In my short 31 years, I have learned many lessons. Never stick a fork in a toaster jumps to the forefront, save every receipt for the taxman, always wear clean underwear (thanks mom), and the single most important lesson that I’ve learned is: temper your enthusiasm.
As a Browns fan, wait that doesn’t imply enough enthusiasm, as a Browns psychopath, I’ve found that whenever I get too high on the off-season maneuvers of the front office, I end up setting myself up for a major disappointment. For example, in season one of the return, I was pumped up about Ty Detmer finally getting a shot at starting. I remembered a game in which he threw four first half interceptions followed by four second half touchdowns. I really thought that the playoffs were a distinct possibility due to the recent success of the Jaguars and Panthers. What wasn’t to like about that roster? It was loaded with some good veterans and some up-and-comers that had been around the league and a handful of rookies that I thought could contribute right away. Not to mention that we had stolen a cerebral coordinator as our new head coach that was going to develop our rookie quarterback and restore pride to Ohio. Well, we all know how that turned out.
Even after the debacle of 2-14, I thought with the addition of Courtney Brown that we now had a cornerstone on defense. I thought he was special like Reggie White was special. I even made a bet with a friend of mine that his Saints would end up worse than our Browns. For every game that the Browns won and the Saints lost, he would owe me thirty bucks and it would be tallied at the end of the season. Well, we ended season 2 at 3-13 and the stupid Saint (coming off a 3-13 season) ended up 10-6 and making the playoffs. This was the year that I learned to temper my enthusiasm. It was a $210 lesson but I guess that’s a small price to pay for wisdom.
So here’s the thing, with all of the intelligent moves that we have made towards closing the talent gap within our division, I find it very hard to temper my enthusiasm. I don’t want to get too deep into this without first providing a few variables. The first variable is a given. With the draft still four weeks away, you must assume that we will find no one that will be starting caliber. Now with that said, any solid contributions from a rookie will be an added bonus toward our overall standing. Another variable that must be taken into consideration is Kellen Winslow. If you take him completely out of the equation, you can assume that Steve Heiden will have another season like last year. Now if Kellen can come back and dominate like say, Antonio Gates has, that’s another added bonus. Another variable that I am providing are injuries along the offensive line. It can and most likely will happen again, however, with the depth that we have gathered in the past two seasons, one injury will not reshuffle the entire line as it did in years past. The last variable should be the quarterback position. Even though Romeo is not in the habit of handing out starting positions, I assume here that Charlie Frye will be the starter. He has everything you want in a starting quarterback except a cannon for an arm. Well, Joe Montana didn’t exactly sling the rock like Favre but look at all he accomplished. Drew Brees is another example of weaker armed quarterbacks that can move the chains and put up good numbers.
Now, here’s where I start getting excited and foam starts flying out of my mouth and hitting the keys on my keyboard. When I look at the pinnacle team from last year, the Steelers and compare their players to ours, I don’t see the gap in talent that was obvious last year. Here is a look at their roster as it stands and our roster as it stands going forward into next season as well as a player-by-player comparison.
QUARTERBACK
Ben Roethlisberger Vs Charlie Frye
Ben, the patron saint of Findlay, is in my eyes, the single most overrated quarterback playing in the NFL today. All northwest Ohio bias aside, he hasn’t been brilliant like the Steelers fans would have you believe. Sure he has a great record as a starter and he accomplished what Dan Marino couldn’t but he is a bit player on a great team. He’s just mobile enough to escape some pressure and he throws well on the run. Big deal. Charlie does both of these and he does it better than Ben (Worthlessberger, Rotten burger, Rot his Weiner, you decide which to use). The thing that separates these two the most is that Ben can launch the ball thus keeping defenses honest. I believe there’s a defense that’s been used to prevent the long ball and we excelled playing it last season. Cover 2.
(NW Ohio note: After the Steelers won the Super bowl, Ben was in Findlay and after a night of drinking and cavorting, he got in his car, thoroughly soused, and proceeded to speed up main street, whipped a U-turn, and sped away. According to several eyewitnesses, this happened in front of several cops and I believe there may have been a write up in the Findlay Courier) Ben, I believe, is in for a serious Rocky Balboa versus Clubber Lang type rude awakening in season 3. His success will go to his head and this will hurt the Steelers. (I loved writing that last line!) Meanwhile, Charlie will have a successful year as he digs deep within himself to prove the doubters, critics wrong. All I can say for Ben, I pity the fool.
Before I move on to the Running Backs, I must address the people of Findlay regarding what I’ve just said. Lighten up! At least you still have Josh Huston! I believe you still have room on that pedestal for Josh.
Advantage: For now, it’s the Steelers until my analysis comes to fruition.
