Browns Take Richardson & Weeden
The Cleveland Browns had an interesting first round of the NFL Draft by moving up from number 4 to number 3 and selecting Alabama running back, Trent Richardson and then using their second number 1 pick to select Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden. In the second round, the Browns picked right tackle Mitchell Schwartz from California and in the third round selected defensive tackle John Hughes from Cincinnati.
The selection of Richardson made sense to me. In January, I was not in favor of drafting Richardson because I thought that the Browns should re-sign Peyton Hillis and then draft Justin Blackmon. Once Hillis went to Kansas City, I then changed my mind and felt that the Browns could get Richardson and then select a wide receiver with their second pick in the first round. This leads to Brandon Weeden.
It is evident that the Browns were not comfortable going into the 2012 season with Colt McCoy as the quarterback. Mike Holmgren and Company tried to acquire the second pick of the draft so that they could draft Robert Griffin III. When Washington out bid them, the Browns obviously started to look at Plan B. Apparently, Plan B was Brandon Weeden.
Weeden is 28 years old and has had a successful college career. He stood toe-to-toe against RGIII and Andrew Luck this past season with Weeden's Oklahoma State team defeating Baylor and Stanford. Weeden is bigger than Colt McCoy and has a stronger arm than McCoy. I have given McCoy the benefit of the doubt. By that I mean that I believed that he suffered from a lack of receivers, a lack of a consistent running game and a struggling offensive game plan. However, physically McCoy may not have the ability to compete as a starting quarterback in the NFL or at the very least as a starting quarterback on a team with many needs.
There is an opinion on the part of some that a franchise quarterback brings up the level of play of those around him. I think it's safe to say that McCoy does not have the ability to do that. The big question now is whether or not Brandon Weeden has that ability. Weeden will come in with a rookie running back as the number one guy in Trent Richardson and the selection of Schwartz would seem to mean that he will be starting at right tackle. The wide receiving corp remains the same. Weeden will not have a Justin Blackmon to throw to and instead will have Greg Little as his go-to-guy.
Whether Weeden knows it or not, the direction of this franchise will weigh heavily on his shoulders. His success or failure could also impact the future of Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Pat Shurmur. Holmgren's reputation is that of an offensive guru who knows quarterbacks. The selection of McCoy was in the third round and he basically took a chance on him. But the selection of Weeden is different. He picked Weeden in the first round. He's 28 years old so he will be expected to start right away. There will be no apprenticeship.
My patience with Holmgren & Company is wearing thin. I think they have made plenty of mistakes and I did not appreciate the comments made by Holmgren when he said that we as fans just need to get over what happened in the past. Sorry Mike, as a fan the past does matter particularly when last season we saw no hope. Instead what we saw was an offense that was worse than the Brian Daboll-led one in 2010. I can take losing if I see some progress. If I see some young players who give you the belief that things will get better. The Browns have some of those type of players on defense. But in today's NFL, it's all about being able to score. That's why there will be plenty riding on Brandon Weeden. If Weeden does not succeed, this franchise will go backwards for another 5 years and Holmgren, Heckert & Shurmur won't be long for Cleveland, Ohio.
Has Anyone Seen Tom Heckert??
As teams augment their rosters via free agency (ex.-Washington) and trades (ex.-Chicago), the Cleveland Browns have signed DE Frostee Rucker and cut Tony Pashos and Eric Steinbach while also letting Peyton Hillis go to the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a period where teams try to augment their rosters with established players which then sets their needs for the upcoming draft. But the way the Holmgren/Heckert regime is operating, the Browns will need multiple picks through every round to meet this team's needs.
Here are the needs: quarterback - is Colt McCoy the answer or do the Browns need to draft a quarterback?, running back - is Montario Hardesty the answer or do the Browns use a high pick to draft a running back?, wide receiver - the Browns do not have a number one wide receiver. Will they use a top pick to draft one?, offensive line - Steinbach anchored the left guard position and now he is gone, Right tacle is a problem area. So what's the plan??, linebacker - the Browns have limited depth and this will be magnified if Scott Fujita is suspended for his role in the Saints bounty situation.
