Well, the NFL's free agent circus came and went over the span of just a few weeks. For the most part, the Browns sat back and watched the carnage form around them.
The Browns showed an interest in Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. However, not at the exhorbitant price tags Dan "The Fan" Snyder and his Redskins paid for them.
***A quick break in the action here. I've heard a lot of people complain that the Browns didn't match Washington's steep bid for the Rams' No. 2 pick to presumably pick Robert Griffin III. I've heard some people claim that they wish they had an owner like Snyder, who isn't afraid to spend money and take chances, instead of the quiet, deep-pocketed Randy Lerner. Do you realize how much of a joke that Redskins franchise is? They win as much as the Browns do lately, which is NEVER. They are always in salary cap hell because Snyder overpays for mediocre talent and tries to recreate a fantasy football team in real life. They treat draft picks like cancer, which is why you'll never see any young nucleus in Washington. Snyder likes to throw a lot of money at big-name coaches (Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs, Mike Shanahan), but then quickly gets rid of them if they can't win with his overpriced, mediocre talent. Even with the "savior" RG3, Joe Cleveland will go on record and say that the Redskins will NEVER win a Super Bowl, much less even get to one, as long as Snyder continues to run his team into the ground. Moving on ...
The Browns let Matt Flynn go to Seattle without even bringing him to talk to them. In fact, they didn't really show an interest in any quarterback that was out there.
Tim Tebow could suddenly be had for pretty cheap, but the Browns didn't even show one hint of interest.
The only two free agents signed where a pair of defensive linemen -- Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker. Of course, free agency is not over yet, and there are still plenty of free agents to choose from, but most of the big names are gone.
Unlike some of the other people in this town, Joe Cleveland would like to take a moment and applaud Tom Heckert for not breaking the bank on mediocre talent.
Remember Phil Savage, the absentee general manager who had an up-and-down four year tenure with the Browns? Savage LOVED making a splash in free agency every single year. He had a deep-pocketed owner who never asked questions and trusted his talent evaluators, so Savage took advantage of that never-ending checkbook.
Here's just a few of the gems Savage gave exhorbitant contracts too -- Gary Baxter, LeCharles Bentley, Corey Williams, Shaun Rogers, Derek Anderson, Joe Jurevicus, Ted Washington, Willie McGinest ...
Jamal Lewis was a nice signing for one season, before the treads came flying off those tires in a hurry during that second year and especially that third year.
Eric Steinbach was a great signing, until he hurt his back and missed all of last season.
Dave Zastudil was a great signing, until he got injured and missed a season-and-a-half.
Jurevicus and Bentley were popular signings because they were from Cleveland. Jurevicus was at the end of his career and was only productive for one season. Bentley, who was a Pro Bowl center the season before, never even played in a single game with the Browns, suffering a career ending knee injury just one play into his first training camp.
Savage gave up his entire 2008 draft for Brady Quinn, Rogers and Corey Williams. How did that one turn out? That turned out to be the final nail in his coffin.
Derek Anderson had one great year (or 3/4ths of a year, if you want to get technical) and was rewarded with a large contract. Then, the real DA showed up and drug the franchise down with him. Now, he holds a clipboard and gives Cam Newton chest bumps whenever Newton scores a touchdown.
Savage hit on a few draft choices. Immediately coming to mind are Joe Thomas, D'Qwell Jackson ... and that's about it. He took Atyaba Rubin in his last draft (his first pick, in the FOURTH round), so he gets credit for him, too, I guess. Josh Cribbs was signed as an undrafted guy the same year he wasted the third-overall pick on Braylon Edwards.
Remember Travis Wilson? Of course you don't. Wilson was a receiver from Oklahoma that Savage once drafted in the third round. Wilson never caught an NFL pass, even though he proclaimed in his first press conference that he was "the best wide receiver in the draft" that year.
