NFL Draft: Ohio State’s John Simon has “positive meeting” with Cleveland Browns
February 27, 2013NFL Rumor: Is Mike Holmgren heading to Oakland?
February 27, 2013People are always talking about the Browns, it seems. Usually I’m one of the ones talking the most, but I don’t really feel like it right now. So to prove it to you, I’ll talk Browns just enough to tell you why it’s kind of boring to me right now.
Brandon Weeden’s name has been in the news because nobody can predict the future. Really, that’s what it comes down to, right? Brandon Weeden is under contract for the upcoming season. He didn’t play well enough for the Browns to not consider alternatives at the quarterback position. The Browns don’t know how all the pieces will land between the draft and free agency, so they’re not in a position to make guarantees. Frankly, unless they have one of the top seven to ten quarterbacks in the league on their roster, they shouldn’t be making anyone any guarantees anyway. So, it is natural to not have much to talk about regarding Brandon Weeden. He might earn the job. He might not. Depends on how he plays and who he ends up competing against. So what is there to talk about?
Same with Mike Lombardi. I still hear people talking about Lombardi and whether or not he was a good hire. Should he have spoken at the combine? I don’t know, but I had a tough time conjuring up enough thought about it for an opinion piece when it was happening. If I had to guess, Mike Lombardi didn’t really want to face the press this year having quotes on the record about so many different teams and potential draft picks. We’ll see how that changes going forward, but I can understand that there’s a bit of a hangover effect from his last job in the media commenting on everything and everyone. I think there needs to be some time and space put between those comments and his new role as Joe Banner’s personal personnel minion. None of this is to say I feel any better about the Lombardi hire than I did when it was announced. I’m still skeptical and interested in seeing some proof. But there’s really not much new to talk about.
Every draft is important, especially when the Browns have the sixth pick, but admit it. It’s kind of boring this year. There are good players in this draft to be sure, but it just can’t possibly live up to the hype of last year’s draft with Andrew Luck and RGIII.1 It was an almost inevitability that we couldn’t be as excited talking about this draft after the highs provided by the one a year ago. Plus, everyone expects the Browns to take a defensive player. While we know that’s not a bad thing (IE Joe Haden) there’s just no denying that it isn’t as exciting as a year when the Browns have two first rounders and need both a running back and a quarterback. Offense doesn’t win championships, but it generally wins the off-season in terms of excitement.
And so there you are. Five-hundred plus words about the Browns all related to the fact that I don’t feel like talking about them right now. How’s that for a trick?
Anything else going on with the Browns that you don’t feel is truly conversation-worthy?
- Seriously. How many RG3 posts did I do last year and the Browns never got that trade to happen! [↩]
51 Comments
I don’t feel like it, either.
It’s true that this year’s draft doesn’t have the flash of last year’s, but I’m excited about the sixth pick this year. We should be able to get a play-maker who might even turn out to be a game-changer (scraping the sides of the cliche barrel here). I’m looking forward to reading more about the draft, but unlike last year, I can wait for another month or so to get immersed in that. As I’m sure Craig can.
Also, I’m a little excited that we should be active in free agency this year, unlike previous years.
Marginally Browns-related is that Holmgren is supposedly talking to the Raiders about a job. You know what? I don’t care. He’s outta here. I’m letting all that go.
It feels like we have had 5 or 6 straight seasons of QB controversy. While it may, indeed, be controversial, I am done caring strongly about it.
Weeden, Smith (Alex), Smith (Geno). It’s hard to get too worked up over any of it.
Except for Ryan Mallet. I still wish the Browns had the forethought to draft him in 2010.
I thought we could draft both Mallet and Locker in April
that’s just the hangover talking. take a couple shots and let’s get this thing revved up.
I’m not opposed to drafting them both tomorrow with some sort of RG3 deal, giving up our next 7 1st round picks.
Also, maybe we can get Kirk Cousins. The bootleg is unstoppable.
Okay. I’ll try.
1) I want Josh Cribbs to shut up already.
2) We can’t go wrong in the draft.
3) Wish Phil didn’t have to go.
4) In case you haven’t heard, This is a Tribe Town!
my thoughts on what you touch here:
Weeden – wasn’t bad enough to give up on. wasn’t good enough to hand the keys without another viable alternative. hope that Norv+Chud is the QB-elixir that we need.
Lombardi – didn’t like the hire, didn’t like the process of the hiring, but he’s here, he has the same scouts that Heckert used (for now) and he never had authority to make the final call at any previous stop nor will he have it here. honestly, I think it’s a bit overblown at this point. I am more concerned about what we do from the scouting angle moving forward.
