Cause Lord Knows We Need One!

RBs Not named Wells or Moreno!

Donald Brown (5 ft 10in 210 lbs) Projected Round (Late 1st-Early 2nd)

Perhaps the fastest rising RB in the draft, Brown wowed scouts at the combine and pro day with his all around skill set. This guy can do it all and showed that by rushing for over 2,000 yards in the 2008 season. He has been called this year's Matt Forte for his completeness as a back. His best atributes are said to be his vision and his stop-start ability. He is a high effort. high character guy.

LeSean McCoy (5 ft 10in 198 lbs) Projected Round (Early to mid 2nd)

Not the kind of size and strength you want at the running back position but his production was among the best. He did not perform at the combine due to illness and this only hurt his stock even more, but what the kid does have is great moves and speed for the position. He knows how to make people miss, but he also does a lot of missing himself in pass protection.

Shonn Greene (5 ft 11 in 227 lbs) Projected Round (2nd)

With only one year as a starter under his belt Greene rushed for over 1,800 yards and was the 2008 Doak Walker award winner for the nation's best RB. He had 13 consecutive 100 yard rushing performances in the 2008 season. However, he does turn 24 in August and only has one year of starting experience for scouts to evaluate him.

Rashad Jennings (6 ft 1 in 231 lbs.) Projected Round (Late 2nd-Early 3rd)

Character stands out the most to me with this kid. He was originally a Pitt U player but needed to switch schools in order to move closer to his father who has health issues. I like people who have their priorities straight. He is another bruiser with the agility and vision to back it up. His imposing size makes him a great candidate at RB in thr NFL.


Javon Ringer (5 ft 9 205 lbs.) Projected Round (4th-5th)

You certainly can't question his production and heart while at Michigan State, but what is it that makes scouts not like Javon Ringer? Is it the high mileage he already has on those tires? His speed? Size? I don't know for sure but he does have a big heart and finds a way to produce while he's on the field.

Gartrell Johnson (5 ft 10 219 lbs.) Projected Round (6th-7th)

This guy has the build you look for in a RB. He plays with a low pad level and is fearless taking on on coming tacklers. He displays great vision and hits the hole with authority. His agility is exceptional for his size and his effort in pass blocking is among the top RBs. Speed is the main concern with this bruiser.

Frank Summers (5 ft 10 in 230+ lbs.) Projected Round (7th-FA)

Not too many know about Summers but this guy exemplifies toughness and strength at the RB position. He put up 30 reps at 225 lbs at his pro day. He is an absolute load to tackle and rarely fumbles or drops passes. Is he the fastest guy? Definitely not (4.7 40), but you do know what you're getting if you draft this guy. Smarts, toughness, strength, size and consistency.

Spring Break

Hey guys....I'm on Spring Break now AND I got kicked off the draft board so I might not be posting on here for awhile but be sure to check back in about a week or so for some new stories. I'm sure I'll have a lot to say. Thanks for the support.....Stay classy Browns fans!

A New Favorite?

Aaron Maybin has opened a lot of eyes lately. Known for having the quickest first step and best snap anticipation in the draft for any DE or OLB scouts found only a couple flaws for him as a player. For those of you who do not have ESPN insider I thought I'd post this grade evaluation for Maybin.

The grade scale: 1-Exceptional 2-Above Average 3-Average 4-Below Average 5-Marginal

Aaron Maybin 6 ft 4 in 252 lbs.

Production=2-A third-year sophomore who declared with two years of eligibility remaining. He redshirted in 2006 and played as a backup and on special teams in 2007, when he notched 12 total tackles, including four sacks. Had a breakout season in 2008, when he started all 13 games and recorded 49 tackles, including 19 TFL. He also led the Big Ten with 12 sacks.

Height/Weight/Speed=3- Adequate height for a DE but can he add 15 pounds to his frame. Likely to settle in as a rush-LB in the NFL. Is in great physical condition (just four-percent body fat) and displays excellent straight-line speed.

Durability=1- Played in all 25 games during his two seasons of eligibility at PSU. Appears to be a flexible, healthy and durable athlete.

Character=1-Very mature for his young age. A natural leader  both vocally and by example. Non-stop motor is infectious. Great football character. Not aware of any off-the-field issues.

Agility/Quickness=1-Exceptionally quick and fluid, even for his type of hybrid DE/OLB. Shows excellent agility and closing burst to the quarterback. Possesses top-shelf body control, as well

Strength/Toughness=3-He is lean and must add bulk to frame. Is light in the rear and shows marginal ability to stack at the line of scrimmage when teams run at him. However, don't mistake small for weak or soft in his case. He is aggressive and feisty. He displays good initial pop and adequate upper-body power. And he certainly does not back down from a one-on-one physical battle.

Instincts=2-A natural playmaker with a knack for jarring the ball loose. Very good snap anticipation and awareness as a pass rusher. Should only continue to improve in this area with more experience.

Pass Rusher=1- Quickest first step of all the edge rushers in the 2009 class. Fluid double moves. Bends the edge tightly. Shows quick hands and strong enough upper body to keep bigger blockers off his pads. Still developing his array of pass rush moves. Gets caught too frequently trying to spin out of double-team attention and needs work in that regard.

Run Stopper=2-Spent a lot of time last season working head-up on the TE as PSU's strong-side DE. Shows discipline with backside containment. Stays low and fights to keep his positioning. Can stack versus most TE's but gets washed out too easily by bigger OT's when they get into his pads.

