SB Nation - Ahtyba Rubin

Sunday Notes: Ahtyba Rubin over Shaun Rogers & Week 14 Games to Watch

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:40:58 -0000

More photos » by David Richard - AP

8 days ago: Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan talks to his players on the sidelines during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009, in Cleveland. The Browns defense sacked Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger eight times and allowed only two field goals in a 13-6 win. (AP Photo/David Richard)

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It's been awhile since I've recapped the columns that Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer writes. With the Browns already having played this week, Pluto brought up an interesting note today regarding the nose tackle position:

In the past two games, the Browns have allowed 75 yards (Pittsburgh) and 91 yards (San Diego) on the ground, a dramatic change for a team that had been being run over for 155 yards per game. The Browns believe part of the reason is Ahtyba Rubin taking over at nose tackle for the injured Shaun Rogers. They've discovered that Rubin does a better job of clogging up the middle against the run. Rogers is the better pass rusher and far more athletic. Next season, this could lead to Rubin being in the middle of the 3-4 defense with Rogers as one of the ends.

Surprisingly, the run defense has seemed better without Rogers in the lineup. As Pluto mentions, that's not a "dig" at Rogers, but more so shines light on the opportunity of having Rubin and Rogers in the lineup at the same time next year. Combine that with the creative schemes of pass rushing Rob Ryan has unleashed recently (Matt Roth, Marcus Benard, etc), and our defense could be on the right track for next season.

Pluto also discusses the unique defense that Ryan called during some of the passing situations, using five linebackers, six defensive backs, and no defensive linemen. It worked against Ben Roethlisberger Thursday, just like it worked for Eric Mangini against him two years ago:

The coaches showed the players the 2007 game between the Jets and Steelers when the 4-12 Jets upset Pittsburgh, sacking Roethlisberger seven times. In their 27-14 loss at Pittsburgh, the Browns were not able to get players to rush Roethlisberger from the proper angles. This time, they did.

Click here for the rest of Pluto's column, where he discusses the benefits that have come from the team's "opportunity sessions," how the Browns have been better off without Braylon Edwards and Jamal Lewis, and how there has been a change in attitude for defensive lineman Corey Williams.

Week 14 Games

Since the Browns already played this week, you can use this thread as an open discussion for all of today's games. If you're living in the Cleveland area, then there will be a lot of great games to catch on television. That's what happens when the Browns don't clog up one of the timeslots.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Minnesota Vikings - 1:00 PM on CBS
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons - 1:00 PM on FOX
San Diego Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys - 4:00 PM on CBS
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants - 8:20 PM on NBC

I think this will be the first time this season I'll have a chance to watch Drew Brees and the Saints' offense live as opposed to just seeing the highlights of their routs. There are two other important games being played today -- Indianapolis vs. Denver and Miami vs. Jacksonville.

Poll

Do you like the idea of Ahtyba Rubin at NT next year and Shaun Rogers at DE?

Yes

494 votes

No -- Rogers should stay the nose tackle

52 votes

546 votes | Poll has closed

Browns Offense Struggles, Roster Becomes Depleted in 16-7 Loss to Bengals

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:03:47 -0000

More photos » by Tony Tribble - AP

The Browns couldn't stop the Bengals' running backs.

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CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-10)	WEEK 12	CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-3)
	VS.
7		16

After the promising game the Browns offense had versus the Detroit Lions a few weeks ago, this past Sunday's effort against the Cincinnati Bengals was another disappointment in a dismal 1-10 season.

Considering the number of players now being stockpiled on the injured reserve, the tone of certain parts of this review had to be adapted to account for that (i.e. it's not worth pointing out that Jamal Lewis had a lackluster game considering his career is basically over).

Let's get to the full review of the game, starting with the goat of the game...

WEEK 12 - CLEVELAND BROWNS VS. CINCINNATI BENGALS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)

GOATS OF THE GAME:

Mohamed Massaquoi: The lack of chemistry between a quarterback and a receiver can indicate that both players are at fault, but I'm giving Massaquoi more of the blame here. For several weeks, Quinn has quickly released the ball to a spot when a blitzer comes free. The ball typically gets thrown to an area where a receiver isn't standing. Instead, we usually see Massaquoi running up the field.

