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View from Pluto
Forget QBs, Lewis is key
By Terry Pluto
TALKIN' BROWNS
• When the Browns open camp in two weeks, most fans will be talking about the quarterbacks. Of course, that's what we do in this town -- talk quarterbacks, at least since the end of the Bernie Kosar regime. But what will determine the success of the Browns' offense is not the quarterbacks -- it's the offensive line and whether Jamal Lewis can approach some of his previous form as a punishing runner.
• OK, I know you want to talk about quarterbacks, so here we go. . . . Heading into veterans camp, Derek Anderson is the starter. The Browns won't say it and might not even act like it early in camp, but he clearly came out on top in the minicamps.
Actually, reports that none of the QB's distinguished themselves are credible. Anderson probably is in the lead, and yes, they will pretend otherwise, but "clearly"?
• Charlie Frye will have to deal with this: For the first time in his life, he had a starting job and might lose it. That was never the case in high school. It never happened at the University of Akron, where he became the Zips' starting quarterback in his second game -- and started after that. Nor did it happen with the Browns, who prepared him to become a starter. But it's happening now, from the praise that Anderson is receiving to the draft of Brady Quinn. It will be interesting to see how Frye responds.
• It would be shocking if Quinn starts early in the season, unless there are massive injuries. He was the typical overwhelmed rookie quarterback in the minicamps. He is not signed. It would be damaging for him to hold out in terms of getting on the radar screen to play. Anderson and Frye are clearly ahead of him. But the Browns are not expected to be a big passing team.
• Think about this for a moment: The Browns' receivers are Joe Jurevicius and Braylon Edwards and . . . Tim Carter? Joshua Cribbs? Travis Wilson? Get the idea that the Browns don't exactly have ``deep depth'' at this position, as former Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver used to call it?
Correction: Travis Wilson will challenge to START, and as a sportswriter, you need to comprehend this--and I'm sick of telling all you guys this stuff:
1: Base offense will feature two tight ends, AND/or two backs. At least three of these players will be reliable recievers. This is why fullbacks are being signed or released based on their recieving skills and versatility.
The third-and-under-ten package may still feature two tight ends.
2: JEROME Harrison is a polished reciever capable of lining up in the slot or even wide. Any time he's on the field, a 3 or 4-wide is possible.
Other wide recievers are being collected in an effort to settle on some depth behind the THREE key wide-outs (which include Rodney Wilsonfield). Carter and who...Dunn? These are speed guys for third and a mile; break-glass-in-case-of-emergency, fourth recievers for RARE 4-wides. It's be nice if one of them finally proved to be RELIABLE, but nobody is counting on that.
Sure, it's a little thin, but for real depth given this base offense and overall scheme, you need maybe one more possession type.
• Look for two tight ends playing a lot, with Kellen Winslow and Steve Heiden. They also have Darnell Dinkins, a decent blocker. The saving grace might be Winslow, who is a prime receiver. He needs some work running his patterns, and his blocking suffered terribly a year ago because of his knee problems. It's hard for a guy to block when his leg isn't strong -- because that's where much of his power comes from.
• But Winslow can catch the ball. New offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has to know that because he was tight ends coach at the University of Miami when Winslow was a star there. The stats tell Chudzinski that Winslow caught 89 balls last season in what was a rather disorganized and even chaotic offense. Memo to Chud: Call Winslow a tight end, but use him as a receiver.
AMEN! Except he'll still be way upfield knocking people out in space as a blocker. A linebacker or safety has to try to cover him, and he can take either one out. The dude LIKES hitting people in space!
• I don't know what to make of Edwards. He's made some major charity gifts. He has said all the right things. Then he missed the first day of a volunteer minicamp, where everyone else showed up. He still has to show that he's serious about becoming a good player. He has to shake off his sense of entitlement and realize that 61 catches (six for touchdowns) is decent, but more is expected of him -- especially when it comes to catching balls in traffic and general maturity issues.
Yeah, he scares me too.
• I love Jurevicius and wish they'd throw him the ball more. He seemed to come into favor more later in the season, and hopefully that trend will continue. Carter started eight games last season for the New York Giants. But he had only 22 catches, two for touchdowns, and he's not known for his consistency. It's hard to get very excited about him.
Note: Anderson found him. Frye didn't.
• The Browns love Cribbs as a return man. And he might also have to bring back punts this season in addition to kickoffs. He does not seem in the mix for heavy duty as a receiver.
• A key guy will be Wilson, the team's third-round pick in 2006. It's no secret that General Manager Phil Savage would have liked to have seen more of Wilson at the end of last season, but coach Romeo Crennel was sticking with Dennis Northcutt as the third receiver. Savage knew Northcutt would not be back and wanted to look at Wilson, but like most coaches, Crennel was loyal to his veterans.
And hopefull Savage won't PUT UP with it anymore. Dammit. That kid could have used some reps, and now he'll make mistakes because he didn't.
• The real point of this is the Browns have to be able to run the ball. Maybe that will happen, given the upgraded offensive line. Adding Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach has to make things better. So does the return of Ryan Tucker from emotional problems. Kevin Shaffer, Seth McKinney and Hank Fraley all have been starters in the league. There is ``deep depth'' here.
• If Thomas does hold out, the Browns are protected because they have Shaffer -- last season's starting left tackle. If Thomas signs early and starts, then they have Shaffer to fill in when (yes, when) someone on the line gets hurt. That's because someone always does.
• What about LeCharles Bentley? It's great that Bentley says he's had an amazing healing and he believes he can play. The Browns hope it's true, but they are wise not to count on him. Bentley has had four knee operations. If he can play, it's a huge bonus, especially if he can hold up for even a majority of the games this season. But let's see what happens come training camp. The good news is the Browns have McKinney and Fraley, who have started in the NFL at center.
• If you are going to run the ball -- a lot -- then someone has to do it. That's where the Lewis signing is crucial. Lewis did rush for 1,132 yards and six touchdowns for the Baltimore Ravens last year. It seems as if he's been around forever, but he's only 28. We'll see how many miles are on his legs. The Browns had only seven rushing touchdowns -- four by Reuben Droughns and three by Frye.
• Lewis had bone chips in his foot removed, and he's convinced it will help him be more effective this season. He's on a one-year contract, and the Browns certainly will get a tremendous effort from Lewis, who knows there are questions about him being a starting running back.
That's right. Whatever Lewis has left, he'll dig it out. That's called motivation.
• Savage believes James Harrison (a fifth rounder in 2006) will make a good third-down back. He showed flashes of that in the preseason a year ago, but quickly fell out of the game plan a few weeks into the regular season. Harrison and Jason Wright are the backups to Lewis.
CORRECTION: Savage won't SAY this, but if you understood football you could infer it: Harrison will be the third down back this season, but if Lewis doesn't deliver, he'll become the primary back, or at least split time.
He now weighs 212 lbs., and at 5'9" that's big enough to carry to load in the NFL. This is not at all the same player who was drafted last season: This guy still runs like a healthy, young, Gregg Pruitt, but probably won't be needing any tear-away jerseys. Rodney Harrisonfield is the future feature back for this team. Read that again to make sure you remember it.
And remember the ONLY place you read it.
I HAVE SPOKEN.