Ace Davis' Weblog

July 2006 - Posts

• TRENT: THE ALL-TIME #1

  Lots of words written lately about the Browns' recent quarterbacking history and our current prospects. How we could have had Kurt Warner in the 1999 expansion draft. How we should have drafted Tom Brady over Spurgeon Wynn when shopping for a QB prospect in 2000. How our assortment of #1 draft picks, former Pro Bowlers, Heisman Trophy winners, and Super Bowl champs has produced virtually nothing except more expectations for local boy Charlie Frye to step up in his second year, when many quarterbacks, indeed, do step up.   Is he good enough? Will he be? That got me to thinking about past quarterbacks who have won the Super Bowl. How good do you really need to be? And I realized that you could make a strong case that the three worst starting quarterbacks ever to have won the Super Bowl have all suited up for the Browns. Trent Dilfer Mark Rypien Jim McMahon. And if you count only NFL stats, you might even add Lenny Dawson to the list. But for these three, as it happens, the more they played for the Browns, the worse career QB they happened to be. Perhaps I am feeling bitter about Dilfer. I suppose I was suckered into rooting for him as a kind of underdog with a compelling personal story (which is one definition of pathetic). It turns out he was just another egomaniac jock who talked a good game for a while (team player, mature mentor, etc.) but really couldn't hack it on the field, couldn't handle getting benched, and couldn't do right by Browns fans by just honoring his generous contract and playing a certain role on an ascendant team.   But is this list really fair to Rypien and McMahon? You would have to conclude that some other Lombardi-winning QB was a worse overall player. The candidates would be Doug Williams, Joe Namath, Jim Plunkett, and Jeff Hostetler, none of whom were blatantly poorer players than Rypien or McMahon, and all of whom had more interesting personal story lines attached to their Super Bowl appearance.   So there you have it. I think Charlie Frye will prove good enough to join those three and get his ring while wearing an orange helmet, rather than the blue star his hero-turned-mentor was forced to sport. But don't worry, Trent, Frye won't be bad enough to oust you from this particular #1 position. Barring another Big Ben brain cramp, you've got this one locked, no matter what Mo Carthon and the rest of the world might say. Posted Jul 26 2006, 08:38 AM by Anonymous with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Browns History, The Team Today

• DONE BUT FOR ONE

  Very nice to see that nearly all of the Browns' rookies are getting their contracts done in time for the beginning of training camp. It wasn't so long ago that every single one of the Browns' draftees was a holdout. From the Official $ite: The nine signed draft picks and other Browns rookies began participating in a three-day camp orientation Sunday. Now, does anyone else find it peculiar, or ironic, or even ominous that the last straggler is the guy who calls himself "T Money," already has an '07 Escalade, picks "Money Talks" as his favorite movie, and aims to be "one of the world's richest men in business?"   Maybe I'm guilty of stereotyping here, but, God, I hate wide receivers. Posted Jul 23 2006, 08:04 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: The Team Today

• WEALTHY WIMBLEY

  Gotta feel good about getting Gumby into camp on time. And much of the credit, obviously, goes to Kamerion's agent, Joe Linta. Check out Linta's website. Its intro is the ESPN video of Wimbley being drafted. Inside, you'll see that Linta also represents Romeo Crennel, Joe Andruzzi, and Dave Yovanovits. You'll recall that the timely hiring of Crennel almost immediately after Super Bowl XIX allowed the new regime to settle into place without further delay, a critical if easily-forgotten factor in the Browns' improved record last year.   It's especially impressive -- and a sign of courage and trust by both sides -- that this deal was struck when barely any other first-round picks have comes to terms in this first season under the new labor deal.   Now with the biggest contract done, we can root for rest of the Browns rookies to fall in line quickly, and for the other teams' first-rounders (*cough* Reggie Bush *cough*) to dawdle and get their careers off to late starts. Just seven weeks remain until the Saints come marching in for first game of the regular season. Posted Jul 22 2006, 07:22 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: The Team Today

