If Brandon Weeden starts the season opener, as many expect, he'd be the sixth-straight different QB to start a Browns season opener, the eighth-different QB in the last 10 years, and the first true rookie to start a season opener since Cliff Lewis started the very first game in Cleveland Browns history back in 1946.
The expansion era hasn't been pretty for the Browns in terms of quarterbacks. Tim Couch has been the most stable QB the Browns have had, and he was sent packing after 2003.
However, you can even go back to the last few years the original Browns were in tact to see some unrest within the QB ranks. You can look at the last 21 seasons of Browns football, which spans 24 years (thanks to the three years the Browns didn't exist), and only three times has a Browns QB started all 16 games during that span (one Browns QB did it twice).
There have been 24 different starting quarterbacks for the Browns in those 21 seasons. Eight of those were from 1988-95, and 16 of them have been in the Expansion Era. There have been two seasons during that span where the Browns had to start four different quarterbacks, and five other seasons where the Browns started three different quarterbacks. They also played in six playoff games during that span, in which four different quarterbacks started those six games and five different quarterbacks played in those games.
We go back 21 years because that's when Bernie Kosar first injured his arm during the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The year was 1988, and little did anyone know that the man under center was going to revolve more than the door outside the Cleveland Clinic.
1988
Record: 10-6 (0-1 playoffs)
Head Coach: Marty Schottenheimer
Postseason: Yes (Wild-Card)
Division Finish: Second
Opening Day QB Starter: Bernie Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Don Strock (Postseason: Strock)
Other QBs who started: Gary Danielson, Mike Pagel
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Kosar
Noted: Kosar was injured in the second quarter of the season opener and missed the next six games. All told, he only started nine of the 16 games, suffering another season-ending injury in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Danielson broke his ankle in Week 2 and never played again. Pagel started in Week 3 (and won), but seperated his shoulder in Week 6 making a tackle after a blocked field goal and didn't play again until the Wild-Card game. Strock, who was literally summoned off of a golf course to sign after Kosar's injury, only started two games, but won both, including a huge 28-23 home win over the Houston Oilers in the season finale to clinch a Wild Card berth. Strock was injured during the Wild Card game and never took another NFL snap. Pagel finished the game, but couldn't lead the Browns to a victory. Schottenheimer resigned under pressure a few days after the playoff loss and immediately took over the Kansas City Chiefs.
1989
Record: 9-6-1 (1-1 playoffs)
Head Coach: Bud Carson
Postseason: Yes (Division Title)
Division Finish: First
Opening Day QB Starter: Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Kosar (Postseason: Kosar)
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: Pagel
Leading Passer: Kosar
Noted: Kosar rebounded from the injury to start all 16 games. It would only be one of three times during this span of 21 seasons that a Browns QB will start all 16 games. Kosar struggled, throwing 14 interceptions compared to 18 touchdowns, with Marc Trestman fully running the offense. He also started the AFC Championship Game against Denver with a broken hand, using a special contraption to help aleviate the pain. Kosar threw two TD passes, but only completed 19 of 44 passes for 210 yards and three interceptions. This would be the third time in the last four years the Browns reached the AFC title game (and marked the fifth-straight playoff season). However, the Browns have yet to reach the AFC title game since then. This has also been the last time the Browns have won a division title.
1990
Record: 3-13
Head Coach: Carson/Jim Shofner (interim 7 games)
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Pagel
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: Jeff Francis
Leading Passer: Kosar
Noted: Kosar struggled in 1990, starting all 13 games he played, but only throwing 10 TDs compared to 15 Ints. Kosar was pulled during a loss to San Francisco and Pagel rallied the team. However, the rally came up short and they lost, 20-17. The following week, Carson started Pagel over Kosar without telling the media or team owner Art Modell, and Carson was fired following a 42-0 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills (and a 2-7 start). Kosar regained the starting job after the bye week, even leading the team to a 13-10 win over Atlanta in Week 14. However, he was injured following the game and Pagel started the final two games -- both losses. Shofner, who was the offensive coordinator, was not retained.
1991
Record: 6-10
Head Coach: Bill Belichick
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Kosar
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: Todd Philcox
Leading Passer: Kosar
Noted: For the final time in his career, Kosar started all 16 games during the regular season. The Browns showed improvement under Belichick, winning three more games and being competitive in most of their losses. Kosar had his best season since 1987, throwing for 3,487 yards with 18 TDs and only 9 Ints. The Browns were 6-7 heading into December with an outside chance of competing for playoff berth. However, the team lost their last three games in a row -- 17-7 to Denver, 17-14 to Houston (in which kicker Matt Stover missed a chip-shot field goal on the final play), and 17-10 at Pittsburgh.
1992
Record: 7-9
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Kosar
Other QBs who started: Philcox, Mike Tomczak
Other QBs who played: Brad Goebel
Leading Passer: Tomczak
Noted: Kosar only started seven games, breaking his ankle during a Week 2 Monday Night loss to Miami. Philcox started the following game, a 28-16 win over Oakland, but he was injured following the contest. Tomczak, an Ohio State grad who was cut by the Chicago Bears prior to the season opener, was thrust into action in Week 3. Tomczak started eight games and played in 12, guiding the Browns to a 4-4 record in games he started. Kosar returned in Week 13 to lead the Browns to a 27-14 Monday Night win over Chicago and earned another win the following week against Cincinnati, 37-21, to put the Browns at 7-6. However, for the second-straight year, the Browns dropped their final three games in a row. Kosar was relieved by Tomczak during the 23-13 season finale loss at Pittsburgh and threw a TD pass.
1993
Record: 7-9
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Vinny Testaverde
Other QBs who started: Philcox
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Testaverde
Noted: Kosar didn't survive the season, being unceremoniously released following a 29-14 home loss to Denver in Week 10 after the season's second bye-week. The loss dropped the Browns to 5-3. However, they would only win two more games the rest of the season. Testaverde, a free agent acquision and Kosar's college teammate at Miami (Fla.), relieved in Week 3 and led the Browns to a come-from-behind 19-16 win over Oakland after they trailed, 16-3, in the fourth quarter. Belichick followed suit the following two games before permanently benching Kosar for Week 7. Testaverde started and led the the team to wins over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. However, he was injured during the fourth quarter against the Steelers and Kosar came off the bench. Kosar didn't get the chance to lead a game-winning TD drive, as Eric Metcalf returned a punt 75 yards for the winning TD with two minutes remaining. With Testaverde injured, Philcox started the next four games, only winning one (17-13 over New Orleans). However, Testaverde came off the bench and led the team to the win, and he started the remaining four games, including a 42-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the second-to-last game. Kosar wound up signing with the Dallas Cowboys and played a key role in their Super Bowl-winning season.
1994
Record: 11-5 (1-1 playoffs)
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: Yes (Wild-Card)
Division Finish: Second
Opening Day QB Starter: Testaverde
Season-Finale QB Starter: Testaverde (Postseason: Testaverde)
Other QBs who started: Mark Rypien
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Testaverde
Noted: It was Testaverde's team for the first time, and he was under pressure from fans and media who were angry about Kosar's release. In a make-or-break season, the Browns had their best record since 1987 and snapped a four-year streak without a playoff berth. Testaverde only started 13 games (he played 14) due to injury, and still finished with more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (16). But, he threw for 2,575 yards. Testaverde was injured during a 37-13 win over the Bengals in Week 8, with the Browns sitting at 6-1. Rypien, who won a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins in 1991, started the next three games, winning two of them. He relieved an injured Testaverde the following week in a 20-13 loss to Kansas City, but Testaverde returned for good the following week, going 3-2 the rest of the way. Testaverde led the Browns to a 20-13 Wild-Card win at home over New England on New Year's Day. However, he struggled against the Steelers the following week, completing 13 of 31 passes for 144 yards with a TD and two Ints in a 29-9 loss. Adding insult to injury, Testaverde was sacked for a safety late in the fourth quarter. The Browns haven't won a playoff game (or hosted a playoff game) since.
1995
Record: 5-11
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Testaverde
Season-Finale QB Starter: Testaverde
Other QBs who started: Eric Zeier
Other QBs who played: Tom Tupa
Leading Passer: Testaverde
Noted: This was the year of the move. Modell announced he was moving the team on Nov. 6 -- at that point, the Browns were 4-5. However, word leaked of the move prior to the game on Nov. 5, in which the Browns were killed, 37-10, at home by Houston. Testaverde led the Browns to a 3-1 start, but was benched following a 23-13 loss to Jacksonville for Zeier, a third-round rookie out of Georgia. Zeier caught lightning in a bottle in his first start, throwing for 310 yards in a 29-26 OT win at Cincinnati. But then the move came, and the wheels fell off. Zeier only started three more games (all losses) before Testaverde took over for good. Testaverde led the Browns to an emotional 26-10 win on Dec. 17 in their final game at the old Cleveland Stadium, which snapped a six-game losing skid. Testaverde actually had a decent year, throwing for 2,883 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 Ints. The franchise was renamed the Baltimore Ravens (Testaverde remained, but Belichick was fired shortly after the move was finalized), and the Cleveland Browns would be dormant for the next three seasons.
1999
Record: 2-14
Head Coach: Chris Palmer
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Sixth
Opening Day QB Starter: Ty Detmer
Season-Finale QB Starter: Detmer
Other QBs who started: Tim Couch
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Couch
Noted: The Browns were reborn as an expansion team, and veteran Ty Detmer was brought on to start and mentor the No. 1 overall draft choice out of Kentucky, Couch. However, after the Browns were whitewashed in their debut, 43-0, by the Steelers, Palmer instilled the raw Couch as the starting quarterback. Couch struggled as the Browns lost their first seven games of the season. Only a Hail Mary pass from Couch to rookie Kevin Johnson on the last play gave the Browns a 21-16 win over New Orleans, and Phil Dawson's 39-yard field goal with time running out gave the Browns a 16-15 win over the Steelers at Three Rivers. Other than that, there was a lot of disappointment. Couch started 14 of the 15 games he played in, throwing for 2,447 yards with 15 TDs and 13 Ints. Detmer started the season finale at home against the Colts and nearly led the Browns to an upset. However, the Colts got a field goal on the last play of the game to escape with a 29-28 win. Detmer never took another snap for the Browns again.
2000
Record: 3-13
Head Coach: Palmer
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Sixth
Opening Day QB Starter: Couch
Season-Finale QB Starter: Doug Pederson
Other QBs who started: Spurgon Wynn
Other QBs who played: Kevin Thompson
Leading Passer: Couch
Noted: Couch started his first season opener, and actually led the Browns to two wins in their first three games, matching their season total from the season before. However, things quickly went south for both the young QB and the Browns. Couch started the first seven games before breaking his throwing hand in practice right before a game against the Steelers. In stepped journeyman Doug Pederson, signed just before the season after Detmer tore his Achilles tendon and missed the whole season. Pederson only led the Browns to one more win -- a 19-11 home upset over Belichick's New England Patriots. In an act of utter desperation, Palmer started rookie sixth-round draft choice Wynn against Jacksonville, and Wynn never moved the Browns beyond the 50-yard line in a 48-0 loss. Pederson only threw two TDs and eight Ints. Palmer was fired following the season.
2001
Record: 7-9
Head Coach: Butch Davis
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Couch
Season-Finale QB Starter: Couch
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: Kelly Holcomb
Leading Passer: Couch
Noted: Will a clean bill of health and playing for a new head coach and new offensive coordinator in Butch Ariens, Couch has the best season of his young career, starting all 16 games -- the only time that has happened during the expansion era for the Browns. Couch threw for 3,040 yards with 17 TDs and 21 Ints -- all career-highs. Meanwhile, the Browns won three of their first four games, took a 4-2 record into the bye week, and were 6-4 going into December. Suddenly, this team was a playoff contender. However, the Browns lost five of their last six games, including a controvercial 15-10 loss to Jacksonville in which a fourth-down completion inside the red zone with 40 seconds remaining was overturned AFTER Couch had already run another play. Holcomb played at the end of a 31-15 blowout loss to Tennessee, throwing a touchdown pass. It was the only action Couch missed the entire season.
