Tigers 8, Indians 7: A Painful Sweep Sets Tribe Back
August 22, 2011Kickoff Rule Could Create Opportunities for Innovators
August 22, 2011
Despite lining up as the team’s first team wide receiver opposite of Josh Cribbs, The Plain Dealer’s Tony Grossi believes that former second-round selection Brian Robiskie could be slipping down the team’s depth chart following a game to forget this past Friday.
Robiskie accumulated nary a statistic in the Browns’ 30-28 loss to the Lions, failing to catch his sole Colt McCoy target. Compounding issues is the pending return of fellow third-year receiver Mohamed Massaquoi who will likely be returning to practice this week after rehabilitating a foot injury. Our own Craig has shared his feelings regarding the former Ohio State product and this Grossi report corroborates what continues to be a disappointing career for the 36th overall selection in 2009 – marring a draft regarded as one of the worst since the Browns returned 10 years earlier.
For his career, Robiskie has recorded 36 receptions for 416 yards and three touchdowns.
Also providing a bit of a hurdle in terms of competition for “Robo” is the ever-progressing Greg Little; the rookie wideout hauled in a touchdown pass in the second quarter of Friday’s game, a 13-yard catch after considerable separation was made in the midst of an out route. Grossi states that – when at his best – Little is the most-talented receiver among the Browns’ corps. He has had a case of the drops early in camp, but has shown flashes of brilliance over the past two weeks. Sure, he booted the touchdown pass into the end zone, but if he manages to learn from his excitement-fueled mistakes and continues to catch the ball, he will be on the field more often than not in 2011.
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Photo via Craig Lyndall/WFNY
21 Comments
Looking more and more like Robo could be a casualty of roster cuts. Depends on how many guys we are willing to keep. I would assume MoMass is at least top 3, then Cribbs, Little, Norwood (the apparent slot guy). So we have then Robo, Haggerty, Mitchell, then the UDFAs for 1 or 2 spots.
Its about time
If this comes down to Robo and Haggerty, I think the Browns will have a very tough decision to make. If they think they can keep Haggerty around on the practice squad, it might make it easier. The biggest problem here is that Robiskie is still on a rookie deal and not making a ton of money. The Browns only owe him base salaries of about $500k for each of the next two seasons before he becomes a free agent. If he was a veteran making multiple millions, I have no doubt it would be an easy call. At his current price tag, it could sway Heckert and Holmgren to see how he develops in the new offense over the course of this season.
That being said, I have to think the Browns see what the rest of us see. Robo has amazing hands and is a brilliantly reliable target when he gets open. Problem being, he can’t get open or at least not enough compared to guys like Cribbs and Little. As much as we like Cribbs and have hopes for Little, neither one is exactly Larry Fitzgerald, though.
If these types of guys (a converted return man, and an up and comer coming off a year of inactivity) show us all of Brian Robiskie’s warts, is he deserving of a roster spot?
Kind of hope he makes the roster b/c he’s obviously a good kid. Good hands are nice but an NFL receiver needs to figure out how to get open. If he can’t do it downfield, and isn’t quick or sneaky enough to do it in a WCO timing offense, not sure where in the league he fits, other than on a team with stud receivers drawing loads of attention and him in the slot. Maybe an older veteran might have helped him learn some tricks. Or, maybe he’s a coach’s son that exploited pro-type technique he learned from dad until he reached the level where the d-backs were just too fast, big and skilled…
I think there is enough tape out there at this point that you can legitimately say Robiskie shouldn’t have a spot. I don’t see the upside or the possibility of him developing in the new system. He just cannot separate from coverage, which is sort of essential to being an effective receiver.
That’s the thing Harv… when he gets matched up on Joe Haden, Haden plays off him and just breaks on the ball because he is faster. When Sheldon Brown gets up on him, he muscles him and takes his footwork away from him within the first five yards.
He just seems overmatched by both speed and muscle types of corners. He might be best in the slot matched up with linebackers and safeties, but if Jordan Norwood beats him out…
While it may indeed be true that Robo is being passed on the depth chart, I usually try not to but much stock in what Grossi believes.
Never really liked Robo’s pick in first place but I have to say that I am surprised that he hasn’t been able to do a bit more over the past two seasons.
Grossi: Robiskie Slipping Down Depth Chart
Me: Not Surprised
Okay, maybe the snark is unnecessary, but it’s time to get excited by the fact that the Browns finallyhave enough talent to let Robo go.
I’m sure he’s a great guy, but I’m pretty sure he’s only stuck around this long as more than a project on the practice squad for two reasons:
1. The Browns receivers have stunk so bad since he was drafted
2. He was drafted high, so cutting him would be an admission of failure
Can we trade him straight up to the Bears for Dane Sanzenbacher, please? I mean, a 2nd rounder for an undrafted free agent–that’s a no-brainer!
Forgot my sarcasm font
Now that he was mentioned, what’s the over under on how long someone says they think if we Dane Sanzenbacher he will be the next Wes Welker in our offense because they see a short fast white guy
Where did Grossi report this? Couldn’t find it on the PD site. Is it from an unnamed source or is he just saying something to say something?
I question language like “believes he could be slipping down”. You won’t find hedging like that outside of those nice homes down on Shaker Blvd.
i would be surprised if Robo doesn’t make the team.
@Tim – sure, the simpleminded comparison to Welker is silly. However, anyone who watched Sanzenbacher play knows he has that “it” factor and just quietly goes about making plays. Would love to have him on the team, although am liking what I’m seeing from Norwood in the slot
Here’s the thing… is the reason Robo didn’t record any stats in one half on Friday a result of Robo playing poorly? Or did Colt just throw the ball to other receivers? This seems like it might be a comment from Grossi that doesn’t really have any logical reasoning behind it. Are we assuming Massoquai is playing in Thursday’s preseason game? Seems like that would really be rushing him back seeing as how he hasn’t been practicing this west coast offense at all. I’m not even an Ohio State guy… I just don’t see why there is any reason to automatically assume that since Robo didn’t catch a pass on Friday that he is now the team’s 5th or 6th best wide receiver. That seems like a huge jump to me, particularly considering that he’s still on the 1st team offense in practice.
we could always trade Robiskie to Denver for Tebow. they need WRs to compete with Royal and such for the guy on the other side of Lloyd. and we need a fullback with some game experience 🙂
@15 – Is his lack of targets the fact that McCoy was looking elsewhere or the fact that Slobiskie wasn’t getting any separation? That is an important distinction.
Cut him and move on. He’s a waste of payroll and a roster spot at this point.
This really all comes full circle to beg the question why we didnt pick up a legitimate, proven WR for this upcoming season. 30 yrs old or not, we need a proven playmaker. If these WRs all struggle, how are we supposed to judge Colt’s play realistically?
The Browns have a stable of young, possibly good but not outstanding, WRs and for some reason we cant let go of any of them. “But so-and-so might have a breakout year next season!” Its nauseating to hear this argument about every single one of them and just plain becoming tiresome. Cut the ones that are the worst, and just move on. At this point, you could really almost pick 3 names at random and it would largely not change a thing on the field.
@19: Heckert may think Little is that guy, and they may try to supplement him with a still-decent receiver who doesn’t survive his team’s final cut. I don’t think Heckert has any loyalty to Mangini’s botched second rounders.
@ Harv. I dont think anyone getting cut from another team is going to be dramatically better. Most likely, it will just be another guy to throw into the stable of “might have potential” WRs.
I understand the slow build of H & H, and i agree with it, but if these guys dont deliver this year, its time to seriously pursue a big name WR in the offseason. Drafting a WR might be a mandatory move as well, but they usually take awhile to develop.