Tanks, Trent

Well, Joe Cleveland was in semi-retirement, having been devoted to his normal job of covering high school and minor league sports. He was watching cautiously as the Indians hung around the American League's Wild-Card hunt and was disappointed in the Browns offense after yet another 0-2 start.

Then, the nuclear bomb dropped on the Cleveland sports scene on a Wednesday evening that shook the foundation of every fan, whether you are a die-hard Browns fan, a season ticket holder or just a casual fan.

Trent Richardson, just one year after the Browns traded four picks to move up one spot in the 2012 draft to take him No. 3 overall, was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts for their 2014 first round selection.

So much for Joe Cleveland's semi-retirement.

My first reaction was shock -- Trent Richardson? Traded? Come on! Really, after two weeks? BS! -- then anger at the Browns. As a season ticket holder entering his fourth year with the Browns, I felt betrayed, gypped, lied to.

The Browns told everyone they planned on having a better product on the field for 2013. They spent money in free agency, brought in big-name coordinators to change the offensive and defensive culture and even tried to better the game-day experience at the stadium. After two games, when they deal the perceived top weapon in the offense, it sends the message that they are giving up on this season.

And, as someone who has already plunked down $900 for two tickets in the upper Dawg Pound, and knowing full well that I not only won't get full value for those tickets if I try to sell them, but also may not be able to rely on the usual cast of characters that usually buy one of the tickets off me for random games, I felt ripped off and very, very angry.

I also, against my better judgment, bought his jersey last year. The Browns caught me in a moment of weakness -- they had just beaten the hated Steelers, 20-14, and Richardson had played a key role in that monumental victory. So, in the Team Shop, I plunked down my hard earned money (using my 20 percent season ticket discount) and purchased a Richardson 33 jersey as a reminder of one of the best Browns games I had attended. Now, that jersey is useless because Richardson is gone so quickly.

It never fails. Every time I buy a jersey for a Browns player, they wind up getting traded or released or they retire. Chris Speilman, Tim Couch, Braylon Edwards, Peyton Hillis, Kamerion Wimbley, Josh Cribbs (although the Cribbs jersey is still pretty relevant, considering he played here for 8 seasons) and now Trent Richardson. Hopefully nothing happens to Joe Thomas within the next few seasons. Even when Mrs. Joe Cleveland wins me a signed Grady Sizemore Indians jersey in a silent auction for charity, Sizemore immediately stops playing baseball, so it's not just with the Browns.

And, I'll admit to being a fan of Trent Richardson. I thought he'd be the workhorse running back that we've been aiming for since the days of Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner. All the Browns fans have this notion of "smash-mouth" football as being "Browns football." Unfortunately, those days in the NFL are gone. It's a passing league now, and while it's helpful to have a good running game, running backs just aren't as valuable to the offense anymore.

That's why many questioned the move to trade up for Richardson and then wait until the 22nd pick to take their "franchise quarterback," which was Brandon Weeden. Weeden, who was 28 when he was drafted, is already injured after taking a beating in his first two games this season and may never take a snap again if North Olmsted's Brian Hoyer has any semblance of a good game today against the Vikings.

So, while I was initially very upset about the Richardson trade, cooler head's prevailed. I listened as the national media universally praised the Browns for making this deal, as they felt that getting a first rounder for a running back (a running back with injury problems that only rushed for 3.6-yards per carry) was a steal. They also felt this gives the Browns great ammunition to get the franchise quarterback they have, arguably, never had since Bernie Kosar in the first round of the 2014 Draft -- a draft that looks to be a very quarterback-heavy draft.

Even the local media -- most of whom do not care for Browns general manager Mike Lombardi -- gave the Browns kudos on the move. They quoted players as saying that Richardson was immature, was aloof, wasn't a good teammate, etc. Scott Fujita, as respected a player as they come who was a Browns captain the last two seasons, was not shy about his feelings on Richardson, saying that he needed to do some growing up and that a lot of his teammates were tired of his act. Even though he played through injuries, some felt that he played those injuries up to show how "heroic" he was. Some even questioned his desire to even play for the Browns.

At any rate, it sends a message to the locker room that no one player is above the team and that ANYONE can be shipped out or dropped. Let's just say the message was received.

On a day that began with the news that Hoyer was going to become the 19th starting quarterback since 1999 and that Greg Little lost his starting job to Davone Bess because of his drops and off-the-field problems, those stories were destroyed by the Richardson trade. It was arguably the most polarizing move the Browns have made since they released Kosar in November of 1993.

With one person in common on both of those transactions, Browns' fans vitriol turned to Mike Lombardi. Lombardi was the guy who spliced together a video of Kosar lowlights and mistakes and took it to Art Modell as evidence that he needed to be released. Many fans never forgave him for that, and, knowing how against the trade up for Richardson he was in the first place, believed he did something similar. When Lombardi didn't appear in front of the media to announce the trade -- CEO Joe Banner and head coach Rob Chudzinski spoke about it instead -- it only added to the furor against him.

But, it was later revealed that it was Banner himself who initiated the trade talks with Colts GM Ryan Grigson and owner Jim Irsay. Of course, Lombardi signed off on the deal, as did Chud and offensive coordinator Norv Turner, but the decision was Banner's to make, and he made it.

But the one thing that may have really put fans on board with this decision came from an unlikely source -- former team president Mike Holmgren.

Holmgren was in charge of the front office that made the decision to trade for Richardson and then acquire Weeden at No. 22. Many have felt that it was Holmgren himself that made the call to make the trade up with the Vikings to get Richardson and then overruled his GM at No. 22 to take Weeden.

After the sale to Jimmy Haslam III, Holmgren was on borrowed time. At first, Haslam and Banner allowed Holmgren to simply retire following the 2012 season. However, after a couple of stunts that didn't sit well, such as openly coveting the Cowboys coaching job (and then meeting with Jerry Jones on the field before the game while Haslam watched from his box) and then signing off on a promotion to hand out little white flags before the game against the Steelers (Banner put the kibosh on it after it was lambasted in the local media and by the fans), Holmgren was fired. His hand-picked coach (Pat Shurmur) and GM (Heckert) were shown the door the day after the 2012 season ended.

The day after the trade, Holmgren came on his favorite Seattle sports talk show hosted by a guy named Softy (seriously) and spouted off about how the Richardson trade was awful, how it was a "knee-jerk" reaction by the front office, how, if he was the head coach, he would have asked to be fired almost immediately, and then insinuated that Chud perhaps didn't have the backbone to confront Banner and Lombardi on the trade.

Considering that public perception (fueled by the media) that Holmgren was in Cleveland only to collect $40 million of Randy Lerner's money and had no interest in really putting a winner on the field (his moves speak for themselves, quite frankly), many believed that Holmgren didn't even have the right to speak out about it the move. As Terry Pluto wrote, Holmgren had the chance to be his own head coach on two separate occasions but decided against it both times, probably for ego-driven reasons, so the fact that he would make that "fire me or I quit" statement reeks of irony. Plus, by doing so, it shows how much of a coach you really are, when you factor in that there are 52 other guys in the locker room that count on you to lead them through thick and thin. It's a short-sighted move that shows the incredible ego and self-centeredness of Mike Holmgren.

Banner responded by taking the high road, saying that Holmgren "had his chance to run the Browns and now it's our turn." But, privately, he had to be thanking his lucky stars, because he got unintentional PR gold. Perhaps Holmgren, oblivious to the fact that most of the Cleveland fan base hated him by the time he left, felt that he was only stroking the fires of the Cleveland fan base against the men who ran him out of town. Instead, it only turned the fire back on Holmgren and allowed the fans to look deeper at the trade.

Maybe, just maybe, it was the right move after all.

Unfortunately, now fans have turned their attentions to the 2014 draft and are speculating on quarterbacks such as Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater, Clemson's Tajh Boyd, Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel, UCLA's Brett Hundley, Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Alabama's A.J. McCarron and how good they'd look in Brown and Orange next season and for the next 10 seasons. Most fans don't believe the Browns have a shot at winning. It doesn't look good when you're starting your third-string quarterback and a 32-year-old running back who was out of the league in Willis McGahee. But, perhaps this is something the team can rally around.

If Richardson was really the cancer that some have played him up to be, maybe it is addition by subtraction. Maybe the players play harder when they feel their jobs are on the line. Maybe Brian Hoyer turns out to be a decent quarterback capable of running the offense better than Weeden and getting the most out of his players. Maybe McGahee can put up similar numbers, or better, than Richardson did running behind this line. Who really knows.

