Cleveland Browns 2010 1st Round NFL Draft Preview

The 2009 version of the Cleveland Browns looked like an expansion team for most of the season and had their share of distractions to boot.  The distractions were in the form of butter fingers and bad attitude.  Each were eliminated when malcontent Braylon Edwards was sent packing to New York.  The Browns also fired GM George Kokinis during the season.  As result chaos ensued and the offense was putrid to say the least.  Then something astonishing happened in the 2nd half of the season- the Browns looked like a legitimate football team.  Head Coach Eric Mangini rallied the troops resulting in a four game winning streak to end the season.  Near the end of the season veteran Head Coach Mike Holmgren was hired as the team’s new President.  Speculation arose that Mangini would be sent packing but he survived the storm.  Former Philadelphia Eagle GM Tom Heckert, JR. was brought in at the same position with the Browns.

As the NFL playoffs continue, talk of the 2010 NFL Draft increases.  The draft “gurus” act more like soothsayers instead of football analysts in their tabloid style reports.  Their projected drafts change more than Tiger Woods’ personality and have as much substance.  Instead of the typical rhetoric and quarterback hyperbole, we will focus on team needs and player evaluations.

It has been long debated what are the most important positions in football.  Obviously, QB is the first position that comes to mind and few teams can win without at least an adequate QB.  Teams such as the 2008 Baltimore Ravens and the 2009 New York Jets have won with sub-par play behind center but their margin for error is miniscule.  Left tackle is also another position that is quick to mind.  However, like in baseball where teams build up the middle, the same applies to football where d-tackles are essential as are middle linebackers but the most important position may in fact be the safety position.

In the 2009 season the Pittsburgh Steelers lost All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu for the majority of the season.  Their vaunted defense, which led them to the 2008 Super Bowl, wasn’t the same as Pittsburgh limped to a 9-7 record.  The New Orleans Saints defense was given little respect after the 2008 season until they signed grizzled veteran Darren Sharper.  The team became more aggressive and forced turnovers behind the passion and instincts of Sharper.  The Denver Broncos also had a horrible 2008 season on the defensive side of the ball which prompted them to sign veteran safety Brian Dawkins.  Dawkins made an immediate impact as he became the emotional leader just as he was in Philly.  Granted, the safeties mentioned are extremely good but from a Browns’ perspective the same situation occurred in 1991.

The Browns drafted head hunting safety Eric Turner out of UCLA with the second pick of the draft in 1991.  His arrival coincided with the arrival of new Head Coach Bill Belichick.  Although the Browns were mired under .500 for three seasons it wasn’t a result of their play on the defensive side of the ball.  Turner dramatically impacted the defense and made wide receivers squeamish when coming across the middle.  In their lone playoff season under Belichick, Turner led the league with nine interceptions and was a member of the Pro Bowl squad.  Will the Browns follow the 1991 draft?  There are two safeties who could be elite.  The first is Eric Berry from Tennessee.  He is a ball hawking safety who lacks size but has the ball skills an instincts that defensive coordinators dream of.  He will likely be gone when the Browns pick at # 7.  Their only likely shot at safety will be hard hitting Taylor Mays.  Many pundits have dropped Mays down do to what they feel are lack of coverage skills.  The fact is the 6’3”-230lb Mays is incredibly fast for a player his size and would be very effective against the run and most importantly pack the lumber.  If they do not choose a safety the linebacker position is the obvious choice.

The Browns have the defensive tackle position solidified with monster Shaun Rogers but the linebackers struggled throughout especially with the injuries to starters Eric Barton and D’Qwell Jackson.  The Browns not only lack sure tacklers and physical enforcers but also emotional and spiritual leaders.  The signing of Matt Roth certainly helped but if they do not take a safety they should go to the best linebacker in the draft, Alabama’s Rolando McClain.  McClain was the leader of one of the best defenses in the nation both in the huddle and in the field of play.  He is smart, instinctive and a head thumper as he stands in at 6-4 and 258 lbs.  He would step on the field and start immediately.  He would be the glue to the Browns defense for years to come while calling out the pre-snap reads and being a vocal leader.

In summary, if the Browns land Berry, Mays or McClain fans will have a player they can be proud of and a player that will make a impact.  Remember Browns fans, Mangini is largely responsible for what happened with the Jets.  He turned in the same record as Rex Ryan did this season when he received overblown accolades.  With Holmgren, Heckert and Mangini-the Browns future is finally looking bright.

