I, and only I, TOLD you not to count Wilson out. For all the wanna-be Yoda talk about the coaches caution and fear that he'll "regress", he has already returned to the player he was in college. While he did need to improve the precision of his routes, his hands were always there; his problem there a psychological (and temporary) one.
It IS interesting that he replaces Edwards for this game, but I get it. He'll get to run some deeper patterns. The Giants won't rotate coverage to him as they would Edwards simply because of his position; not with Stallworth now the most dangerous reciever, not to mention Winslow.
They're not merely looking for a roster, but want to see about depth at every postion, including the "X" reciever. Sanders has none of Wilson's speed, and if Wilson can be effective there vs. the Giants, he could well become the backup there, as well as a third reciever and Stallworth's backup.
Chud doesn't want to give up any more speed or RAC than he needs to in the event of rotation or injury. And Wilson has earned this look.
While he may not get the start, Steve Sanders has been the primary backup for Edwards and has done well. With this move, the coaching staff is clearly putting the WR's on notice to show what they have in game conditions, The practice sessions have been relatively close over the past week.
I like Steve Sanders. He's a slow-poke, but he can get open and catch. Busts his butt, too. But he's in a tough spot. Steptoe has proven something, and against some defenses is a better matchup as a third reciever than anybody else on this roster. He has good speed and can juke around to shake coverage, has a great feel for the soft spots, has been reliable, and most definitely should be the #2 returner behind Cribbs.
What many, including me, regard as his biggest disadvantages--his miniscule size--could be a big advantage as reciever going against defenses built to stop skyscrapers.
Here is something else: Hubbard will never clear waivers on his way to the practice squad, and may well make the final roster. A lot of these "experts" have again decided that if any player can't play like a starter out of the gate, he can't make a roster.
This is a two-tight end offense which includes a fullback. The second tight end is usually the third reciever. When Ricker returns, this team will again be two-deep in that spot, too. The truth is that Wilson, assuming he earns the role, will be the FOURTH reciever--or the FIFTH in any formation deploying both Rucker and Winslow, or else putting Harrison in the slot.
For that matter, the second tight end is NOT just a blocker, but a reliable-as-hell short and intermediate reciever.
AND I keep hearing that Cribbs has turned the corner as a wide reciever, and is catching everything in sight. He is getting open, and he's not dropping them any more. He's running good routes, and represents a legitimate recieving option.
How many wide-outs will they keep? Probably five. I think Steptoe and Hubbard could make it. They could designate Cribbs a running back or something.
- We've been telling you rookie OT James Lee and OT Isaac Sowells could be battling for the final spot along the offensive line for quite awhile, so don't be surprised when these two names become the story. In recent camp sessions, Lee has not been as stable as Sowells and he will need to rein in his inconsistency if he intends to grab a spot on this roster.
Don't bet on it. Lee has done better at the critical left tackle spot than at right tackle. He's the younger of the two, and has better upside. Sowells is doing allright at right tackle, but all of a sudden everybody has forgotten that Ryan Tucker is an excellent right tackle, and could be the first option to replace Shaffer there--we're neck deep in guards!!
Furthermore, Lane and everybody else talks about experience as if it's the ONLY commodity worth having, and the hell with the future. Well, when THREE players have started at both guard and center, and Hadnot is only holding the fort at RG til Gramps Tucker returns, one of those guys is expendable. Just how many injuries do you expect, Lane?
One of the THREE interior vets (not including Tucker) could be traded. They do have some value.
But if not, I guess Lane could be right about Lee on the practice squad. But if they suspect he'll get swiped, they might outright release one of the numerous veteran inside blockers instead.
Look--Savage is not going to flush the future down the toilet just to prepare for the extremely unlikely prospect of three simultaneous injuries to the inside blockers. Tucker will be gone pretty soon, Shaffer will follow, and Savage will want younger players who can step up and last awhile.