2002
Record: 9-7 (0-1 playoffs)
Head Coach: Davis
Postseason: Yes (Wild-Card)
Division Finish: Second
Opening Day QB Starter: Holcomb
Season-Finale QB Starter: Couch (Postseason: Holcomb)
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Couch
Noted: Couch was injured during the preseason finale, which allowed Holcomb to start the season opener. Opening up a QB controversy that never went away, Holcomb completed 27 of 39 passes for 326 yards and three TDs, but the Browns lost, 40-39, at home to Kansas City on the last play of the game. Couch returned in Week 3, leading the Browns to a come-from-behind 31-28 OT win over Tennessee. However, Couch was knocked out of a game two weeks later against Baltimore with a concussion (which drew scattered cheers from the crowd), and Holcomb led a furious rally from a 23-8 deficit. However, he threw an interception in the end zone on the final play of a 26-21 loss. Couch returned the following week and started every single game the rest of the season, leading the Browns to a 5-2 record down the stretch, including two come-from-behind wins over Jacksonville and Baltimore on the road. Couch was injured midway through the season finale against Atlanta, and Holcomb led the Browns to two second-half touchdowns in a 23-16 win, which punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 1994 and second time since 1989. In the Wild Card game, Holcomb shredded the Pittsburgh defense for 429 yards and three TDs. However, the Steelers rallied from deficits of 24-7 and 33-21 to escape with a 36-33 win.
2003
Record: 5-11
Head Coach: Davis
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Holcomb
Season-Finale QB Starter: Couch
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Holcomb
Noted: Both Holcomb and Couch played in 10 games and started eight, if there was ever a definition of a QB controversy. Holcomb started, based on his playoff performance against the Steelers, but struggled in the early going. He led the Browns to a come-from-behind 13-12 win at San Francisco, but was broke his ankle during the game, opening the door for Couch. Couch started the next four games, winning two, including a 33-13 win at Heinz Field (the Browns only win at Heinz Field ever) on a Sunday night. However, he was yanked during a 26-20 loss to San Diego for Holcomb, who rallied the team from a big deficit. Holcomb's best game came in a 44-6 blowout of Arizona at home, but he lost his job during a Monday Night game with St. Louis after throwing two killer interceptions just before halftime. Couch rallied the Browns in the second half of a 26-20 loss, and started the remaining three games of his Browns (and NFL) career. His final game was a 22-14 win at Cincinnati. Couch was released during the offseason and never took another NFL snap.
2004
Record: 4-12
Head Coach: Davis/Terry Robiskie (interim 5 games)
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Jeff Garcia
Season-Finale QB Starter: Holcomb
Other QBs who started: Luke McCown
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Garcia
Noted: Garcia was signed as a free agent to put a stop to the Couch/Holcomb QB carosel, and Garcia led the Browns to their only opening-day win of the Expansion Era, a 20-3 victory over the Ravens. However, that's about where the rays of sunshine ended for Garcia in Cleveland. He only started 10 games (and played in 11) before succombing to two different injuries. The first was during a 10-7 loss to the Jets at home. The second was after playing in just two snaps when he relieved an inefffective McCown during a 37-7 loss to Buffalo. Holcomb had one great game, throwing for five TDs and 413 yards in a 58-48 loss at Cincinnati (Davis resigned shortly after the game), but quickly fell back to earth and was injured. McCown, a rookie, was thrown into the fire with the Buffalo game and lost all four games he started. Holcomb returned for the season-finale, a 22-14 win at Houston. All three QBs would be gone by the time the Browns started the next season.
2005
Record: 6-10
Head Coach: Romeo Crennel
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Trent Dilfer
Season-Finale QB Starter: Charlie Frye
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Dilfer
Noted: Dilfer was signed as a free agent, and Akron product Charlie Frye was drafted in the third round as the heir apparent. Dilfer started 11 games, going 4-7 in his starts with 11 TDs and 12 Ints. Frye debuted during a 22-0 win over Miami in Week 11 and took over for an injured Dilfer in a Week 12 24-12 loss to Minnesota. He started the following week at home against Jacksonville and remained the starter for the final five games, going 2-3 in those starts. He beat Baltimore, 20-16, at home in the season finale.
2006
Record: 4-12
Head Coach: Crennel
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Frye
Season-Finale QB Starter: Frye
Other QBs who started: Derek Anderson
Other QBs who played: Ken Dorsey
Leading Passer: Frye
Noted: With Dilfer let go, it was Frye's job from the get-go in 2006. However, he quickly showed he wasn't ready to be an NFL starting quarterback, even if the fans wanted him to succeed because he was a Northern Ohio guy who grew up a huge Bernie Kosar fan. Frye started 13 games, going 4-9, throwing for 2,454 yards with 10 TDs and 17 Ints. He was injured during a 31-28 OT win over Kansas City, in which an unknown backup named Derek Anderson threw two fourth quarter TDs and drove the Browns to the game-winning field goal in OT. Anderson lost his next three starts, eventually getting injured during a 22-7 loss to Tampa Bay. Frye returned to start the season finale over Ken Dorsey, a 14-6 loss at Houston.
2007
Record: 10-6
Head Coach: Crennel
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Second
Opening Day QB Starter: Frye
Season-Finale QB Starter: Anderson
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: Brady Quinn
Leading Passer: Anderson
Noted: Frye barely beat out Anderson to start the season opener, but most everyone believed that first-round rookie Brady Quinn would eventually take over. After just a quarter-and-a-half of the season opener, Crennel pulled the plug on the Frye Era forever, inserting Anderson and then trading him the following day to Seattle. Anderson responded by putting together one of the best single-seasons a Browns quarterback has ever had, throwing for 3,787 yards with 29 TDs and 19 Ints. Anderson burst on the scene in his first start, throwing for five TDs in a wild 51-45 shootout win over Cincinnati, and kept it going for most of the first half. The Browns were 3-3 heading into their bye week following a 41-31 win over Miami, but came out with six wins over the next eight weeks to put them at 9-5 and right on the cusp of a playoff berth. However, Anderson threw four interceptions in a 19-14 loss at Cincinnati, which essentially killed their chances at a playoff berth. For his efforts, Anderson made the Pro Bowl, one of five members of the offense to do so. Quinn made his debut in the season finale, leading one drive just before halftime that resulted in a field goal.
2008
Record: 4-12
Head Coach: Crennel
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Anderson
Season-Finale QB Starter: Bruce Gradkowski
Other QBs who started: Quinn, Dorsey
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Anderson
Noted: Anderson quickly proved that his 2007 season was an abberation, starting just nine games (playing 10) and throwing for 1,615 yards with nine TDs and eight Ints. Following a loss to Baltimore, which dropped the Browns to 3-5, Crennel benched Anderson for Quinn in a Thursday night home showdown against Denver. Quinn played well in a 34-30 loss, throwing for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and won his first game as a starter the following week, a 29-27 come-from-behind Monday night win at Buffalo. However, that would be the last game the Browns, and Crennel, would win. Quinn was injured the following week, and Anderson was also injured a week later, leaving Dorsey as the only QB remaining. Dorsey went 0-3 as a starter, tossing 7 Ints to zero TDs, before he was injured in the second-to-last game. That meant Gradkowski, who was signed off the street just three weeks prior, started the season finale against the Steelers. It did not go well, and Crennel was fired the following day.
2009
Record: 5-11
Head Coach: Eric Mangini
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Quinn
Season-Finale QB Starter: Anderson
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: Josh Cribbs (Wildcat)
Leading Passer: Quinn
Noted: Mangini let the Quinn/Anderson QB controversy fester into the start of the season. Quinn got the nod, but it wasn't announced until just hours before kickoff of the season opener. In his only season as a true Browns starter, Quinn threw for 1,339 yards with eight TDs and 7 Ints. in nine starts (10 games). Quinn was yanked midway through a Week 3 blowout loss to Baltimore for Anderson, and Anderson started the next five games, winning only one. The win he had, Anderson only completed two passes, but it was enough for the Browns to beat Buffalo, 6-3. Quinn got the job back with the team at 1-7 for a Monday Night game with the Ravens (a 16-0 loss), before playing the best game of his life against Detroit (304 yards, 4 TDs, 0 Ints.) in a wild 38-37 loss that came down to the final play. Quinn started the next four games, picking up a home upset win over the Steelers, 13-6, and a 40-34 win at Kansas City. Quinn, however, was injured near the end of the game, and Anderson started the final two games, both victories, to give the Browns a four-game winning streak to end the season. The win streak saved Mangini's job. However, it did not save Quinn's or Anderson's, as both were sent packing by new team president Mike Holmgren.
2010
Record: 5-11
Head Coach: Mangini
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Jake Delhomme
Season-Finale QB Starter: Colt McCoy
Other QBs who started: Seneca Wallace
Other QBs who played: Cribbs (Wildcat)
Leading Passer: McCoy
Noted: Holmgren and new GM Tom Heckert brought in veterans Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace and drafted Colt McCoy out of Texas in the third-round as the "project quarterback." However, with Delhomme and Wallace knocked out with high ankle sprains after the first five games and a 1-4 start, McCoy was thrust into the fire against the Steelers. McCoy lost, but rebounded with wins over defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans and New England to improve the Browns to 3-5, before losing two close games to the Jets and the Jaguars. McCoy was injured during the Jaguars game, and Delhomme returned to face his former Carolina team. Delhomme guided the Browns to a 24-23 win over the Panthers and a 13-10 win at Miami to put the Browns at 5-7. Delhomme started just one more game, a 13-6 loss to the Bills, before McCoy took back over with three consecutive losses to Cincinnati, Baltimore and Pittsburgh to end the season. Mangini was fired the day after the Steelers' loss, and Delhomme was let go.
2011
Record: 4-12
Head Coach: Pat Shurmur
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: McCoy
Season-Finale QB Starter: Wallace
Other QBs who started: None
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: McCoy
Noted: McCoy, given the reins from the get-go, struggled in his first true starting season. Without the benefit of a true offseason due to the NFL lockout, and getting a new West Coast offense from Shurmur, McCoy and the offense struggled to pick it up. It was their lowest total point output since the expansion 1999 season. McCoy started the first 13 games, throwing for 2,733 yards with 14 TDs and 11 Ints, before getting knocked out of a Thursday Night Steelers game with a concussion. Wallace started the final three games and didn't fare much better, only throwing for two touchdowns. The Browns actually started 2-1 and 3-3 following a 6-3 win over Seattle before going 1-9 to end the season.
2012
Head Coach: Shurmur
Projected Opening Day QB Starter: Brandon Weeden
Other QBs on Roster: McCoy, Wallace, Thad Lewis
Noted: Weeden was drafted in the first round, 22nd overall, this past season. He is the Browns' third first-round QB selection of the Expansion Era, joining Couch and Quinn. Weeden is 28 years old after playing professional baseball in the New York Yankees system for five years before enrolling at Oklahoma State. McCoy is currently the backup competing with Weeden for the starting job, and Wallace has no chance at competing for the starting position. It will be interesting to see if McCoy sticks with the team through training camp. He could be a very good backup if his ego allows it.