Tom Heckert has indicated that he would not be opposed to trading down to get additional picks. With Hillis gone, I can see Heckert moving down a few slots from number four and drafting Trent Richardson. I'm not all that sold on Richardson. The Browns created a need by letting Hillis walk. They were competitive against the Steelers and Ravens this past season with him in the lineup. With so many other needs on offense, this made no sense. Hillis signed a one year contract for $3 million. The Browns didn't even make an offer. They couldn't have made a similar offer for one year??? It could have bought them some time and allowed them to address other needs on offense.
The only thing that makes sense with the release of Steinbach is if the Browns had some questions about his health. But with the Browns medical staff's track record it makes you wonder. The Browns had a pretty solid left side of the O-line with Steinbach and Joe Thomas. The situation with Tony Pashos is interesting. There is no question that Pashos has been injured as often as he has been able to play. But according to reports, he played injured for most of last year when most guys would have bailed on the season. It would have been easy to bail since the team was going nowhere. For his dedication Pashos was cut.
With all of these needs and no committment to add any more pieces through free agency, the Holmgren/Heckert regime better be right on all of their draft picks, particularly those two first round picks. One thing that appears to be certain, it's going to be another long year on the Lakefront for long-suffering Browns fans. Almost makes me consider dropping the NFL Sunday Ticket.
Browns Lose Out On RGIII: Now What??
The Washington Redskins made a bold move by trading away multiple future draft picks, including their 2013 and 2014 first round draft picks, to the St.Louis Rams in order to move up to the second pick overall in this year's draft to select Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Robert Griffin III. It has been reported by multiple sources that the Cleveland Browns tried to make a deal with the Rams but were not willing to give up future first round picks. So the question is: Now What??
Browns General Manager Tom Heckert has indicated that he will not go after a veteran quarterback in free agency and in general the team will not go crazy in free agency. As a result, what the Browns do in this year's draft will be critical in detrmining the future of this football team. While I have been impressed with RGIII, I think the Browns were right in not mortgaging their future to get him. But there are two statements that Heckert has made which bother me.
The Browns GM has indicated that he would be willing to trade down from the fourth pick in order to get additional picks. Haven't we heard this story before??? Isn't this team devoid of playmakers??? With the fourth pick overall the Browns would most certainly be able to select Justin Blackmon which would fill a critical need at wide receiver.
Heckert has also indicated that he really likes Brandon Weeden, the 28 year old quarterback from Oklahoma State. What I found most troubling was that Heckert stated if he could get 5 years out of Weeden that would be great because he (Heckert) might not be around by then. Wow, what a statement!!!
Last season the Mike Holmgren regime took a major hit in my eyes as a result of their unbridled trust in Pat Shurmur's ability to run an offense and the total mishandling of the Colt McCoy concussion situation. In addition, Holmgren's assertion that he doesn't care about what has happened in the past and that "you are either with us or against us" was a slap in the face to long-suffering Browns fans. Moreover, last season was a step backwards as the Browns looked worse than they did in Eric Mangini's last season.
As far as I'm concerned, the honeymoon is over for Holmgren and Heckert. It's time to give Browns fans some hope. I'm not expecting to make the playoffs next year but I am expecting an exciting team, one that can do more than kicking field goals to score points. The next two months will set the stage for the Browns 2012 season and determine if Holmgren & Company will live up to the hype that surrounded his hiring as team president a few years ago.
Browns Organization Continues To Be A Joke
As many of you know I have been a Browns fan for my entire life going back to the early 60's. I remember their last NFL Championship in 1964. Since then there have been plenty of disappointments. The 1965, 1968 and 1969 losses in the NFL Championship games. Red-Right 88 in the 1981 playoff game loss against the Oakland Raiders. The Drive. The Fumble. Another 1989 AFC Championship loss. And then the team moving to Baltimore after the 1995 season.
