Dawghouse Blog

A Decade of Ben

MikeB — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:42:00 GMT

"This is about being a Pittsburgh Steeler for as long as I can be. I love Pittsburgh," Roethlisberger said. He added that he "wanted to be like the Dan Marinos, like the John Elways, guys who played with one team their whole career."

To all the Steelers fans... I actually have some pity for you...

It's not that he is bad. Actually I think he's pretty good. But damn if he's not an, uh, what's the word... an oaf. And it's kind of hard to root for an oaf.

Savage Bold Again

MikeB — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:42:00 GMT

All in all -- another exciting free agency season. Amazing too, since I don';t think anyone was expecting moves to rival last year. Savage is making inspired moves and you have to appreciate it. Go for it.

Stallworth. I like this move quite a bit. Braylon has some spee but not the way Stallworth does, and Stallworth has skills beyond his speed. With Jurevicius winding down, a #2 WR was more important than a lot of fans seemed to be realizing. Unfortunately this means Travis Wilson is headed for the scrap heap.

Shaun Rogers... high risk, high reward. Rogers can be a true force, and he does seem like the type of player who will benefit greatly from a change of scenery.

Losing Bodden. This doesn't bother me so much. Nobody was a bigger fan than I a couple years ago. But since then Bodden has not inspired.

Corey Williams. This has gotten nothing but favorable reviews, but I don't know enough about the guy to just put my faith in Savage.

No draft picks. I'm not liking this; I think the team needs at least one first day pick just to keep the talent level high enough on the team. But it's March. We'll see what happens before the draft.

Week 17

MikeB — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:32:00 GMT

Sign Anderson? I still say yes. Or at least make serious overtures in that direction so maximum trade value can be extracted. But really, if ANderson can be signed for a reasonable and trade-able contract, then why not do it? He's pretty good. He gets the ball out. There's no reason the Browns can't win with him.

Crennel? To the Dolphins? That doesn't sound all that right to me, but who knows. ROmeo is okay. I'd say keeping Chud is more important at this point as his play calling has been superb. But keep Romeo unless Parcells wants to pay. Would it not be funny if the Browns wound up with the Dolphins 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks by trading Crennel and Anderson? Could happen. But Anderson doesn't seem like Parcell's type. He's not enough of an asshole.

Sign Jamal Lewis? Can't believe I'm saying it, but I'm not opposed to a two-year deal. Lewis has really surprised me -- he's struck me as a pretty decent dude off the field, as far as felony drug convicts go. I'd make it fair, but top it off with incentive. Like, 2 years, 7 Mil guaranteed, 3.5 mil in attainable incentives the first year and 2.5 in incentives the next. The idea is to keep him motivated. And to make football more lucrative than any sort of illegal side business.

Kellen Winslow.... I have to say that as good as he has been, it is such a DAMN F'N SHAME he screwed himself up with that dumb motorcycle accident. I'm sure he thinks the same thing. He'll still have a great career. And when it is over the surgeons will put him back together for the rest of his life. I appreciate his mindset and attitude. By the way, he'll be a hero is he remains a Browns throughout his career.

Braylon? Love the guy. He's been great on my fantasy team too. But damn if that guy still catches balls against his body at strange times. I'm not really complaining though. It's a nice thing that a guy can have such a monster season and still have room for improvement.

Browns will handle the 49ers.

Titans will struggle in Indy and have their chance to win it. There's a decent chance they can't take advantage. No real gut feel there though.

Lame, I

MikeB — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 04:30:00 GMT

Damn I suck. It's been months, in the midst of the best Browns season since 1994 (at least), since I have had anything worth posting. But it's true. When everyone is heaping praise, there's not a lot to say. I've always been an offseason blogger anyway. It's almost the offseason.

Status Chek

MikeB — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:01:00 GMT

What do you do? You listen to dead men sing and run endlessly and dream of lost brothers. You might still say "Araby" is your favorite short story but the truth is that "Araby" was the last short story you read, and it'd probably the next thing you read if you had to consider the short story genre. And meanwhile haven't you noticed? The Browns are _winning_.