Hope that was informative for you. Thanks to pro-football-reference.com for their game-by-game boxes and complete season breakdowns. Joe Cleveland may know a lot about the Browns, but it's easier to have things backed up by facts.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Showing posts with label Colt McCoy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Colt McCoy. Show all posts
Friday, June 8, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Draft Thoughts
Joe Cleveland does not like this new Blogger format. But, here goes the latest installment of "Joe Cleveland":
The most anticipated draft in Browns history -- debatable, but I've never remembered such hype and buzz about it, even during the expansion year -- came and went Thursday through Saturday, and the Browns did not disappoint in their spashy moves.
Well, at least for the first round. The remaining six rounds were pretty pedestrian by most standards, only because there weren't any "sexy" picks (by the way, Joe Cleveland hates when people describe draft picks as "sexy." To me, there's only one definition of "sexy" and it involves women. Of course, that's just my opinion. Some men think other men are "sexy," not that there's anything wrong with that. But, I digress ...)
The Browns entered the draft with 13 picks and wound up selecting 10 players and signing 11 others as undrafted free agents. Here are your new Cleveland Browns:
First Round:
3. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
22. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Second Round:
5. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
Third Round:
25. John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati
Fourth Round:
5. Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami (FL.)
25. James Michael-Johnson, LB, Nevada
Fifth Round:
25. Ryan Miller, OG, Colorado
Sixth Round:
35. Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
36. Billy Winn, DT, Boise State
Seventh Round:
38. Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
40. Brad Smelley, TE/FB, Alabama
Undrafted:
Josh Cooper, WR, Oklahoma State
Jermaine Saffold, WR, Missouri St
Andrew Sweat, LB, Ohio State
Matt Cleveland, OT, Idaho
Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt
J.B. Shugarts, OT, Ohio State
Jake Anderson, OT, Akron
Johnson Bademosi, SAF, Stanford
William Green, DE, Florida
Tashaun Gipson, S, Wyoming
Garth Gerhart, OL, Arizona State
Well, let's start at the top. The Browns moved up one spot (from 4th to 3rd) to select Richardson, who many believe was the best football player in this draft. They also gave up the fourth round pick they received from Atlanta and their sixth and seventh-round selections to move up. Richardson was the first running back taken in the top 10 since Darren McFadden, and the first Browns first-round running back selection since William Green in 2002.
In fact, he's the highest draft pick the Browns have spent on a running back since they acquired the No. 1 overall pick in 1962 and took Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. Davis, unfortunately, was diagnosed with leukemia and died without ever playing in a single NFL game.
Some are lamenting the high price the Browns paid to move up to take "The Kraken," but it pales in comparison to the price Washington paid to select Robert Griffin III. In fact, it also pales in comparison to the time Butch Davis moved up from No. 7 to No. 6 in 2004 to select Kellen Winslow Jr. Davis also gave up his second round pick to move up one spot, meaning it was the only time Matt Millen ever pulled the wool over someone's eyes in the draft (Butch was gone by the next draft).
I give the Browns a ton of credit to go out and get their guy. Many fans (unjustly, I might add) lambasted them for trading down with Atlanta last year. The Falcons gave up a king's ransom to move up to take receiver Julio Jones, who had an up-and-down rookie season where highlight-reel plays were augmented by drops and injuries. Suddenly, those same fans (fans who cried about the Browns not giving up a king's ransom to take RG-ME) were now complaining that the Browns gave up too much.
WHICH IS IT?????!!!!!!
God-damn, I love being a Browns fan, but you people are ridiculous sometimes. I know we're jaded from years of losing football, but come on! Give the front office the benefit of the doubt. They did what they had to do get the one player that everyone wanted (after Luck and RG-ME). And, to be honest, other than the fourth-round pick (which was a low fourth-rounder at that), the other picks were junk picks. For every sixth- and seventh-rounder that emerges, there's about 50 others that fade into obscurity.
The next pick drew even more controversy, even though every Browns fan cried and complained that they needed to replace Colt McCoy. Brandon Weeden's lone knock is his age -- 28. He became the oldest player drafted in the first round in many years.
Skeptics immediately brought up the last 28-year-old who had a good college career and went to the NFL -- Heisman winner Chris Weinke. Weinke went in the fourth round, started his rookie year in which the team went 1-15, and then spent several years as a backup and mentor. He was the backup when Carolina reached it's lone Super Bowl, and he now has made a name for himself as a QB guru, running offseason camps for prospective pros.
People like Joe Cleveland brought up guys like Kurt Warner, Steve Young, Roger Staubach, Rich Gannon -- players who didn't do much in their 20s but emerged in their late 20s and 30s to become great. Staubach and Young are Hall of Famers; Warner could very well be one; Gannon will not, but had a fine career, nonetheless.
Weeden has a great arm, a great head on his shoulders, is a natural leader and is a proven winner. Sure, Colt was a natural leader and proven collegiate winner as well, but his lack of size and arm strength caused him to fall to the third round and were exposed last season -- his first full season as a starter.
All the so-called draft experts felt that Weeden was a lock for the Browns, but at No. 37 -- the fifth-overall pick in the second round. The Browns made it clear that Weeden was their guy when they lost out on RG-ME and Luck, and they feared that another team would swoop in between 22 and 37 to take him. They didn't want to gamble.
That essentially became the theme of their draft. The Browns saw the person they liked and, draft gurus be damned, they didn't want to gamble and took them regardless.
Did they reach on a few picks? Probably.
But did they fill a ton of needs? Absolutely.
You could argue that the Browns should have filled the right tackle spot in free agency, that Eric Winston could have been had and been affordable under their cap, which would have allowed them to take a receiver. However, the sad reality is Cleveland is just not a desirable place for free agents.
Part of it is the teams, but a larger part is the area.
We get angry about it because we love our town and we're fiercely protective of it's image (a big reason why I LOVE Cleveland), but the national perception is what it is.
The only way the Browns, Cavs and Indians will lure players is if they overpay them. Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren made it clear they weren't going to overpay to bring anyone in. They may have overpaid Frostee Rucker a bit, but Heckert and Holmgren believed Rucker would bloster their 30th-ranked run defense.
So, for us outsiders to complain that the Browns didn't do anything in free agency, we're overlooking the fact that free agents may not want to come here.
That could change once the casino gets up and running. It will add to businesses and add other attractions that should appeal to professional athletes. The fact that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is one of the main proponents behind the Horseshoe Casino should tell you that he's trying to make Cleveland attractive to pro athletes.
It will also change once the culture changes and the teams begin winning. The Cavs won with LeBron James, but many players believed LeBron was going to leave so they stayed away (they were right, what a surprise). The Indians just can't afford to spend money on top-flight talent and have made a habit out of letting their own top-flight talent go, which doesn't help the outside image. And the Browns have been a perennial loser for so long.
You have to break the bank on a player if you're a losing team, like the Bills did with Mario Williams. The Browns did that when Phil Savage was running the show, but Holmgren and Heckert made it clear that they won't operate that way.
Now, back to the draft ...
If any player will be nominated for the Montario Hardesty Award, named for the running back Heckert traded up for in the second round of his first draft but never panned out, it will be Cincinnati defensive tackle John Hughes.
Hughes, who shares the same name as one of the best movie directors of the 1980s (The Breakfast Club, Home Alone, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc.), was pegged to be a very late round pick by the so-called experts. The Browns traded down from their fourth-overall spot in the third round to add another fourth (making up for the one they lost in the Richardson deal) and took Hughes.
Fans screamed that they didn't add a wide receiver in the first three rounds. They felt that defensive tackle was the least of their worries. They wondered who the hell this John Hughes guy is.
When the Browns decided right tackle was more of a glaring need than wide receiver (it was, Browns fans, it was), they were gambling that a wide receiver may fall into the third round. They almost got their wish, as LSU's Ruben Randle plumetted like a stone to the third round. However, once he was taken just four picks ahead of the Browns, I believe that gave them the excuse to trade down.
From that point on, the Browns drafted for need. They added another guard (Colorado's Ryan Miller) to push Shawn Lavauo and Jason Pinkston for one of the starting spots. They added Hughes and Billy Winn to add to the depth of the defensive line. They added Wade to add depth to their defensive backfield (which was one thing they were trying to do). And, Smelley's versitility will aid their special teams and give Owen Marecic a challenger for the fullback spot.
Browns fans will complain about their ignoring of wide receiver again. The only one they took was speedy Travis Benjamin out of Miami. Benjamin is small, but has breakaway speed that could be an asset in the return game (Cribbs isn't getting any younger). Then again, the player they may have been targeting at 22 (Baylor's Brandon Wright) is also speedy and smaller, so what does that tell you.
I was hoping the Browns would take a flyer on Western Michigan's Jordan White, a North Ridgeville native. They almost did, but the Jets picked him just one spot before the Browns were selecting. Now that would have been a great story, especially since former Brown Herman Fontenot was a mentor to White when he was in high school.
Free agency isn't over. There are still several servicable veterans out there that will be picked up as we get into June and July. Already there's a rumor that Braylon Edwards would be open to a return to Cleveland (yeesh). Plus, there will be some roster cuts on June 1 when players are due their signing bonuses.
I originally graded the draft an A-, but I'll be realistic and give it a B. The Browns upgraded their quarterback, running back, offensive line and linebacker and added depth at the defensive line, cornerback and wide receiver. I can be happy with that.
I was hoping the Browns would have drafted Virginia cornerback Chase Minnifield (Frank Minnifield's son), and then hoped they would sign him as an undrafted free agent. I guess Minnifield had microfracture surgery on his knee, and it scared a few teams off. Washington signed him as an undrafted free agent.
The Browns got the two players they really wanted in Richardson and Weeden, and those two should drastically change the pedestrian offense. Richardson is about as can't-miss a running back prospect as Adrian Peterson was. The Browns passed on Peterson and took Joe Thomas. The Browns passed on LaDanian Tomlinson and took Gerard Warren (that's one you'd like back). This time, they was the running back, and they went out and got him.
And, the best part about both Richardson and Weeden -- they genuinely wanted to be here. You can't put a price-tag on that.
The Browns are a better team today than they were last week. I am now geninely excited to see how this season plays out and to see our top-two draft picks in action.
***
Now, our thoughts and attention turns to the Cavs draft.
The Cavs won two more games than they did last year while playing 16 less games. They were more exciting with the emergence of No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and No. 4 overall pick Tristan Thompson and were in playoff contention through the All-Star break.
After dealing Ramon Sessions to the Lakers for a first-round pick and Luke Walton, the Cavs only won five of their final 25 games. Irving getting hurt didn't help, and the Cavs resorted to playing a lot of D-Leaguers during the final few weeks of the regular season.
If there is a bright spot, the losses wound up giving the Cavs the third-worst record in the NBA. Thanks to good-luck charm Nick Gilbert, the Cavs won two coin-flips to give them the third-most chances at winning the NBA draft lottery and also made their Laker pick one spot better than Memphis.
Last year, Cavs fans were drooling about the possibility of Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving in the same draft. Now, they have a chance to get Barnes anyway, along with Kentucky freshmen Anthony Davis (if they win the top-pick again) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
I feel really good about the Cavs' future. In fact, even though I'm skeptical about the NBA's behind-the-scenes dealings and officiating, I think the Cavs may have the best chance to win a title of our three teams if they draft plays out like we hope.
The Browns' draft is a reason for optimism, as is the prospects of the Cavs' draft lottery chances and subsequent draft.
Who knows, if the Heat don't win an NBA title this year (which is a distinct possibility), maybe Dan Gilbert's guarantee won't look so outlandish after all. I wonder if ESPN would apologize to him after they mocked him for a full year. Probably not.
***
Surprise, surprise, the under-the-radar Indians have found themselves in first place in the AL Central Division with April coming to a close.
Just like last year, the Indians had a miserable first few games. Just like last year, the Tribe found their mojo a bit. And, just like last year, they are in first place at this point of the season.
Attendance continues to be below 10,000 at Progressive Field, and the Indians still struggle to get anything going offensively. Their bullpen has been inconsistant, as have their starting pitching. And yet, somehow, they're in first.