You can blame Savage for the disaster that was a starting defensive backfield of Eric Wright-Brandon McDonald. Both were drafted in the same year (Wright in the second round; McDonald in the fourth). Both made a living out of getting torched by opposing quarterbacks. The second-coming of Dixon and Minnifield, they certainly weren't. Last I saw, Wright and McDonald were on a Detroit team that got torched by Matt Flynn and Drew Brees in back-to-back weeks to end their season.
Savage treated the draft like a lost cause. He seemed to focus on the first two rounds, but let himself go from rounds 3-through-7. His excuse was that if anyone becomes a star selected after round 3, that was the exception and not the rule.
Remember Kamerion Wimbley? The Browns could have had him or Haloti Ngata in the first round. Savage listened to Romeo Crennel (who wanted a pass rusher) and GAVE his old boss Ozzie Newsome his first round pick in exchange for the Ravens pick and a sixth-rounder. Ngata has been a stalwart for the division-rival Ravens. Wimbley is now playing for his third-different team, the Browns having dealt him for a third-round choice that turned into Colt McCoy.
Do you still want a guy like Phil Savage running your team? It's no wonder why the Browns only had one winning season in their four years together, but yet were a complete disaster when Savage and Crennel were let go after the 2008 season. He neglected the draft and tried to find "win-now" shortcuts that wound up blowing up in his face.
The Browns' track record in free agency has never really been any good. That even goes back to the Judas Modell days, when he got loans from four different banks to sign Andre Rison to an exhorbitant contract, only to watch Rison destroy his locker room with his cancerous attitude.
How about that Jeff Garcia free agency signing? That was Butch Davis' answer to the Tim Couch-Kelly Holcomb QB carosel. By the end of that season, both Davis and Garcia were gone.
The good teams never go buck-wild in free agency. Green Bay hasn't signed a free agent in two years. Yet they won a Super Bowl just two years ago and came close to doing it again last year. Those hated Stillers never break the bank in free agency, either.
Teams that build through the draft are the ones that wind up consistantly winning over the long haul. This is what the Browns are attempting to do.
The Browns have 13 picks in this year's draft at the moment. Let them do what they do best.
***
So, who's going to be at quarterback, now that Griffin, Luck, Flynn, Manning, Alex Smith, Kyle Orton, Jason Campbell, David Garrard and Tim Tebow are all off the market?
The only way the Browns take Ryan Tannehill is if they trade down from the 4-spot. They won't take him at No. 4. I expect Miami will take him at No. 8, if they don't try to move up to get him first.
Brandon Weeden could be had in the second, or possibly even in the third round. Weeden's age (28) is hurting his stock. If he was 22 or 23 like all the other QBs, he'd be a first-round choice, hands down.
I expect that Colt McCoy will be the starter again. I know that some people are ready to give up on him and think that he's crap, that he's the second-coming of Charlie Frye-Luke McCown-Spurgeon Wynn-Brady Quinn-Tim Couch all over again. And, he might be, when it's all said and done.
However, you can't deny that McCoy played against a stacked deck last year. He had no offseason to learn a brand-new offense. He lost his top offenisve threat in Peyton Hillis for most of the season due to injuries and other assorted bizarre antics, leaving him with a one-legged runner in Montario Hardesty and a practice squad college teammate in Chris Ogbonnaya to hand the ball off to. He was without a dynamic playmaker at receiver, and the receivers he did have led the NFL in collective dropped passes. The right side of his offensive line was a joke, and both of the guards were essentially rookies. Don't forget that rookie fullback in Owen Marecic as well, who wasn't quite ready for primetime.
I expect a lot of these things to be addressed with those 13 draft picks this year. Don't be surprised if a guy like Cedric Benson is signed as kind of a stop-gap, Jamal Lewis-esque signing, even if they take Trent Richardson at No. 4.
This will be a make-or-break year for McCoy. He knows the braintrust in the organization made a play for Griffin (they admitted it and looked like petulant children crying over spilled milk when they did admit it). He knows they may take a QB in the draft, whether it's Tannehill, Weeden, Brock Osweilor, Kellen Moore or Russell Wilson or some other QB I'm not thinking of.