At some point we all come to terms with the fact that there are other, more pressing, interesting, rewarding things in life than following the Cleveland Browns. That doesn't make you a less fanatical Browns fan. On the contrary, it makes you perhaps more compulsive; you perfect the art of the disinterested glance at the sports ticker. You develop ninja mind control that allows you to Tivo games and reliably avoid all game knowledge until speedily watching hours later. You absorb losses and return to dinner with the in-laws and work on Monday morning and are seemingly unaffected... at least until about Tuesday afternoon when you realize you're still thinking about the dropped pass, the missed block, the blown opportunity. You are the anonymi. The silent minority. The guy who cares despite not caring for the crap, the prices, the wasted time...

You told anyone who would listen and who you cared to tell that Anderson was the only QB who could scare a defense. You felt good that the 2006 offseason was sweet even though it blew up in our faces. You liked Winslow when he got braces, because he got braces. You didn't expect much. In fact, it was more entertaining wondering when the same newspaper storylines would repeat themselves.

But no f'n way did it seem like 5-3 was in our future. The Cavs and Tribe heading deep into the postseason, sure, but the Browns? I guess you never know. Especially you, cause you don't park it in the muni lot 8 Sundays a year.

Best Indians Game. Best Indians.

MikeB — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:34:00 GMT

I'm sitting looking at the screen of my laptop watching a Canadian Soldier crawl across MuniLot.com. You have to love it.

A few months ago I spouted off about how these Indians were my favorite of all the teams we've had since, well, the early 80's. Still applies. The things that have changed? Carmona has grown into a ace. Guttierez and Cabrera have given a big lift to the team. And finally everyone -- the media, the fans -- is pumped. It's awesome.

Tonight's "bug game" will be remembered for decades to come. Unbelievable. We will long remember it as a coming of age game for Carmona who 3-hit the best offensive lineup in baseball. But don't forget that the Indians withstood two innings of Mariano Rivera before winning it.

I'm loving every second of it. Even if I'm watching the second half on Tivo after I get my daughter to bed. It's glorious.

Browns are Back

MikeB — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 04:28:00 GMT

No, I don't mean we are good exactly. But these are the Browns of my youth -- the Browns who are good enough to break your heart. Good enough to beat any team. Good enough to be a threat.

That's what putting in Derek Anderson was all about. Frye was just not a threat to the defense and Anderson is. Not that complicated. Lots of other things in the NFL are, but not that.

Edwards and Winslow are big play guys. When was the last time there were two of those on the roster?

THe defense... well. it's a work in progress. But Wimbley, Jones and some of the other dbs can make some impact plays.

And the o-line... getting better and better. Dominant? No. Passable? Definitely. Above average? Probably. Hallelujah.

I think the Browns can play a good game vs. the Pats. I mean, the Pats are unstoppable, but what are the Browns? They don't care. They've got a nice mix of good players and players who nobody thought would be getting a chance. Namely DA. Go Browns.

Why are We Watching Frye Again?

MikeB — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 19:56:00 GMT

No veteran QB signed, not even as a possible backup.

"Behind" Frye is Anderson, who there's no reason to have much confidence in either.

And after that is the rookie.

So WTF is the plan at QB exactly? Hope? Hope that Frye can do things that he most clearly couldn't do last season? I like Savage, but that is obviously on him. And if I am Romeo on the sidelines, I am pretty upset about that.

Yeah Frye played okay in the preseason. That was obviously meaningless.

Anderson is the only guy to play now. He's not great, but he throws the ball in the face of a blitz, which Frye simply can't do.

And if that doesn't work.... I can't even say it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vickers -- don't be a jackass. When you catch a 1 yard TD pass while your team is down 24 points, you don't dance like you work at Cleveland PM. Idiot.

All American Football

MikeB — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:55:00 GMT

The All-American Football League sounds pretty interesting. I'm intrigued by the idea that it would require players to hold a four-year college degree, and that teams could be "hosted" by universities. For one, this would be a nice incentive for all those borderline-NFL players to stay in school.

