Mark Leonard

January 2008 - Posts

• Notes and nuggets

  To begin with, it's time to amend a projection made last week regarding a vision for the Browns' draft plans, based solely upon what was seen of participants in Senior Bowl practices. At that time, Maryland's Dre Moore was foreseen as Cleveland's likely target, with ND's Trevor Laws nabbed in Round Three. Interestingly, a national writer came out with his projections for Round Two the next day and also had Moore going 53---but to Pittsburgh, with Cleveland selecting Texas A&M's Joseph "Red" Bryant, who was also discussed briefly in my piece. Bryant played well in the actual Senior Bowl game Saturday, but Moore did nothing. In fact, through three quarters he managed neither a tackle nor an assist, though admittedly he did not play every defensive down for his South squad. The amendment I wish to make is to say Laws is too good to bypass in Round Two and may not even last that long. He is that good. Active, disruptive, alert, instinctive, relentless, heady, seemingly indefatiguable, Laws would've gotten this man's MVP vote for his outstanding performance in an otherwise meaningless exhibition. Laws helped USC's Sedrick Ellis dominate the interior proceedings and enabled Penn State's Dan Conner to lead everyone in tackles. In fact, Laws' performance alongside Ellis---who is undeniably a Top Ten draftee---has to cause the Fighting Irish standout to rise in status among NFL personnel assessors. The disparity between them was sufficiently negligible to place Laws in serious consideration for Round One, though few NT-types go that early. Then again, Pitts selected a Texas Longhorn named Casey Hampton in Round One the same year Butch Davis grabbed a Florida Gator  named Gerard Warren and they've congratulated themselves for it ever since. Hampton may be the Steelers' single-most valuable defender. Browns' fans surely recognize the value of having an interior run defender in its 3-4, since they have so rarely seen its benefit. The latter portion of last season, however, provided them a liberal glimpse, as Shaun Smith was finally installed into the position for which he was originally signed. Smith had been playing LDE for the injured Orpheus Roye, with first Ted Washington and then Ethan Kelley manning the nose. With Smith over center, Cleveland fans witnessed the difference a strong surge can constitute confronting an oppositional ground game. The Browns shut-out the opposition in ten of their final 12 quarters. What sense would it make to then draft yet another NT when the team is already seemingly set at the spot? Smith starts and Kelley is resigned (Ethan is a restricted free agent). Good question. But need should not always prevail over all considerations. The best-available-athlete proposition must be entertained, particularly when that athlete happens to factor in a need area. Laws may not start, but he could still contribute meaningfully. After all, DL in modern pro football play rotationally. Often times, in fact, the Browns played as few as two DL last year, surrounding them with mates who could run and cover or get after the passer. Laws could help in those situations. Kelley was replaced by Smith on the nose because of injury that will necessitate surgery. So, depth is desirable and Ethan's health cannot be assured. What is more is Smith could always play some DE again, if only rotationally, though he is superior---probably due considerably to experience at the position---at NT. The idea at 53 would be to draft the best player available who might impact the defense. Laws could be that man. At ND, Laws accumulated an astonishing 224 career tackles, 22.5 behind the line of scrimmage. He defensed ten passes and had 10 sacks and six blocked kicks, forcing two fumbles and recovering six. In over 50 years of keeping such records, ND has had only five DL achieve more career tackles. For comparison's sake, only Chris Zorich (219) joins Laws with over 200 since 1981. Only one DL in ND legend exceeded Trevor's 2007 single-season total of 112 stops. The 6-1 305-pound Burnsville, Minn. product (born in Dayton) is a four-year letterman and was team MVP last season while earning second-team Academic All-America. He accomplished an undergraduate 3.22 GPA, but is at 3.66 in graduate school.   Moreover, Trevor is an accomplished amatuer wrestler, so he understands the meaning of quickness, agility, hand use and leverage. He finished 49-0 as a state champion super-heavyweight during his junior year, ranking as the number one wrestler in the country. (He came out of high school ranked second among DTs.) His wrestling team won Minnesota's state title in each of Trevor's final three years, during which he achieved a personal record of 142-5. In the Senior Bowl game, he blocked a pass, recovered a mid-air fumble forced by Eastern Michigan's Jason Jones and was all over the field, even squelching a fourth-quarter screen from behind only five yards downfield. That takes smarts and hustle, folks. Selecting as its initial draftee an interior DL when Shaun Smith and Ethan Kelley are already employed by the organization would be a somewhat controversial manuever by the Cleveland Browns, but ND's Trevor Laws has the skills to justify the investment, should he be available when their choice in Round Two arrives. His presence alongside Kelley, the two Smiths (Shaun and Robaire) and whatever else GM Phil Savage is expected to provide for the Cleveland front wall might at last enable the club to put an end to oppositional running-game successes. Without that much being accomplished, little else can be dictated defensively and winning cannot be attained. This upcoming weekend the NYG will go into the Super Bowl largely because they had the wisdom to draft a ND DL product at a position of already undeniable strength. Justin Tuck has found a way to meaningfully contribute despite the presence of both Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora. So, the idea is not without precedent and it has produced favorably. Speaking of the draft and a Super Bowl participant, much will understandably and justifiably be made of the brilliant job Bill Belichick has done with New England, and earlier for the Giants. Bill, of course, parlayed his NY success as Bill Parcell's D-Coor into his first head-coaching job here in Cleveland. Bill's 1995 draft day was notorious for his reported temper tantrum following the Jets' drafting of then-Penn State TE Kyle Brady, who Bill presumably coveted. Supposedly, Belichick through something through a television monitor in the Browns' war room. Then he gathered himself and dealt Cleveland's choice at ten to SF for a '96 number one, SF's choice at 25 and a pair of mid-round choices.  Belichick ended up presenting to Cleveland fans OSU OLB Craig Powell, Georgia QB Eric Zeier and Virginia DE Mike Frederick. SF got UCLA WR JJ Stokes. Following the Browns' eventual move to Baltimore, the '96 number one became MLB Ray Lewis (Imagine what Belichick might've done with that talent here!). Partially because Powell, Zeier and Frederick amounted to so little with the Browns, the Ravens also chose very early in Round One, as well, and grabbed a UCLA OLT who is probably headed to Canton's Hall of Fame. That would be Jonathon Ogden. But this mention is not to celebrate Belichick's '95 Draft Day brilliance, but to point out how foolish and pointless his tanttrum was, as it possibly prevented him from recognizing the three possibly HOF-ers taken between 10 and 25: DT Warren Sapp, OLG Ruben Brown and OLB Derrick Brooks.      Posted Jan 29 2008, 04:07 PM by MALeonard's Xanga

