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Keeping an Eye on the Other Beasts in the East

Aaron Novinger — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:47:59 -0000

A Giant collapse? Eli Manning will watch the Giants' playoff hopes slip away if they don't defeat the Redskins on MNF.

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With the Eagles atop the division, they've got a leg up on the rest of the Beasts in the current playoff picture.

Eagles clinch playoff berth with 1) PHI win + NYG loss, or 2) PHI win + DAL win.

Obviously, of the top three Beasts, the Giants need the most help. Having been swept by the Eagles, along with having a poor 5-4 conference record, New York's best chances are highly dependent upon Dallas losses.

The Cowboys sit in the middle. Being swept by the Giants keeps a fire lit under their behinds; yet, they still have a chance to sweep the division leading Eagles. Week 17 will be of utmost importance.

The Redskins, who have been playing well lately, are in danger of being swept by the division. Perhaps their 0-4 NFC East record will spurn them towards upsetting the Giants on Monday night at FedEx Field.

More Beasts in the East after the jump.

Washington Redskins (4-9)

Last game: 34-14 Win @ Oakland

Next up: Home vs. New York Giants

Big news in Washington. After VP/GM Vinny Cerrato's resignation, owner Daniel Snyder has hired Bruce Allen as his replacement.

Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, has announced that proven long-time NFL executive Bruce Allen has been tapped to be the Executive Vice President/General Manager of the franchise. Daniel Snyder made the announcement just hours after accepting the resignation of Vinny Cerrato. Cerrato served in many capacities for the franchise over the last ten years, most recently as executive vice president of football operations.

"Bruce Allen is the personification of an NFL winner," Snyder said. "Our fans know his heritage; we know his abilities. He is the right person to lead our club."

Although the Redskins are not contending for a playoff position, they will still strive for a win against the rival Giants.

"I don’t want to look at it as a spoiler role for our football team. What I want to do is just win because we’ve earned it," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said on a conference call with New Jersey/New York media Wednesday.

"If we can earn the win, I want it to be more for us than winning it for somebody else. "What’s exciting about this game is it is a division opponent, it has a lot of meaning just because it is a division opponent, and it’s a Monday night game. We hope we can stay on track. That’s what we are looking forward to, anyway."

It does not sound as if Clinton Portis expects to be wearing the same jersey colors in 2010.

"I can't sit and tell you I want my career to be over here, but at the same time, you got to understand the business side of things," Portis said in a nearly 10-minute interview with a small group of reporters Tuesday at FedEx Field.

"I've been here for six years, and we went to the playoffs twice. I think Mr. [Daniel] Snyder [the team's owner], with the pressure that's on him with the organization, [is] probably going to have to make changes. For everything that [goes] on, I'm to blame, so why wouldn't I be the change?"

Rookie Brian Orakpo has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance (six tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble) against the Raiders.

New York Giants (7-6)

Last game: 45-38 Home Loss vs Philadelphia

Next up:@ Washington

The Giants are depending upon a Cowboys' collapse to get in the playoffs. Eli said so himself.

Eli Manning nearly snickered when asked about the Giants salvaging the season and not having a chance to control their own postseason destiny.

"We all know who Dallas plays and they've got a tough schedule," he said. "We are in the mind-set that if we win these three games, we think we will make the playoffs."

The Giants' troubles on defense have some pointing fingers at first-year coordinator, Bill Sheridan.

New York's defense, which was the NFL's best during the team's 5-0 start, has been uncharacteristically soft since, although coach Tom Coughlin gave first-year defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan a vote of confidence this week.

"I let him know my support for him and I also let him know it has to be better," Coughlin said. "We've got to do a better job. We're here for one reason. The inconsistency part of it is disturbing, let's face it. Six big play passes and three big play runs (against Philadelphia). You're not going to beat anybody like that."

The Redskins, on the other hand, have been a resurgent team of late.

"I'd love to be the Grinch on their Christmas," rookie linebacker Brian Orakpo said Monday. "That's what we're aiming for. Obviously we're not going to make the playoffs, but we would ruin some other people's seasons."

The Cowboys and Eagles each needed winning scores in the final three minutes to beat Washington, and the Saints only stayed unbeaten after a dramatic comeback in a 33-30 overtime victory two weeks ago.

The Redskins responded by blowing out lowly Oakland 34-13 on Sunday, as Jason Campbell threw two touchdown passes to emerging tight end Fred Davis while Quinton Ganther filled in for injured running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts by rushing for two scores.

Here is the NFL Game Center for MNF's Giants @ Redskins matchup.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)

Last game: 45-38 Win @ New York Giants

Next up:Home vs San Francisco

Said simply, DeSean Jackson is a playmaker. Here's what he said about his electrifying punt return against the Giants.

What started as a return up the middle ended with his streaking up the left sideline.

"I caught the ball, went to the right a couple of steps and I didn't see nothing was going on that way, so I turned around and came left with it," he says of a decision that had to be made instantly. "They did a great job of sealing the sideline off for me."

His feel for open space, and his tremendous acceleration, served him well. He was left with only punter Jeff Feagles to beat.

"It's just a rule to me, I try not to get tackled by the kicker," he says.

Jackson was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Donovan McNabb compares and contrasts the T.O. days with this season's offense.

