May 22, 2013

NFL News: Browns’ Richardson unlikely to be prosecuted for December incident

May 20, 2013 by 4 Comments

Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson is unlikely to face criminal charges stemming from a mid-December incident which occurred at his home following the team’s win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Morning Journal reports that the lawsuit agains Richardson has been transferred from Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to Lorain County Common Pleas Court, and that there are “conflicting statements and lack of evidence” for there to be probable cause for an arrest.

This past March, Richardson was named in a lawsuit along with his girlfriend and his brother Terrell. The initial complaint alleges that an after-hours party at Trent Richardson’s “compound” ended in an altercation. The plaintiffs, Krystal Jones of Maple Heights and Kathleen Hunter of Cleveland, allege that Trent Richardson was upset that they “disrespected” his house and that he blocked them from backing their car up to leave in order to enable his girlfriend to begin “pummeling” the driver. The initial document names six counts including battery, assault, emotional distress, civil conspiracy and emotional distress before a jury demand.

As pointed out by Mike Florio  of Pro Football Talk, the absence of criminal charges has no impact on a civil lawsuit, which is subject to a far lower standard of proof and can be filed without meeting any initial burdens like probable cause.

[Related: The Tribe – The REAL Lead Sports Story in Town]

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Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski on his offense

April 17, 2013 by 25 Comments

The Browns completed the second day of voluntary mini-camp today, and afterwards coach Rob Chudzinski had this to say about his offense in comparison to the one he ran in Cleveland in 2007 as offensive coordinator-

“We’ve evolved, and that’s one thing that, as a coach, you hope to learn and grow. Defenses are always working to try and catch up to you. You have to try to stay and work ahead. One of the biggest things is tailoring your system to your players. Everyone has a million plays, but trying to fit what your guys do best and putting them in the best position to win is key. Right now we are building that foundation and building the base of what we want to be – not just as an offense but as a team, with defense and special teams.”

When asked specifically about how Trent Richardson fits into his system-

“Trent will be our primary runner. We will use him on first-second down and Trent has some unique skills. He can actually catch the ball well and run routes well out of the backfield. That’s one thing out of the last few days that we have been able to see. He is a guy that we could play on three downs. Obviously, we just have to keep him fresh. ”

The Browns conclude on-field workouts tomorrow. Coach Chudzinski’s offense had at least one fan after the first day of mini-camp-

[Related: Browns thoughts after the raid on Pilot Flying J]

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Trent Richardson says he may always have “lingering pain” in ribs

April 15, 2013 by 14 Comments

Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson says that he may always have to deal with lingering pain due to last season’s rib injury.

Buried in this weekend’s mailbag from The Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, it appears that the rib injury which cost Richardson some explosiveness in 2012—the rookie sustained broken ribs in Week 6—may always be an issue. Richardson, last year’s third-overall pick, says that he may have to deal with pain throughout his career, but remains confident in his effectiveness. Cabot added that Richardson will be 100 percent for training camp this season and will not have to shoulder as much of the load as he did under Pat Shurmur a season ago.

“[New Browns head coach Rob] Chudzinski stressed that Richardson won’t have to carry the load by himself this year,” said Cabot. “The club will change it up with Montario Hardesty, Chris Ogbonnaya and now newcomer Dion Lewis.”

The 21-year old carried the ball 267 times in 2012, tallying 950 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was also heavily featured in the passing game, hauling in 51 passes for 367 yards and a touchdown.

[Related: As the highest-paid player on the Browns, is Joe Thomas’ value diminishing?]

 

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NFL News: Trent Richardson named in lawsuit

March 22, 2013 by 5 Comments

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson has been named in a lawsuit by two women over an incident that is alleged to have taken place December 9th 2012. The Plain Dealer also has a copy of the lawsuit as provided by the attorney for two named female plaintiffs.