• If Browns were drafting strictly from Mobile...

  Yeah, it's childish. Yeah, it's pointless. Yeah, it is extremely unlikely what is about to be written will remotely come to pass. Nonetheless, since this entry goes straight to the Cleveland Browns' fan magazine website and its forums are heavy with positional analysis and off-season personnel expectations, it seems reasonable that some having interest in such speculation and dialogue might find it at least entertaining to experience one man's take on who the hometeam would be lucky to land with its upcoming April draft selections. After all, it is admittedly tempting, when watching draft-class candidates, to imagine a few of them on one's favorite team. I'm sure the coaches, scouts, general managers and other such dignitaries are behaving similarly. It's only natural, right? Maybe not. At any rate, here it goes. Assuming a great many things, such as that the drafting options will come exclusively from the Mobile contingents and that no trades will be made to re-acquire a first-round choice (Everyone knows Cleveland's was spent last April to get Dallas' selection at 22 so as to nab Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn) and that these players will remain available for selection at the time the Browns select (efforts were made to being reasonable) and that Cleveland will feel need dictates over best-available- athlete considerations---each a fantastic assumption in its own right---GM Phil Savage would be, in this man's opinion, fortunate to draft like this:           Round Two: Maryland DT Dre Moore, a Charlotte native who measures 6-4 306. Moore has the frame for the 3-4, with a barrel chest, long arms, thick limbs and the uncommon mixture of effectiveness against both the run and the pass. Hence, it may well be he's headed elsewhere well before choice 53 occurs.           Round Three: ND NT Trevor Laws, who is 6-1 and 305 and possessed with football savvy and a  non-stop motor. He is also an outstanding amatuer wrestler; many with that profile have excelled as professional linemen because they understand leverage. The Browns have two emerging youngsters at the nose in Shaun Smith and Ethan Kelley, but another viable body with playmaking potential would be great both for depth and for rotational value. The presence of Louis Leonard, who could factor either at end or at nose, permits Savage the flexibility of drafting the best talent available at either spot, utilizing Leonard at the other on his three-deep depth chart. Laws' arrival would place Leonard at LDE.           Round Four: Whichever is thought best available among these wideouts: Va Tech's Eddie Royal, Louisville's (pronounced "Lewellvulz" with no accent on any syllable) Henry Douglas, Appalachian State's Dexter Jackson or my personal favorite, New Mexico's sleek and athletic Marcus Smith. From this selection, Savage should be able to find for himself an elusive, quick-strike, run-after-catch wideout complement for the existing in-house options. Since the club still controls the rights to training-camp cut Efraim Hill, who somehow ended up on IR for the season, this may not be the need it is perceived to be. Then, an edge-rushing OLB would be nice to grab and Georgia Tech's Darrell Robertson is intriguing as a strongside starter candidate. UCLA's Bruce Davis is another.           Rounds Five thru Seven (with two picks in Round Six, thanks to the Charlie Frye liquidation): DEV OL and LB alternatives. I won't bore you with obscure names---assuming I haven't already. In totality, Savage appears to be in need of four infused viabilities on his two-deep front-seven depth chart: likely veteran free-agent additions at ILB and OLB and the two DL vacancies already alluded to, with Louis Leonard possibly influencing whether both are DEs or one is a NT. Savage cannot rely entirely upon kid prospects for solutions at all those slots. He'd be fortunate to land two immediate contributors from this year's rookie crop. It is also assumed Hawaii's Melila Purcell will be at least number four among next season's DEs. It is also assumed Simon Fraser will not be. What is more, Orpheus Roye will do as Bobby Hamilton did this year---and will do again next---stash himself at home until a late-season injury need arises. Now that the team is relatively successful and seemingly on the verge of full emergence, Phil should be able to entice two vet contributors, especially for as cheery a role as sack-specialist. Hence, the urgency for drafting an edge-rusher is lessened. Then again, if the opportunity presents itself on Draft Day, Savage should be expected to strike. On the other hand, what would cause any of us to anticipate the rest of the league leaving such a performer on the board til choice 53 comes around? More likely, a 3-4 DE type will be there. Texas A&M's Red Bryant, who had a stirring slugfest with Vandy OLT Chris Williams during the South's afternoon practice session, is another with a 3-4 frame who holds the point well. However, he does not offer much as a pass rusher and absorbs more than shed blocks. It is quite advantageous that a strong junior class of early entrants exists and that Savage is dependent upon neither this prognosticator nor the Senior Bowl candidates for his draft solutions. Posted Jan 23 2008, 04:45 PM by MALeonard's Xanga