I attribute this more to the Tigers scuffling a bit than the Indians playing well. Once the Tigers find their stride, they will blow past the Indians in the standings. Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but it's true.
We saw it last year, and we'll see it again this year.
If they Indians somehow find themsleves in first place in June, fans will start paying attention again. And, once they do, the Tribe will wilt under the spotlight like they always seem do to. Not even Johnny Damon will help change that.
I'd like to hope that things will come together for the Indians, but this team just isn't very good. They're using smoke, mirrors and luck to do it. Hopefully, the smoke, mirrors and luck continue.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
The most anticipated draft in Browns history -- debatable, but I've never remembered such hype and buzz about it, even during the expansion year -- came and went Thursday through Saturday, and the Browns did not disappoint in their spashy moves.
Well, at least for the first round. The remaining six rounds were pretty pedestrian by most standards, only because there weren't any "sexy" picks (by the way, Joe Cleveland hates when people describe draft picks as "sexy." To me, there's only one definition of "sexy" and it involves women. Of course, that's just my opinion. Some men think other men are "sexy," not that there's anything wrong with that. But, I digress ...)
The Browns entered the draft with 13 picks and wound up selecting 10 players and signing 11 others as undrafted free agents. Here are your new Cleveland Browns:
First Round:
3. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
22. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Second Round:
5. Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California
Third Round:
25. John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati
Fourth Round:
5. Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami (FL.)
25. James Michael-Johnson, LB, Nevada
Fifth Round:
25. Ryan Miller, OG, Colorado
Sixth Round:
35. Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
36. Billy Winn, DT, Boise State
Seventh Round:
38. Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
40. Brad Smelley, TE/FB, Alabama
Undrafted:
Josh Cooper, WR, Oklahoma State
Jermaine Saffold, WR, Missouri St
Andrew Sweat, LB, Ohio State
Matt Cleveland, OT, Idaho
Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt
J.B. Shugarts, OT, Ohio State
Jake Anderson, OT, Akron
Johnson Bademosi, SAF, Stanford
William Green, DE, Florida
Tashaun Gipson, S, Wyoming
Garth Gerhart, OL, Arizona State
Well, let's start at the top. The Browns moved up one spot (from 4th to 3rd) to select Richardson, who many believe was the best football player in this draft. They also gave up the fourth round pick they received from Atlanta and their sixth and seventh-round selections to move up. Richardson was the first running back taken in the top 10 since Darren McFadden, and the first Browns first-round running back selection since William Green in 2002.
In fact, he's the highest draft pick the Browns have spent on a running back since they acquired the No. 1 overall pick in 1962 and took Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. Davis, unfortunately, was diagnosed with leukemia and died without ever playing in a single NFL game.
Some are lamenting the high price the Browns paid to move up to take "The Kraken," but it pales in comparison to the price Washington paid to select Robert Griffin III. In fact, it also pales in comparison to the time Butch Davis moved up from No. 7 to No. 6 in 2004 to select Kellen Winslow Jr. Davis also gave up his second round pick to move up one spot, meaning it was the only time Matt Millen ever pulled the wool over someone's eyes in the draft (Butch was gone by the next draft).
I give the Browns a ton of credit to go out and get their guy. Many fans (unjustly, I might add) lambasted them for trading down with Atlanta last year. The Falcons gave up a king's ransom to move up to take receiver Julio Jones, who had an up-and-down rookie season where highlight-reel plays were augmented by drops and injuries. Suddenly, those same fans (fans who cried about the Browns not giving up a king's ransom to take RG-ME) were now complaining that the Browns gave up too much.
WHICH IS IT?????!!!!!!
God-damn, I love being a Browns fan, but you people are ridiculous sometimes. I know we're jaded from years of losing football, but come on! Give the front office the benefit of the doubt. They did what they had to do get the one player that everyone wanted (after Luck and RG-ME). And, to be honest, other than the fourth-round pick (which was a low fourth-rounder at that), the other picks were junk picks. For every sixth- and seventh-rounder that emerges, there's about 50 others that fade into obscurity.
The next pick drew even more controversy, even though every Browns fan cried and complained that they needed to replace Colt McCoy. Brandon Weeden's lone knock is his age -- 28. He became the oldest player drafted in the first round in many years.
Skeptics immediately brought up the last 28-year-old who had a good college career and went to the NFL -- Heisman winner Chris Weinke. Weinke went in the fourth round, started his rookie year in which the team went 1-15, and then spent several years as a backup and mentor. He was the backup when Carolina reached it's lone Super Bowl, and he now has made a name for himself as a QB guru, running offseason camps for prospective pros.
People like Joe Cleveland brought up guys like Kurt Warner, Steve Young, Roger Staubach, Rich Gannon -- players who didn't do much in their 20s but emerged in their late 20s and 30s to become great. Staubach and Young are Hall of Famers; Warner could very well be one; Gannon will not, but had a fine career, nonetheless.
Weeden has a great arm, a great head on his shoulders, is a natural leader and is a proven winner. Sure, Colt was a natural leader and proven collegiate winner as well, but his lack of size and arm strength caused him to fall to the third round and were exposed last season -- his first full season as a starter.
All the so-called draft experts felt that Weeden was a lock for the Browns, but at No. 37 -- the fifth-overall pick in the second round. The Browns made it clear that Weeden was their guy when they lost out on RG-ME and Luck, and they feared that another team would swoop in between 22 and 37 to take him. They didn't want to gamble.
That essentially became the theme of their draft. The Browns saw the person they liked and, draft gurus be damned, they didn't want to gamble and took them regardless.
Did they reach on a few picks? Probably.
But did they fill a ton of needs? Absolutely.
You could argue that the Browns should have filled the right tackle spot in free agency, that Eric Winston could have been had and been affordable under their cap, which would have allowed them to take a receiver. However, the sad reality is Cleveland is just not a desirable place for free agents.
Part of it is the teams, but a larger part is the area.
We get angry about it because we love our town and we're fiercely protective of it's image (a big reason why I LOVE Cleveland), but the national perception is what it is.
The only way the Browns, Cavs and Indians will lure players is if they overpay them. Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren made it clear they weren't going to overpay to bring anyone in. They may have overpaid Frostee Rucker a bit, but Heckert and Holmgren believed Rucker would bloster their 30th-ranked run defense.
So, for us outsiders to complain that the Browns didn't do anything in free agency, we're overlooking the fact that free agents may not want to come here.
That could change once the casino gets up and running. It will add to businesses and add other attractions that should appeal to professional athletes. The fact that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is one of the main proponents behind the Horseshoe Casino should tell you that he's trying to make Cleveland attractive to pro athletes.
It will also change once the culture changes and the teams begin winning. The Cavs won with LeBron James, but many players believed LeBron was going to leave so they stayed away (they were right, what a surprise). The Indians just can't afford to spend money on top-flight talent and have made a habit out of letting their own top-flight talent go, which doesn't help the outside image. And the Browns have been a perennial loser for so long.
You have to break the bank on a player if you're a losing team, like the Bills did with Mario Williams. The Browns did that when Phil Savage was running the show, but Holmgren and Heckert made it clear that they won't operate that way.
Now, back to the draft ...
If any player will be nominated for the Montario Hardesty Award, named for the running back Heckert traded up for in the second round of his first draft but never panned out, it will be Cincinnati defensive tackle John Hughes.
Hughes, who shares the same name as one of the best movie directors of the 1980s (The Breakfast Club, Home Alone, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc.), was pegged to be a very late round pick by the so-called experts. The Browns traded down from their fourth-overall spot in the third round to add another fourth (making up for the one they lost in the Richardson deal) and took Hughes.
Fans screamed that they didn't add a wide receiver in the first three rounds. They felt that defensive tackle was the least of their worries. They wondered who the hell this John Hughes guy is.
When the Browns decided right tackle was more of a glaring need than wide receiver (it was, Browns fans, it was), they were gambling that a wide receiver may fall into the third round. They almost got their wish, as LSU's Ruben Randle plumetted like a stone to the third round. However, once he was taken just four picks ahead of the Browns, I believe that gave them the excuse to trade down.
From that point on, the Browns drafted for need. They added another guard (Colorado's Ryan Miller) to push Shawn Lavauo and Jason Pinkston for one of the starting spots. They added Hughes and Billy Winn to add to the depth of the defensive line. They added Wade to add depth to their defensive backfield (which was one thing they were trying to do). And, Smelley's versitility will aid their special teams and give Owen Marecic a challenger for the fullback spot.
Browns fans will complain about their ignoring of wide receiver again. The only one they took was speedy Travis Benjamin out of Miami. Benjamin is small, but has breakaway speed that could be an asset in the return game (Cribbs isn't getting any younger). Then again, the player they may have been targeting at 22 (Baylor's Brandon Wright) is also speedy and smaller, so what does that tell you.
I was hoping the Browns would take a flyer on Western Michigan's Jordan White, a North Ridgeville native. They almost did, but the Jets picked him just one spot before the Browns were selecting. Now that would have been a great story, especially since former Brown Herman Fontenot was a mentor to White when he was in high school.
Free agency isn't over. There are still several servicable veterans out there that will be picked up as we get into June and July. Already there's a rumor that Braylon Edwards would be open to a return to Cleveland (yeesh). Plus, there will be some roster cuts on June 1 when players are due their signing bonuses.
I originally graded the draft an A-, but I'll be realistic and give it a B. The Browns upgraded their quarterback, running back, offensive line and linebacker and added depth at the defensive line, cornerback and wide receiver. I can be happy with that.
I was hoping the Browns would have drafted Virginia cornerback Chase Minnifield (Frank Minnifield's son), and then hoped they would sign him as an undrafted free agent. I guess Minnifield had microfracture surgery on his knee, and it scared a few teams off. Washington signed him as an undrafted free agent.
The Browns got the two players they really wanted in Richardson and Weeden, and those two should drastically change the pedestrian offense. Richardson is about as can't-miss a running back prospect as Adrian Peterson was. The Browns passed on Peterson and took Joe Thomas. The Browns passed on LaDanian Tomlinson and took Gerard Warren (that's one you'd like back). This time, they was the running back, and they went out and got him.
And, the best part about both Richardson and Weeden -- they genuinely wanted to be here. You can't put a price-tag on that.
The Browns are a better team today than they were last week. I am now geninely excited to see how this season plays out and to see our top-two draft picks in action.
***
Now, our thoughts and attention turns to the Cavs draft.
The Cavs won two more games than they did last year while playing 16 less games. They were more exciting with the emergence of No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving and No. 4 overall pick Tristan Thompson and were in playoff contention through the All-Star break.
After dealing Ramon Sessions to the Lakers for a first-round pick and Luke Walton, the Cavs only won five of their final 25 games. Irving getting hurt didn't help, and the Cavs resorted to playing a lot of D-Leaguers during the final few weeks of the regular season.
If there is a bright spot, the losses wound up giving the Cavs the third-worst record in the NBA. Thanks to good-luck charm Nick Gilbert, the Cavs won two coin-flips to give them the third-most chances at winning the NBA draft lottery and also made their Laker pick one spot better than Memphis.
Last year, Cavs fans were drooling about the possibility of Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving in the same draft. Now, they have a chance to get Barnes anyway, along with Kentucky freshmen Anthony Davis (if they win the top-pick again) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.
I feel really good about the Cavs' future. In fact, even though I'm skeptical about the NBA's behind-the-scenes dealings and officiating, I think the Cavs may have the best chance to win a title of our three teams if they draft plays out like we hope.
The Browns' draft is a reason for optimism, as is the prospects of the Cavs' draft lottery chances and subsequent draft.