"With T.O. brought a lot of attention to our offense," McNabb said, when comparing the two offenses. "I think for rolling the coverages and being able to move (Owens) around because of his size, it still created mismatches which led now to (Brian) Westbrook having so many catches and so many yards; L.J. Smith, so many catches and so many yards; and then even Correll Buckhalter, I mean, coming in an spelling for Westbrook and picking up big yards ... Todd Pinkston I believe at that time led the league in catches over 20 yards."

"I think the difference for this year, obviously there's a different height situation with DeSean and T.O., but still the same explosiveness. We have Maclin, who is a bigger receiver, still being able to make plays on the other side. Brent Celek, who I think is having a Pro Bowl year. Leonard Weaver, having a Pro Bowl year. Our offensive line, the chemistry is where we need it to be. They seem to be getting that experience and they're playing well. So, there are some comparisons but there are also some differences."

I found this interesting tidbit of information when researching what losing Brian Westbrook has meant to the Eagles. To sum up the author's words, Westbrook was indeed important, but RBs are replaceable.

Aaron Schatz, president of Football Outsiders and the point man for this type of statistical analysis, calls it the "Mike Shanahan corollary," after the former Broncos head coach who produced five different 1,000-yard rushers in one eight-year stretch. The corollary isn't about just one coach, though; it's the whole league.

Over the last three seasons, eight featured running backs have gone down to injury, and in each case their understudies have actually outperformed them. If anything, you should be surprised Weaver and McCoy have been so unproductive.

In a lot of ways, this makes sense. Most carries are much more about the offensive line than they are the RBs. If your offensive line gets a 5-yard push, the back gets 5 yards. If the line gets you 2, he'll get 2. Lest you think I'm cherry-picking data, consider this: Adrian Peterson, the consensus best tailback in football, averages 4.5 yards per carry. The combined average of every other Viking to take a handoff? 4.4.

You see? Flozell Adams isn't the only Beast in the East who fights with the Giants. Eagles' DE Trent Cole got into a huge brawl Sunday night, but will not be suspended for his involvement.

Cole apologized for his actions and said that he will accept whatever repercussions are placed upon him by the league. After Darren Howard forced a fumble on a sack of Eli Manning with less than 30 seconds to go in the game, Trent Cole was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty and disqualified from the game for throwing two punches at Giants' offensive lineman Shaun O' Hara.

Cole was fined $15,000.

The team moved TE Martin Rucker up from its practice squad. The move may or may not have something to do with Brent Celek's back injury.

Rucker is an accomplished receiver, as evidenced by his 203 career receptions at the University of Missouri, most ever by a Big 12 tight end. But Reid said that because Rucker worked in the spread offense in college, his blocking needed work when he reached the NFL – and still does, the coach added.

Some injury notes:

Maclin (foot) and Celek (sore back) were the only two players to miss Wednesday's practice. According to head coach Andy Reid, Celek is expected to play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers (6-7). Westbrook (concussion) ran with the scout team. He hasn't been ruled out of Sunday's game, but may not play.

You saw how hard the 49ers fought on Monday night. By beating the division leading Cardinals, they've got some hope for the playoffs. Hopefully, they'll play just as tough against Philly.

The 6-7 Niners don't even have to win out, nor do they need for the 8-5 Cardinals to lose out. They just need to win two of their last three if the Cardinals lose all three, or to win out and hope for the Cardinals to lose at least two of three. If the two finish with the same record, the 49ers win the division outright based on beating Arizona twice.

Yes, the Niners can still win the division with an 8-8 record. But they cannot win the division if the Cardinals win all three remaining games.

If you missed the Monday night game, this is what the 49ers did to the Cardinals' offense.

The 49ers forced the Cardinals into seven turnovers, sacked Kurt Warner four times and allowed only 245 yards in total offense. Along with that, free safety Dashon Goldson played the best game of his professional life and could be a star in the making while outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks, with three sacks, showed the kind of edge pass-rushing ability that all coaches crave. San Francisco is now tied for seventh in sacks with 34.

NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Frank Gore, gashed the Cards' defense. Do it again, Gore!

His 167 rushing yards helped propel the 49ers to a 24-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Gore totaled 104 yards on the ground in the first half on 13 carries and scored the team's last touchdown to seal the victory.

Here's the NFL Game Center for the 49ers @ Eagles matchup.

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.

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)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 17 - It Only Gets Worse

Chris Pokorny — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:10:28 -0000

After a pretty bad loss to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, the Cleveland Browns were back on the practice field for the first time since last Thursday. Unfortunately, rather than turning things around from Saturday's debacle, things only seemed to get worse. It sounds like we'll be in store for a heck of a Great Lakes Classic this coming Saturday!

I've decided to stick with naming the "Day" number as the same number as the date. This works out since the Browns first training camp session took place on August 1 this year.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 17 (8/17/09)

