Cleveland 2010 Edition

          With the 2010 season just around the corner and plenty of new faces in town.  There is much to be excited about.  The addition of Holmgren and Heckert is probably the biggest impact we have all seen in Cleveland since the return in 1999.  Then you have some nice off season addition's like Scott Fujita the leader of the Saints super bowl winning defense.  Also Chris Gocong outside linebacker that is said to be a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense and in the same package the Brown's got a pro bowl corner in Sheldon Brown to add much needed help to a very poor secondary.  On Offense the Brown's added tight end Ben Watson who will end up being one of the most important pick ups.  At offensive line Tony Pashos a grinder RT was added.  Now finally the most elusive position to find a franchise player at QB.  The Browns traded Quinn to Denver and cut Anderson leaving only Brett Ratliff and no one wants to see him at the Helm.  But then Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme are added and give Cleveland a gap filler until the franchise QB is found.

         The draft was exciting leading up to it. And after most Browns fans were happy and Confused and then happy again.  Here is how it played out in round one the Browns drafted the best Corner in the draft in Joe Haden out of Florida a guy who I think will be shut down in no time at all.  But Then Cleveland drafted T.J. Ward a hard hitting safety out of Oregon the only guy I remembered from the Duck defense after the Rosebowl.  The T.J. Ward pick was a little surprising being that Mays was still on the Board but it has been said Cleveland had him rated as the second best safety.  Soon in the second round Browns made another splash by trading back in and taking Montario Hardesty a RB out of Tenn.  He is an exiting back with good size and speed and a really cool spin move of which I can't wait to see on Cleveland turf.  Now the middle of the third rolls around and Colt McCoy is still on the board which seems crazy because most experts had him being drafted late first early second.  So did the Brown's just grab the QB of the future in the third round? Hopefully time will tell.  With the next pick in the third the Browns grabbed a gritty OL from Arizona state Shawn Lauvao. 

        Late in the draft Cleveland kept it interesting by going after another safety Larry Asante from Nebraska.  Asante looks to be another hard hitting SS who could be an immediate impact on special teams.  In round six Carlton Mitchell a WR from USF was selected.  Mitchell is 6'3 215 pounds and has 4.4 speed.  The knock on Mitchell is his lack of desire to go across the middle and his tendency to catch the ball with his chest.  The last Cleveland draftee to have his name called was Clifton Geathers.  Standing at 6'8 and 300 pounds the large defensive end out of South Carolina is not short on confidence claiming with proper coaching he'll be the best player in the NFL.

        Going into the season it would seem that wide receiver would be the position of greatest concern.  But Mohamed Massaquoi should be much improved in his second season. Also Robiskie will be well served with a full offseason and a year under his belt. With better passing and some nice tight end play it will work out better than most expect.  The other position with some question's will be the defensive line.  Some uncertanty how long or if Rogers will be suspended and some aging defensive ends.  Training camp and preseason will give a lot better gauge of where we are with these three very important start's.

         In Closing at the very least this proves to be the most interesting offseason yet. Many question's will be answered who will start at running back who will get the extra carries?  Will the offense look west coast?  Who will start at Cornerback?  Will Lauvao start at right guard?  Who will step up at receiver? How will the linebacker's shake up being there are so many to fill only 4 spot's?  Can Marcus Bernard get back onto the field and bring the heat the way he did at the end of the year last year?  Will Jake Delhomme get back to form and play the way Holmgren know's he can?  How much of Seneca Wallace and Josh Cribbs on the field together will we see?  I am very excited to say the least.