May 23, 2013

Brendan Leister talks Browns pickups – WFNY Podcast – 2013-03-13

March 13, 2013 by 2 Comments

WFNY Podcast LogoI’ve known about Brendan Leister and his work analyzing the Browns for a long time. He’s been active in various capacities for years, in fact. 70,000+ tweets if you need him. Anyway, he doesn’t approach the Browns like a fan, preferring to stick to the technical scouting approach. With that in mind, I wanted to talk to him about the Browns’ signings so far, what it means right now and what it means down the road into the draft.

You can find Brendan and his crew doing their excellent work over at DraftBrowns.com and you can find him on Twitter @BrendanLeister. I implore you to check out their site. Ryan is a good writer and Mikey is another Excel nerd 1 who actually understands roster construction and salary cap issues.

Here’s what we talked about.

  • Paul Kruger and the level of excitement for him
  • Did the Browns overpay for Kruger?
  • Desmond Bryant should excite Browns fans more than Kruger
  • Five technique player?
  • Ray Horton’s nickel as the 2-4-5
  • Desmond Bryant’s ability against the run
  • Will Ahtyba Rubin get moved or cut next offseason?
  • Quentin Groves and is it a depth signing?
  • The Browns linebacking corps and fitting them all together
  • Craig Robertson as a cover linebacker
  • Draft plans should include another pass rusher?
  • Should the Browns take a chance on Geno Smith?
  • Do the Browns already know their opinion on Geno Smith?
  • Mike Wallace and $$$ vs. Travis Benjamin
  • Cornerback and who the Browns are going to get
  • Sheldon Brown and how well he played this season
  • Keenan Lewis and his ability to play opposite Joe Haden
  • Josh Gordon and his ceiling as the third youngest player in the NFL

 

[Read more...]

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Browns free agency overload with Rick – WFNY Podcast – 2013-03-13

March 13, 2013 by 1 Comment

WFNY Podcast LogoLast night Rick and I were intent on talking Browns. We didn’t know all the details of Desmond Bryant’s deal yet, let alone the Quentin Groves pickup. Still, there’s a lot of good Kruger talk.

Here’s what else…

  • Paul Kruger signing and whether he’ll be a “leader”
  • Signing starters, team leaders, or both
  • Comparing signings to Scott Fujita
  • Desmond Bryant and “the mugshot”
  • Could the Browns trade any of their defensive linemen now?
  • Billy Winn, John Hughes, Kitchen
  • Who next? Keenan Lewis?
  • Talking Dolphins with Ellerbe and Mike Wallace
  • How happy would Browns fans be with Greg Jennings?
  • How happy are Browns fans to not have Mike Wallace making $12+ million?

[Read more...]

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NFL News: Browns Agree To Terms With DT Desmond Bryant

March 12, 2013 by 15 Comments

The Browns made their second splash on Opening Day of NFL Free Agency, adding former Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Desmond Bryant. The team signed him to a 5-year, $34 million contract with $15 million guaranteed.

Bryant, 27, attended Harvard and is in his fifth NFL season. Missing just one game in those first four years, he has started 18 games the last two years (8 in 2012). Last season, he recorded 36 tackles, 4 sacks, and 1 forced fumble. He was also tied for 7th among defensive tackles with 12 quarterback hits.

It was mentioned by several sources that there were multiple suitors for Bryant, and he was one of the hotter names under the radar in free agency.

This acquisition gives the Browns incredible depth on the defensive line with their corresponding move to defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s 3-4 defense. Bryant joins starter quality defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor along with Billy Winn, John Hughes, and Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, who all made an impact in their rookie season. Here’s one national writer’s takes on how all that could shake out.

Bryant is the second free agent addition of the day, following the acquisition of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger.

There’s also the matter of Bryant’s mugshot from a recent arrest, which can be found here.