Uncharacteristic Day for Furrey: After being Mr. Reliable in terms of his hands, it wasn't the best day for veteran receiver Mike Furrey. Furrey had a couple of drops, with the biggest one coming when Derek Anderson fired a pass to him. The ball bounced off of Furrey's hands and into the arms of LB Eric Barton for an interception.
The Quarterback Chronicles: If a little kid was asked to draw a picture of how well the Browns quarterbacks did in practice Monday, I guarantee you he/she wouldn't draw a sunshine despite the fact that temperatures were roasting in the mid-90 degree range. Just like Anderson had a pass picked (see above) in drills, Brady Quinn threw a pick to LB Marcus Benard, who returned the pass 45 yards for a touchdown.
Two-Minute Drill (Anderson): After a false start penalty by LT Joe Thomas, Anderson completed passes to Furrey and Steve Heiden before scrambling for a would-be sack, killing the drive quickly. He moved the ball 12 yards in just four plays.
Two-Minute Drill (Quinn): Quinn didn't fare much better, moving the ball just 25 yards in nine plays. Of note on his drive -- LB Kaluka Maiava came free on a blitz causing an incompletion, and DB Nick Sorensen almost intercepted a pass intended for Lance Leggett. To end the drive, on 4th-and-12, Quinn could only manage to toss the ball out of bounds.
Penalties Add Up: Those penalties created by the players in Saturday's exhibition games didn't go without punishment. Every player who committed a penalty had to run a lap. I wonder if that included C Alex Mack, whose holding call was questionable. Mack was running with the first-team offense during practice. Rapid Reports stated that third-string center Dustin Fry put a Shotgun snap into the ground and ran a lap for it. Yikes.
Bubble Watch: WR Lance Leggett dropped a pass thrown by Quinn. DB Bret Lockett has received prais from Eric Mangini and has looked pretty decent.
Not Practicing: Sitting out/on the bikes at the start of practice were RB Jerome Harrison, LB David Bowens, OL Ryan Tucker, WR David Patten, TE Martin Rucker and NT Shaun Rogers. Patten did end up rejoining the team later on though.
Buzz on Davis Continues to Lessen: After rookie RB James Davis made a lot of noise at the start of camp, things have quieted down a lot for him ever since the Brown/White scrimmage a few weeks ago. He hasn't broken as many plays in practice, and had to run a lap Monday for fumbling a running back exchange.
On the Other Hand: The buzz surrounding Coye Francies continues to get hotter. He was playing tight coverage again during practice, forcing a few incompletions.
Cribbs Could be No. 2: From Mangini's press conference, it sounds like there's a serious chance that Joshua Cribbs might be our No. 2 receiver to start the season. I know we took Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi this offseason, but I am rooting for Cribbs to finally get that opportunity.

The Browns will have two sessions on Tuesday -- one in the morning and one in the evening.

Tuesday's Links/Camp Sources

Monday, Aug. 17: No starter named (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Browns' Mangini: It's too early to name a QB (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)
Camp Notes: 8/17/09 (Orange and Brown Report, King)
Practice gets sloppy (Canton Repository, Doerschuk)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 12 - Two Days from Gameday

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:36:37 -0000

The Browns offense is ready to take on the Green Bay Packers this Saturday.

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If you look around at other media sources, they are referring to practices one day later than I am, which probably takes into account an off day. I guess you can look at it that way, but to me, I am meaning "Day" to be synonymous with "Practice". I might end up jumping to something like "Day 15" the next time the Browns practice just to stay in line with the media; I'll have to see.

The Browns had their final practice before facing the Green Bay Packers this Saturday. Eric Mangini held a rare session without pads, as the team prepped for the Favre-less Packers.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 12 (8/13/09)

No Sweat for Braylon: After sitting out one practice, WR Braylon Edwards returned to the field and was ready to go. He will play in this Saturday's contest against the Packers. Also returning to action were WR Lance Leggett and RB James Davis.

Which QB will start against the Packers? Probably not the guy in the middle, but maybe the guy on the left or the right.

Anderson Strikes: In the two-minute drill, Anderson hit WR Mike Furrey for a 50-yard touchdown despite the fact that DB Corey Ivy had solid coverage. Prior to the pass, Anderson had reportedly missed a wide open TE Robert Royal after he had beaten S Brodney Pool.
Quinn, Not So Much: In Brady Quinn's shot at the two-minute offense, his drive only lasted four plays. After a short incompletion to TE Martin Rucker, he threw two incompletions that weren't great throws to WR Brian Robiskie. He couldn't covert the fourth down when his deep pass to WR Jordan Norwood fell incomplete.
Edge to Anderson? If you look at Dawg Scooper, Brady Quinn had the best day statistically, tossing two touchdowns while Derek Anderson and Brett Ratliff each tossed three picks. However, you have to consider that those stats were combined from a variety of different drills. Eric Mangini would not announce which quarterback would start in Green Bay, but if today's walkthrough was any indication, it'll be Anderson since he was working with the No. 1 offense.
Can't Wait to Hear Bernie: The best thing about the Browns preseason isn't the game itself. It's the opportunity to hear former Cleveland QB Bernie Kosar in the play-by-play booth. He doesn't have Ken Dorsey to spew his love for this year, so I wonder which quarterback he'll decide to favor. Kosar attended the team's practice Thursday, the first time he's done so this camp.

Ryan Pontbriand looks lonely.