If he fails this year, he'll wind up like Brady Quinn, never starting a game again.
I still think Weeden gets taken by the Browns, perhaps at No. 37, and I still think Seneca "Cancer" Wallace gets shown the door. Wallace has been nothing but a problem since he was brought over to the Browns two years ago and has shown little in positive production in the few times he's been used.
My prediction for the draft -- Morris Claiborne at 4, a receiver (Wright from Baylor, Floyd from Notre Dame or Jeffrey from South Carolina) at 22 and Weeden or LeMichael James at 37. Can that change between now and April 22? Absolutely.
But, that's why this part of the season is fun.
***
Joe Cleveland was going to end his blog here, but I've got to address Paul Dolan's little chat he had with Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer today.
Dolan refuted claims in Forbes Magazine, which said that the Indians turned a $30 million profit last season (largest in MLB). Dolan admitted the only year ownership got to enjoy some of the profits was the playoff year of 2007 (funny what a few extra sellouts in October can do for the bottom line), and that they've never been as much as $30 million.
Had this been true, the Dolans could get into hot water for not spending the money they get from revenue sharing, both with the frustrated fan base and with MLB.
Dolan also claimed that he really does want to win as badly as the fans do. He also said that the team isn't for sale and, even if it was, there aren't any buyers lining up to buy it.
I really want to believe Paul Dolan and take him at his word. But, I just can't.
I believe everything he told Terry Pluto was a lie.
I believe that they did make $30 million and pocketed most of it. I believe that the team is for sale. I don't believe that he wants to win, only to turn a profit.
If he wanted to win, he'd put his money where his mouth is. Time and time again, he hasn't done so.
His cronies Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti aren't exactly babes in woods in this, either. They've made some dumb baseball decisions that have cost this team time and time again. They've spent what little money Dolan allows them to spend in dumb ways (David Delucci and Jason Michaels ring a bell? Matt Lawton? How about that Travis Hafner contract?), and have squandered numerous draft choices (anyone remember John Drennan, Dan Denham or Brad Snyder? Of course you don't) over the years.
The Indians have had their window of opportunity three times since John Hart left for good -- 2005, 2007 and 2011. The window slammed shut in 2006, only to open again 2007, but slam back shut in 2008 and 09. The window is open again this year, but it appears Dolan, Shapiro and Antonetti are willing to let it slam back on them in 2012.
Last summer was fun, even though Joe Cleveland (like many) were waiting for that other shoe to drop (when it did, it dropped hard). Fans were coming back to the Jake. The team was exciting. Some of the young guys were getting their chances and making the most of those chances. Heck, even Jim Thome came back to exorcise some of those old demons.
I fear this summer will be like the summers of 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010 were. I want to be wrong.
Joe Cleveland really wants to believe you, Paul Dolan. However, he just can't. You've burned us one too many times.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thwarting the RG3 Hysteria
With NFL free agency upon us, and the NFL draft about a month and a half away, many Browns fans have begun the speculation game.
The most popular speculation -- perpetuated by the local sports talk minions -- centers around Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winner.
With the St. Louis Rams holding the No. 2 pick and not in any need to take a QB, especially after drafting Sam Bradford No. 1 overall just two years ago, they have made no secret about auctioning off that pick to the highest bidder. 90 percent of the local sports-yammers are demanding that the Browns win that auction to land the guy they believe will get this team to the Promised Land.
Joe Cleveland is not one of those guys. In fact, Joe Cleveland is saying that the Browns should stand pat at No. 4, or even (gasp) trade down and get some more picks.
There's no question that quarterback is the glamour position in the NFL, and, nowadays, it's hard to find a team that wins a Super Bowl without an elite QB under center. You'd probably have to go back to 2002, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won with Brad Johnson taking snaps, to find a Super Bowl champ that didn't have a "superstar" quarterback.