Related: Banner Report: Defensive Line

 

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Banner Report: Defensive Line

March 8, 2013 by 18 Comments

Banner Report LowYou may remember back in 2010 (you know the last time there was a complete overhaul in Berea) we wanted to give incoming President Mike Holmgren a hand evaluating the roster. We are nothing if not equal opportunity. The Browns have a completely new group in charge this year. Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi, Rob Chudzinski, Norv Turner and Ray Horton take over a 5-11 team. They have plenty of important decisions to make about the roster between now and the 2013 NFL Draft. WFNY wants to offer our assistance with The Banner Position Reports. Previous reports:LB, QB, RB, DBs

Let me just crack my knuckles a little bit as I take on the position group that might need the smallest amount of work for the Browns this off-season. If there is any debate at all about Tom Heckert’s ability to acquire talent, I don’t think we should look at this position as proof that he needs to improve. Heckert inherited the premier player on the defensive line in Ahtyba Rubin, but other than that it was all Tom Heckert’s work.

Tom Heckert acquired Phil Taylor with the 21st pick in the 2011 draft after trading with Atlanta, who picked wide receiver Julio Jones. Regardless of whether you like that trade or not, Phil Taylor has done his part to make it look better. Despite being injured last season and only appearing in eight games, the talented mix of size and speed in Taylor is unmistakable. Watching a 6’3″ monster at 335 pounds chase plays down from behind is astonishing. Beyond that, Heckert found really good value in the draft with John Hughes (3rd round) Billy Winn (6th round,)  and undrafted Ishmaa’ily Kitchen. Even with the departures of 4-3 scheme players like Frostee Rucker and Juqua Parker, the Browns’ defensive line appears to be in pretty good shape going into 2013. [Read more...]

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WFNY Podcast – 2012-12-29 – Craig talks to Dave Bryan from SteelersDepot.com about the Steelers matchup on Sunday

December 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I set about to talk to a Steelers blogger about the matchup this weekend between Thad Lewis’ Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I ended up getting some really nice insight from a real pro who has vast knowledge of the league in general and the Steelers and AFC North in particular. He was quite objective as I think most at WFNY try to be with regard to the Browns. Although, I’m not sure that he and I will ever agree on James Harrison.

You can find Dave Bryan at SteelersDepot.com and on Twitter.

And I’m not sure if you want to listen to it due to topic, but Dave produces one of the best sounding and most professional podcasts I’ve heard. The Terrible Podcast.

Here’s what else we touched on:

  • Mike Tomlin and how reactionary some Steelers fans can be
  • Should the Browns put an asterisk next to the first victory over the Steelers?
  • Some Steelers fans think the team should lose this game for draft status.
  • Dave and Craig both hate the thought of losing games on purpose and think it’s stupid
  • Is James Harrison a head hunter? Craig thinks yes. Dave thinks no. Both try to make rational points about their opinions.
  • Who could be let go from the vaunted Steelers defense before next season?
  • Mike Tomlin’s questionable in-game decisions and how similar some of them sound to Pat Shurmur
  • The difference between winning and losing in the NFL
  • Trap games and whether they truly exist ina league with parity
  • Keys to the game and ultimately Dave’s prediction that the Steelers blow out Thad Lewis and the Browns
  • Craig not being able to disagree with that assessment, unfortunately.
  • Have the Browns packed it in with a lame duck head coach?
  • Should Pat Shumur have another year?

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NFL News: Skrine, Cooper more involved in Thursday’s practice

November 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Some positive news from today’s Browns practice: cornerback Buster Skrine and wide receiver Josh Cooper each saw increased reps as they battle their respective injuries.

Skrine (concussion) was a limited participant Thursday after not practicing on Wednesday. Cooper (knee) was a full participant after being limited the day before.

In other notable injury news, Joe Haden (olbique) and Ahytba Rubin (calf/back) both remained limited participants in Thursday’s agenda. Defensive backs and special team guys Dmitri Patterson (ankle) and Ray Ventrone (calf) both did not practice again.

I’m certain we’ll hear more as the week continues, as Haden and Rubin will likely be the focus of more questions as Sunday’s Steelers game approaches.

[Related: Cleveland Browns Film Room: Game 10, Under Pressure]

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Shurmur: Billy Winn could see time at defensive end

November 13, 2012 by 7 Comments

The bye week is over and Browns fans dreams of seeing Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin together have never seemed more real. That news doesn’t exist in a vacuum though. What about the young guys who filled in so admirably in Taylor and Rubin’s stead? At least for Billy Winn, it could mean some time at defensive end for the Browns.

