiliate, had this scouting report on Francies before the draft:

Strengths: Francies has the perfect height for the position with long arms. He plays faster than he times and is a solid athlete. He has good agility and fluid hips, which allows him to effortlessly turn and run with receivers. Francies is a traditional press coverage cornerback who likes to jam at the line of scrimmage. A solid tackler for the position. Times his jumps well and gets his arms in receiver's faces. He can close on the ball really well and gets up to speed quickly. Willing to help in run support. Also returned kicks in college. Team captain as a senior.

Weaknesses: After going to junior college and being dismissed by Oregon State, Francies is lacking in experience. He only played two seasons of college football. Hands are questionable -- Francies only had eight career pass breakups and four interceptions. Slight frame, so he may not have the strength to jam as well at the next level. Should probably add at least 10 pounds of mass. Somewhat inexperienced in zone principles and it may take him some time to learn different schemes.

Final word: Francies was kicked off Oregon State following the 2006 season after being charged with possession of a loaded firearm. Charges were dismissed and Francies has had no other know character problems. At OSU he looked good in a slightly limited role. He went on to star at San Jose State across from Christopher Owen. Francies is intriguing because of his size and upside due to limited experience. He may not be a starter immediately and is best suited for man coverage.

Link

If a youngster is going to be a gem in the secondary this year, bank on it being Francies. Our Denver Broncos affiliate also ran a piece on Francies before the draft, where his 40-time is mentioned in the notes section. He either runs a 4.35 or 4.63 in the 40-yard dash!

Final Roster Odds: 50%
Practice Squad Odds: 80%

7. GERARD LAWSON - BACKUP CORNERBACK

Gerard Lawson (#30)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 195
College: Oregon State
Experience: 2 years
Stats: 2 tackles in 2008

Despite playing in 15 games last season, Gerard Lawson only had two tackles on the season. If I recall correctly, I don't believe he ever saw the field as a defensive player during the regular season. Initially, it was believed that he was kept on the final roster due to the injury to Joshua Cribbs at the start of last season. Syndric Steptoe was Cribbs' replacement, but in case something happened to him, Lawson was the next returner in line.

When Cribbs came back, Lawson's role seemed to be nothing more than the third-string kick returner; something that's almost unheard of for a player who doesn't contribute elsewhere on the team.

Lawson will have a tough time beating out 9-year veterans for the third or fourth cornerback position, and if the team keeps a fifth cornerback, chances are they will take a chance with one of their draft picks. Lawson is a returning player, but his odds almost make him seem like an undrafted free agent. Last year in the preseason, I felt that Lawson had some trouble tackling but had a higher awareness level than the other players competing for the fifth cornerback role.

Player Quality: TBD
Final Roster Odds: 25%

8. DON CAREY - BACKUP ROOKIE CORNERBACK

Don Carey (#37)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
College: Norfolk State
Experience: Rookie
Stats: 6th round pick

Just in terms of "feel", I would say that Coye Francies is to Eric Wright as Don Carey is to Brandon McDonald. The problem for Carey is that unlike when McDonald was drafted, there aren't a lot of roster spots to be won. That leads me to believe that in the end, Gerard Lawson will be cut, either Hank Poteat or Corey Ivy will be cut, Coye Francies will make the final roster, and Don Carey will make the practice squad.

Here is what the Sporting News said about Carey prior to him being drafted:

Strengths: Has the size, strength and toughness to be a solid in coverage. Looks the part. Is a solid tackler, especially in the open field. Shows the quickness to stay in the hip of the receiver on quick-hit routes. Is strong in bump-and-run coverage, and mirrors receivers all over the field. Has the power to re-route the receiver off the ball and keep him from getting into his route. Shows good recovery ability. Is explosive. Reacts naturally to the ball in the air, and always seems to be around the ball. Is a smart player and a willing learner.

Weaknesses: Has not face a high level of competition. Shows raw technique and fundamentals. Must learn how to read and play in "off" coverage. Must shed blockers faster. Shows below-average hands, catch most passes with his body.

Bottom line: Carey is a good small school player who will get drafted and start by Year 2. He just needs some seasoning. He played a lot of man-to-man coverage in college and will have to learn the nuances of zone coverages. The step up in competition will be Carey's biggest adjustment.

If you missed it, a few months ago, the Scout.com ran a nice story on Carey.

Final Roster Odds: 25%
Practice Squad Odds: 80%

Cornerback Position Quality (from Part 2): Not applicable

That wraps up our training camp positional previews for 2009! A few players from the previews have been waived, so some time over the next few days, I'll post a roster list broken down by position. More features are set to come too to summarize everything, such as combining all of the training camp polls together and seeing who came out victorious.

Poll

Which cornerback will make the 53-man roster (if you think more than one will, pick the most likely one)?

Coye Francies

272 votes

Gerard Lawson

9 votes

Don Carey

117 votes

None of them

29 votes

427 votes | Poll has closed

Cleveland Browns Training Camp 2009: Special Teams Preview

Chris Pokorny — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:16:13 -0000

We're finished with the Hard Hits of this week's coverage with the linebackers, so now it's time to close things out with the Klutch Kicks of the special teams unit. Because there isn't really a true "depth chart" when it comes to special teams, today's preview will be broken down into seperate sections, as opposed to ranking Phil Dawson, Dave Zastudil, and Ryan Pontbriand one, two, and three.