When a blitzer is coming free, and considering the fact that not many plays are designed for Quinn to even attempt to throw the ball long, Massaquoi needs to have hit eyes on the quarterback sooner in third down situations. I forget which game it was following ours on Sunday, but I saw a blitzer come at the quarterback, who promptly threw a 10-yard out route to the sideline. The receiver began looking at about 7 yards and quickly made the adjustment for a nice catch, negating the blitz. For the targets Massaquoi is getting, he needs to be more aware of the situations.

AWARDING GAME BALLS:

Matt Roth: He could end up being a complete bust who was only productive because the Bengals didn't expect to have to prepare for him. I'll look at the optimistic side of things though. Early on against the Bengals, Roth made a quick name for himself by bullrushing (was it the right tackle?) right into Carson Palmer for the sack. Later on, he also added pressure via the bullrush that led to a negative play for Palmer and the Bengals. Being low on the waiver wire has its benefits I guess, eh?

GENERAL THOUGHTS

The Browns' receivers only found some success on a few quick reads from the slot.

Gashed on the Ground: Although our defense only allowed 16 points, we were gashed left and right on the ground by Larry Johnson and Bernard Scott. Johnson had 107 yards on the ground while Scott added an additional 87 yards. The Bengals' primary backs with Cedric Benson on the bench had a total of 40 carries. In comparison, Jamal Lewis had just 11 carries.
Quick Reads: The only times that our quick-read passes seemed to work came when receivers lined up in the slot formation. As they took off from the line of scrimmage, Quinn fired it just beyond the reach of the defender in coverage and into the arms of our receivers. Those plays are effective for catch-and-runs, although none of our players could take full advantage of the YAC portion.
The Touchdown Drive: Besides our first offensive drive of the game, the one in which the Browns scored a touchdown on what was really the only memorable one of the game.
The Specifics of the Drive (Part 1): The first notable play of the drive, keeping Brady Quinn on the field while Joshua Cribbs was in the wildcat actually served a purpose. Cribbs rolled out to the right and then set his feet to the left before heaving about a 20-yard pass to Quinn. While the pass wasn't "perfect in stride," it was close enough. The defender did a good job trying to break up the pass, and in turn, Quinn made a more impressive catch than most of our receivers have made this year.
The Specifics of the Drive (Part 2): Right after that, Quinn threw a quick pass to Massaquoi's back shoulder...and Massaquoi was actually looking for it! Massaquoi made a diving grab on the 10-yard pass. In case the ball hit the ground, to prevent the Bengals from challenging the play, the offense raced to the line of scrimmage and immediately snapped the ball. Quinn handed off to Lewis, who took the defense by surprise with a 6-yard burst up the middle.
The Specifics of the Drive (Part 3): Three plays later, on second-and-goal from the nine, the Browns lined up with five receivers wide. The formation made sense actually, because after snapping the ball, Quinn took off up the middle and pretty much entered the end zone untouched for the touchdown.
False Hope: In one drive, Brian Daboll unloaded his entire creative playbook of the season. That brought us to within one score of taking the lead at 13-7, which was great news considering a lot of time was left in the second half. After giving up the field goal, things went downhill again for the offense, as described below.
Why Did We Punt?: Down two possessions in the fourth quarter, our offense really couldn't afford to punt anymore -- we needed to score. On a 4th-and-1 from mid-field, Eric Mangini allowed the Browns to go for it. We lined up tight at first, and then everyone motioned out into a spread formation (which was done impressively without a penalty).

Quinn then snapped the ball and sneaked it forward for a first down. Sadly, when we got to the 43-yard line, on 4th-and-3, the Browns elected to punt. I can't rag on Reggie Hodges too much, but his punt didn't even come close to pinning the Bengals back -- it just sailed deep for a touchback.
The Next Drive Did It: When the Browns got the ball back after a Bengals punt, Brian Daboll showed exactly why fans despise his playcalling so much. Backed up to our own 13-yard line, on first down, the call was a quick WR screen pass to Cribbs. It didn't work. Fine, that's OK -- if it caught the Bengals off guard, maybe it could've gone for significant yardage. On second down, we ran the same exact play and it fell incomplete. After a false start penalty, on 3rd-and-14, we again ran the same exact play, except on the other side of the field. It went for a stunning 1-yard gain, and we had to punt again. Sheesh.
Running Back Impressions: The past several weeks, neither Chris Jennings nor Jerome Harrison have done anything noteworthy in their limited action. Jennings has received a tad more playing time. Everyone here knows that I'd love to see Harrison receive another shot at the starting role.
You're Yelling...Because? It was hilarious to see Eric Mangini scare the referee to death as he yelled at him from behind as the second quarter ended. Mangini was upset that a 15-yard penalty was called on Shaun Rogers, but there was no doubt that he horse collar tackled Carson Palmer to the ground. The play allowed the Bengals to add another field goal heading into the half.