(On the possibility of Billy Winn playing defensive tackle and end with Taylor’s return) – “Yeah, that’s a good point. When you have more defensive tackles that’ll allow Billy, if we choose to, play him at end more. Which gives us a little flexibility there.”

(On if Winn’s quickness would work at the end position) – “I think he has the body type to play end and he has quickness. Yeah, I think he could do it.”

If there’s any chance at the Browns making any kind of run in the second half of the season, you have to think one of the keys would be on the defensive line. Jabaal Sheard has struggled in his sophomore effort, and we’ll soon find out if that has had more to do with missing pieces in the middle of the line. Now it also could mean a game-tested tryout for Billy Winn to see if he can be a 4-3 defensive end.

[Related: Safe to say Haslam meant what he said regarding changes]

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NFL Report: Browns add defensive lineman to practice squad

October 31, 2012 by 3 Comments

From the Browns-

“The Cleveland Browns today signed defensive lineman Hall Davis to the practice squad.

Originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fifth round (149th overall) of the 2010 draft, Davis has appeared in one regular season contest. He spent 10 weeks on the Titans’ practice squad in 2010, before being signed to the active roster where he appeared in one game. He spent training camp with Raiders this season before being waived on final roster cuts on August 31. A two-year starter at Louisiana-Lafayette, he totaled three sacks and one interception in 12 games as a senior. Born March 2, 1987, the 6-4, 270-pound Davis is a native of Baton Rouge, La., where he attended University High School.”

DT Ahtyba Rubin did not practice again today for the Browns. Emmanuel Stephens was placed on the IR yesterday. DT Phil Taylor expects to be active this week against the Ravens, taking Stephens’ spot on the roster.

[Related: Shurmur on young players gaining confidence]

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NFL Injury News: Ahtyba Rubin out for Sunday’s game against Chargers

October 26, 2012 by 3 Comments

The Cleveland Browns might someday dominate the defensive line when they get Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor back. That won’t be the case this Sunday.

The Browns injury report as of Friday says that Rubin, Dimitri Patterson and (of course) Scott Fujita are out.

Mohamed Massaquoi, Trent Richardson and Tashaun Gipson are questionable.

The probables are Montario Hardesty, John Hughes, Tank Carder, Travis Benjamin, Johnson Bademosi, Chris Ogbonnaya, Frostee Rucker, Usama Young, T.J. Ward, Bubba Ventrone, and some others.

Interestingly enough, Montario Hardesty hasn’t really been a frequent guest on the injury report. Between that and Trent Richardson, could it be that Brandon Jackson sees himself as an active member of the roster this weekend?

[Related: WFNY Podcast – 2012-10-26 – Craig and Rick preview Chargers matchup]

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Phil Taylor to start practicing this week

October 22, 2012 by 6 Comments

During his Monday press conference with the Cleveland media, Pat Shurmur revealed that Phil Taylor will be returning to practice after missing the first seven games of the season.

And not a moment too soon, considering that Ahtyba Rubin wasn’t able to play the full game against the Colts with his calf injury. Maybe someday the Browns will have a full complement of defensive linemen at their disposal.

In Taylor and Rubin’s absences, the Browns have played rookies John Hughes and Billy Winn most frequently.

[Related:Browns Lose….But Weeden Improves]

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NFL News: Fujita, Patterson and Pinkston out vs. Colts

October 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Friday injury report is out concerning the Browns game this Sunday versus the Colts. No big surprises as Scott Fujita, Dimitri Patterson and Jason Pinkston are all listed as out.

Important questionable players include Trent Richardson, Mohamed Massaquoi, Travis Benjamin and Ahtyba Rubin.

Certainly looks like the Browns have the advantage in the injury report. The Colts officially won’t have Robert Mathis or Donald Brown. Dwight Freeney practiced fully.

Of course the big news out of all this is the scary blood clot that hospitalized Jason Pinkston. It is reportedly in his lung. Anyone who has dealt with blood clots – or embolisms as they’re called if they form in one part of the body and travel to another – will tell you just how scary they can be.