Who knows, if the Heat don't win an NBA title this year (which is a distinct possibility), maybe Dan Gilbert's guarantee won't look so outlandish after all. I wonder if ESPN would apologize to him after they mocked him for a full year. Probably not.
***
Surprise, surprise, the under-the-radar Indians have found themselves in first place in the AL Central Division with April coming to a close.
Just like last year, the Indians had a miserable first few games. Just like last year, the Tribe found their mojo a bit. And, just like last year, they are in first place at this point of the season.
Attendance continues to be below 10,000 at Progressive Field, and the Indians still struggle to get anything going offensively. Their bullpen has been inconsistant, as have their starting pitching. And yet, somehow, they're in first.
I attribute this more to the Tigers scuffling a bit than the Indians playing well. Once the Tigers find their stride, they will blow past the Indians in the standings. Not to be a Gloomy Gus, but it's true.
We saw it last year, and we'll see it again this year.
If they Indians somehow find themsleves in first place in June, fans will start paying attention again. And, once they do, the Tribe will wilt under the spotlight like they always seem do to. Not even Johnny Damon will help change that.
I'd like to hope that things will come together for the Indians, but this team just isn't very good. They're using smoke, mirrors and luck to do it. Hopefully, the smoke, mirrors and luck continue.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Merry-go-round and round ...
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
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
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Drive for 25
As Joe Cleveland celebrated and rejoiced Sunday, watching Tim Tebow shread the "vaunted" Pittspuke Squeelers defense for 316 yards (and a 31.6-yard average per completion, how odd is that), visions of the Broncos from many years ago with a young quarterback danced in my head.
Tebow and Broncos put the final nail in the Stoolers' coffin with a stunning 80-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas, ending the overtime in just 11 seconds and giving the Broncos a huge 29-23 upset in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Almost immediately, Stooler fans had to attempt to crash Browns fans parties by reminding them about what the Broncos did to our beloved Browns 25 years ago.
Oh sure, you remember, as any tried-and-true, Brown-and-Orange-bleeding Browns fan remembers Jan. 11, 1987. You remember where you were and who you were with when you saw the Browns come, arguably, the closest they've ever come to a Super Bowl berth.
The plastic was over the Browns lockers and the AFC Lamar Hunt Trophy was in the Browns locker room when Bernie Kosar found Brian Brennan for a 48-yard touchdown pass with a little over five minutes remaining in the AFC Championship Game at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Pandamonium Palace was at full-throttle then, and on the subsequent Mark Moseley kickoff, when a guy named Ken Bell misjudged the knuckleball kick and had to fall on it at his own 2-yard line.
98 yards and five minutes seperated the Browns from that elusive Super Bowl berth and a date with the New York Giants at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena. But, we all remember what happened next.
I had just turned 13 years old a few weeks prior to that and I was watching the game in our den with my parents, siblings and other aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. My parents hosted a party, and everyone was invited to watch history be made.
Oh we saw history, just not the history we wanted to see.
While it only took Tebow one play and 11 seconds to cover 80 yards, it took John Elway most of those five minutes and 15 plays to cover the 98 he needed to tie the game and send it into overtime. Marty Schottenheimer's "Prevent" defense, which was supposed to prevent big plays, allowed Elway to dink and dunk and scramble his way methodically down the field, and was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson on third-and-2 with 37 seconds left.
I remember being stunned, but I wasn't worried. The Browns OWNED overtime in the 1986 season. They were 3-0 in OT games during a 12-4 regular season (other than a 14-0 year in 1948, this is the most regular season wins the Browns have ever had) and had just won a thrilling 23-20 double overtime playoff game with the Jets one week ago. A game that the Browns trailed by 10 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, and yet somehow tied up and sent into OT. A game that Moseley missed a chip shot OT field goal, but had a second-chance in the double OT and made this one count.
A game that was the Browns' first playoff victory since 1968. A game that had Browns fans believing that 1986 was the season of destiny.
So, the Browns proceeded to go 3-and-out with the first OT possession, and Elway went to work again. This time, Rich Karlis set up for a 37-yard field goal to win the game.
I maintained 25 years ago with my 13-year-old eyes and I still maintain every time I see the replay and from hearing eyewitness accounts that Karlis' kick was wide left. They should still be playing that game.
But, the refs raised their hands and called the kick good, and it was Denver that went to the Super Bowl.
Denver went to the Super Bowl three times in a four-year span -- all with AFC Championship wins over the Browns. All of them were close games in the fourth quarter, but two of them ended in truly heartbreaking fashion for Browns fans like me (the 1989 team just simply ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and lost, 37-21. They were aging and, quite frankly, lucky to be playing in the AFC title game that year. They haven't been back there since).
Stooler fans immediately brought up The Drive as a way to try to take Browns fans down a peg.
Joe Cleveland's response -- Well, at least you know how it feels, doesn't it.
Joe Cleveland's second response -- Elway took 15 plays, Tebow only took one.
Joe Cleveland's third response -- My hatred for the Broncos essentially died with Elway -- who I referred to as a "horse-toothed jackass" during the 1989 AFC title game and did not get grounded for it by my parents -- and his retirement in the late 1990s. However, I found myself rooting for them in the 1998 Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons -- I could not stand that stupid Dirty Bird dance.
My hatred for the Steelers will never die.
Elway and the Broncos broke my heart that day 25 years ago, and broke it two more times. And, I'm sure next year, we'll all be going through this again with the 25th anniversary of The Fumble. But, Joe Cleveland will deal with that next year.
The only thing better than watching the Stoolers lose in the Super Bowl is watching a Super Bowl that doesn't have the Stoolers in it.
Actually, I can think of one thing that would be better, but it's never happened. Joe Cleveland believes that it will happen, and will happen in the near future.
The Steelers literally limped into the playoffs and were banged up, courtesy of the two games against the Browns -- the team that's "not even a rivalry anymore" in the eyes of Steeler fans. Instead of being intimidated by them, the Browns stood up to them, took their best shot, and hit them right back square in the mouth.
They lost both games, but both games were at least close. The last one, as snow swirled in the night-time sky on New Year's Day, came down to the final play of the game, with the Browns possessing the ball on the Pittsburgh 24-yard line. Seneca Wallace's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete, and the Steelers escaped with a 13-9 victory. But, the long-term damage was done.
Mike Holmgren believes the Browns are closing the gap on the AFC North foes, despite going 0-6 for only the second time since the division took its current shape back in 2001. And, I believe him.
The Browns could have concievably won both games with the Bengals. A colossal defensive brain fart back in the season opener cost the Browns that first game, and the Browns squandered a 10-point lead in the second game, giving up a huge pass to A.J. Green on third down that set up the game-winning field goal.
The only truly lop-sided game was the Browns home game against the Thieving Bastards, and that was only 24-10. The Browns rallied by running a healthy Peyton Hillis right down Ray Lewis' throat and lost by six, thanks to another Pat Shurmur coaching blunder in a season that was rife with them.
The Steelers and Ravens aren't getting any younger and have question marks. The Bengals, while also in a good position with some young talent at QB and WR and an extra first-round pick (like the Browns) in next year's draft, also backed into the playoff by beating nine non-playoff teams and were smacked down by a Houston team that was starting a rookie third-string quarterback.
This isn't saying the Browns don't have their own work cut out for them. They certainly do. But this offseason will be a huge one, determining the fate of this franchise for the next few seasons to come.
Will Shurmur find a reliable offensive coordinator to make his job easier? Will a true offseason benefit him, and will he learn from his countless mistakes in a rough rookie year?
Will the Browns go back to Colt McCoy? Will they try to land Matt Flynn or Kevin Kolb via trade or free agency? Or, do they try to acquire Heisman winner Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck in this year's draft?
And, the draft -- the Browns have the fourth and 22nd pick in this year's first round. Do they go offense? Defense? Best available?
Many questions to be answered with this year's Browns. Hopefully, they can answer quite a few of them correctly these next few months and get this franchise back where it belongs -- consistantly winning and in the playoffs and (dare Joe Cleveland says it) a championship.
Once upon a time, the Browns were considered the "New York Yankees of football." In a feat that never happened before and will likely never happen again, the Browns reached 10 consecutive championship games in their first 10 years as a franchise, winning seven of those. They are one of four teams in the curent NFL (although the Browns and Lions are the only two who existed prior to 1995) who have never even played in a Super Bowl, much less won one.
This franchise and these fans deserve a winner. We can bemoan things like The Drive all we want and lament how close we were then. I relish the time when we can truly celebrate a Browns championship or two, and I believe it will happen.
Oh, and Pittsburgh still sucks!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Tebow and Broncos put the final nail in the Stoolers' coffin with a stunning 80-yard touchdown pass to Demariyus Thomas, ending the overtime in just 11 seconds and giving the Broncos a huge 29-23 upset in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Almost immediately, Stooler fans had to attempt to crash Browns fans parties by reminding them about what the Broncos did to our beloved Browns 25 years ago.
Oh sure, you remember, as any tried-and-true, Brown-and-Orange-bleeding Browns fan remembers Jan. 11, 1987. You remember where you were and who you were with when you saw the Browns come, arguably, the closest they've ever come to a Super Bowl berth.
The plastic was over the Browns lockers and the AFC Lamar Hunt Trophy was in the Browns locker room when Bernie Kosar found Brian Brennan for a 48-yard touchdown pass with a little over five minutes remaining in the AFC Championship Game at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Pandamonium Palace was at full-throttle then, and on the subsequent Mark Moseley kickoff, when a guy named Ken Bell misjudged the knuckleball kick and had to fall on it at his own 2-yard line.
98 yards and five minutes seperated the Browns from that elusive Super Bowl berth and a date with the New York Giants at the Rose Bowl in Pasedena. But, we all remember what happened next.
I had just turned 13 years old a few weeks prior to that and I was watching the game in our den with my parents, siblings and other aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. My parents hosted a party, and everyone was invited to watch history be made.
Oh we saw history, just not the history we wanted to see.
While it only took Tebow one play and 11 seconds to cover 80 yards, it took John Elway most of those five minutes and 15 plays to cover the 98 he needed to tie the game and send it into overtime. Marty Schottenheimer's "Prevent" defense, which was supposed to prevent big plays, allowed Elway to dink and dunk and scramble his way methodically down the field, and was capped by a five-yard touchdown pass to Mark Jackson on third-and-2 with 37 seconds left.
I remember being stunned, but I wasn't worried. The Browns OWNED overtime in the 1986 season. They were 3-0 in OT games during a 12-4 regular season (other than a 14-0 year in 1948, this is the most regular season wins the Browns have ever had) and had just won a thrilling 23-20 double overtime playoff game with the Jets one week ago. A game that the Browns trailed by 10 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, and yet somehow tied up and sent into OT. A game that Moseley missed a chip shot OT field goal, but had a second-chance in the double OT and made this one count.
A game that was the Browns' first playoff victory since 1968. A game that had Browns fans believing that 1986 was the season of destiny.
So, the Browns proceeded to go 3-and-out with the first OT possession, and Elway went to work again. This time, Rich Karlis set up for a 37-yard field goal to win the game.
I maintained 25 years ago with my 13-year-old eyes and I still maintain every time I see the replay and from hearing eyewitness accounts that Karlis' kick was wide left. They should still be playing that game.
But, the refs raised their hands and called the kick good, and it was Denver that went to the Super Bowl.
Denver went to the Super Bowl three times in a four-year span -- all with AFC Championship wins over the Browns. All of them were close games in the fourth quarter, but two of them ended in truly heartbreaking fashion for Browns fans like me (the 1989 team just simply ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and lost, 37-21. They were aging and, quite frankly, lucky to be playing in the AFC title game that year. They haven't been back there since).
Stooler fans immediately brought up The Drive as a way to try to take Browns fans down a peg.
