June 19, 2013

In defense of the great Phil Dawson

November 9, 2012 by 6 Comments

I was reading an otherwise great article today at Grantland by Bill Barnwell that pointed out how bad a job Jacksonville Jaguars GM Gene Smith is at his job, when a snippet caught my attention. While talking about Josh Scobee and his contract from the Jags, a footnote said the following about Phil Dawson.

Given that kickers are incredibly inconsistent from year to year, I still suspect that the Scobee deal will end up looking bad in a couple of years. And yes, two other franchise kickers (Phil Dawson and Matt Prater) have also been perfect this year, but given that they were both below-average in terms of their accuracy last year before being franchised, does that really prove that kicker accuracy is a predictable thing?

Granted, Barnwell didn’t say anything about Phil Dawson and his abilities. He very well could have been speaking more to the value proposition of franchising a position like kicker where the return on investment is inconsistent. Then again, just in case he was besmirching the impeccably awesome name of Phil Dawson, I’ve prepared an over-reactive defense of everyone’s favorite Browns kicker. And honestly, why shouldn’t I considering the fact that pretty much every miss of Phil Dawson’s 2011 wasn’t his fault? [Read more...]

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NFL Rumors: Rams to Shop Jackson, in Hunt for Richardson

April 24, 2012 by 81 Comments

The Washington Redskins continue to haunt the Cleveland Browns during the off-season.

Per NBC Sports’ Evan Silva, The St. Louis Rams will reportedly shop long-time running back Steven Jackson this week as the 29-year-old bruising back is allegedly unhappy with his current contract. If Jackson is moved – with the reported price being a mid-round pick due to age, contract and mileage — the Rams would likely look to add Alabama’s Trent Richardson.

In an on-air broadcast, ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi speculates that the Rams, potentially feeling the running back could be gone by the time they select sixth-overall, could move up to the third, fourth or fifth spots in the draft, via the second-round pick they acquired in the deal with the Washington Redskins earlier this off-season.

The Redskins, in a legitimate duel with the Cleveland Browns, jumped to the second-overall selection — to select quarterback Robert Griffin III — by sending the Rams multiple first-round selections and a second-rounder for 2012. In late March, Rams head coach Jeff Fisher stated that the Browns were realistic trading partners with the Browns.

In the event that a team trades to the third spot in Thursday’s draft, the Browns would be forced to decide between USC’s offensive tackle Matt Kalil, LSU cornerback Mo Claiborne or Oklahoma State wide recevier Justin Blackmon. A trade down would also be a legitimate option with the Browns reportedly preferring staying in the top eight.

[Related: Another view of Peter King’s stat of the week regarding running backs]

(Source: Evan Silva)

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Peter King: Rams GM Les Snead details how trade with Washington went down

March 23, 2012 by 59 Comments

Buried at the bottom of a Peter King Monday Morning QB column, (which I never would have seen without Cleveland Frowns’ post today) comes this about the Rams’ trade with Washington-

“But according to Rams GM Les Snead, that’s not the whole story. He confirmed to me Sunday what I’d heard the night the trade broke. Snead said he told all teams interested on March 8 that he was going to have the trade done by the end of that day, and he was going to ask each team to give its best offer for the trade. At that point, he said, after listening to all the proposals, he was going to take the best offer — unless the offer was not anywhere near what the Rams wanted for the pick.

Those were the rules, Snead said Sunday, that he made clear to each team. Snead asked for everyone’s best offer in individual phone calls. It’s unclear what Cleveland’s offer was, but Washington offered three first-round picks and one second-round pick. That offer, Snead said, was better than Cleveland’s offer. So he told Washington officials that they’d won the bidding and told the Browns they’d lost. At that point, Snead said, Cleveland tried to make another offer, and Snead said the window was closed; the Rams were taking Washington’s offer.”

Read the whole piece. It may be a little “he said, she said” but someone is most certainly not being honest about the exchange.

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NFL Draft: My Cleveland Browns dream scenario

March 22, 2012 by 136 Comments

First of all, this is supposed to be at least somewhat realistic, so take that draft day trade with the Colts out of your minds. That isn’t even remotely possible, so I’m not going to entertain it. By the way, neither is Robert Griffin III dropping to the Browns.