• QUICK, MORE CANDLES

  Where is my head? Oh, never mind. This time, I don't want to hear the response. There I was, blithely blogging during business hours about the birthday of a pretty obscure former Brown, Barry Redden. But sure enough, today is also the birthday of no fewer than three members of the current squad. If you can name more than one of them just by looking at their pictures, you're a more obsessive fan than I. They are: Kendrick Mosley (25 years old, 0 NFL games) Clifton Smith (26, 1 NFL game) Wheelie Winslow (23, 2 NFL games) Just so they don't party too hard, here is the suggested sobriety test: divide the sum of their Browns uniform numbers by the sum of their ages. The answer is 2. Drive safely. Posted Jul 21 2006, 04:00 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: The Team Today

• HAPPY 46th, BARRY!

  Geez, I almost forgot about this guy. On the last Browns team to reach the AFC Championship Game, he was, in fact, the leading rusher whose name didn't start with M. It was the only season in which the muscular little back played in all 16 games. Redden's main career distinction may be that he was the understudy/sidekick for two Erics: Dickerson and Metcalf. The former 14th overall pick wore #35 with the Browns, as did Galen Fiss, who passed away earlier this week. Um, is it in any way eerie to you that the man now wearing that number for the Browns is nicknamed "The Ghost?" Posted Jul 21 2006, 10:41 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Browns History

• HUDDLE DOWN

  Looks like "Browns Huddle," the team's official newspaper, has broken into punt formation. You may recall that this publication was launched a year ago amid great fanfare (by Browns HQ itself, that is). I've never seen it, because ponying up $50 for a snail mail version of what I projected would be fluff further leavened with corporate PR ... well, it didn't seem like a wise use of my entertainment dollar. I guess I wasn't the only one. This year, the Browns are practically giving the thing away. Of course the terms of the deal are secret, but "Browns Huddle" will be tucked into single-copy editions of the Cleveland Plain Dealer throughout the season. (Home subscribers are apparently out of luck, I guess.) That got me to thinking: are they really going to try to sell $50 subscriptions to home subscribers and out-of-towners? Well, the order page on the official site is still there, but it's not easily found. Call their phone number, and the recorded voice says, "New subscription sales and subscription renewal information will be available during training camp." But here is a letter sent to subscribers, as posted on Dawg Talk, July 19, 2006 Dear Huddle Subscriber - Over the past year, the "Browns Huddle" presented our fans with Browns-related news and opinion each week during the season, as well as several times throughout the off-season. The original columns written by newsmakers like Phil Savage and Jim Brown, as well as the in-depth features about our coaches and players, were well received and gave fans a true insider's look into the team. We also found that because we live in an age in which people want their information instantly, that the "Browns Huddle" did not satisfy our fans desire to get Browns news in a timely fashion. For this reason, the 26th edition of the "Browns Huddle" (the post draft issue) was the final edition of the magazine in this format. We will no longer be offering or renewing subscriptions to the publication. We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Cleveland Plain Dealer to include the "Browns Huddle" in all single-edition Friday copies throughout the fall. While the Plain Dealer does have significant reach throughout the state of Ohio, we do realize that many of our fans live out of state. To accommodate those of you who are unable to purchase the Plain Dealer, we will also offer content normally found within the pages of the "Browns Huddle" on-line though our official website, www.clevelandbrowns.com. We plan to have the "Browns Huddle" accessible on-line prior to our first regular season game (Sept. 10), and we will contact you in the coming weeks to let you know how you can access this web-based information free of charge. A full refund for the balance of your subscription will follow shortly. We will reimburse you for every issue that you did not receive under the guidelines of the offer for 28 issues for the price of 26. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Browns Fan Squad at (440) 824-6284, toll free (888) 891-1999, or via e-mail at fansquad@clevelandbrowns.com. Once again, thank you for your continued support. The Cleveland Browns Astounding. Even though I live out of the PD's circulation area, if this means more free content on the official site, I'm still finding myself smiling at this news. "Browns Huddle" was a bad idea to begin with, and though I didn't see how it was executed (not yet anyway), it's clear that this got green-lighted without proper forethought. The best they can do now is turn tail and play for field position. I just hope the Browns' football operations has more game than the media side. Posted Jul 19 2006, 05:13 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Fan Focus

