Bleacher Report - Articles by Daniel Wolf

College Football Players Who Would Look Good in a Cleveland Browns Uniform in the 2010 NFL Draft

Daniel Wolf — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:49:06 -0500

The Cleveland Browns have had a very bad decade of draft picks since their rebirth in 1999. Notables like Courtney Brown and Gerrard Warren are only a few of the names of the players the Browns have selected over much more productive All-Pro players. Once again in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Browns past over several future All-Pro players the likes of Clay Matthews III and Rey Maualuga. With the college football regular season coming to a close, the following are several players that would look very good in the orange and brown and hopefully Browns management will take a long hard look at these guys so if they have a chance to draft them, then they will not pass them by too. In no particular order, here are this journalist's opinion on one player per each position of need for the Browns.

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Mike Holmgren is One Step Closer to the Cleveland Browns

Daniel Wolf — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:27:54 -0500

Former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren is one step closer to coming to the Cleveland Browns.

After the Buffalo Bills spent seven hours courting and persuading former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan to become their next head coach and possible head of football operations, they made another call.

The Bills also called Holmgren to come in and interview, but according to Sirius NFL Radio he declined and said he wasn't interested.

Is Holmgren becoming enamoured with thought of rebuilding the Browns?

Or is he just keeping his options open?

Or does he just not want anything to do with Bills owner Ralph Wilson?

It may be a combination of everything above, but one thing is more certain now and that is there is one less team out there who Holmgren won't be working for.

Browns fans can now get a little more excited, because the odds of landing a football czar like Holmgren have just increased.

This maybe a little too optimistic of a look at this situation, but Cleveland fans will tell you that optimism is like a religion to them over the last decade.

Browns Fans Are Still Rejoicing That Braylon Edwards Still Can't Catch or Win

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:09:11 -0500

It has been almost two months since wide receiver Braylon Edwards was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the New York Jets for linebacker Jason Trusnik, wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, and draft picks, but the best part of this deal is that it is looking like the Browns got the better end of the deal.

Tursnik was almost immediately inserting into the starting lineup upon his arrival in Cleveland and has played admirably in the orange and brown with 29 tackles, two sacks, and one safety.

Stuckey has been slow to grasp the offense and after having several drops in his first few appearances finally broke out against the Detroit Lions with five catches for 76 yards and one touchdown.

If Stuckey can continue to contribute, then he will fit in nicely with the Browns who are in a dire need to consistency at the wide receiver position.

Edwards, on the other hand, has had his moments for the Jets, but after seven games, he has not lived up to the billing of being a former Pro Bowl wide receiver.

Sorry Jets fans, but almost every Browns fan could have told you that you were getting a player who may have needed a change of scenery, but bottom line is that Edwards will never be the elite player that he sees in the mirror everyday, or his narcissistic life.

With the Browns, Edwards had 10 catches for 139 yards and with the Jets he has 17 catches for 281 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jets have gotten more drops out of Edwards than anything else, and in his most recent game, he not only dropped a very important pass that could have given the Jets a two-point conversion, but he also fumbled in the game and nearly threw an interception himself.

That's right...the Jets called a pass play for Edwards...crazy!

Yes, there are six more games left and Edwards could break out and get enough receptions to move the third round draft pick the Browns received up to a second round pick, but Edwards' demeanor is far from changed.

No change of scenery can change the fact that Edwards will always drop passes for the rest of his professional career.

Once a dropper, always a dropper.

Finally, when doing a little research, it most be noted that Edwards is 1-15 in his last 16 regular season games he has played.

He was 0-6 in 2008 win the Browns' final six games, then 0-4 in 2009 with the Browns, and since the trade he is 1-5 with the Jets.

It appears the losing follows Edwards no matter where he goes.

A final assessment of this trade will occur after the 2009 season ends.

Browns Coach Eric Mangini: Good Guy Or Not, He Is Still Very Shady

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:15:01 -0500

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini has been in the negative spotlight for most of the 2009 NFL regular season. And despite a personal nature that is often portrayed favorably across national media outlets, the way Mangini deals with football matters in Cleveland are as shady and dark as the outlook for the Browns organization.

Mangini has tried to create some positive publicity the last several weeks, conducting exclusive interviews with SI.com and The NFL Today.

In both interviews Mangini appears to be a normal, down-to-Earth, stand up guy who is also a father and a husband.

Sadly, once he puts on a headset and his sideline attire, he transforms straight into Mr. Hyde.

Over the last several years, Mangini has been the centerpiece of a number of shady story lines around the league: ratting out his former mentor, lying to the NFL, and calling out other coaches.

While with the New York Jets, Mangini ratted out New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick when he was taping opposing teams signals from the sidelines.

Mangini and Belichick's relationship will never be the same—hopefully the world can someday recover.

In the same season Mangini lied about an injury to his starting quarterback, Brett Favre, and was eventually fined $250,000 for the incident.

Most recently, Mangini called out Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz, accusing him of instructing his players to fake injuries in order to stop the clock since the Lions were out of timeouts.

Mangini has since apologized and said he and Schwartz has squashed the issue.

These aren't even all of the questionable events surrounding Mangini. There are other injury related issues that he has been investigated for (RB James Davis' season-ending injury during practice), stabbing a former friend in the back to secure his own job (the firing of general manager and friend George Kokinis a few weeks back), and he has made a number of deals with his former Jets bosses after he was fired last year (it is just too shady that he keeps doing trades with the brass of his former team).

Why play the good guy to the media when your actions are so deceptive?

Are you really the stand up guy you portray to reporters?

Past events say, heck no.

You are more like a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, who will do anything in his power for control and personal gain.

Browns owner Randy Lerner better be looking at the questionable circumstances that have surrounded Mangini's tenure as an NFL head coach and ask himself is this the type of coach that he really hired back in the beginning of 2009.

It looks like Mangini is a master of disguise, though he needs to hone his skills—things are no longer undercover when the public continually hears about it.

Brady Quinn Shuts Up His Critics, But There's Still More to Prove

Daniel Wolf — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:30:10 -0500

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn has to have one of the biggest media filters of any NFL player. He can just shut out all the bad talk about him to continue to play football despite the extreme amounts of pressure that are put on him.

Just look at the photo...Quinn looks like he is having fun.

Fun is a word that has not been said too often regarding the Browns over the past season and a half of football, but versus the Lions, there was nothing but fun on the field.

Easily one of the most (if not the most) entertaining game the Browns have played since 2007, SI.com's Peter King even called this game "...the worst game of the year" going into Sunday, but after the game King said it could have very well been "the game of the year."

Indeed it could be 2009's NFL game of the year.

Both teams are and have been struggling for many years, and the futility of both franchises were put aside in a shootout that may be remembered for many years in the NFL.

No one could have thought the Browns-Lions would be a shootout, most thought these two teams would barely even be able to score a touchdown at all.

Four quarters later and 75 points in the books, the Lions pull out a win with :00 left on the clock.

The Browns are probably kicking themselves for giving up a 24-3 first quarter lead this Monday, since they were in complete control of the Lions both on offense and defense. But proper adjustments by Lions coach Jim Schwartz proved to be too much for Eric Mangini and his staff to be able to handle.

Regardless, of the outcome, there was one player whose possible future star power shined brightly despite all the negativity that is in the press and media, and that player was Quinn who threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns.

What is most surprising about Quinn's performance is his resilience and poise against all the pressure that has been building up on him both inside and outside of football.

The media has been viscous toward Quinn, saying everything from he's too much of a pretty boy, to he's too muscular to play quarterback, and his arm is not strong enough to be a NFL starter.

These are only a few of the things that have been said about Quinn, but on Sunday he shut up his critics by showing he can throw a deep pass, not once, but many times in a single game.

The key to Quinn's success was the protection the Browns' offensive line gave him.

Like most NFL quarterbacks, good protection in the pocket will equate to better accuracy and more production.

So maybe there are some Browns' fans that are crowning Quinn as the savior already, but please remember this was the Lions, and Quinn still needs to show some consistency before he can get crowned.

Still, Quinn's ability to shoulder all of the pressures of the media and fans shows he can really be the face of the franchise for years to come, because one of the most important characteristics a NFL starting quarterback needs to have is to be able to take extreme amounts of pressure.

Quinn has passed this test, but let's see if he plays at this level for several more game this season and if he can play at a higher level, then maybe the Browns can focus on other positions in the offseason instead of at quarterback.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper)

LeBron James in the NFL? Let's See What Madden 10 Has To Say About This

Daniel Wolf — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:58:44 -0500

So, all week long, the media has been in a frenzy over comments that NBA Superstar and Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James made saying that he would be a great football player given enough time to commit to the training regime.

Many have said and written that this is insane, other have said that James would be a very good football player.

Then there are some like New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey that have stated James wouldn't even be practice squad material.

To solve this hypothetical debate, I went to the one source that could help determine James's outcome as an NFL football player, and that source is Madden NFL 10.

In the create-a-player mode, I duplicated James' height and weight (he weight was increased to 270 because he would have packed on more muscle during his training for the NFL), and distributed specific player attributes according to what I thought are James's possible strengths and weaknesses in professional football would be.

James ended up with a overall rookie rating of 78.

Of course, James was made to be a tight end, since he would obviously want to be a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, and his tremendous size puts him as a more pass catching tight end more than anything else.

So, the next step was to follow the lead of his State Farm commercial and sign him up with the Cleveland Browns (I also used the default rosters that you have when starting a new franchise.).