I understand why Rogers didn't just chase him out of bounds -- a non-horse collar hit could've led to a fumble. Palmer did end up fumbling, and had the tackle been legal, perhaps one of our defenders scoops it up for a touchdown. It was good to see Palmer get up from the tackle unharmed.
Allen Over Robiskie: I don't care if Brian Robiskie has looked bad in practice or something (not that that is the case) -- the second-round choice should be given the shot at playing time, at least over WR Jake Allen, who has hardly been with the team. Allen was targeted on an overthrown pass against the Bengals.
Containing Cribbs: The Bengals did a very good job at containing Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs' number of "big returns" seem to be declining, but I doubt it has much to do with a lack of motivation or anything of that sort.
Always in the Spotlight: In the second half, there were two instances in which Quinn threw the ball deep out of bounds, and someone on the sidelines was all by himself, going out of his way to make the catch. Who? Derek Anderson. I don't know if anyone else noticed it, but in a season full of errors, I couldn't help but laugh...
Torched With Rogers: If the Bengals' backs torched us when Rogers was playing, what's it going to be like with Ahtyba Rubin in on the action?
Brownies: WR/DB Mike Furrey batted a pass down in the end zone...he might have intercepted it if the Bengals' receiver didn't make contact early (no flag was thrown)...why is is that the Browns' coaches are shown on television so much more often than other coaches? I saw Mangini's distorted face after every play, and only saw Marvin Lewis maybe once or twice. The same goes with Rex Ryan vs. the Bengals' defensive coordinator.

Next week, the Browns will take on the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers are one of the hottest teams in football, and the Browns haven't shown any sign of even being close to a spoiler team. Given the number of injuries we have, we're clearly the worst team in football. The only things left to gain from this season are more experience for Quinn, and seeing if either Jennings or Harrison can contribute at running back next year.

Report: Shaun Rogers Out for Season

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:56:27 -0000

More photos » by Tony Tribble - AP

20 days ago: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, right, is dragged down by Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shaun Rogers during the first half of an NFL football game in Cincinnati, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Tribble)

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The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that according to a league source, Cleveland Browns DT Shaun Rogers will miss the remainder of the season due to either an ankle or Achilles injury. Rogers was reportedly on crutches in the Browns locker room after the game with a distraught look on his face. Ahtyba Rubin will likely take Rogers' place for the remainder of the season.

Rogers wasn't the only player to leave with an injury Sunday against the Bengals. The following three players also left the game with injuries:

DL Kenyon Coleman (knee)
LB Kamerion Wimbley (knee)
DB Brodney Pool (head injury)

The most concerning injury among those three has to do with Pool, who already has a history of concussions. With the league's recent added emphasis on protecting players who have concussions, you wonder if Pool is getting to the point where he might need to retire early.

"Of course, I'm worried about him," said Eric Wright. "I didn't know until just now he had a head injury."

If Wimbley can't go next week against the Chargers, the team's linebacker unit will feature Jason Trusnik and Matt Roth on the outside and Kaluka Maiava and David Bowens on the inside.

Any way you look at it, this defense isn't going to get any better in an already dismal 1-10 season.

Previewing the Kansas City Chiefs 2009 Schedule: Week 15

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

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

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.

DT Louis Leonard Shipped to Panthers for Draft Pick, Ryan Tucker IR'ed

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:02:01 -0000

A few weeks ago, a rumor circulated the Internet that the Carolina Panthers were scouting Browns defensive lineman Corey Williams. It wasn't Williams that we gave them though, as the Browns traded DT Louis Leonard to the Panthers for an undisclosed draft pick, according to the Herald Online.

If you recall, Leonard had an outburst at defensive line coach Bryan Cox a week or so ago, leading many to question whether or not he would stay in Cleveland. However, even if he didn't have the outburst, his roster odds were slim at best.

Trading Leonard means that the Browns are comfortable with Shaun Rogers and Ahtyba Rubin at the nose tackle position, and that they are willing to give Corey Williams a shot at redemption in the 3-4 defensive scheme.

