LeBron James Moves Up In Jersey Sales
April 30, 2009Chris Spielman voted into College Football Hall of Fame
April 30, 2009
First things first, I don’t want anyone in Pittsburgh to see just how much I envy them, thus the changing of the spelling. But I can’t help it. Even the attitudes concerning the draft in Cleveland prove that we just don’t get it fully yet. In Cleveland it seems we are always looking for immediate contributors. The draft shouldn’t be used for that according to the Stee*ler way of life. With the draft they are putting all the pieces in place for future free agency departures. Did they bemoan the loss of Plaxico Burress? How about Antawn Randle El? Nope. They just turned to younger guys that were behind the scenes learning like good little apprentices. How do you think this makes Syndric Steptoe feel to know that he was forced into duty way too early and yet still becomes the butt of jokes with Browns fans. I am as guilty as anyone. I’ll admit it.
When it comes time to grade drafts, you have to think Pittsburgh people don’t really care what anybody else thinks the letter grade should be. JJ Cooper from Fanhouse talks about the last few drafts in Pittsburgh.
But this draft isn’t about the 2009 season, it’s about 2010 and 2011, just like the 2008 draft was all about the 2009 season and 2010. Last year’s first-round pick Rashard Mendenhall would have had little impact last year even if he hadn’t gotten hurt, but this year he’ll be the No. 2 tailback who will be prepping to take over next year when Willie Parker’s current contract expires. Wide receiver Limas Sweed, last year’s second-round pick, will be expected to be the No. 3 receiver this year after serving a one-year apprenticeship. It was the same way with the 2007 draft, as top two picks LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons didn’t start until year two (and year three in Timmons’ case). Santonio Holmes, the 2006 first-round pick, started only four games as a rookie.
And that is the big difference, isn’t it? The depth in our organization since 1999 has been so bad that we have constantly forced rookies into service before they were ready. That hurts two-fold. You have guys like Tim Couch who never had a chance to see their potential because they were pounded into submission. You also have a lot of negativity within the fans screaming “BUST!” at guys who shouldn’t be forced into action so quickly. Most recently, I think of a guy like Brandon McDonald who has loads of potential but was forced into the starting role right off the bat. The reason? Terry Cousin wasn’t good enough to be a starter on the outside.
It seems with the sheer number of players added to the roster in Cleveland since Mangini and Kokinis arrived that the Browns might actually be headed in a positive direction in terms of depth. I sure hope so because I am tired of having to envy those other guys who should remain nameless on this site if at all possible.
23 Comments
Agree, Craig, with one exception and one addition. I don’t really blame Cleveland fans for any part of this organization’s dysfunction, unless you can consider that we are too slavish in our devotion to any stupid thing the Browns do and keep selling the stadium out, providing little incentive to make sure they get it right. And regarding the Steelers’ drafting, notice that they make sure that their lines on both sides of the ball are filled with higher draft picks. Controlling the line of scrimmage is their goal, and that makes it easier on the guys further from the line, whether CBs on defense or skill players on offense.
Very well put. Personally most of my disdain for the Steelers is the fact that they have an owner who cares and a front office that gets it done, and does things as well as anyone in the league. I can’t blind myself to this fact: they are an extremely well-run team.
Who shoved a football into Tim Couch’s ear?
Oh boy, and if you thought the trolls came out for the hilarious piece on the Celtics that WFNY did…..
Tapin, it was their early attempt to get him to read defenses…
I always thought we should have taken Ricky Williams…or at least took all of the Saints picks for him…
I have found and developed a real love for the Steelers–Boston fans hate the Steelers because they’ve stolen their self annointed thunder as the greatest football franchise ever.
I picked my poison. I hate Boston ANYTHING more.
I agree except for one point. Strike “Terry Cousin wasn’t good enough to be a starter on the outside.” That should read, Terry cousin isn’t good enough to be a nickel corner for OSU. He is on the top up my “I can’t believe this guy is in the NFL list.”
tell me about. I live in Boston. terrible fans. you wouldn’t even know the celtics were still playing. if their team is great the fans are non exsistant, then when they’re hot, everyone becomes a major pr*ck.
* isn’t great* ^
anyways, back to the article, I don’t think the steeler’s players are that great, like the patriots’ no name guys that become super bowl champs and household names. you put most of pitt’s players on other teams and they become very average. like when we think we have a really good player and they change teams and are out of the league the next year.
What like Lee Suggs? Oof.
I think the Steelers success is due more to the fact that they have good players then the fact that they are able to let their draft picks develop before starting them. It’s impossible to say how the players would have turned out if they had started right away, but it’s pretty clear that the reason they weren’t starting is because there were better players available. And, well, having better players is the key to success.
I think you’re missing the financial genius of it. They don’t over pay for rookies (or really any players, except #7) because a) they dont draft high b) they draft lineman in early rounds and c) developing players rarely hit incentive clauses in their contracts. This allows them to have an aggregate better team. There’s more to it, but you could write an article about that, not a comment…
So does this mean we’re willing to give Kam Wimbley a break and actually let him get coached up and develop? I mean he’s going into his 4th year now. Name me some stud LB’s in the 3-4 who played DE in college that are perennial Pro-Bowlers going into their 4th year…
Not saying he will be, I just want a measuring stick that’s all.
They also don’t overpay rookies because they’re drafting at the end of the first round every year.
Just sayin…
I agree with EVERYTHING in the article.
Especially the fan part.