It definitely puts Banner and Lombardi in the cross-hairs. Fans seemed willing to put up with the process of rebuilding with each regime, but a move like this really puts Banner and Lombardi under pressure to turn it around as soon as possible. They cannot miss on the 2014 draft. With 10 picks, they have the ammunition to get some good playmakers and add to the talent that is already here (and, there are some talented players here). But they cannot afford to draft the next Ryan Leaf or Blaine Gabbert or Tim Couch or David Carr or Christian Ponder or Brady Quinn. They have to find another Andrew Luck or Eli Manning or Cam Newton or Colin Kaepernick -- a true, franchise difference-maker under center. Whether he's a dual threat or a pocket passer, he needs to possess the tools to elevate his game and his team to the next level. Luck has done it in Indianapolis, and Kaepernick took his 49ers to the Super Bowl after only starting half the season. They can't afford to wait on another Weeden, a guy with good tools but with bad tendencies that have hurt his game.

A lot of fans don't have faith in the front office, and why should they? Look at all the wasted draft picks the Browns have had since 1999. The only two first rounders that actually made a difference with this team were Joe Thomas and Joe Haden. Perhaps Phil Taylor can be included, but he's a nose tackle. And it's still too early to say if Barkevious Mingo can be included on that list, although he had a great debut last Sunday against Baltimore.

People remember the Lombardi drafts before the move, drafts that yielded future Hall of Famers such as Tommy Vardell, Craig Powell, Patrick Rowe, Antonio Langham, Derrick Alexander, Eric Zeier, Michael Bankson, etc. Only Eric Turner, Leroy Hoard and Steve Everitt could be said were worthy of their high-round selections by the Browns under Lombardi and Bill Belichick. However, they did have that team in the playoffs in 1994 with an 11-5 record and were 4-3 in 1995 before Modell announced the move, ripping the rug out from under them. So, maybe there is a method to their madness.

What the Browns do with this draft will prove that they made the right move. It's not about how Richardson does in Indianapolis or about how long of a career he has. Sure, those are factors. However, what the Browns turn that asset into will be the deciding factor as to whether the Browns made a great trade or not.

And, while most of us are irritated with the Browns right now, and some of us are seriously considering not renewing their season tickets next season, the fact is, deep down, we're all fans. We all want them to win each Sunday, bottom-line. We have every right to be angry and to be skeptical, just as we've been angry and skeptical about the Indians. But, at the end of the day, we want the Browns to be winners. That's all. Those of you who throw up their hands and decide to root for a different team now are nothing but front-runners anyway. You can decide to do housework and yardwork on your Sunday afternoons now; that's fine. But, deep down, you still care about them.

***

Which brings me to the Indians, who, despite being written off at least six different times this season, have found themselves right in the thick of the Wild Card chase in the American League.

If the season were to have ended Saturday, the Indians would be the second Wild Card team and would be travelling to Tampa to take on the Rays in a one-game playoff to decide who plays in the Division Series. Unfortunately for the Indians, they have seven more games to play, but still.

The majority of Indians fans didn't believe. Joe Cleveland will admit that I didn't, and part of me still doesn't believe that it can be done. But, do I want it to happen? Of course, I live in Cleveland!

Slowly bur surely, more and more fans who stayed away from the ballpark this year for reasons that were entirely valid and of their own accord are starting to get sucked into the playoff chase. Why wouldn't you? There's nothing like meaningful late September baseball, and it's been a long time since the Indians have played meaningful September games.

Some people have brought up the failed playoff chases of 2000 and 2005. During the "Era of Champions" and even during 2007, the Indians wrapped up their division titles by mid-September or by the last week of the season. Very rarely had they ever been in a true pennant race, and in the few times they had, they came up short.

In both 2000 and 2005, the Indians went into the last day of the regular season needing a win (or a win coupled with some losses) to clinch a wild card berth. Both times, they came up short. In 2000, the Indians won but wins by the Mariners and the A's bumped them out of the playoffs. In 2005, a 1-6 final week of the season, capped by a sweep at home by the eventual World Champion Chicago White Sox, put a damper on a 93-win season that saw the Indians play a red-hot second-half to overcome a miserable April, only to choke it away.

While manager Terry Francona deserves the lion's share of the credit to turn this team into the playoff contenders that they are, people remember how Francona's Red Sox tenure ended two seasons ago, where they blew a huge lead in September and lost a playoff spot on the final day of the regular season amid allegations that Francona lost control of a wild clubhouse that loved to eat fried chicken and drink beer on a regular basis.

This team doesn't have a bonafide superstar. They only have one player with 20 or more home runs (Nick Swisher) and do not have a regular batting .300 or better. They've been missing their best pitcher (Justin Masterson) all month and their closer (Chris Perez) has had an off-year in every sense of the word. But, somehow, someway, they've gotten it done.

Starting Tuesday, the Indians, Rays and Rangers will go into a six-game sprint to the finish for two playoff spots, with the suddenly surging Royals still hot on their heels, along with the Orioles. The Indians will host the reeling White Sox (who they've owned all season) and travel to Minnesota to take on a Twins team that has struggled.

For whatever reason, this Indians team has struggled to capture the hearts of the local fanbase, probably because they've been burned so often by the Indians in recent memory. They remember how hot starts in April and May the last two years went up in flames in June, July and August. They remember how the Indians held a 3-1 lead on the Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS only to choke the series away. They remember the 2005 collapse. They remember the tenures of managers Eric Wedge and Manny Acta, and remember Mark Shapiro trading Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back years for not much in return.

While the fans struggle to totally embrace this team, there have been a dedicated bunch that have stuck with this team through trial and tribulation, through Detroit sweep after Detroit sweep, all season long, never losing the faith. For that, Joe Cleveland tips his hat to you. If the Indians do make the Wild Card, even if they lose that game, you deserve to take a bow. Your faith was rewarded.

But, even if the Indians come up short, you can't deny that this was a successful season. The Indians clinched a winning record for the first time since 2007 and just the third time since 2002. They spent some money in the past offseason and could very well be proactive this offseason as well (they need to). They will have some dead money coming off the books that can be used for positive assets, and they do have some pieces (Perez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana) that could be moved for the right price that could help this team improve in other areas.

This season could very well be the cornerstone of something great. It may not happen this year. But they have the manager here that has proven he can do it, some players that can be built around and some assets to play with to make this team better. The Indians can't afford to let their window of opportunity slam in their face. I guarantee, if they have another positive offseason like they had last winter, you will see less green seats and more fans in the stands in 2014 at Progressive Field.

Until next time (whenver that is), remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Chud hiring not a 'dud'

Joe Cleveland will admit that when he found out that the Cleveland Browns hired a new head football coach and his name was Rob Chudzinski, my first thought was, "Chud? Really?"

Chudzinski's choice seemed totally out of left field. In fact, when the local and national media reported that Chudzinski was in town a few days ago for an interview, I made a joke about how it's become "The ghosts of Browns offensive coordinators past."

With Montreal Alouetttes head coach Marc Trestman (quarterbacks coach 1988, offensive coordinator 1989) already in for an interview and Colts offensive coordinator/interim head coach Bruce Arians (offensive coordinator 2001-03) supposedly coming in for an interview, the Chud addition (tight ends coach/interim OC 2004, offensive coordinator 2007-08) seemed pretty crazy.

Who would be next, Lindy Infante? Jim Shofner? Jeff Davidson? Brian Daboll?

However, it appeared Chudzinski, who had spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers, helping turn Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton into one of the most dynamic offensive performers in the NFL, showed enough of the virtues that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III and CEO Joe Banner were seeking in their first head coaching hire (and 14th full-time head coach in Browns history -- sixth since the franchise returned in 1999).

And, as the hiring ruminated around my mind, the more I really liked it.

When the Chip Kelly infatuation went away, either because Haslam and Banner didn't feel he was fully committed to becoming an NFL coach or Kelly didn't want to come to Cleveland (or a combination of the two -- he wound up taking a pay raise to stay in Oregon after talking with the Browns, the Eagles and the Bills), and the Nick Saban ship sailed with Saban wanting to stay in Alabama, the Browns turned to coaches who had been in the NFL.

Haslam wouldn't confirm who he interviewed, but judging by media reports, you could say they talked to the following: Chudzinski, Kelly, Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone (took the Bills job), ex-Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt, Trestman, Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Arians was on the radar, but his recent hospitalization may have soured the Browns on him. They also reportedly contacted ex-Steeler head coach and current CBS analyst Bill Cowher when Cowher told Newsday was interested in returning to coach, but Cowher told the Browns (and the four other teams that were looking) that he didn't mean he'd return "this year."