Stemavo Rheulus, Senior Writer

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Eric Mangini will return to coach the Browns in 2010.  Speculation rose, despite the four game winning streak to end the season, that new Browns President Mike Holmgren would oust the heavily scrutinized Mangini.  Mangini met the Browns brass the last two days which led to the announcement today.

This is a good move for the Browns.  Yes it was a miserable season but with consideration to the hand he was dealt, Mangini did a great job in the 2nd half of the season.  The team played hard and improved as the season wore on.  Key players such as Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison excelled over the final four contests and will be key to a successful 2010.  Mangini’s system is a complicated but his philosphy and team concept is even more difficult for players to grasp.  The fact that Mangini was able to clean house (sending malcontents Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow packing) and still show improvement is a testament to his coaching style and doctrine.  He believes firmly in high character guys who believe in team first.  The future may finally be bright in Cleveland with Holgren overseeing the organization, Mangini as the Head Coach and defensive guru Rob Ryan coaching the defense.

Keep checking in with ohiosportstime.com as we will have updated needs for the team and draft previews.

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Tonight’s National Championship game will be filled with NFL prospects.  For the Browns, the one that matters is Rolando McClain.  Yes the secondary struggled and the offense was inept for most of the season; however, in a 3-4 defense linebackers are key.  None are better than the studious McClain.  He is the leader of the best defense in the nation and has a rare combination of size and speed- the kind defensive coordinators drool over.  There is no doubt the Browns defense would instantly be better with McClain on board.  The junior linebacker will have his hands full tonight against Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns.

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

The Browns end their season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game which only impacts their position in the draft.  The Browns look to finish the season with four straight wins under the watchful eye of new President Mike Holmgren.  The Jags are still scratching their heads on a season that got away.  Speculation grows surrounding the drafting of college phenom Tim Tebow.  Next week we will review the 2009 Browns and offer a glimpse of the 2010 draft.

The Bengals sit at 10-5 as they travel to New York to face the 8-7 Jets on Sunday night.  The only movement for the Bengals is possibly moving up to a number three seed.  All will be settled before the game kicks off so there may be little drama.  The Jets will most likely still need a win to get in the playoffs.  The Bengals best match-up in the playoffs would be a Jets team that severely struggles on the offensive side of the ball.  As result it would behooves the Bengals to rest their starters and prepare for the wild card game to be played in Cincinnati.  Next week we will have a complete preview of the Bengals 1st round game and the playoffs as a whole.

Enjoy week 17!!

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns

December 27th 1:00 ET

The Cleveland Browns had a record breaking day at Kansas City, at least two of their stars did.  In the 41-34 victory Jerome Harrison set the single game Browns rushing record and Josh Cribbs broke the career kickoff return for touchdowns record.  Harrison ran for 286 yards which included three touchdowns while Cribbs broke the record then returned another kickoff for a touchdown with each 100 yards or greater.  On defense the Browns struggled mightily against both the pass and the run.  As typical when they face an average QB, the Browns defense was vanilla and as result was lit up.  QB Matt Cassel threw for 331 yards and two scores and Jamaal Charles ran for 154 yards and a score.  The defense is missing several key components due to injury but the secondary has no excuse for their performance.  Skirt (Brandon McDonald) should at the very least be benched for his obvious lack of effort.  Each week he avoids contact and gets burnt routinely.  The secondary must be addressed either in the draft or via free agency this off season.

Tom Cable’s Raiders are now 5-9 on the season and 3-2 in their last five.  In their last game, the Raiders defeated rival Denver on the road 20-19.  QB Charlie Frye was injured in the game which forced the much maligned JaMarcus Russell into action.  Russell was solid leading the Raiders to the winning touchdown but the story of the game was the running attack.  The Raiders rushing attack was tremendous and their run defense was as well.  Oakland ran for a whopping 241 yards while holding the Broncos to 80 yards.

Prediction: Charlie Frye will likely be the starter when he returns to his old stomping grounds.  In a twist of fate he will face the QB that replaced him, Derek Anderson.  The Statue will once again be the starter following the season ending injury to Brady Quinn.  The Browns defense struggled mightily last week against the Chiefs and will find no lesser of a challenge when they face the three headed rushing attack of the Raiders.  Michael Bush, Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden.  They should find some success but the Browns may be able to limit their effectiveness by stacking the line and forcing Charlie Frye to beat them.  On offense the Browns will attack the line of scrimmage with Jerome Harrison (who should have been getting the majority of the carries for the past two seasons) in a conservatively called game.  If the Statue (Derek Anderson) doesn’t turn the ball over the Browns should get the victory.  In new President Mike Holmgren’s first game, the Browns pull out an ugly victory in front of the home faithful.  Cleveland 23 Oakland 13

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs

December 20th 1:00 ET

The Cleveland Browns are coming off of their biggest victory of the season as they defeated arch rival Pittsburgh.  The Brown’s offense struggled but their defense played with heart and passion; harassing Ben Roethlisberger throughout.  Josh Cribbs was magical as usual and the defense accumulated eight sacks giving the Browns their first victory over Big Ben.  King Kong Bernard came out of nowhere getting two sacks as did Brian Schaefering who also sacked Big Ben twice.