Please understand that due to time constraints, I was not able to play any games with James as a tight end, but instead I had Madden 10 simulate all the games, which tends to be rather accurate.

First up, is the preseason, and James finished with 11 receptions for 95 yards.

Nothing too spectacular in the preseason at all, but it was only the preseason.

Now to the regular season, where James had 59 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns.

A solid rookie season for James, where he had two touchdowns in one game versus the Green Bay Packers and his best game came against the Oakland Raiders where he had eight catches for 61 yards.

Unfortunately, his rookie performance was not enough to earn his the Offensive Rookie of the Year honor.

In year No. 2, James' performance in the preseason improved with 16 receptions for 167 yards and one touchdown.

During the regular season of year two, James amassed 55 receptions for 567 yards and four touchdowns.

With his stats falling slightly from his rookie year, James still showed consistency in year two and his best game was against the Cincinnati Bengals where he had eight catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Granted this is only a video game simulation and these stats can vary every time there is another simulation, it still shows that after two seasons in the NFL, James is no where near the top-tier tight end talents like Dallas Clark, Tony Gonzalez, and Antonio Gates.

As James' career continued, here are some more stats from year three and beyond.

Year three James had 72 receptions for 785 yards and two touchdowns, with his best game against the St. Louis Rams with five catches for 116 yards and one touchdown.

Year four James had 66 receptions for 688 yards and four touchdowns, with his best game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with 10 catches for 133 yards and one touchdown.

Year five James has peeked for three straight years at an overall rating of 97. He had 59 receptions for 558 yards and four touchdowns, with his best game against the Baltimore Ravens with five catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

As you can see, the results of this little experiment show that James would be a good tight end in the NFL (no Pro Bowl appearances for James), but he would not be equal to the superstar level that he currently enjoys in the NBA.

Stick with basketball, because in the NFL, you will not be able to make anywhere close to the amount of money you are getting right now in the NBA.

In closing, I must say that this was a fun experiment but it did take about two hours to complete from the start of creating James in the game to finishing this article.

I hope you have enjoyed this little fantasy piece, because I know I did while going through the process!

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Eric Mangini FAIL List Part One: Events Leading to His Firing as Browns Coach

Daniel Wolf — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:54:43 -0500

This article is influenced by the Fail Blog , and this is part one of Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini's version, with all of the following "FAIL" events listed below leading up to his eventual demise as coach of the Browns.

Whatever Happened to Running Back Jerome Harrison?

When it was announced that Mangini was coming over to the Browns from the New York Jets, many experts, analysts, and fans assumed that he would be able to finally utilize Harrison's talents as a player in a similar fashion to how he used Leon Washington with the Jets.

Unfortunately, this has not been the case at all

After a great performance running for over 100 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals, Harrison has been a non-factor in the Browns' offense since.

What's the deal here, Mangini?

Obviously, you really do not know how to properly utilize talented players on your rosters, and despite the fact that everyone knows the Browns' roster has minimal talent, Harrison is one of the very few players that do have some talent.

Sad to say that Mangini not using Harrison's talents more is a "FAIL" toward himself getting fired.

Brian Daboll as Offensive Coordinator Instead of Brian Schottenheimer? REALLY!?

So Mangini gets to pick his offensive coordinator here in Cleveland, but instead of bringing his Jets coordinator in Schottenheimer, he brings the Jets' former quarterbacks coach in Daboll.

WHY!?!?

You have a proven and experienced guy in Schottenheimer, but you go with Daboll, who will give you a rookie offensive coordinator for one of the biggest professional sports team rebuilding projects of perhaps all time.

Bad call.

Bringing Schottenheimer over would have been a much better move, but again Mangini gets a "FAIL" based on his decision to bring Daboll instead.

Passing on USC Linebackers and Possible Franchise Quarterback in the 2009 NFL Draft

So let's give Alex Mack some credit here first, because he has been a great young addition to the offensive line and will be wearing a Browns uniform for many year to come.

Also, some credit has to go to Kaluka Maiava because the Browns did grab a USC linebacker, but they could have had two instead of just the one they have now.

But...Mangini could have drafted for positions where there was more need, like at quarterback and especially linebacker.

At this point in the Browns' season, Mark Sanchez would have been a welcome addition to the horrible play of both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

Sanchez might not have had much success given the lack of playmakers on the roster, but he does show much more poise than Anderson or Quinn.

Also, the Browns could have had USC linebackers Clay Matthews III or Rey Maualuga, who have both shown immediate impact on their respective teams so far this season. With the Browns hurt at linebacker once more, they will have to look at 2010's crop of linebackers to fill needs.

Mangini gets a "FAIL" on this too based on the crop of linebackers that USC produced, and those guys (including Brian Cushing) will all be Pro Bowlers down the road.

The Handling of the Preseason Quarterback Competition

This is the one event that probably 98 percent of all Browns fans are most aware of.

Here is the quick summary: Quinn and Anderson are equally splitting reps, Mangini starts Quinn in preseason game one, then Anderson in game two, then splits the halves in game three for both, and sits both for the fourth game without naming the regular season starter until a few days before the game.

Mangini gets a "FAIL" for this approach because it would have been much more beneficial to name a starter after the second preseason game so the starter could have the third and maybe the final preseason games to develop chemistry with the rest of the offense before the season started.

Rookie Running Back James Davis Gets Injured During Practice

So the NFL ruled that there was no wrongdoing in Davis' injury, but let's all be honest here and ask why Davis wasn't wearing pads.

Davis had a tremendous preseason and was a very promising rookie going into the season, but for some reason Mangini let Davis not wear pads in what he calls "opportunity drills" after practice ends for rookies and squad players to get a chance to impress coaches.

Davis was hit by another player who had pads on.

This is ridiculous, and Mangini should have told Davis to put his pads on since the defender had his on.

Unacceptable, and Mangini gets a "FAIL" for letting one player practice against another with pads on because anything can happen with the game of football, including during practices.

Where are the safety measures, Mangini?

Trading Away a No. 5 Pick in the First Round and Two Pro Bowlers For Next to Nothing

Former Jet castoffs and mediocre draft picks are what Mangini got in exchange for the No. 5 overall pick, Braylon Edwards, and Kellen Winslow Jr.

Pathetic, and it was too bad that former general manager George Kokinis didn't stand his ground and put his foot down to stop the acquiring of average players.

To give some credit, linebacker Jason Trusnik has been a pleasant surprise, but he is no Pro Bowl player at all.

Mangini gets a "FAIL" for not asking for more and higher value in these trades period.

Using Josh Cribbs in a Meaningless Attempt at an Impossible 16-Point Play

First of all, there is no such thing as a 16-point play in football, so the last second hook-and-ladder play on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens was dumb.

Cribbs has said that Quinn called to keep the ball alive, which might be a play in keeping all the heat off of Mangini, but with seconds remaining in a 16-0 debacle, why even try to score with two seconds left?

Take a knee, let the fans boo, and get off the field to prevent any injury on a meaningless play.

Mangini, you get a "FAIL" for even trying to score in the final seconds of the game only to save your own butt by not getting shut out so fans would not hate you more.

Guess what...the fans hate you even more because you almost got the best offensive players on the roster knocked out for the season or worse.

This will be an ongoing series of articles, so look for more to come in the future as Mangini continues to achieve "FAIL" status in the many decisions and actions as the season progresses and ends with the eventual demise of him as coach of the Browns.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper)

As Browns' Offensive Woes Continue, Firing of Brian Daboll Should be Looming

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:20:52 -0500

After a horrible performance against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, in which the Cleveland Browns had two weeks to prepare for, Browns fans across this nation are calling for owner Randy Lerner to step in and make a move by firing offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

Daboll is a rookie coordinator, but after watching another touchdown-less debacle against the Ravens (that makes six of nine games without a touchdown in 2009), his value is lower than it ever has been. Unless the Browns cannot score a touchdown against the Detroit Lions this upcoming Sunday.

When will the horrible play-calling stop?

What is Eric Mangini really doing in this matter?

Where was the help that Mangini said quarterbacks coach Brad Smith (who is a former offensive coordinator himself) was going to give to Daboll?

So many questions, so few answers, and even fewer results.

Lerner has been more proactive and hands-on with the Browns over the past month than he has been since taking over ownership from his late father Al.

Unfortunately, Lerner being proactive meant him finding a scapegoat in firing former general manager George Kokinis, when he should have fired Daboll instead.

Now he needs to put his extremely wealthy foot down again and fire Daboll now.

Usually, you have to give any rookie a chance to develop, and usually signs of development are noticed as the season progresses, but not in the case of the Browns' offense.

After two weeks of prep for the Ravens, one would think that Mangini, Daboll, and Smith would create a solid game plan, but that was not the case and the game plan looked the exact same as what was used during Brady Quinn's first 10 quarters of play as a starter to open the 2009 season.

Any Browns or NFL fan that watched the Monday Night game could tell you that ESPN analyst Jon Gruden's comments throughout the game were dead-on regarding the offensive scheme the Browns were using and the lack of long passes to back the defenses up.

Too bad Gruden didn't get fed up with Mangini, throw off his announcer headset, and go down to the sideline where he could have knocked out Mangini and took over the team for the rest of the game.

That was just wishful thinking, but at times it did seem like Gruden got really pissed off at the Browns.

Remember, Gruden grew up about 45 minutes outside of Cleveland in Sandusky, Ohio where he too was a Browns fans while growing up.

If Lerner cannot or will not fire Mangini, then the next best thing needs to happen and that's getting rid of a horrid play-caller in Daboll and put a new perspective into the offensive coordinator position to get this historically bad offense going somehow.