It was clear that Haslam and Banner wanted an offensive-minded NFL head coach, even though they did talk to Zimmer and Horton. Zimmer, Trestman and Whisenhunt would have to be considered finalists for the Browns job, especially since Whisenhunt was brought back for a second interview after they talked to him last week in Arizona.

Banner boasted a lot about how, when he was with the Eagles, they unearthed Andy Reid and made him their head coach in 1999. Reid, a Green Bay quarterbacks coach who had never called offensive plays, was on nobody's radar as a legitimate coaching candidate. He wound up staying there 14 years and would likely still be there if his team didn't slump to 8-8 and 4-12 finishes the last two seasons.

When Haslam joined the Steelers, they were in the midst of replacing Cowher, who "retired" to the comforts of being an analyst. The three choices were Whisenhunt (the team's offensive coordinator), Russ Grimm (the team's offensive line coach) and Mike Tomlin (the Vikings' defensive coordinator). Tomlin, who had never been on anybody's radar as a legitimate head coaching candidate, was surprisingly given the job over the two in-house candidates. Tomlin has since taken the Steelers to two Super Bowls in his first four years of coaching, winning one of them.

Chudzinski was a hot candidate last season after Newton's emergence. He interviewed for the Jaguars', Rams' and Buccaneers' openings, but was passed over for all three. This season, the only team out of the seven that were seeking a head coach to contact him was the Browns.

Chud, a Toledo native who grew up a die-hard Browns fan, seemed to fit the profile of the type of guy that Banner and Haslam were looking for -- an off-the-radar guy that they felt would be the next diamond in the rough.

There's no denying Chud's status as one of the NFL's up-and-coming offensive minds. Look no further than the job he did here in Cleveland in 2007.

Chudzinski, who was brought to the NFL by Butch Davis in 2004 after a successful playing and coaching career at the University of Miami, didn't survive the regime change from Davis to GM Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel. He spent the next two seasons coaching tight ends in San Diego, overseeing Antonio Gates' emergence into on of the NFL's best tight ends ever.

After Crennel's hand-picked offensive coordinator, Maurice Carthon, was a colossal failure and run out of town midway through his second season, the Browns needed a new offensive mind. They turned to Chudzinski.

The result was, arguably, the best offense this town has seen during the expansion era. In fact, you could say that it was the best offense since the Bernie Kosar heydays of 1986-89.

The Browns were eighth in the NFL in total offense that year. The offense sent four players to the Pro Bowl -- quarterback Derek Anderson, wide receiver Braylon Edwards, tight end Kellen Winslow and rookie left tackle Joe Thomas. Anderson came out of nowhere to throw for 29 touchdowns and 3,500 yards. Edwards and Winslow gave the Browns a pair of 1,000-yard receivers for the first time in team history. Also, Jamal Lewis rushed for 1,300 yards, so the Browns had a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers all in the same year.

And, that team won 10 games, the only time since 1999 the Browns have reached double-digits in wins and the most wins the Browns have had since they won 11 (12 overall) in 1994. They were denied a playoff berth due to tiebreakers with the Tennessee Titans.

The following season, the Browns slumped to 31st in total offense and to a 4-12 record. The Browns went through four starting quarterbacks that season -- Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey and Bruce Gradkowski. Lewis barely rushed for over 1,000 yards, but was clearly not the same runner. Edwards regressed and became a liability due to his butterfingers and antics on the sideline, and Winslow ended the season not only injured, but bickering with the team's GM.

Savage and Crennel were shown the door following that dismal season. New head coach Eric Mangini elected not to retain Chudzinski, despite his being under contract through 2011, and decided to go with his hand-picked OC, Brian Daboll. Great choice, Mangini!

Chudzinski went back to San Diego, where he was named the assistant head coach behind Norv Turner in 2009 and 2010, before joining Ron Rivera's staff as the offensive coordinator in Carolina in 2011.

History will show that Chudzinski got the absolute most of his offensive personnel in 2007. Anderson's career has flamed out since that miracle season, to the point where he's been nothing more than a clipboard holder in Carolina the last two seasons. Edwards got to back-to-back AFC Championship Games with the Jets, but never made the Pro Bowl again and has spent the last two seasons as a journeyman. Winslow battled injuries in Tampa Bay and was released by both Seattle and New England this past season, only playing in one regular season game. Lewis' career ended in 2009 on injured reserve, while Joe Jurevicus (who caught 50 balls for 800 yards in 2007) was out of the NFL following the 2008 season.

You could make a case that the best Brady Quinn has ever looked as an NFL quarterback occurred while Chudzinski was the offensive coordinator in Cleveland. He put up 30 points against Denver in his first professional start in 2008, but was injured the following week and missed the rest of the regular season. He regressed in 2009 under Daboll and didn't take another NFL regular season snap until this past season with the Kansas City Chiefs.

After hearing all the talk about Chip Kelly and how his gimmicky offense would be a poor fit for Brandon Weeden and Colt McCoy, you've got to think that Weeden fits Chud's offense like a glove. His vertical-based passing attack should play into Weeden's strengths, which is a strong arm that can make all the throws. Weeden was really reined in with Pat Shurmur's and Brad Childress' West Coast Offense, rarely getting the chance to throw deep. Chud wouldn't comment on Weeden or any of the Browns' personnel, but I'm sure Weeden isn't worried about his status for next year anymore.

Same goes for Trent Richardson. Chud's offenses can get the most out of their running backs. In Carolina, he split things pretty evenly around DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Newton and Mike Tolbert. But, as we've seen with the Browns, a powerful runner can excel. Jamal Lewis rushed for the most yards in a single season by a Browns running back not named Jim Brown or Leroy Kelly (both Hall of Famers) in 2007. I'd expect the same for T-Rich, if he stays healthy.

Joe Thomas has already proclaimed this to be a great hire. Winslow has chimed in via Twitter and Cleveland radio to say that Browns fans won't regret it and that Chud was the most innovative offensive mind he'd ever been around. Of course, Bernie Kosar gave his 100 percent endorsement, considering both are from "The U."

Above all else -- his offensive prowess, his age (44), who he's bringing with him (Norv Turner) -- probably the one thing that sold me the most on Chud was this one intangible -- he gets it.

Chudzinski talked about how coaching the Cleveland Browns was his "dream job," and how he grew up pretending to be Ozzie Newsome and Brian Sipe in his backyard. He talked about how he and his family always wanted to sit in the Dawg Pound but never got a chance to, so, during cold-weather games, they'd face the TV out the window and they'd all sit outside watching the game. He says he's eaten a few dog biscuits back in the day.

Obviously, you won't have to twist his arm to have him watch "Cleveland 95: A Football Life" like the media did with Pat Shurmur. Hell, he probably doesn't have to watch it because he LIVED IT.

He doesn't have to be schooled about why the Steeler games mean so much to this fan base, or why there is still a deep-seeded hatred for the Ravens because of what the Dead Judas did to this town, or why the Battle of Ohio still means something around here. He suffered through The Drive and The Fumble and Red Right 88 like we all did. He remembers the Kardiac Kids and Bernie's Bunch.

You don't think a guy who spent his childhood living and dying with every Browns game wouldn't be totally motivated to turn this franchise into a winner so the next generation of children will have the same love affair with this team as he did, as you and I did?

I'll use Ohio State as an analogy. We all remember how miserable it was under John Cooper's tenure as Buckeyes' coach. His 2-10-1 record as Michigan speaks for itself, because he never understood the rivalry and what it meant to Buckeyes fans. Ohio State replaced him with a Division I-AA head coach named Jim Tressel -- a life-long Ohio resident who spent a few seasons as an assistant under Earle Bruce. The first thing he tells the fan base is that they'll be proud of his teams "in the classroom, in the community and especially in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Mich., on the football field," and everyone went nuts!

Tressel went 9-1 against Michigan in his 10 years. He GOT IT! And that's why a lot of Buckeyes fans have forgiven his transgressions that caused him to be fired and place the school on probation.

They replaced him with Urban Meyer, another native Ohioan who had an impeccable college coaching resume who grew up bleeding Scarlet and Gray. He said Ohio State was his "dream job."

Despite a bowl ban, his Buckeyes went 12-0, the only undefeated team in the country. Oh yeah, and they beat Michigan, who Meyer refers to as "That Team Up North."