The 3-10 Chiefs are coming off a lackluster home loss to Buffalo.  RB Jamaal Charles was sensational rushing for 143 yards and a score.  QB Matt Cassell struggled again throwing four interceptions on the day.

Prediction: The crowd will be a factor as Arrowhead Stadium is still a very difficult place to play.  The Browns defense was hold Jamaal Charles in check and force Cassell into mistakes.  Brady Quinn and the offense is starting to gel.  They are not turning the ball over and have very few penalties.  Against the Chiefs, Quinn and WR Massaquoi will have to make big plays for the Browns to gain a victory.  In the end, Mangini keeps the momentum going as players are starting to get it.  Cleveland 27 Kansas City 20

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

December 10th 8:20 ET

The Browns hosted one of the best teams in the league when the high flying San Diego Chargers visited Cleveland on week 13.  Although they lost 30-23 the Browns showed a bunch of heart despite playing without their three best players on defense.  Unfortunately the defense had their weekly blown coverage, this time to a slow full back.  Mike Tolbert rumbled down the sideline for a 66 yard touchdown on what was a simple five yard completion on a flat route.  On offense Cleveland was led by QB Brady Quinn who threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns.  Finally, finally yes finally WR Brian Robiskie was active and got some playing time.  Robo responded with four catches for 69 yards.  The biggest story of the day was TE Evan Moore who was activated from the practice squad.  Moore showed very good hands as he hauled in six balls for 80 yards.  The Browns are starting to play much better on offense and will get a chance to prove that against the hated Pittsburgh Steelers.

Even though the Browns are just 1-11 this is a huge game for not only Quinn and Mangini but the whole city of Cleveland.  The Browns desperately want to beat rival Pittsburgh and keep continuing their improvement on the offensive side of the ball.  What is best for the long term success of the Browns?  Is it to win games and instill confidence in a very young offense?  Or is it improve and lose in order to get the most dominating player to come down the line in a long while?  Ndamukong Suh is an absolute beast and will likely be the #1 pick in the 2010 draft.  Many compare him to large d-tackles such as Warren Sapp but he has more to offer than that.  To me he could be the next Reggie White.  If so, Suh lining up beside Shaun Rogers would instantly make the Browns defense extremely good.  Either way despite the horrible season, the remaining games could be very entertaining for Cleveland fans.

Prediction: The Steelers have everything to lose with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.  They will be without WR Hines Ward which could hamper their offensive play calling even against a Browns secondary which is struggling mightily.  On defense, the Steelers have been getting lit up  through the air even by the likes of Raiders QB Bruce Gradkowski.  The Browns will find success through the air but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will not open it up enough to gain the victory.  His conservative play calling combined with a defense that will have difficulties getting off of the field will result in another Pittsburgh victory in Cleveland.

Pittsburgh 31 Cleveland 27

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cleveland Browns vs. San Diego Chargers

December 6th 4:15 ET

The Browns laid another egg at Cincinnati.  Their offense was listless and their defense gave up long scoring drives aided by horrible tackling in the 16-7 loss.  Many point to the lack of talent on the defensive side of the ball.  The fact is talent is not required to be in the correct position, display fundamentals and more importantly show hustle and heart.  I want to support Mangini but it is increasingly more difficult to do so with Brian Daboll still calling plays, Brian Robiskie deactivated while a practice squad player was on the field and Hank Poteat still on the team.  Poteat is like the kid on the play ground who has never played football.  You tell him to guard someone he immediately face guards the kid, never looks at the ball and runs around like a chicken with its head cut off.  The good news was the lucky pickup of Matt Roth.  The Dolphins cast him aside despite his talent and work ethic.  Roth was picked on Thursday and played very well on Sunday.

This week the Brown host a dangerous San Diego team.  The 8-3 Chargers are led by QB Phillip Rivers.  Rivers is as tough as they come and has two very good receivers in Vincent Jackson and TE Antonio Gates.  The running game has struggled behind LaDanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles.  The Lightning Bolt defense has been inconsistent but can bring the heat.

