Ace Davis' Weblog

July 2008 - Posts

• Tough trivia #2

  Which two former Browns played the same position, have the same last name, and share a birthday? Answer to #1: David Lee signed with the Browns as a rookie free agent in 1965 and spent a year on their taxi squad before heading to Baltimore. In the first of his 13 years with the Colts, he succeeded the Browns' Gary Collins as the NFL's leading punter. Posted Jul 31 2008, 12:10 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: trivia

• Tough trivia #1

  Starting a new feature here. Please leave your answer as a comment. The correct answer will appear along with the next question in the series. I'll try to do this daily. Which All-Pro punter signed his first professional contract with the Browns at the house of Dub Jones but never took the field for Cleveland? Posted Jul 30 2008, 12:10 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: trivia

• Seize the season

  Prior to last season's breakout, the most improved Browns offense of the decade was in 2002. Though they ranked just 23rd in total yards, that was a far cry better than the dead last ranking of the previous three years. They snuck into the playoffs but bowed out with an epic collapse at Heinz Field. Still, hopes were high for continued improvement from a youthful unit that featured four second-round picks at wide receiver (Kevin Johnson, Quincy Morgan, Andre Davis, and Dennis Northcutt), the top runner drafted in '02 (William Green), and what seemed at the time to be two fairly decent quarterbacks, Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb. We all know how fast those hopes wilted, of course. But just think of the odds you could have gotten back in early 2003 on the notion that the only member of that playoff offense to hit the Berea practice field in the summer of 2008 would be ... tight end Steve Heiden. In today's NFL, five years is a lifetime and a half. Any guesses how many Browns from the 2007 offense will be here for the 2013 training camp? Think of all the guys still 25 or younger, including Thomas, Edwards, Quinn, Anderson, Cribbs, Winslow, Harrison, Vickers, et al. If even four of them endure, we'll be extremely lucky. My motto for the 2008 Browns and their fans: Don't Blink. Posted Jul 29 2008, 11:01 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today, Fan Focus, history

• Eight Browns greats who never played

  As training camp kicks off, my greatest concern is always injury. Talent, coaching, chemistry and all that do matter, but unfortunately it's those tough breaks that constitute the single biggest variable affecting a team's fortunes in any given year. Partially related to this is the following list, which I'll wager is as illustrious as any other team's. All of these gentlemen were under contract with the Browns at one point or another, but they never played a single down for them in a regular season game. Y.A. Tittle -- The LSU quarterback signed his first pro contract, $12,000 in all, with the Browns in 1947. But with Otto Graham firmly entrenched at the position, Paul Brown included him with tackle Ernie Blandin and halfback Mickey Mayne in the All America Conference's "help the weak" effort to bolster the troubled Baltimore Colts. Thus began a stellar 17-year career that landed him in the Hall of Fame. "Cookie" Gilchrist -- Conflicting accounts exist about how this talented high school fullback ended up in the Browns' 1954 training camp, before he was eligible to join the league. Paul Brown implied in his autobiography that Gilchrist was never signed. Other sources say he was, but that the deal was invalidated. The colorful iconoclast furthered his legend with a tremendous career in Canada and with the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League. Dick LeBeau -- Paul Brown drafted this OSU defensive back in the fifth round in 1959, but he didn't make the Opening Day roster. He latched on in Detroit, where he spent his entire 14-year career. His 62 career interceptions are 37% more than Thom Darden's Browns career record. LeBeau, now the Steelers' defensive coordinator, was among several greats Brown cast off in his later Browns years, including Jim Marshall, Bobby Mitchell, Len Dawson, Doug Atkins, and Willie Davis. Ernie Davis -- The Browns retired jersey #45 in honor of the Heisman winner whom Paul Brown traded Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell to acquire. He was soon diagnosed with leukemia and passed away in 1963. Davis' amazing life story will soon hit the silver screen. John Havlicek -- A seventh-round pick in 1962, this Buckeye basketball star may never have gone on to his Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics had he make the final cut as a wide receiver. Sam Mills -- The diminutive linebacker was an undrafted free agent in 1981, back when former linebacker Marty Schottenheimer ran the Browns defense. He just missed the cut, as the Browns kept another undersized rookie, Eddie Johnson, instead. Mills went on to enjoy a long and great career in the USFL and with the Saints and Panthers. Sadly, both he and Johnson became victims of colorectal cancer. Chris Spielman -- The former Ohio State star made four Pro Bowls as a Lions linebacker. Following neck fusion surgery, he tried to resurrect his career just as the Browns returned from their three-year hiatus. Along with top draftee Tim Couch, Spielman was marketed as the face of the new franchise. But a blindside block by the Bears' Casey Wiegmann in an exhibition game left him momentarily paralyzed, and his playing career ended then and there. LeCharles Bentley -- Time will tell if this Pro Bowl center will ever return from a devastating patellar tendon injury later complicated by staph. But we do know that sometime after his hometown team inked him to a huge free agent contract in 2006, his relationship with the Browns became another casualty, so any comeback will have to take place in a different uniform. Though the Browns eventually settled on capable Hank Fraley to play center, the loss of Bentley was a primary reason that they regressed from 6-10 to 4-12 in Romeo Crennel's second season. For our team's sake, let's hope that none of the 35 players in Berea today who have yet to suit up in a Browns game will ever prove worthy of this list. Posted Jul 23 2008, 09:37 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: history