With that, I think it is important to look at how big this draft is going to be in a non-abstract kind of way. So many people (especially this guy) have a tough time envisioning just how powerful it will be for the Browns to add at least three starters over the course of draft weekend. So let me paint a few scenarios using The OBR’s stupendous Mock Draft Muncher, which summarizes a great number of mock drafts into a consensus. The picks will never land exactly like these scenarios, but it is still as good a way as any to illustrate a point today.

Before I get to the dream scenario, let’s look at some of the base cases.

This is the case that the Muncher lays out right now. It would have the Browns adding RB Trent Richardson, WR Kendall Wright and QB Brandon Weeden in the first three picks. I don’t love the idea of drafting Brandon Weeden, but the rest seems nice. Some consider Richardson a reach, but he’s the best running back in the draft and he will be touching the ball 20 times per game, presumably. I could buy into that for a team that struggled so much running the ball last season. Right there you’ve added a starting running back, a wide receiver who will play lots and a mature quarterback that will at least push Colt McCoy in training camp. [Read more...]

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Peter King: Browns didn’t know Redskins offer in trade talks

March 12, 2012 by 23 Comments

Since the Browns were unable to secure the second pick in trade talks from over the weekend with the St. Louis Rams, we’ve slowly been piecing things together as to how it all went down. For a while there were conspiracy theories that the Browns offered just as many picks, but the Rams decided to go with the Redskins’ bounty. That didn’t make sense because the Browns have higher picks and more immediate returns with Atlanta’s pick in the 2012 draft.

Yesterday we learned that the Browns might not have actually offered the third first rounder that had been initially reported. Now with Peter King’s article this morning, we have yet another piece of information as to why the Browns maybe didn’t offer the extra pick that might have won the bidding war.

The Rams might have gotten more by telling the Browns what Washington’s offer was, but Snead had promised each side he wouldn’t play one bid against another but rather simply ask for each team’s best offer. Once Washington’s offer was better than Cleveland’s, the deal was done.

Another layer of the onion is stripped away and we find out that the bidding war might have actually been more of a sealed bid auction. The game theory probably played out where the Browns new they had a strong hand and they might have added a second round either for this year or next year. The Redskins also knew that the Browns had a strong hand so they decided to make sure they were over the top of the Browns by adding the second rounder and another first rounder to their offer.

Whether this makes Browns fans feel any better remains to be seen. If this account is true, it makes me feel a little bit better about the way the Rams conducted business in an attempt to be fair. If the parties had truly been pitted against each other, my perception is that the Redskins wouldn’t have stopped bidding if this was their blind offer.

[Related: With RG3 gone, Browns fans prefer Colt McCoy and Justin Blackmon]

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Cabot: Reports refute Browns’ willingness to include three first-round picks

March 11, 2012 by 21 Comments

Adam Schefter reported that the Browns were involved in the talks and had also offered three first round picks like what the Rams got from the Redskins. That report seemed confusing considering that the Browns had both a higher first round pick and a second first round pick in 2012. Common sense would tell you that the Browns’ were in a position to make a more attractive offer, and yet in the face of that offer, the Rams apparently chose the Redskins.

According to the Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, that report might be confusing because it might not be 100% accurate.

Others have indicated the Browns didn’t offer three first-rounders, including NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi, who told the Washington Post on Saturday that Browns sources told him they weren’t willing to invest that much.

Amidst rumors of favoritism between Jeff Fisher of the Rams and Mike Shannahan of the Redskins, this would make more sense. It is just too hard to believe that the Browns offered a seemingly superior package and the Rams chose to trade with the Redskins anyway. It seems much more likely that the Browns just weren’t willing to pony up quite as much as the ‘Skins.

We’ll probably never know for sure, but after Tuesday when trades can be announced it won’t matter. The chapter will officially be closed.

[Related: With RG3 Gone, Browns fans prefer Colt McCoy and Justin Blackmon]

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Poll: What do the Browns do now?

March 10, 2012 by 8 Comments

Now that RG3 is almost undoubtedly going to be a Washington Redskin, what should the Browns do? Log your responses here.

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NFL Draft Rumor: Rams and Redskins agree to trade for No. 2 Pick

March 9, 2012 by 57 Comments

Jay Glazer is reporting via his twitter that the RG3 sweepstakes is over. After reportedly missing out on Peyton Manning, Dan Snyder and the Redskins have apparently ended any kind of bidding war that might have been taking place or looming.