Phil Dawson Lifts Spirits: Mangini put it all on K Phil Dawson to end practice. If Dawson was able to connect on a 50-yard field goal, the team would have the night off from meetings. Dawson connected, springing cheers from his teammates.
Defensive Props in Secondary: Among the defensive players who stood out Thursday were S Brodney Pool and CB Coye Francies, according to Dawg Scooper. Pool had two interceptions and was contributing all over the field, while Francies picked off an end zone pass intended for Braylon Edwards.
Down Day for Cribbs: After strong practices left and right, WR Joshua Cribbs finally lagged behind. A few passes went off of his hands, with at least two of them being intercepted by the defense.
97 Yard Touchdown: Two days ago, Brett Ratliff made headlines by getting some reps with the first team. Yesterday, he made headlines for having his "spike" pass bounce off a player's shoe and into the air for an interception. Thursday, he had another play that stood out: after WR Brian Robiskie beat his man, Ratliff launched the ball about 60 yards in air from his own 3-yard line. Robiskie caught it and ran the distance for about a 97-yard touchdown.
Walking Wounded: Missing practice were DT Shaun Rogers, LB David Bowens, RB Jerome Harrison, TE John Madsen, and WR David Patten. With Bowens out, Alex Hall and Titus Brown received more reps. He is still a longshot, but Brown has received a lot of praise in camp, including again today from the powers that be over at the OBR. Rogers was reportedly just getting some rest.
Trickery? I'm not sure on the details of the play, but Rapid Reports says that DB Mike Adams intercepted a halfback option pass. My guess would be that...maybe Noah Herron threw it? Just don't tell me that it's Lawrence Vickers, please.
Side Note: For those who missed it, QB Michael Vick has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The team is off Friday before their preseason game Saturday. Be sure to tune into Dawgs By Nature on Friday though, as we'll have a nice little interview up with the guys over at Football Outsiders.

Thursday's Links/Camp Sources

Training camp report: 8/13 (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Thursday camp notes (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)
Dawson the hero (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Berea Report: No call at QB (Orange and Brown Report, Greetham)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 11 - Off the Shoe

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:34:25 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

4 months ago: Cleveland Browns running back Noah Herron, right, runs past the defense at the Cleveland Browns NFL football training camp Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, in Berea, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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The Browns are getting ready for Saturday's first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. The number of training camp practices for the public are going to start dwindling, but a few will still be there as the regular season approaches. Today, there were more updates on the injury front as well as the latest word on how the quarterbacks are doing.

TRAINING CAMP REPORT - DAY 11 (8/12/09)

Braylon Edwards - Undisclosed Injury is Back: After several outstanding practices for the Browns No. 1 receiver, Edwards rode the stationary bike after initially coming out for practice. The Plain Dealer is reporting that he tweaked his ankle in one-on-one drills early in the practice and then had it taped up by a trainer. It doesn't appear to be serious at this point.
Toothache for Davis: The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of rookie RB James Davis was solved when Mangini revealed he had a toothache and has had some dental work done.

LB David Veikune was all over the quarterbacks Wednesday with three sacks.

Breaking Out for Veikune: Rookie LB David Veikune had a great practice, getting pressure all afternoon long. Dawg Scooper reports that he was playing middle linebacker with the second unit and ended up recording three sacks.
Tight Ends Utilized: The Browns might not have an elite group of tight ends, but they are doing their best to utilize them in practice. TE Robert Royal caught two touchdowns in goal line 11-on-11 drills -- one from Anderson, and the other from Quinn. TE Steve Heiden caught a touchdown pass earlier from Quinn, and TE Martin Rucker came up with a diving catch on an Anderson pass. While rolling to his left, Anderson also hit TE Aaron Walker for a nice completion.
Shoe Job: For the second practice in a row, the playing time of QB Brett Ratliff increased. There was an unusual play that occurred during one of his series though -- in an attempt to throw the ball down to the dirt to stop the clock, the pass accidentally hit the foot of RB Noah Herron instead. The ball then bounced up into the air and was snagged by S Nick Sorensen, who took it the distance for a touchdown. On the day, Sorensen picked two of Ratliff's passes.
Making His Claim: CB Roderick Hood has been getting progressively better on the Browns defense, coming up with another interception in camp today, this time on QB Derek Anderson. The play wasn't necessarily Anderson's fault, as it was first tipped by WR Jordan Norwood.

DB Roderick Hood returns an interception here. Also pictured is WR Joshua Cribbs. Both players have been picking it up in camp.

Still Behind: Rookie C Alex Mack is still behind veteran Hank Fraley it appears. With Rex Hadnot down still, Fraley's roster spot seems to pretty much be guaranteed at this point.
Trickery: WR Joshua Cribbs ran a reverse for a ten-yard gain with Anderson as a blocker. This note was kind of interesting from the OBR's Twitter feed: "Browns ask media not to give up specifics on specialty or trick type plays - but the packages on stunt drill is intriguing."
Bubble Watch: This is a note just in general from the OBR regarding LB Beau Bell: "he hits a ton moving forward but lateral quickness is below average." With Davis still out, RB Noah Herron continues to make a strong case for being on the final roster. I'm really starting to believe that Herron will make the team as the backup fullback/fourth running back. He's not a bad player and he has some veteran experience. With RB Jerome Harrison also not practicing, RB Jamal Lewis and Herron got all the running back reps. CB Hank Poteat was burned by WR Brian Robiskie for a touchdown.
Stepping Up: It's getting repetitive, but that's a good thing in this case: once again, WR Joshua Cribbs had a good practice as a receiver. It doesn't sound like he's seen any work in the secondary this camp, but from what it sounds like, we won't need him there.

The Browns will have an afternoon practice again on Thursday.

Wednesday's Links/Camp Sources

Wednesday 8/12 Practice (Dawg Scooper, Wolf)
Lane's camp notes, Twitter style! (Orange and Brown Report, Adkins)
QBs debunk cheating story (Akron Beacon Journal, Ridenour)
Wednesday evening camp notes (Orange and Brown Report, Taylor)

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Day 5 (Evening) - "One Second Left" Drills

Chris Pokorny — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:14:59 -0000

With neither quarterback gaining a definitive edge over the other in camp so far, Mangini's decision might come down to how Quinn and Anderson perform in the preseason games. via photos.theobr.com

View full size photo »

For this morning's Day 5 training camp recap, click here. The news coming in was more low-key for the evening session, so bare with me as I scrape the bottom of the barrel for some notes, as the team was not in pads. For the evening practice, Derek Anderson was working with the first-team offense.