A lot of people seem to think that Robert Griffin III has the tools to become a "superstar" quarterback. He can throw. He can run. He has a good head on his shoulders. He's a great athlete.
But, does that mean he'd be a good fit for the Browns? Not if it means giving up two first-rounders this year and a first-rounder next year. Sorry to burst that bubble, but it's true.
RG3 (I hate using that moniker, just because I hear it so damn much on the radio) is not a good fit for the West Coast Offense that the Browns are trying to impliment. Bringing Brad Childress on board as the offensive coordinator only reaffirms that committment to that offense.
All the draft gurus like Mike Mayock, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper claim that any team who drafts Griffin will have to tailor their offense a little bit to fit his skill set. So, what makes you think that Pat Shurmur, Childress and Mike Holmgren will deviate from their uniform philosophy just to make sure the square peg (Griffin) fits into their round hole? I can't see that happening.
And, with Tom Heckart's love of draft picks and being able to utilize them well (as we've mostly seen these past two years), why do you think he'd suddenly mortgage the future just to bring in one guy?
And, if you do that, Griffin is still playing around the mediocre talent that the Browns have on offense. You lose out on the chance to add a top wide reciever in the draft, or a top lineman (let's face it, the offensive line, especially the right side, need some work), by throwing everything in the Griffin bucket. Griffin will still be throwing to a receiving corps that led the entire NFL in collective dropped passes. Griffin will still be behind an offensive line that has a revolving door at right tackle, a right guard who was good for at least one false start penalty each game, and a left guard who is coming off back surgery and missed an entire season last year.
He'll get a chance to show off those world-class legs, that's for sure. He'll also open himself to injury.
The Colts release of Peyton Manning this week is a huge wild-card in what the Browns are able to do in the draft. Once that domino falls, others will follow and the path will become clear. Here's what Joe Cleveland believes will happen:
Heckart said that the Browns have no interest in entering the Manning sweepstakes, and smartly did so. The Browns don't need to throw a ton of money on a 35-year-old guy coming off three neck surgeries, even if he is one of the best to ever play the position. Besides, I think Manning wants to go to a team that is close to making a deep playoff and Super Bowl run. Also, after playing his entire career in a dome, I think Manning would want to play his home games either for a warm-weather team or a team playing in a climate-controlled facility. The Browns are neither.
Browns fans pining after Griffin are hoping that the Redskins sign Manning. The Redskins seem to be the Browns' top competition in the RG3 sweepstakes, and seem willing to give up as much as possible to draft him. If they sign Manning, suddenly, they may not need to be involved in the Griffin hoopla. That could also allow the Browns to not give up as much to the Rams, since they'd suddenly be (presumably) bidding against themselves.
Not going to happen. Manning doesn't want to play in the same division as his brother, Eli, even if Washington will give him the farm. It also seems like Manning is eager to remain in the AFC, which puts Miami (where Manning lives during the offseason) as the leading contender. However, I could see a team like Kansas City (AFC West), Arizona or Seattle (NFC West) signing him. Everyone knows that the West Divisions in the NFL are the weakest and are the most wide-open each year. The path to the Super Bowl would be a lot clearer coming out of the West. Denver is suddenly an intriguiging option as well, considering they got to the Divisional Round with a guy like Tim Tebow under center.
The other top QB free agent is Matt Flynn, Aaron Rodgers' backup at Green Bay. Flynn put himself squarely on the radar when he broke all the single-season Packer passing records in a wild season-finale win over Detroit, and Green Bay elected not to slap the franchise tag on him. Flynn, who has only started two games in his career (both starts were outstanding), is intriguing because of the system he comes from. Plus, he won a national championship as a college QB at LSU (Buckeye fans remember that one). Any team running a WCO would be interested in Flynn, which is where the Browns come in.