Major scoopage: Redskins have agreed to a trade w Rams for #2 pick of draft. Rams and Skins swap first rounders this yr w Rams also getting 2 future #1s and additional picks.

I said on Facebook yesterday that if the Browns didn’t get Robert Griffin III that I will have wasted a large amount of time and words on the topic. Well, it seems that has come to pass.

If true, it will be interesting to see if the Browns ramp up efforts to acquire Matt Flynn or choose to stand pat with Colt McCoy and whoever might be available in the upcoming draft to play quarterback. While I bemoan the potential loss of a major prospect, it appears that maybe the Redskins offer was just a little bit too far on the side of crazy for me to be upset at the Browns.

In my mind, if this is true, we can legitimately start talking about the benefits of trading down.

[Related: The Realities of Robert Griffin III as a Cleveland Brown]

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NFL Draft: The Browns can’t win a bidding war

February 29, 2012 by 122 Comments

It might be the most obvious thing ever, but it seems that we’ve been talking a lot of hypothetical game theory lately. The Browns are in a position of strength and if you were to believe the pundits around the sports world, they also seemingly don’t have enough to get a trade done with the Rams.  We’ve heard rumors of the Redskins giving up their entire draft this year as well as multiple picks next year. We’ve heard that the Browns might need to trade three overall first rounders (two this year and one in 2013) in order to entice the Rams into giving them the #2.  (Yes, I know some of you prefer to look at it like two first rounders and a swap of #4 and #2.  Whatever.) How is it that the Browns could be in a bidding war and yet have a position of strength?

Let’s talk a bit about the Browns’ options. What is the worst thing that can happen if the Browns do nothing at all? Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin, Matt Kalil, Justin Blackmon, Morris Claiborne, Trent Richardson, and Riley Reiff are all in contention for the top four. I would say that Reiff and Richardson are longshots for the top four, but they’re certainly going to be somewhere nearby on most draft boards. (Although Richardson is falling fast, it seems.) Point being that if the Browns do not make any kind of trade, they will get one of these guys. More important is what the Rams get. [Read more...]

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Game Nine Open Thread: Browns Vs. St. Louis Rams

November 13, 2011 by 150 Comments

The Cleveland Browns host the St. Louis Rams in a Week 10 clash of last place teams. Pat Shurmur faces his old club, which is a lowly 1-7 and, save for the Colts, could very well be the worst team in the league. The Rams were simply not competitive in the first six weeks of the season, but have improved over the past two weeks with a win over the Saints and an overtime loss to the Cardinals. Quarterback Sam Bradford has had an unimpressive season thus far, and enters the game hobbled by an ankle injury. The Browns have plenty of injury problems of their own, as running backs Montario Hardesty and Peyton Hillis are both out, in addition to Mohammed Massaquoi and T.J. Ward. Our weekly “Browns Will Win If” preview can be found here.

The 1-7 Rams may be the Browns last, best chance for a W before they enter the rugged AFC North portion of the schedule. Follow along all afternoon in the comments section.

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While We’re Waiting…Indians Free Agent Targets, Browns Run Defense, Tribe Swagger

November 13, 2011 by 4 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.

Potential Indians free agent target: “With LaPorta relegated to a bench role or in Triple-A Columbus to start next season and Santana entrenched as the everyday catcher the Indians need to find an everyday first base option for at least next season. Santana will still play some first base to keep his bat in the lineup, but the Indians need a player who can be counted on both defensively and offensively and has a proven track record. One such player is free agent Derek Lee. The Indians have yet to be tied to Lee in the offseason rumor mill, but he is exactly the kind of player they target in free agency. A player who is in the twilight of their career who still has some value and can be had on a low risk one year deal.” [Tony Lastoria/Indians Prospect Insider]

[Read more...]