In 1999, the Browns were back and it has been a series of missteps. When the Browns hired Mike Holmgren to be President of the team it was believed that for the first time Randy Lerner had someone who had a football background to lead the team, Carmen Policy notwithstanding. However, Holmgren's regime has provided enough fodder to make one wonder if this organization will ever get out of its own way and continue to be nothing more than a joke. Let's look at the record.
When Holmgren came in he elected to keep Eric Mangini on as head coach, even though we knew that Holmgren and Mangini were not on the same page philosophically. Then, he hires Pat Shurmur who has had no head coaching experience but we are told that he has an offensive mind. Really!!! Not sure we saw much difference between Shurmur's offense and Brian Daboll's, even though one can make the argument that Colt McCoy played better under Daboll.
Of course, under Daboll, McCoy had a running game led by Peyton Hillis. The same Peyton Hillis who the Browns have in essence run out of town and by doing so have created another hole that needs to be filled. So a team devoid of playmakers loses another one. Speaking of McCoy, the whole mishandling of the concussion he received in Pittsburgh was a huge black eye. Holmgren's ridiculous and totally unbelieveable explanation that no one saw the viciousness of the hit was a joke. The fact that this kid was allowed back on the field was a disgrace. And if my memory serves me correctly, Holmgren went after Browns fans basically saying you are either with us or against us.
This season's end of the year press conference with Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert was also disturbing. Holmgren told us that we need to have faith in him and his management team. He further said that Pat Shurmur was going to be a head coach here for a long time. Shurmur's performance this year was borderline sophomoric. To assist the offense, the Browns yesterday announced the hiring of Brad Childress as Offensive Coordinator. The same Childress whose offense was questioned consistently while he was head coach in Minnesota, even though he had Adrian Peterson and for a brief time Brett Farve.
In keeping with this "your either with us or against us" attitude, it was announced that long-time Cleveland Plain Dealer Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi was being relieved of his duties covering the team because of a message that he inadvertently posted on twitter. Grossi posted the following: "He's a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world." Grossi apologized but it wasn't enough. It has been reported that the Browns contacted the Plain Dealer to voice their disapproval. So much for a free press. The fact of the matter is that the only constant for the Browns is Randy Lerner and as a result Tony Grossi is right.
Grossi is an excellent reporter. He is objective. He calls it the way he sees it. I don't always agree with him but I respect his opinion. What I also respect is his willigness to call the Browns out when necessary. He's more than a cheerleader. But obviously he did not demonstrate that he was "with them" so he must be "against them."
I have questioned many times over the last few years if I would have been better off if the Browns never came back. The more I see what continues to go on with this franchise under the leadership of Randy Lerner, I think I know the answer.
January 11, 1987: A Day Of Infamy For Browns Fans
Thirty-five years ago yesterday, the AFC Championship Game was held at the venerable Cleveland Municipal Stadium. (great atmosphere even though it was decrepit) The Cleveland Browns led 20-13 with 5:32 left in the game and they had just pinned the Denver Broncos back on their own 2 yard line. The old Stadium sensed that their team could be punching a ticket to the Super Bowl. I remember my whole family was gathered at my parents for Sunday dinner. Dinner was over and we were all huddled around the TV set. Even the ladies were in on it. My mother, who has endured the trials and tribulations of the Browns since I was five years old, knew that this was something big.
I was guarding against thinking ahead but remember thinking about what it would be like getting ready for the Super Bowl with the Browns in it for the first time. All they had to do was hold the Broncos one more time and they would move on. It was not to be. John Elway, who to this day when I see him I boil with rage, brought the Broncos to the Cleveland 40 yard line with 2 minutes left in the game. First and 10 from the Cleveland 40. On first down, Elway attempts a pass that goes incomplete. Second and 10 and Browns defensive tackle Dave Puzzuoli sacked Elway for an 8 yard loss. I was fighting not to think about the Browns Super Bowl shirts and hats I might be looking to buy. Stop them here and this one is over.