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

Game Specific Situations: The Plain Dealer reports that much of the evening's practice was devoted to special game situations, such as a needing a Hail Mary pass or executing a touchdown with one second left on the clock. The notes on the drills below all come from the Plain Dealer's report here.
Drill One - At the Five: Both quarterbacks started at the five-yard line on fourth-down with one second left. Derek Anderson connected with WR Mike Furrey over DB Corey Ivy, and Brady Quinn hit TE Martin Rucker for a touchdown.
Drill Two - From the 35: Same drill, longer distance. Anderson's pass was knocked away by S Brodney Pool, and Quinn's pass fell incomplete too.
Drill Three - From the 45: This is more so the Hail Mary range. Anderson was intercepted by Pool this time, while Quinn's pass was knocked away by S Hamza Abdullah.
Injury Updates: Add two new players to the "sitting out list" -- S Mike Adams and WR David Patten. No word on the status of either player. FB Charles Ali and CB Don Carey continue to sit out.
Surprise Linebacker? This was probably from the morning practice, but the OBR mentioned that second-year LB Titus Brown has been having a fine camp, and even saw some work with the first-team defense.
Quinn Underthrows Edwards: Steve Doerschuk's piece on the evening session talks mainly about a play in which Quinn underthrew WR Braylon Edwards on a deep ball. Edwards had beaten DB Coye Francies, but he had to wait for the ball to come to him. Francies was flagged for interference on the play, but it led to some more questions about Quinn's ability to throw the deep ball well enough.
Speaking of Edwards: Our beloved No. 1 receiver was just that -- a No. 1 receiver in his own league. It doesn't sound like he had a single drop in either practice, but then again he lit it up in training camp last year too.
Anderson Holding On Too Long? A user from Dawg Talkers who went to the practice commented that he believed Anderson was holding onto the ball way too long on too many plays, saying that if it were a live game, Anderson would consistently be getting sacked. Another fan saw the same thing over at The Browns Board.
Veteran Advice: As WR Brian Robiskie came off the field for a play, veteran WR Mike Furrey offered him some advice on his footwork.
Punt Block Drill: A fan over at The Browns Board commented on something surprising in punting drills; Dave Zastudil was punting the ball, and the punt block team was going all out to block the punt, which they did. It was a surprise in the sense that this is a situation where you can kill your punter if you hit him the wrong way on the foot/leg.
Brownies: CB Eric Wright had an interception on Quinn, and also had a great blitz that would have killed Anderson in a live game...RB Jerome Harrison broke free for a nice run...WR Jordan Norwood put a good fake on CB Brandon McDonald in one-on-one drills to grab a pass...TE Martin Rucker had a play where he caught it over the middle and broke free...WR Paul Hubbard had a few drops, but doesn't look completely lost.

Well, I guess I did find some more reports than I thought I would, but I still scraped the bottom of the barrel. The Browns will take the field for one afternoon session Thursday.

Wednesday's Evening Link Collection / Camp Sources

Quinn's arm tired? (Canton Repository, Steve Doerschuk)
'The Forgotten One' Speaks (Orange and Brown Report, King)
Rapid Reports (CBS Sportsline)
Training camp log, Day 5 (Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cabot)

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.

View full size photo »

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: Tight End Preview

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:05:50 -0000

Sometimes you take a few steps back at a position in the offseason, as I don't think anyone can say they are overly pleased with the fact that Kellen Winslow is no longer on the team. On the same note, Browns fans didn't have a huge uproar over Winslow being traded, showing that some of the antics of the highly-talented had become tiresome. In the end, it yielded us an extra second-round draft choice, allowing the Browns to choose receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. The Browns are shifting from a tight end known for their receiving abilities and back to the days of just knowing how to block.

As part of our continuing training camp coverage, the theme this week was "See ball, catch ball...and block". Over the next two days, we'll talk about the tight end position, largely representing the blocking portion of the theme.

1. ROBERT ROYAL - STARTING TIGHT END (BLOCKING SITUATIONS)

Robert Royal (#84)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 257
College: LSU
Experience: 8 years
Note: Not flashy like K2

With Martin Rucker lacking the experience, Steve Heiden coming off of a serious injury, and Mangini's desire to have good blocking for the running game, Robert Royal is heading into training camp as the team's starting tight end.

After spending the past three seasons with the Buffalo Bills, did Royal do enough to qualify as a starting tight end? Brian Galliford, from our Bills affiliate over at Buffalo Rumblings, doesn't think so:

"...trust me when I say that Robert Royal is NOT good. He drops as many passes as he catches, and when he does catch it, he’s a HUGE risk for fumbles. As a blocker, he’s above average. But the dude just straight up isn’t a starting TE in this league."

Yes, it's a big dropoff from the days of having Kellen Winslow as your starting tight end. It would be silly to say that Royal is a better tight end than Winslow. Nonetheless, in Royal, you get a player who is less controversial, a better blocker, and someone who fits well enough into Mangini's gameplan.

In the parenthesis, I note that Royal will be in on blocking situations; probably first and second downs. While Royal is a better pass catcher than Darnell Dinkins was, he's not a sure-handed receiver. We should see a rotation of the tight ends this season, depending on the situation. One thing that stands out in Royal's statistics is that he has fumbled the ball four times over the past two seasons.