• Making/losing money in Mobile

  Much of what occurs down here during NFL-coached practice sessions will influence a prospect's draft status and, therefore, his bonus monies. Contracts in the league are not guaranteed, so one's most significant leverage often accompanies one's initial contract, which helps explain the occassional holdout of a highly-drafted athlete. That all being said, it is understandable a sizeable degree of pressure to perform exists on the Ladd-Peebles Stadium turf for the assembled collegiate stars invited to participate this week. Some are making themselves richer through their play; others are costing themselves money. For example, the Northern receiving squad is a formidable group in which the contrast between the risers and the fallers is possibly most pronounced. Cal's Lavelle Hawkins put on a show this morning and just may emerge as integral to Saturday's game plan, with his underneath crossing skills complementing his deep-threat speed and after-the-catch excitement. On the other hand, Purdue's storied Dorian Bryant---the first to ever lead the Big Ten in receiving three straight years and a dynamic kick returner, as well---may be experiencing as profound a decline as any individual shivering in unseasonably-chilly Mobile. Bryant lacks a physical dimension to his game. He is slightly-built, almost frail-thin (5-10 169), a body-catcher and likely to be exposed by aggressive coverages, as is being hinted at thusfar. Whereas Hawkins (5-11 186) and Kansas State's Jordy Nelson  (a Dave Logan-approximate at 6-2 216) are distinguishing themselves as reliable and dangerous, the more celebrated duo of Bryant and Oklahoma State's Adarius Bowman may be slipping in stature. It is for developments like these the Senior Bowl practices are so worthwhile to talent evaluators. Bowman has improved since a rough first day, possibly attributable to unfamiliarity with his various passers. He is a big target (6-3 225) with an impressive reach and a willingness to tussle for possession. Yet it appears as if the North's primary weaponry this weekend may end up being Cal Bear teammates Hawkins and scatback Justin Forsett, a jitterbug-type (5-7 190) with extreme burst and quickness. Both are elusive and explosive, and seem to be making money for themselves in South Alabama. -------------------------- Perhaps the weakest unit on the North squad---and possibly in the game in general---is at LB. It was not stellar to begin with, but has since been aggravated by the injury losses of UNLV's Beau Bell and Miami's Tavares Gooden. There are some sideline-to-sideline chasers and a few one-dimensional types, but a good-sized run-stuffer with interior presence is totally absent. Then again, the game has evolved into one placing greater emphasis on coverage and movement. Nonetheless, the North seems to be completely without a prototypical MLB, though Penn State's Dan Conner (6-3 230) will man the spot. Georgia Tech's Philip Wheeler, who has outgrown the safety position and is now up to a chiseled 245 on his 6-2 frame, will fill the role on the South squad. Early assessments say the South has the more balanced and gifted front seven by quite a margin, particularly with the North also having had to subtract UNC DT Kentwan Balmer. ------------------ Presumably to better balance the teams at specific positions, geographic license has been exercised for the contest. For example, Pitt (OG Mike McGlynn) and Bowling Green (center Kory Lichtensteiger) are represented on the South squad, while all North Carolina collegians play for the North. Not only are Oklahoma (South) and Oklahoma State (North) athletes on separate squads, but so are neighboring states Kentucky and West Virginia. The Wildcats play for the South, but the Mountaineers are joined by  Va Tech---and all the western schools, including Arizona State and New Mexico---on the North. Doubtlessly Kentucky's inclusion in the SEC dictates where they are concerned.  McGlynn and Lichtensteiger (a name I am going to try not to have to type again today) are Ohio natives, by the way, hailing from Austintown and Van Wert, respectively. The latter was All-MAC four straight years, in fact. Austintown's team is Fitch, of course, but why do I suspect Van Wert's mascot is a Twerp?    Posted Jan 23 2008, 08:05 AM by MALeonard's Xanga