[Related: Browns’ Pinkston Hospitalized with Blood Clot]

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While We’re Waiting … NBA Flopping Rules, Varejao’s Trade Value, A Browns Super Bowl Upset

October 4, 2012 by 9 Comments

While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.

Who said Andy flops?! I didn’t … Maybe: “The NBA has new guidelines to outlaw flopping, and Cavaliers coach Byron Scott doesn’t seem to care. And why should he? ‘It doesn’t affect us,’ Scott said, smiling. ‘We don’t have any floppers. It doesn’t affect us one bit.’ Some around the league – well, actually, a lot of folks – might argue with Scott’s take. A lot of folks might tell you Cavs big man Anderson Varejao is the originator of faking fouls, that his ability to ‘sell’ charges on opponents to referees can be his biggest strength. Anyone who’s seen Varejao in action knows he does, in fact, make a pretty strong case. He leans into the offensive player a little, waits for the man he’s guarding to dip his shoulder, then crashes back-first to the court with wild hair whirling and arms flapping.” [Sam Amico/Fox Sports Ohio] [Read more...]

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Browns’ John Hughes Preparing For First Season in the NFL

August 23, 2012 by 4 Comments

When John Hughes was drafted in the third round by the Browns, he was surprised. Surprised might be putting it mildly. His draft watch party with his family wasn’t even until the next day, when they thought he might hear his name called.

The Browns thought enough of the Cincinnati Bearcat that they pulled the trigger and picked him 87th overall.

Cleveland was looking to add depth to the defensive line that already included defensive tackles Ahtyba Rubin and last year’s first round pick Phil Taylor. The pick was met with criticism, as many of the “draft experts” thought Hughes was a big reach with a third round pick. But when Taylor was injured in the off-season, expectations of Hughes shifted from depth player to probable starter- at least from the fan base.

Fast forward to yesterday, the last day of training camp. Hughes worked mostly with the second unit during practice. He started the first two preseason games, but has had to battle all camp long for the spot.

“I think it went great, especially being a rookie just being able to come out here and compete.” said Hughes of training camp. “Especially with the vets and learning the plays and the system. That’s the big thing learning the system, then coming out here and playing your best.” [Read more...]

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John Hughes Didn’t Initially Invite Family for Friday Night

April 28, 2012 by 4 Comments

Yeah, the selection of John Hughes surprised a lot of Cleveland Browns fans at No. 87 in the third round. But, wouldn’t you know it, the announcement also surprised Hughes himself.

The University of Cincinnati defensive tackle said he initially decided against inviting his family over Friday night, since he had presumed he’d be taken in the fourth round or later. After the call came from the Browns however, the Hughes family started to gather up again.

According to a conference call late Friday night after the selection, the not-well-regarded prospect said he was taken aback by the selection:

“I really had no idea,” Hughes said on a conference call with the Cleveland media late Friday night. “I don’t think anyone has a good idea of where they’re going, but I thought the Browns were for sure, the Saints maybe, the Bears. There were a lot of teams out there. My family’s still going to come over, so we’re going to have a nice cookout or something here to celebrate.”

I’m positive this will be a conversation topic for the rest of the weekend for the next few weeks as the Browns explain this selection. For a back-up position, this was an awful high slot, and we’ll see if the Browns can fill some other more immediate needs in the next few rounds.

[Related: Pick #87: Browns Select John Hughes]

(Source: ClevelandBrowns.com)

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Pick #87: Browns Select DT John Hughes

April 27, 2012 by 102 Comments

After trading down earlier in the third round, the Cleveland Browns selected DT John Hughes from Cincinnati. Listed at about 6-feet-3-inches, he was listed at No. 250 on the ESPN Big Board and was a bit of a surprise for most people at this selection.

Of course, the Browns picked DT Phil Taylor in the first round last year after trading down, and also have a stud in DT Ahtyba Rubin. Hughes will provide immediate depth on the line, but who knows if more value was elsewhere, even if Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu recently was taken off the board and likely was a top target.

Hughes is listed as being quick with good run skills. He has a powerful upper body, but endurance and conditioning are listed as possible future concerns. He appeared in 50 games at the college level, starting 25 of them, but a right knee injury prevented him from participating in the combine and in his pro day.

