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Blogging the Cleveland Browns plus other Cleveland-area blather, plus other blather about other things.

Dawghouse Blog

Blogging the Cleveland Browns plus other Cleveland-area blather, plus other blather about other things.

Top Ten Things to Watch in Browns Camp That Might Actually Be Meaningful

I think I've been blogging something along these lines each year for about four years now. And to be honest, I'm not sure I've written anything particularly insightful or even accurate because I've never gone back after camp or after the season to compare. I'm not saying I've been woefully wrong. On the contrary, I'm saying that anything written about camp and the preseason before the preseason actually starts is destined to be forgotten by the end of August. But if you are reading this, I can only presume you are like me and are looking for some meaningless speculation on that which is probably unknowable anyway. Ah, the luxury and the pleasure! So without further ado.... the Top Ten Things to Watch in Browns Camp That Might Actually Be Meaningful. *0. There is no Charlie Frye here. No Ruben Droughns. No offensive line. Hardly a mention of anyone over 225 pounds. Nothing about the coaches. Nothing about the playcalling. Nothing about defensive schemes. Nothing about special teams. Because anything you see about that stuff is totally meaningless in camp.
  1. The physicality of Kellen Winslow. Everyone is worried about whether Winslow will get his speed and agility back. I am too, but in camp I think the best measure of where he's at will be how aggressive he is in contact drills. Does he block aggressively? Does he meet tacklers with power in the preseason? Does he shed defenders near the line of scrimmage? If he looks good doing those things, I think he's got a good start.
  2. Sean Jones and Brodney Pool. I actually don't have much doubt that Pool will be a real player as long as he's healthy. We'll see. Jones, on the other hand, needs to show he belongs in the mix as a possible starter. And the bottom line is that the team needs one of these guys to pan out, and for it to happen this season. My guess is Pool is named the starter a couple weeks before the end of camp. But I'd be quite pleased if it were Jones that emerged.
  3. The backup wide receivers. This is my pick for the most important position that will get little attention. Let's face it: Braylon Edwards isn't returning until mid-season, and is unlikely to play great until 2007. That means we absolutely need contributions from our 3rd and 4th receivers, whomever they will be. The only real candidates to me are Jackson Frisman, Travis Wilson, and Josh Cribbs. It's Jackson who the team is relying on the most, and he did show some real promise at times last season. Wilson is an unknown to me and sounds like he need to develop, but that doesn't mean he can't be a contributor. And Cribbs looked really raw in 2005 as a WR and hopefully he's gotten more polished, but personally I'm wondering if he can be used creatively to effect.
  4. The return of Gary Baxter. We're really relying on Baxter this season. In fact, a strong season from Baxter could have a nice trickle-down effect on the defense. If Baxter looks recovered and ready to roll, we should feel quite good about the cornerback position. Baxter and Bodden won't scare anyone, but while they may not get a lot of press they are likely to earn a lot of respect.
  5. The linebackers. There's so much going on here that this might be further up the list. But there's only so much you can judge in the preseason. Davis and McGinest are not guys to watch. Neither are veteran backup-types like Stewart. It's the newer blood like Wimbley, Thompson, Jackson, Speegle, McMillan, and Williams that hold much of the promise of these Browns.
    • Wimbley - just be in the right place. Does he position himself properly on runs to the outside? Can he stay with a tight end or fullback in pass coverage? Does he look like he can be a bit of a pass rushing threat? We won't get all the answers of course, but we should have a good feel for how much he'll play as a rookie.
    • Thompson is moving inside and is pencilled in as the starter for the moment. But there's a lot of competition here, and Thompson has been pretty inconsistent. One thing is for sure -- Thompson is very athletic and has the speed to cover a lot of ground. But he'll have to show better instincts to earn a starting spot.
    • D'Qwell Jackson is a rookie that has got me excited. I think he's exactly what we need in the middle of the defense -- an undersized dude that plays his butt off to make up for it. My money is on Jackson to beat out Thompson, but I hope Thompson proves to be difficult to unseat cause Jackson sounds like the type of guy to raise his game.
    • Speegle/McMillan are back-up guys at best, and they might not both even be on the team. Last year they looked like rookies. This year, I'm hoping the step from start-to-backup isn't so noticable when watching the preseason games.
    • Leon Williams is described as a talent but also a character risk. OK. I get the feeling Williams was drafted with an eye towards possible being a contributor in 2007 or 2008. We'll see. Even if Williams looks good in the preseason I expect Crennel to make him wait for playing time. So the next 6-7 weeks are when we'll get our best look at him. It'd be nice to get the impression he could turn into a player. If we're sticking with the 3-4, it'd be nice to have to establish a stable of promising backups. After all, in coming years other teams will be raiding our LB core in free agency...
  6. Ken Dorsey. I think we needed a veteran, especially one who seems like a good mentor to Frye. Dorsey, whatever his strengths, is not that guy. In some ways I most fear Dorsey playing well in the preseason and fooling the FO into thinking he might be the answer... Ugh, the whole situation scares me. I guess I hope he either looks good enough to win me over, or looks terrible enough to get the boot while there is still time.
  7. Jerome Harrison. The write-ups on this guy excite me, but I take that with a grain of salt. Still, if Harrison looks good I think this changes the running back situation significantly for the next year or two. And it's likely that Harrison would take someone else's roster spot.
  8. Lawrence Vickers. The Browns aren't exactly hurting for a fullback, but it would be nice to have one who could be more of a factor with the ball in his hands. If Vickers proves to be that guy, it means McIntyre is cut. And it also could affect the RB situation since Vickers sounds like he could lineup in either position.
  9. Suggs & Green. 2006 is the year where something gives with one of these guys. Maybe it's a long-rumored trade for Ashley Lelie (which I am all for, btw). Maybe one of them just gets cut. As it stands going in to camp, William Green seems to have the most value to the team since he's shown he can serve as a backup and carry the load for weeks at a time.
  10. Oshinowo. Everyone is assuming he will backup at NT and learn from Ted Washington, myself included. But it's worth watching to see if that hold true, because if it doesn't the Browns are going to be this at NT again this year (no offense to Ethan Kelly...).
Published Jul 26 2006, 01:20 PM by MikeB
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