Draft (#6 pick) – it just seems obvious that we need to find a pass rusher at this point. lots of CBs in this draft and some in FA. OGs in FA and mid-rounds available. S in FA and mid-rounds available. Now, which of the pass rushers (Werner?!, Moore, Ansah, Jordan, Mingo, J.Jones). All of them have HUGE question marks.
Other controversies: FA starts in 2 weeks. The Browns have $50mil to spend (new salary cap $123mil instead of $121) and conflicting reports of if Haslam wants to go all-in on it or not. I hope that we dip our foot (not toe) in the water and go after Vasquez, Keenen Lewis, and Chris Clemons. That gets rid of 3 of our biggest needs right off the bat. I would also love to grab an OLB and an ILB, but there are only so many places we should go in FA.
FA WR? I don’t think Breaston helps that much, but if he, or someone else is cheap enough, then we need the depth. Also, if Welker considers it, then he’s the one guy I’d throw $$ at for WR.
I’d love to talk Browns, but every time I start to ponder the subject all I hear is John Adams pounding the big drum in my head. There just doesn’t seem to be anything new to cover with the Browns right now.
If you don’t want to talk Browns, how about a recap of the Cavs big win!
Unnecessary even if they weren’t staying in school for another year. Browns blew a huge opportunity – they had Seneca and Cribbs ON THE SAME ROSTER and didn’t stick with the wildcat. That was the future, friends, way before the Pistol, and they just flushed it, a total failure of imagination and tenacity.
No wonder Cribbs is half-batty about his untapped potential. Open the Cribb!!!
I don’t feel like it, but I’ll comment this article.
1. Same
2. You know this is the Browns…. right…
3. Meh. He’s a kicker.
4. **Whoever is closest to winning town
1. Cool. Cool, cool, cool.
2. When have we ever screwed up a draft? (Don’t answer that.)
3. Blasphemy. Now you must say 4 prayers to Saint Lawrence the Vickers and donate half of the proceeds of the royalties from your WFNY comments to a charity of Dawson’s choice.
4. That’s not what the Indians say!
We could always unwrap the pig in a poke that is: Norv Turner – Offensive GENIUS.
Offensive rankings of the Chargers with Norv at the helm:
2012 31st
2011 6th
2010 1st
2009 10th
2008 10th
2007 20th
2006 4th
(avg 11th)
Overall head coaching Record 118-126-1
Post season 4-4
Agree on Weeden & Lombardi
Re: Draft – I’d like to get Jones, I think if we don’t have our guy there we trade down & acquire more picks. Honeybadger in a later round? I could deal with that as well.
FA- I like Vasquez pick up, I’m indifferent about Lewis/Clemons. No thanks on Breston & Welker. Although, I’ll take Wallace. I’d like to see Little in a slot role ala Greg Jennings with Gordon & (Wallace) whomever on the outside.
Now Im drunk
not to mention his cowboys teams were absolutely stacked. the 1993 team had ELEVEN pro-bowlers, eight on offense:
aikman HOF, smith HOF, johnston, irvin HOF, novacek, newton, stepnoski, williams, maryland, norton, everettt.
for perspective, the 78 steelers had 10 pro-bowlers.
Weeden will be back, and hopefully there will be someone to compete with at is not named Colt McCoy.
McCoy needs to be released or an attempt needs to be made to trade him to Philly for Nick Foles. Foles appears to be as good of a fit in Philly as McCoy is in a “downfield passing attack” favored by Chud.
With regards to free agency, Kanicki wrote 3 nice posts a few weeks ago, and they make a ton of sense. They are:
– Keenan Lewis CB Pitt
– Danelle Ellerbe ILB Balt
– Andy Levitre G Buff
The draft is going to be difficult to handicap so soon after the combine. Milliner with his good showing will most likely be gone before the Browns pick at #6. If I had to guess, I would think that the pick will come down to Ansah, Jordan, Moore or Jones. Living in Atlanta, the UGA games are as ubiquitous as OSU games in NEO. Jones didn’t strike me as a guy that played with a lot of consistency. The stenosis diagnosis is also cause for concern. Philly picks before the Browns, and no one knows Jordan better than Chip Kelly, so he might not be there…I guess I am talking myself into Ansah. Hopefully the Browns management will make a more informed choice than my armchair viewing opinion.
MORATORIUM!!!!!
[Until the earliest of any of the following events: a) The draft of a QB; b) Some blogger describes the Browns’ QB interest in painful, completely speculative detail; c) Chud/Banner comments on Weeden’s current off-season preparation; d) Lombardi is released, blinking in the daylight, from his locked Berea cave and the two men in top hats holding each arm declare that he has in fact seen Josh Gordon’s shadow.]
Just out of curiosity, besides Haslam and Banner, who’s saying Lombardi was a good hire?