Third and 18, 1:52 left in the game. 1:52 to the Browns first Super Bowl. It was not to be. Elway hit Mark Jackson for a 20 yard pass. First and 10 from the Cleveland 28 yard line with 1:19 left. After an incomplete pass, Elway hit Steve Sewell for a 14 yard gain and brought the ball to the Cleveland 14. On first down, an incomplete pass brought second down when John Elway scrambled for a 9 yard gain. After a first down, it became third and one from the Browns 5 yard line with 39 seconds left in the game. I was pleading for them to stop them. The house was eerily quiet but I think everyone had a feeling if this didn't turn out well who knows what could happen. I remember back-up linebacker Brad Van Pelt running onto the field late and I was going nuts. What the hell is going on??? And then Elway hit Mark Jackson for a touchdown. The extra point was good and we were heading to overtime.
The Browns won the toss and got the ball first. They got to their own 36 yard line. It was third and 2 and they called for a running play to back-up running back Herman Fontenot. Are you kidding me?? What the hell are you thinking Marty?? (Schottenheimer). The Browns were forced to punt and Denver got the ball on their own 7. Once again, the Browns defense couldn't stop Elway. It was third and 12 from the 50 yard line. I'm thinking, stop them here and we''ll get the ball back. But no. Elway hit Steve Watson for a 28 yard gain. I knew it was over. 2 plays later Rich Karlis kicked a 33 yard field goal and Denver was going to the Super Bowl.
I remember going into a bedroom, grabbing a pillow and screaming into it. I was devastated and pissed off at the same time. How many more times will they get this close?? (the following year, The Fumble which I maintain was even harder for me to swallow). My wife, son and I left my Mom's. I was boiling. Our Christmas tree was still in the house and needed to be put out for the trash on Monday. While my wife was looking after my son, I bull rushed the tree out the front door and slammed it to the ground falling on top of it. I laid their on top of it, swearing and weeping at the same time. To this day when the highlights from this game are on TV I look away. Just can relive the pain.
Holmgren Doesn’t Get it
Last week, Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert held an end-of-the year press conference to discuss the team's season and what lies ahead. What was apparent is that Mike Holmgren doesn't understand what he needs to do as team president: Give the fans hope that things will turn around. The press conference didn't do that for me. The Double H boys want Browns fans to have hope that things will turn around because they say so. Really???
Mike Holmgren has never built a Super Bowl winning team. He coached two teams in the Super Bowl: Green Bay (won) and Seattle (lost). When he had general manager responsibilities in Seattle, the Seahawks did not do all that well and he was forced out of that role. With respect to Heckert, none of his Philadelphia Eagle teams won the Super Bowl. Based on the record, it's hard to buy what Holmgren is selling when he lectures us that we need to have faith in him.
While I agree that the Browns need to have continuity and stop the coaching carousel, what I have a problem with is how the Double H boys seemed to have ceded the decision about having an offensive coordinator to their rookie coach, Pat Shurmur. It appears that Holmgren likes to deal with his coaches the way he would like to be dealt with as a coach. The problem is that he is no longer a coach. He is a team executive who has years of experience in the NFL and needs to use that experience to assist his young first-time head coach. They hired an experienced NFL defensive coordinator (and former head coach) in Dick Jauron and the defensive unit had a fairly good year. The same cannot be said for the offense which stumbled and bumbled under the guidance of an overwhelmed rookie head coach. The same can be said for special teams, which went from a team strength to a team weakness that cost them at least two games. By the way the guy they got rid of, Brad Seely, coaches the San Francisco 49er special teams which won the NFC Western Division.
Holmgren made a point of saying that this was actually the first year of the Browns rebuild. Hmmmmmm. I can understand why he said that but he has been in Cleveland for two years and allowed his first year to be wasted by holding on to Eric Mangini. Again, this was a case where Holmgren acted as a coach as opposed to an executive. I remember him saying that it wasn't fair to Mangini to just come in and fire him. Really??? It was the first big decision that Holmgren had to make and it was a bust as he set the rebuild back a year.
