Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew

Terrelle Pryor, Purdue Boilermakers Expose Jim Tressel's Inadequacy

Andrew — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:48:14 -0400

Jim Tressel has consistently placed The Ohio State University in the top 10, defeated that team up north, and brought top notch talent to the flag ship of Ohio. Several years ago these accomplishments had given the “good guy” of Buckeye football a nearly unassailable place at the helm of the scarlet and gray, but after a few nationally televised losses—and now one shocking upset—that position is under fire.

There clearly is a problem, and it is not with his conservative play calling. The problem is much deeper. He may be heralded as the good guy of college football, but this problem begins with Jim Tressel’s character.

I committed a cardinal sin. Instead of thinking for myself I went along with what everyone said. Tressel is a big character guy. When athletes come to Ohio State they learn how to play football, and how to be a man.

I’d go along with it just as much as the next guy, while not a thinker, I was a believer. Then the Texas game rolled around and Tressel said something so fundamentally wrong it shook me out of my sinful ways.

In an interview before the game, Tressel was asked if he felt any professional pressure to win. He responded no.

There is nothing more detrimental he could be teaching these young men. To say that it is OK to fail, that it is alright to not be successful at your job, that is crippling. Engineers, factory workers, and business men all have clear perceptions of the job they are paid to do and if asked whether they feel pressure to succeed you can bet your bottom dollar they will reply with an incredibly definitive yes.

Tressel’s job is to win football games, that is what he is paid to do. A days wages for less than a days work is stealing. If he doesn’t feel any pressure to successfully accomplish the job he is paid to do, his character isn’t in question, it is shameful.

With his reputable character failing, something else became apparent. Tressel is obsessively controlling. No one on that coaching staff has the ability or prestige to question him.

Unlike other contenders, Ohio States staff is void of anyone worth mention because that could bring Tressel’s power into question. It is ridiculous to say there are no big time coaches who want to come be an assistant for a team with such incredible athletes and facilities.

The Buckeye players are not in positions to be successful because of Tressel’s inadequacy. Pryor is not a perfect quarterback. Neither is Pike, Tebow, McCoy or any other player in the NCAA. He is has strengths and he has weaknesses. Tressel needs to start utilizing the first and masking the second. But before that can happen, Tressel needs to dedicate his team to success and allow other coaches to contribute.

Pryor isn’t a great decision maker, he’s proven that. So Tressel sits him in the pocket with five wide. That means the reads are complicated, quick and difficult. Why not simplify things for him by giving him fewer reads. That makes the reads less difficult and gives him more time to make them as he typically would have more blockers to slow down the rush.

Pryor’s best plays are characteristically his rush attempts, so why is Pryor being told to sit in the pocket? Design boots, get Pryor moving so he has more time to make decisions. Force defensive backs and linebackers to dedicate themselves to his legs so they have less to devote to his arm.

Pryor does not have the best arm in the league and while talented, Saine isn’t the best running back in the NCAA. Tressel asks both of them to do things the best of the best would struggle with.

When a wide receiver is uncovered and only one safety is deep because so many defenders have been dropped into the box, no running back is going to encounter success.

The very next play, two safeties are deep and spread to the outside of the field. Every single receiver is covered by a defensive back, not a linebacker. That is going to be a very difficult pass for the best arm in the league. For Pryor that is an incompletion or sack.

The Buckeyes handed the ball off to Saine on the first play listed above and lost a yard. The second play Pryor was sacked.

There is no reason Pryor can’t make such simple audibles. Coach him to do it. It is naive to play directly into the defensive strengths, and embarrassing that Buckeye tendencies are so strong coordinators can anticipate offensive play calling to perfection.

The Ohio State line is less than dominant. Yet Tressel continues to try and go deep and Pryor continues to get sacked. Start mixing the plays up and calling shorter pass plays and the Buckeyes may actually be able to pass the ball.