However, Heckart seemed to put the kibosh on signing Flynn with his statement that the Browns weren't going to go "crazy" in free agency this year. If Miami loses out on Manning, they become the top spot for Flynn, since Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is now their head coach, and he'd be running the exact same offense he learned the last 3-4 seasons in Green Bay.
I predict Manning will sign with a West team (Denver, Kansas City or Arizona), Flynn will sign with Miami, Washington will give up the farm for the No. 2 pick and draft Griffin, and the Browns ...
Well, I can see the Browns staying put at No. 4 and taking someone like receiver Justin Blackmon, running back Trent Richardson or cornerback Morris Claiborne. At No. 22, if he's still there, the Browns may target Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who played in a WCO system in college. If Tannehill is gone, the Browns may gamble and see if Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden tumbles to the second round because of his age (28). I really believe Weeden would be a great fit for the Browns and could easily start immediately. And, by the way, Weeden's team beat Griffin's team and played in a BCS bowl, where they beat Andrew Luck's Stanford team.
Joe Cleveland says that expect either Tannehill or Weeden to be in a Browns uniform next season and competing with incumbant Colt McCoy for the starting job. And, receiver will be addressed in this draft. Can you imagine Blackmon and Weeden renewing their college chemistry in the NFL together in Cleveland?
While Heckart won't go "crazy" in free agency, that doesn't mean they won't sign anybody. I can see them making a play for receivers such as Warren product Mario Manningham, Mount Union grad Pierre Garcon or former Saints first-rounder Robert Meachem. All three wouldn't command exhorbitant bucks to sign. All three would immediately become the top receiving target on the Browns and would allow promising second-year player Greg Little to play more in the slot and for Josh Cribbs to continue to serve as the utilityman. The Browns won't go into next year with just Little, Cribbs and Muhammed Massoquoi as their main receivers again, that's for sure.
While the Browns are willing to draft a QB, I honestly don't think they're ready to give up on Colt McCoy just yet. That's why I think a guy like Weeden, because of his age, becomes a realistic target. Weeden is almost like signing a quarterback in free agency. Weeden can start immediately, but Colt is still young enough that he can be a backup for a year or two and still be in his prime when the time comes for him to start.
I can see the Browns signing a veteran to serve as a sounding board for both McCoy and Weeden/Tannehill, someone like Donavan McNabb. Heckart, Shurmur and Childress are all familiar with McNabb, and McNabb is familiar with their offense. McNabb knows he's done, but who wouldn't turn down some money to serve as mentor and emergency quarterback? McCoy played a lot better when he had Jake Delhomme on the roster helping him out, and regressed when he had just Seneca Wallace, who clearly had his own agenda in mind, playing with him.
The Browns are more than a quarterback away from becoming a contender, which is why I can see Heckart trading down from No. 4 and acquiring more picks, or keeping what they already have. They have holes, plural, and the addition of someone like Robert Griffin III won't suddenly fill all those holes. Sure, he'll be exciting to watch, but I think Browns fans would rather see wins.
We watched how Cam Newton dazzled the highlight reels for the Carolina Panthers last year, but they only won 5 or 6 games last year. Just because Newton rushed for 12 touchdowns and was a terriffic fantasy football quarterback doesn't mean that the Panthers are any closer to the promised land. Griffin can be like Newton was, but that won't translate into wins.
The Steelers appear to be on the decline, and the Ravens aren't getting any younger either. The Browns and the Bengals have a chance to flip the AFC North on its ear and become the two dominant forces that those other two teams were for years based on their young nucleuses and their draft picks. Now's the time to be smart with the cap room and the draft picks and not be greedy. A trade for Robert Griffin III would be greedy.
Give it up, sports-yakkers. Your fantasies of RG3 appear to be over, unless he somehow slips down to No. 4. Time to get on board the realistic train, captained by Joe Cleveland, and get ready for Brandon Weeden or Ryan Tannehill.
***
Quick takes on the other team teams in this town:
<> Joe Cleveland wasn't shy about believing the Cavs' should have went Derrick Williams-Brandon Knight at 1-4 in last year's draft. I admit that I was wrong there, although Tristan Thompson still has a way to go.