Browns fans want a better product on the field and with bad play-calling they now are calling for Daboll's head.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

The Hit on Browns' Josh Cribbs an Inappropriate Act of Retaliation

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:31:40 -0500

After reading a Bleacher Report article on how Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn should be suspended for a low blow on Baltimore Ravens defender Terrell Suggs, I had to make a stand for my Browns and write this article on how the hit on Josh Cribbs was uncalled for and Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards should be suspended and fined for this hit.

It was the last play of the game, and Quinn threw a pass to Cribbs, who then began to run and also look for another Browns player to lateral to.

He found tight end Robert Royal, who caught the ball, but then unbeknownst to Cribbs, he was targeted by Edwards. After I watched the replay, Edwards went for Cribbs' throat and smashed his arm right into Cribbs' head, causing him to lie motionless on the field once the game was over.

Was this a retaliation play by the Ravens' Edwards because Quinn was just trying to make a play earlier in the game and went a little too low and hit Suggs' knees because he was going for the defender who picked off his pass?

I would say it is very possible knowing that the Ravens like to play very aggressively and perhaps too aggressively at times.

In Quinn's defense, he is a quarterback who normally doesn't tackle big defensive players on a regular basis, so even after watching the replay of the play on Suggs, I would say that he was trying to make a play to the best of his ability without trying to hurt himself or another.

On the other hand, Edwards' hit on Cribbs looked to be a direct result of him going after Cribbs and attacking his head rather than his body.

Cribbs was eventually carted off the field and he was taken to a local Cleveland hospital immediately.

No word yet on the status of Cribbs' injury, but Browns coach Eric Mangini did tell the media that Cribbs did have feeling and movement in all of his extremities.

The Ravens were successful in beating the Browns 16-0 on Monday Night Football and they were also successful in possibly ending the season of one of the Browns' best and most talented players on their roster.

As a Browns fan, my prayers go out to Cribbs for good news and to have a speedy recovery and I strongly suggest to NFL officials to throw the hammer down on Edwards and suspend him for multiple games and give him a tremendous fine for his hit.

(Thank you Sam Ingro for the following photo!)

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

Jamal Lewis Renounces Browns, Considers Himself a Raven After Retirement

Daniel Wolf — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:04:21 -0500

Cleveland Browns and former Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis has announced that he is retiring at the end of this season, but that's not all he had to say.

Lewis has been with the Browns for three years now, and even though the Browns gave him a second chance to be a starter in the NFL after the Ravens gave up on his ability and cut him, he has denounced the team that has given him a second chance.

According to cleveland.com, "He said he'll look back at himself as a Raven as opposed to a Raven and a Brown."

Really?

He would rather consider himself a Raven and not even mention the fact that they cast him aside?

The reason this even came up is due to the fact that this Monday Lewis will play his former team for the last time in his career, but honestly, it sounds like he would rather suit up in the purple and black rather than in the orange and brown.

To support his statement regarding him always being a Raven, Lewis also said, "...that's who gave me my shot."

"That's who brought me in. That's where I pretty much did all my work. I have a lot of memories there, a lot of memories there—a lot of older players that helped me out and brought me in, led me and showed me the way. That's where I got it from."

Lewis has been silent about his reasons to retire, but he finally caved in and said, "...I'm tired of it....So, time to move on."

But he also said, "[he] made that decision before the season even started."

Sounds a little contradictory.

So Lewis decided before the season started that he wanted to retire but kept it quiet until two weeks ago after the Browns were blown out by the Bears, and then told everyone that he was also tired of it and it was time to move on.

Sounds like Lewis hates being on the Browns, but who can really blame him?

Regarding the Browns' current 1-7 record, he said, "I don't think that the locker room has turned. I don't think that anybody has turned their back on the situation or anything. Everybody's just out here working hard, because we know that we can go out and compete. We just have to put it all together."

Bottom line, with Lewis retiring, he should see less playing time in the last half of the season so that the Browns can give more reps to Jerome Harrison and Chris Jennings to see what their future is at running back.

Sorry Lewis, but in this journalist's opinion, your comments should only get you short yardage formations and goal-line plays for the rest of the year.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper)

Brady Quinn is Starting, Now the Browns Need to Copy the Broncos Passing Game

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:33:06 -0500

According to Cleveland Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini, Brady Quinn will once again be the Browns' starting quarterback for Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.

At the half way point in the 2009 season, it's deja vu all over again for Browns fans, because before the season started, Quinn was named as the starter, but was then benched after 10 quarters of play.

Many of the NFL Web sites on the Internet agree that Quinn was not given a fair chance to grow into a starting quarterback, but those same sites also speculate that Quinn's $11 million in incentives played a role in his benching too.

Make your own assessment on if Quinn was benched either due to performance, or money, but regardless, he is now starting again for the Browns.

In Quinn's first 10 quarters of football, he looked very tentative in his decision making, and did not throw the ball past 20 yards.

Whether it is due to his lack of arm strength, or the complexity of the offense he was running, or even the wide receivers not running crisp routes remains to be seen, but in the last eight games of the season that conclusion should present itself as long as Mangini sticks with Quinn.

The one thing that the Browns coaching staff, and especially Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll need to look at is the passing attack of the Denver Broncos, and their quarterback Kyle Orton.

Bronco's rookie Head Coach Josh McDaniels was heavily criticized for trading away quarterback Jay Cutler to get Orton in return from the Chicago Bears, but at midseason Orton is by far a better fit in Denver than Cutler would have been, because of the offensive system that is in place.

Now McDaniels' decision to get Orton looks like the trade of the year.

Orton does not have the strongest arm in the NFL, but he does have the passion to play, and the intelligence to understand defensive formations, and make the adjustments to counter it.

Sounds like a very similar description to Quinn.

The most astonishing statistic about Orton and the Broncos' passing attack, is that fact that they run a short, ball controlled attack with very few passes longer than 25 yards.

A stat was shown, during one of the most recent Broncos games on television, and Orton completes 83-percent of his passes thrown under 10 yards, but past 10 yards his completion percentage drops dramatically. From 11-24 yards Orton's completion percentage drops to 18-percent, and then over 25-plus yards it's only 12-percent.

These numbers might make you think that the Broncos should be struggling to move the ball, but they have moved it very, very well to the point where they are 6-2 for the season, and sitting atop of the AFC West Division.

Also to give credit where credit is due, Josh McDaniels is a quarterback development God. In the past, he has worked with, and further developed Tom Brady, but he then made a starter out of Brady's backup Matt Cassel last year when Brady went down with an injury. Now he has turned Orton into one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL.

Getting back to the point, so the formula of a short passing attack can work with a quarterback who may not have the strongest arm in the NFL, so why can't the Browns copy this format to allow Quinn to successfully move the offense?

That is the million (or more appropriately, the $11 million) question?

In all honesty, the Broncos do have an All-Pro wide receiver in Brandon Marshall, and a up and coming receiver in Eddie Royal too, whereas the Browns do not have any caliber of receiver compared to those two right now, but that will change in time.

Remember McDaniels was calling about Quinn when he was trying to trade Cutler in the offseason, so that should tell us all that Quinn can be good in the NFL, but only in a system that is similar to the Broncos passing game.

Mangini had better be taking some notes from this article, because if he truly wants Quinn to grow, and become the Browns future at quarterback, like he has said in many interviews to the media, then he better start watching as much tape of the Broncos offense as he can, and copy every passing play they use.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

A New Cleveland Browns Executive May Feel Pressure of Past Front Office Failures

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:51:32 -0500

Since the Cleveland Browns were reborn in 1999, there have been several front office makeovers, and now in 2009, another has already begun.

One would think that after 10 years of having a team, Cleveland would be ahead of where they currently are, but unfortunately, many say that the 2009 Browns are quite possibly worse than their 1999 version.

Now that owner Randy Lerner has fired general manager George Kokinis, the Browns are looking to rebuild their front office only 10 months since the last time it was rebuilt.

Lerner has said that he is looking for a "credible leader" to head up all things football for the organization and to become the face and voice of the team.

This is kind of like a "virtual owner" without actually being the owner.

The problem is that this should have been the focus years ago, but a decade later it looks like the Browns and Lerner might finally get it right as long as the right person is chosen to wield all this power that Lerner is willing to hand out.

The currently rumored candidates (as you may already know) include Mike Holmgren, Ernie Accorsi, Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Marty Schottenheimer, and Charlie Casserly, to name a few.

The biggest question is who will want to take on what is possibly one of the biggest rebuilding projects of any professional sports team in the nation?

Also, how much added pressure will be on their shoulders since all previous front office persons have failed in the last 10 years?

The following are the failures of the Browns front office since their rebirth.

Carmen Policy, President and CEO (1998-2004)

Policy is best known as the man who helped the San Francisco 49ers win many Super Bowls while he was their front office.

As a close friend of late owner Al Lerner, Policy was brought on board to help build a championship-caliber Browns team utilizing all of his knowledge from his 49ers days.

Some have said in the past that Policy's biggest mistake was the hiring of Dwight Clark as the head of all football operations.

Policy stepped down from his position after five years in 2004 and sold off his 10-percent share of the team ownership too.

Dwight Clark, General Manager (1998-2002)

Clark is best known for being the San Francisco 49ers' tight end from 1979-1987, and he was on the receiving end of a Joe Montana touchdown pass best known as "The Catch."

His time with the Browns was less than pleasant mostly due to his horrible evaluating of talent and the questionable drafting of players instead of drafting many others who would become All-Pro talent in the years to come.