Just pure speculation here, but I can't imagine that Leonard would yield anything higher than a seventh-round draft pick.

As an update to yesterday's story, the OBR is reporting that OL Ryan Tucker was not released, but rather placed on the Injured Reserve. Same difference.

Shaun Smith Knocked Off Of Browns Roster

Chris Pokorny — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:43:03 -0000

The Cleveland Browns gave the final knockout blow to defensive lineman Shaun Smith by releasing him Saturday. The move does not come as a shock due to Smith's demeanor as a person. He has always appeared to be a hothead, and last year he punched teammate Brady Quinn in the face, making more of an impact than he had all season.

In the offseason, the new regime reportedly told Smith to "shape up and shut up". Smith showed up to camp with mixed reports from fans and the media about him -- some said he looked lazy and out of shape, while others said he was keeping his attitude in line a little bit more. Smith would have added to our depth on the defensive line, but I don't think we should look at this as a significant loss.

A few things might have led to the early release of Smith:

Mangini might want a reputation that he'll at least give players the respect of playing about a week in camp, rather than assuming their attitude from the past will carry over (he could have cut him before camp if he wanted to).
The play of DE Robaire Smith has been encouraging as he comes off of surgery.
NT Ahtyba Rubin seems to have a grip on the backup nose tackle position.
In acquiring DL Kenyon Coleman and DL C.J. Mosley in the offseason, Mangini would rather use our depth on players who have experience in the system.

There is no word on who the Browns will bring in to take the roster space of Smith. Mangini should comment on the release of Smith a little bit later.

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)

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

Chris Pokorny — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:26:32 -0000

After covering the potential starting defensive linemen of the Browns yesterday, now it's time to take a look at the players who will be competing for the reserve roles. When you consider that someone like Shaun Rogers isn't an every down player, it remains important that there isn't too significant of a dropoff in production down the depth chart.

For a reminder of Part 1 of the defensive line, click here.

5. C.J. MOSLEY - BACKUP DEFENSIVE END

C.J. Mosley (#69)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 305
College: Missouri
Experience: 5 years
Stats: 17 tkls in 2008

A former sixth-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings, C.J. Mosley has spent the past three seasons with Mangini and the Jets. He doesn't have a lot of starting experience (7 starts in 47 appearances) but was a versatile backup who kept his mouth shut.

Here is what thejetsblog.com had to say about Mosley back in February when Mosley was still a free agent:

"I liked Mosley a lot as a ‘depth guy’ for the Jets. He had a high motor and gave the Jets solid pass rushing depth on sub packages." Link

He already received a positive endorsement from general manager George Kokinis back when Mosley was first signed by the team.

"C.J adds another piece to the defensive puzzle," said Kokinis. "He is a competitive defensive lineman that runs to the football and will fit in well with the players in that group."

Player Quality: C
Final Roster Odds: 90%

6. SHAUN SMITH - BACKUP DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Shaun Smith (#91)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 325
College: South Carolina
Experience: 6 years
Stats: 36 tkls, 11 games

Sometimes you just get that vibe that a player isn't going to be with your team very much longer. Right now, that feeling is at the expense of defensive end/defensive tackle Shaun Smith. After a decent 2007 season, Smith made a lot of noise in 2008. Unfortunately, that noise was made off the field, like when he allegedly punched quarterback Brady Quinn in the face. Yep, that's a nice way to make the fans love you.

On top of that, according to Tony Grossi from a report in May, the new coaching staff told Smith to "Shape up and shut up." That doesn't exactly sound like a warm welcome, especially when two of Mangini's former defensive linemen have been signed (Coleman and Mosley) and there are younger players who will shape up and shut up. Once deemed a very reliable and versatile backup to Rogers at the start of last season, Smith's pompous demeanor has overshadowed the playmaking ability we thought he had.

Player Quality: D for detrimental to the team
Final Roster Odds: 60%

7. AHTYBA RUBIN - BACKUP DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Ahtyba Rubin (#71)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 330
College: Iowa State
Experience: 2 years
Stats: 11 tkls in 2008

If S. Smith isn't going to be the backup to Rogers, then Ahtyba Rubin has a fair shot at claiming that role. Rubin is tied with Louis Leonard for being our second-largest lineman, and he showed some promise during his limited action last season.