Prediction: The Browns defense will be without Shawn Rogers for the rest of the season.  LB Kamerion Wimbley and safety Brodney Pool may also miss the game.  Pool had another concussion which could place his career in jeopardy.  The DB combination of Toast and Skirt will get burnt and burnt often as Rivers will have a field day.  Cleveland’s offense can have success providing Brian Daboll decides to run routes beyond ten yards which is a 50/50 proposition.  The Chargers will be way too much for the Browns no matter the weather conditions.  San Diego 37 Cleveland 17

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals

November 29th 1:00 ET

The 1-9 Browns are coming off their most impressive day of the season on the offensive side of the ball.  Brady Quinn threw for 304 yards and four scores in the 38-37 loss.  Yes it was against the Lions but the key was offensive coordinator Brian Daboll finally calling plays down the field, well at least in the 1st quarter.  The Browns defense was horrible and is certainly worthy of shouldering the blame for the loss.  The defense played on their heels allowing rookie QB Matt Stafford to throw for 422 yards and five touchdowns.  Despite the implosion on the defensive side of the ball Daboll still deserved a lion’s share of the blame, no pun intended.  Quinn was humming and having his way with one of the worst defensive backfields in the league.  The Browns held a 24-7 1st quarter lead when Daboll decided to run the ball on 1st and 2nd downs.  The Browns could have easily put up 50 points on the Lions.  In the end, the Browns were flagged for pass interference on a hail mary which allowed Stafford to throw the winning score with no time remaining.  As questioned all season in this column, how is Hank Poteat in this league?  This loss ranks up there on the list of strange losses that are etched in Browns lore.  However, this one didn’t mean near as much.

The Bengals looked to gain an easy victory as they traveled to Oakland to face the inept Raiders.  Instead, the Bengals were upset 20-17.  The Bengals ran the ball an astonishing 43 times.  Despite what the 1950 coaches manual states regarding how to win football games and what you hear on pre-games shows every week, in 2009 the aerial game is what wins football games.  By running the ball as much as they did the Bengals effectively shortened the game which kept the Raiders in it.  With the loss Cincinnati failed to gain a game on Pittsburgh who lost at Kansas city.

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Prediction: If the right side of the Browns offensive line can hold up Brady Quinn should find plenty of gaps in the Bengals secondary.  Back-up RB Chris Jennings should get plenty of carries especially if the Browns get an early lead.  No doubt Brian Daboll will get very conservative and stagnate the Browns offense.  Cedric Benson should return and will find success against a weak Browns defense.  If the Bengals open it up Ocho Loco and his golden teeth and Laveraneus Coles should find success against Toast and Skirt.  Quinn has another solid game but it won’t be enough as the Bengals make big plays down the stretch.  Cincinnati 34 Cleveland 24

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer

Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions

November 22nd 1:00 ET

The Browns got an appearance on Monday Night Football.  They proved they didn’t deserve it as they were listless in a 16-0 defeat.  The Browns offense is one of the worst in the league’s history as they have gone 1-14 in their last 15 games.  Their only victory was a 6-3 bore fest at Buffalo where the offense failed to score.  During the Monday Night Football broadcast both Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski criticized the Browns play calling.  First time Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll has been horrible with most of the plays being predictable and within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.  The Ravens simply sat on the routes.  The play on the right side of the offensive line has been atrocious.  Right Tackle John St. Claire was dominated start to finish which halted pass plays and limited the effectiveness of the running game.  Rob Ryan’s defense played hard and kept the Browns in the game.  Although lacking talent on the edge and being on the field far too long, the defense has still played hard and given the Browns a chance to win.

Prediction: The 1-8 Browns face the 1-8 Lions in week 10.  This will be a better game to evaluate QB Brady Quinn against a team with equal talent (or lack thereof).  The Lions defense has struggled throughout the year which should give Quinn time to throw the ball.  Inexplicably, the Browns continue to leave Jerome Harrison out of the game plan.  For a team that cannot score Harrison should be in the game for his playmaking ability.  The Browns defense should be able to put pressure on Detroit rookie QB Matthew Stafford.  Look for Shaun Rogers to have a big game against his former team.  The game will be very close and likely ugly.  Quinn finally looks like the QB Cleveland fans envisioned as the Browns pull out a narrow victory.  Cleveland 20 Detroit 17

Scott Dryden, Senior Writer