Adjustments during a game are crucial, they are also difficult. There isn’t a coach in college football that can make them alone. That is why they hire talented coordinators. Instead of stubbornly turning the other cheek in the second half, adjust to what the other team is doing. Converse with coordinators and get the opposition figured out so the Buckeye players are in a better position for success.

Tressel is a world class recruiter, and the Buckeyes wouldn't be where they are without him. He has the ability to be a great coach as none of these changes are difficult. But they all require a dedication to success, above all else, and he is going to have to loosen his death grip on the control of this team.

The Buckeyes are talented enough to be undefeated right now, and that talent isn't going to disappear after one upset. They still can win the Big Ten and make this a season to be proud of.

Why Cleveland Is Having a QB Controversy (Again)

Andrew — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 01:25:28 -0400

The Cleveland Browns' page has seen an intense influx of articles questioning the QB controversy. The answer is obvious. It's Cleveland. They HAVE to have a QB controversy.

The End.

Kidding. Mostly. I hope.

So down to the slightly more legitimate answers. Cleveland has two potential starting QB's (or none at all, depending on how you look at it). Both have the ability to experience at least moderate amounts of success under different systems and with the correct supporting cast, but it is more than obvious that if Coach Mangini stays true to his "core characteristics", the choice will be an exceptionally simple one. Brady Quinn.

I don't see a reason for the "I Want to Marry Brady" fan club. Anderson isn't a worthless quarterback. That is not what makes this decision so simple. What does make for an easy decision is the criteria that Mangini has claimed he will use to evaluate players, and more specifically quarterbacks.

He likes intelligent players. Quinn has a clear advantage. He wants someone who manages the huddle well. Quinn has a clear advantage. He wants someone who grasps the offense, can make the right reads, and predict blitz's—quickly. And again, Quinn has the clear advantage. He wants someone who can run the two minute successfully. Quinn has struggled with Anderson the last few weeks in practice with the two minute, but based on Anderson's extreme failures, not Quinn's success, Quinn pulls the advantage.

So where's the part about the controversy? Haven't I just repeated what all the other eight gizillion articles said?

Trade Value

If Mangini makes the decision instantly, he is essentially saying, "I have a clear superior." Now who really wants second rate Browns' players? Could Cleveland have gotten more value for Anderson after his Pro Bowl year? Yeah, but all the crying isn't going to change anything. So stop.

Mangini is trying to convey "I am Mangenius, and even I can't figure out who is better. They are both really good! You should give me something valuable if you want the loser." He supports this when he talks about how he likes having both QBs on the team. He wants other teams to feel that Cleveland values both players. Do other coaches see through this? Probably. Could it help? Sure.

Competition

Competition is good. It puts pressure on both guys to perform. Even if there is a clear starter, making the players work for spots has beneficial consequences. Telling both guys they need to impress and then adding the unspoken and-if-you-don't clause benefits both players.

Worse case scenario: when Mangini makes his way to game one he will have both a starter and backup who have worked very, very hard this offseason.

Vikings

Having to prepare for two quarterbacks is more difficult than preparing for one. Vastly more difficult? I don't know, the Vikings will have a pretty clear idea of who is going to start by the time they start seriously preparing for the Browns. But it is one more variable. It is one more glitch. It won't win or lose the game, but it will probably help a little bit.

What is the cost? What do the Browns lose from all this? Well, every other starting QB is getting twice as many reps with their first teamers than Cleveland's QB. This is consequential, and not in a good way.

The gamble that Mangini has made is that the positives outweigh the negatives. Is it a good gamble? Well, we can discuss it till the cows come home (a Midwest figure of speech for a long time), but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. The cards are dealt, the chips are on the table. Mangini, and the Browns, will live or die by the results.

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A Response To The Hopeless

Andrew — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:45:18 -0400

Recently, Offense? Defense? The Browns Need Help Everywhere was published by Marty Gitlin. It is a well written, lyrical article and it does a nice job summing up many of the major concerns Brown's fans have. In commenting on the article, I realized I'd written a book and decided to present it as an article of hopeful reassurance to Browns fans. Many of my points are derived from responses to his article, thus I will take points and quotations from his work.