In our big win against the Buffalo Bills last season, he recovered a Fred Jackson fumble in the third quarter. His best statistical game came in Week 16 against the Bengals when he recorded 5 tackles in a 14-0 loss. This is the type of situation where it would've been really nice to record some of these games and look back at Rubin's plays. Maybe rufio's assessment of him during a game last year can be improved upon:

"He needs to get lower in his stance though, I can always tell its him and nor Rogers because he is so high in his stance." -rufio, during a game thread against the Texans

Player Quality: TBD
Final Roster Odds: 80%

8. LOUIS LEONARD - BACKUP DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Louis Leonard (#93)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 330
College: Fresno State
Experience: 3 years
Stats: 25 tkls in 2008

It's difficult to speak on Leonard's specific weaknesses, but something has to be up when you receive more playing time than a rookie (Rubin) in 2008, but fail to create the same type of buzz.

Although Leonard has been in the league for two years with three different NFL teams, last year was technically his rookie season in terms of playing time. He and Rubin have similar builds, but I can't see the Browns keeping both players unless they decide to part ways with S. Smith. Down the depth chart, you get to a point where players are pretty much replaceable. We found Leonard on the free agent wire, and chances are we can find another player like him if necessary during the season.

Final Roster Odds: 40%

9. SANTONIO THOMAS - VETERAN DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Santonio Thomas (#97)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 305
College: Miami
Experience: 3 years
Stats: 13 tkls in 2008

Just who is Santonio Thomas? He's been in the league longer than you'd think. He started his career as an undrafted free agent for the Patriots back in 2005. He spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons on the Patriots' practice squad before finally seeing some in-game action in 2007.

The Browns signed Thomas after Robaire Smith's season-ending injury last September. Once again, with minimal playing time to go by, it's hard to evaluate these types of players. Thomas should head into training camp as an underdog though, and should only be in the mix if the team decides to rid of S. Smith. At 27 years old, he's also 3-5 years older than Leonard and Rubin. It's hard to imagine him improving upon his game at this point, so unless he shows standout ability over either of them, his roster odds won't be very good.

Final Roster Odds: 25%

10. MELILA PURCELL - PRACTICE SQUAD DEFENSIVE END

Melila Purcell (#97)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 295
College: Hawaii
Experience: 1 year
Stats: 2 year practice sqd

It seems like a rare case where none of the defensive linemen above Purcell are eligible for the practice squad anymore. Melila Purcell, on the other hand, who I keep forgetting is still on the team, can still go on the practice squad. Would he like it? Probably not, as he has spent the past two seasons (minus one game) there.

Yahoo still has Purcell listed at 266 pounds, which is more of what he was like in his college days. He weighs in at 295 pounds now, but lacks the NFL experience to make a splash at the defensive end position, especially with Mangini's pair of Jets ready to see playing time there. When the Browns chose to sign Thomas last season after Smith's injury instead of promoting Purcell, it was probably a telling sign.

It's probably time for Purcell to try to catch on elsewhere. Of note, rookie linebacker David Veikune, who fans and coaches seem to be high on already, was initially Purcell's backup in college at Hawaii.

Final Roster Odds: 25%
Practice Squad Odds: 40%

11. ADAM HOPPEL - UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

Adam Hoppel (#67)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 300
College: Cincinnati
Experience: 3 years
Stats: 13 tkls in 2008

Our only rookie defensive lineman in camp this year, I headed over to Scott Wright's Draft Countdown to look for a scouting report on Adam Hoppel. There was none.

Hoppel grew up in Ohio, making him a semi-local player. Hoppel's family has a background in wrestling, including his father who was a three-time state high school champion, his uncle who wrestled at Bowling Green, and his cousin who was an NCAA Division III wrestling national champion at Muskingum. When it came time to make a decision, Hoppel chose football over wrestling. Now he'll get the chance to play for the team I'm sure he watched fairly often growing up.

Stats from his biography: "Saw action 35 career games and racked up 81 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks… Recorded four sacks as a senior" Hoppel appeared to play the defensive tackle position at Cincinnati, but would fit in more as a defensive end in our defense.