The suit also names Trent Richardson’s girlfriend and mother of his children, as well as his brother Terrell Richardson. The complaint alleges that an after-hours party at Trent Richardson’s “compound” ended in an altercation. The plaintiffs allege that Trent Richardson was upset that they “disrespected” his house and that he blocked them from backing their car up to leave in order to enable his girlfriend to begin “pummeling” the driver.

The document names six counts including battery, assault, emotional distress, civil conspiracy and emotional distress before a jury demand.

The Browns are aware of the lawsuit according to the PD report.

[Related: Craig and Rick talk Browns – WFNY Podcast – 2013-03-22]

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Richardson: “They told me they’re gonna run the shoes off of me.”

March 22, 2013 by 22 Comments

They told me I better be in the best shape ever. They told me they’re gonna run the shoes off of me. They’re gonna pass me the ball more. … They’re going to do whatever they can … and they want me to be a leader for this team. Voice-wise, they want me to lead the group. They want me to get on that horse, man. They want me to be that stallion that’s gonna take this program to another level. They’re putting all this stress on me and all this faith in me, man, and so I know what my job is. I know what I gotta do.

– Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson, Thursday on ESPNCleveland’s “The Hooligans,” when asked if the new coaching staff has made him aware of his role I’m 2013.

[Related: What the Browns should have said about Phil Dawson]

(Source: Sports Radio Interviews)

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NFL rule changes: Running backs can no longer lower their “crown”

March 20, 2013 by 58 Comments

With player safety and concussion concerns being among the top of league priorities, the NFL has passed a rule that will no longer allow running backs (or ball-carriers) to lower the their crowns in space, using it as a weapon against their opponents.

While not enforceable in goal-line or most short-yardage situations, the rule will penalize teams 15 yards if one of their players lowers their helmet into a would-be defender when both players are outside of the tackle box.

“I didn’t use my head,” Former Browns running back Jim Brown said on Monday. “I used my forearm. The palm of my hand. And my shoulder. And my shoulder pads. I wasn’t putting my head into too much of anything. I don’t think that’s a good idea. At least, it doesn’t sound like a good idea to me.”

Current Browns running back Trent Richardson has been linked to this rule due to the hit he put on Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Kurt Coleman during the team’s 2012 Opening Day game.

Many head coaches have expressed concern over how the rule will be officiated, being of the belief that there is a lot of grey area involved in it’s enforcement. The measure passed by a vote of 31-1.

Other rules that have been augmented include the infamous “tuck” rule as well as the banning of peel-back blocks.

[Related: The Browns are right to lay low with Lombardi]

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Trent Richardson and Ozzie Newsome represent Browns in Madden cover vote

March 11, 2013 by 7 Comments

Nobody in Cleveland has forgotten the Peyton Hillis Madden cover vote just yet. In the end, it came down to Hillis and Mike Vick, and I don’t know if Vick is wiping his brow for having avoided the curse just yet either, as he took a pay cut this year to stay with the Chip Kelly iteration of the Eagles.

Well now the EA Sports folks have decided to pit “old school” against “new school” for this year’s Madden Cover showdown. On the left side of the bracket are the old school people, including Jake Delhomme for the Panthers, Chad Johnson for the Bengals (how OLD!) and Ozzie Newsome for the Cleveland Browns.

As beloved as Newsome is as a player, it will be a tough road as a 13th seed going up against Kurt Warner in the first round. Plus, even if he advanced, he faces such “old school” names as Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and even the recently retired Ray Lewis.

On the “new school” side of things, the Browns are repped by Trent Richardson. He’s the seventh seed against the Packers’ long-haired linebacker with Cleveland Browns lineage, Clay Matthews.

Based on Browns fans’ previous experience with the Madden Cover, while I don’t believe in curses, it might be safer to just vote for the Steelers’ receiver Antonio Brown. You know. Just in case.

