Dawgbeat 06/25/2007
Brownstown busy as training camp nears
by Eric Brown
Don't let the silence fool you, things are busy inside Browns headquarters in Berea. Coaches with personnel meetings, player representatives trying to get contracts done, and overall preparation for the 2007 season is in full swing. Perhaps the most important of these, are the contract talks for recently drafted players, Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn, and Eric Wright. Their fates for the 2007 season may be sealed by the time July 27th rolls around. Equally important are the opinions of the coaching staff of what took place in minicamp. Some players made their presence felt and nudged ahead of others, while others were either buried or shown the door entirely. Let's go over what has taken place and what may take place in the near future, position by position.
At the all important quarterback position, Derek Anderson seems to have taken a lead in overall performance. He seemed to have the best grasp of the offense by any of the four quarterbacks and clearly the strongest arm of the bunch. Rob Chudzinski's offense best suits the talents of Anderson at this point, but he must continue to work on his accuracy or his stay at the top of the depth chart will not be long. Charlie Frye has all but buried himself on the lower rung of the depth chart. The team clearly feels there is a spot for Ken Dorsey on this team. If Frye doesn't start to step it up, show better accuracy, understanding of the offense, and ability to read a defense he may become expendable. As for Brady Quinn, his development and chance to start as a rookie all hinge on one thing...his contract. Even one day of missing training camp will set him behind and his chances of starting at any point this season will be severely hurt. I feel that if Savage and Crennel truly feel that they must win this season, a trade may happen some time near the middle of training camp. Billy Volek, who is familiar with Chudzinski may be a starting quarteback option should no one step up and seize this position. Volek is a quality option to take the reigns until Quinn is ready. It should be a very interesting training camp at this position.
Another interesting and heated battle in training camp will be the middle linebacker position. While Andra Davis and Dqwell Jackson seem to have the middle spots secured, you can't discount Leon Williams. When the Browns drafted Williams, the feeling was that the only reason he wasn't drafted higher was because of issues between he and the Miami Hurricane coaching staff. From what I saw in 2006, Williams has the ability to be a star linebacker in the mold of Ray Lewis. He is aggressive, a dynamite tackler, and has the ability to run with the best offensive weapons in the game, as witnessed by his performance against Michael Vick. Williams has continued to learn the 34 defense and is starting to be able to just play without having to think about his responsibilities within the defense. Davis and Jackson will have to step up their games in order to keep Williams on the bench. Mason Unck, Kris Griffin, and Jason Short will all battle for backup inside linebacker jobs and special teams duty. If possible keeping all three of these guys would be a great start to becoming a sound special teams unit.
At the outside linebacker spot, Kamerion Wimbley will look to continue the outstanding start he has had to his career. His pass rushing ability was something that was sorely lacking in 2005. Antwan Peek, another pass rushing threat was added this off-season and may only enhance Wimbley's skills. This tandem may end up rivaling that of Clay Matthews and Chip Banks. Willie McGinest really showed his age in 2006 and may eventually be phased out into a third down, pass-rushing end. David McMillan and Chaun Thompson have never fully grasped the scheme changes and position changes they have been asked to learn and may be in danger of losing their roster spot. Matt Stewart, for no other reason than Thompson and McMillan's lack of effectiveness may wind up sticking around for another season.
The wide receiver position is another spot quickly gaining some interest as camp gets closer. Tim Carter has shown some signs that he may be ready to breakout and become a legitimate NFL receiving threat. His speed and quickness are vital assests that make him different than Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius. Edwards has speed but is more inclined to use his big body to shield defenders to get open. Same goes for Jurevicius, who at 6 foot 5 and 232 pounds is a red zone threat. Jurevicius is also adept at the mental part of the game and will be an asset on third downs this season. The team still awaits the breakout of Travis Wilson and hopefully at some point in 2007 he will become the star he thinks he is. Joshua Cribbs has had two seasons to learn the wide receiver position and may finally be ready to make an impact at receiver. Kendrick Mosley is another receiver that should be watched during training camp. In 2006, most thought he would make the team after an outstanding pre-season. If Wilson or Carter take any steps backward, Mosley may benefit and sneak his way onto the roster.
In the defensive backfield, a position that once seemed depleted may now quickly become a strength. Eric Wright, barring a holdout because of contract negotiations will quickly become an impact player. His one momentary lapse in judgement may work out to the Browns advantage as they have found a pro bowl calibur corner back to match with Leigh Bodden. Cleveland could very well have found a pair of cover corners to rival Minnifield and Dixon, better learn to bark again. Daven Holly should not be forgotten as he has shown a knack for making plays. DeMario Minter and Brandon McDonald have quickly displayed athleticism and have some ability to make the depth of this secondary very deep. Antonio Perkins was quickly jettisoned to the unemployment ranks after seeing Minter and McDonald perform in minicamp. Add in veteran Kenny Wright and the possible return of Gary Baxter and suddenly it will become harder to make this team at that position. That may mean a stint on the practice squad for Jereme Perry, another player who showed promise in the 2006 season. At the safety positions, Sean Jones is ready to become an all-pro type player, and Brodney Pool seems ready to have a breakout type of season that Jones did last year. Justin Hamilton also showed some ability in some playing time in 2006, at least, he will continue to be a key special teams contributor.