It would also enable college football programs, of which many are in essence for-profit enterprises, to field a team of their school's graduates. Think about that -- imagine Columbus Ohio fielding a squad of former Buckeye's. You might even be able to get former NFL players like Eddie George to play a season or two in the league at the end of the their playing careers. It sounds like great fun to me.

Some people will complain that this set-up will negatively influence college football. To the extent it may have influence, it would only validate the system that is already in place where the best college programs are near-professional teams (except the players don't get paid). This is a pretty meaningless protestation, unless one thinks the college game is going to revert back a few decades.

Don't start Brady Quinn yet. I'm loving what I'm seeing. I think Quinn is easily the most talented QB we've had since Kosar, and is clearly superior in physical talent. Really, I am thrilled and excited. It's just that I think he'll play even better once he's experienced some of the regular season from the sidelines. And I wouldn't start him in 2007 until the rest of the offensive roster has settled in, Chud's offense is well understood, and Quinn's taken in a month of games holding a clipboard.

I also think Frye has shown some growth this preseason. He hasn't looked that great, but he looks increasingly comfortable in the new offense. We already know he's not a guy who can beat an opponent on sheer talent; the scheme has to give him favorable opportunities. And the scheme seems like it may do that. Frye could hold the fort down well enough to get this offense in sync. Let's get though the beginning of the season and see where things stand.

That said, I'm curious whether Anderson or Frye get dealt. I don't think Frye is off the trading block.

Stick to the Plan

MikeB — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:14:00 GMT

Quinn should sit. Frye/Anderson (Frye) should start. THe other guy should be gone. THere was a good reason for this, don't doubt it yet.

Delayed Analysis: Quinn Signs

MikeB — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:01:00 GMT

Hey, Quinn has finally signed. I didn't really care or mind the holdout -- it just wasn't crucial to the Browns to get Quinn into camp on time. But, of course, if was important to get him into camp in a reasonable amount of time, and this week was the point at which "reasonable" would become "unreasonable." So it's a good thing this is all done and behind us.

A couple random thoughts...

The holdout didn't spoil the excitement over Quinn in Cleveland; it tempered it. That is a good thing.
~~Anyone who is upset with Quinn over all this is forgetting one very important fact:~~ The whole gambit to get more money as a QB at #22 was ultimately successful. Sure, he didn't get top 5 money, but he still got a premium and a five-year deal. ~~You shouldn't blame the dude for that (though you can blame this stupid system, if you want to delve into all that).~~ Quinn's holdout was one of the least productive of all time. Now that we can see the real money involved, it's basically the same deal he could have gotten a couple weeks ago. Only now he's lost a couple weeks. Oh well...
A 5-year deal... this is the major concession by the Browns. Since he won't start this year (so help me), and Quinn was "next year's 1st round pick," then I could have seen the argument for the Browns to insist he sign a longer deal.
But a 5 year deal favors the Browns on a guy like Quinn. It lowers the bonus money somewhat, and it means Quinn's contract won't be a factor if he flames out and the team parts ways with him.
And the Browns still come out ahead on the whole "Quinn is our 2008 1st Rounder" deal in terms of salary -- which is much lower than whatever guy we would have picked in the first round in 2008.
Also, this whole deal will be a modest improvement as far as the salary cap goes. You can't afford to pay top 10 picks every year.
Somebody has to explain to me why top draft picks aren't in their NFL city while contracts get negotiated. I guess because it is hard to workout properly without being at a training facility? That's the only reason I can think of. I mean, surely Quinn has bought or leased a residence here, right?
And wouldn't it have been much cooler if, instead of a contract being reported in the press, Quinn himself signaled an agreement by walking out onto the practice field in Berea? Oh well, it's not of much consequence.
The fans who've been constantly posting to the Watercooler ripping on Quinn and complaining about him... well, I'm happy this can end. Even though it won't.
The fans who will now commence calling for Quinn to start... well, just remember he, uh, can't start because he's just missed too much time and he's way behind... yeah that's it.
I'm rooting for Brady. I know it's risky and I wasn't all that high on him for the #3 pick, but for September 2008, man, I am all there. In the meantime let's see WImbley, Winslow, Edwards, Bodden, Pool, Jones, Wright, Davis, Jackson, Smith(s), Thomas, Steinbech establish a truly competitive core.
Grow the hair back.