Player Quality: C-
Final Roster Odds: 100%

2. MARTIN RUCKER - BACKUP TIGHT END (RECEIVING SITUATIONS)

Martin Rucker (#80)
Height: 6-4
Weight: 260
College: Missouri
Experience: 2 years
Note: 4th round pick in 08

What a waste of Rucker's potential talent last season by head coach Romeo Crennel. After drafting Martin Rucker in the fourth round, we only saw him in action for a few plays later in the season; for the year, he only recorded two catches. It was ridiculous that we were down to Darnell Dinkins and Rucker as our only two tight ends, and yet despite knowing that Dinkins didn't have a future with the team and we were far eliminated from the playoffs, Dinkins got all of the playing time. After he was deemed as first/second-round talent by general manager Phil Savage, it's another example of Crennel having been one of the worst coaches in the league at utilizing younger players.

Rucker isn't known for his blocking, but that remains a part of his game that could be developed over time. His athleticism is more comparable to what Winslow brought to the team, having the ability to run routes vertically down the field. ClevelandBrowns.com just had an article about it being a new year with new chances for Rucker.

"I feel like I'm a better player," he said. "I got stronger in the weight room and I worked hard on perfecting my craft. I'm a better player in every area.

Dustin Keller, an athletic tight end for the New York Jets who was a rookie last season, recorded 48 catches for 535 yards and 3 touchdowns. I think Rucker is capable of having similar production for the Browns this season, especially if Heiden isn't able to return close to 100%.

Player Quality: TBD
Final Roster Odds: 99%

3. STEVE HEIDEN - VETERAN BACKUP TIGHT END

Steve Heiden (#82)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 270
College: South Dakota St.
Experience: 11 years
Note: Coming off torn ACL

There's a big question mark next to Heiden's name heading into training camp this season. He had ACL surgery in the offseason, and returning from that on time and with your body cooperating is a crapshoot at best. Based on the time he had the surgery, he might be able to participate a little in training camp and be cleared to play for the regular season in a best-case scenario.

We already know what type of player Heiden is; he will be entering his eighth season with the Browns. Even if he returns healthy this year, I think he'll officially take over the "Darnell Dinkins" role from the past several years as the third tight end. Heiden would still see plenty of action though, as I imagine a decent amount of our plays with include multiple tight end sets when we're running the ball.

Player Quality: B
Final Roster Odds (if Healthy): 100%
Odds of Being Healthy Enough: 50%

4. AARON WALKER - BACKUP TIGHT END

Aaron Walker (#87)
Height: 6-6
Weight: 277
College: Florida
Experience: 7 years
Note: Blocking TE

For entering his seventh NFL season, Aaron Walker isn't exactly a household name at the tight end position. He began his career as a fifth-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2003. Over two seasons, he had 18 receptions for them. He played with the St. Louis Rams the next three years in limited duty, seeing similar-to-less playing time than Dinkins saw with the Browns.

After being with the Ravens in camp last season, he did not make their final roster. This year, he's giving the Browns a shot. At 6'6 and 277 pounds, Walker is the biggest tight end on our roster. You'll see that the Browns do not have any undrafted free agent tight ends in camp this year; the purpose for that is probably due to the fact that either Walker or the player below (John Madsen) might make the final roster depending on Heiden's status. If that's the case, you need some veteran depth in camp, and Walker fits that description. There's also a chance we could keep four tight ends to start the season if Heiden won't be ready until Week 4 or something to that effect.

Final Roster Odds: 40%

5. JOHN MADSEN - BACKUP TIGHT END

John Madsen (#85)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 240
College: Utah
Experience: 4 years
Note: Receiving TE

John Madsen has played for the Oakland Raiders the past three seasons, and was originally undrafted. He has 19 catches for 248 yards and 2 touchdowns in his career. The Browns added him to their roster in December last season due to all of the injuries to our tight ends.

Madsen is an interesting player, because he's fast enough to be a receiver but also just big enough to play tight end. In fact, it was the Raiders who converted him to tight end after he was a receiver in college. If we're looking for a third tight end to take Heiden's place temporarily, I'd imagine we would go for someone with bulk -- that isn't Madsen. Madsen seems more so like the competition to Martin Rucker; in that case, Madsen's roster odds are a little bit less than Walker's.

Final Roster Odds: 10%

TE Position Quality (Overall): D+

After being graded an "A" last season, the tight end position plummets this year. A lot of that has to do with the uncertainty -- Rucker hasn't had the chance to prove himself yet, Heiden might not be ready to go, and Royal isn't even close to being a top-tier tight end.

Poll

If Mangini decided to say, "you know what, I'm having one definitive tight end who will basically be the only tight end who plays", which player would you like that to be, considering the rest of Mangini's gameplan?

Robert Royal

93 votes

Martin Rucker

409 votes

Steve Heiden

295 votes

797 votes | Poll has closed

Mangini Press Conference: Harrison, Replacing Winslow, and More Oodles of Fun

Chris Pokorny — Fri, 22 May 2009 15:30:50 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

Many of the questions asked to Eric Mangini had to do with Browns return specialist Joshua Cribbs.

Browse more photos »

Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini spoke with the media Thursday to field questions about the team. Now that Mangini has actually had the opportunity to see some of the players in action, his responses can hold a little more weight in the back of our minds.