Most everyone wanted Jon Gruden to come here because he grew up in Ohio and was a die-hard Browns fan growing up. Saban was attractive because he spent time in Ohio while in college and coached the Browns from 1991-94. Both those guys appeared to GET IT.

Chudzinski doesn't have the resume that Gruden or Saban have, but there's no denying that the man GETS IT.

All the Browns fans lamenting about what a "letdown" this hiring is now I believe will be singing a different tune in about a year or two. It's funny how some fans proclaim they really wanted Trestman to be the head coach (really? Marc Trestman?). In reality, those fans would be crying about hiring a Canadian retread who failed as the Browns' offensive coordinator in 1989. Hearing fans say they wanted Whisenhunt makes me believe those same fans would be crying about why the Browns would hire a retread who couldn't develop a QB and suffered through some dismal seasons in Arizona the last 2-3 seasons. Listening to fans pine for Arians like he's the second coming of Tom Landry makes me laugh.

Honestly, the only coach the Browns could have hired that would have been universally accepted is Bill Cowher. Not even Gruden or Saban would have been universally accepted. No matter who the Browns hired, a large segment of the fan base was going to bitch and moan.

I don't agree with it, but I get it. We're all tired of losing and we want to see a winner. We want to see a champion. We want to see our team bring in the big-name head coach, but it doesn't always work that way. And, I'll remind everyone again -- Andy Reid, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin weren't "sexy" big names when the Eagles, Ravens and Steelers hired them as their head coaches.

Yes, Chud's lack of head coaching experience ANYWHERE is concerning. But, I'll say it again -- would you have rather had an unproven NFL commodity and career college coach in Chip Kelly come here? Would you have rather had an NFL head coach that flamed out in his previous job with back-to-back losing seasons like Ken Whisenhunt come here? How about a college coach that went 25-25 in the Big East like Doug Marrone? Sure, there would be a segment that would have been on board with these hires, but there would still be a lot of naysayers.

People complain about not hiring Zimmer, but there's a reason why so many teams bring him in to get interviewed and he gets passed over year after year after year after year. The man's been on the head coaching radar for a long as I can remember. Yet, he doesn't get any jobs. Perhaps because he says what's on his mind without a filter. Fans may love it, but it could alienate his own players, his opponents, his bosses, even some of his fans. Just look at Rex Ryan and what a buffoon he's turned out to be, and realize that Rob Ryan was nothing more than a windbag during his two years as the Browns' defensive coordinator and is out of job once again.

Some fans are concerned that Chud may switch defenses from a base 4-3 to a base 3-4. We all remember how Crennel tried to force feed a 3-4 to the Browns and how it failed for four years and then another two under Mangini's watch. We saw how the defense immediately got better when Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Shurmur switched to a 4-3 with Dick Jauron as defensive coordinator, and fear that a switch would set the team back a few years. Calm down.

Chudzinski said he'd leave the choice of schemes to whoever he hires as his defensive coordinator and favored a "hybrid" scheme that featured multiple mix-and-match defensive fronts. Yes, they'd need immediate help at linebacker if they go to a 3-4, but then again, they need immediate help at linebacker if they stay with a 4-3. D'Qwell Jackson is the only legitimate starter this team has, and keep in mind he began his career as an inside linebacker in Crennel's 3-4.

Some fans may see Chud as not a legitimate upgrade from Shurmur, and I can see your point. Both guys were unproven head coaching commodoties. Both were off-the-radar hires. However, Shurmur got his job because Mike Holmgren wanted to hire everyone that his agent represented and felt like he could manipulate Shurmur into becoming a legitimate head coach (he failed, which is why he's in Arizona sipping umbrella drinks begging teams to bring him in for interviews). Chudzinski got his job because Haslam and Banner believe he's the best candidate.

Haslam and Banner may have "settled" for Chud after losing out on the grand college coach sweepstakes last week. However, if the other choice was bringing in Chip "Don't call me Steve Spurrier" Kelly, than I'll take this type of "settling" any day of the week.

Go Browns!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

Top 20 Browns-Steelers Games (According to Joe)

Well, the title is a bit misleading, because I'm not going to rank all 20 games.

I ranked the Top 10 games in the series last season on this blog. You can find a link to that right here:
http://joeclevelandblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/top-10-browns-steelers-games-according.html

What I'm going to with this one is pick up where I left off last season and rank the second-best 10 in the long series of the best rivalry in the AFC. I don't give a crap what ESPN says about the Ravens-Steelers, the Browns and Steelers are where it's at.

And, two wins in the last four seasons, with the chance to make it three and a rare sweep of those Yinzers this Sunday, shows that balance of power is shifting. No longer will the Browns be a guaranteed 'W' on the Steelers schedule. When a team misses the playoffs twice in the last four seasons and are limping to the finish line with a three-game losing streak, it shows that the days of wine and roses in Pittsburgh are coming to a close.

Joe Cleveland is going to enjoy the change, just like he enjoyed compiling this list. We'll start at No. 20:

20. Browns 17, Steelers 7 (Sept. 16, 1985): A new era of Browns football began with this Monday Night Football clash at Cleveland Stadium on the second week of the regular season. With Marty Schottenheimer in his first full-season as the head football coach and veteran Gary Danielson and rookie Bernie Kosar taking over at quarterback, the Browns needed to knock off their hated rivals after dropping a 27-24 overtime loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in last week's season opener. Danielson, making his second start as a Brown, completed 18-of-30 passes for 206 yards and a touchdown and an interception. His 17-yard scoring pass to wideout Fred Banks in the second quarter opened the scoring for both teams, and an 18-yard field goal by Matt Bahr in the third made it a 10-0 Browns lead heading into the fourth quarter. Mark Malone found John Stallworth for a 6-yard score in the fourth to cut the Browns' lead to 10-7. But Cleveland put the game away on its ensuing possession with a 21-yard touchdown run by second-year running back Earnest Byner. Byner rushed for 82 yards on 18 carries, while rookie Kevin Mack added 40 yards on 12 carries. Both backs would go over 1,000 yards rushing -- just the third time in NFL history a pair of running backs would accomplish the feat -- and the Browns wound up winning the AFC Central Division with an 8-8 record, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and winning their first division title since 1980.

19. Browns 19, Steelers 13 (Dec. 26, 1987): Wins at Three Rivers Stadium could never be counted on, especially since the Browns had just ended a 16-year losing streak the previous season. Yet the Browns needed to win at their perennial house of horrors in the 1987 season finale to clinch their second-straight division title over an 8-6 Steelers team. The Browns jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a 31-yard field goal from Matt Bahr and a two-yard touchdown pass from Bernie Kosar to backup tight end Derek Tennell, but a 39-yard field goal by Gary Anderson cut that lead to 9-3 at halftime. The Browns got a 30-yard field goal from Bahr to take a 12-3 lead heading into fourth quarter, and the Steelers cut that deficit to six with another Anderson field goal. However, the Browns put the game away with two-yard touchdown run by Earnest Byner to take a 19-6 lead. Pittsburgh's Cornell Gowdy made things interesting with a 45-yard interception return late in the fourth quarter to make it a six-point game, but the Browns were able to run out the clock and improve to 10-5. Hanford Dixon and linebacker Eddie Johnson each picked off Mark Malone once apiece, while Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome caught six passes for 94 yards to lead the Browns offense. The 10-5 Browns reached the AFC Championshp game three weeks later, but lost a heartbreaking 38-33 game to the Denver Broncos when Byner fumbled on the 2 with just over a minute remaining in the game.

18. Browns 27, Steelers 7 (Nov. 20, 1988): The Browns, who had started four different quarterbacks during the season, were sitting at 6-5 with the hapless Steelers coming to town. If the Browns wanted to get back to the playoffs for the fourth-straight season, they needed to take care of business against Pittsburgh. With Bernie Kosar healthy and back under center, the Browns didn't waste any time showing who the dominant team really was. After opening the scoring with a 32-yard field goal from Matt Bahr, Kosar found backup tight end Derek Tennell for a two-yard scoring pass to take a 10-0 lead into the second quarter. Frank Minnifield added to that lead when he blocked a Harry Newsom punt and returned it 11 yards to give the Browns a 17-0 lead that the Steelers cut to 17-7 just before the half. Kosar, who threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, found Reggie Langhorne for a 77-yard touchdown bomb early in the third quarter to put the game away, and Bahr added a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Browns defense sacked Steelers starter Bubby Brister six times, led by rookie Michael Dean Perry's two, and picked him off twice. Linebacker Eddie Johnson had a sack and an interception, while Minnifield had the other pick to go along with his huge blocked punt. The Browns used this performance to win five of their last six games and finish 10-6, qualifying for the playoffs as a wild-card team. This was also the last time the Browns swept the Steelers in a season series (until this Sunday, perhaps).

