Recapping Week Two: Kicking The Colts When They're Down

Monday mornings always feel a little lighter after a Browns win, don't they?  Those type of Mondays have been few and far between for this franchise of late, so we'll savor this one right until opening kickoff against the Dolphins on Sunday.  I think it is safe to say that the Browns don't win Sunday if Manning is under center - but the Browns made strides toward respectability. 

Recapping Week One: A Familiar Feeling....Ugh.

Why do we Browns fans continue to subject ourselves to this torture? Browns games are quickly becoming 3 hours of frustration that I could do without. I love football, but not the kind of sloppy, frustrating and disappointing football the Cleveland Browns give me almost every week. 

Know Thy Enemy: The Cincinnati Bengals - Week One

The Browns season opening home game against the Bengals will be an excellent gauge of how well the coaches and players have done in this shortened and bizarre offseason. Like the Browns, the Bengals installed a new west coast offense and experienced high roster turnover from last season.  However, the Bengals are adding a rookie quarterback into the mix with a new offensive coordinator, Jay Gruden (Chucky's brother.) 

Realistic Expectations For Tonight's Browns Game Versus Philly

So tonight is the Browns third preseason game, which typically serves as the "dress rehearsal" where starters get their most extensive playing time before the regular season starts.  For the Browns, however, tonight may not reveal much, except that the team has a lot of injuries. 

Getting To Know Usama Young

Many Browns' fans viewed the signing of veteran free agent Usama Young with little interest and even some skepticism. Fans were aware of the Browns' need at safety and were clamoring for more well-known free agents. Young was a backup DB in New Orleans with limited game experience. Yet Browns' GM Tom Heckert saw potential in Young and the team went out and got him. He is now competing with Mike Adams for the starting Free Safety spot, with the coaching staff hoping he wins the battle.

Question: What Are The Browns Going To Spend $31 Million On?

With the release of Jake Delhomme, the Browns are now more than $35 million under the salary cap of approximately $120 million for this season.  The new CBA will require teams to spend 99% of the salary cap this year, with the deadline for that spending towards the end of the season.  That number is a bit misleading because the 99% refers to the league as a whole.  The lowest percentage any single team can spend is 89%.  Applying that to the Browns would result in spending $31 million at minimum.

Question: Who Will Start At Safety Opposite T.J. Ward?

This post is the first in a series that will ponder the questions that need to be answered for the Browns whenever the season starts.  Hey, until we know if there will be NFL football this season - we have to talk about something, right?

Browns' Veterans In Free Agent Limbo - What Will Team Need?

An appeals court ruling is expected today or tomorrow on whether to maintain or lift a stay on the NFL lockout.  If the stay is lifted, that means free agency must begin - but what will it look like and what will the rules be?  Now that there is no Players Union, some of the old free agency rules might be challenged by the Players Association as violations of anti-trust laws, such as franchise tags and free agent tenders.  The most likely route for the NFL to take is to keep the same rules that were in effect in 2010: no salary cap, no salary floor and unrestricted free agency after six years of service instead of four.

Those rules put a whole lot of players with 3, 4, or 5 years of service in a potentially bad position.  Apparently, for those players whose contracts have expired with their current team, but who have yet to reach 6 years of service, the team still retains their contract rights - or the right of first refusal if another team wants to sign the player. 

Get To Know Wide Receiver Greg Little

Greg Little was the Browns' second pick in the second round, #59 overall.  Little played college football at North Carolina as both a running back and wide receiver before being suspended for all of the 2010 season for accepting improper gifts from an agent.  At 6'3" and 230 pounds, Little is a beast who can catch like a wide out and runs like a 230 pound running back once he has the ball.  He also blocks like a tight end.  With first round talent, Little fell into the 2nd round because he missed all of last season and has a "diva" label, though he recently claimed missing a whole season humbled him.

Get To Know Defensive End Jabaal Sheard

Jabaal Sheard, a defensive end from Pittsburgh, was the Browns' second round pick at #37 overall.  Below are scouting reports and highlight videos.  As you'll see, Sheard is very good with his hands and lives in the backfield.

Thoughts on the Browns Wide Receiver Need:

The Browns passed on Alabama's Julio Jones in the first round.  They have picks number 37 and 59 tonight in round 2.  They gave up their third round pick to Kansas City to jump from 27 to 21 for Phil Taylor.  Most Browns/AFC North beat writers have identified a pass rushing defensive end and a game breaking wide receiver as the two highest needs for the Browns.  GM Tom Heckert publicly disagreed about the team's dire need for a wide out:

''I heard this conversation every day in Philadelphia about how our wide receivers weren't good enough,'' he said. ''We went to five NFC Championships; obviously we didn't win the Super Bowl, and that's what we are looking for. It's not overrated, but it's not as bleak as people think. We'll see. Trust me, we are not against having other receivers here. The more competition the better, but we do like our guys.''