Joe Cleveland's response -- Well, at least you know how it feels, doesn't it.
Joe Cleveland's second response -- Elway took 15 plays, Tebow only took one.
Joe Cleveland's third response -- My hatred for the Broncos essentially died with Elway -- who I referred to as a "horse-toothed jackass" during the 1989 AFC title game and did not get grounded for it by my parents -- and his retirement in the late 1990s. However, I found myself rooting for them in the 1998 Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons -- I could not stand that stupid Dirty Bird dance.
My hatred for the Steelers will never die.
Elway and the Broncos broke my heart that day 25 years ago, and broke it two more times. And, I'm sure next year, we'll all be going through this again with the 25th anniversary of The Fumble. But, Joe Cleveland will deal with that next year.
The only thing better than watching the Stoolers lose in the Super Bowl is watching a Super Bowl that doesn't have the Stoolers in it.
Actually, I can think of one thing that would be better, but it's never happened. Joe Cleveland believes that it will happen, and will happen in the near future.
The Steelers literally limped into the playoffs and were banged up, courtesy of the two games against the Browns -- the team that's "not even a rivalry anymore" in the eyes of Steeler fans. Instead of being intimidated by them, the Browns stood up to them, took their best shot, and hit them right back square in the mouth.
They lost both games, but both games were at least close. The last one, as snow swirled in the night-time sky on New Year's Day, came down to the final play of the game, with the Browns possessing the ball on the Pittsburgh 24-yard line. Seneca Wallace's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete, and the Steelers escaped with a 13-9 victory. But, the long-term damage was done.
Mike Holmgren believes the Browns are closing the gap on the AFC North foes, despite going 0-6 for only the second time since the division took its current shape back in 2001. And, I believe him.
The Browns could have concievably won both games with the Bengals. A colossal defensive brain fart back in the season opener cost the Browns that first game, and the Browns squandered a 10-point lead in the second game, giving up a huge pass to A.J. Green on third down that set up the game-winning field goal.
The only truly lop-sided game was the Browns home game against the Thieving Bastards, and that was only 24-10. The Browns rallied by running a healthy Peyton Hillis right down Ray Lewis' throat and lost by six, thanks to another Pat Shurmur coaching blunder in a season that was rife with them.
The Steelers and Ravens aren't getting any younger and have question marks. The Bengals, while also in a good position with some young talent at QB and WR and an extra first-round pick (like the Browns) in next year's draft, also backed into the playoff by beating nine non-playoff teams and were smacked down by a Houston team that was starting a rookie third-string quarterback.
This isn't saying the Browns don't have their own work cut out for them. They certainly do. But this offseason will be a huge one, determining the fate of this franchise for the next few seasons to come.
Will Shurmur find a reliable offensive coordinator to make his job easier? Will a true offseason benefit him, and will he learn from his countless mistakes in a rough rookie year?
Will the Browns go back to Colt McCoy? Will they try to land Matt Flynn or Kevin Kolb via trade or free agency? Or, do they try to acquire Heisman winner Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck in this year's draft?
And, the draft -- the Browns have the fourth and 22nd pick in this year's first round. Do they go offense? Defense? Best available?
Many questions to be answered with this year's Browns. Hopefully, they can answer quite a few of them correctly these next few months and get this franchise back where it belongs -- consistantly winning and in the playoffs and (dare Joe Cleveland says it) a championship.
Once upon a time, the Browns were considered the "New York Yankees of football." In a feat that never happened before and will likely never happen again, the Browns reached 10 consecutive championship games in their first 10 years as a franchise, winning seven of those. They are one of four teams in the curent NFL (although the Browns and Lions are the only two who existed prior to 1995) who have never even played in a Super Bowl, much less won one.
This franchise and these fans deserve a winner. We can bemoan things like The Drive all we want and lament how close we were then. I relish the time when we can truly celebrate a Browns championship or two, and I believe it will happen.
Oh, and Pittsburgh still sucks!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Nevermind the bullocks, here comes Joe Cleveland
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. We're so glad you could attend. Come inside, come inside ...
It's been a while since I've dusted off Joe Cleveland ... a little over two months, in fact. Things were pretty busy for me in the "real" journalism world these past few months. So, I've found a little bit of time to dig out my Joe Cleveland hat, put it on and dish out some takes on the world of Cleveland sports.
A lot has happened since the last time Joe Cleveland updated this blog. The Indians were the rare buyers, not sellers, at the trade deadline and acquired pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez in a controversial deal. They also picked up the great Jim Thome in a waiver-wire deal in late August and had their all-time leader in home runs return for the final month of the season. In the end, it didn't much matter, and the Indians squandered a 30-15 start to finish 80-82. It was still good enough for second in the weak AL Central Division, but their inability to beat Detroit over the final month and a half proved to be a huge factor in the fall from the pennant race.
The NBA lockout has lingered on and has threatened to cancel the entire season. Preseason games have already been shelved, and the NBA is expected to make an annoucement on the status of regular season games within the next week or so. There are a lot of winners if the NBA cancels their season. The NHL and college basketball, for starters, will be huge winners, since they will rule the winter sports landscape. Fans tired of seeing the Lakers, Heat, Celtics and Knicks every Sunday and holiday from October through April will be extremely happy. Cavs fans will be winners because they avoid another rebuilding season and another year without LeQuitter (and, they won't have to see LeQuitter strut around in his Heat garb as they try to win that elusive NBA title). Fans of the Lake Erie Monsters and the Cleveland State Vikings will be happy, as their teams will get more ink in the papers and more asses in their seats as fans seek another entertainment distraction for the winter months. And, it will put more onus what the Indians do this offseason will probably only add anticipation for their 2012 opener.
The Browns have begun their season at 2-2. I think, if you asked most people before the season, 2-2 would be a record they'd be happy with. However, it's come with some inconsistant performances. They lost to Cincinnati on a huge breakdown where they failed to break a huddle and left A.J. Green wide open for an easy touchdown. They beat a reeling Colts team without Peyton Manning and a winless Miami team with a last-minute touchdown from Colt McCoy to Mohammed Massaquoi, then were humiliated by Tennessee, despite dominating the time of possession, yardage and completing 40-of-61 passes on a windy day. Pat Shurmer has looked shaky as he sorts out what he has to work with, and there has been some early drama concerning Peyton Hillis and how he's been used. The 4-3 defense has looked tremendous until Matt Hasselbeck shreaded it with two big plays last Sunday. The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the Browns.
And, of course, Ohio State's drama with the NCAA continues to get cloudy. The Buckeyes lost three more players to improper benefits for the first two games of the season, and three of the Tattoo Five have to sit out Saturday's game with Nebraska for getting overpaid for a summer job. The NCAA still hasn't announced their final punishment on Ohio State, whether it will be longer probation or more loss of scholarships or a longer bowl ban. This comes on the heels of one of the worst offensive performances in Ohio State history as they deal with a quarterback controversy with the raw freshman Braxton Miller or the fifth-year baseball playing senior Joe Bauserman. It's a mess that could result in a one-and-done for interim coach Luke Fickell and the loss of AD Gene Smith's job.
All in all, the Cleveland sports scene continues to look cloudy.
The Indians have a key offseason at hand with several questions to be answered. Will they pick up the contract options on the oft-injured Grady Sizemore and the more bad-than-good Fausto Carmona? Will they try to bring back Jim Thome if Thome decides to play one more year? Will they get Ubaldo straightened out? Who will be the new hitting and pitching coaches, and will Sandy Alomar not get offered a managerial job? How much will Larry Dolan allow Chris Antonetti to spend to get this team back into contention? Will they upgrade first base, third base, the outfield and the starting rotation? Will they build off the positive groundswell of fan support gained from their hot start, their proactivity at the trade deadline and the return of Thome? Will Mark Shapiro give up his cushy president gig and become the GM of the Cubs or the Orioles (please God, make this happen)?
The honeymoon for Pat Shurmer is wearing down. How much did the lack of a true offseason hurt the Browns? Can the 4-3 continue to make positive strides? Will Peyton Hillis get his contract extension, and will he continue to be a focal point of the offense? How does Colt McCoy hold up in his first full season as the starting quarterback? Will any wide receiver emerge? Will Shurmer have to give up play-calling duties if the Browns have a losing season? Can they gain ground on an obviously aging Steelers team and an inconsistant Ravens team in the suddenly less-than-stellar AFC North? Can they continue to beat the teams they're supposed to beat? Will D'Qwell Jackson stay healthy and continue his torrid season at middle linebacker?
Will Ohio State win another game this year, let alone the Michigan game? Will Luke Fickell come back next season, or will someone like Urban Meyer ride in on their white steed? How bad will the NCAA drop the hammer on the Buckeyes, and will other heads roll? And, will the offense ever find a rhythm with the not-quite-ready-for-primetime Miller or the never-will-be-ready-for-primetime Bauserman?
Will you care more about the Cleveland State Vikings and the Lake Erie Monsters with the Cavs (presumably) on the shelf? And, will a lockout hurt the development of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson?
Hopefully, some of these questions will be answered in the near future, and with favorable answers. Cleveland fans are living vicariously through the disappointments of other teams (see Steelers, Heat, Red Sox) instead of rejoicing in their own teams exploits. Perhaps that's just a sad fact of being a Cleveland sports fan -- we've come to the realization that none of our teams will ever be good enough to win a championship, so we treat the fall of our bitter rivals like a championship of our own. Perhaps the disappointment of our rivals will lead to positive things for our own teams. We can only hope so.
Until next time (hopefully not another two months from now), remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Follow Joe Cleveland on Twitter @JoeCleveBlog.
It's been a while since I've dusted off Joe Cleveland ... a little over two months, in fact. Things were pretty busy for me in the "real" journalism world these past few months. So, I've found a little bit of time to dig out my Joe Cleveland hat, put it on and dish out some takes on the world of Cleveland sports.
A lot has happened since the last time Joe Cleveland updated this blog. The Indians were the rare buyers, not sellers, at the trade deadline and acquired pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez in a controversial deal. They also picked up the great Jim Thome in a waiver-wire deal in late August and had their all-time leader in home runs return for the final month of the season. In the end, it didn't much matter, and the Indians squandered a 30-15 start to finish 80-82. It was still good enough for second in the weak AL Central Division, but their inability to beat Detroit over the final month and a half proved to be a huge factor in the fall from the pennant race.
The NBA lockout has lingered on and has threatened to cancel the entire season. Preseason games have already been shelved, and the NBA is expected to make an annoucement on the status of regular season games within the next week or so. There are a lot of winners if the NBA cancels their season. The NHL and college basketball, for starters, will be huge winners, since they will rule the winter sports landscape. Fans tired of seeing the Lakers, Heat, Celtics and Knicks every Sunday and holiday from October through April will be extremely happy. Cavs fans will be winners because they avoid another rebuilding season and another year without LeQuitter (and, they won't have to see LeQuitter strut around in his Heat garb as they try to win that elusive NBA title). Fans of the Lake Erie Monsters and the Cleveland State Vikings will be happy, as their teams will get more ink in the papers and more asses in their seats as fans seek another entertainment distraction for the winter months. And, it will put more onus what the Indians do this offseason will probably only add anticipation for their 2012 opener.
The Browns have begun their season at 2-2. I think, if you asked most people before the season, 2-2 would be a record they'd be happy with. However, it's come with some inconsistant performances. They lost to Cincinnati on a huge breakdown where they failed to break a huddle and left A.J. Green wide open for an easy touchdown. They beat a reeling Colts team without Peyton Manning and a winless Miami team with a last-minute touchdown from Colt McCoy to Mohammed Massaquoi, then were humiliated by Tennessee, despite dominating the time of possession, yardage and completing 40-of-61 passes on a windy day. Pat Shurmer has looked shaky as he sorts out what he has to work with, and there has been some early drama concerning Peyton Hillis and how he's been used. The 4-3 defense has looked tremendous until Matt Hasselbeck shreaded it with two big plays last Sunday. The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the Browns.