I have been saying it for a few years now, the fans down town have cheered their QB’s getting injured. Chant for back up QB’s (Holcomb anyone…). Chanted for a retired head coach mid season. I love the Browns, but if I am a high profile player/ coach with options I don’t think I’d be running to C-town.
Should we have drafted Couch? Prob. not. Hired Rac? Nope?
How bout we chant Rooney next year instead of Cowher?
check out that 2006 draft for the steelers. other than santonio, not so good. even they miss occassionally.
I live in Pittsburgh and go to the Browns game at heinz every year. steeler fans are front runners. when the 2007 Browns were up 21-6 in the first half, they were dead silent and when they were making noise they were booing their own team and complaining about getting no calls. those stupid snot rags were nowhere to be found. of course, by the end of that game, they were back to being the self annointed “most loyal fans in the game”. makes me puke.
fact remains, good teams have “great fans”. lousy teams have lousy fans. that’s what makes the Browns’ fans the best. we have had 10 years of crap and still support this team second to none. I just dream of the day the Browns turn the tide. maybe this draft will start that process.
Kevin,
Wrong about that 2007 game. And you even proved my point in the rest of your “argument.”
“fact remains, good teams have “great fans”. lousy teams have lousy fans.”
If your team is losing by double digits at home to your supposed “rival,” you’re gonna boo. Your Browns haven’t beaten the Steelers in what feels like forever, and I continually hear boos in Cleveland when the Steelers visit. You know why, because we continually beat you there. One game does not justify your ignorant assumption about our fanbase.
But go ahead and use one semi-off draft (2006) to prove that the Steelers aren’t as good as everyone says. I’ll take a draft class where the only good that comes out of it is a Super Bowl MVP any day of the week. But I guess you can’t wrap your head around that if you root for Cleveland.
Tecmo: touchy, touchy. can’t say anything against the steelers.
The reason I bring up the 2007 game is I live in Pittsbugh (so I am not ignorant about your fanbase, in fact I live in the middle of it) and all I hear is that steelers fans are better than everyone else because they “ALWAYS” support the team. Nope. I’ve heard it myself. they boo too, just like everyone else. One guy even told me that the steelers are better than the Browns because pittsburgh people “demand success”. that arguement loses a bit of weight when you think of the pirates. fact remains, if the steelers went in the crapper for 10 years, I bet they would not have the same support as the Browns do now. you are free to disagree.
about the 2006 draft, I was just pointing out that the draft is somewhat of a crap shoot and even the best drafting teams make mistakes sometimes.
You would think since you have the better team to root for, you wouldn’t be so sensitive. sorry if I hurt your feelings man.
one last thing for you to chew on for the weekend:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14686579/
One more thing. The real super bowl MVP was Harrison. you know, that guy that led the best defense in the league and scored about as many points in that game as the steelers offense up until the last minute.
The only reason the steelers QB is successful is because he gets to start every drive in the opponents territory or after the defense has just scored a touchdown of their own.
fact remains, good teams have “great fans”. lousy teams have lousy fans. that’s what makes the Browns’ fans the best. we have had 10 years of crap and still support this team second to none. I just dream of the day the Browns turn the tide. maybe this draft will start that process.
I’m sorry man but this is the same lame argument that is heard all the time. #15 made a great point – there are Browns fans that CHEER THE STARTING QUARTERBACK WHEN HE GETS HURT. They boo constantly. This doesn’t make the fans ‘great’, it makes them jerks. Just because you refuse to think about the fact that the team is terrible and has shown little to no signs of real, actual improvement in the past 10 years doesn’t make your fans “the best”.
These kind of stupid stances are what drive me up a wall about people’s insane allegiances to a team that left in 1995 and by all accounts have yet to return. You make all Browns fans sound like delusional Redskins fans. It’s absurd.
Is the team better post-draft than they were at the end of last year? WE DON’T KNOW – we won’t until the team is on the field in September.
Are some of the fans still nuts? Absolutely.
I guess my point is being misunderstood or I’m doing a lousy job of trying to make it. probably the latter.
I’m not saying the Browns fans are perfect, just saying neither are any other teams’ fans. I think their is a big swing in fan loyalty depending on the team’s record. I don’t believe that is the case in Cleveland. Win/lose, good/bad, cheer/boo. Cleveland Browns fans are still there after 10 years of suckitude.
This all comes from living in the worst city in terms of being a Cleveland supporter. I can’t stand how the pittsburgh fans act and I think it would be a whole lot different if they went throught the 10 years of suckitude. hopefully, I will be proven right or wrong soon.
Kevin,
I was just saying that it isn’t fair to make a blanket statement based on one game. There are terrible fans at every stadium for every team, don’t knock the whole fanbase on such a small sample.
And yes, I wanted Harrison to get MVP.
But don’t link to a 2006 article about fan loyalty. At least get something more current
Thanks for talking back Tecmo.
I only link the 2006 article because that was the year after the steelers won the Super Bowl and the year after a miserable year for the Browns. So it should have been a lowpoint for the Browns and a highpoint for the steelers. As you can see, it was not. Absolutely nothing has changed since then, the steelers have won another Super Bowl and the Browns had another 4-12 season. It’s like it’s 2006 all over again.
I like that article because it tries to use (somewhat) objective measures unlike ESPN
And I have been trying to explain that I don’t have just one game as my sample. I live in Pittsburgh. I go to every Browns game at heinz. I work and live with steelers fans. my wife and her family are fans. I know what steeler fans are like.
Like I said, thanks for talking back. agree to disagree.