• Greetings from Mobile

  The annual festivities associated with Senior Bowl week include much more than the immense collection of NFL coaches and scouts and those collegiate hopefuls working to impress them. Though this year is thusfar an exception, it is usually about favorable temps and sunny skies, as well as distinctively delicious cuisine, ancient oaks with Spanish Moss, wrought iron balconies, Southern hospitality and a whole lot of open-to-the-public football practice---which early evidence reveals is being observed by more eyes than previously experienced. When this writer first made the sojourn five years ago, the media swarm was not nearly as heavy as is currently the case. The fan population is possibly unchanged, locally depressed by the chilly conditions perhaps. But those surging the field after each practice, eager to converse with the participants, exceeds both earlier visits. As for those hoping to parlay their invitations into early-draft status, this does not appear to be an uncommonly-gifted contingent. There is plenty of talent here, to be sure, but not quite the knock-your-socks-off variety---though, in fairness, a South practice has yet to be witnessed and that figures to be the stronger of the squads. Making matters even more disappointing regarding the North team, UNC DT Kentwan Balmer (6-5 308) appears to have possibly withdrawn from the contest. Neither Senior Bowl Director of Public Relations Vic Knight nor Adam Kaplan, a regular contributor to the OBR, knew precisely why the prospect did not partake in Tuesday morning's session. Knight and his superbly-helpful and friendly staff had nothing to offer, while Kaplan---ambushed at the Krispy Kreme table---thought an injury was the reason. Lost in the throng following the early workout, Oakland Raider DL coach Keith Millard was unavailable for questioning. (The Raiders staff is responsible for preparing the North units, while cross-Bay rivals San Francisco will be handling the South.) Balmer was the first of the DL on the field yesterday to receive personal tutelage from Millard, whose run-defense was among the sport's worst in 2007 and could surely use the services of one as promising as Balmer, who draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr., ranks with North teammate Sedrick Ellis (USC) among the elite DTs in this year's class. In fact, Kiper foresaw the emergence of Balmer this season once Butch Davis hired onto his first-year Tarheel staff John Blake to coach his DL. Kiper considers Blake among the very best of college coaches for that positional unit, crediting him with the rapid rise in 2006 of Nebraska product Adam Carriker, whom the Rams made their top selection last April at 13. And both Balmer and Ellis dominated Monday afternoon's brief scrimmage play, promising to give their team a legitimate strength to possibly counter a gifted South outfit. Whereas Ellis is a Jerry Ball fire-hydrant type, built thick and low to the ground (6-0 307), Balmer is Reggie White-like, with tree-trunk-like upper legs for power and ballast. He resembles the prototype for the position, whether aligned inside in a 4-3 or on the end in a 3-4. His would be a significant loss for Northern hopes and represent a considerable disappointment for those hoping to further evaluate him against premier opposition, either in practice or in Saturday's exhibition. Should Balmer depart, this would increase the burden on NC State's DeMario Pressley (6-3 300), whose shown far more thusfar as a pass-rusher than as a run-stopper. Pressley's techniques warranted special focus from Millard yesterday, particularly related to deficient hand use. He also seemed to struggle staying sufficiently low.   