17. Browns 23, Steelers 20 (Sept. 17, 2000): The Browns had just stunned the Steelers, 16-15, at Three Rivers Stadium in 1999 -- one of just two victories for the expansion Browns that season -- and had rebounded from a 27-7 thrashing by Jacksonville in the 2000 season opener to defeat the Bengals, 24-7, on the road to take a 1-1 record into Cleveland Browns Stadium and their next meeting with the hated Steelers. The Browns jumped out to a 14-0 lead behind two first quarter touchdown passes from Tim Couch to tight end Aaron Shea and fullback Mark Edwards, respectively. But the Steelers, behind former Ohio State quarterback Kent Graham, rallied to cut that lead to 14-10 at halftime with a field goal and a four-yard scoring run by Richard Huntley. A 23-yard field goal by Phil Dawson gave the Browns a 17-13 lead midway through the third quarter. However, a 10-yard rush by Jerome Bettis gave the Steelers a 20-17 lead heading into the fourth. Instead of rolling over, the young Browns fought back with a pair of fourth-quarter Dawson field goals -- the latter from 19-yards out with 2:48 remaining -- to take a 23-20 lead. Graham had the Steelers marching into field goal territory on his final two-minute drive. However, with no timeouts, rookie No. 1 overall draft choice Courtney Brown sacked Graham for a four-yard loss with 13 seconds remaining, and the Steelers ran out of time before assembling the field goal team. It's the last time the Browns have won two straight against the Steelers (hopefully, until this coming Sunday). The Browns couldn't sustain that 2-1 start, finishing a dismal 3-13. Ironically, of Chris Palmer's five wins as the Browns' head coach in two seasons, two of those wins came against the Steelers. That loss dropped the Steelers to 0-3, but they rebounded to finish 9-7 (and missing the playoffs).

16. Browns 33, Steelers 13 (Oct. 5, 2003): This is still the only time the Browns have won at Heinz Field (until this Sunday, hopefully). More importantly, not only was this a nationally-televised Sunday night game, but this was the teams' first meeting since the Steelers came back from deficits of 24-7 and 33-17 to escape with a 36-33 playoff victory. Tim Couch, playing arguably the best game of his short five-year career, completed 20-of-25 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. William Green gauged the vaunted Steeler defense for 115 yards on 33 carries. Couch's six-yard touchdown pass to Andre Davis and a short Phil Dawson field goal gave the Browns a 10-0 first quarter lead, and a 9-yard scoring pass from Couch to Kevin Johnson made it a 16-3 advantage midway through the second quarter. Jerome Bettis plunged in from the 1 to cut that lead to 16-10, but Couch capped a 9-play, 78-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds left to give the Browns a 23-10 halftime advantage. Daylon McCutcheon's 75-yard interception return off a Tommy Maddux pass early in the third quarter was the final nail in the Steelers' coffin. The Browns improved to 2-3 with the win (same record as the Steelers). However, they would finish 5-11. It would be Couch's final year in the NFL. This would also be the Browns' last win over the Steelers for the next 12 games and six seasons.

15. Browns 45, Steelers 7 (Oct. 29, 1950): The rivalry made its first appearance on the shores of Lake Erie with the 4-2 Browns taking on the 2-4 Steelers. The Browns had beaten Pittsburgh three weeks prior, 30-17 (see No. 14 on this list) in a dominating effort, and actually were more dominant at home. Hall of Famer Marion Motley rushed for 188 yards on 11 carries and scored a 69-yard rushing touchdown and a 38-yard receiving touchdown from Otto Graham. Both scores helped the Browns open up a 24-0 lead midway through the third quarter, and a 14-yard scoring run by Don Phelps made it a 31-0 lead after three quarters. After the Steelers scored, the Browns put the game away with an 80-yard touchdown pass from Graham to Dub Jones and a 38-yard TD pass from backup Cliff Lewis to Horace Gillom. The Browns defense forced eight turnovers in this romp, and the Cleveland offense outgained Pittsburgh, 533-349. The Browns wound wind up going 10-2 in their first NFL season and won the NFL Championship -- their fifth title in their first five years of existance.

14. Browns 30, Steelers 17 (Oct. 7, 1950): This was the first-ever meeting between these two storied franchises, and the Browns -- in their first year in the National Football League after dominating the All-American Football Conference from 1946-49 -- quickly showed who the dominant force was. Played at Pitt Stadium, Hall of Famer Otto Graham rushed for two one-yard touchdowns to give the Browns a 14-3 lead, followed by a Dub Jones 7-yard rush to make it a 21-3 halftime lead. Cleveland put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 48-yard touchdown run by Jones to make it a 30-10 advantage. The defense forced six Steeler turnovers, despite giving up 345 yards of total offense.

13. Browns 30, Steelers 17 (Dec. 18, 1983): This was Brian Sipe's final game in a Cleveland Browns' uniform, and he went out with a blaze of glory against their hated and bitter rival in this late-season showdown. With the Steelers at 10-5 and already clinched the division title, the 8-7 Browns needed to win just to get a chance at a playoff berth. Sipe completed 14-of-22 passes for 199 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions to lead this minor upset. Sipe opened things up with a 64-yard touchdown pass to rookie wideout Rocky Belk, and added a two-yard scoring toss to backup tight end Harry Holt and a three-yarder to wideout Ricky Feacher to give the Browns a 23-10 halftime lead. The Sipe-Holt connection put the game away early in the third quarter with a one-yard scoring toss and a 30-10 lead. Belk would only play that season, finishing with five receptions and two touchdowns. Franco Harris, in his final game as a Steeler, would be held to just 56 yards on 20 carries by a Browns defense that picked off quarterbacks Cliff Stoudt and Mark Malone once apiece. Alas, the 9-7 Browns finished second in the AFC Central with the win, but missed out on the playoffs by tiebreakers. It would be the last hurrah of the Kardiac Kid-era Browns -- head coach Sam Rutigliano would be fired midway through the 1984 season after a 1-8 start.

12. Browns 10, Steelers 9 (Dec. 19, 1982): I put this as my honorable mention game in my previous list because it landed on my ninth birthday (it's still the last time the Browns have won a game on my birthday). However, a closer look shows just how important this win really was. The Browns, in the strike-shortened season, were just 2-4 heading into this showdown at Cleveland Stadium with Paul McDonald at quarterback replacing an injured Brian Sipe. A loss would have essentially ended their season. However, the defense picked off Terry Bradshaw four times -- three of which by Hanford Dixon -- and sacked him three times. The Steelers led, 7-3, at halftime on a six-yard TD pass from Bradshaw to John Stallworth. However, McDonald, who completed 19-of-40 passes for 227 yards, led the Browns on a third-quarter scoring drive, capped by a 1-yard plunge by fullback Johnny Davis. An intentional safety taken when punter Steve Cox ran out of the end zone in the final seconds made it a one-point game, but it wasn't enough. The win improved the Browns to 3-4 and led to a 4-5 season. It was good enough for them to make the playoffs under the expanded eight-team format, and this win propelled them to that playoff berth. It was also the last time the Browns beat a Bradshaw-led Steeler team -- he retired after just one game in 1983.

11. Browns 20, Steelers 14 (Nov. 25, 2012): We end our list with the most recent chapter in this long rivalry, and the most recent victory for the good guys. With the Steelers down to third-string quarterback Charlie Batch, the Browns defense forced a whopping eight turnovers -- three of which occured in the final three minutes of play. They intercepted three Batch passes, but recovered five fumbles from five different Steeler running backs. Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden, who had a batted pass intercepted and returned for a 53-yard touchdown by linebacker Lawrence Timmons on the fourth play from scrimmage, recovered to lead the Browns to 20 points. He threw a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Cameron late in the second quarter off of a turnover, but the Steelers led, 14-13, at halftime on a Chris Rainey 1-yard run in the final seconds of the second quarter. Kicker Phil Dawson connected from 28 and 32 yards out in the first half. But rookie Trent Richardson's 15-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter gave the Browns a 20-14 lead, which was good enough for the long-awaited 'W.' Richardson finished with 85 yards on 29 carries, while Weeden (who was knocked out of the game late in the fourth quarter) threw for 153 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Hopefully, this Sunday adds another solid chapter to this list of Browns' triumphs.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks ... and Pittsburgh Sucks!

Are you ready for some football?