Here is a link to his article:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/178492-offense-defense-the-browns-need-help-everywhere

"Mangini plans on retaining the 3-4 defense that has been shredded both on the ground and through the air for the past several years."

At first glance, I was terrified. Andra Davis was being swallowed alive by offensive lines and consistently outplayed by three year veteran D'Qwell Jackson. Willie McGinest just had his 80th birthday. Their production was awful. So to say we had three decent linebackers was a stretch, and Mangini wanted us to play the 3-4. That's the one with four linebackers, right?

No Worries. Both the aforementioned players will not be with the team in 2009. The replacements are obvious upgrades. A triplet of players are likely to replace McGinest. Six years younger, Bowens quadrupled Willie's sack count. He started 5 games. The younger OLB's David Veikune and Alex Hall will share the work load as they learn from Bowens. Andra Davis will be succeeded by Eric Barton. While similar in age, Barton had more tackles, sacks and force fumbles. Kaluka Maiava and Beau Bell provide depth and youth at the position.

Lastly, the 3-4 is a good defense for the NFL. The two best defenses in the NFL, including the Super Bowl Champions, run the 3-4. Those Chargers' and Cowboys' defenses aren't too shabby either. The top three pass rushers in 3-4 defenses combined for 52 sacks, the top three pass rushers in 4-3 defenses combined for 42.5 sacks. Mangini is utilizing the 3-4 because it's a good defense. The Browns were shredded because they utilized it poorly.

"The first three selections in the April draft indicate that his major priority this season will be attempting to restore the offense to its explosive 2007 form."

Obviously when a team sets a record for games without an offensive touchdown, offense becomes one of the main priorities the following season. That being said, saying that the draft shows that offense is his exclusive major priority is misleading. In the first two rounds of the draft the Browns picked up three offensive players (Mack, Robiskie and Massaquoi) who will likely see playing time. In those same first two rounds the Browns also picked up three defensive players (Elam, Coleman and Veikune) that also are likely to see playing time. It seems that Mangini has concentrated on both sides of the ball with little bias shown towards either.

As far as the explosive 2007 form, everything appears to say the exact opposite. KWII is gone. Edwards is minimized by 2 WR's drafted in the second round-neither receiver is terribly flashy. The first pick was a center. An educated guess would point towards a non-explosive offense. Instead, he seems to be building one focusing on the run and short to intermediate passes with considerable amounts of YAC.

With regards to Mangini bringing 8 gizillion former Jets to the Browns "Familiarity indeed breeds contempt."

A lyrical and witty quote? Yea, sure. Intelligent from a football perspective? Absolutely not.

The best players, on either side of the ball, are nearly unanimously comfortable in their system. On defense that means knowing where your help is, knowing who is going to be around you and what they are going to be doing on every single play. On offense that means knowing which guy to hit when you see that man coverage, knowing where your outlet is when you see the blitz, knowing what other linemen are doing. Familiarity, when it comes to football, indeed breeds success.

But not only are they familiar with Mangini's system, they aren't too bad of players. As Marty states, the Jets ranked very high in both pass rush and stopping the run. We picked up two linebackers and a Defensive lineman. All three of them started at one point or another last year. As far as Abram Elam goes, yes he was part of a questionable secondary. We also badly needed a safety. It doesn't hurt that individually the guy was responsible for 70 tackles, four turnovers and two sacks. That dwarfs Mike Adams' stats, who he will replace. It also compares very nicely to Sean Jones, the recently departed safety now playing for the Eagles.