Clark's time was cut short when he was fired following the 2002 season.

Butch Davis, Head Coach with some GM powers (2001-2004)

Davis is best known as being a very power-hungry coach who assumed some general manager responsibilities and powers after Clark was fired at the end of 2002.

He led the Browns to a 7-9 record in 2001, nearly making the playoffs but missing them by one game.

In 2002, he led the Browns to their only playoff appearance since their rebirth with a 9-7 record, but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round.

Also during 2002, a quarterback controversy arose between Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb, and Davis took a lot of heat for his inability to handle the situation.

Davis' demise continued the next season, and in the 2004 offseason he cut Couch and signed quarterback Jeff Garcia, who turned out to be a horrid free agent pickup. Davis was forced to resign during the 2004 season with a record of 3-8.

John Collins, President and CEO (2004-2005)

Collins' stint with the Browns was short-lived, and after replacing Policy, he went on to hire a new general manager in Phil Savage.

After Savage was hired, there was a heated "personality conflict" between the two; once it was public, Collins resigned from his position.

Phil Savage, Senior Vice President and General Manager (2005-2008)

Savage came in as a guru of evaluating talent with the Baltimore Ravens, and his vision including building the Browns through the draft.

After drafting several All-Pro players for the Ravens, he also drafted two Browns All-Pros in Braylon Edwards and Joe Thomas, who helped the Browns to a very surprising 10-6 record in 2007. However, they missed the playoffs with a late season loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Though his initial vision was to improve via the draft, Savage began trading away valuable draft picks for players in very questionable moves. During 2008, he also responded inappropriately to a fan's text message, which was the beginning of the end for Savage. At the end of a dismal 2008 campaign, he was fired.

George Kokinis, General Manager (2009)

Recently fired Kokinis has many football reporters saying and writing different things regarding the reasons behind the sudden departure, and both head coach Eric Mangini and Lerner are mum on the subject.

No matter what the reason for the firing was, Kokinis was a no-show in his brief eight months as the general manager.

Only time will tell who the new Browns executive will be, but that person better be aware of the bad luck that has dwelled within the Browns' front office over the past decade.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper.)

Cleveland Browns Owner Randy Lerner's Search for a Guru Needs To End Soon

Daniel Wolf — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:55:57 -0500

Week Nine of the 2009 NFL season was and will be one of the most talked about weeks in the Cleveland Browns history for many years to come.

It was the week that Browns owner Randy Lerner finally stepped in with an axe and chopped down his general manager, George Kokinis, for mysterious reasons that are all hearsay despite several interesting stories that have been published regarding the matter.

Now the rumors are spreading like wildfire that Lerner is enamoured with former coach Mike Holmgren, but remembered the last time Lerner became obsessed with a guy he wanted to hire with Eric Mangin?

Look how that has turned out.

Regardless, Lerner being obsessed with Holmgren is much better than Mangini, but Lerner needs to sit back and fully analyze and research this football czar that he wants to hire before jumping into a decision like he has done in the past.

Whoever Lerner does hire, hopefully he is looking at these select individuals including: Ernie Accorsi, Marty Schottenhiemer, Holmgren, Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, and Tony Dungy.

Lerner's pick should be one of these names, period.

Apparently, Lerner also wants to hire in his franchise savior within the next week or two, so his new guru will be able to evaluate the current roster and Mangini.

Lerner does not want to pay more former employees, since he is already paying out approximately $20 million to Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage, but if his football guru says Mangini has to go at the end of this season, then that's what needs to happen and Lerner's bottom line will have to inflate by paying Mangini, too.

Getting the right person in place to lead this team as the new "face of the franchise" of the Browns is a very important decision that Lerner needs to choose wisely, but quickly in order to properly evaluate the current Browns for the future.

Mangini's "process" is not a "process" anymore, especially once the czar is in place, and it is now a "process" to save his own job, which may be a lost cause anyway.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

A Sirius NFL Radio Analogy Of Browns Coach Eric Mangini's "Process"

Daniel Wolf — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:15:05 -0500

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini loves to talk to the media about his "process" regarding the rebuilding of the organization.

One thing that Mangini always leaves out are the intimate details of his "process," which leaves all Browns fans questioning what the "process" really is.

On Thursday morning's broadcast of "The Opening Drive" on SiriusXM NFL Radio, a discussion occurred about the Browns, including an excellent analogy of Mangini's "process."

They compared the Browns to an old house and Mangini to a contractor who has been hired to completely overhaul and redesign the house.

First the contractor will meet with the home owner (which in this case would be owner Randy Lerner) and discuss the plans of the redesign (the actual rebuild of the team).

Specific examples were given, like what walls may come down (players to get rid off), the changing of the color scheme (the culture of the team), if any internal plumbing needs to be completely replaced (any bad seed players that really need to go), and the overall look of the outside of the home (the team identity).

The shows hosts then brought up the question of whether or not Mangini should be fired right now. They both agreed that firing Mangini now would be like firing the contractor when he is in the middle of the redesign, which would mean a replacement contractor would have to take what was left of the carnage from the previous contractor and start anew.

This is why Lerner will not fire Mangini at midseason: He does not want to bring someone in to clean up the pieces after his home was completely dismantled.

Unfortunately, with every reconstruction project, once it gets to the halfway point there are signs that everything is starting to come together and the house is starting to take its new shape.

That is not what is seen with the Browns right now.

There is no improvement and the team seems to get worse as the season progresses.

Lerner has said that the reason he hired Mangini so quickly was due to his attention to details, his disciplinarian approach, and his full plan (aka the "process") to rebuild the team from the foundation up.

Sadly, Lerner obviously didn't get the memo from Mangini that says the "process" will take a full season of disgusting and down-right horrible football.

Now that it's the bye week and the start of the second half of the season, Mangini needs to pull out at least three to four wins to save his job and prove that the "process" is starting to show positive signs and growth.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper.)

Browns Are Still Talking to Former GM Ernie Accorsi Depsite His Denials

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:53:46 -0500

Former Cleveland Browns and New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi has denied all rumors that he has been contacted by Browns owner Randy Lerner to become the new general manager of the Browns.

Accorsi has said his is very comfortable in his retired life and there is no way that he would want to become the GM of the Browns.

He also stated that he works with the league office and has been a consultant for several teams since his retirement and is not interested in any full-time job right now.

But is this really true?

Even though Accorsi has denied any contact with Lerner and the Browns, there are other sources that say Lerner is actively talking to Accorsi and possibly right now as you are reading this.

The most current rumor says that despite what Accorsi says, he is still talking to Lerner about other possible GM candidates for the Browns.

These talks are very similar to the conversations both had earlier in the year when Accorsi was discussing his suggestions of GM candidates before George Kokinis was hired.

Accorsi recommended the Giants Director of Pro Personnel David Gettleman.

Lerner ignored Accorsi's recommendation by hiring Kokinis anyway.

Now, it's deja vu for Lerner because 11 months later, the same conversations are occurring and hopefully Lerner is a better listener this time.

Or maybe Lerner is talking to Accorsi so much with the hope that Accorsi will just decide to come out of retirement and take the GM position himself.

The most important thing to take from this is that even though Accorsi denies any contact with Lerner and the Browns right now, both parties are still secretly talking which is nothing but a positive sign for Browns fans everywhere!

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Cleveland Browns Drama: Insider Firing Details, Kosar, Barton Injury & More

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:43:57 -0500

Even though the Cleveland Browns are on their bye week, there has been more noise in the last few days than points the team has put up in the first half of the 2009 season.

ESPN insider guru, Adam Schefter, has released some details regarding the sudden firing of general manager George Kokinis saying that the Browns have been investigating Kokinis for several weeks.

Apparently Kokinis and head coach Eric Mangini, who hand picked Kokinis as the Browns GM, have had their differences in opinions for weeks now regarding the current state of the Browns and the right direction the team should be going in.

Details of these differences were not made public due to legal reasons with the firing, but Schefter also said that phone records and various paperwork were under investigation so that the Browns could fire Kokinis "with cause," which means not having to pay out the rest of his contract.

Mangini spoke to the media today and said that this was a tough decision to make since Kokinis is a long time friend, but it had to be made for the better of the franchise.

Obviously, Mangini was being vague regrading any further details and he did not answer any questions from the media regarding the matter.

Bernie Kosar and Ernie Accorsi teaming up?

Another rumor that Cleveland.com has squashed was that former Browns and Giants GM Ernie Accorsi was coming to Cleveland to be the new President and/or GM of the Browns, but Accorsi said he is not involved in any GM talks with Browns owner Randy Lerner.

Many speculate that Accorsi will still serve as a consultant to Lerner, which he has done in the past few years, and that he may help groom Bernie Kosar to be the team's new GM.

This is still at large though.

Chris Chambers to Browns?

Another bit of information that has gone almost unnoticed due to all the other drama in Cleveland is that the Chargers waived former Cleveland area high school wide receiver Chris Chambers.

With the Browns in need of a solid veteran wide receiver to help their very young receivers, Chambers may make a welcome addition to the team help help guide the group of receivers.

Chambers still has until 4 PM on Tuesday to clear waivers before another team can claim him, but unless the Buccaneers want him (since they are the only win-less team left) the Browns have a good chance to grab him up.

UPDATED 11-3-09 6:22 PM: Chambers has been claimed off of waivers by the Chiefs.

Eric Barton Injury Update

Inside linebacker Eric Barton suffered a shoulder injury on Sunday's game versus the Bears and now it appears that he injury is even worse than what was originally thought.