(Opening statement) - “Welcome back. What we are trying to get done, this is really the first time that we have been able to work together as a whole team, which is always exciting. You had the rookies - that was getting to know them and us working with each other. That was out first time on the field, but now being together with the full team it’s a great opportunity for us to start this phase of our preparation.

What we are trying to get accomplished with this camp, the second mini-camp and OTA days is give them a chance to get to know us. Give them a chance to get to know what the expectations are, how we do things. Give us a chance to evaluate them to see the things that they can do and really lay the foundation for training camp and essentially laying the initial foundation for the season. We’ve had a couple good days. There has been a lot of information thrown at the players. I think they have responded well. We will continue to do that today and into next week. The way that I structure these practices is the same way that we will give them information during the course of the season.

The first day tends to be more of a first and second down day, like you would have on a Wednesday during the week. The next day tends to be emphasis on third down and some review of what we did the previous day. Today will be more of a red area type emphasis, like you would on a typical Friday, so they get used to learning the information in that pattern. I’ve done it the other way where you do all first down, you may do that for three days, then you do all third down, and do that, but I really believe if you can develop a pattern of learning the same way, then you get used to it. You get used to absorbing information and thinking in those terms. That’s how I structure the install and it will follow that pattern, not just here but also throughout training camp.”

Thoughts: Just a consensus from reading fans comments over at the OBR -- Mangini sounds a lot more fluent and comfortable speaking that Crennel ever did. And, Mangini is more decisive on his assessments. He's not going to say "the other guy might have a leg up in the competition (chuckle)".

(On dividing the reps at quarterback) - “It is definitely even. We track everything as we go, in terms of how many throws, types of plays so that there is balance and you’re looking at it as much as possible. Brady (Quinn) will get the first reps today, he started with the first reps on Wednesday and that’s because he’s done a really outstanding job in the offseason program. Not that Derek (Anderson) hasn’t done well but he got the edge so he took the first reps. There’s no overwhelming significance to that. It’s just that first day, I thought Brady had a little bit of an edge so he got the first reps there, but the goal is balance.

We actually track all of the reps that the players take every day in practice. At any point I could say, “Kamerion Wimbley has gotten 57 snaps and David Bowens has gotten 25 or whatever it is we need to do to shift the numbers.” We actually track every rep, every day of every player. At any point the player can come in and say, ‘Well look, you’ve had 500-something reps in practice, I think you’ve gotten a really good opportunity to show what you can do.’ And also it allows me to constantly adjust the amount of reps to make sure guys are balanced and really getting the things that they need. You can lose track of that pretty easily as a coordinator or head coach, there’s just so many guys, so many reps but we track it all.”

Thoughts: I wonder who keeps track of all those reps. There are quite a few players in camp; my guess would have to be that each position coach is in charge of tallying the reps.

(On if Brett Ratliff is in the open completion at quarterback) - “I am going to look at that position completely. It’s one of those things where he will get opportunities and there will be a rotation there as well, and there will be some days where any of the four quarterbacks could be the one, any could be the two, any could be the three and the four, but right now my primary focus is with Brady and Derek.”

Thoughts: I reported this quote yesterday; in reality, neither Ratliff or Bartel should contend for the starting role. If Ratliff impresses Mangini like he did last year though, it creates more options to ship Anderson away for a third- or fourth-round pick during training camp.

(On Jerome Harrison) - “He has done a really nice job these first two days. I’ve been really happy with what I’ve seen from him. It is extremely early but he’s done a nice job, whether it’s with blitz pickups, his check downs, the route, hitting his aiming points, the way that he has worked, where he is physically; I think all of those things have been positive.”

Thoughts: RB Jamal Lewis has not been able to participate in minicamp after having ankle surgery; he should be back by training camp. With respect to Harrison, I'm so happy that Jason Wright isn't on our roster anymore to take reps away from him. It's nice to hear he has picked up the blitz well, but I still question who on our team can actually execute a successful NFL blitz.

(On replacing Kellen Winslow’s production) - “What we are always trying to do offensively, and the way that you design everything, is we’re going to attack that opponent’s weaknesses and maximize your strengths and always be game plan specific. Sometimes that will mean running 50 times, sometimes that will mean passing 50 times. It’s no set pattern; it’s based on where we feel we could be most successful. Offensively, the goal is for us to collectively do our job and if we have the right spacing in our routes, the right protection, the right reads, the production will come. I always feel that whether it’s offensive of defensive production, it’s not one person, it’s a group.”

Thoughts: In other words, you won't replace Winslow's production with any individual player, but by having an efficient offensive gameplan in general.

(On how Martin Rucker looks) - “He has done some good things so far. It’s been two days worth of work, but he’s done a couple of good things. He caught a nice double move the first day, went up there and got it so that was good to see. He is learning like everybody else. It’s a little different then most camps because the whole group is learning information. It’s positive in a lot of ways because it levels the playing field for even the rookies because it’s first time for everyone at the same spot.”

Thoughts: Doesn't really sound like the same, exciting report that Harrison received.

(On if there are currently any talks with Joshua Cribbs) - “I’ve talked with Josh and Josh is a guy that I’ve had good talks with since I have been here. We were actually talking in here this morning and spent some time with him and I’m looking forward to him being out there. These are voluntary camps so it’s not a mandatory situation; everybody has to make the decision whether to attend or not to attend. But I can tell you that there is a ton of information going in. It is an opportunity for us to see all of the different players. When you’re here you get those reps, when you’re not you don’t. Getting the reps and learning that’s always a positive thing.”