The offensive line is an area that needs cohesiveness and time to learn to play together as a unit. For Joe Thomas and his representative, you better get in camp on time or else Kevin Shaffer will be the starter. Shaffer, much maligned in 2006 would probably fare better at the right tackle spot, but it could be interesting to see how he performs with a competent, if not all pro calibur left guard, Eric Steinbach next to him. The center position seems to be locked down by Hank Fraley, but a possible return of LeCharles Bentley could make that position interesting as well. Seth McKinney seems to have shaken off his back injury and may be a pleasant surprise at right guard. Don't discount Isaac Sowells as he has made strides heading into 2007 training camp. At right tackle Ryan Tucker will face some competition from Kelly Butler but ultimately, Tucker should win the job. Nat Dorsey could very well be gone after first cuts making the trade of Melvin Fowler a bust. Lennie Friedman is another veteran that will provide depth at the center and guard positions. The only other players that can be considered more than camp bodies will be Fred Matua and Rob Smith. Both longtime starters on legitimate college football teams, they must now take their games to another level if they are to unseat any of the projected starters, I don't see that happening.
Tight end would, at first glance, seem to be a position of strength. The Kellen Winslow situation could change all that. Steve Heiden has proven more than capable at the position but he doesn't provide the playmaking potential and athleticism that Winslow does. If Winslow is totally healthy he could also be primed for an all pro season. Third stringer Darnell Dinkins is a blocking type that will play on short yardage situations and special teams. Ryan Krause and Buck Ortega are interesting prospects that have yet to distinguish themselves as anything more than camp position fillers.
The running back position will most likely be summed up in two words, Jamal Lewis. I expect Lewis, now self-proclaimed as totally healthy, to carry the ball 350 plus times in the Browns effort to re-establish their running game. Many teams have written off Lewis as being an overworked, aging veteran. I really believe the declining ability of the Baltimore Ravens line, coupled with Lewis' injuries were the reasons for his decline. If the Browns offensive line makes the strides we think it will and stays healthy, and Lewis stays healthy, I see him running for 1600 plus yards in 2007. When Lewis needs a breather it will be up to Jerome Harrison to fill the need. Harrison, more muscular and familiar with the NFL has a chip on his shoulder and wants to show he can be more than an NFL third down back. With his stature and abilities similar to that of LaDanian Tomlinson, I, for one would hope for him to be half the running back that Tomlinson is. Jason Wright showed some flashes of ability in 2006, but I think most see him as a dependable special teams player. In my mind, Lawrence Vickers is a guy that I'd love to see be given more responsibility in the offense. He may even have the ability to be a Jamal Lewis type running back. I think the Browns see him as a guy that could also give Lewis a breather at times in 2007. After that the Browns do not have anyone to bank on. Chris Barclay showed some talent in the soon to be defunct NFL Europa, but at 185 pounds can he take the punishment in the NFL. Maybe he can be an Eric Metcalf type player, but he'd be hard pressed to take over the returners job from Cribbs. If the situation seems cloudy heading into the season a trade or free agent pickup may be needed to shore up the running back unit.
The defensive line is still a huge question mark with aging Orpheus Roye and Ted washington manning two of the three spots. Robaire Smith will prove to be a worthwhile acquisition at the left end position. His main duty will be to provide run stopping prowess, but he also can rush the passer. By mid-season Browns fans will be happy that Phil Savage got him. Hopefully Orpheus Roye can give us a season or two more of his aggressive high-motor play, but a replacement is needed quickly. Maybe another ex-Steeler, Orien Harris can learn from Roye and Smith and be the type of player many thought he could be during his junior season while at Miami University. If he starts to play up to his potential he may be the future at left defensive end. I believe that Shaun Smith is the starter at nose tackle, today. Ted Washington will get some reps, and play in short yardage situations, but Smith is the present and future at the position. Smith is also a big man, but shows some quickness and ability to hold his ground against NFL offensive lineman. Having Washington to learn from will only enhance his ability. Ethan Kelley and Simon Fraser are reliable backups but at this point not options to start. Jvonne Parker showed some run stopping ability in his playing time last season, but he is still unproven. I'm still scratching my head at the selections of Melila Purcell and Chase Pittman. They are both undersized for the 34 defense. Unless they were drafted strictly to rush the passer on passing downs, I don't see how they fit in. As a whole the defensive line is a big question mark for the 2007 season and could determine the overall effectiveness of the defense. The free agent waiver wire may be looked at very hard after first and second cuts this training camp.
Phil Dawson had a lackluster 2006 season and has alot to prove in 2007 if he is to remain as the Browns kicker in the future. I don't see Jesse Ainsworth as a legitimate contender for the kicking job, but maybe he'll surprise. Dave Zastudil is the punter, period. The kickoff return position seems to be locked down by Cribbs, who may also land the punt return job. Several players including Carter, McDonald, and Barclay may be factors in the punt return game, but my bet is on Cribbs. If the Browns want to save a roster position they may want to look into the possibility of Steinbach being used as a long snapper. His versatility and ability to long snap could make Ryan Pontbriand expendable. It would be nice to keep an extra defensive back, receiver, defensive lineman, or linebacker instead of carrying a guy whose only ability is to longsnap.
The 2007 season will be here before you know it. It may seem quiet right now, but things are definitely buzzing in Berea.