A spine specialist saw Barton and reported that he has a serious bulge between his C3 and C4 vertebrae and that he season may be in jeopardy.

With fellow starting inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson already out for the season, the Browns cannot afford to lose Barton too.

Outside linebacker David Bowens took over at inside linebacker on Sunday when Barton was injured and it looks like Bowens will have to remain at middle linebacker if Barton is lost for the season.

Rookie linebackers Kaluka Maiava and David Veikune will really need to step up their game if Barton is lost for 2009.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Browns Owner Randy Lerner Is Actively Talking To Retired GM Ernie Accorsi

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:33:30 -0500

Now that Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner has made a statement to his management staff by firing General Manager George Kokinis, ESPN.com has reported that Lerner is actively talking to retired and former New York Giants GM Ernie Accorsi.

UPDATED 11-3-09 10:10 AM: Cleveland.com reports that Accorsi denies any involvement in becoming the Browns GM.

Accorsi retired in 2007, is a former Browns GM back in 1985-1992 during their multiple playoff runs to the AFC Championship in the 1980s during the Bernie Kosar era.

Most recently, Accorsi was the GM of the Giants from 1998-2006, and he is the reason that the Giants have their current quarterback Eli Manning because Accorsi was the man who conducted the trade that landed them their franchise quarterback.

Accorsi helped the Giants to a Super Bowl appearance back in 2001 against the Baltimore Ravens, but lost.

Many have also credited Accorsi for building the Giants team that won a Super Bowl in 2007 which was the year right after Accorsi retired.

Lerner has been in contact with Accorsi in the past few years asking him for advice in player personnel and other football related matters.

Coincidentally, Accrosi is also really good friends with former Browns quarterback and current Browns consultant, Bernie Kosar.

Lerner may just wind up pulling the trigger and offer Accorsi the "credible" position that he has been talking about the last week or so to pull Accorsi out of retirement.

That position may be an Executive of Football Operations/General Manager position or maybe even just President of Football Operations.

Who would be the general manager then?

Kosar perhaps?

Possibly, because Kosar does have some experience with football operations after turning around the Cleveland Arena League franchise into a contender in one season, but this is all just one journalist's speculation.

Other names have been thrown about in the rumor mill, but the Accorsi/Kosar team looks like the best guess right now.

Mangini has yet to really comment on these current changes, but it is almost for certain that he probably doesn't agree with it because he now has less power than he has had since he was hired.

Browns fans would love to see their beloved Kosar back in a powerful position in the Browns organization, and many would also tell you that this should have been done many years ago too.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Cleveland Browns Owner Randy Lerner Fires GM George Kokinis

Daniel Wolf — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:42:11 -0500

The Randy Lerner hands-on approach to running the Cleveland Browns began this afternoon with the firing of General Manager George Kokinis.

Kokinis came on board with the team after head coach Eric Mangini was already hired, which was a very weird approach by Lerner because usually a general manager is hired first, and then the head coach.

Still Lerner, who is usually a hands-off type of guy when it comes to running his business, has begun to change his style by making the first big move of the 2009 NFL season, and firing his GM.

Kokinis was fired at lunchtime, and it was reported that he was escorted out by security and never returned.

He was supposed to be Mangini's superior, but it turned out that he was more of Mangini's right hand man and Lerner was fed up with the lack of hierarchy in his team.

Lerner, a very private owner who does not like the spotlight one bit, has been out and about in the the press, public, and the headlines ever since a couple Browns fans made an announcement that they wanted to protest the team's front office.

Since then, Lerner has made statements to the media, and was even in attendance at the Browns-Bears game in Chicago.

According to various sources, Lerner was in the tunnel off the field and he was seen screaming, yelling and acting very animated.

Very un-Lerner-like.

Ever since he took over the Browns after his father's, Al, passing, Randy has been almost non-existent when it comes to anything Browns and football. At least American football, because traditional football is his real passion.

Now the times have changed, and boy have they ever in only a weeks time too.

Lerner may not become a Al Davis or Jerry Jones-like owner who has to be completely involved in every aspect of the decision making, but once Lerner locates his new "credible, face of the franchise," then he will most likely disappear into the shadows.

Who will now fill the void as the GM of the team?

Bernie Kosar perhaps?

He was just brought in a couple of weeks ago as a consultant and to help develop the quarterbacks on the roster, and Kosar does have experience in football management since he was part owner of the Cleveland Arena Football League franchise that was horrible for years, but Kosar helped turn them into a contender in only one season.

Other rumors state that Lerner has once again contacted Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer, and among a few others for a possible President of Football Operations position.

The Browns are on a bye week, and Lerner has said that Eric Mangini's job is safe, but for how much longer?

Will a new GM or president fire Mangini instead?

Does Lerner really want to fire another guy only to have to pay him for the next few years like he is already doing with former GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel?

No one knows the answer right now, but one thing is certain, as Mangini has said before, "No one is safe on the roster right now." The same can now be said for Lerner in that no one in the franchise is safe now.

Lerner is fed up, and it's nice to see him getting hands-on to try and fix this problem, which by the way, he created too.

Lerner is a very successful businessman and franchise owner in Europe, now he needs to get it right in America too.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Cleveland Browns Get a Bye and the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda Mid-Season Report

Daniel Wolf — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:46:21 -0500

With every other journalist on Bleacher Report either getting ready to write or having already written a Cleveland Browns midseason report article, this journalist is going to lay down the hard facts and take a look at the team's "coulda, woulda, shoulda." (In no particular order.)

The Coulda's

1. Brady Quinn could have made $11 million in incentives this year, but he was benched after 10 quarters of inept play. Eric Mangini said the benching had nothing to do with the money that Quinn could have made. Yeah, right.

2. The defense could have tackled Vikings running back Adrian Peterson many times on his 64-yard touchdown run in game one, but they didn't.

3. Rookie running back James Davis could have prevented a season ending injury to his shoulder had he worn pads in practice. Even though the NFL ruled that it was a controlled environment, why are players hitting other players that do not have pads on?

4. Randy Lerner could have had this “credible figure” in the front office had he hired a Bill Cowher or Marty Schottenheimer-type in the offseason.

5. The Browns could have drafted Mark Sanchez, Clay Matthews, Michael Oher, or Rey Maualuga but they didn't.

6. The special teams unit could have been one of the best the Browns have ever seen if kicker Phil Dawson didn't get injured. But Billy Cundiff did perform admirably as his replacement.

7. Jamal Lewis could have been more effective if he didn't get under three yards per carry.

8. Kamerion Wimbley could have been more effective in past years had his athletic ability been better utilized. He has five sacks in seven games in 2009, compared to four sacks in all of 2008.

9. Lerner could have thrown everything at Bill Cowher to get him to come to Cleveland, but he didn't.

10. The Browns could have lost to the Bills and would be 0-8. Could have been worse.

The Woulda's

1. The Browns would have beaten the Bengals in week four, but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's conservative play calling in the fourth quarter and overtime prevented the Browns from getting into the end zone and getting a win.

2. The wide receivers would have a touchdown this season if they would have caught the ball more.

3. Derek Anderson would have not been benched against the Bears if he was a starting caliber NFL quarterback, but he's not anymore.

4. Lerner would have a more successful franchise had he given the Browns more attention instead of his other football franchise over in Europe.

5. The Browns would have saved $11 million, but it looks like Lerner doesn't care about that money because he is more concerned about the current state of his franchise.

6. Former GM Phil Savage would have punched Mangini in the face for tearing apart the team he tried to build in four years.

7. Josh Cribbs would have been more effective had the coaching staff not tried to make him a No. 2 wide receiver, but better utilized his talents as a running back.

8. The Browns would have had a better running attack had they better used Jerome Harrison in the rotation.

9. Rookie wide receiver Brian Robiskie would have seen playing time sooner if he would have sucked it up and play special teams.

10. The Browns would have gotten more value if they traded Braylon Edwards around the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Shoulda's

1. Lerner should have spent more time assessing and researching the head coaches that were available to hire, before jumping on Mangini as quickly as he did back in January.

2. Mangini should have just let Quinn continue to play and not bench him despite the $11 million in incentives. Who knows, the team might be 2-6 instead of 1-7.

3. Mangini should have told Daboll to get his play calling right four games ago.

4. Browns fans should have been proud because their team is in the top of the NFL in one category...least penalized team.

5. The Browns should have been more competitive in their first eight games of the 2009 season.

6. Mangini should not have grabbed as many of his former Jets players as he did because only Kenyon Coleman has made some impact. And that's not saying much.

7. What ever happened to all the successful screen passes from the preseason? The Browns should have called more screen plays to Harrison and Cribbs.

8. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan should have been blitzing more than he already does.

9. GM George Kokinis should have done more at whatever it is he does. What do you do George?

10. Rookie wide receiver Mohamed Massquoi should have more catches, but he has too many drops instead.

At least all Browns fans can sit back and take a week off from this craziness, but it appears that Lerner is ready to become hands-on and take more control of his franchise, which is very encouraging but may be too little too late.

Something seems doomed to happen during the bye week, but what may that be?

Don't relax too much over the bye week, because there is sure to be some breaking news.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper .)

Browns Owner Randy Lerner Is Looking To Hire an Executive Position

Daniel Wolf — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:35:19 -0400

Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner is a very secretive and "hands-off" type of owner and businessman.

For years now Lerner had brought in many different names to try and fix the Browns organization including: Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage, and now Eric Mangini.

After the first seven weeks of the 2009 season the Browns appear awful and look like they have gone back in time to 1999. Lerner is finally beginning to speak out more about his franchise, and his voice is owed to a single Browns fan named Mike Randall.