(On if Cribbs is missing a lot by missing camp) - “It’s like anything else, if you’re trying something new, you’ve got to see how it works. You can’t see how it works unless you’re there.”

(On who else isn’t at camp) - “We have some different players that have been excused who were here and asked and said, ‘I can’t make it today because of personal reasons.’ Things like that. It is voluntary and you will see the guys that are out there.”

(On if he talked to Joshua Cribbs this morning) - “Yeah, I talked to him before I came down here. He was here this morning, he was at the squad meeting and I met with him afterwards. Josh and I always have really good conversations. He is a likeable funny guy. I look forward to seeing him out there.”

(On if Cribbs will be practicing today) - “I am not sure whether or not he will be taking part.”

(On how many position meetings Cribbs will be in) - “He hasn’t been here so it’s really hard to tell.”

(On if it is tough to discuss contracts with a player he has never coached) - “I don’t really discuss contracts in general, publicly those are internal things. With any new situation you have to evaluate all of the players on the team and evaluate where you are. The best way to do that is on the field.”

(On how long Cribbs has been here) - “Today was the first day that I talked to him here (during minicamp).”

Thoughts: Enough with the Cribbs chatter already, eh? Let's hope we see him settle for a higher contract than he currently has, but not too high.

(On who is getting reps at the number two receiver spot) - “(Offensive Coordinator Brian) Daboll coined this phrase and it’s pretty accurate, we don’t really have a depth chart we have a rep chart. The way it’s designed, there will be some guys moving around, not based on where they are on the rep chart but based on us wanting to see that player run that route. We may want to see (Brian) Robiskie run a comeback, we may want to see Braylon (Edwards) run a certain type of route so we might switch those guys around to get the things that we would like to see them doing, we would like them to experience doing.

It’s not formatted in such a structured way that they have to get one, two, three or four, five, six, sometimes he could be getting, one, two and six because that’s what we want to take a look at. There are a lot of guys, too, as you will see out at practice that are moving to different spots, working guys who traditionally work on the right on the left, working guys at center, guard, tackle and on different sides. All of that is about evaluation, about assessing comfort level, giving them experience at different spots and also building versatility.”

Thoughts: For this one, I legitimately believe there isn't a No. 2 yet. That will be settled in training camp, when it's Brian Robiskie vs. Mohamed Massaquoi vs. Mike Furrey. Scratch ~~Syndric Steptoe~~, please. Depending on what we pay him, maybe you can also throw Joshua Cribbs' name into that mix. Not David Patten, though.

(On if Braylon Edwards is at camp) - “Yes. Braylon has been here. He has done a great job these first two days. I think like the rest of the group, everybody is different in working out versus doing specific football moves. We are all getting used to that.”

(On if he spoke with Braylon concerning trade talks) - “I feel comfortable talking to anybody about anything and that’s one of the points I made to the players in the first meeting, is that if there is ever an issue to come talk to me because I think it’s important to not let little things become big things. We’ve all seen how easy that could happen and the better the communication the better you can address those things. I’m always open to talking to anybody.”

(On if they spoke specifically about trade talks) - “We have not talked about that specific thing. The things that we’ve focused on are practice, adjustments and routes, football related stuff.”

Thoughts: The OBR has a nice story here about Edwards stating that he had to look the other way with all of the trade "rumors" during the offseason. Edwards also states that he would've hated to have been traded this year, because it would've left a bad taste in his mouth knowing that he didn't have the chance to make up for last year's mess.

(On if Hank Fraley is getting work at guard) - “As I said, it’s going to fluctuate. George Warhop has done a really nice job of moving those guys around, sometimes where I have to look and say ‘Ok, he’s here and he’s there.’ That’s what I want the coaches to do. I want them to put guys in different spots so we can look at it. I would anticipate that he would, but whether or not that is on the schedule for today I’m not 100 percent sure.”

Thoughts: I think it's kind of early to shift Fraley to the guard position (in minicamp?). After Alex Mack, you still need a veteran center. We can worry about his reps at guard come training camp.

(On Robaire Smith’s health) - “Robaire is still rehabbing and he is doing a good job of rehab. The thing with any injury, the thing that we do is we put together the best program that we can from a rehab perspective, expect the guys to work as hard as they can on that aspect of it and then gauge it. It’s very systematic and it’s very thought out. And with any injury, timetables are different, so the goal is to just make as much progress as you can and get them out as quickly as possible.”

(On the depth at defensive line) - “I think that’s going to be a very competitive spot. We’ve kept different amounts of defensive lineman each team that I’ve been with, each year that I have been a part of that team. I think it is a competitive group and the goal there is to build flexibility and define a role whether on first and second down or second and third or just third. We will have to see how all that plays out.”

Thoughts: By default, there's a chance Smith will lose his starting job to Mangini-favorite Kenyon Coleman. Nonetheless, Smith is a solid player when healthy; I hope he is able to get back to full strength.

(On if the Browns have a new head physician) - “We are still working on the medical side of it and that’s something we’ll continue to work on and when we have an announcement, I’ll let you know.”

(On why the Cleveland Clinic would make an announcement) - “You will have to talk to the Cleveland Clinic.”

Thoughts: The "he said, she said" game. I think it's safe to say that Dr. Richard Figler is the team's new head physician, and not just because the Plain Dealer reported on it last week.

Round-Up: A fairly informative press conference; I just can't wait for training camp to get here already!