I'm encouraged by Charlie Frye's attitude regarding Brady Quinn coming into camp. I heard on the radio Frye say (paraphrase), "When someone is competing behind you, it makes you do things you didn't know you were capable of." That's exactly the right frame of mind to have. It has the added bonus of being entirely true.

Then again, Frye's attitude never has seemed to be the problem.

Double Secret Quinn Strategery

MikeB — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 02:43:00 GMT

ProFootballTalk this morning, 8-6:

With the two of the three remaining first-round holdouts being the only two quarterbacks drafted in round one, a rare semi-original thought occurred to yours truly during a Monday morning spot with Scott Clark and Dave Ragone on 1570 The Zone in Louisville. Could it be that the Raiders and the Browns want these holdouts to linger deep into the preseason and/or into the regular season in order to counter pressure from the fans and the media to play their rookie first-rounders right away? Though it might not have been intentional in either city, the hidden benefit is that these guys will now most likely be able to sit for their entire initial seasons and watch and learn.

I don't know if this is intentional or not in the Browns FO, but I've been advocating this since Quinn was drafted. I don't want him to fall behind, but I definitely want him to watch and learn for the 2007 season. And that means not being prematurely named the starting QB. If it takes a holdout to do that, then so be it. It's better than sticking him in there and never letting him develop.

The model to emulate here is Carson Palmer. He sat behind Kitna, and when he played he played well. In his second year as a started he was a very good QB. Does anyone doubt that he couldn't have started as a rookie? No. Does anyone look back and think, gee, he would have developed faster if he'd started as a rookie? No. It's exactly the opposite -- his year on the bench is often the first reason given for his impressive development. Given the fact that the Browns will not be playoff contenders with Quinn behind center in 2007, there is just no significant benefit to starting him this season.

Holdouts are bad... but unecessarily starting a prized rookie QB is worse.

I loved this quote from Ted Washington in Peter King's MMQB article: "I'd be doing the same thing if I was commissioner. I think (Roger Goodell's) done a hell of a job. I'd clean up the game too. I'd tell those young guys: 'All right, you want to play the fool? Fine. I'm taking your money.'"

You know, none of what Goodell is doing would have happened under Paul Tagliabue. And if Goodell successfully cleans up the NFL it will have some widespread effects. Namely,

The NFL will have proven itself the best sports league in the world, again. Let' see, we have relative labor peace, huge popularity, wildly exciting games, a sensible steroid policy, and finally sane disciplinary policies. We'll see about that last one.
A tarnishing of Tagliabue's legacy. The more this goes on the more obviously it was overdue. Why did it take a new commish to address this problem?
A trend will start among the rest of the major sports leagues, where it will be much easier to start doing the same thing.

BTW, Peter King is high if the Browns are really the 32nd ranked team in the NFL. I know we're down in the weeds here and we're clearly in the bottom third, but c'mon we're not the absolute worst team are we? Really? Gosh I hope not.

Romeo: Can we just stop pretending like Braylon Edwards might not be a starter? Everyone knows the offense needs him to play and to play well. And if you don't play Braylon without first giving him a chance, then it will count heavily against you when your job is on the line.

LeCharles Bentley says his knee is at 70%. Fair enough. He also mentioned that he didn't ever think it'd be more than 90 or so percent. Translation -- it's gonna be very hard for Bentley to be the player he was. No impossible though. It could be that his future lies at the guard position.

I have to admit -- I am entertained when I hear Tony Rizzo describe the 2007 Browns with, "This is the season of dreams!"

WKNR seems to have woken up and realized that Cleveland sports fans enjoy listening to hosts who are themselves Cleveland sports fans. We don't want unbiased commentary... that's the job of the guests.

Camping

MikeB — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 02:09:00 GMT

First, let's get one thing straight. Kyle XY = Grady Sizemore.