Randall, also known as Dawg Pound Mike, has made it publicly known that he wants as many fans to stay away from their seats during opening kickoff on November 16, when the Browns phost the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.

Lerner has already responded to Randall's protest by saying, ''On the grounds of frustration and irritation with performance, then that's the medicine I [we] are going to take, and I accept that. The goal this year was to rebuild the culture at the Browns. We felt at the end of last year that we lacked any overall philosophy, approach or direction regarding recruiting, drafting, coaching, preparation or training. As a result, each season was feeling like starting over and 4-12 following 10-6 felt painfully not all that surprising."

''It's been way too long since the Browns have had anything to feel good about or invest in, and it's clear that the doubt and negativity are taking on a life of their own."

''What I can say is that we, and I, have remained open to new and fresh ideas and thinking and people with passion for the Browns and football experience getting involved and with hope and luck and support, making a difference. We won't become entrenched or stubborn and despite my allergy to be more conspicuous, I do remain eager to seek help and guidance from any and all corners.''

You can take from this what you want. It does seem however that Lerner genuinely cares about the Browns and he wants to make it right. Though if he's going to have success turning this organization into the kind of quality franchise Cleveland fans so desperately need, he's going to need some help.

The first step in the right direction for Lerner was bringing back Bernie Kosar as a consultant.

The details of Kosar's job description have not been released yet, but it is assumed that he is on staff to help the Browns at quarterback, a position where they have yet to fnd any semblence of continuity

Lerner has now taken the next step to help his team, and after a question was sent to him from OBR.com asking Lerner if he ever considered hiring a President of Football Operations or an Executive of Football Operations to oversee both Mangini and General Manager George Kokinis, Lerner responded: “There is no question that the Browns need a credible, vocal leader that is accountable for all levels of performance. Regardless of the title, that person, whether they're in the building currently or not, is a priority.”

A very encouraging response from Lerner, who is obviously currently looking for a person to fill this new position.

A new hire may not actually happen until the offseason, but head coach Eric Mangini has not officially responded to this new information that he may have a new boss.

Hopefully, Lerner is doing his research to hire the right person as his new President/Executive of Football Operations and who knows, he may even be looking at a Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Cowher, Mike Shannah-type to fill this new role.

Browns fans just hope that Lerner chooses wisely.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

Cleveland Browns Fans Are Planning a Monday Night Football Protest

Daniel Wolf — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:32:54 -0400

In lieu of the embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday, Browns Backer, Mike (Dawg Pound Mike) Randall, is attempting to organize a protest to be put on display for the entire nation to see.

The Browns Backers are some of the most die-hard Cleveland Browns fans in the country and several members are trying to gather up as many fans as possible to protest against the Browns upper management during their Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens on November 16 at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Randall, a lifelong season ticket holder, is asking everyone who has tickets to the game to wait outside of the stadium on the concourse until after the kickoff, or just do not go to your seat at the opening kickoff, so as the game starts the nation will see how upset Browns fans are with the current state of the franchise.

Randall, 39, has said that he is tired of seeing a losing team and would like Browns management talk to the fans more in regards to the plan that is in place to improve the franchise back to it's winning ways.

The plan is to show as many empty seats at kickoff as possible in the hopes that owner Randy Lerner will take notice and become more proactive in getting this team turned toward the right direction to become competitive.

Whether this plan works out or not is up to you, especially if you have tickets for the game versus the Ravens.

A protest like this has never been attempted in Cleveland before because the fanbase has unconditionally and followed and supported the Browns no matter what the circumstances are, but as the 2009 season has progressed, the fans are about to take a stand and try to get their voice heard.

Randall also stated that, "We did this as a positive...we want to send a statement that the status quo cannot go on."

Will the protest work out and will Cleveland Browns Stadium be empty when Monday Night Football kicks off?

Tune in November 16 on ESPN to find out.

Every Rookie WR Needs a Veteran to Learn From, and the Browns Have None

Daniel Wolf — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:11:42 -0400

One of the hardest transitions to make from the college level then into the NFL is easily at wide receiver.

In college, receiver go from barely any physical contact from defensive backs to getting thrown around and abused by the professional corners in the NFL.

A rookie receiver almost needs to learn his position all over again in regards to running precise routes, making moves mid-route, when to turn on the speed, how to use their hands, and the ability to break open out of tight coverage.

It is really a very hard process to learn especially since in college most defenders play back from the receiver because they do not want to be "that guy" who gave up a big-time play.

The single easiest way for the rookie receiver to get comfortable at the pro level is to lean on and learn from a veteran receiver who can show them the ropes.

There are many in the football "peanut gallery" that would say rookie receivers do not need and veteran help, but look at a few of this year's crop of rookie receivers that have found some success, and they all have a veteran(s) helping them along including: the Titans Kenny Britt (who has Justin Gage and Nate Washington), the Giants Hakeem Nicks (who has Steve Smith plus Eli Manning at QB helps too) and the Steelers Mike Wallace (who has Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes) to name a few.

All have some form of veteran leadership at their position.

The Browns currently have only one real veteran receiver, who really has only had one solid year and one decent year of NFL success at the position in 2006-07, on their roster and that is Mike Furrey.

A problem with Furrey helping the younger players like Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie is that Furrey is also playing iron-man football in certain defensive situational formations and that takes away from his time to spend with the younger players.

So Massaquoi and Robiskie have to learn the ropes of the pro game the hardest way possible...first hand without much veteran guidance.

This is where a coach should be able to lend a helping hand, but that doesn't seem to be helping so the only thing to do is wait, be patient, and hope these guys can catch on to the pro game on their own.

Mangini did draft for intelligence in this past April's NFL Draft, so hopefully the rookies are putting that to use in the studying habits before each game.

Still, the Browns are playing their rookie wide receivers more and more and games go on, and whether or not they are the problem with the passing game is really irrelevant anymore because someone needs to grab a hold of their new pro job and bring it harder on Sundays.

Both Massaquoi and Robiskie look like they may be the future starting receivers for the Browns in 2010 and beyond. Remember that without a veteran helping them along, these rookie season woes and drops, and whatever else are all part of the learning process.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

Another Cleveland Browns QB Switch Looming? Probably During the Bye Week

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:26:42 -0400

The Cleveland Browns have no answers right now, especially at the quarterback position where another possible switch is quickly approaching.

We all know the story, first the long and drawn out quarterback competition in the preseason, which led to Brady Quinn running the offense on opening day.

Then, 10 quarters of ineffective quarterback play later, Quinn gets pulled at halftime and Derek Anderson gets plugged into the first team.

Anderson did provide a bit of a spark, but not in that game, because he threw three interceptions.

He was effective versus the Bengals where the Browns had, by far, their best offensive showing. He took the divisional leaders into overtime, but lost in the final seconds of the extra session.

Since then Anderson has been regarded by many, including some experts, as less ineffective than Quinn was in his first 10 quarters as a starter.

Here is a look at Quinn's number through 10 quarters versus Anderson's numbers through the last three games.

Quinn was 45-74 (60.8 percent) for 400 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Anderson is 23-70 (32.8 percent) for 244 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

You can make your own decisions based on these numbers.

Continuing, the team does have many needs and holes to fill in the offseason, but if the quarterback play is horrid (which it has been much of 2009), then many of the fingers need to be pointed the way of the quarterback.

Cleveland has a group of young and not so talented receivers—but they aren't responsible for taking the ball from under center and distributing it effectively. The Browns need to find a player who can begin to move the offense with at least some semblance of success and begin to get the other skill position players involved regardless of how young and inexperienced they are. Until that happens, the blame lies squarely on the quarterback in Cleveland.

Anderson's play and numbers show how inept he has really been over the last several games. So he doesn't have Braylon Edwards to either throw to, or dictate coverages so other players can make plays, but these are all still professional athletes playing on the most prestigious stage in America, and they all need to step up their game.

Quinn, on the other hand, might have been benched because of his $11 million dollar escalators, but we will never know the truth even though the situation itself kind of gives the truth away.

Are the Browns bad guys for possibly preventing Quinn from getting a ton of money? Not really, since he really hasn't done enough to earn it.

Still, by halftime of this weeks game against the Bears, Quinn will not be able to reach his bonus, and that means it might be time for another quarterback switch.

Will Mangini make a switch back to Quinn? Maybe.

Will he try "his guy" in Brett Ratliff? Maybe.

Nothing is for certain, but one thing might be, and that is that Anderson got his fair shot, and struggled, so now it may be time to switch again.

Another switch at quarterback might best serve the team during their bye week that is coming up after this week against the Bears. This way the quarterback can have two full weeks to prepare for the next game, which is on Monday Night Football versus the Baltimore Ravens.

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper )

Cleveland Browns QB Debate: Why Do They Stink of Limburger On The Field?

Daniel Wolf — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:36:08 -0400

This past Sunday's football game that was played on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland Browns Stadium, was one of the most inept displays of football that has been seen in Cleveland. It rivaled the games of when the team was an expansion franchise back in 1999.

It was a complete debacle.

No offense, no defense, and a special teams unit that is the only aspect of the team that gives fans excitement,which is sad because that usually means the opposing team just scored a touchdown and they are now kicking off.

So again the question is, where do the Browns go from here?

Head Coach Eric Mangini replaced quarterback Brady Quinn after 10 quarters of play with Derek Anderson—and after 18 quarters of play, he's not much better.

Anderson did have a pretty good game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but even in the victory in Buffalo, the offense was almost non-existent.