Final Roster Odds: <1%
Practice Squad Odds: 25%

DT Position Quality: C- (Backups Only, Minus the Loser of Coleman vs. Smith)

It's safe to say that the Browns will definitely carry six defensive linemen, with a good chance that they'll carry seven and a (very) outside chance that they'll have eight. These players should have near-guaranteed roster spots:

Locked Up: Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams, Kenyon Coleman, Robaire Smith, C.J. Mosley.

That's five, without really having a backup nose tackle. In a battle of Rubin vs. Leonard, I'd take Rubin as the sixth man. If we choose to go with a seventh player, which I believe we will, it should come down to Leonard vs. S. Smith. If the coaches feel S. Smith has responded well enough to their blatantly honest advice, he should be our final lineman. If not, that's when the odds of making the team improve for the rest of the bunch in the list.

Poll

(Two part question) Do you see DL Shaun Smith making the final roster? Who is the NT behind Shaun Rogers?

S. Smith makes the team, A. Rubin is the backup NT

139 votes

S. Smith makes the team, L. Leonard is the backup NT

25 votes

S. Smith gets cut, A. Rubin is the backup NT

234 votes

S. Smith gets cut, L. Leonard is the backup NT

35 votes

433 votes | Poll has closed

Not a Blizzard, But Still a Win: Browns Beat Bills, 29-27

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:09:14 -0000

Box Score - 11.17.08
Team	1	2	3	4	Final
	6	7	3	13	29
	0	10	3	14	27

The Browns won for the third time in their past four road games, taking out the wildcard-contending Buffalo Bills 29-27 on Monday Night Football. It was our second Monday Night victory of the season in two attempts -- we have one more in December against the Philadelphia Eagles.

I think that overall, when you look at the state of the team, we are a better football team than last season. Looking at our schedule heading into the season, we feared that despite being better, we'd have a worse record. We do have a worse record at this point (4-6), but it's not because of the competition. We've defeated the defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. We've defeated two potential playoff teams in Buffalo and Jacksonville. And, we dominated the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens -- two teams with great records -- until making team history with collapses.

The odds aren't in our favor now, but we still love Cleveland Browns football, and our team gave us another wild one against Buffalo. Let's get started with the game balls for Week 11...

Awarding Game Balls (Making Fans Jump for Joy)

K Phil Dawson kicked a tremendous game for the second year in a row versus the Buffalo Bills.

Phil Dawson: I didn't agree with the decision to kick it short on kickoffs as often as we did, but I'll assume those calls came from special teams coach Ted Dashier. Dawson is listed here for being the hero against the Bills for the second year in a row -- by now, I'm sure Buffalo fans hate him to death. Dawson went an incredible 5-for-5 on the road, with each one of them being spot on. His finest piece of work came on what turned out to be the game-winning field goal with 1:39 remaining, as he calmly drilled a career-long 56-yarder.
Jerome Harrison: I'm not exactly sure if four touches merits praise for the coaches in terms of getting him involved a whole lot more, but at least they stuck with him while he was hot. At the start of the fourth quarter, Harrison burst through the line for a 72-yard touchdown. I was screaming and jumping out of my seat as I saw him get past the third level. His work may have been even more important after that though -- following a Bills kick return touchdown, Harrison came right back out for a 9-yard run (tack on a personal foul penalty), followed by a nice 21-yard reception on a play the Indianapolis Colts often run. He didn't return after that due to a hamstring injury, but he led us to 10 points in the two drives he was utilized.

Goats of the Game (Could Have Cost Us)

Andra Davis: Welcome back to the goat section Andra Davis. After making a nice interception in the first quarter, the rest of the game was unbearable. The entire defense couldn't tackle Marshawn Lynch or Fred Jackson, but Davis was the worst of them all. Please, Romeo: get Beau Bell in there already. I don't care if Bell gets juked out of his shoes on every single play; removing Davis from the field is a victory in itself.

WR Braylon Edwards can celebrate another aspect: he had several nice blocks down the field.

Braylon Edwards: He had 8 catches for 104 yards, but it could have been so much more. Edwards was targeted on several other occasions, but couldn't come away with a reception. The most notable ones were a nice high pass on the team's first drive, and a ball that hit Edwards right in the face on the final drive. I do give a lot of credit to Terrence McGee for having excellent coverage on Edwards throughout the game, but Edwards is supposed to be a Pro Bowl receiver. There were clearly catches in that game that he knows he's talented enough to catch; the wait for him to break out of his funk continues on.