RUNNING BACK
Willie Parker Vs Reuben Droughns
Willie is fast, that’s a given. Reuben runs with heart and determination that’s been missing since the days of Mack and Byner. Although Willie is coming off a 1202 yard season, I doubt he will match that this year. I believe him to be a one year wonder that is too slightly built to handle the constant pounding of being a feature back. Reuben on the other hand has proven that he can carry the load despite his obvious wearing down at the season’s end. Look for the Steelers to draft a Bruiser in the late rounds that they can develop for the short yardage and goal line situations a la the Bus. As a matter of fact, the Browns may want to do the same so don’t be surprised if we draft a big running back like Lendale White. I personally wouldn’t want to see that happen but if the brain trust sees fit, I will back them wholeheartedly.
Advantage: Even
FULLBACK
Dan Kreider Vs Terrelle Smith
Kreider will never be a threat to run the ball or catch passes out of the backfield but neither will Terrelle. They both excel in the traditional role of fullback which is to go and destroy the linebacker or whoever it is they see first. I would have to say that Terrelle is a nastier guy and he is often overlooked in the eyes of the Pro Bowl voters who like to vote in name players. He has opened up holes for Ricky Williams, Deuce McAllister, and now, Reuben Droughns and they have all been successful running behind him. Terrelle brings unselfishness and a willingness, I should say eagerness to seek and destroy. Dan brings leverage as evidenced by his diminutive stature, 5’11” 255 lbs but other than that he isn’t as nasty as what you would like in a traditional fullback.
Advantage: The Browns, I was going to call this even but the nasty factor puts us over the top.
TIGHT END
Heath Miller Vs Kellen Winslow Jr.
Heath Miller actually overproduced last year. In some peoples’ eyes, he seemed to be the next coming of Mark Bavarro. I see him more as a Bubba Franks type, a guy that scores in the red zone but cannot consistently move the chains. His 6 touchdowns last season are about what you can expect on a yearly basis. Further examination of his rookie season reveals that he had 6 touchdowns in the first 8 weeks and none thereafter. Personally, I would say that he has already reached his talent ceiling. Kellen Winslow, on the other hand is like a box of chocolates. Will he be the player that he was drafted to be or will he be a guy like Jerramy Stevens? If and this is a big if, if he ends up being a shadow of what we all thought he could be, he ends up in the Pro Bowl. If he falls flat on his face, then we have a decent backup in Steve Heiden that can put up similar numbers to Miller over the course of an entire season. However, Heiden seems to disappear for long stretches throughout the season only to emerge with a brilliant game every now and then. I believe that Winslow will emerge this year and catch 60 balls or more if he stays healthy. Call it wishful thinking or enthusiastic stupidity but I do believe that Winslow has what all championship caliber players have: fire, intensity, and a desire to not only succeed but to be the best in the game. Now, I know some of you have soured on him but just remember that he is only 22 right now. Try to remember what you were doing at that age and how grown up you were at the time. Does he have some growing up to do? Sure. Does he have to prove that he was a first round pick for a reason? Absolutely. Can he put together a brilliant, injury free season that quiets the critics? We’ll find out soon enough.
Advantage: For now let’s just give it to the Steelers but deep down I believe or hope that KW2 can rise to the top of the league with the likes of Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzales, or even Todd Heap.
Wow, this is getting long!
WIDE RECEIVER
Hines Ward and Cedrick Wilson Vs Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius
Hines Ward is an elite receiver, there I said it. He does any and everything that you could want a receiver to do. He has reliable, soft hands. He blocks to the whistle and he is a leader on offense. Cedrick Wilson, not so much. He came into the league as a sixth rounder, had a couple of decent seasons for the 49ers and jumped ship to the Steelers soon after. I would expect the Steelers to go after a receiver in the first round even though the en vogue pick among mock drafters seems to be Bobby Carpenter. They lost a critical element in their receiving game when Randle El left. Unless they can find a replacement arm to play the option quarterback/receiver role that Randle El played, they become more of a traditional offense. The Browns, however, have an enigma at Wide Receiver. Can Braylon come back from a torn ACL and play at the level he was starting to play at before the injury? Most people that I’ve talked to doubt it. That’s not to say that he won’t be a star someday, just not next year. It’s hard regaining your speed and confidence after an injury like the one he sustained. My understand is that it usually takes two years to come back from this injury however, there are exceptions out there. Antonio Cromartie from Florida State tore his ACL in the summer of 2005 and recently ran a 4.39 at the scouting combine. Anquan Boldin comes to mind also. He tore his ACL in college, sat out a year, had a decent season at Florida State and then becomes the NFL’s rookie of the year in 2003. Jamal Lewis tore his ACL and has gone on to have a pretty good career. As a matter of fact, he tore his ACL in college and in the pros. He had a pretty good year after sitting out the 2001-02 season with 1327 yards the year after the injury, so there’s hope for Braylon to be back in time for the season and to have a stellar season but don’t expect it or you may be setting yourself up for a letdown. Now, Joe Jurevicius, on the other hand, is coming off his best season ever as a pro. He can be a number one receiver right now and he’s unselfish enough to slide into the number two role. The main thing about Joe that I like is that he wants to be here. He has always wanted to be a Brown and he will leave it all on the field every Sunday for us. The second thing that JJ brings is size. Imagine having him, Braylon, and Kellen all on the field at the same time forcing defenses to try to defend the jump ball. I think this lineup alone adds 15-20 TD’s to Frye’s total every season.