[Related: Mike Wallace should give the Browns pause]

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Banner Report: Running Backs

March 6, 2013 by 18 Comments

You 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

Banner Report GuardedLike the Quarterback position, the Browns search for a lead back has been a journey to say the least. Take away the anomaly that was the Jamal Lewis three-year run (which was really a great 2007, a slowing of ability in 2008, and a career-ender in 2009), and the Browns have been led in rushing by the likes of William Green, Reuben Droughns, James Jackson, Jerome Harrison, and Peyton Hillis. These days in the NFL, the one-back system seems to be giving way to more of a RB by committee, except for special cases. Heading into 2013, the Browns are one of the few teams that has their one lead guy.

When the decision was made to take Trent Richardson third overall in the 2012 draft, a workhorse, every down stud tailback arrived to tote the rock. They hoped that oft-injured former second-round pick Montario Hardesty could be a capable backup, with guys like Brandon Jackson, and Chris Ogbannaya there in reserve. The lone true fullback on the roster was Owen Marecic, a converted two-way player. He was quickly replaced by tight end Alex Smith. To say anything was a success in 2012 would be foolish, but the running game, with a strong offensive line and a rookie scoring machine in Richardson, looked good at times.

So where does this leave us with Joe Banner and Mike Lombardi now making the personnel decisions?

[Read more...]

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NFL News: Browns’ Richardson says Weeden struggled reading defenses

February 26, 2013 by 20 Comments

NFL Network’s Steve Wyche, via The Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot, claims he was told that the Cleveland Browns were forced to dial down their offense due to the inadequacies of quarterback Brandon Weeden.

Wyche claims that, in an off-camera conversation with running back Trent Richardson, the Browns quarterback struggled reading opposing defenses.

“He said as a rookie, [Weeden] really had trouble reading defenses from time to time and they had to skew their offense a little bit, sometimes somewhat predictable,” said Wyche. “He thinks things are going to open up a little bit, but he really does like Brandon Weeden.” 

Richardson, who gave himself a C-plus grade for his rookie season, ultimately spoke on camera and stood behind his fellow teammate.

“I think he’ll be my quarterback,” Richardson said. “We can’t put too much on Brandon, especially as a rookie. 

“We want to make sure he believes, he knows he’s going to be our quarterback. When it comes to stuff like that, we’ve just all got to be behind him.”

In 2012, the strong-armed Weeden threw for nearly 3,400 yards, but did so with a passer rating of 72.6 with an average of 6.55 yards per attempt. He is expected to face competition for the starting job this coming season, but is also said to be one of the biggest benefactors of new head coach Rob Chudzinski as well as Norv Turner’s down-field, shotgun-friendly offense coming to Cleveland.

[Related: 2013 NFL Draft: Weak draft? Fits for Browns at No. 6]

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Rams could have had RG3 and Richardson if they traded Bradford

February 15, 2013 by 19 Comments

The St. Louis Rams had their quarterback, that was there stance and they were sticking to it leading up to the 2012 draft. With Andrew Luck slated to go number one overall to the Colts, the Rams had options at number 2. Having drafted Sam Bradford first overall in 2010 draft, new Rams’ coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead wasted no time letting everyone know Sam Bradford would not be traded.

But what if they had put Bradford on the trading block and considered taking Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick? Well, SI.com’s Peter King told Erik Kuselias of NBC Sports that he believes they could have landed a high first round pick for the former number one overall in Bradford.

What team was interested enough to give up such a high pick for Bradford? You guessed it, the Cleveland Browns. NFL.com’s Chris Wesselling explains further.

The implication is that the Browns, holding the No. 4 pick and Bradford’s former play-caller in Pat Shurmur, were the team hot on his trail. Had the Rams been more open-minded on Griffin, they may have changed the course of the franchises in Cleveland and Washington as well as their own. As it is now, Fisher’s future is tied to Bradford’s performance after passing up a chance to draft the 2012 Rookie of the Year.

If the Rams had been willing to deal Bradford and the Browns had pulled the trigger on giving up the 4th pick for him, the Browns could have left the draft last April with Sam Bradford and an Alfred Morris or Doug Martin with their second first round pick.

