Trade

AndrA Davis is a still-relatively young, viable, long-time starting ILB with both 3-4 and 4-3 experience. His contract locks him up for awhile and is pretty cap-friendly.

Buffalo, why don't you get rid of that disappointing Ashton Yaboty guy and get you a nice deal on a used ILB?

As for the Browns,

1: Beau Bell isn't here to back up. He's taken to the run-stuffing part of the defensive scheme like a duck to water. He does need work on the pass-defense part, but has the requisite tools. Understand that, when Jackson plays, he will be the first ILB to drop back. Also, for an ILB the most important part of this is recognition and quick retreat. The second most important part is to spot which reciever to jump on. It can be difficult, as offenders deliberately flood that zone and try to make messes there, but it's not the rocket science some crack it up to be.

2: Shante Orr can play ILB, and it could even be his best postion. He's a leverage player, and more quick than fast. Given his experience, he could well be a swing-player and situational reliever inside.

3: Williams may also be a swing-player and make frequent appearances inside, where he did a great job last season. In fact, given the fact that Peek is for once healthy, Williams could push to start inside. We're up to four players here who could rotate inside, sans Davis--all of whome could be better than Davis.

4: Yaboty is only entering his third year, and has physical talent near Wright's. His biggest drawback is weakness in run defense, but he could well improve in this area, and all others. The Browns do not need a starting cornerback, and may not even need a third. Hell, with AJ Davis looking surprisingly good, another UFA loaded with talent, and the old vet recently signed, they may not even need a fifth.

Yaboty would be a depth player here this season, but is also a developmental potential future starter with great upside. Like Holly, he IS a vedderrun. A third year player who has played a lot is a veteran DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

Other brilliant yet humble insights:

Travis Wilson shows signs of life with crisper patterns, but still drops the damn ball. He's made great progress on the tactical part of the game, and drops fewer than he did before, but he's had two years. If he doesn't start catching everything thrown at him, he's done here.

...but like Yaboty, he could fetch something in a trade. Coaches always think they can "fix" players with talent. That being said, he HAS improved significantly, and is exhibiting a good attitude, so don't write him off yet.

Jerome Harrison has been practicing hard, and doing great things on the practice field. Those of you who were crying about the "need" for another running back were planning to cut Harrison, or even Jason Wright. I'll avoid telling you how idiotic this is...oops!

Wright has done nothing but produce while filling in for Lewis and running the identical game-plan. A lot of teams would kill to have him, and a few would even use him in a 2-back. He's still young, and while he's about as good as he'll ever be, he's a solid journeyman and a salary-cap bargain--any GM who released him without a truly better replacement would be the laughing stock of the league.

Harrison has the highest YPC on the team and is proabably the best reciever among the RB's. On sunday, under the lights, he kicks butt every time he's used. That's irrefutable. Even Crennel won't dispute it, and he's the guy who wouldn't let him play.

He IS on the spot because of his practice habits (which infers attitude), and Savage HAS brought in talented and productive running backs to challenge him. He COULD still be released or traded, but not unless one of the new guys actually beats him out.

HE KNOWS that he has to work hard to remain on the team, and does have the physical talent to out-perform any other running back we have, including Jamal Lewis. None of them have anything like his elusiveness or speed. None of them are home-run hitters like he is.

Those of you who diagnosed a huge need for Jamal Lewis's eventual replacement were writing off the most gifted running back on the roster, based exclusively on his dog-house status.

Anyway, every draft has a lot of good running backs. Lewis played his age last season and has returned in great shape again (along with Harrison, who went with him to train with the same people.)

Harrison may well have turned the corner.

He's different than Lewis, despite the fact that he's pumped up to over 215 lbs. He'll never run people over like Lewis does, but can often avoid the hits which Lewis can't--even in the heavy traffic between the tackles. He will never take the same level of punishment that a big back does because of his running style. He proved his endurance in college with his staggering production.

Hidden here is also the fact that he's SHORT and compact. He can't break tackles like Lewis can, but then nobody in the NFL can. But his stature is a great asset in leverage, and he is much bigger and stronger than he was when drafted, so he's not Gregg Pruitt or Eric Metcalf either.

Jerome Harrison, if he continues to work hard and make good decisions in practice, IS Jamal Lewis's heir apparant.

As he and Wright have both demonstrated, a big tackle-breaker is not manditory for this offense.

Antwan Peek is showing what he can do when healthy. It appears now that he hasn't lost much. If he remains healthy, Wimbley will have his bookend for the coming season, and there are now no less than THREE raw young contenders to challenge him in 2009.

McMillan could also show up more than he has in the past. After all, rushing the passer was never an issue with him, whether standing up or with his hand in the dirt. The issue with McMillan is, will he ever become proficient in coverage and conventional run-stopping.

Ok. YOU STAND CORRECTED.