Advantage: Cleveland, although this hinges on the return of Braylon Edwards to health. Seriously, take Hines Ward out of the equation, and what do the Steelers have?
Okay, since this is getting so long, I have to cheat on the offensive line comparisons. I have to clump them all together because a player by player comparison will turn this into an epic novel. I know that wars are won in the trenches and I don’t want to gloss over an integral part of the equation but I’m already at the end of page 4 on Microsoft Word and I believe that you are all losing interest.
THE OFFENSIVE LINE
LT-Marvel Smith Vs Kevin Shaffer
LG-Alan Faneca Vs Joe Andruzzi
C-Jeff Hartings Vs LeCharles Bentley
RG-Kendall Simmons Vs Cosey Coleman
RT-Max Starks Vs Ryan Tucker
The Steelers have one of the most dominating offensive lines in all of the NFL. They have targeted offensive linemen early and often in recent years and they’ve been quite successful at it. However, there are a few suspects here and there. Kendall Simmons, a first round pick in 2002 hasn’t been spectacular as a pass blocker and Jeff Hartings is on the downside of his career at age 33. Max Starks, a 6’8” 337 lb man-mountain filled in adequately last year but I don’t see him as a long-term starter. Even though, I referred to them as dominating, this is where I see the talent gap closing the fastest. At LT, Kevin Shaffer brings a mean streak and a drive to prove the doubters wrong as evidenced by his 7th round draft stature. The main knock on Kevin is that he has trouble with speed rushers to which I say, there are 32 starting left tackles in the NFL. Of the 32, maybe 3 don’t have trouble with speed rushers. I see Kevin as a definite upgrade over LJ Shelton. Joe Andruzzi may not make it through the season as a starter due to injuries and age but when he’s in the game, he is much like Kevin. A hard working, blue collar guy. LeCharles is in the prime of his career and has excelled at Guard and Center so he can play either. I know there’s all this speculation that Faine will be traded but I don’t see the Browns just giving him away. I think he sticks around another year or two because of his low salary and probably is our starting Center over Bentley. That’s not to say that he’s better than Bentley, it’s just that he’s an adequate starter in the middle while Bentley can do more as a guard. I just think that keeping Faine gives us more options just in case the injuries start piling up. For example, the way that I have it with Joe Andruzzi listed as the starting LG, what if he gets hurt in week 5 and LeCharles has to slide into that role? Faine will be the Center and plug right in. Or if Cosey Coleman, whom I’m not sure what to make of him, what if he can’t beat out Faine or Bentley at Guard? I know these are a lot of “what ifs?” but you see what I mean. Keeping Faine gives us more options than we’ve had in the past. Coleman, like I’ve said before, is hard to make out. At times he looked good last season and others, he looked lost. This could just be that he was in season one of a new scheme but I don’t know. He was a starter for the Bucs when they won the Super Bowl but so was Roman Oben. He’s fairly young at 27 and he should be coming into his own however, I just didn’t see the consistency that I wanted out of him last season. Ryan Tucker, has been a rock on the right side for us in season’s past and I look for that to continue for 2 maybe 3 more years. Remember how a few years back; John Madden called him our best lineman and our MVP? I thought for sure that meant that he was going to start getting the recognition from the national media that he so deserved. Well, fast forward to today, and he is an afterthought along our line. That’s a good thing because it means that we’ve gotten more talented in recent years. I assume though that Nat Dorsey is currently being groomed to replace him. Nat’s okay by me if he can get his weight in check. As a matter of fact, if he could somehow displace 30 lbs onto Jeff Faine, we would have two decent lineman right there.
Advantage: The Steelers but only in draft status. 3 of their starters are first rounders with Marvel Smith being the 7th pick in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Again, this gap has closed considerably with the addition of LeCharles Bentley.
- Just a few quick little thoughts before I go. Have you ever noticed that Ohio Steelers fans can’t even name the starters along the offensive line? They don’t actually follow the Team unless it’s the playoffs. This sickens me to no end. I follow the Browns and have since the days of the Cardiac Kids throughout the year, can name every starter on every roster since 1979, I go to camp and I actually cry when we lose, (sometimes) yet the Steelers have dominated us every year since we returned and I have to deal with these fair weather fans talking smack. That’s what makes me so mad! I like to tell them that Kordell really looked good just to see if they even realize that he doesn’t play there anymore.
- Okay, so the next installment will be the same thing only focusing on the defense where I really believe we have closed the gap not only against the Steelers but the entire NFL.