Hence, it is unlikely, at least from the North squad, that a club like the Cleveland Browns will be finding reinforcements for either its 3-4 DL or at ILB. In fact, UNLV's Beau Bell, possibly that squad's best MLB candidate, went down this morning with what appeared to be a right knee injury, though that is unconfirmed. Trying to convert inside from OLB, Bell got caught up in the wash during a running play and seemed to be hit from the side while extended. What the North squad may have at positions of relative Cleveland need are interior OL, quick WRs and maybe an edge rusher to complement Kamerion Wimbley. For the last role, Va Tech's Chris Ellis (6-4 257) appears a bit better holding the point than Purdue's Cliff Avril, though the latter has an impressive upfield surge. The South looks to have a few candidates, as well; particularly intriguing is Wake Forest's Jeremy Thompson. In Mississippi State's Titus Brown, they may also have an ILB. (More on the South in a latter entry.) Among the North interior OL are USC Drew Radovich (6-4 300), Oregon State's Roy Schuening (6-3 308)and Northern Iowa's Chad Rinehart (6-5 311), though Nebraska's Carl Nicks (6-5 345), currently working at tackle, could move inside at the next level.  Schuening and Rinehart were also LTs for their college squads, with the former appearing more comfortable inside at this point. Rinehart also shows good base and balance but is more inclined to remain tall. Rinehart is, however, a big raw-boned kid with a lot of upside. He's in the Ryan Tucker mold. Cal's Lavelle Hawkins (5-11 186), Va Tech's Eddie Royal (5-10 181) and New Mexico's Marcus Smith (6-1 210) impress with quickness, versatility and big-play potential as complementary threats. The most heralded of the  Northern receivers, Oklahoma State's lanky Adarius Bowman (6-4 220), on the other hand, is afflicted thusfar with dropsies.   None are nearly as remarkable, however, as the always well-represented assemblage of former league stars that populate Senior Bowl sidelines. There are probably more former All-Pros here than there are collegiate hopefuls, in fact. There is Paul Warfield shaking hands with Willie Brown. James "Shack" Harris leaning against the bleacher wall next to Doug Williams, just yards from Earnest Byner making the greetings gauntlet amid contemporaries saying things like: "Here comes my hero." Smallish WRs Harold Jackson and Henry Ellard are scarsely recognizable in their slightly-thickened forms. That gray-haired fellow can't possibly be Robert Brazile, is it? It's Senior Bowl week in Mobile. I hope you can make the trip one day. Posted Jan 22 2008, 09:33 AM by MALeonard's Xanga

• NFL 2008 Hall of Fame class cut

  The announcement of the 17 finalists for the Canton hall had this man thinking who he'd elect from the field. The sport annually inducts no fewer than four and no more than seven. WR Cris Carter and CB Darrell Green are no-brainers. Punter Ray Guy is long overdue, though his would always be a position that would be disregarded. Guy helped revolutionize the emphasis now evident among league specialists and is arguably the best-ever punter, though Sammy Baugh deserves mention in that conversation. A pair of WRs who've also been left waiting heretofore, Buffalo's Andre Reed and Washington's Art Monk, merit inclusion. Tough, consistent, clutch, business-like, physical and reliable, these two were as good as any during their primes and integral to the winning their organizations experienced. This contingent seems to prize so-called skill guys over grunt personnel, especially given the quite fine candidates on both sides of the ball. But all seem just a cut below the elite grade, except for long-time Viking OLG Randall McDaniel, a perennial Pro-Bowler and one who is still somehow among the more underrated at his specialty. Much as Monk goes in with his former teammate Green, McDaniel accompanies Carter. Because the shrine is a showcase for the league itself, it should also be expected former commissioner Paul Tagliabue will be enshrined as a contributor. Others finalists include DEs Fred Dean and Richard Dent; LBs Randy Gradishar (of Champion and Ohio State), Derrick Thomas and Andre Tippett; OL Bob Kuechenberg, Russ Grimm and Gary Zimmerman and the two anticipated senior-committee nominees.     -----------------------   Posted Jan 16 2008, 07:16 AM by MALeonard's Xanga

• Marty in Cincy?