General Thoughts (Random Tidbits on the Game)

Outstanding Defense: Yes, of course there were a lot of things our offense should have done to adjust better to the Bills' defense. Nonetheless, I thought Buffalo gave Brady Quinn a lot of tough looks in his first road start, and I'm glad that they did. It allowed us to see how Quinn would respond to that type of pressure.

QB Brady Quinn may have been pressured, but he wasn't flustered.

Quinn Did What Needed to be Done: Statistically, it wasn't a very pretty game for Quinn, as he completed just 39% of his passes for a QB rating of 55.9. Maybe Derek Anderson would've had been stats in this game, but that's not what is important to look at in this case. Quinn was blitzed heavily all night long and did a great job getting a throw off down the field most of the time. The option of using him on a bootleg run panned out well too. My favorite throw is his one on our final drive that set up Dawson's long field goal -- a corner blitz came free from the edge, and Quinn almost instinctively without seeing him was able to step up, double pump, and fire a completion.
Missing Stallworth: It was good to see Edwards get involved this week, and Winslow was still targeted several times as well. However, I don't like the fact that we heard Syndric Steptoe's name mentioned more on the receiving end than Donte Stallworth's. Things looked bright last week between Quinn and Stallworth, but having zero catches the next week is not what this team paid so much money for.
McDonald's Redemption: I couldn't have been happier for Brandon McDonald, who made up for last week's miscues with two big plays against the Bills: an interception and a forced fumble, each of which led to a Dawson field goal. The tackling was still atrocious, but if you can't tackle you at least need to make up for it as McDonald did.
Strong Consideration for E-Wright: There probably should have been a third game ball handed out to cornerback Eric Wright. Blanketing the fast Lee Evans most of the game, he held him to without a catch the entire game. Heck, I don't even remember him being targeted once, despite the fact that Trent Edwards often had light years to make a decision. That's the first time Evans has failed to record a catch in a game in nearly 70 games.
Special Teams Edge: Trying to determine who had the better special teams on Monday Night is a tough one. Dawson had five field goals including the game winner, while Rian Lindell missed the game winner. The Bills' coverage on Cribbs was solid, while the Browns' coverage on Leodis McKelvin was poor. There is one play that will lean me towards Cleveland: in the first quarter, Mike Adams perfectly downed a Dave Zastudil punt at the one-yard line on a play most special teamers would probably muff into the end zone in the heat of the moment.
Did You See Orr?: I sort of rushed seeing the game since I was on tape delay, but I didn't really notice any difference in terms of Shantee Orr's playing time. If anyone has any word on that, feel free to chime in. I noticed Travis Daniels in on the action more often, but he was just part of the depressing non-tacklers.
Ahtyba Rubin: Even before he made a critical fumble recovery, I noticed Rubin making a few more plays than usual. If anything, it looked as if Rubin was receiving the type of proportional playing time I expected Orr to get at linebacker.

The Browns' defense couldn't stop Bills RB Marshawn Lynch late in the game.

"Reason 2 - Not Physical": I listed "not physical" as reason number two of our defensive shortcomings in my review of the Denver Broncos game, and it applies to the Bills game as well. Marshawn Lynch has a lot of talent, but he had not had a good game all season. In the past three games, we've allowed rookie Ray Rice to have a career day, fullback Peyton Hillis to beat us on fourth-and-one, and Lynch to win 1-on-6 matchups with 20 yards to go against us. We're not catching unlucky breaks in terms of backs getting hot; we're just that bad when it comes to tackling.
Fullback Slant: Heh, I'll take a quick fullback go/slant route over the middle any day over a fullback flat pass. When Charles Ali caught Quinn's pass in stride, I thought, "holy crap, is that Ali out there?" I would've hated to have been the defender to meet him for the tackle.
Ineffective Back: There was a lot of discussion before the season in debating who was better served as the Browns' backup running back: Jason Wright or Jerome Harrison. Wright had two decent seasons as a backup, but this year he has been in my opinion a detriment to the offense. I still put some of the blame on him for not turning around quick enough on Haloti Ngata's interception a few weeks ago, and I blame Wright for not doing a good job in picking up the blitzes Buffalo brought up the middle. All you need is a chip, but all I saw were whiffs.
Crennel's Reactions: At the end of the game, I couldn't help but roll over laughing at Romeo Crennel's excited reactions to Dawson's successful kick and then Lindell's miss. As they showed him walking to the center of the field after the game, I could've sworn he had a facial expression that was trying to look normal but was really holding back a huge smile.
Opposite Reaction: After I saw those reactions from Crennel, I saw someone on the OBR mention how Crennel looked pissed off after Jerome Harrison's huge touchdown run. I went back and checked the tape and was laughing -- but baffled -- at just how true this was. If you taped the game, go back and check it. A montage of these past two bullet points would make you laugh.
Brownies: Quinn had a heart-clutching throw late that should have been picked and cost us the game...it goes without saying, but Shaun Rogers remains a beast, as he had another Pro Bowl type of game...I kid you not: right before Cribbs' four-yard touchdown run, I said to my brother, "I bet we'll run a double reverse to Joshua Cribbs here." It was only a single-reverse, but close enough.