And, of course, Ohio State's drama with the NCAA continues to get cloudy. The Buckeyes lost three more players to improper benefits for the first two games of the season, and three of the Tattoo Five have to sit out Saturday's game with Nebraska for getting overpaid for a summer job. The NCAA still hasn't announced their final punishment on Ohio State, whether it will be longer probation or more loss of scholarships or a longer bowl ban. This comes on the heels of one of the worst offensive performances in Ohio State history as they deal with a quarterback controversy with the raw freshman Braxton Miller or the fifth-year baseball playing senior Joe Bauserman. It's a mess that could result in a one-and-done for interim coach Luke Fickell and the loss of AD Gene Smith's job.
All in all, the Cleveland sports scene continues to look cloudy.
The Indians have a key offseason at hand with several questions to be answered. Will they pick up the contract options on the oft-injured Grady Sizemore and the more bad-than-good Fausto Carmona? Will they try to bring back Jim Thome if Thome decides to play one more year? Will they get Ubaldo straightened out? Who will be the new hitting and pitching coaches, and will Sandy Alomar not get offered a managerial job? How much will Larry Dolan allow Chris Antonetti to spend to get this team back into contention? Will they upgrade first base, third base, the outfield and the starting rotation? Will they build off the positive groundswell of fan support gained from their hot start, their proactivity at the trade deadline and the return of Thome? Will Mark Shapiro give up his cushy president gig and become the GM of the Cubs or the Orioles (please God, make this happen)?
The honeymoon for Pat Shurmer is wearing down. How much did the lack of a true offseason hurt the Browns? Can the 4-3 continue to make positive strides? Will Peyton Hillis get his contract extension, and will he continue to be a focal point of the offense? How does Colt McCoy hold up in his first full season as the starting quarterback? Will any wide receiver emerge? Will Shurmer have to give up play-calling duties if the Browns have a losing season? Can they gain ground on an obviously aging Steelers team and an inconsistant Ravens team in the suddenly less-than-stellar AFC North? Can they continue to beat the teams they're supposed to beat? Will D'Qwell Jackson stay healthy and continue his torrid season at middle linebacker?
Will Ohio State win another game this year, let alone the Michigan game? Will Luke Fickell come back next season, or will someone like Urban Meyer ride in on their white steed? How bad will the NCAA drop the hammer on the Buckeyes, and will other heads roll? And, will the offense ever find a rhythm with the not-quite-ready-for-primetime Miller or the never-will-be-ready-for-primetime Bauserman?
Will you care more about the Cleveland State Vikings and the Lake Erie Monsters with the Cavs (presumably) on the shelf? And, will a lockout hurt the development of Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson?
Hopefully, some of these questions will be answered in the near future, and with favorable answers. Cleveland fans are living vicariously through the disappointments of other teams (see Steelers, Heat, Red Sox) instead of rejoicing in their own teams exploits. Perhaps that's just a sad fact of being a Cleveland sports fan -- we've come to the realization that none of our teams will ever be good enough to win a championship, so we treat the fall of our bitter rivals like a championship of our own. Perhaps the disappointment of our rivals will lead to positive things for our own teams. We can only hope so.
Until next time (hopefully not another two months from now), remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Follow Joe Cleveland on Twitter @JoeCleveBlog.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Is Cleveland's fortunes turning?
Last July, when a certain NBA superstar announced on national TV that he was taking his so-called talents somewhere else, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert responded like so many Cleveland fans did when they heard the news:
He responded with an angry open-letter to the fans, ripping the "Decision-maker" for all the he was, announced that the Cavs would win an NBA title before the Heat did (still technically true; the Heat haven't won anything yet) and predicted that the so-called "Cleveland Curse" would follow LeQuitter with him to Miami and that "better times would be ahead for Cleveland."
Has it? Well, let's take stock:
1. The Indians have the best record in Major League Baseball at the moment, when everyone predicted they'd be the worst, or one of the worst, teams in the American League.
2. The Browns made another coaching change, but one that is along the same line of vision as Browns President Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert and one who's offensive philosophies play into the strength of current quarterback Colt McCoy.
3. The Browns' Peyton Hillis was voted to be on the cover of Madden 12 by a wide-margin in a nationwide contest that spanned a month.
4. The Cavs lost a record 26 consecutive games, but wound up trading waste-of-spaces Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for All-Star point guard Baron Davis and the Clippers' first-round pick, giving them two lottery choices that led to ...
5. The Cavs making out in the NBA Draft Lottery, turning the Clippers' pick into the top-overall selection and having the No. 4 pick of their own. They became the first team since 1983 to have two picks in the top four.
6. The Browns stockpiled draft choices for this year and next year from the Falcons, and acquired mammoth defensive tackle Phil Taylor, pass-rushing defensive end Jabaal Sheard and athletic receiver Greg Little with their top three picks.
7. The Cleveland State Vikings mens basketball team, which featured standout point guard and NBA prospect Norris Cole, ripped off 13 consecutive wins to start the season, just missed out on clinching an NCAA Tourney berth, but hosted two rounds of the NIT, winning one.
8. The Lake Erie Monsters hockey team qualified for the American Hockey League playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They did blow a 3-1 series lead with home-ice advantage (welcome to Cleveland, Monsters), but still ...
9. The Cavs did beat LeQuitter and his Heat at home just before the season concluded, a soul-cleansing win for this city if there ever was one.
10. The Indians swept the Boston Red Sox at home, which may have kick-started their run to glory. Along with that, they seem to recapturing that Jacobs Field magic that was so prevelant back in the 1990s with several late-inning, last at-bat victories.
Now, if the Bulls can dispatch the Heat in the postseason, then we'll really be on to something. However, you can feel it in the air.
There seems to be a better feeling surrounding our sports teams. People are excited about the Browns progress (although, it doesn't take much to be excited about the Browns) and are hopeful the lockout ends soon so they can play some games. There is an optimism surrounding the Cavs that didn't seem to exist when LeQuitter bolted and then came back in December to rub our noses into it with a blowout victory. And, the Indians ... the fans may not be flocking to the Jake (or Progressive, whatever), but people are certainly paying attention to this team, that's for sure.
In recent memory, you'd have to go back to 2007, when the Cavs reached the NBA Finals, the Indians were one game away from an improbable World Series berth, and the Browns won 10 games (the most since 1994) and were an eyelash away from a playoff berth, to find such bubbling optimism surrounding our sports teams.
Sure, those bubbles burst on the Indians and Browns pretty quickly, and the Cavs made it back to playoffs the next three seasons but came up empty each time before you-know-who decided to tuck tail and abandon his home region, so you have to prepare for the worst. This is Cleveland, after all, and history dictates it as such.
But, maybe there is something to what Dan Gilbert alluded to. Maybe, when LeQuitter proclaimed that "karma was a bitch" after the L.A. Lakers beat the Cavs by 55 points at home, that turned the tides for good. Since then, the Cavs rebounded to beat both the Lakers and his beloved Heat, Hillis got the Madden cover, and you know the rest.
And, of course, with the NBA, you always have to smell a bit of a rat. When the Timberwolves' GM made an ill-advised joke about how the league loves good stories, and when the Cavs brought out Gilbert's son Nick, who suffers from a serious disease, to represent them at the lottery, he knew he "was done for," people assumed he was saying the lottery was rigged. Others believe that the NBA gave the Cavs the first and fourth as compensation for the way LeBron humilated them and the league with his "Decision" and to shut Gilbert up on his allegations of LeBron tanking the playoff games and that Pat Riley colluded with all three during the season.
If that's the case, so be it. It's about time Cleveland got some due and some good luck. If it was rigged, so be it. After watching Michael Jordan get breathed on by Cavs defenders and get foul calls, while also walking 6 steps to the basket without a travel call, it's time the NBA tilted the scales in Cleveland's favor.
Do I think it's rigged? Not necessarily, although I've been alleging for years that the NBA has been on the shady side since the 1980s, so it wouldn't surprise me.
Can the Indians keep it up? Will the Tribe make the right trades needed to get over the playoff hump? Will the Cavs improve next season and take the next step toward getting back into contention? Will the perennial rebuilding stop for the Browns with more wins than losses for once? These are questions that still seek answering. However, it appears we can answer these questions with a little more confidence and pride instead of blind optimism.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
And LeBron, you can take your so-called apology, shine it up real nice, turn it sideways, and stick it straight up your candy-ass (yes, I blatently ripped off The Rock, but it conveyed my feelings the best way possible)! Go Bulls!
He responded with an angry open-letter to the fans, ripping the "Decision-maker" for all the he was, announced that the Cavs would win an NBA title before the Heat did (still technically true; the Heat haven't won anything yet) and predicted that the so-called "Cleveland Curse" would follow LeQuitter with him to Miami and that "better times would be ahead for Cleveland."
Has it? Well, let's take stock:
1. The Indians have the best record in Major League Baseball at the moment, when everyone predicted they'd be the worst, or one of the worst, teams in the American League.
2. The Browns made another coaching change, but one that is along the same line of vision as Browns President Mike Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert and one who's offensive philosophies play into the strength of current quarterback Colt McCoy.
3. The Browns' Peyton Hillis was voted to be on the cover of Madden 12 by a wide-margin in a nationwide contest that spanned a month.
4. The Cavs lost a record 26 consecutive games, but wound up trading waste-of-spaces Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for All-Star point guard Baron Davis and the Clippers' first-round pick, giving them two lottery choices that led to ...
5. The Cavs making out in the NBA Draft Lottery, turning the Clippers' pick into the top-overall selection and having the No. 4 pick of their own. They became the first team since 1983 to have two picks in the top four.
6. The Browns stockpiled draft choices for this year and next year from the Falcons, and acquired mammoth defensive tackle Phil Taylor, pass-rushing defensive end Jabaal Sheard and athletic receiver Greg Little with their top three picks.
7. The Cleveland State Vikings mens basketball team, which featured standout point guard and NBA prospect Norris Cole, ripped off 13 consecutive wins to start the season, just missed out on clinching an NCAA Tourney berth, but hosted two rounds of the NIT, winning one.
8. The Lake Erie Monsters hockey team qualified for the American Hockey League playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They did blow a 3-1 series lead with home-ice advantage (welcome to Cleveland, Monsters), but still ...
9. The Cavs did beat LeQuitter and his Heat at home just before the season concluded, a soul-cleansing win for this city if there ever was one.
10. The Indians swept the Boston Red Sox at home, which may have kick-started their run to glory. Along with that, they seem to recapturing that Jacobs Field magic that was so prevelant back in the 1990s with several late-inning, last at-bat victories.
Now, if the Bulls can dispatch the Heat in the postseason, then we'll really be on to something. However, you can feel it in the air.
There seems to be a better feeling surrounding our sports teams. People are excited about the Browns progress (although, it doesn't take much to be excited about the Browns) and are hopeful the lockout ends soon so they can play some games. There is an optimism surrounding the Cavs that didn't seem to exist when LeQuitter bolted and then came back in December to rub our noses into it with a blowout victory. And, the Indians ... the fans may not be flocking to the Jake (or Progressive, whatever), but people are certainly paying attention to this team, that's for sure.
In recent memory, you'd have to go back to 2007, when the Cavs reached the NBA Finals, the Indians were one game away from an improbable World Series berth, and the Browns won 10 games (the most since 1994) and were an eyelash away from a playoff berth, to find such bubbling optimism surrounding our sports teams.
Sure, those bubbles burst on the Indians and Browns pretty quickly, and the Cavs made it back to playoffs the next three seasons but came up empty each time before you-know-who decided to tuck tail and abandon his home region, so you have to prepare for the worst. This is Cleveland, after all, and history dictates it as such.