The Cleveland Browns -- or the latest reincarnation of a new era of a never-ending cycle that began back in 1999 -- will take the field a week from today at Cleveland Browns Stadium to take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

There was a lot of optimism from the frustrated fanbase when the Browns used their two first round picks on a pair of offensive playmakers -- Alabama running back Trent Richardson and Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden. There was a little more optimism when Randy Lerner sold the Browns to Tennessee truck stop magnate Jimmy Haslam III, and Haslam won over the fanbase with his down-home attitude and football-first mentality.

However, since then, the optimism has waned considerably.

Richardson underwent arthroscopic knee surgery just prior to the first preseason game and hasn't practiced since.

Scott Fujita's suspension over Bountygate wasn't overturned.

Linebacker Chris Gocong was lost for the season with an Achilles' tendon rupture.

Joe Haden reportedly tested positive for the drug Adderol, which would carry a four-game suspension. However, the NFL has not commented on the suspension and it appears Haden will play in the opener.

Weeden struggled with protecting the football, especially with fumbles.

A bitter battled waged on between Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace over who would be Weeden's BACKUP.

Rookie right tackle Mitchell Schwartz had a great game sandwiched between two miserable games.

Rookie Josh Gordon and second-year receiver Greg Little had trouble running routes and catching the football.

And, of course, speculation carried over about whether head coach Pat Shurmur would survive this season with a new owner and (presumably) a new team president in Joe Banner taking over.

Add it up, and suddenly there are some fans who think like some of the national pundits do -- that the Browns could be the worst team in the NFL this season and in line for the No. 1 overall pick.

Don't add Joe Cleveland to that list. Now, certainly, I don't think the Browns will be a Super Bowl contender. Not with 15 rookies making up the 53-man roster, including a 28-year-old rookie starting quarterback and a rookie running back whose status for Week 1 is still up in the air.

But the worst team in the league? I don't think so.

Like it or not, Shurmur is on the hot seat. The man who hired him, Mike Holmgren, is probably going to be gone following this year (Haslam can fulfill some of Holmgren's job duties as the "face of the franchise.") Tom Heckert worked with Banner in Philadelphia, but some of Heckert's luster is starting to wear off.

Don't think for a second Haslam and Banner wouldn't want to make a spalsh with a big-profile head coaching hire to try to turn the Browns' fortunes around. Shurmur will simply be fresh out of friends.

Anything less than a 7-9 season will likely send Shurmur packing. And, with the Browns' schedule and the new players, that might be tough to do.

The good news is that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens appear to be getting older and losing their luster. The Cincinnati Bengals made the playoffs with a rookie QB, but they are the Cincinnati Bengals. If half of those rookies pan out, the Browns fortunes could very well be on the rise. Joe Cleveland will predict that they won't go winless in the AFC North this year.

Joe Cleveland will take his customary seat in the Dawg Pound this Sunday and for seven other Sundays this fall/winter to see if the Browns can take some more steps forward.

Here's a look at the 53-man roster and Joe's take (*-starter, R-Rookie):

QB (3) -- Brandon Weeden (R)*, Colt McCoy, Thad Lewis: Weeden will be the first true rookie to start in Week 1 since the Browns' inaugural 1946 season (Cliff Lewis is the answer to that trivia question). McCoy, who has suddenly become a fan favorite, was retained after a solid preseason and will be Weeden's backup. Lewis is a Shurmur project from his St. Louis Rams days that he feels is worth developing. Not a great group, but it could be worse (see McCoy, Wallace and Lewis from last year).

RB (4) -- Trent Richardson (R)*, Brandon Jackson, Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya: The Browns kept four running backs because of Richardson's questionable knee. They also like the upside of Ogbonnaya, who bailed out the Browns' running game last year with the injuries to Hardesty and to departed Peyton Hillis. Hardesty was given the opportunity to start with Richardson's injury and blew it with four miserable preseason performances marred by fumbilitis and dropped passes. Jackson, Green Bay's starting running back in 2010 when they won the Super Bowl, will likely start Week 1 should T-Rich not be medically cleared.

FB (1) -- Owen Marecic*: Marecic, a fourth-round choice last season, beat out Alabama rookie Brad Smelley for the position. Smelley was since added to the practice squad, so he could still wind up getting activated if Marecic struggles. Tight end Alex Smith has also played fullback and could see time in the backfield as well.

WR (6) -- Greg Little*, Mohammed Massaquoi*, Josh Gordon (R), Travis Benjamin (R), Josh Cribbs, Jordan Norwood: Norwood beat out rookie (and Weeden's best friend) Josh Cooper for the sixth WR spot, but Cooper was added to the practice squad. Gordon backs up Little, while Benjamin backs up Massaquoi. Benjamin showed tremendous promise during training camp and the preseason, while Gordon appears to be a work in progress. Massaquoi, a former second-round draft choice, could be in his final chance to show the Browns something before he gets let go. Cribbs will be counted on more in the return game and special teams than on his receiving ability.

TE (3) -- Ben Watson*, Jordan Cameron, Alex Smith: Surprisingly, the Browns elected not to keep four tight ends, especially with the injury status of veteran Watson. Cameron, a second-year player, has emerged as a viable receiving threat and could very well be the starting tight end by season's end. Evan Moore, who was given a big contract extension by the Browns' braintrust, was released because he couldn't block and had been beaten out by Cameron for playing time. Dan Gronkowski (the brother of Rob Gronkowski) showed flashes in training camp, but was a victim in the numbers game.

OT (4) -- Joe Thomas*, Mitchell Schwartz (R)*, Oneil Cousins, Ryan Miller (R): Thomas is the best in the business and a future Hall of Famer. Schwartz had his ups and downs in the preseason but should only get better. Cousins is lucky to have a job after a miserable preseason, but his experience wound up saving him, as the Browns did not want a bunch of rookies at tackle along with Thomas.

OG (2) -- Jason Pinkston*, Shawn Lauvao*: Probably the weakest part of the line. I am not a Lauvao fan by any stretch. Pinkston had his struggles last year, but was aided by playing between a pair of Pro Bowlers in Thomas and Mack that helped cover some of his deficiencies. Backup center John Greco and Miller can also play guard.

C (2) -- Alex Mack*, John Greco: Mack was college teammates with Schwartz three seasons ago, which should help the rookie develop. Mack, a maligned draft pick during Eric Mangini's lone Browns' draft, has emerged as a Pro Bowler at center and a steady force. Greco, a Toledo product, is a veteran who will provide depth at other positions.

DE (6) -- Jabaal Sheard*, Frostee Rucker*, Juqua Parker, Emmanuel Stephens, Brian Sanford, Ishmaa'ily Kitchen (R): Rucker and Parker were the lone free agent signings from Heckert during the offseason. Sheard had a good rookie season and emerged as a pass-rushing force. The Browns expect him to only be better. Rucker and Parker are more run-stoppers. Marcus Benard was expected to help as a pass rusher but he is out for the year. Kitchen, a waiver claim following final day roster cuts, is a local product.

DT (4) -- Athyba Rubin*, John Hughes (R)*, Billy Wynn (R), Scott Paxson: Rubin is very underrated for his play. Last year's first-rounder Phil Taylor will start the year on the PUP list, and his absence will be felt. Hughes, a surprise third-round choice out of Cincinnati, beat out fellow rookie Wynn for the other starting defensive tackle spot. He and Wynn will be counted to pick up the slack until Taylor returns -- if he's able to this year.

LB (7) -- Scott Fujita*, D'Qwell Jackson*, Kaluka Maiava*, James-Michael Johnson (R), L.J. Fort (R), Craig Robertson, Tank Carder (R): Fujita will start the season on the suspended list, which will thin out an already depleated unit that is missing Chris Gocong (out for the season). Johnson, one of the brightest spots of training camp, would have likely started for Fujita, but he's batting an injury and his status is questionable. Carder was a fifth-round choice from Buffalo and claimed off waivers. Fort is an undrafted rookie who started a few preseason games and opened some eyes.

CB (6) -- Joe Haden*, Sheldon Brown*, Dimitri Patterson, Buster Skrine, Trevin Wade (R), Johnson Bademosi (R): Haden may still face NFL discipline for a reported failed drug test for Adderol, but nothing has been comfired about the report. For now, he's practicing with the team and is in line to start Week 1. Brown wasn't moved to safety this year and is a veteran presence in the defensive backfield not afraid to tackle. Skrine had a productive rookie season. Bademosi, an undrafted rookie, made his mark on special teams.