  An intriguing rumor making the NFL rounds has the Bengals' head coach, Marvin Lewis, returning to the Baltimore Ravens, a team he once served as D-Coor, to replace the deposed Brian Billick as the lead man in Crapcake City. Lewis had recently made some noise about wanting a beefed-up scouting/personnel department should he remain relatively happy in Cincinnati. For those who don't know, Bengals' owner Mike (son of Paul) Brown allocates less to these areas---both in numbers and in dollars---than anyone else in the sport. Some theorize the Bengals risk investments in dubious characters because it is so difficult to otherwise locate athletes under the current conditions. Should the Lewis-to-Baltimore scenario come to pass---and it is very possible Brown would like it to, since he'd be in line for compensation for Lewis' rights from the Ravens---there is the suggestion former Browns (and Chiefs and Redskins and Chargers) head coach Marty Schottenheimer might replace Lewis in the Queen City. Schottenheimer---as well as his son Brian, currently the Jets' OC---has also been mentioned for Billick's job. Ozzie Newsome heads the Baltimore organization, played for Marty and reportedly is campaigning for him with owner Steve Bisciotti. That owner is less enthralled. Ironically, Marty and Lewis are both from the same Pennsylvania hometown, a place called McDonald. The professional marriage of Brown and Marty might well suit the coach on several counts. It is well known Marty wants full control of personnnel, which delivers to Brown a less-expensive multi-tasking solution to his issues. Marty would perform two jobs for little more (relatively speaking) than the price for one. Marty also runs a tight ship, high on character and motivation. He is a teacher, a fundamentalist, a no-nonsense bare-essentials type who features a running game and a heady, physical, rarely-out-of-position defense. He is a proven winner---though still not yet on the big stage---and a developer of young men who happen to play professional football. He could be expected to clean up the Bengals' deficiencies while optimizing what they already do well. He very well might be the perfect fit for that organization and that city, which has a deeply German core from its origins. Marty knows the conference and the division. He knows the Northern climate and the peculiarities of Ohio's weather. He'd enjoy the Cinn OL talent and the luxury of having a superb young passer in Carson Palmer. He might even salvage access to mercurial WR Chad Johnson. RB Rudi Johnson would love his arrival and philosophies, as would those aforementioned linemen. What is more, Marty would cure what chronically ails that club defensively. I apologize for repeatedly sounding like Marty's agent. But the man can coach and this just might be an ideal location for this lifelong molder of men, teams and hokey cliches. And watching him work with the troubled talents affiliated with that ballclub would add an interesting chapter to his sizeable legacy. ----------- On the subject of one-time Browns landing in appropriate places, watching the Philadephia Eagles try to play offensive football the past few years without legitimate WR threats has caused this writer to think they'd have been the right team to employ both Antonio Bryant and Quincy Morgan, a pair of talented targets who spent 2007 out of football and were once exchanged for one another---when Butch Davis sent the latter to Dallas for the former. Morgan might've stretched the defense while contributing needed size, with Bryant working the underneath crossing patterns in complement to Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, neither of whom impressives as NFL starters. Sure there'd be drops, as there always are where Morgan and Bryant are concerned, but they'd make the Eagles a more difficult team to defend and provide frustrated Eagle QB Donovan McNabb some much-needed assistance.  But, as all fans know by now, just because a certain something appears to make sense does not mean it will occur. ----------- Before leaving the concept of NFL WRs, it was uplifting to note the league-leaders in receptions included unspectacular, lowly-regarded types like Wes Welker, TJ Houshmanzadeh and Derrick Mason---all of whom exceeded 100 catches---as well as Bobby Engram, who just missed triple-digits. These developments come on the heels of Detroit's Mike Furrey's league-leading 2006 catch season. Furrey had been an undrafted free agent who spent years in the minor leagues of professional football and even played a year at safety for the Rams before Mike Martz brought him along to the Motor City. These tough-minded types do the dirty work underneath to move the chains, precisely the type of achiever the Browns could stand to add going into next campaign. Such an addition not only would provide Derek Anderson a check-down option, but might encourage him to develop comfort with the shorter passes, an element that could elevate the Oregon State product to yet another level of proficiency. Credit a few local commentators for recognizing how well Mason might fit the Browns. The same duo wisely recommended Niners' DE Marques Douglass, a former Raven, who is well-schooled in the 3-4 and a strong, positive influence on the field, in the clubhouse and in the community. Current Eagle (formerly of Auburn and Buffalo) Takeo Spikes might be a superb addition for ILB. ----------------- It was interesting to see that both the Steeler reclamation pieces---CB Ricardo Colclough and  C Marvin Philip---were inactive for all Browns' game for which they were eligible this season. There they were joined virtually every week by Savage draftees Travis Wilson, Isaac Sowells and Jerome Harrison, incidentally. Patient development must be the explanation. ---------------   Posted Jan 10 2008, 07:10 AM by MALeonard's Xanga