It’s a lot of “ifs”, but one can help but wonder how different things would have been for Cleveland, if different at all.

Share your thoughts.

[Related: How the Browns could win a Joe Flacco negotiation]

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Fun with Numbers

January 28, 2013 by 4 Comments

Mario's Early Years - Fun With NumbersEveryone likes numbers right? Every once in a while I like to see what story the numbers tell. Some of them may surprise you. Some of them you may already know. Sometimes they explain a lot. Let’s have some fun-

950- Trent Richardson finished the season with 950 yards rushing. He broke Jim Brown’s rookie rushing record, but didn’t get to that infamous 1,000 yard mark. He carried the ball 267 times and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. Now, I don’t have access to Richardson’s contract details, but I would be surprised if there wasn’t a bonus of some sort for hitting 1,000 yards. Between the injuries and that 8 carry Colts game, you would think that another 14 carries would have been possible along the way to get Trent to 1,000 yards. Next year I guess.

24th- The Browns offense ranked 24th in scoring this season. Since their return in 1999, the Browns have finished higher than that only twice. In 2007 they were 8th, and in 2002 they were 19th.

.281- Looks like a batting average no? Actually it is Pat Shurmur’s winning percentage in Cleveland. Since the team returned, three coaches have been given exactly 32 games to coach- Shurmur, Mangini and Palmer. Palmer had 5 wins, Shurmur 9 and Mangini 10. The highest winning percentage among ‘new’ Browns’ coaches? It’s not Romeo, even though he had the best single season since ’99. Try Butch Davis with a .414 winning percentage.

11- The Browns finished the season with 11 players on the disabled list. 8 of those were defensive players. 4 were linebackers. [Read more...]

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NFL Report: Trent Richardson admits he played with broken, not just bruised ribs

December 31, 2012 by 20 Comments

Trent Richardson ran for 950 yards this season. He set a Browns rookie record and scored 11 touchdowns in the process. He had a knee surgery at the beginning of the season, and reportedly had bruised ribs for much of the season.

This morning Trent Richardson admitted to the Cleveland media that he had at least two broken ribs.

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WFNY Top 10 Cleveland Sports Stories of 2012: #3 Trent Richardson Headlines Browns’ Youth Movement

December 31, 2012 by 2 Comments

2012 was one crazy year in the wild wacky world of Cleveland Sports. Some would tell you 2012 was as bad as it has ever been here. As the year comes to a close, like we have done the last four years, WFNY will take a look at what we view to be the 10 biggest sports stories affecting our local sports scene. Each day through the rest of the year, we will be counting down from ten to one. We started the Buckeyes Final Four trip. Number nine is something that happened just a short two weeks ago. The Ohio State perfect 12-0 season was number eight while Chris Perez’ harsh and honest words clocked in at number seven. Our sixth-biggest story saw our first of two straight from the Cavaliers, the drafting of Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller. Up next was Kyrie Irving receiving the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Coming in at number four was Manny Acta’s fall from managerial grace.

#3 Trent Richardson Headlines Browns’ Youth Movement

This season the Browns were led by rookies in passing, rushing and receiving. (Still mad I didn’t get so much as a cap tip from the Browns stat department. You’re welcome.)

Trent Richardson’s 950 yards didn’t just lead the team this year, they were the most by a Browns rookie RB ever. Yes, he played in more games and had more attempts than Jim Brown in his rookie season. Stop for a moment though and think about the comparison. You want to split hairs about Richardson’s season compared to Jim Brown? Ok. I fully submit Richardson’s rookie year was only the second best in franchise history. And that’s good enough. He also set a club rookie marks for rushing touchdowns. [Read more...]