• Ranking the powerful

  Take the latest standings, adjust for recent transactions, and stick your finger in to stir it up with opinion. That's your basic recipe for power rankings. But how about ranking the powerful? That's what Michael Silver spoons out in this two-part dish on the NFL owners. Unlike his team, which is generally regarded in the top third these days, the Browns' Randy Lerner placed 20th out of 32. Some people in Cleveland, noting the promise displayed by the organization last season, might argue that Lerner should be higher on this list. I would argue that Lerner probably isn’t one of those people. Chances are, he’ll read this and shrug. He seems far more concerned with Aston Villa, the soccer team he owns in the English Premier League, and the frequent trips to London that gig necessitates. Perhaps because his late father, Al, was such a prominent figure in Cleveland – or perhaps because it’s, you know, Cleveland – the younger Lerner doesn’t appear to share the same enthusiasm for the home of the Browns. Lerner recently hired former league employee Mike Keenan as president, finally filling the job that opened after John Collins lost out to general manager Phil Savage in a power struggle in 2005. He also refuted a rumor that he’s moving to London fulltime to be Villa’s CEO. In terms of NFL dealings, one owner says of Lerner, “He’s not very decisive. Whoever gets to him last has got him, and he leads the way in terms of manipulating the revenue-sharing agreement to his advantage. It’s very disappointing.” Two years ago, Silver put Lerner at 21. Last year, 22, calling the Browns a "dysfunctional franchise." I'm not going to argue that Lerner should rank higher. But I disagree that apathy is his biggest shortcoming. Micromanaging would be worse, because Lerner is just not a football guy. It's to his credit that he understands that. Posted Jul 22 2008, 05:21 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: front office

• Opening Day roster projection

  Each year before training camp, I like to distill the conventional wisdom by projecting the team's Opening Day roster. Given all the variables, it would be foolhardy to call this a prediction. Rather, the main purpose is to later look back and assess the nature and degree of surprises that each summer yields. It also helps identify some of the key roster battles to come. As I write, 82 names are listed on the active roster, including the as-yet-unsigned draft picks. In five days, a maximum of 80 will suit up. Inevitably, players will get hurt and a few late imports will be signed or acquired in trade, but here's a reasonable estimate of the baseline lineup. Remember, ultimately 53 men make the active roster, and eight more can be added to the practice squad (if eligible) after clearing waivers. QB Starter: Derek Anderson Backups: Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey RB Starter: Jamal Lewis Backups: Jason Wright, Jerome Harrison Practice squad: Austin Scott Also-rans: Travis Thomas FB Starter: Lawrence Vickers Backup: Charles Ali WR Starters: Braylon Edwards, Donte Stallworth Backups: Joshua Cribbs, Travis Wilson, Kevin Kasper Practice squad: Paul Hubbard PUP: Joe Jurevicius Also-rans: Steve Sanders, Syndric Steptoe, Efrem Hill, Lance Leggett TE Starter: Kellen Winslow Backups: Steve Heiden, Martin Rucker Practice squad: Kolomona Kapanui Also-rans: Darnell Dinkins, Brad Cieslak OL Starters: Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Hank Fraley, Rex Hadnot, Kevin Shaffer Backups: Ryan Tucker, Seth McKinney, Lennie Friedman, Isaac Sowells Practice squad: Cliff Louis Reserve NFI: Eric Young Also-rans: Nate Bennett, James Lee, Derrick Morse, Marvin Philip DL Starters: Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams, Robarie Smith Backups: Shaun Smith, Melila Purcell, Ahtyba Rubin Also-rans: Louis Leonard, Chase Pittman, Brian Shaefering, Zach West ILB Starters: D'Qwell Jackson, Andra Davis Backups: Beau Bell, Leon Williams, Kris Griffin OLB Starters: Kamerion Wimbley, Antwan Peek Backups: Willie McGinest, Shantee Orr Practice squad: Alex Hall, Chase Ortiz Also-rans: David McMillan CB Starters: Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald Backups: Terry Cousin, Jereme Perry, A.J. Davis Practice squad: Mil'von James, Damon Jenkins Also-rans: Gerald Lawson IR: Daven Holly S Starters: Sean Jones, Brodney Pool Backups: Mike Adams, Nick Sorensen, Steve Cargile Also-rans: Gary Baxter, Justin Sandy Specialists K: Phil Dawson P: Dave Zastudil LS: Ryan Pontbriand Also-ran: K Jason Reda In making some of the tougher assessments, I weighed heavily the player's potential to contribute on special teams this season. That factor helped Ali, Griffin, and Cargile in particular. Even so, improved depth threatens the Browns careers of Dinkins and McMillan, who each played in 15 games last season. Offensive lineman are the team's biggest potential luxury. If Tucker proves healthy and Sowells is deemed a viable backup at two positions, I could see someone like Friedman or McKinney being dealt in a gambit to shore up the weakest position: cornerback. The closest calls at this point are the final two slots on the defensive line and at wide receiver. In each case, the team will almost certainly cut bait with one or more of its former draft picks. Posted Jul 18 2008, 07:43 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today