"Kamerion Wimbley continued to regress."
He had a considerable increase in tackles, and one less sack. He also improved in every single pass defense category. He had a great rookie year, and he hasn't matched that yet. Part of the problem, for both him and Shaun Rogers is McGinest didn't apply enough pressure, which allows QB's to have an expanded pocket on one side. He is going to have a new set of coaches, I think you will see a lot more aggressive defense. He is going to have better players around him. All of these are going to be beneficial for him.

"Without a wealth of talent, no team can thrive."

Again, lyrical but not very NFL relevant.

No team can afford to have all-stars at every position. The salary cap prevents that. So what "wealth of talent" translates into is three to four great players and a team full of role players.

Mangini used this offseason to fill the team with role players who fit his system. So what about the all stars? We have an all-pro LT. We have a WR who CAN be one of the best. We have a ILB who led the NFL in tackles, and had 3 interceptions. We have a first round QB that has had a few years to become NFL ready. And we have one heck of a kick returner. Are we in need of more talent? Yes, of course. Are we hopelessly behind everyone else? No, not at all.

A Summary

The Browns are not going to be your 2009 Super Bowl Champions. Making the playoffs would be a stretch coming out of the AFC North. Our talent level is not where it needs to be. The team still is going to have holes. The Browns are still rebuilding.

That being said, the Browns are moving forward. They have built a solid foundation, which hasn't happened for a long, long while. They are going to begin to play competitive, disciplined football this year, which hasn't happened for a long, long while.

The Browns are not hopelessly out of the race. They are a combination of youthful talent and veteran intelligence. That isn't instantly going to equate into wins, but it is going to continue to make this team better.

Cleveland Browns Release Joe Jurevicius

Andrew — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:53:13 -0400

On March 11, 2009 the Cleveland Browns released Joe Jurevicius.

Jurevicius is not a flashy player, and really never was. He is old. He did have a staph infection and will never be a No. 1 WR.

So why the fuss? Well, he provides an essential and valuable form of veteran leadership. He is a hard worker, and that is more infectious than his staph infection.

He was dedicated to the Cleveland Browns—how many other players on the roster can honestly say that?

He wasn't just a behind the scenes guy either. His hands are about as dependable as they get. He is a very big, physical presence and concentrates well.Braylon could use the coaching.

The fans like him, coaches like him (evidently not Mangini), and players like him.

Getting rid of players like Kellen Winslow Jr. is questionable. But OK, make your statement, fine. Six will argue for it and a half dozen will argue against it.

But getting rid of JJ? Maybe fans missed something, maybe the guy wanted eight million or something in the restructuring that was going on. But it seems the upper management dropped the ball (something JJ rarely does) on this one.

Mankok is making some brash moves. The only thing that can safely be said, is these boys better win some damn football games. People will be driving them out of the city in no time flat if they don't.

On a personal note—JJ you were one of my favorite players and I am really going to miss seeing you play. I hope your life endeavors treat you well, and please know you have a couple of fans still here in Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns Sign TE Robert Royal

Andrew — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:22:01 -0500

The Cleveland Browns made their first move in free agency today as they signed Tight End Robert Royal. He is 30 years old and weights in at 255. The 6'4" TE is best classified as a well-balanced player.

He is known as a blocking TE but in (what Browns hope to be) a more exciting offense may see a few more balls thrown his way. Royal will upgrade the locker room atmosphere and provides a little bit more confidence to the position vacated be Kellen Winslow Jr.

Other TE's:

Heiden is coming off an ACL injury.

Rucker has yet to see significant playing time.

Derek Anderson Deserves Better From Cleveland Browns Fans

Andrew — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:19:26 -0500

Astonished is probably the best way to describe my feelings towards the Browns fan base right now.

Comments like "Anderson was a fluke! His receiving corps did all the work!" and "Brady Quinn can take us to the playoffs" are resonating from Cleveland.

Derek Anderson's first few games in the NFL made him look like a guy who was playing in the NFL for the first time. No big surprise. There were few moments of promise.