As far as I'm concerned, the Double H boys do not deserve a pass. I'm not saying that I was expecting a playoff appearance this year. I'm also not saying that I expected an 8-8 record. But another double digit loss season with an offense that was putrid after hiring an offensive-minded head coach who was calling his own plays is totally unacceptable. Their handling of Colt McCoy also leaves a lot to be desired. In fact, I will say that McCoy has regressed. The whole concussion issue was badly mishandled and now the revelation from Seneca Wallace that he did not help McCoy in learning the new offensive scheme is an indictment on Holmgren because Wallace is Holmgren's guy. At the press conference he waxed glowingly about Seneca. Yet, the career back-up admitted that he didn't help McCoy because he wanted the starting job. If I were Colt McCoy, I wouldn't want to play another down for the Cleveland Browns.
The thing with McCoy is that Holmgren drafted him. He sold him as their guy. He believed that he could be the guy who would lead the Browns to the playoffs. Yet, Seneca Wallace refuses to help the kid quarterback out??? The same Seneca Wallace who played for Holmgren in Seattle and who Holmgren spoke so glowingly of last week. If McCoy is not the guy, and I don't believe he is, then Holmgren has set the rebuild back another year which makes this year's off season critical.
It is apparent that the Browns need to acquire playmakers, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. If they can't move up to get Andrew Luck then they need to acquire someone like Kyle Orton. With their two first round picks they need to draft players who can make a difference. Justin Blackmon would be a no-brainer if he is available with their first pick in the first round. If they can't get him, maybe they move down a couple of spots where they would draft either Ashton Jeffries or Michael Floyd plus pick up another draft pick. With that second first round pick, they need to take someone who can make a difference on either side of the ball. By acquiring someone like Orton, the Browns can have a chance to improve offensively while setting themselves up to be able to draft a quarterback in 2013. They could also use a third or fourth round pick this year to draft someone like Kellen Moore.
The Double H boys need to make the right moves this off season. Their first two major decisions have not panned out and in baseball its three strikes and your out.
2011 NFL Picks
Well, the NFL regular season is over and after a very slow start with my NFL Picks, I closed out the season in Week 17 going 3-0 in convincing fashion with Atlanta (-12), Baltimore (-2) and the NY Giants (-3). For the season I was 30-22 but over the last 12 weeks I was 26-12. NFL Playoffs begin on Saturday and I will have picks tomorrow.
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This morning at 11am Cleveland Browns President Mike Holmgren and General Manager Tom Heckert will hold a season ending press conference. I am really looking forward to hear what these two have to say as it relates to the quarterback situation, Peyton Hillis, free agency and the 2012 draft. The last time Holmgren addressed the media was after the McCoy concussion fiasco. At that time he scolded fans about being patient along with giving a Nixonian explanation about how they handled Colt McCoy after the James Harrison hit. Should be interesting.
Sorry To Say But Browns Need A QB!!
With the Browns not playing yesterday, I had the opportunity to follow games on DirecTV's Red Zone Channel. It's probably the best thing about the NFL's Sunday Ticket. I found myself paying attention to young QB's namely Andy Dalton, TJ Yates, Cam Newton, Christian Ponder and Jake Locker and it hit me: the Browns need to draft a quarterback.
I have wanted to believe that Colt McCoy was the guy that would lead the Browns to a championship. But after watching these other young QBs and comparing them to McCoy one thing was clear to me: these other young QBs can make plays to move their teams, I don't see that from Colt. All of the guys that I've mentioned can throw the ball long down the field. They can keep the defenses honest. The same can't be said for McCoy.