However, Kyrie Irving was the correct choice at No. 1 and can become a star in the NBA. He's a top-notch point guard and seems to rise up in the clutch (unlike that other self-centered "King Nothing" that the Cavs had for seven years). He's playing not like a 19-year-old kid who only had 13 college games under his belt, but like a seasoned veteran. Unlike King Nothing, who was anointed the Chosen One before he pulled on his Cavs jersey for the first time, Irving had to earn his standing with the fans. He's just fun to watch, which makes the Cavs fun to watch.
The Cavs probably won't make the playoffs, and the lottery may not go their way this year because they're not one of the worst teams in the league. However, they are in a great position to make more strides in the next few years because of what Irving brings to the table.
<> The news just keeps getting worse for the Indians. Grady Sizemore reported to spring training with an injured back that will keep him out a few more months, and he appears content to collect his $5 million when he said he wouldn't "rush himself back." Nice knowing you, Grady.
Then, closer Chris Perez suffered an injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. Vinny Pestano suddenly becomes the frontrunner to become the new closer until Perez gets healthy, which puts more strain on the Indians' top strength, its bullpen.
The season hasn't even begun yet, and I'm already dreading it for the Indians. At this rate, 81-81 would be successful.
Joe Cleveland still thinks there's something to the fact that no one is under contract following this year. I can only hope that means Paul and Larry Dolan are ready to cash in their chips and find a new buyer. That might be the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
The most popular speculation -- perpetuated by the local sports talk minions -- centers around Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winner.
With the St. Louis Rams holding the No. 2 pick and not in any need to take a QB, especially after drafting Sam Bradford No. 1 overall just two years ago, they have made no secret about auctioning off that pick to the highest bidder. 90 percent of the local sports-yammers are demanding that the Browns win that auction to land the guy they believe will get this team to the Promised Land.
Joe Cleveland is not one of those guys. In fact, Joe Cleveland is saying that the Browns should stand pat at No. 4, or even (gasp) trade down and get some more picks.
There's no question that quarterback is the glamour position in the NFL, and, nowadays, it's hard to find a team that wins a Super Bowl without an elite QB under center. You'd probably have to go back to 2002, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won with Brad Johnson taking snaps, to find a Super Bowl champ that didn't have a "superstar" quarterback.
A lot of people seem to think that Robert Griffin III has the tools to become a "superstar" quarterback. He can throw. He can run. He has a good head on his shoulders. He's a great athlete.
But, does that mean he'd be a good fit for the Browns? Not if it means giving up two first-rounders this year and a first-rounder next year. Sorry to burst that bubble, but it's true.
RG3 (I hate using that moniker, just because I hear it so damn much on the radio) is not a good fit for the West Coast Offense that the Browns are trying to impliment. Bringing Brad Childress on board as the offensive coordinator only reaffirms that committment to that offense.
All the draft gurus like Mike Mayock, Todd McShay and Mel Kiper claim that any team who drafts Griffin will have to tailor their offense a little bit to fit his skill set. So, what makes you think that Pat Shurmur, Childress and Mike Holmgren will deviate from their uniform philosophy just to make sure the square peg (Griffin) fits into their round hole? I can't see that happening.
And, with Tom Heckart's love of draft picks and being able to utilize them well (as we've mostly seen these past two years), why do you think he'd suddenly mortgage the future just to bring in one guy?
And, if you do that, Griffin is still playing around the mediocre talent that the Browns have on offense. You lose out on the chance to add a top wide reciever in the draft, or a top lineman (let's face it, the offensive line, especially the right side, need some work), by throwing everything in the Griffin bucket. Griffin will still be throwing to a receiving corps that led the entire NFL in collective dropped passes. Griffin will still be behind an offensive line that has a revolving door at right tackle, a right guard who was good for at least one false start penalty each game, and a left guard who is coming off back surgery and missed an entire season last year.