Doesn't exactly make you think they are taking any wide outs tonight, right?  The Browns had pre-draft visits with wide receivers Edmund Gates (Abilene Christian), Jerrel Jernigan (Troy), and Greg Salas (Hawaii) in addition to A.J. Green and Julio Jones.  The first 3 guys are rated anywhere from 3rd to 5th round talents. Some scouts have Jernigan as high as a late 2nd rounder. 

Since the Browns have not yet addressed defensive end, they likely will spend at least one of their 2nd round picks on that position.  It's tough to project what 2nd round rated receivers they like and would be available at #59.  If they still had a 3rd rounder, I would be more confident they could find a guy they like at WR there - but that's gone now.  Perhaps they will package both 4th round picks in a trade to get back into round 3 tonight if a WR falls that they like.

The other possibility is that the team will seek out a veteran wide receiver with experience in a west coast offense.  There are currently no receivers on the roster with that experience.  During transitions to new offensive or defensive schemes, new coaches often bring in some veterans familiar with the system to help teach the younger guys.  That is a very logical possibility for the Browns new offense. 

Currently, the Browns have Massiquoa, Robiskie, Carlton Mitchell, and Josh Cribbs as likely contributors  Stuckey's contract is up and he is likely not being brought back (remember the Jets game?)  There are some young guys on the depth chart, like Jordan Norwood, but are still unknown at this point.  The Browns have room on the roster for 2 more wide outs.  We predict they'll bring in at least one veteran and one rookie to round out the WR corps. 

Analyzing Browns' First Round:

Last night the Browns traded out of the #6 overall pick with Julio Jones' bow tie staring them in the face.  Atlanta offered the Browns their 27th overall pick, this year's 2nd round pick (#59 overall), this year's 4th round pick (#124 overall) and next year's first and fourth round picks.  Ultimately, the four extra picks were just too much for the Browns to pass up and it was a wise move - initially. 

Obviously, the Browns' brain trust of Heckert, Holmgren, and Shurmur felt that one play-making wide receiver wasn't going to change their fortunes this year - and they are probably right.  As much as we would've loved to have seen an exciting playmaker added to help Colt McCoy this year - we can't argue with adding more picks, even if Atlanta's picks are at the end of each round this year and likely next year as well. Perhaps the Browns will add a playmaking receiver in the 2nd or 3rd rounds tonight.

The Browns were then sitting at #27 last night waiting.  Earlier in the day, Holmgren had said this about trading down:

All About Phil Taylor

We've collected as many scouting reports and highlight videos as we could find to give you an in-depth knowledge of the Browns' first round pick:

PHIL TAYLOR - Nose Tackle from Baylor
6'3", 334 pounds, 5.21 - 40 yard dash. 34" arms, 10 3/4th inch hands
31 - reps of 225 on bench.

Mock Draft 1.0

Here at Orange, Brown, and Down, we see through the hype.  And we don't just follow the pack (Mel Kiper, Jr., Mike Mayock, Todd McShay, etc.).  In formulating our mock draft, we focus on the team's needs, its current roster and free agents, its offensive or defensive scheme, coaching philosophy, and recent draft history in making our picks.  And we don't try to envision trade scenarios - that's impossible.  


This year, there are 8 defensive ends with first round grades and 3 to 4 defensive tackles. Even though up to 12 defensive lineman have first round grades, we don't see 12 teams with enough need at those positions for them all to go in round one. Instead (and lucky for the Browns) some of those first round defensive linemen are going to slip into the top of round 2. This year there are a lot of teams with quarterback needs, but not many premier QB's to meet the demand. Many playoff teams are aging at left tackle, so we envision a run on the top 5 tackles in bottom of round one.


At the beginning of the draft season, defense ruled the top of the player rankings - and in the end, nothing changes.  This is a special defensive class and no overrated QB's are going to change that.  So without further ado.... 

Browns' Free Agent Situation To Shape Draft Strategy?

Entering the off season, the Browns had 22 free unsigned free agents.  That's almost half of the 53 man roster. The Browns cut DT Shawn Rogers, DE Kenyon Coleman, LB David Bowens, LB Eric Barton, TE Robert Royal, and OT John St. Clair.  Prior to the expiration of the CBA, the Browns re-signed QB Seneca Wallace and MLB D'Qwell Jackson.  They later gave 2nd round tenders to CB Eric Wright and TE Evan Moore. The legitimacy of those tenders is unknown until a new CBA is reached.  Kicker Phil Dawson was franchised. These five players were obviously made a priority by the team, but what can we glean from the players they did not re-sign or tender?  A look at the Browns remaining free agents and the depth chart may give us some insight into the Browns' 2011 draft strategy.

Wondering about the Wonderlic....

Nolan Nawrocki from Pro Football Weekly posted a recent article chock full of some eyebrow-raising Wonderlic scores of recent draft picks.  From the article:

"Two of the NFL's brightest future stars, LSU CB Patrick Peterson and Georgia WR A.J. Green, registered among the five lowest Wonderlic scores of the 330 participants at this year’s NFL scouting combine.