S (5) -- Eric Hagg*, T.J. Ward*, Ray Ventrone, Usama Young, Tashaun Gipson (R): Hagg, a seventh-round choice last year, beat out Young to start at free safety. Ward is a fearsome hitter who has battled injury problems in his brief pro career. Ventrone is a special teams force; a rare holdover from the Mangini days. Gipson made the team as an undrafted rookie, beating out fellow undrafted rookie David Sims, who was traded to the Eagles for a draft pick.

K (1) -- Phil Dawson*: No Browns player is more respected and revered as Dawson, the last remaining player from the expansion 1999 season. And, he's proven to be a reliable kicker from both short and long range, seeming to get better and stronger with age.

P (1) -- Reggie Hodges*: Hodges' absense last year from a torn Achilles hurt the Browns, as they were one of the worst punting teams in the league last season. He has had two punts blocked this preseason, but that's the fault of the punt team. He appears to be healthy and at full strength. Hodges will also hold on field goals and extra points.

LS (1) -- Christian Yount*: Yount quietly held down the fort at long snapper after respected veteran and Pro Bowler Ryan Pontbriand suddenly lost his abilities last season (and is now out of football). The Browns have always had a knack for finding great long snappers, and Yount continues the tradition.

KR/PR (4) -- Josh Cribbs*, Travis Benjamin (R), Buster Skrine, Jordan Norwood: Cribbs is one of the NFL's all-time best kick returners, still tied for the most kickoff return TDs in his career (8). Benjamin's speed makes him an asset if Cribbs gets injured or loses his job in both kickoff and punt returns. Skrine is a backup punt returner, while Norwood is a backup kickoff returner.

Practice Squad (8) -- Ronnie Cameron (DT, R), Josh Cooper (WR, R), Solomon Elimimian (LB), Garth Gerhart (OL, R), Ben Jacobs (LB), Jarrod Shaw (OL), Jeff Shugarts (OL, R), Brad Smelley (FB, R): All the rookies but Smelley were undrafted rookies. Shugarts, an Ohio State product, Gerhart and Shaw might have made the team if not for the overall inexperience on the offensive line. Smelley was a seventh-round choice who played well. Cooper displayed good hands and good route-running.

PUP (1) -- Phil Taylor (DT): Taylor will miss a minimum of six games with a torn pec muscle suffered in February. The Browns are hopeful he can return before the end of the season. They'll need him.

Injured Reserve (6) -- Emmanuel Acho (LB, R), Marcus Benard (DE), Auston English (DE), Chris Gocong (LB), Antwuan Reed (DB, R), Eddie Williams (FB): Gocong's injury will be the one that hurts the Browns the most. The rest are bit players who might have been lucky to make the roster. Benard and English were contributors last season, while Acho was a fifth-round draft choice out of Texas.

There's your Browns 2012 Opening Day roster. Hopefully, they can exceed expectations, because nobody has any positive expecations for these guys at all.

Joe Cleveland will predict 6-10, provided Richardson returns to health and Weeden develops quickly. Both are naturally gifted athletes for their respective positions and the team will go as far as they can take them.

***

Remember back in May, when Indians fans were fiercly debating about how "real" they were? Remember when Cleveland fans were chastised by guys like Chris Perez and some members of the media for not attending games when the team was in first place? Boy, how all of that seems like a distant memory.

Here's a what if ... What if championship trophies were awarded for being in first place on June 1? The Indians would be 2-for-2, and we'd be holding parade's down Euclid Ave.

Unfortunately, championships are awarded in October, and for the fifth-straight October and the 10th time in the 13 years Larry Dolan has owned the Indians, Cleveland will be on the outside looking in.

In fact, while once upon a time this team was in contention for the Central Division title, they now seem to be making a bee-line for 100 losses in a season and for fifth-place in the Central. Not many teams can go from first-to-worst in ONE SEASON! The Indians may do just that.

Head's will have to roll if this happens. Larry and Paul Dolan can do their "nothing to see here" routines until they are blue in the face. However, if they ever want to turn a profit in this town again, they'll have to do something.

Mark Shapiro (who is being called "Red Perm" by fans on message boards) made three terrible trades during his last two years as GM before being promoted to Team President. CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez were dealt and the Indians only have one viable major leaguer (Michael Brantley), one decent starting pitcher (Justin Masterson) and a bunch of journeymen reserves to show for them. Not good. During his presidency, the team has continued to struggle at the gate and in the PR department and continue to bungle baseball decisions.

Chris Antonetti, Shapiro's hand-picked GM, will be defined by the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. Jimenez has not been the Cy Young-calibur ace Antonetti believe he would be when he dealt the Indians' top-two pitching prospects for him. Sure, both Drew Pomeranz and Alex White have struggled in Colorado, but when you trade two guys with high ceilings (at the time), you need to get a bonafide star in return. He did not. Also hurting him was the decision to re-sign Grady Sizemore for $5 million, picking up Fausto Carmona's contract option, only to find out he was Roberto Hernandez and three years older and didn't have him for most of the regular season due to government issues, the decision to not pony up to sign Josh Willingham or Carlos Beltran and instead settle for Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon, and on and on and on.

Manny Acta appears to be dealt a terrible hand. However, no manager can survive two epic collapses in back-to-back years like the Indians have done under Acta's stewardship. It is likely not his fault. However, his lack of fire in the dugout shows a disturbing sign of complacency. Also, he was not a proven winner in Washington, who have turned things around after jettisoning him out of town three years ago.

For the Indians to truly move on, they need to do more than simply fire Acta and hire the immensely popular Sandy Alomar Jr. to be the team's manager. The Dolans need to sack up and realize that Shapiro's act has run its course and Antonetti has been a failure as the GM.

The Dolans need to clean house if they really want to show this fan base that they really want to win. If they don't, the fans will continue to believe they only adhere to the bottom line and will stay away in droves the next few seasons.

It will stay that way until they wise up and sell this team. But, because there doesn't appear to be a buyer emerging overnight (unlike what happened with the Cavs and Browns), the next best thing will be to send Shapiro, Antonetti and Acta packing and start from scratch.

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

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!

Draft Madness

Is it just Joe Cleveland, or do you wish the NFL Draft would have already happened?

With not much else to care about in the world of Cleveland Sports (even if the Indians suddenly found their winning mojo under the cover of 10 p.m. starts on the West Coast), the main topic since March has been the upcoming NFL Draft and what the Browns will do with their two first round picks, three picks in the top 37, five picks in the top 100 and 13 overall picks in the seven rounds.

The draft will finally begin this Thursday night with the first round, and Joe Cleveland cannot freaking wait for it to happen. Because all the speculation about who the Browns should take (or shouldn't take) and whether or not they'll trade up or down or stay put or do something to move from No. 22 is driving me insane.

Joe Cleveland does not help his "insanity" by listening to Cleveland talk radio during my daily commutes to my sportswriting gigs or food runs or whatever else I'm doing in my vehicle. No matter if it's WKNR or WKRK (92.3 The Fan) or WTAM, the only topic that seems to be discussed is the draft.

The talk didn't die down after the Redskins made the Rams an offer that they couldn't (and shouldn't) refuse for the No. 2 overall pick and the right to take Robert Griffin III (or, as I'll be referring to him after hearing about his selfishness, RG-Me), especially since every talking head in this town believed that RG-Me was going to be the answer to all of the Browns' fans prayers.

Because this town is so hell-bent on QBs (we love them and then devour them, just as we're starting to do with Colt McCoy), talk turned to the next two guys on the draft depth chart, Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill (not to be confused with poet Lord Alfred Tannyhill, although I think the Browns might as well draft the wordsmith if they're going to waste the fourth-overall pick on this project) and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden. Tannehill, who was nowhere near the first-round converastion when the college season ended back in January, has suddenly rocketed up the draft boards, to where suddenly draft "experts" like "Chicago" Mike Mayock and Todd McShay were thumping their chests and proclaiming that the Browns "have to" take Tannehill at four.

Suddenly, the possibility of QBs going 1-2-3 appeared to be realistic, as the Vikings were supposedly shopping around the No. 3 pick. The Dolphins, who may need a QB even more than the Browns do and also have the advantage of Tannehill's college coach (Mike Sherman) as their offensive coordinator, may try to move up to No. 3.

Joe Cleveland is praying to whatever God or Higher Power there is for this to actually happen. Because without Tannehill on the board, the Browns won't be tempted to screw the pick up by taking him.

And, with Tannehill off the board, suddenly four top-notch players are there for the taking -- Alabama RB Trent Richardson, LSU CB Morris Claiborne, USC tackle Matt Kalil and Oklahoma St. WR Justin Blackmon. You can bet the Browns' phone will be ringing off the hook with trade offers.