Speaking of the draft, ESPN constantly trying to push a Manti Te’O story is annoying…
You know, if the Browns had traded up for RG3, they wouldn’t have a first round pick this year, and not only would we not be talking about whether we needed a new QB or not, but we wouldn’t be talking about the draft and what the Browns should be doing with the #6 pick either.
As if I needed another reason to resent Holmgren and Heckert for not getting the trade done.
When it comes to the draft, we all have a good idea who we want the Browns to select with the 6th pick, but with Lombardi in play, my question is which player will he try to convince everyone else to go after?
1. It’s slow season, it’s Cribbs last 15min, let him enjoy hearing himself speak.
2. (moving on)
3. you should add in some mandatory “volunteer” work
4. Perhaps the Indians are closest to winning? I mean, it’s not like there’s an obvious choice.
they had Seneca, Cribbs, and Colt on the roster at the same time. Screw wildcat, we are talking about going back to the ole wing-T formation and the defense will never know what hit them.
if 45 of our 53 man roster isn’t filled with QB options, then we did something wrong.
oh, sorry, forgot we didn’t hire Jon Gruden 🙂
As for CB, I think Brent Grimes is a FA we can lure with an incentive-laden contract if Atlanta doesn’t re-sign him. Lewis and Ellerbe would also hurt our cap-strapped rivals (face it, Baltimore will keep Flacco and try to use the draft/UDFAs to fill the other holes and Pitt looks way old, slight rebuild maybe for them?), Talib from NE is also an option and we also need a FS. Don’t see us signing another WR unless Cribbs re-signs, Gordon-Little-Benjamin look pretty good to me.
Fundamentals Son
i love Jarvin Jones. he has fantastic tape. spinal stenosis has a bit of a history of ending careers early (marcus mcneil the latest), so that is the concern. consecutive years with 1st rounders who will have shortened careers doesn’t seem prudent and is my worry.
don’t get my talking about the honeybadger, i’m not rational. he is a difference maker when he’s roaming.
we need depth at WR if we let MoMass go and potentially Cooper/Norwood.
agree on hurting division rivals. even just noting we’ll be offering gives them leverage and hurts Pitt/Balt a little.
if we have an average offensive ranking of 11th over the next seven seasons, then I am going to be ecstatic.
it is a Tribe Town?
Cooper would be a 4th or 5th WR in my scenario. Just listed the top 3 since a TE (Cameron) or FB (Smelley) would be involved as well as T-Rich. The primadonna WR from Pitt (Wallace) could also be brought in on a purely incentive-laden deal.
Lombardi. But I think that’s it.
What we’d be talking about is RG’s surgery and the need to find a QB to fill in if he can’t go in September.
You really can’t assume that RG3 would have gotten injured, can you? Chaos theory and all that.
Okay, variation on the lifeboat game. The world ends, the only people left are you and 8 Browns players. Unfortunately its up to you guys to repopulate the earth, fortunately the gamma rays that wiped out civilization caused gender reasignment (the players are now chicks) to the surviving Browns. You managed to maintain your bits because WFNY comes on a bandwidth that somehow disrupts gamma rays (thats possible right?). Also unfortunately most of the Playboy mansion – the sexiest place on earth and therefore the only place you could hope to find a She-backer attractive – was destroyed leaving only 6 bedrooms for your new harem. The rules are simple, no bunk beds, no couch crashers, no using your own bed to stash an extra one. Which six Browns – in female form – would you choose to repopulate the entire world?
Haha, unfortunately no, not even in the doldrums of February.
it’s the Browns. he would have been hurt by Q3 of W1 in ’12.
i’m okay for rebooting on our WR depth options. Cooper and Norwood underwhelmed.
Wasn’t RG3 in a shotgun formation when he tore his knee up? I don’t think that formation was even in the Brown’s playbook last year.
Ditto, I went in expecting to find he was crap. Instead I was pleasantly surprised.
Jim Nance is on the phone for you
It was hidden between 30 pages of crossing routes and punt formations, but it’s there, somewhere.
Why is everyone so high on Josh Cooper? He leaves a lot to be desired and honestly wouldn’t make anyone else’s gameday roster, just my two cents. Same goes with Norwood, only I actually think he’s better suited for Chud’s scheme than the WCO. But to be perfectly honest, I’d rather have Cribbs at the 4 with Gordon at Z, Mystery FA at X, and Benjamin in the slot.
You okay, Porck? Are those voices in your head at it again? You tell them to stop, man. Right now. Tell them.
we would , instead, be talking of what we are missing with the 23rd pick.
yeah? what kind of difference does he make when he’s roaming the prison courtyard?
1. me too
2. I named my dog Mike Junkin.
3. i agree, but – he’s just a kicker
4. Get Lou Brown on the horn!
i sense a meme…