The next season, year two of his playing career, he lit up the NFL. His line protected him and he got rid of the football. He was only sacked 14 times. His running game was mediocre. He had a good corps of receivers: Edwards, Winslow, and Jurevicius. Plus, the running backs accounted for 500 passing yards.

Maybe I should repeat some things. He had a good receiving corps. Did everyone hear? They weren't great. They weren't league-best. They didn't pick Anderson up and carry him to the Pro Bowl. They were good. Better than average. But not elite.

Edwards still dropped balls...plenty of them, actually. He didn't make the Top Five in receiving yards. But for the most part, when it was thrown to him, he did his job as an NFL starting receiver and caught it. Congrats. Winslow played well, but two other TEs in the league had more passing yards.

Jurevicius was the first Brown to break a Top Five list. Slowest WR. But I really like him. He is a big, dependable guy. He helped on the short routes a ton and was a big part of the reason Anderson didn't get sacked. The running back corps wasn't elite at running or catching. But they did OK at both.

Fast forward to 2008. The team's starting wide receivers (Edwards and Jurevicius) led the NFL in drops and were hurt all season, respectively. The new No. 2 wide receiver, Stallworth, had a total of 170 receiving yards. Two Cleveland RBs and WR Syndric Steptoe beat that.

The star tight end? Hurt half the season. His backup is a 32-year-old, 270 lb. blocker. The running backs disappeared from the receiving list.

It gets better. The line is about as impenetrable as Pamela Ander....Now that's just dirty. But come on. They let how many QBs get hurt? .

Leading 2008 Receivers

Edwards: Led NFL in drops

Winslow: Hurt or MIA half the season

Hieden: 32-year-old, 270 lb. blocker

Lewis: Slow, power back

Find me a QB that could work with this.

Moving on, Brady Quinn has not proven anything. He lost almost every big-time game he played in at ND. There's a reason he slipped so far on draft day. Is he well-spoken? Yes. Does being a good talker win you football games? No. The only Top Five Quinn made it on was your girlfriends' fantasy list.

All of that being said, I think we need to pick a QB and stick with him. I think it will probably be Brady. I am not saying Quinn is a bad QB, but I am saying he is unproven.

Fans need to realize that nobody in Anderson's position would have been successful.

Since I was old enough to watch football, the Browns have sucked. I still love them. They still are my team. But let's face it, they have sucked. Anderson gave this city hope. He isn't the sexy pick, but the guy played well. It was the first time in a long time that Cleveland could look back at a season and be proud.

Then everything goes wrong in 2008 and fans all jump on the bandwagon. That's disloyal. Anderson deserved better.

Thank you, Derek Anderson, for the 2007 season. I am sorry the '08 season didn't go well and, if you do leave, I wish you the best of luck.

Browns Trade Kellen Winslow Jr. to Buccaneers

Andrew — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:14:37 -0500

The Cleveland Browns are having an eventful start to free agency, as the team chose to trade pro-bowler Kellen Winslow Jr. to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Quinn being the assumed starter, the move is surprising in the sense that the two seem to have very good chemistry. In all fairness, they've only played together a few games. An untested Rucker and reasonably productive Heiden remain. Mangini has been very clear that he is looking for team players. Winslow hates losing, and probably could become a productive, team player if the coach and GM were able to motivate him. However, as Shaun Rogers will tell you, player-coach communication is not at an all time high right now. In addition, he has had many health problems. His body will wear down eventually.

In return for the star tight end, the Browns received undisclosed, draft picks. Multiple draft picks will help the Browns be more flexible and youth oriented. That being said, the validity of the trade is impossible to judge, as few know what Cleveland will actually receive in return. The offense set a record this season for longest TD drought. Currently, Cleveland has only downgraded. That isn't to say that the draft picks may more than suffice for the loss.

He is a great player, an exciting player. Fans loved watching him, and he will be missed. Hopefully, the draft picks will stimulate success and translate into a few more wins.