• Too many third-and-shorts

  In a sense, Ohio State was beaten by a method that had formerly been their own. They allowed LSU to place themselves into too many third-and-shorts offensively, resulting in an incredible third-down conversion rate. What is more, anyone with casual familiarity with Tiger football in 2007 knew that club goes to Jacob Hester off left guard whenever short-yardage is needed, much as they repeatedly did last night. The conclusion has to be that OSU also knew what to expect but was powerless to prevent it. They were simply overpowered, in no small part due to LSU featuring at that left guard position the huge (6-7 356) Herman Johnson, an apparently dominating run-blocking force. This had once been Buckeye football: "Three yards and a cloud of dust," facilitated by having at its disposal the superior linemen. What transpired last night was appropriate, given that Tigers' head coach is an Elyria  native and a Bo Schembechler protege. Schembechler cut his coaching teeth under Woody Hayes, the longtime Buckeye head coach, who was synonymous with that above-quoted expression. It was Miles who had the better linemen this time.  But, like Bo, Les Miles had more available to him than merely power football. That final TD toss to TE Richard Dickson, his second of the evening, may well have been just to demonstrate that OSU still had not solved how to cope with what LSU was doing schematically, particularly where Dickson was concerned. That the TE factored so significantly in the outcome from the LSU perspective is so ironic given that OSU refused to employ its own TE. What seriously hurt the Buckeyes was the non-play of their DTs. Many were the occassions when the OSU edge defenders---DEs and OLBs---penetrated and forced Tiger runners back into the interior, only to find the going easy. No Buck DTs impacted on this day. OSU got nothing from the DTs last night. Unofficially, those who appeared at the position last night in OSU scarlet totalled two tackled and two assists---in 76 scrimmage snaps. The manner in which the LSU secondary outplayed OSU's was also dramatic. It did not help, of course, that the Buckeye schemes seemed to restrict themselves to slow-developing fly patterns, as if the coaches were delusional enough to think the OSU receivers would merely streak by the unsuspecting Tiger backfield. As if they were delusional enough to imagine the Buckeyes could also provide its QB the requisite time. Adjusting to reality never seemed to occur. On the subject of reality, it is time to acknowledge I'd picked the Bucks in a narrow victory going in. I'd maintained the SEC's supposed conference and speed superiorities were mythical. I was half right. Speed was not so much a factor last night---though the OSU offensive coaches made it one by insisting on trying to have its wideouts attempt to outrun the Tiger DBs. It was the big boys who won last night for LSU. It was the superior physical dominance of their linemen that allowed LSU to win last night. That and better scheming. Perhaps it is also appropriate to drop the presumed game-day excellence of the near-legendary Jim Tressel. For the second successive year, the Buckeyes did not make a good showing in the National Championship game. What is more, adjustments again appeared to be few---or at least largely ineffective. And the losers played to that term by committing senseless and self-destructive roughness penalties. These were not supposed to be Jim Tressel football ingredients. Sure, it can be stated that this OSU ballclub arrived at least a year early, coming off the immense roster turnover experienced after the Florida disaster. Only three senior starters. Many first-time regulars. It can also be argued that a few key plays, were their outcomes slightly different, might have made for a much different game. Maybe. Then again, isn't this region known for its consolation strategies, intellectualizations intended to help with resiliency, to aid in our bouncing back from yet another very disappointing showing when the prizes are the largest? Discussing the Robiskie endzone drop, the near-miss on the punt-block, the blocked FG---these are moot and pointless to contemplate. More indicative were these disparities: 12 LSU rushing first downs to six; Five sacks to one; 36 penalty yards to 83; the third-down conversion rate of 11 for 18 instead of 3 for 13. It may be that OSU's reputation caused both SEC opponents to come with their "A" games; but it cannot be said the Buckeyes delivered their own, on either occassion. Last year may well have had aberrational qualities, but last night's was inexplicable---except for that LSU was clearly and unmistakably better. Hail to the victors. This was a deserved title. Congrats to LSU, its followers and fans. Serious reflection for OSU. They don't deserve national grief and ridicule. That must stem from jealousy or misguided residue attributable to the long-deceased and polarizing Hayes. The Buckeyes have an enviable, clean, outstanding football program, the likes of which no one needs be ashamed of on any count.   Yet they will be accused of being undressed, exposed, overmatched, inferior. Dinosourish to the point of fossilization. There will be growth from self-evaluation. And they will be back, welcomed by America's football critics or not. They will be back. Posted Jan 08 2008, 01:16 PM by MALeonard's Xanga