He'll get a chance to show off those world-class legs, that's for sure. He'll also open himself to injury.
The Colts release of Peyton Manning this week is a huge wild-card in what the Browns are able to do in the draft. Once that domino falls, others will follow and the path will become clear. Here's what Joe Cleveland believes will happen:
Heckart said that the Browns have no interest in entering the Manning sweepstakes, and smartly did so. The Browns don't need to throw a ton of money on a 35-year-old guy coming off three neck surgeries, even if he is one of the best to ever play the position. Besides, I think Manning wants to go to a team that is close to making a deep playoff and Super Bowl run. Also, after playing his entire career in a dome, I think Manning would want to play his home games either for a warm-weather team or a team playing in a climate-controlled facility. The Browns are neither.
Browns fans pining after Griffin are hoping that the Redskins sign Manning. The Redskins seem to be the Browns' top competition in the RG3 sweepstakes, and seem willing to give up as much as possible to draft him. If they sign Manning, suddenly, they may not need to be involved in the Griffin hoopla. That could also allow the Browns to not give up as much to the Rams, since they'd suddenly be (presumably) bidding against themselves.
Not going to happen. Manning doesn't want to play in the same division as his brother, Eli, even if Washington will give him the farm. It also seems like Manning is eager to remain in the AFC, which puts Miami (where Manning lives during the offseason) as the leading contender. However, I could see a team like Kansas City (AFC West), Arizona or Seattle (NFC West) signing him. Everyone knows that the West Divisions in the NFL are the weakest and are the most wide-open each year. The path to the Super Bowl would be a lot clearer coming out of the West. Denver is suddenly an intriguiging option as well, considering they got to the Divisional Round with a guy like Tim Tebow under center.
The other top QB free agent is Matt Flynn, Aaron Rodgers' backup at Green Bay. Flynn put himself squarely on the radar when he broke all the single-season Packer passing records in a wild season-finale win over Detroit, and Green Bay elected not to slap the franchise tag on him. Flynn, who has only started two games in his career (both starts were outstanding), is intriguing because of the system he comes from. Plus, he won a national championship as a college QB at LSU (Buckeye fans remember that one). Any team running a WCO would be interested in Flynn, which is where the Browns come in.
However, Heckart seemed to put the kibosh on signing Flynn with his statement that the Browns weren't going to go "crazy" in free agency this year. If Miami loses out on Manning, they become the top spot for Flynn, since Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is now their head coach, and he'd be running the exact same offense he learned the last 3-4 seasons in Green Bay.
I predict Manning will sign with a West team (Denver, Kansas City or Arizona), Flynn will sign with Miami, Washington will give up the farm for the No. 2 pick and draft Griffin, and the Browns ...
Well, I can see the Browns staying put at No. 4 and taking someone like receiver Justin Blackmon, running back Trent Richardson or cornerback Morris Claiborne. At No. 22, if he's still there, the Browns may target Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who played in a WCO system in college. If Tannehill is gone, the Browns may gamble and see if Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden tumbles to the second round because of his age (28). I really believe Weeden would be a great fit for the Browns and could easily start immediately. And, by the way, Weeden's team beat Griffin's team and played in a BCS bowl, where they beat Andrew Luck's Stanford team.
Joe Cleveland says that expect either Tannehill or Weeden to be in a Browns uniform next season and competing with incumbant Colt McCoy for the starting job. And, receiver will be addressed in this draft. Can you imagine Blackmon and Weeden renewing their college chemistry in the NFL together in Cleveland?
While Heckart won't go "crazy" in free agency, that doesn't mean they won't sign anybody. I can see them making a play for receivers such as Warren product Mario Manningham, Mount Union grad Pierre Garcon or former Saints first-rounder Robert Meachem. All three wouldn't command exhorbitant bucks to sign. All three would immediately become the top receiving target on the Browns and would allow promising second-year player Greg Little to play more in the slot and for Josh Cribbs to continue to serve as the utilityman. The Browns won't go into next year with just Little, Cribbs and Muhammed Massoquoi as their main receivers again, that's for sure.