The Buccaneers get a very capable, if injury prone, TE. The new environment is going to encourage KW2, and he should have a productive season for the Bucs.

The Buccaneers have the 19th pick in round 1. They have one pick each in rounds 1 through 6 and have two picks in the 7th.

Winslow accounted for 4.6 million dollars against the salary cap, 7th highest on the team.

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Cleveland Browns' Defense: Fixing the Financial Fiasco

Andrew — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:09:04 -0500

The season is over, the Pro Bowl just ended, and free agency and the draft aren’t here yet. So while we mourn the disappointing season, let’s start looking at why there were problems and the possible ways to correct them.

I believe in defense. The best defense in the league (according to points allowed per game) is walking away with the hardware. And the worst? Well, they reside in Detroit.

A very descriptive fact—Cleveland is ranked exactly halfway between the aforementioned teams.

Ranked 16^th in the NFL, the problems are not uncorrectable. It’s not time to scrap the entire defense and start over. Cleveland, however, does have a lot of room to improve. They will be playing the 3-4 next year. Period. Mangini has already absolutely refused to consider another defense.

Some less-than-perfect situations do have to be accepted. There is only so much that can be done in one offseason and Cleveland only has so much money. So these evaluations are made to put Cleveland’s defense at a playoff level, but they will not fix every single problem the Browns face.

Defensive Line

In the 3-4 defensive, linemen can put up some very poor stats. That is not to say they aren’t being successful, it’s just that a big part of their job is to take up blocks. That being said, they still do need to be making tackles and sacks.

Shaun Rogers showcased perfection. He had more tackles (76) than any other DT/NT in the league. He only put up 4.5 sacks, but that led the team. And here is the best part—he was playing team football. It wasn’t a selfish, stat-padding season. The man gets double-teamed all day.

It was also nice to have Louis Leonard add some depth, he made 25 tackles and we pay him next to nothing.

Everything goes downhill from there. The DE’s played without Robaire Smith most of the season. Corey Williams played ok, but he and Shaun Smith combined barely beat Rogers’ tackle total. Together they had half a sack, unless you count the hit Smith put on Quinn. That lack of production still marked $8.4 million against the Browns’ salary cap.

There are more prominent weaknesses than the D-line, so the underachievers of this group will probably catch a break; however, Williams huge contract may put him in danger.

Outside Linebackers

Willie McGinest was on TV the other day and announced that he would only come back if a perfect opportunity presented itself; if he was going to come back he wanted to be winning.

Willie, retire. Please. Pretty please.

He had fewer tackles than any other starting linebacker on the team. In the 3-4, linebackers must apply pressure. He had one sack. He says he wants to win—he needs to play like it.

Willie, play like you aren’t just showing up for your huge paycheck. Show the younger players how hard they need to work. Show them that defense is about refusing to be denied. If he wants to win, why didn’t he make it happen?

Adding to the problem, he cost the team cap more than league sack-leader DeMarcus Ware cost his Cowboys. McGinest's $3.7 million more than doubles Pro-Bowler James Harrison’s cap value. But, bringing it closer to home, the guy that starts across from him gets paid half as much, has four times as many sacks, and more tackles.

He said he would only come back to a “perfect” situation. He gets paid a ton and does nothing—sounds like most people’s dream job. The Browns don’t need that kind of veteran leadership. For the money he is being paid, a very decent replacement can be found.

Some interesting free agents are Suggs and maybe even Peppers. Both are going to be very expensive. Fortunately, this draft is packed with pass-rushers. If they want to spend their first pick on Aaron Curry, they can. The class is probably deep enough to pick up a quality player in the second round.

Kamerion Wimbley needs to learn another move; the shoulder dip only works so many times. That being said, he’s a younger guy and he has shown flashes of great potential. We don’t pay him very much, so I think we should keep him around, and see what he develops into.

Next year, he and, whoever starts opposite him ,need to make getting to the quarterback a very personal matter, as Cleveland was second-to-last in the league in sacks.