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Week 10: The Browns Will Win If…

November 11, 2011 by 19 Comments

The Browns are coming off a thorough drubbing from which surgeons are still trying to extract the ball from down their throats where the Texans systematically ran it. The competition level gets a little lighter with St. Louis this week, and clearly there will be some, “Hey, you! I know you! I know you!” going on between Pat Shurmur and his former team.

brownsrams

St. Louis is down there with the Browns in terms of overall offense. They’re 23rd in the league with 314.1 yards per game. They are, however, slightly better on the run, at 18th in the league. The Browns’ defense got gashed on the ground, and will be without TJ Ward. Yikes. Without further ado…

The Browns Will Win If…

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Attention Cleveland Browns Front Office…

September 28, 2011 by 29 Comments

To the attention of Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert:

Someday, you may be sitting in a meeting when a suggestion is brought up to put together a video or ad campaign that resembles this:

It should go without saying, but let me say it anyway- please do not do this.

Really. It would be a pretty big slap in the face. Thanks.

Cleveland Fans

(tip of the hat to @DonDelcoOBR)

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Coaches Are Made, Not Hired

January 13, 2011 by 21 Comments

(Update: The hiring of Pat Shurmur is official)

As the Browns are reportedly on the verge of hiring Pat Shurmur to be their next head coach, most Cleveland fans don’t get it.

The hand-wringing and sniping reminds me of all that TV footage of Jets fans complaining about their team’s draft picks live on TV over the years.  Point being, just because you don’t know anything about Shurmur doesn’t mean that he isn’t the right guy for the job.

“But he doesn’t have a track record that we can look at like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher!”  Neither did Mike Tomlin or John Harbaugh to name two men who we see a combined four times per year.

[Read more...]

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Browns vs. Rams – Open Thread

August 21, 2010 by 24 Comments

The pre-season continues tonight as the Browns host the St. Louis Rams at 7:30 p.m. It’s the home opener in the careers of Mike Holmgren and Jake Delhomme in the Browns organization and optimism is high after last week’s impressive victory at Green Bay.

Check out our “What We’re Looking For” post from a few days back for our thoughts on tonight’s game. Share your thoughts on the unfolding events in the comments below.

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While We’re Waiting… Coaching Hot Seat, Buckeyes Previews and Delonte West

August 21, 2010 by 4 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.

Eric Mangini ranks among the top five in this ranking from NBC Sports about the the hottest seats in the NFL coaching scene: “Throughout much of the 2009 season, the question regarding Mangini wasn’t if he’d be fired or when he’d be fired, but whether the Browns would try to do it with “cause” and thus cut off his ongoing payments.

His first year in Cleveland had been a disaster, damaged by a string of reports that he was too hard on the players and destroyed by a horrendous win-loss record. But then the Browns caught fire late in the season, and new team president Mike Holmgren apparently decided that giving Mangini at least one more year represented a no-lose proposition.” [Mike Florio]
[Read more...]

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What* does McNabb-to-Redskins Mean for the Browns in the Draft?

April 5, 2010 by 18 Comments

*if anything

Last Thursday I was driving home from work at 2:30 as I’d elected to take a couple hours off to enjoy the sunshine. Turns out that Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was on 97.1 The Fan here in Columbus during that time, and he had some interesting things to say regarding a possible trade up by the Browns to select Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford.

I’m paraphrasing, but Florio implied that, because Bradford is represented by Tom Condon (former agent of Tim Couch, and current agent of Brady Quinn), Condon would steer Bradford away from Cleveland. In addition to that, he pointed out that there was speculation that Bradford would refuse to sign a contract before the draft. [Read more...]

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Browns (kind of) Join Indians in the Cellar

September 24, 2009 by 14 Comments

Sad Browns FanJust as the Indians have found their way to the bottom of the standings in the AL Central, the Cleveland Browns have followed suit and find themselves at the bottom of Sports Illustrated’s Power Rankings for week three of the season.

Take it for what it’s worth – these rankings are just from one writer (and to his credit, a writer not named Peter King).  That being said, Banks seems to know things about the NFL, and though I haven’t watched any of the teams ranked 21-32, based on all the clamor around these parts I can’t imagine that any of the other teams can be a lot worse off than the Browns are currently.

So what say ye, folks – are the Browns the worst team in the NFL at this point.  Are they worse than the Matthew Stafford led Lions and the St Louis Rams, who lost 9-7 to the Deadskins.  At least we have tassle-laced headgear!

Note: For what it’s worth, ESPN has the Browns at 29, at least for this week. Yes we can! Yes we can!

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