While the Browns are willing to draft a QB, I honestly don't think they're ready to give up on Colt McCoy just yet. That's why I think a guy like Weeden, because of his age, becomes a realistic target. Weeden is almost like signing a quarterback in free agency. Weeden can start immediately, but Colt is still young enough that he can be a backup for a year or two and still be in his prime when the time comes for him to start.
I can see the Browns signing a veteran to serve as a sounding board for both McCoy and Weeden/Tannehill, someone like Donavan McNabb. Heckart, Shurmur and Childress are all familiar with McNabb, and McNabb is familiar with their offense. McNabb knows he's done, but who wouldn't turn down some money to serve as mentor and emergency quarterback? McCoy played a lot better when he had Jake Delhomme on the roster helping him out, and regressed when he had just Seneca Wallace, who clearly had his own agenda in mind, playing with him.
The Browns are more than a quarterback away from becoming a contender, which is why I can see Heckart trading down from No. 4 and acquiring more picks, or keeping what they already have. They have holes, plural, and the addition of someone like Robert Griffin III won't suddenly fill all those holes. Sure, he'll be exciting to watch, but I think Browns fans would rather see wins.
We watched how Cam Newton dazzled the highlight reels for the Carolina Panthers last year, but they only won 5 or 6 games last year. Just because Newton rushed for 12 touchdowns and was a terriffic fantasy football quarterback doesn't mean that the Panthers are any closer to the promised land. Griffin can be like Newton was, but that won't translate into wins.
The Steelers appear to be on the decline, and the Ravens aren't getting any younger either. The Browns and the Bengals have a chance to flip the AFC North on its ear and become the two dominant forces that those other two teams were for years based on their young nucleuses and their draft picks. Now's the time to be smart with the cap room and the draft picks and not be greedy. A trade for Robert Griffin III would be greedy.
Give it up, sports-yakkers. Your fantasies of RG3 appear to be over, unless he somehow slips down to No. 4. Time to get on board the realistic train, captained by Joe Cleveland, and get ready for Brandon Weeden or Ryan Tannehill.
***
Quick takes on the other team teams in this town:
<> Joe Cleveland wasn't shy about believing the Cavs' should have went Derrick Williams-Brandon Knight at 1-4 in last year's draft. I admit that I was wrong there, although Tristan Thompson still has a way to go.
However, Kyrie Irving was the correct choice at No. 1 and can become a star in the NBA. He's a top-notch point guard and seems to rise up in the clutch (unlike that other self-centered "King Nothing" that the Cavs had for seven years). He's playing not like a 19-year-old kid who only had 13 college games under his belt, but like a seasoned veteran. Unlike King Nothing, who was anointed the Chosen One before he pulled on his Cavs jersey for the first time, Irving had to earn his standing with the fans. He's just fun to watch, which makes the Cavs fun to watch.
The Cavs probably won't make the playoffs, and the lottery may not go their way this year because they're not one of the worst teams in the league. However, they are in a great position to make more strides in the next few years because of what Irving brings to the table.
<> The news just keeps getting worse for the Indians. Grady Sizemore reported to spring training with an injured back that will keep him out a few more months, and he appears content to collect his $5 million when he said he wouldn't "rush himself back." Nice knowing you, Grady.
Then, closer Chris Perez suffered an injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. Vinny Pestano suddenly becomes the frontrunner to become the new closer until Perez gets healthy, which puts more strain on the Indians' top strength, its bullpen.
The season hasn't even begun yet, and I'm already dreading it for the Indians. At this rate, 81-81 would be successful.
Joe Cleveland still thinks there's something to the fact that no one is under contract following this year. I can only hope that means Paul and Larry Dolan are ready to cash in their chips and find a new buyer. That might be the light at the end of this dark tunnel.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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