Even though trading down with Atlanta last year was the smart thing to do (they gave up a fortune for Julio Jones, who I still am not 100 percent sold on as the "next-big thing."), fans are afraid about trading down this year. They want playmakers, not nice players.

Phil Taylor was a definite need, but he's not a playmaker. Jabaal Sheard can be a playmaker from the DE spot, but that's not really the definition of a "playmaker."

Richardson = playmaker.

Blackmon = playmaker.

Claiborne = playmaker (even if fans want offense first, a backfield of Haden-Claiborne would harken us old-school Browns fans to the days of Dixon-Minnifield).

Kalil is not a playmaker, however, he makes the playmakers you have do their job a little bit easier.

I believe the Browns have whittled it down to Richardson, Claiborne and Blackmon as their top three choices, with Tannehill on the outskirts. Honestly, I believe the Browns are more sold on "old-man" Weeden instead of Tannehill, and I could not be happier with that thought process.

Richardson is probably the best RB prospect in the NFL Draft since Darren McFadden, although he's more can't-miss than McFadden was. Richardson may be the best "can't-miss" prospect since Adrian Peterson came out. The Browns passed on Peterson and took Joe Thomas (a great choice). A few years before that, they passed on LaDanian Tomlinson and took Gerard Warren. A few years before that, they passed on Ricky Williams and took Tim Couch. I'd still argue for the Couch pick. The Warren pick was a huge mistake (thanks a lot, Butch Davis).

The knock is that so many teams are finding good running backs late in the draft, or not in the draft at all. Those same people also want to say that finding a Tom Brady in the sixth round is an anomaly, so you can't have it both ways.

Also, running backs have an average shelf-life of five-to-seven years in the NFL. Once a running back reaches the age of 30, they suddenly magically start to regress. Jim Brown retired at the age of 29, for Christ-sakes, and he was the best running back of ALL-TIME. So, critics wonder if it's worth taking a guy that high when he has a short shelf life.

With Blackmon, the knock is his size and his attitude. Blackmon gave an interview on Cleveland radio last week that seemed to indicate that he really didn't want to be in Cleveland. He didn't come right out and say it, but some read between the lines and his demeanor on air. The last time the Browns took a WR high who wasn't 100 percent sold on Cleveland, that WR did more to turn off the fan base during the expansion era than arguably any other player (and there have been quite a few). He dropped a lot of passes, screwed around off the field, was a destraction in the locker room and, upon leaving, let Cleveland know how he REALLY felt about them. Today, that receiver is a free agent, and not a lot of teams are lining up to sign him. That receiver was Braylon Edwards.

Do we really want another Braylon Edwards on this team? I sure as hell don't.

Besides, the WR crop is so deep, you can find good guys at No. 22 (Stephen Hill, Kendell Wright, Alshon Jeffrey, to name a few). Unless I trade down, I pass on Blackmon.

Kalil makes sense because right tackle is such a glaring weakness. However, do you want to take a right tackle with the fourth-overall pick? How about a right tackle who primarily played left tackle in college? The draft is also deep in quality offensive linemen. Offensive linemen that could be on the board at No. 22, or No. 37, or in the third round. I love Kalil, but I'd have to pass. However, I'm not going to cry a river if he gets taken.

I mentioned earlier why Claiborne would be a great pick. With the NFL being, mostly, a passing league, you want two great cornerbacks to thwart that. Joe Haden appears to be on his way to becoming a top-notch cornerback. Morris Claiborne is a shut-down cornerback who also has the ability to help in the return game (Cribbs isn't getting any younger). You see two good QBs twice a year in Rapist Roethlisberger and Porn-stache Flacco, and Ginger Dalton had a solid rookie season last year. Yes, the Ravens have Ray Rice, but the Steelers are definitely pass-first, as are the Bengals. Sometimes, your best offense is a good defense.

Of course, you have more glaring needs on offense, and there will be a large portion of the fan base not happy that the Browns went defense. But, here's the biggest thing:

You're not going to please everybody at once. No one is going to be 100 percent behind the pick, regardless of WHO it is. There will be critics if it's Richardson because of the shelf-life thing. It's just the way it is.

The Browns have to do what's best for the Browns. If that means trading down a few spots and adding an additional second round pick (or more), then by all means.

To be honest, the only pick Joe Cleveland will be steamed about is if they stay at No. 4 and take Tannehill. Tannehill is not ready to play this year. He could be a great QB, but he also could be a bust. If you take Tannehill fourth-overall, the pressure is there to play him over McCoy. What does it say if the fourth-overall pick can't beat out a guy who wasn't taken until the third round a few years ago and who many are ready to run out of town?

Griffin would have put more asses in the seats. Tannehill will not.

Which brings me to Mr. Weeden. Yes, he'll be 29 during the regular season. Yes, he injured his arm while pitching in the Yankees organization. Yes, you probably have about a seven-year window on the guy for success.

However, I think Weeden has the most talent of ANY quarterback in this draft. Yep, that includes Andrew Luck.

I think Weeden comes in with a veteran's mentality off the rip. I think he allows you to tell that cancer Seneca Wallace that he can go elsewhere if he wants to be a starter, and best of luck to him in that quest.

I think he's the one QB pick you can make that doesn't damage McCoy's psyche. McCoy is still young enough to be in the future plans. You have Weeden, but Weeden's not under any pressure to beat McCoy out. He COMPETES with him, which is what Holmgren, Heckart and Shurmur want anyway.

If Brandon Weeden is still there at No. 37, you take him. If you select Justin Blackmon in the first round, you HAVE to take Weeden at No. 37, because that's the only way Blackmon will be happy in Cleveland.

Here's who Joe Cleveland predicts for the first two rounds (not factoring in potential trades, which I believe there will be a few):

4. Trent Richardson -- Makes the most sense, and is the least PR-damaging selection you can make.

22. Stephen Hill -- At 6-4 with great speed, he could be the breakout star wideout the Browns have been seeking. Keep an eye out for Jonathan Martin, the OT from Stanford, at this spot as well.

37. Weeden -- I think Holmgren and Heckart really like him, as does Shurmur.

In the later rounds, look for the Browns to address the offensive line (Mike Adams could fall to the third round due to his marijuana test), cornerback (Chase Minnifield would be PERFECT here), receiver again, and the defense (they could use an athletic linebacker on the outside, especially if Scott Fujita gets suspended for Bounty-Gate). If they don't take Weeden, I expect them to take a QB in the third or fourth round (Brock Osweiler, Kirk Cousins and Kellen Moore are three likely names). And, if Richardson isn't the choice, Doug Martin or LaMichael James are almost locks for that No. 37 pick.

Tom Heckart said in January that it would "hard to screw this up." I hope he's right.

This draft holds the key to whether or not the Browns will sniff a Super Bowl in the next 5-10 years, or if they'll continue to be NFL laughingstocks. Since I believe the Browns will be in a Super Bowl (or two) during that span, I am leaning toward the former. Please, make it so!

***

I alluded to the Indians earlier, and how their 7-2 road trip couldn't have happened so quietly. This is what happens when you start your homestand 1-4, blowing a three-run ninth inning lead in the home opener before falling in 16.

I firmly believe, though, that the Indians thrive at this "under the radar" thing. Remember, after they got destroyed in last year's home opener that everyone (including Joe Cleveland) had written them off, that they suddenly went 30-15 through the first two months of the season? Then, when people started paying attention, they folded like the cheap accordians they are.

It will be interesting to see if there is any spike in attendance at home this week. I predict that there isn't.

The Indians went from the largest home opening crowd in many years to back-to-back crowds under 10,000 by the time that homestand came to a close. This is what happens when you have a penny-pinching owner that fans don't trust who has the audacity to criticize them for his own shortcomings.

Joe Cleveland is declaring all crowds under 10,000 to be "Dolan Specials." When you turn a $30 million profit and still cry the poorhouse blues, this is what happens, Larry.

Do you see what happens, Larry? This is what happens, Larry! (yes, I'm quoting The Big Lebowski, but it's apt).

I hope the Tribe can keep winning, but I doubt it.

***

The Cavs have two more games left in their season.

YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! Then we can move on to their draft madness.

Perhaps the NBA will rig the draft lottery in our favor for the second straight year. It's payback for having evidence that LeBron colluded with Pat Riley while under contract with the Cavs. Make it so, Stern!

Until next time, remember that Cleveland Rocks!

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