The defense was horrible again in the fourth quarter, meaning our "rotations" didn't really keep people any fresher. In the end, the "W" is what matters, and Brady Quinn has improved to a .500 record at 1-1. This is the third straight game that we should have blown out the competition based on how we started the games; maybe we can do that this Sunday against the Texans. Thank goodness for a regular Sunday 1:00 PM game too -- I've missed those.

Cleveland Browns Final Cuts Announced - Travis Wilson Among Them

Chris Pokorny — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:42:41 -0000

It's one of the more exciting days as a fan to find out who will be available on gameday during the regular season, but for those who have been cut, it has to feel like a downer. Overall, my projections were pretty good, but there was a shocker -- the removal of wide receiver Travis Wilson. You have to wonder if that one dropped catch against the Bears cost him everything.

FINAL TRANSACTIONS (TO GET ROSTER DOWN TO 53)

Players Waived

WR Travis Wilson - I wouldn't be surprised if he still gets brought back at some point though, if we run into another injury.
WR Steve Sanders
WR Efrem Hill
WR Lance Leggett
TE Brad Cieslak - Good luck to wherever he goes next.
TE Kolomona Kapanui
OL James Lee - I hope to see him on the practice squad.
OL Jonathan Palmer
DL Melila Purcell
LB David McMillan - A shame he never caught on.
LB Chase Ortiz
DB A.J. Davis
DB Jereme Perry
DB Travis Key - Big-time playmaker in little time with the Browns; hope to see him on the practice squad.
DB Brandon Mitchell
K Jason Reda - If Dawson gets hurt, I think he did enough to get the first phone call.

Waived-Injured

RB Travis Thomas
OL Derrick Morse
OL Marvin Philip
DL Chase Pittman

Terminated-Vested Veteran

LB Shantee Orr

Injured Reserve

OL Lennie Friedman

Here are some of players who were on the bubble and made the final 53-man roster:

POSSIBLE SURPRISES (THEY MADE THE FINAL ROSTER)

WR Syndric Steptoe - His strong preseason effort paid off, and I'm sure his progress on kick returns helped him in case Joshua Cribbs gets banged up again.
WR Paul Hubbard - This is probably a fairness issue -- they gave Travis Wilson several years to develop before cutting ties with him, so why not give Hubbard at least a year to progress?
OL Nate Bennett - With Lennie Friedman being placed on the injured reserve (speaking of which, when did he get banged up?), Bennett takes his roster spot. I don't think anyone could've projected this one unless they had inside information on Friedman.
OL Isaac Sowells - My reasons hold true. Take that, doubters! ;)
DL Louis Leonard - He adds some versatility, because he can play nose tackle or defensive end.
DL Ahtyba Rubin - Showed more progress in his first camp than Babatunde Oshinowo seemed to.
DB Gerard Lawson - He had some trouble tackling in the final preseason game, but I thought his awareness level was a little higher than the rest of the guys trying to make the team. He's also taken a few reps at kick and punt return -- if Cribbs is out Week 1, the Browns could put Steptoe at kick returner and Lawson at punt returner (or Lawson could do both if Steptoe is out for a week too).

Leave your thoughts on the cuts here. I correctly projected 49/53 roster spots, which is 92.4% accuracy. Grade me with an "A" ;). I will be updating this post shortly with a little note next to some of the players.

Poll

Which roster decision are you most surprised about?

Paul Hubbard over Travis Wilson & Steve Sanders

104 votes

Shantee Orr getting the boot

71 votes

Isaac Sowells making the final roster

24 votes

199 votes | Poll has closed