• C(utch)B(odden) BATTLE LINES DRAWN

  Interesting how Zac at the official site twice goes out of his way to put 'Cutch atop Bodden in the battle for the starting cornerback job opposite Gary Baxter.   Bodden is "certainly a key player on the Browns' defense even if he doesn't technically win a starting job." "not likely to start in the base defense if Baxter and McCutcheon are healthy" Note sure if that's just some editorializing, or if it's a reflection of the coaches' perspective. I would prefer to keep it an open competition in order to bring out the best in each of these very good players.   From where I sit, if Bodden wins, 'Cutch would save a bit of a wear-and-tear by covering slot receivers in nickel situations. He could also be freed up to provide run support on the edge and serve as a blitz option.   However, if 'Cutch starts, Bodden ought to resume his outsized role on special teams, especially as gunner extraordinaire on the punt coverage unit.   In either case, CB is one of the few positions of definite strength on this team, so while this jockeying for position may be interesting, it is probably less consequential than the battles at safety, inside linebacker, the second WR spot, and backup RB. Posted Jul 19 2006, 10:03 AM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: The Team Today

• R.I.P. GALEN FISS

  If you don't know who Galen Fiss was (or even if you do), you really ought to read this excerpt from Terry Pluto's "Browns Town 1964." Posted Jul 18 2006, 05:46 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Browns History

• GREAT PERSONALITY, THOUGH

  Fans of the truly obscure, take note: I have unearthed the ignominious Browns tenure of Pete Athas. Sandwiched in his six-season NFL career was a stint of just six games for the dreadful 1975 Browns. Despite touching the ball on only 13 occasions (six kickoff returns, five punt returns, and two fair catches), he fumbled three times.   You might be inclined to believe, charitably, that this 23% rate was an aberration. Yes, it is, sort of. For his career, Athas touched the ball 152 times and had 15 fumbles. Hey, that's not even ten percent! Posted Jul 18 2006, 04:27 PM by Anonymous with no comments Filed under: Browns History