Kicker

1. PHIL DAWSON - STARTING KICKER

Phil Dawson (#4)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 200
College: Texas
Experience: 11 years
Note: Career-high 30 FG

If it were all about performance heading into training camp this season, then Phil Dawson's job would be safe. That's not all it's about though, as Dawson has been asking for a new contract throughout the offseason, and could possibly hold out in part of training camp if he doesn't get one.

Dawson is the final member of the Browns' return team in 1999, and I'd rather not see him go yet; it'd be nice to see him retire as a Brown many years down the road, as kickers have a long lifespan in the league. He's coming off of a pretty strong season, connecting on 30-of-36 field goals, setting career highs in both attempts and makes. He also had a career-long 56 yarder, and was 3-of-6 on kicks of 50 or more yards (meaning he was 27-of-30 on kicks 49 yards or less).

Many Browns fans think they would miss Dawson, but that a replacement would be easy enough to find. Tell that to half the teams in the league who have been through ten kickers in just a few years. I'd rather maintain what has been working on special teams.

Job Security: A
Player Quality: B+
Final Roster Odds (w/o contract considered): 100%

2. PARKER DOUGLASS - ROOKIE BACKUP KICKER

Parker Douglass (#8)
Height: 5-8
Weight: 170
College: South Dakota St.
Experience: Rookie
Note: Saw action in minicamp

I bet half of our community here is bigger than the 5-8, 170-pound Douglas, but that doesn't really matter for a kicker, does it? Douglas should be doing nothing more than providing an extra leg in camp. Any praise that comes from Mangini should not be interpreted that Dawson could lose the job in jeopardy.

In mini-camp, he did showed ability to hit a few 50+ yard kicks. If Dawson is a stickler and holds out, I see the Browns going after a free agent veteran kicker. If for whatever reason they can't sign one, then Douglas might just get a shot.

Here's a video on Douglass on YouTube.

Final Roster Odds: 5%
Practice Squad Odds: 1%

Punter

DAVE ZASTUDIL - STARTING PUNTER

Dave Zastudil (#8)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 220
College: Ohio
Experience: 8 years
Note: Born in Bay Village

Sometimes I get a little bit frustrated during games at Zastudil's punts, but overall he does not present a weakness. His punt average is in the top third of the league, and he's right in the middle of the pack at hitting kicks inside the 20 yard line. If our offense could move the ball more effectively, those numbers might go up with him not having to face the pressure of being backed up in the opponent's end zone.

Currently, Zastudil is not facing any competition in camp.

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

Long Snapper

RYAN PONTBRIAND - STARTING LONG SNAPPER

Ryan Pontbriand (#64)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 255
College: Rice
Experience: 7 years
Note: 2x Pro Bowler

Think to yourself -- how many years has Ryan Pontbriand been with the Cleveland Browns? It's six, meaning he'll be entering his seventh season this year. Pontbriand has been the AFC's selection to the Pro Bowl at the long snapper position the past two years, rewarding him for being the best in the conference at what he does.

He also contributes a little bit on special teams kick coverage as a tackler, if necessary.

Job Security: A+
Player Quality: A+
Final Roster Odds: 101%

Note: For these next few sections, rather than mini-profiles, it will be general notes on the position.

Kick Returner / Punt Returner

One player has the honor of fulfilling both of these roles, and that is Joshua Cribbs. After an injury at the start of last season, Cribbs didn't seem like himself for the first several weeks. As the season went on, he seemed to regain the confidence and "X-factor" that made him a threat on any given kick. Still, in 2008, he averaged about 5 yards less on kickoffs returns and 5 yards less on punt returns than he did in 2007. I attribute some of that to losing a few key special team blockers to free agency and to injuries.

Among the other candidates who could return kicks/punts are Syndric Steptoe and rookie Brian Robiskie, as well as defensive back Gerard Lawson.

Gunner

Again, we point to Joshua Cribbs, who might just be a better gunner than he is a kick returner. The only negative is that Cribbs' aggressiveness and motivation to go all out, both as a gunner and on returns, could lead to a nasty collision that takes him out for a few games. As for our second gunner, I think the Browns will probably be looking at a variety of candidates in training camp.

Other Coverage

The Browns brought over LB Blake Costanzo from the Buffalo Bills, who led their team in special teams tackles last season. Costanzo might pick up the slack for the Browns losing LB Kris Griffin in the offseason. I'd imagine that young linebackers Beau Bell and Kalkua Maiava will also be in the mix on special teams. Backup safety Nick Sorensen is also a reliable special teams veteran, having once captained the Jacksonville Jaguars special teams unit.

This season, a rule change lowered the number of people who could be on the wedge to just two players. With veteran special teamer Lennie Friedman no longer with the Browns, which offensive lineman will be asked to fulfill that role?

Special Teams Position Quality (Overall): A-

With an above average kicker, an average punter, and an elite long snapper and kick returner/gunner, the special teams unit deserves a healthy "A-".

The reason the grade wasn't any higher? I saw a dropoff in the Browns' ability to block for Cribbs last season, so we'll have to see how new special teams coordinator Brad Seely handles things.

Poll

Will Phil Dawson be kicking for the Browns this season?

Yes

488 votes

No

42 votes

530 votes | Poll has closed