While We’re Waiting… Mike Brown’s Decisions, Cool Cliff Lee, and Mangini Saving Face
October 29, 2009Lee Dominates the Yanks – Can We Have a Do-Over?
October 29, 2009
We have all heard of the phrase “Only in Cleveland.”
We have all discussed the whole mantra where the square pegs are being forced into the round hole.
And we have all discussed how Eric Mangini has tried to emulate his one-time chieftain Bill Belechick.
Alas, our nickel defensive back is wide receiver Mike Furrey and our short-distance tight end is former center Hank Fraley.
To call our defensive backfield poor at this point would be a bit of an understatement, but it would also be something that most fans could agree on. Things have gotten so bad that the Browns have been forced to put a wide receiver in on nickel packages. And while Mike Furrey has been serviceable, he was on the receiving end of some Brandon McDonald-esque burnt toast at the hands of Donald Driver.
But in the same regard that keeps Derek Anderson under center, Eric Mangini is not phased by the poor play.
“I thought he played pretty well,” said Mangini. “A lot of people have been beaten by Donald Driver in the slot. It’s a tough duty. I thought on that play, he could have played a little bit more in the trail position, something that we talked about. There is somewhat of a learning curve there, but overall I thought he did pretty well.”
And of course, to harness a little Belechick, the Troy Brown comparisons could not be stopped.
“With Mike, it’s a little unique, because he has started and played a lot of games on defense. It’s not where we were with Troy Brown, with a guy that had never played defense,” claimed Mangini. “He had played defense. He had played pretty well on defense. Being able to use that to help us, I think is a good thing. He’s a smart guy, so he can get the things that he needs to do offensively, as well as defensively, without it being an overload situation.”
Forget that Troy Brown was surrounded by Pro Bowlers and had a little more room for error. Who exactly would be our Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison?
And in Troy Brown’s case, there were a slew of injuries that plagued the Patriot defensive backfield. Last I checked, Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, Mike Adams, Brodney Pool, Abe Elam and Coye Francies were in playing – or dressing – condition. But against Green Bay, Elam was rarely found in a nickel package.
“We’ll keep working different people in different spots to see what the best spots are,” claimed Mangini. “Some things we felt that we could do a little bit better with somebody else. It’s not a knock on Abe and it’s never a knock on somebody when you transition them in.” He continued with, “It’s just, you feel like the matchup is better or the things that you’re doing in that scheme, it works out better for that person.”
And Francies? He has been rarely found in any formation that does not involve kickoffs. And we know how often those happen.
“We have a lot of rookies that are playing or contributing. [Francies] needs to find a way to do the same thing. Defensively, he has to keep trying to make a case for himself. You’re looking for continued progress from that spot. I talk to him about how important that is. I’ve played with a lot of rookie defensive backs in the past and I don’t think that he’s any different than those guys, he just needs to make his strong case to do that.”
Nothing like gaining experience during a lost season.
Which could be why former center Hank Fraley has frequently been spotted as an extra tight end. Rookie center Alex Mack is the future at the position, so Fraley has done what it takes to earn snaps with this current team.
“I really like Hank for a lot of reasons. I like the way that he approaches everything. He has great professionalism. He’s willing to play whatever role he can play,” stated Mangini. “Last week, we were in a really unique situation to go into the game without Steve or Robert (Royal) and really working with Michael (Gaines), who was new this week and Greg (Estandia), who’s been here, but hasn’t had any kind of extensive role, and those were our two tight ends for the game. Hank had been playing some in those packages. We had to use him a bit more, but he’s happy to do it. He does well.”
But don’t be frightended if you think that Mangini/Brian Daboll will start to work plays for Fraley in terms of a receiving target.
“We had to play a little catch the other day, he can’t catch,” said quarterback Derek Anderson. “I shouldn’t say he ‘can’t’ catch, but it’s not as efficient as he needs to be.”
Hey, it isn’t like it was for lack of trying.
—
(Tracy Boulian/The Plain Dealer)
28 Comments
I hate this team. I’ll be raking leaves on Sunday afternoon at 1.
I’ll be throwing up at Sunday around 1 o clock, but luckily it won’t be due to the Browns for once.
And I HATE people who say ‘sigh… only in Clevelanddddd’.
It’s not like this team is full of supreme receiving TE’s. I’m sure we all remember Royal getting hit in the face with a rarely seen perfect DA pass. Could Fraley really be THAT much worse. Heck, let’s put him under center too. At least he’d be able to read blitz’s, unlike DA
I don’t care. I know the team is terrible, they’re not going to keep any of the RBs or QBs they currently have on the roster (save Ratliff and James Davis), so why do I care about those positions?
I want to see the left and center of the O-line continue to flourish, I want to see the young players get opportunities this year, and I’d love to see them win a few games. If they don’t? I still have to go to work on Monday and life will go on. As it always does.