Can Mangini afford to pull Anderson and replace him with Quinn?

Does Mangini finally pull Anderson for "his guy" Brett Ratliff?

Here is a look at the stats for both Anderson and Quinn.

Anderson is 60-137 (43.8%) for 605 yards with two touchdowns, seven interceptions, a quarterback rating of 40.6, and eight sacks.

Quinn is 45-74 (60.8%) for 400 yards with one touchdown, three interceptions, a quarterback rating of 62.9, and 10 sacks.

These are just numbers, but in a recent Facebook survey, several Browns fans had a few things to say regarding what should be done with an ineffective Anderson at the quarterback position and a response to each.

Steve Shumate says, "It is clear Anderson cannot move the team, go back to Quinn........."

The Browns may not be able to move the ball once again, but will Mangini choose to go back to Quinn who could not move the ball either?

B.J. Harper says, "Go back to Quinn so he can not move the team also?! This team needs to wave the white flag....."

Perhaps the Browns need to wave the white flag, but in the NFL every team needs to compete in all 16 regular season games. If you truly believe that Quinn nor Anderson can move the Browns, then it might be time to put in Ratliff to give him some experience and reps.

John Reiss says, "What is Tim Couch up to these days? At least he beat the Steelers, once...."

Couch has not been in the NFL for a few years now, and with the amount of money he made as a No. 1 pick, he is probably still living a comfortable life and yes, he can say that he was the last Browns QB to beat the Steelers.

Ronald Lee says, "We should have stayed with Quinn and traded Anderson."

There are many Browns fans that would agree with this statement. In order to give Quinn a fair chance, there is no reason that he should have been pulled. Instead, Mangini should have adapted or simplified the offense for Quinn until he could find a rhythm in games, then started to throw more plays at him.

Joseph Ribar, Jr. says, "Jimmy Johnson made a great comment at halftime when he said 'The media talks about trading Anderson and Quinn but the more they play the more their trade value goes down.'"

Johnson is easily one of the most brilliant coaching minds of the last 20 years in the NFL. Too bad Randy Lerner couldn't get a mind like his in the front office.

Marcus Broome says, "Man can't even complete 50% of his passes when his receivers are catching the ball... Why is he still playing?"

Mangini has stated that he likes "things" that Anderson does with the offense better than when Quinn tried to do those same "things," like third down conversions. Big deal at this point.

Derek Kindle says, "I'm done caring. What a waste of money. I sat through 3 quarters of this PAINFUL to watch game. I have two more games to go to yet this year. I will not be in attendance."

Ebay or stub hub. There are Browns fans out there that would love to buy those tickets off of you.

Tom Majka says, "Time to take a look at the FA market. [Jeff] Garcia is still available and there's just no point in seeing anymore of Anderson."

Garcia is still on the free agent market because one glaring issue. He is a drama queen and can disrupt the locker room with his whining. The Browns tried with Garcia once, and that's all that needs to be seen of him again.

Rick Herbstritt says, "Go with Quinn he gives you a better pocket presence DA is a bum not to mention that he sucks and runs like the Iron Sheik."

Quinn has shown that he does have a better presence in the pocket and in the huddle, but he needs to get over his fear of holding onto the football for too long and just throw it so his receivers can make a play.

Ed Prochaska says, "Guys its more than the QB.This whole team is just BAD!
The offensive line has regressed from last year and I don't care who you put at QB its not gonna happen."

There is definitely a regression with the team this year, and it almost seems like the Browns are in their expansion year all over again. There are many more issues than just the quarterback position, and those holes will hopefully be filled with all the draft picks that Browns have in 2010. The quarterback does need to be blamed because Anderson's ball placement on most of his passes are either too long, too short, or too hard and if he can't get any other skill player the ball, then he is at fault first and foremost.

Thank you to all who commented!

What does the Bleacher Report community have to say regarding this topic?

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper )

Cleveland Browns Debate: Who's at Fault for Drops, Derek Anderson or Receivers?

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:27:11 -0400

The Cleveland Browns' offense has been less than stellar all season long, but in the last two games, there has been a media frenzy regarding all of the bad throws and dropped passes during games.

So who is to blame for the putrid passing game of late?

Most of the media outlets have been focusing on the wide receivers dropping too many passes, but are those drops their own fault, or are the actual passes being placed in not so catchable spots where the receiver cannot have the chance to really catch the ball.

Quarterback Derek Anderson has been known to throw a rocket of a pass on short yardage passes and everyone knows that he really doesn't have much touch on those short passes at all.

So is it really the fault of the receivers?

I would say yes when the ball hits them in both hands and it falls to the ground, but not when they are reaching down low to the ground to catch a pass, or barely getting one hand on the ball, or even having to trying to catch a ball that's behind them.

On Facebook, I posed the question of who is to blame for the problems with the passing game and several Browns fans had some interesting responses.

(Grammatical issues and spelling were not corrected to keep the integrity of the quote that was taken from each person's comment.)

Marcus Broome said, "I will have to say ball placement and rookie receivers some of the catches they could've made despite the placement but some DA could've put in a better spot so many were low or away when they didn't have to be."

S.M.M. said, "[It] doesn't matter who QB'S this team DA always gets a free pass by his fans and the media if that was QUINN in there there would be a QB controversy plain and simple gibe DA the same as QUINN got when Brady was the starter as long as DA is the starter and on the team he will never get blamed for anything that the team does poorly or when they lose."

J.R. Jr. said, "I have to say ball placement has a lot to do with it and DA has no concept of touch, everything he throws is 100mph no matter where the receiver is at. Some of the balls he threw should have been caught but the majority of the time the were in the wrong spot or thrown so hard the receiver had no chance to catch it. If you are throwing to a RB who is 5 yds or less in front of you, why do you throw the ball as hard as you can?"

Kevin Lyons said, "It's DA and his wreckless disregard to yak care of the football. That's how he played on the Beavers and he certainly has nothing to lose now. But it's not completely on him, the receivers need to make more of an effort to get to the ball and not give up on routes. I hate the excuse that DA throws too hard, if your in the league it's because you can catch, the guy isn't Nolan Ryan out there and if the boys were using the hell out of that ball launching machine that Mangini promised we'd be using all week it sure didn't look like it helped any. I don't see how you can continue starting a guy that you brought in doing worse than the guy you pulled week after week. I don't even want to hear about how we scored a passing TD today, that little 1 yarder proves nothing more than the drought is over, for now."

V.B. said, "Who cares. He had his chance. Give BQ more snaps and see what happens. If Mangini thinks BQ has less talent than the lowest rated QB in the NFL (DA). Then cut him or trade him. Otherwise play him and see what we got and build chemistry with the WRs. Im not sure, but I think we are out of SB contention at this point!"

Some very interesting points by Browns fans. What does Bleacher Report's community have to add to?

Cleveland Browns Report: The Steelers Exploited a Defense That Has Needs

Daniel Wolf — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:36:15 -0400

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers completely exploited a Browns defense that was ranked 10th in pass defense.

How did this happen?

This occurred because Pittsburgh is no longer a running and grind it out type of football team that they have been for years and decades as a franchise.

Ben Roethlisberger had all day to throw the football, and when he did let it rip, his wide receivers had so much open daylight that it appeared the Browns defense wasn't even playing 11 players on the field.

Everyone knows about the offensive struggles of the Browns, but the defense has big needs too, and the Steelers showed why the defense needs to draft and/or sign many players in many positions in the offseason.

Wimbley is the key to the pass rush

Without linebacker Kamerion Wimbley playing, the Browns had hardly any pass rush. Linebacker David Bowens did step up and get a sack and recover a fumble, but none of the other lineman or linebackers were able to step up in Wimbley's absence.

Linebacker Alex Hall, who has tremendous pass rushing potential, was underutilized with Wimbley out, and rookie linebacker David Veikune was even put into the game, which is crazy because he was a pass rushing specialist in college at defensive end and the Browns should have plugged him in to try to get more pressure on the quarterback.

Rogers needs a better backup

Shaun Rogers was under the weather with the flu, but he was still able to play most of the game despite his illness.

Unfortunately, after Rogers, the Browns do not have an acceptable backup and the Browns need to find a suitable replacement when either Rogers is sick or gets hurt.

Rogers is a Pro Bowl lineman, and a younger impact lineman needs to be brought in to learn from one of the best, in Rogers.

The safeties need help and McDonald is too inconsistent.

The Browns' secondary is bad. With the exception of cornerback Eric Wright, who rarely gets burned and is a solid man-to-man cover corner, the other defensive backs need to look at themselves in the mirror and get it together.

Safeties Brodney Pool and Abe Elam both seem to have trouble with many simple mechanics of playing the position including: tackling, helping with covering opposing tight ends, proper positioning, and keeping receivers in front of them.

Granted, against the Steelers, both Pool and Elam were able to keep receivers in front of them, but that's because both were playing way too deep in the backfield. This was probably not their fault, but more the fault of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for calling plays with deep coverage.

Regardless, in the first six games of the 2009 season, the safety play has been very spotty and with all the hype that went into the pursuit of acquiring Elam, he has not lived up to the billing yet.

Pool, on the other hand, is a veteran starter and his play should be at a higher level and it appears he has reached his potential.

Finally, the last member of the secondary that needs to be discussed is the consistently horrible play of cornerback Brandon McDonald.

Let's be honest, McDonald probably would be lucky to be a dime back in most other NFL defenses, but the Browns do not have many options behind him.

Rookie cornerback Coye Francies showed flashes of good plays in the preseason against mostly third string offenses, and his aggressive playing in preseason was fun to watch but he needs to stay in control.