All of these young quarterbacks give their fans hope for the future and while they all did not win yesterday they were exciting to watch. Unfortunately for the Browns they will need to draft a quarterback in the upcoming draft. Depending upon where they ultimately finish, the Browns could possibly get a quarterback with their first pick in the first round. They could also package their two first round picks and trade with Indianapolis to get the first pick overall and select Andrew Luck. The Colts may be willing to do that if Peyton Manning is ready to play next year. As was reported on the CBS pre-game show, the Colts are concerned about how things would work if Manning is ready to play and they draft Luck. It's felt that Manning would not be a good mentor.
Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert need to understand that the fans of this downtrodden team cannot wait for a five year rebuild. We've been rebuilding for 12 years. They will need to score on their draft picks and need to sign free agents and I'm not talking about middling players. I'm talking about game changers. All we are looking for is some signs of hope that things are improving. Otherwise, we can be looking at another long five years ahead.
In Next 6 Games, Browns Will Learn If They Need A QB
Yesterday the Cleveland Browns held off the Jacksonville Jaguars 14-10 brining their record to 4-6 on a what has been a very depressing season. As a Browns fan, I wasn't overly excited about the win. Quite frankly all it did was reduce the chances of the Browns getting a top 10 draft pick.
The biggest question the Browns face is whether or not Colt McCoy is a franchise quarterback. Over the course of the next six weeks, they will face Cincinnati, Baltimore twice, Arizona and Pittsburgh twice. The weather will be cold and the defenses will be tough in all but Arizona. If McCoy is truly the guy to lead the Browns to the promised land then he will need to show that he can make plays against divisional rivals particularly in December.
As I have said numerous times I want to see this kid succeed. But I'm not yet sure he is a franchise QB. Is he tough? Yes. Does he have leadership abilities? Yes. But the question is does he have the physical ability to make others around him better. Can he lift the offense. Can he perform well in hostile environments. Over the course of the next 6 weeks we will find out whether the Browns will need to draft another quarterback.
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Tomorrow's Tuesday's Thoughts should be a classic.
Browns Abysmal In 30-12 Drubbing
The score is not truly indicative of the beating that the Houston Texans administered to the Cleveland Browns yesterday at Reliant Stadium. It seems like it was 1999 as the Browns truly looked like an expansion team. The only bright spot on this team was Phil Dawson, who once again was the Browns main point scorer with two field goals. This game illustrated that the Browns need help just about everywhere.
You have to feel sorry for Colt McCoy. The kid took a beating and the play which characterized the beating was when he was hit after he threw a pass that was caught by Greg Little which set up the Browns only touchdown. McCoy was nearly drilled into the ground by a hard charging Texan defender. One has to wonder how long McCoy can take this type of physical beating. You have to wonder if this kid will regress because of the physical pounding. It kind of reminds me of Tim Couch and we know how that story turned out.
The Browns running game yesterday was a total joke. Neither guy should be playing in the NFL let alone getting major carries. The offensive line is in complete shambles. If Tony Pashos is on this team next year then there should be an investigation. I'm also getting tired of Mohammed Massaquoi. The kid is injury prone and I think as long as he is with the Browns he will never be more than a mediocre receiver. The Browns only offensive threat is Josh Cribbs and the team refuses to utilize him more by putting him in the backfield.
Defensively, the Browns were gashed on the ground as both Arian Foster and Ben Tate rushed for over 100 yards each. If TJ Ward is out for an extended period of time the Browns secondary will only get worse. Matt Schaub had all day to throw and it was a good thing that Andre Johnson didn't play because the score would have been worse.
The St.Louis Rams come to Cleveland next week and it is not a given that the Browns will win. The Rams are playing better football and Sam Bradford is back. If the Browns do not win next week, it's quite possible that they won't win another game this year. Last year 5-11 and this year 3-13. Do you call that improvement?? It's time that Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert come out and explain to the greatest fans in football what is happening to their football team. It's time that they explain what the game plan is and how they are going to right this ship. A ship that has been going in circles since 1999. Holmgren and Company came into Cleveland giving us hope. But it's tough to believe when this team continues to be an embarassment week in and week out.
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