Today was the official training camp visit of 2007. I had the pleasure of going with my father-in-law, which was great. As usual, Beech street is a highlight and I never get tired of the orange helmet stripe down the center of the street.

I'd love to have some fresh insight but today I couldn't help but think about training camps past and how misleading they turned out to be. Remember when Kevin Johnson just looked amazing in camp? I think we traded him that year. And how pumped and fast William Green often looked? Meaningless. You could just go on and on with stuff like this. So I have no "X will have a huge year" comments to make. Well, maybe just one...

Kellen Winslow will have a huge year. Sure, health is a concern but the guy looks so much better than any other pass-catcher on the field it is absurd. He always looks ready to make a catch, and he is almost always ready to turn upfield. He looks stronger in the hips and upper body. I see no reason why he can't top 2006.
Except maybe the quarterbacks. None looked so hot to me. Frye looked like he was in charge the most, which is probably the most meaningful thing. Anderson -- great arm. Dorsey -- looked like me out there.
Was close to a few guys. One being Travis Wilson. This guy will not be a top-flight receiver. He was working, but he wasn't working hard. He was practicing like it was high school or college. But he did make plays and looked pretty good, so that is cool. I hope this year he comes out and is a real contributor. But I don't think he's headed for the starting line-up.
Eric Wright talked to a lot of fellow players. I don't know if that is meaningful. But I'll assume it was nice to see a rookie sort of taking a leadership type role. He was much more engaged in what was going on that 95% of the guys out there.
Brodney Pool looks good. He just looks like a good football player. It's impossible to really judge secondary play from the sidelines, but the guy looks big-fast-strong and, after his promising 2006, I'm optimistic about him too. But, like I say, it's impossible to really tell. And the fact is that safeties almost always look good cause they have to be athletic and have som muscle.
Jamal Lewis looked okay. He didn't catch my eye the way he did for Peter King. I thought he looked like a veteran -- in good shape but also running with pace, being patient for a seam in the defense. I really don't know if that is a good thing though. Isn't he better when he just takes off and runs?
The sun and heat won.
I miss the big tall bleachers they once had back in the 1999/2000 days. It was so much easier to see what was happening on all the different fields.
I'm always impressed by how quiet fans are when something is happening near them. People are downright reverent and that is cool because it's all because we get to be right on top of things. But it's still crazy to think that you can't get this sort of respect for the average wedding or funeral the might be happening around town.
Harrison looks bigger. I hope he's more confident.

All in all, a nice afternoon. And on a day like today where it was 90 degrees or more on the practice field, for aa couple thousand fans to skip work and bake in the sun just to watch mostly fake practice drills... damn Cleveland deserves a championship.

One more thing. Don't be the guy who drafts Dante Culpepper, unless he's your 3rd QB.

Lastly, Tommy Makem died yesterday. More on him here. So long and thank you!

Best Five Things That Can Happen In Camp

MikeB — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 04:21:00 GMT

1. Nobody gets hurt. Seriously. There is nothing this team needs more than good health. 2006 was amazingly rotten with guys like Bentley, Baxter and Bodden. And Tucker, Winslow, Frye and McGinest were adversely affected i signficant ways too. There will be cause for some real optimism if this team makes it to Week 1 intact.

2. Consistently good effort from Braylon Edwards. Without a #1 wideout this team could be in deep trouble. Edwards needs a good season. And the Browns need Edwards to have it.

3. Non-news on the offensive line. This is boring. But we need this unit to quietly go about its business and for the coaches to fill in the depth chart. We don't need spectacular preseason play, and we don't want notably bad performances. But middle of the road is great if we wind up with a unit that is set and ready to go in 5 weeks.

4. Frye rises to the occasion to win the QB job. I've been of the mind that Derek Anderson is a better fit for the Browns, and wouldn't have been upset if Frye had been dealt this offseason. But we kept everyone and the first few days of camp have Frye looking sharp. Now, "sharp" is not an adjective I've ever heard to describe Frye. Is it possible Frye has grown and matured enough to both lead the offense and be a threat to the defense? If so, the impact on this team would be significant. The last thing we need is somebody backing into the starting role, which would mean poor play and a terribly low hurdle for Quinn to leap.