Inside Linebackers

D’Qwell Jackson led the NFL in tackles. Sure, Shawne Merriman was hurt, and some of the perennial All-Stars are getting older, but it’s still impressive—the kid’s just three years into his career.

This season he put up as many tackles as Andra Davis did the last two seasons combined. D’Qwell’s cap value: $1.1 million. Want to guess Andra Davis’ ? Multiply Jackson's by three.

Jackson had two sacks. Davis had none. Stephan Cooper was the only linebacker to have more interceptions than D’Qwell. Davis had one. Jackson deflected 9 passes. Davis deflected four.

It’s confusing how they can play the same position, on the same defense, against the same teams, yet the stats can be so dissimilar. Jackson has an exciting future ahead of him. Davis should be gone.

Leon Williams has only missed three2 games in his three years. He isn’t a starter, but he’s not bad depth at $0.5 million against the cap.

The problems here could be rectified in several ways.

The free agency market is packed full of middle linebackers. There are going to be some very big names thrown out there. Vilma, Lewis, and Barton are just a couple. Rey Maualuga would add some much needed attitude to the defense. Aaron Curry seems to be a very safe pick. James Laurinaitis and company create even more options.

Safeties

Look at the two best 3-4 defenses; they have tremendous safeties (Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu) and they also are willing to fork out the cash for these players. That is not a coincidence. The safety is crucial in a 3-4—they allow for more aggressive blitz packages.

The 3-4 prides itself on stopping the run, which is pointless if the opposition can turn to the passing game and scorch the D. An intimidating safety keeps that from happening. The lack of the aforementioned safety is a big part of the reason Cleveland’s third down defense was third-worst in the NFL.

Sean Jones is still learning. He has a lot to improve on, but the Browns could do worse. Keep him.

Mike Adams was a pleasant surprise, but he’s not ready to start yet. Brodney Poole needs to leave. On three different occasions this year, he backed away from a ball carrier. Never—I repeat never—is that a good choice.

Middle school football players sometimes make that mistake. High School players lose their starting jobs for doing that once, let alone three times.

Adams is too small and lacks the strength to be a physical presence in the passing game, and we won't even mention the running game.

If Taylor Mays came out this year, he’d be interesting, but he didn’t. Oshiomogho Atogwe accounted for 11 turnovers all by himself this year, not to mention more than 80 tackles. He may take dangerous risks sometimes, but with a turnover margin that high, there can’t be too much complaining. If the Rams let him go, snag him. If not, find a replacement.

Cornerbacks

Brandon McDonald is improving. He puts very apparent effort into the game. He still is getting thrown at all day. His run support is far from impressive. Working hard is respectable, but the Browns need results.

Eric Wright played a little better against the run—not much, but a little. He doesn’t get thrown at as much, which would lead one to believe he’s a better corner. Keep him.

Malcolm Jenkins is as complete a player as you’ll find. That’s a possibility, but would cost a first round pick. Nnamdi Asomugha is going to want a huge paycheck and Dunta Robinson has had some injury problems. Both will be in the free agent market.

The position needs to be addressed, if Jenkins isn't drafted, the problem is probably best addressed through trade.

Attitude

Part of this will come with new players, but the Browns need a new attitude. Everyone keeps saying the NFL is business—hopefully that’s not true. Hopefully someone still plays in that league because they love the game of football.

But even if it is all business, even if this is just their profession, not their love, act like it.

When businessmen explain their plans, they do it with passion, pride, and a competitive spirit. When engineers showcase their inventions, they do it with passion, pride ,and a competitive spirit. For God’s sake, even politicians show passion, pride, and a competitive spirit.

That isn’t apparent with the Browns.

If this really is just a profession for them, then start taking a little personal pride in what you do. Come to work with a chip on your shoulder and prove you belong in the league.

The Browns need a defense that prides itself first on turnovers, second on stopping the run, and third being a hard hitting, physical presence.