Above is a before and after picture of Maybin after he picked up about 25 lbs of muscle and went from a mid 4.7 40 time to a 4.59 and 4.63 at his pro day. Of all the major concerns listed above he has erased all those doubts.

WR FA Targets before Draft Time!

This could be a "wait and see" type thing but it seems like Stallworth is going to be found guilty from the eyewitness accounts I've read. And who's not to say we couldn't use another WR even if Stallworth comes back without jail time or suspension.

Reggie Williams- This would be the cheapest option with the most upside in my mind. The guy caught 10 TDs in 2007 and had a drop off in 08 when the Jags O line went to shambles along with David Garrard. Williams is still only 26 years old and has great size for a receiver (6' 4'' 212). It's no doubt this club will miss Joe J on 3rd downs, but maybe Williams could step in and become another fan favorite.

Torry Holt- Holt still has plenty left in the tank to be productive receiver as well as teacher to the other receivers on this team. I would not be disappointed at all to grab him up. And the best thing about Torry is HE KNOWS HOW TO CATCH A FOOTBALL. (insert Braylon joke here)

Mike Furrey/Shaun McDonald- Both are former Lions but both have shown in their career that they can be very productive slot guys. Quinn is going to need that type of player who can work the underneath routes and hang on to the ball.

Brandon Lloyd- This guy has never really lived up to his potential but the guy can. He knows what its like to play in cold, windy weather and displays flashes of big play ability. If he could stay healthy then he could be a great asset to our receiving corp.

And the hits just keep onnnn comin!

Please tell me other people are as worried as I am about that state of our offense right now.


The Wide Receiver/TE Situation:

With the possibility of Donte Stallworth facing vehicular manslaughter charges the Browns have been put into another tough situation on the offensive side of the ball. Who will be the guy to step in for Stallworth should jail time occur? Steptoe? Please God, no! Joe J? O yea,released. Hubbard? Jury is still out, but he is inexperienced. Atleast if Kellen was still here we would have someone else to take the load off Braylon. We might now have to draft a WR to with one of those 2nd rounders in order to fill the void on offense. Guys like Brian Robiskie and Kenny Britt have been possible names to fall to the Browns in the 2nd and would provide a much needed set of great hands. Or again, if we were to somehow land a 3rd, Ramses Barden the big sure handed receiver could also be an option. As for the TE situation, sure losing Kellen was unfortunate but we did get some value out of him and I dont think the guy is going to be able to hold his body together too much longer. The signing of Robert Royal gave us a reliable blocking TE that can only help us against teams like Baltimore and Pittsburgh picking up blitzing LBs and blocking for our new RB. Hopefully Rucker can turn back into the pass catcher he was in college.

The Running Back Situation:

It's no secret that the Browns will be looking for a RB at some point in this draft. Whether if it's Wells or Moreno in the first or guys like McCoy,Brown,or Greene in the 2nd. Maybe a guy like Rashad Jennings if we snag a 3rd somehow? Andre Brown in the 4th. We have options, but we know for sure that our running game needs to be upgraded for whoever is at QB to survive. Jamal needs help and that was evidence by his 3.6 YPC last season. Let's get someone else in there who can be just as,or more, effective while giving Jamal some time rest on the sidelines. Jamal could be our great 4th quarter clock eater if he had a young guy to help take the load off of him in the earlier parts of the game.

The Offensive Line Situation:

Im actually pretty happy with how our line is shaping up for the season. I wouldn't be surprised to see us grab an O linemen later in the draft but overall we should have some decent depth. The possible signing of John St. Clair (RT Bears) would really be a great addition to our power running game along with the signing of Floyd "Porkchop" Womack at Guard. As long as we have Joe T and Eric Steinbach on that left side our line should be solid for whoever starts at QB.

The Quarterback Situation:

I can't say that I'm thrilled with our QB situation right now, not being a Brady Quinn fan and all, but I do think that he could get the job done enough for us to win some games. I'm hoping we find a taker for Derek Anderson as soon as possible, becuase with all these extra needs popping up we need draft picks more than ever. We just need some stability at QB and that is something we have not had in quite awhile.

Cleveland Jets?

This seems to be a popular name for the Cleveland Browns lately and for good reason. This town is where the New York Jets free agents swim like the salmon of Capistrano. I’m talking about a little place called Cleveland. Dumb and Dumber (Mangini and Kokonis) as I like to call them have made some questionable and controversial moves to which I’m sure many Browns fans have been left with an empty feeling inside. They seem to be taking the team apart piece by piece which can only leave us in rebuilding mode for years to come. In my eyes not signing Sean Jones back was the single worst move this new management could have done. He was 3^rd only to Ed Reed and OJ Atogwe in Interceptions since 2006. He was one of the bright, young spots on defense these past few years that found a way to make plays. He’s left our team creating more holes to fill and more people scratching their heads in bewilderment.

Mangini’s solution? Sign Abram Elams formerly of the Jets and Resign Safety Mike Adams.

What’s wrong with this? I think most Browns fans would cringe at the thought of our current safeties being the starters on the opening Sunday of the season. The best defenses in the league have safeties that bring special things to the table. Ed Reed, Troy Polamalu, and OJ Atogwe serve as ball hawking safeties, while guys like Adrian Wilson and Brian Dawkins plow through people. We need to strike fear into defenses and make QBs think twice about trying to test our safeties. Instead, now we have Pool, Elams, and Adams to man the safety spots with no true threat back there to scare anyone.

Let’s hope that Mangini and Kokonis have some sort of plan up their sleeves in order to improve our defense substantially.