I’ll be at the sports bar watching the game with my good friend who is a Bears fan. Cutler looks like the new Favre right now so maybe we’ll get lucky and get an INT or two!
If not and we lose badly once again.. at least I’ll be full from delicious hot wings and nachos.
Thanks for making me laugh Joseph. I too like delicious hot wings and nachos.
All I know is that watching the Bears/Bengals game gave me hope that the Browns won’t get totally smoked on Sunday. The Bears looked B-A-D BAD. They have enough injuries that perhaps the Browns can exploit some of their holes and hahahahahaha oh who am I kidding?
You’re wrong Omega King-the only sure roster spot that won’t be around next year is the coach. One year and out-book it.
And, you’re not qualified to make QB judgements-particularly after viewing one candidate for a 2 and 1/2 game timeframe. If that were the case, NONE of the Super Bowl QB’s would have prospered.
When you wish upon a star….
Well, if nothing else, the Elves have made it easy in the Last Man Standing pool the last two weeks. I hated like heck to pick our opponents, but how could I not? It’s as close to a guarantee as you’re ever gonna find.
Pretty sure Kurt Warner wasn’t viewed as a good candidate for more or less a decade timeframe, then he prospered. Just sayin’.
Unless you were referring to SB bench QBs, who did have more than 2 1/2 games to prove themselves and still aren’t off the bench.
@DP
I actually said last Sunday, “I have a good feeling coming into this game against the Packers.”
As they say, “Shame on me once, fool me twice. No, wait. It’s a shame to fool me first, then I’ll… Wait. It’s got to be your bull.”
isis, by “you’re wrong omega king” you meant to say “actually omega king, i politely disagree with you.”
…er..i MEANT to say, “well hi there swig, how nice of you to drop by this morning! always a pleasure!”
FAZED, is what Mangini isn’t. Thank you. Good post BTW.
In breaking news: Alex Mack was moved to Free Saftey, and Eric Mangini likes a lot of the things he’s doing back there.
Vegas is getting killed by teams like the browns, rams, bucs and lions … it’s actually going to make the last man standing pool last late in to the year
I actually have no problem with having Fraley play TE … As bad as St. Clair is we likely need another OL on his side of the ball as it is
@6
It’s simply quite amazing how much good hot wings and nachos can help ease a blowout loss. Or another thing to do is use Jim Rome’s theory and play Yakety Sacks during a game because… well, life and everything in it just feels “better” when that song is playing. It’s an instant pick-me-up!
@14
That’s an awesome picture LOL.
This really isn’t stunning development to have the sixth best OL play as a tight end in short yardage situations. Why wouldn’t we want the best blocker possible in that situation? The only difference with our Browns is that the sixth best lineman happens to be a center and not a tackle.
My favorite part of Hank Fraley at TE (other than the refs announcing: “Number 66 is reporting eligible. Number 66 is eligible) is that the Browns were so obviously running up the middle from that formation and that when they did so, J. Lewis only got 1 yard and fell down, despite having a SIXTH OFFENSIVE LINEMAN.
So much for being a power running team.
I plan on getting so hammered Saturday night, that I can wake up and still be drunk so I might forget the browns play Sunday, and I wont waste time watching them.
Headed to Vegas this Sunday. It’s a shame I won’t get in town soon enough to bet against the Browns…
Right now Oakland is a bigger dog than us at -16 1/2; we’re only cool enough to be -13 1/2.
Come on 1/2 point! Make it a full 14!
@10, i’ve been following that strategy as well. It makes me laugh, then cry a little bit. I very emotionally confused by it.
That top pic reminds me of a marketing idea I had a few weeks back – I was gonna go around to grocery stores and propose they sponsor “Browns Fan Paper Bags” – they have the store’s name on it, you can take your groceries home in them, and then after you unpack, the bags have slotted eyeholes that you cutout so you can wear the bag to the game!
“I’m a Browns fan and I’m too ashamed to show my face, but I do shop at Giant Eagle!”
For the record BQ has 4 and 3/4 of time in. Not 2 and 1/2. And anybody is qualified to have an opinion just like you Isis. There is not a qualification process to make comments
Damn you, DP. Beat me to it.
I ran the show for Book It! at Twinsburg Elementary School (The Old School!) back in the day; I’d roll up a finished pin every week for those delicious personal pan pizzas. I bet my parents were completely sick of Pizza Hut from first through third grade.
Isis, don’t be a clown.
I’ve always been behind Quinn, and wish he was playing right now. However, given what we see (and no, I don’t think Mangini gets fired after this year – stick that in your book and smoke it), its obvious that Mangini holds no ties to Quinn or Anderson (or Harrison or Lewis), so it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re all gone after this year anyhow. Its admittedly speculation on my part, but no more speculation than your wisdom-saturated proclamations.
I never said anything about evaluating talent, so stop being such a wind-bag and start reading what people write.