Wake Up, Oblivia! You Got Poor Depth Perception!

Several players already on this roster are being underrated by Memorex Morons and the Crennel lynch-mob. MM's typicly accept a player's rookie, or last, season as definitive. Regardless of how young, undersized, inexperienced, or unhealthy that player was, MM's ASSume zero growth or improvement.

In reality, while in some cases players regress, it's a reasonable assumption that such players will improve. And the Cleveland roster is loaded with these.

The minor ones first--are on the offensive line: Fred Matua, Isaac Sowells, and Kelly Butler. Inexplicably, Matua and Sowells are dismissed out of hand by local beat writers and columnists. Why? They can't tell you, because they're making ASSumptions. And what did Butler do? Let a cornerback get by him? Not dominate every single play? Butler does have more experience, and is farther along his growth curve, but is still improving.

Sowells was a left tackle, being converted to guard. One local guy said "they thought they were outsmarting everybody by drafting him to make him a guard". Where the hell does this conciet and arrogance come from? "Thought"? Here, this dipstick ASSumes that Savage was wrong. He, this alleged comumnist, knows better. All the NFL scouts, GM's, etc. who read that crap laugh at these guys. Savage is highly respected by all of them.

Matua was an "undersized" 7th-round pick...therefore he must suck, forever, and have zero potential, right? Well, it just aint so. Matua needed some polishing, but has all the makings of a fine guard-especially as a run-blocker, depsite his SOLID 305 lbs.

Leon Williams made himself impossible to ignore. As I mentioned before, he's not merely a back-up, or role-player. This season, you'll likely see him on the field as often as either Andra Davis or D'Qwell Jackson. And he and Jackson were both just rookies last season. How much better will they become?

Makes it tough for Chaun Thompson. Thompson has grown and improved into an excellent all-purpose linebacker. The Browns acquired a couple of "coverage" linebackers through free agency this off season, but the fact is that Thompson is probably the Browns best true linebacker who can cover, because he's the total package. But that role in some defenses will be filled by Justin Hamilton.

Remember him? He's a BIG safety they drafted last season, who got in a few plays despite his rookie-hood. How good will he get? How many more safeties do you think we need, because you ASSume Hamilton can't play?

Davin Holly. He got strafed badly at first, but improved game-by-game and nabbed five interceptions. A zone corner does that by baiting the QB and reading and anticipating routes correctly. Holly is a sharp guy...obviously. He should only be better this season, after several months off to review and learn from that experience.

DeMario Minter was a very good zone/man cornerback in college with one problem: Stone hands. He broke up a lot of passes, but didn't pick the ball off. That's the only reason why Savage was able to get him that low, that cheap. He was on IR for most of last season, but this season will compete with Holly and Wright for the second, third, and fourth cornerback slots.

Hanford Dixon couldn't pick passes off either, but I don't hear many complaints about it. And maybe the reciever's coach can improve his hands. Jereme Perry didn't make much of a splash last season, but did show that game-by-game improvement, and might be a quality depth guy.

Simon Fraser got 4.5 sacks as a part-time rookie 3-4 DE. Got several TFL's, too. His problem was that while he can read, penetrate, and disrupt, he had a tough time taking on bockers, when that was his first responsibility. He was 288 lbs. What are you going to say when he returns at 305 lbs. or so? Will he still be a "role-player" to you right up until you see him starting?

That's the problem with living in Oblivia. You lose your ability to THINK.

Orien Harris might be another Fraser, too. Maybe. Maybe not. We'll see.

Shaun Smith was a role-player with Cinci. Know what he did? He stopped the run. He's short and wide and tough to move. He can overpower a center. That makes him a nose tackle. 4-3 role-player, 3-4 starting nose tackle. Get it? -snap-snap- try to stay with me here, ok?

How many is that for the defense? Let's see, Fraser was a rookie, Jackson, Wimbley, Williams, Hamilton, Holly, Perry...are you picking up on this? All these guys were rookies, who this season will be veterans, and will be B E T T E R. Is any of this sinking in?

I left out Antwan Peek, who is an experienced veteran. The thing about Peek is the combination of injury, and a change of scheme. Peek was drafted as one of those DE/LB 'tweeners specificly to play 3-4 OLB. As a rookie in that system, he got 6.5 sacks. Now, you must keep in mind that Wimbley developed way ahead of schedule, and making his 11 sacks the yardstick isn't accurate.

At any rate, after that season Houston went to a 4-3 and Peek was relegated to playing a role, plus got hurt. This will be his first opportunity since his rookie season to play the postition for which he was drafted.

Some see him as a role-player. They shouldn't be allowed to write anything. He was a starter, and will compete to start here, opposite Wimbley. He'll also be Wimbley's primary backup. And since he is being so underrated by MM's and Savage-bashers, we need to include him in this list of players.

Robaire Smith, not underrated? 100 tackles per season, and he "helps a little"? Yeah. He's underrated, too.

That's a lot of players, isn't it? And let me tell you: Fraser may not start, but will play a great deal, as will Shaun Smith. Jackson and Wimbley are starters, and Williams will be heavy in the rotation. Peek is new. Wright, Holly, Minter, and Hamilton will all be frequent contributors, with one starting corner, one nickel back, two starting linebackers in this group, and it all spells MUCH improvement in this third year of Grantham's system.

...to which you are oblivious.

Offensively, Braylon Edwards, who will be fully healed this season, and able to get deeper. And maybe even able not to DROP about 20% of the passes thrown to him...dammit.

Travis Wilson: The fact that he rarely played as a rookie, or was drafted low, don't mean that much. He is an ideal fit for this offense. He gets separation and doesn't drop passes...Braylon. He's a big target. He's labelled a "possession" reciever, and can certainly do that, but can also make big plays, given one step on a pursuer.

Vickers: "Can he block?". Oh, puh-leeez! Look: They have to go through you to reach the back, ok? Ok so you go through the hole and you hit whoever gets in your way as hard as you can, see? Gimme a break!

Harrison: I saved this guy for last. I addressed him in the last blog, but after that, went back and reviewed some things on him. He averaged over 100 yards per game. Set a record for 100 yard games as a workhorse. Didn't start until late in his junior season, and finished tenth for the Heisman as a senior. Had he weighed ten more pounds, he would have been a first round pick.

Well, he now weighs twenty more pounds. If this guy stays healthy, he will take over for Lewis sooner or later, and for years to come. You remember Lee Suggs. Well, this guy is Suggs, with the ability to run patterns and catch like a wide reciever. If Suggs hadn't been fragile physicly, he'd have been the bellcow here. So can Harrison.

These three players will all be significantly improved from last season, and will make the overall offense more productive. But it's the defense that will really explode. Wait and see. If the offense can score just 20 points, the Browns will have a great chance to win.

You stand corrected.