Peterson was one of four prospects who recorded a dreaded single-digit score, which NFL teams often equate with getting their name right, tying with South Carolina's Chris Culliver for the lowest mark among all defensive backs as both correctly answered only nine questions on the 12-minute, 50-question test.

Green registered the lowest score of all receivers, answering 10 questions correctly."

What History Tells Us About Drafting Wide Receivers

As mock drafts continue to pour in, there is near consensus among draft gurus and sportswriters that the Browns will draft A.J. Green if he is available with the #6 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.  With that in mind, let's take a look back at some draft history:

Labor Pains

Well, the expiration of the current NFL collective bargaining agreement ("CBA") is upon us.  Most sports writers agree that if a lockout or union decertification is implemented, the work stoppage will last until at least the brink of the regular season. 

According to the Plain Dealer, the Browns were warned about coaches meeting with Colt McCoy or other players right now.  Apparently, Colt's round of interviews surrounding the Super Bowl revealed that he had been speaking with Coach Shurmer and prompted the league warning.  As discussed in earlier posts, the Browns and other teams with new coaches and new schemes are going to be hit the hardest by any work stoppage.  They'll have more work to do and less time to do it than other more established teams once a work stoppage is over. 

Here are some of the facts of life if the deadline passes with no new CBA:

Defensive

If you don't already read Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback column at Sports Illustrated, you should start.  He gets great inside information and offers very reasoned opinions on lots of NFL topics.  For some reason, lots of players, GM's, and league executives are willing to tell him things they won't say to anybody else. 

Back in the summer before coach Mangini's first season, Mr. King visited training camp in Berea and quickly predicted the Browns would go 2-14 that season due to a lack of talent and play makers.  I was shocked, angry, and thought, "this guy doesn't know what he's talking about - he probably doesn't pay attention to the Browns."  But, he was right on the money - until the December heroics of the defense and running game saved the season from Detroit-like dismay. 

Anyway, in today's Tuesday Morning Quarterback edition (an abbreviated version of the Monday column mostly made up of responding to reader emails), Mr. King offers the following thought on the Browns:

Mock Draft Round Up

Well, the NFL combine will take place later this month and soon after, mock drafts will start springing up.  Then once all the college's pro days are complete, a more detailed set of mock drafts will arrive.  Before the combine takes place, many web sites and draft gurus take a stab at the first round.

I've rounded up as many mock drafts as I can find to tide you over until the riveting coverage of the NFL combine takes place (actually, I enjoy watching it on NFL Network, but I know most people find it boring.)  After all, as Browns fans, all we really have to look forward to is the eternal hope and promise of another off season. 

The Superbowl Measuring Stick

So most of us witnessed the Packers beat our vaunted rivals, the Steelers, in last night's Superbowl.  In many ways, the Packers can serve as a measure of how far off the Browns are from competing at a championship level.  There are some similarities between the Packers and Browns in terms of how they remade their coaching staff and offense.  The easiest to analyze, and perhaps most important similarity, is the Packers use of the west coast offense and how it fared against the Steelers' defense, one of the best in the NFL.

Something To Be Said For Consistency:

As of today, coach Shurmur hired Mark Whipple to be quarterbacks coach, Mike Wilson to coach receivers, Bill Davis to coach linebackers, and Dwaine Board to coach the defensive line. The four have strong ties to either Shurmur, Browns President Mike Holmgren or General Manager Tom Heckert.  It appears that the Browns will not be hiring a true offensive coordinator. 

Since the return of the team in 1999, there have been many poor combinations of front office and team executives with coaching staffs.  These all eventually led to power struggles or a falling out which led to some one's ouster.  Let's review:

Why I Am a Browns Fan, ...Still.

Why would anyone in their right mind continue to be a "fan" of an organization mired in total failure for the last 10 years?  Why would anyone - regardless of team success - waste an ounce of energy or emotion on a excessively capitalistic endeavour such as the modern NFL, full of childish millionaires? 

I suppose I could say something about tradition, entertainment value, or love of the sport, but that doesn't fully describe why I am and continue to be a fan.  I do love the game of football and I occasionally find NFL games entertaining.  But none of that describes why thousands of other people pour so much passion and energy into being fans of a franchise that gives them so little gratification in return. 

Like many Browns fans, I blame my father.

Cheaters Never Win.....Right?

Charlie Casserly of the NFL Network recently shared some interesting perspective on the upcoming off season.  He recounts when he worked for the Redskins during the labor shortened seasons of 1987 and 1982.  Those two years the Redskins won the Superbowl.  Casserly basically implies that the players and coaches cheated.  Before the players and coaches departed for the season, the coaches gave certain players very detailed offseason workouts, drills, and practice routines to follow....you know, if they felt so inclined. 

Off Season A Little Off.......

As of the date of this post, there are several mock drafts on the interwebs.  In my opinion, most of the writers doing the drafting have no clue what they are talking about.  Especially in regard to the Cleveland Browns.  Various mocks have the Browns taking one of the top rated defensive ends, but most have them landing wide receiver A.J. Green from the University of Georgia.  Green is a 6'4", 212-pound catching machine who missed part of this past season due to a suspension.