His aggressive nature may be too self-destructive against the NFL's premier starting receivers so it's understandable why he might not replace McDonald. Why not get Francies more reps as a dimeback?

Mike Adams started in place of McDonald against the Bills, but he was quickly replaced by McDonald and Adams is a better nickelback and special teams players anyway.

So what to do in the secondary?

Mix it up and bring in receiver Mike Furrey more to help in coverages.

Furry was a defensive back in the Arena League and he also played safety for the Rams and since the addition of receiver Chansi Stuckey, Furrey has not been used the last two weeks.

Why not utilized Furrey to help the defense? Especially since he has not been better used on a struggling offense.

Bottom line, everyone seems to be talking about the bad passes and the drops, but the defense has issues that have been overlooked until now.

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper )

Browns Fans Can Rejoice, Braylon Edwards Is No Better in New York.

Daniel Wolf — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:58:30 -0400

On another sad Sunday of watching Cleveland Browns football, I was a witness to some familiar football play that actually made me smile as a Browns fan.

It wasn't even during the Browns game.

Wait, I did smile when Joshua Cribbs returned a 98 yard kick for a touchdown, but the other smile came while I was watching the Jets play at home against the Bills.

Specifically, there were a few offensive plays that the Jets had that made me remember how much I don't miss former Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards.

So, after the Browns game ended, CBS Sports had a doubleheader and the game that followed was the Patriots-Titans game; but since that game was such a blowout, CBS switched over to the Jets-Bills game in the third quarter and did they ever time it right.

To back track quickly, when the Browns traded Edwards, the Jets were riding high in the AFC East at 3-1. But last week, they lost to Miami and Edwards had a decent game after just getting traded.

But that wouldn't last that long.

Fast-forward to Sunday in the third quarter and during one of the Jets' offensive series, quarterback Mark Sanchez threw a pass that Edwards jumped up for (no surprise there) and it hit his hands and bounced off into a Bills defenders hands for an interception.

That sounds about right!

The next offensive series for the Jets didn't go any better because Sanchez targeted Edwards again and the ball hit him right in the hands, then fell to the ground incomplete.

That sounds right too!

The very next play, Sanchez eyes up Edwards and he makes a break in his route, but in the wrong direction. It was too late because Sanchez threw the ball to where Edwards was supposed to be and instead, there was a Bills defender standing there and picking off the pass.

Same old Edwards running the wrong routes, dropping passes, and being so predictable that the defense can anticipate the ball and pick it off.

Jets fans are probably making excuses that Sanchez is a rookie quarterback and he made many mistakes today, but the truth is, Edwards was being Edwards just like he was in Cleveland.

Sorry Jets fans, you are now 0-2 with Edwards and you may not see that he is the issue now, but in a few more weeks, his bad play will drive you crazy.

When that happens, let's see how Edwards likes the negative attention that the New York media will bring upon him(He will wish that he was back in Cleveland with our smaller market).

Sorry Edwards, but you divorced Browns fans long ago and we don't want you back.

In closing, seeing those few plays unfold on offense really made me feel good inside for a moment despite another loss by the Browns to the Steelers today.

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper )

Hank Fraley Has Given the Cleveland Browns O-Line Stability and a Running Game

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:00:44 -0400

You may think this is crazy, but the Cleveland Browns have improved over the last three games due to the insertion of an old face at a new position.

Over this three game span, the Browns have found a way to run the ball very successfully against teams like the Raven, Bengals, and the Bills.

So two out of those three teams have a winning record and the Browns have only won one of them, but a constant in each of those games were that the Browns could effectively run the ball.

Okay, the Browns only ran for 71 yards against the Ravens in week three, but the Ravens do have one of the top run defenses in the NFL year in and out.

Going back to the Browns' first two games, the offensive line was absolutely manhandled at the line of scrimmage, giving up a total of nine sacks and only rushing for 143 total yards.

In the last three games the line has only given up five sacks and the team has rushed for a combined total of 388 yards (with both Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison each running for over 100 yards in separate games) against the Ravens, Bengals, and the Bills.

That is a very big turnaround, and most of it can be attributed to replacing right guard Floyd Womack, who started the first two games, with Hank Fraley (No. 66 in the picture), who has started the last three games.

With the left side of the line locked down with tackle Joe Thomas (who did not give up a sack against Jared Allen of the Vikings, and look what Allen's done lately) and guard Eric Steinbach, the right side was hurting until Fraley stepped in.

Once Fraley was in at right guard, the Browns pass protection and running game began to click.

Maybe one of the best things that Fraley brought to the line was that he lined up next to the guy who took his starting center job away from him in rookie Alex Mack.

Fraley's addition next to Mack can only help improve the young center throughout the rest of the 2009 season. And even though Mack has not dominated at the inside, his improvement week by week is showing in the consistency he has in the middle.

There may be other things that may be attributed to the sudden improvement of the line, besides the addition of Fraley at guard.

But the above numbers do show that he has helped bring stability to the Browns line after a horrible showing against the Broncos in game two (specifically the right side and Elvis Dumervil's four sack performance).

In a season of turmoil and drama, at least part of the Browns' offense has began to show signs of consistency.

Now the entire offense needs to get on the same page.

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper)

Cleveland Browns' Offensive Struggles: Who Is Really To Blame?

Daniel Wolf — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:09:40 -0400

As the Cleveland Browns prepare for this Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they may be happy to finally be in the win column, but is there really anything to be happy about last Sunday's win versus the Buffalo Bills?

So the Browns were able to run the ball for two consecutive weeks in a row (both Jerome Harrison and Jamal Lewis have run for over 100 yards), but the offense in general just doesn't seem to be clicking on all cylinders.

So the Browns proved that they can beat the Bills twice over a seven month span, but they have yet to beat any other NFL team in the regular season during that span.

Also, the Browns have still only scored three offensive touchdowns in that seven month span, too.

The signs all point to an offense that is in serious trouble.

Usually, when a team can run the ball, then that translates into a successful passing game and points result in the end.

This is not the case with the Browns.

Something is not right on offense, and it is obviously not the offensive line nor in the running game, but it is in the passing game.

Okay, no Braylon Edwards does really hurt the receiving corps, since there is no main threat that can dictate the defensive coverages.

One of the younger receivers (either Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, or Chansi Stuckey) need to step up and become the Browns' go-to guy.

Massaquoi may be that player, especially when you look at his performance against the Bengals, but oh yeah, he had Edwards lining up and drawing extra coverage, which enabled Massaquoi to make plays.

Regardless, Massaquoi looks to be the Browns' future No. 1 receiver, but without a true No. 2 receiver, he will have some trials over the following weeks until there is a No. 2 guy.

Even through Massaquoi only had one catch versus the Bills, he was still targeted six times, and it shows the Browns have a commitment to continue to get him the ball.

Another issue with the offense that is quite evident is that Derek Anderson still has the same issues that all Browns fans have known he has had.

These issues are: troubles with short passes, batted balls at the line of scrimmage, and bad choices with throwing into coverages that are too tight.

Anderson's problems are well known, but Mangini seems to allow these problems to continue.

Hopefully, Mangini and his staff are working with Anderson to help him minimize these issues, but until the problems do not show themselves on the field, then Browns fans will continue to understand that Anderson may not be the long-term fix at quarterback.

The question that Browns fans must be asking themselves right now is: How long until Mangini pulls the plug on Anderson and goes to his guy Brett Ratliff?

Finally, some of the blame must go onto Offensive Coordinator Brain Daboll.

When the Browns played the Bengals, the play-calling looked solid with a great mix of pass and run, but versus the Bills, the play-calling looked like it has from the first three game of the season, with a ultra-conservative approach and too many run plays straight up the middle.

When will Daboll realize that running Lewis up the middle is okay because he is a bigger and stringer running back, but running Harrison up the middle makes no sense because he has speed that is better utilized on the outside or off-tackle?

Daboll is still learning on the job, but after a great offensive performance in game four, how does the offense step back in game five?

Daboll needs to get his play-calling on the right track, otherwise the rest of 2009 might look more like it did in the Bills game rather than the Bengals game.

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper)

Eric Mangini: Point Taken, Players Take Notice

Daniel Wolf — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:12:01 -0400

So Braylon Edwards is on a plane to New York and his new team, what does this mean to the rest of the members of the Cleveland Browns?

This means that if you mess up real bad and do not adhere to head coach Eric Mangini's way of football, then you are disposable regardless of who you are, what you have done in the past, or when you were drafted.

Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson said, "I'm definitely surprised."

The overall reaction by most of the Browns players in the locker room when they found out that Edwards was traded to the Jets for receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik, a 3rd and 5th round draft picks in 2010, was the same as Jackson's.

Mangini has said many times to his players and the media that a players personal conduct is of the utmost importance when off the football field, and the Edwards trade has now sent a message to all other Browns players saying either get with what Mangini is trying to accomplish with this team or you need to leave immediately.

What is next for the Browns?

There is the issue of trading one player for two and that means that a current member of the Browns' roster will be let go to open a spot of one of the two incoming players.

Also, with Stuckey being familiar with Mangini's system, it looks like the Browns will have the upper hand in this trade since Stuckey can possibly step right in and produce this Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.

Mangini also said he talked with Edwards about the trade and told him this is a great opportunity for him because it is a new beginning for him in New York with a team that is in first place in their division.

According to several sources, the Jets were not the only team contacted about Edwards, but the other teams names were left unnamed.

Edwards has not commented on the trade yet.