But, maybe there is something to what Dan Gilbert alluded to. Maybe, when LeQuitter proclaimed that "karma was a bitch" after the L.A. Lakers beat the Cavs by 55 points at home, that turned the tides for good. Since then, the Cavs rebounded to beat both the Lakers and his beloved Heat, Hillis got the Madden cover, and you know the rest.
And, of course, with the NBA, you always have to smell a bit of a rat. When the Timberwolves' GM made an ill-advised joke about how the league loves good stories, and when the Cavs brought out Gilbert's son Nick, who suffers from a serious disease, to represent them at the lottery, he knew he "was done for," people assumed he was saying the lottery was rigged. Others believe that the NBA gave the Cavs the first and fourth as compensation for the way LeBron humilated them and the league with his "Decision" and to shut Gilbert up on his allegations of LeBron tanking the playoff games and that Pat Riley colluded with all three during the season.
If that's the case, so be it. It's about time Cleveland got some due and some good luck. If it was rigged, so be it. After watching Michael Jordan get breathed on by Cavs defenders and get foul calls, while also walking 6 steps to the basket without a travel call, it's time the NBA tilted the scales in Cleveland's favor.
Do I think it's rigged? Not necessarily, although I've been alleging for years that the NBA has been on the shady side since the 1980s, so it wouldn't surprise me.
Can the Indians keep it up? Will the Tribe make the right trades needed to get over the playoff hump? Will the Cavs improve next season and take the next step toward getting back into contention? Will the perennial rebuilding stop for the Browns with more wins than losses for once? These are questions that still seek answering. However, it appears we can answer these questions with a little more confidence and pride instead of blind optimism.
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
And LeBron, you can take your so-called apology, shine it up real nice, turn it sideways, and stick it straight up your candy-ass (yes, I blatently ripped off The Rock, but it conveyed my feelings the best way possible)! Go Bulls!
Friday, January 14, 2011
The murmur for Shurmur
So, Mike Holmgren has hired his new head coach for the Cleveland Browns, and it's the offensive coordinator from the St. Louis Rams, Pat Shurmur.
Most Browns fans aren't happy. They wanted a big name like Jon Gruden to become the head coach. Heck, there's even some who believe the job should have went to Marty Morninwheg or Mike Mularkey instead.
Really? Both Morninwheg and Mularkey weren't exactly success stories in their first (and only) head coaching gigs prior to returning to more success as assistant coaches. Morninwheg only won 5 games in Detroit (and made an infamous coin toss choice in an overtime game), while Mularkey's best year in Buffalo was 9-7 before his teams slumped down to reality.
Maybe it's Joe Cleveland's belief that anything can be better than what we've witnessed ever since 2003 (with the exception of 2007, although that season ended without the playoffs), but I'm willing to give Holmgren and Shurmur the benefit of the doubt.
For starters, it seems the recent trend is to hire an unknown guy and let him go. Falcons fans weren't exactly lining up at the ticket counters when Mike Smith was hired to replace Bobby Petrino. Steelers fans preferred Ken Wisenhunt or Russ Grimm over the "outsider" Mike Tomlin when Dan Rooney hired him to replace Cowher. Ravens fans had no idea who John Harbaugh was before he was tapped to be their head coaching replacement for Brian Billick. And, there's others where that came from, but you catch my point.
Today, all those teams are in the playoffs and are one of 8 teams still alive with a berth in the Super Bowl. Tomlin's already won one Super Bowl title, Harbaugh's teams have reached the playoffs every single year, and won at least one playoff game in each, and Smith's team is the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, if they win a tough game with Green Bay, should be the favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year.
Don't you think the Browns would love to trade places with one of those teams? Joe Cleveland certainly would have.
Probably the best factor in all of this is that, for once, there is in single, solitary unified vision for the Cleveland Browns from the top on down. Shurmur comes highly recommended from Andy Reid, who has been probably the best Holmgren disciple as a head coach. And, Tom Heckert was the GM in Philly prior to coming to Cleveland with Holmgren.
Shurmer's uncle, Fritz Shurmur, was a highly successful defensive coordinator under Holmgren at Green Bay. Holmgren trusted Fritz Shurmur completely to run his defense, which allowed Holmgren to focus on the offensive side. So, there's a connection there.
Pat Shurmur has been indocrinated into the West Coast offensive system that Holmgren prefers. Shurmur has helped develop Donovon McNabb to become an elite QB, and helped develop rookie Sam Bradford into a consistant QB last year with the Rams. I'm sure Holmgren is expecting Shurmur to do the same with his own youngster, Colt McCoy.
A West Coast system favors McCoy, because it relies on shorter passes and quicker plays. McCoy doesn't have the "howitzer" arm that other QBs have, but McCoy's got smarts and a great attitude. He's got born leadership abilities, which is something most Cleveland QBs have lacked since they returned to the NFL in 1999. I can't think of a Browns QB who was renouned for his leadership abilities. In fact, it always appeared the team was divided between which QB they preferred (Couch-Holcomb, Garcia-Anyone else, Dilfer-Frye, Frye-Anderson, Anderson-Quinn).
Shurmur probably comes cheap, which is good since the Browns are still on the hook for Mangini's salary (and probably Crennel's salary). Shurmur doesn't have a big ego, which means he'll be eager to learn and use Holmgren's valuable resources to make himself better.
Perhaps he becomes a "puppet-hire" for Holmgren. Holmgren doesn't have to coach the team himself, but he has a guy he can mold and turn into a sucessful coach by essentially calling all the shots. Holmgren can surround his new protoge with veteran assistants (Dave Wannstedt is already rumored to become the defensive coordinator) to to help his transtion. And, Holmgren and Heckert can continue to draft and sign players they believe fits into their unified vision and know they have a coaching staff that can execute their vision (unlike Mangini).
Now, because of Shurmer's connection with McNabb, ESPN is already pegging Cleveland as a rumored destination for the veteran QB to allow McCoy to soak up more of the offense while not being forced to immediately play. That would be interesting.
It will be interesting to see how Shurmur (or Holmgren) fills out his coaching staff and to see how this offseason progresses. Shurmur is expected by the fan base (and Holmgren) to hit the ground running and show some immediate improvement next season. And, the onus falls on Holmgren because of how quickly he settled on Shurmur. He doesn't have Mangini to scapegoat now, the bulls-eye is squarely on him.
I have a feeling that's exactly how Holmgren wants it.
Joe Cleveland is willing to not jump to conclusions with the Shurmur hire is allowing himself to step back and observe how things go. The Browns have never had such a unified front office/coaching staff, probably since Paul Brown was running things back in the 1950s before Art "the Meddler" Modell came in and made a mess of things. We all know how great those Paul Brown teams were.
Perhaps Pat Shurmur is the next version of a Tomlin, Harbaugh, Smith or even Sean Payton or Mike McCarthy. Give him some talent, and let's go!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
Most Browns fans aren't happy. They wanted a big name like Jon Gruden to become the head coach. Heck, there's even some who believe the job should have went to Marty Morninwheg or Mike Mularkey instead.
Really? Both Morninwheg and Mularkey weren't exactly success stories in their first (and only) head coaching gigs prior to returning to more success as assistant coaches. Morninwheg only won 5 games in Detroit (and made an infamous coin toss choice in an overtime game), while Mularkey's best year in Buffalo was 9-7 before his teams slumped down to reality.
Maybe it's Joe Cleveland's belief that anything can be better than what we've witnessed ever since 2003 (with the exception of 2007, although that season ended without the playoffs), but I'm willing to give Holmgren and Shurmur the benefit of the doubt.
For starters, it seems the recent trend is to hire an unknown guy and let him go. Falcons fans weren't exactly lining up at the ticket counters when Mike Smith was hired to replace Bobby Petrino. Steelers fans preferred Ken Wisenhunt or Russ Grimm over the "outsider" Mike Tomlin when Dan Rooney hired him to replace Cowher. Ravens fans had no idea who John Harbaugh was before he was tapped to be their head coaching replacement for Brian Billick. And, there's others where that came from, but you catch my point.
Today, all those teams are in the playoffs and are one of 8 teams still alive with a berth in the Super Bowl. Tomlin's already won one Super Bowl title, Harbaugh's teams have reached the playoffs every single year, and won at least one playoff game in each, and Smith's team is the No. 1 seed in the NFC and, if they win a tough game with Green Bay, should be the favorite to reach the Super Bowl this year.
Don't you think the Browns would love to trade places with one of those teams? Joe Cleveland certainly would have.
Probably the best factor in all of this is that, for once, there is in single, solitary unified vision for the Cleveland Browns from the top on down. Shurmur comes highly recommended from Andy Reid, who has been probably the best Holmgren disciple as a head coach. And, Tom Heckert was the GM in Philly prior to coming to Cleveland with Holmgren.
Shurmer's uncle, Fritz Shurmur, was a highly successful defensive coordinator under Holmgren at Green Bay. Holmgren trusted Fritz Shurmur completely to run his defense, which allowed Holmgren to focus on the offensive side. So, there's a connection there.
Pat Shurmur has been indocrinated into the West Coast offensive system that Holmgren prefers. Shurmur has helped develop Donovon McNabb to become an elite QB, and helped develop rookie Sam Bradford into a consistant QB last year with the Rams. I'm sure Holmgren is expecting Shurmur to do the same with his own youngster, Colt McCoy.
A West Coast system favors McCoy, because it relies on shorter passes and quicker plays. McCoy doesn't have the "howitzer" arm that other QBs have, but McCoy's got smarts and a great attitude. He's got born leadership abilities, which is something most Cleveland QBs have lacked since they returned to the NFL in 1999. I can't think of a Browns QB who was renouned for his leadership abilities. In fact, it always appeared the team was divided between which QB they preferred (Couch-Holcomb, Garcia-Anyone else, Dilfer-Frye, Frye-Anderson, Anderson-Quinn).
Shurmur probably comes cheap, which is good since the Browns are still on the hook for Mangini's salary (and probably Crennel's salary). Shurmur doesn't have a big ego, which means he'll be eager to learn and use Holmgren's valuable resources to make himself better.
Perhaps he becomes a "puppet-hire" for Holmgren. Holmgren doesn't have to coach the team himself, but he has a guy he can mold and turn into a sucessful coach by essentially calling all the shots. Holmgren can surround his new protoge with veteran assistants (Dave Wannstedt is already rumored to become the defensive coordinator) to to help his transtion. And, Holmgren and Heckert can continue to draft and sign players they believe fits into their unified vision and know they have a coaching staff that can execute their vision (unlike Mangini).
Now, because of Shurmer's connection with McNabb, ESPN is already pegging Cleveland as a rumored destination for the veteran QB to allow McCoy to soak up more of the offense while not being forced to immediately play. That would be interesting.
It will be interesting to see how Shurmur (or Holmgren) fills out his coaching staff and to see how this offseason progresses. Shurmur is expected by the fan base (and Holmgren) to hit the ground running and show some immediate improvement next season. And, the onus falls on Holmgren because of how quickly he settled on Shurmur. He doesn't have Mangini to scapegoat now, the bulls-eye is squarely on him.
I have a feeling that's exactly how Holmgren wants it.
Joe Cleveland is willing to not jump to conclusions with the Shurmur hire is allowing himself to step back and observe how things go. The Browns have never had such a unified front office/coaching staff, probably since Paul Brown was running things back in the 1950s before Art "the Meddler" Modell came in and made a mess of things. We all know how great those Paul Brown teams were.
Perhaps Pat Shurmur is the next version of a Tomlin, Harbaugh, Smith or even Sean Payton or Mike McCarthy. Give him some talent, and let's go!
Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!
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