5. Veterans winning starting jobs. I want Leon Williams to be a stud as much as anyone. But even more we need incumbents to respond to training camp challenges and win their jobs. This goes for Andra Davis, Willie McGinest, Leigh Bodden, Braylon Edwards, Ted Washington, Ryan Tucker (to some extent) and even Kevin Shaffer. The harder it is for challengers to unseat incumbents the better.

So Brady Quinn is a holdout. I just don't care all that much, and I'm quite content for Quinn to hold out long enough to ensure he won't play in the early going. His time will come, but not this year, hopefully. Afterall, if he's starting games before Thanksgiving it means the Browns have thrown in the towel.

And have you heard what Condon is asking for? Give me a break. The slotting system allows for grossly inflated salaries for the top rookies each year, and beyond that it is perhaps the only sane thing about rookie contracts. The Browns FO should stick to their guns as all the arguments are in their favor.

Bud Shaw thinks the Browns should panic sooner than later in their negotiations with Quinn. He's right that the Browns need him, and that the risks to the team are immense. But Shaw can't quanitify his argument. Should NFL teams just pay whatever an agent asks for a quarterback? That seems to be Shaw's logic here.

It is flat-out amazing that Gary Baxter is practicing. I was certain he'd never play again. He spent 61 in a hospital bed after surgeries on both patella tendons. 61 days! If I spent 61 days in a bed, even without having a surgery, I wouldn't expect to be able to do much of anything for many months afterward. Let along playing football.

That said, the returns of Bentley and Baxter will present an interesting dilemna for the Browns if they can't play at a high level. They are both making big bucks and likely to eat up too much cap room to justify.

NFL Notes.... Michael Vick's NFL career is over. Bet on it. Why would any team touch him now, especially since he wasn't a consistent winner to begin with? Who would buy tickets and root for such a team? The only possibility is the Raiders, really, but by the time Vick is free Al Davis is unlikely to still be around.

Good luck Tim Couch, who just joined a training camp battle in Jaguars camp. I assume he feels sure of getting a roster spot since the Falcons would have appeared to be a safer landing spot in terms of making the team. Anyway, I give Couch credit for working his way back this far when he apparently has little financial incentive to do so. It's not inconceivable that he plays again, but that will largely depend on a shoulder which has been a big problem now for about 5 years. He'll have to beat some tough odds on that one.

The Giants should trade Michael Strahan if they can. Frankly, this dude has been a blowhard ever since he got the sack record. They've already gotten rid of Tiki Barber, and they may as well dump Strahan and just start anew.

July 1 Blather

MikeB — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 22:19:00 GMT

Bentley will try to play... Good luck man. I am not holding my breath that LeCharles really helps the line much this year. But if he can give it a go and survive the 07 season even on PUP-then-IR, then his chances of being a presence in 08 can be taken legitimately. Sure would be nice for good fortune to come the Browns way...

I'm still getting good vibes on Brady Quinn that he'll be a good player even though I wasn't all that high on him. I do think the key is to bring him along slowly. That's the thing with QBs with good but not incredible natural ability -- let them learn.

I don't think I'm giving away the farm here but quoting a "premium only" article on the OBR. Lane Adkins writes, "Wide receiver Dennis Northcutt is making quite an impression at receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Northcutt must have overcome the dropsies or the Jaguars are deficient at the position. The latter sounds about right, as Northcutt could not have reinvented himself overnight."

I say give Northcutt a little more credit. Sure, he was hugely frustrating the last few years as a receiver. But he had his moments, and he had plenty of big plays when he was used effectively back in the Butch Davis years. Since then it seemed like offensive coordinators had no clue what to do with him. Apparently no one asked me... put him in motion constantly, give him lots of little hook and in routes underneath, get him the ball with a chance to juke a defender and run 15 yards.

I have no idea what they are doing at Jaguars camp. But with the pads off, it;s quite likelyu that Northcutt looks fantastic. When the real games start, however, it will all depend on how the dude is used.

BTW, this was an afterthough in Lane's article... the rest is way more informative than what I'm aping here.