He picked up 51 tackles total during his senior season at Cincinnati, including 12.5 for loss and five sacks. Likely, this will be another unpopular pick with the Browns fans as the team completes its selections through the first two days of the draft.

[Related: Browns Trade No. 67 Pick to Broncos]

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NFL Free Agency: Where’s all the Browns money?

March 14, 2012 by 51 Comments

I know a lot of people are frustrated with the Browns today as free agents get signed in places like Washington, Buffalo, Tampa Bay and elsewhere. The Browns are estimated to have $17.4 million plus the $1.6 million in awarded money from the Redskins and Cowboys penalties. It is one thing to hear $19 million and it is quite another to try and understand how the Browns are as bad as they have been and yet aren’t tops in the NFL in terms of salary cap space. So I went and did the best I could to figure out the 2012 cap figures for Browns players just to get a feel for how this team is built financially.

Just a couple of disclaimers. Piecing together salary cap info that is 100% accurate is nearly impossible unless you work in the league offices. I took some liberties pro-rating signing bonuses and estimating other bonuses in certain cases. Still, even if my margin of error is 5% it should still be educational to see just where all the money is. Also, I filled up the end of the roster with any old guys who are making around league minimums in order to get the roster size up to 55 which it would be for the regular season. [Read more...]

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NFL Free Agency: Colts’ Robert Mathis might hit the open market

March 4, 2012 by 6 Comments

According to PFT the talks between Robert Mathis and the Indianapolis Colts aren’t going anywhere. In fact, they might not be going hardly at all. Mathis is one of the most talented defensive players that could hit free agency this season and is probably second among defensive ends only to Mario Williams in Houston. Mathis will be seeking a big pay-day and at age 31 he doesn’t fit the Browns’ stated free agency goals at least as of last year when they targeted younger players.

The situation in Indy is complicated too, as they figure out what they are doing with Peyton Manning, let alone free agent Reggie Wayne.

Complicating matters in Indy is that Chuck Pagano has a history of running 3-4 defenses while Mathis has only played defensive end in a 4-3 front. He might be athletic enough to make a switch, but how much money are the Colts really willing to risk on that?

So we’ll see if Mathis actually makes it to free agency and if the Browns are willing to go a little older and sign a 31 year-old to start opposite Jabaal Sheard next season.

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Trying to Make Sense of the Best Browns Since 1999 Poll

February 28, 2012 by 31 Comments

I’ll admit that I had an ulterior motive when I set about putting together the list of the best Browns since 1999. It was spawned from a conversation with a friend where we decided to figure out if the best Browns since 1999 could field a team that would be favored year-in and year-out over the typical competition in the AFC North. We both decided that if this magical team, across time and space, could be formed that they probably would be favored, but not by nearly as much as they should. Additionally, I don’t believe they would go undefeated by any stretch.

Anyway, here are some facts from the data on the players Browns fans chose as the best.  Not heavy on conclusions today, but I thought maybe we could work on them together.  I’ll just start spitting out things that I noticed from looking at the data points. It is kind of a mess right now, but here it is anyway.

In the end we picked a total of 55 players for our depth chart. [Read more...]

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The Best Browns Since 1999 – Defensive Tackles

February 20, 2012 by 6 Comments

Defensive tackles haven’t been a source of pride in Cleveland, but the Browns have still had some decent players at the spot.  The list is top heavy, it seems in that respect. [Read more...]

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Cleveland Browns Play Hard to the End, Drop Season-Ender to Steelers

January 1, 2012 by 83 Comments

In all too familiar fashion, the Cleveland Browns wrapped up their season with the stands filled with black and urine-colored clothing.  I wasn’t there, so I can’t comment on the smell, but I have some suspicions.  Ultimately those kinds of verbal barbs are all we as a city can muster because the Steelers won the game 13-9 despite a chance to win it with a hail mary as time expired.  Seneca Wallace put it up and it hit Greg Little in the hands, but with all the activity in the end zone it rolled harmlessly to the turf.  The ball dropping harmlessly to the turf is probably the proper way for a season like this one to end to keep in the stylistic theme and tones set all year. [Read more...]

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