• Amending the aberration

  This piece concerns tonight's National Championship game featuring Ohio State vs. LSU. It presents the Buckeyes with the opportunity to demonstrate last year's title bout with the Florida Gators was, indeed, an aberration. I expect, in fact, that is what will transpire. There is an abundance of pre-game commentary available elsewhere, so I see no point in replicating it here, other than to say it figures to come down to which QB plays better. Both OSU's Todd Boeckman and LSU's Matt Flynn are advanced-aged upperclassmen in their first years as starters. Neither has had to carry the load for their talent-laden rosters. Yet whichever one outperforms the other figures to emerge victorious. Having Jim Tressel to assist him should advantage Boeckman over Flynn. Then again, it was thought to be the former Youngstown State head coach who held the edge over last year's rival coach, Gators' Urban Meyer, the Ashtabula-born former Bowling Green and Utah leader. Meyer out-coached Tressel, an extreme oddity in a big-game for the little man from Mentor. A confluence of elements conspired to doom the Buckeyes in the desert last January, but SEC speed or superiority was not among them. Those are both myths, at least when the encounter features just two of  their respective conference's best ballclubs. Nonetheless, it remains thusfar true that OSU is winless-for-eight against teams from that conference. Only a seriously lopsided OSU win over an outfit that, from the start of NCAA play this season, was considered one of the nation's elite squads, might alter national impressions of the Buckeyes, due largely to not only that stat but also to last winter's outcome. Even that would likely be described as an aberration by SEC loyalists. Such is their right, much as this writer is exercising his. Both teams can be expected to force the other into a one-dimensional attack by targetting the other's ground game, thereby forcing the opposing quarterback to demonstrate his ability to win a championship contest through the merits of his passing skills. Neither QB is quite the type to fear, especially by defenses the caliber of either OSU's or LSU's. What OSU has going for itself, aside from the expectation of superior game-day coaching, is motivation, the chance to undo some of the damage it did to its reputation last time on the national stage. The Tigers have the home crowd. Able to learn from its strategic and attitudinal mistakes, the Bucks should prevail. It is generally not recommended to rely upon comparative scores, but LSU lost twice this year, both times to outfits less capable than the one team to defeat the Buckeyes. Kentucky and Arkansas are not premier entries, any more than were the Stanford Cardinal (who beat USC), Colorado or Texas Tech (who beat Oklahoma), Pittsburgh (who eliminated West Virginia) or Tennessee (who kept Georgia from the SEC title picture and narrowly defeated an ordinary Wisconsin collection last week.) It is all the more regrettable a genuine playoff system is not in place---or that Georgia didn't meet USC earlier this month in the Crescent City's Sugar Bowl---so more realistic comparisons could exist. As far as tonight's contest is concerned, neither team should dominate the other, but the Ohio State team figures to have the better-balanced attack. That could account for the difference, something like 23-15. But that is why they play the game---and why a real playoff arrangement should decide things.  You already knew that.  Posted Jan 07 2008, 09:04 AM by MALeonard's Xanga