I'm nervous. I'm nervous.
I didn't like what I heard out of Berea this weekend and it has NOTHING to do with the players particpating in the rookie mini camp.
It's the coaches.
Did you catch the comments made by Crennel? Did you hear Joe Thomas say that his technique was being tweaked by Steve Marshall. My God, it is the first day of camp and Marshall is changing what has been successful for Thomas. And then we hear Doug Dieken give a ringing endorsement to Bob Palcic, Thomas' college line coach, saying that Palcic knows what he is doing. Conversely, does that mean Marshall doesn't? Could Dieken have been giving Marshall a left-handed compliment? As you know, Marshall's track record is not stellar.
Maybe.
I don't want to be negative, but I am worried about this staff. Not to mention Crennel's low-key approach when speaking about the performance of his players. Now is the time for the coaches to be positive in their comments about their new players--not start tearing them down. After all, it is the new guys who are giving this team and city hope, something that has been missing in Cleveland, oh say for about 20 years.
Then there is our QB coach changing the trajectory of Quinn's throws. Please, I know I was concerned about his accuracy, but offensive guru Charlie Weiss got Quinn to where he is today, I don't want Scherer changing things right out of the shoot for crying out loud.
Then there is Crennel wondering out loud what he will learn about his staff as they work with the players for the first time. You think he would have a good feel for that going in!
My God, it is the first weekend with the coaches and the buffoonery is already starting. About the only guy I have a good feeling about on this staff is Chudzinski.
I wrote in my last blog that Phil Savage has done his job--and he has. He has given the Browns the best talent they have seen in Cleveland since perhaps the late 80s. Now he has to turn that talent over to this coaching staff.
Phil you are the right man for the job. You work the draft, convince high priced free agents to come to Cleveland, you don't just dump players without getting something in return (Droughns for Carter etc..) But please...DON'T BE OVERLY PATIENT WITH THIS STAFF. Nobody wants to go through a coaching change, but under the circumstances you cannot afford to be overly pataient with Crennel.
This team is not void of talent. Remember the old phrase Bum Phillips used to say about Don Shula 'he could beat you with his or he could beat his with yours."
Trust me, alot of coaches could beat "theirs" with ours--and that is what worries me. I hope my initial feelings prove incorrect.
Go Browns!