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NFL News: Weeden, Richardson and Brown listed as “out” for Sunday

December 28, 2012 by 4 Comments

Cleveland Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown’s streak of consecutive games played will end at 175 and he will miss the team’s Week 17 barn-burner against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Brown suffered a concussion midway through the Browns’ Week 16 loss to the Denver Broncos when wide receiver Brandon Stokley lowered a shoulder into him on a pick play to free up Demaryius Thomas on a crossing pattern. The veteran leader will hit the free agent market this offseason as a 34-year-old coming off of a solid season with 57 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown.

Brown will be accompanied on the sidelines by rookies Brandon Weeden (shoulder) and Trent Richardson (ankle) , and tight end Jordan Cameron (concussion). Thaddeus Lewis, Montario Hardesty, and Brad Smelley will all likely see an increased role during the team’s final game of the 2012 season.

[Related: WFNY Podcast – Craig talks to Dave Bryan from SteelersDepot.com]

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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?

Listen at Stitcher

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Browns vs. Steelers Reader’s Survey

December 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It’s going to be the toughest game to predict all year in all likelihood. The Browns and Steelers don’t have anything to play for but pride and paychecks. The teams are a mystery right now at least on the Browns’ side of the equation as Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson and even Colt McCoy are questionable at best and out in all probability. It could be the last game as a member of the Browns for Phil Dawson, Josh Cribbs and head coach Pat Shurmur.

Given that, let’s make with the predictions! [Read more...]

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Browns sacked by Broncos 34-12

December 23, 2012 by 20 Comments

The Broncos are a playoff team fighting for the number one seed in the conference. The Browns are a 5-10 team several pieces short of contention. These were the facts going into the game, and they certainly haven’t changed.

Peyton Manning picked the Browns defense apart with his usual precision. He finished with 339 yards and  three touchdowns. He picked on Sheldon Brown early and Buster Skrine late.

Cleveland’s offense had a few nice early drives, but were unable to punch the ball into the end zone. Brandon Weeden was 12-of-19 before getting knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. Trent Richardson had 6 carries in the first half and just three in the second half as the Browns abandoned the run once they fell behind again. To add insult to injury, Richardson had to be helped off the field at the end of the game with a leg injury. [Read more...]

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Browns vs. Broncos Reader’s Survey

December 21, 2012 by 2 Comments

The Browns weren’t going to be favored this week regardless of the outcome last week against the Redskins. After a three game winning streak ends and with two tough games and a presumably lame duck coach, will the wheels come off? Will this team continue to play hard to the final whistle this season? We’ll know soon enough, but I want to know what you think right now. Will Peyton and the boys crush the Browns? If so, by how much? Do the Browns have one more trick up their sleeve this season? [Read more...]

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On Brandon Weeden’s rookie season, and other Browns rookie records

December 21, 2012 by 7 Comments

Over the past two weeks (part 1 and part 2), my good friend and colleague Rick has posted updates on some historic NFL records being accomplished by the current trio of rookies on the Browns offense: QB Brandon Weeden, RB Trent Richardson and WR Josh Gordon.

In his initial post, I helped to provide some of the backbone research. Yes, I never gave enough credit to Rick for his research and his writing as well, but I did help a little bit. This week, since we haven’t provided an update yet, I thought I’d swing back into the picture to provide the latest update and give some more historical context to Weeden’s rookie season.

Of course, this hasn’t been a perfect season for the much-maligned 29-year-old rookie from Oklahoma State (by way of the New York Yankees). He’s been highly criticized in many ways and certainly didn’t have a good performance against the Redskins in the home finale on Sunday. But, based on my research, he’s still OK compared to other QBs that have started every game of their first NFL season. [Read more...]

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Did Brandon Weeden call the 69-yard TD pass to Travis Benjamin himself?

December 18, 2012 by 51 Comments

I noticed an OBR thread linked on Reddit today that wondered if Brandon Weeden called his own play when he fired a laser to Travis Benjamin over the top for a 69-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Redskins.

The prior play, Trent Richardson missed an assignment that allowed Brandon Weeden to get blindsided violently. Weeden’s helmet came flying off and the assumption is that the audio wasn’t working.

[Read more...]

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