• BASELINE LINE-UP

  Every year there are training camp surprises. This pre-camp post will set forth the baseline -- that is, what might happen if everything goes according to form. This way, when some youngster shines, or when someone gets hurt or traded or cut, we'll be able to assess the impact on the roster, project the winners and losers, and analyze the implications for team strength and depth. So from this early date, here's what might be called the conventional wisdom.   QB Starter: Charlie Frye    Backups: Ken Dorsey or veteran FA (e.g. Vinnie Testaverde), Derek Anderson Practice squad: Darrell Hackney    Cut: Lang Campbell, Dorsey (if veteran is signed)   RB/FB Starters: Reuben Droughns, Terrelle Smith Backups: Jerome Harrison, William Green, Lawrence Vickers Practice squad: Chris Barclay Cut: Corey McIntyre, Lee Suggs, Jason Wright   TE Starter: Kellen Winslow Backups: Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkens Cut: John Owens, Paul Irons   OL Starters: Kevin Shaffer, Joe Andruzzi, LeCharles Bentley, Cosey Coleman, Ryan Tucker Backups: Nat Dorsey, Bob Hallen, Isaac Sowells, one more T (most likely Jon Dunn, Kirk Chambers, or Pete McMahon) Practice squad: Walter Stith, Dunn and/or McMahon Cut: Dave Yovanovits (unless a starting G/C is injured), Ben Brielmaier, Atlas Herrion, Rob Smith, possibly Chambers   WR Starters: Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt Backups: Travis Wilson, Josh Cribbs, Frisman Jackson PUP list: Braylon Edwards Practice squad: Steve Sanders Cut: Brandon Rideau, Carlton Brewster, Brent Little, Kendrick Mosley   DL Starters: Orpheus Roye, Ted Washington, Alvin McKinley Backups: Nick Eason, Simon Fraser, Ethan Kelley, Babatunde Oshinowo Practice squad: J'vonne Parker Cut: Darrell Campbell, Andrew Hoffman, Ja'Waren Blair   OLB Starters: Willie McGinest, Matt Stewart Backups: Kamerion Wimbley, David McMillan Cut: Nick Speegle, Jermial Ashley   ILB Starters: Andra Davis, Chaun Thompson Backups: D'Qwell Jackson, Leon Williams, Mason Unck Cut: Kenny Kern, Justin Kurpeikis, Clifton Smith   CB Starters: Gary Baxter, Leigh Bodden Backups: Daylon McCutcheon; two of these three: Pete Hunter, Antonio Perkins, Chris Thompson IR: DeMario Minter Practice squad: Blake Farris or Andrew Pace Cut: Willie Hughley; Jereme Perry; James Thornton; Farris or Pace; Hunter, Perkins, or Thompson   S Starters: Brian Russell, Brodney Pool Backups: Sean Jones; Shawn Mayer or Justin Hamilton Practice squad: possibly Hamilton Cut: possibly Mayer   Specialists K Phil Dawson P Dave Zastudil LS Ryan Pontbriand Cut: Jeff Chandler, Kyle Basler. This is not what I'm predicting or necessarily hoping for; it's just a starting point for discussion, so have at it. Please though, whatever suggestions you make ought to keep the roster at 53. For example, you might (and I almost did) say that Speegle won't be cut, but then someone like Unck will have to go. My other closest call was Green versus Suggs. If Suggs stays healthy and plays to form, he probably ought to beat out Green, who is in the last year of his contract anyway. In any case, the competition throughout training camp promises to be the most extensive and high-level in at least a decade. Posted Jul 11 2006, 11:19 AM by Anonymous with 1 comment(s) Filed under: The Team Today

• INKING OUT LOUD

  Just so I can get my head right amid the sensational personnel swirl of the last week, I've made a list of the moves Phil & Friends have made (and haven't made) since last July, or at least those which have the most significance from this point forward. (updated on 7/11)   Marquee addition: C/G LeCharles Bentley   Released/unsigned player ==> Free agent signee OLB Kenard Lang ==> Willie McGinest WR Antonio Bryant ==> Joe Jurevicius LT L.J. Shelton ==> Kevin Shaffer C/G Mike Pucillo ==> Bob Hallen P Kyle Richardson ==> Dave Zastudil NT Jason Fisk ===> Ted Washington TE Aaron Shea ===> Darnell Dinkins CB Michael Lehan ===> Chris Thompson   Signed to prevent them from being free agents: K Phil Dawson CB Leigh Bodden ILB Andra Davis DE Orpheus Roye   Extended: TE "Wheelie" Winslow RB Reuben Droughns   Acquired: Fifth-round draft pick for WR Andre Davis Fourth-round draft pick for S Chris Crocker T Nat Dorsey for C Melvin Fowler QB Derek Anderson via waivers from Baltimore OL Dave Yovanovits via waivers from New York Jets QB Ken Dorsey and seventh-round pick for QB Trent Dilfer   Others released/unsigned: ILB Ben Taylor DL Amon Gordon Scheduled to be unrestricted free agents after '06: G Cosey Coleman DE Nick Eason DE Alvin McKinley NT Ethan Kelley RB William Green S Brian Russell WR Dennis Northcutt WR Frisman Jackson. Posted Jul 11 2006, 09:27 AM by Ace Davis with no comments Filed under: The Team Today