- The more I view rookie OG Nathan Bennett, the more I see this young man having a place in this league at some point. Because of the quality and depth along the Cleveland offensive line, I don't see him making the final roster, but he is looking more like a player than could develop into a physical inside lineman. I have an inkling Bennett could find his way to the practice squad with a couple solid weeks of practice and game play.- It is no secret the Browns are keeping their options open in the defensive backfield. At every turn, Buffalo Bills CB Ashton Youboty's name happens to pop into the discussion. As we noted during June's mini-camp, Youboty is a player the Browns have discussed internally, as well as maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the Bills. The question remains, though: just when will the Bills move on the CB and what will the asking price be? The Browns would like to trade player-for-player, with a TE or WR possibly in the mix, as we have noted previously.
There are a lot of options for trade on this roster, depending on what Buffalo wants the most. If you really do your homework and try to think like a General Manager who wants a dynasty rather than a shooting star, you look at trading one of the many geezer backup guard/centers, Andra Davis (for more than just Yaboute), any reciever below Wilson on the depth chart, our current second string fullback, or Darnell Dinkens. Or even Steve Heiden, since Cieslak is younger, cheaper and does everything Heiden does. (Hey, it's just business. I love the guy, too, but if you guys called the shots I couldn't afford to field a team--you want to ride these horses til they drop dead--and when they do you look around and see your Cieslaks and Williamses kicking butt for other teams--you with no depth or cap-room. Think with your brain, willya?)
And Yaboute is one cornerback I'd like them to get. He's still YOUNG. He started out missing his rookie camp due to a late graduation date and then the death of his mother. His second season he got injured. He needed a lot of work coming out of college; was a projected middle-to-low first rounder.
Remember Wilson? He didn't do anything until this season. That could be Yaboute--who now has experience, including five games as a starter. For that matter,. Steve Heiden never did anything until the Browns coughed up a sixth-round pick for him. Cieslak is following that pattern. Cribbs was ineffective at reciever until this season. Yaboute could very well be ready to back up the starters here.
When he did play in Buffalo, he didn't suck. He was just inconsistant. He made great plays, but also made mistakes. Lets assume he's learned from them...most young players do.
- Information was passed along to this column that the Browns have not shown any continued interest in LB Al Wilson or CB Andre Dyson, as some have speculated. Dyson is just one of a handful of experienced players that could come in and help a team with a need at the CB position. At this time, the Browns have yet to cross that bridge.
Dyson would be a good bandaid for up to two seasons, IF he's cheap and accepts the role.
- In the event you haven't been following along with the Orange and Brown Report training camp content, NT Louis Leonard is now getting meaningful reps at the LDE spot, behind Corey Williams and Shaun Smith. Leonard is prospering in the positional change, as his athleticism and quickness are equating to a spot on the roster. If you haven't been following along, he'll be in a fish-wrap story or some other type of report in the near future.
Welcome! I've been waiting for you! Congratulations on your second place finish! I said this before the season began. Not only that Louis had great potential and could well emerge this season, but that he was more of a defensive end than a nose tackle. YOU guys pegged him as a fourth-string nose tackle, period.
All this caterwalling about a lack of depth on a THREE-MAN defensive line, when the first four slots are covered by solid-to awesome veterans, with Leonard making it five! You're moaning and groaning about the very last roster-spot not being filled by somebody equally as good as those five! God, you simply have to get your standards back in line with reality!
I'm not done yet: Leonard will prove to be a better DE than S Smith. S Smith is probably the second-best nose tackle on a team with three nose tackles. Smith should take the majority of reps at that postion in order to let the other guys wreak havoc on overmatched guards and tackles.
The sixth and last DL spot on the roster is best filled by somebody like Schaefering, who can rush the passer and be a role-player; not part of the normal rotation. Someone who is a little undersized and needs work now, but can return next season at over 300 lbs. to become a more complete player.
- KR/WR Josh Cribbs needs to play. Yes, he has that kind of special talent to make a difference in areas other than on special teams.
I concur. He wasn't ready until this season, but has vastly improved at that position. The presence and emergence of Steptoe could influence this, since he's an excellent returner. Possibly they could mix him in as a returner to take some reps off Cribbs, to keep him fresh and healthy.
Cribbs is surprisingly strong, as well as fast and elusive in the open field. He could break any short pass into a touchdown from anywhere on the field. Same as Stallworth (except different). (That was a joke. Insert laughter here:___...ok I give up.)
But they're right: He might be the best returner in the NFL, and usually gives the offense a short field. That's just critical. They DO need to protect and preserve him. So I would keep Steptoe, and use him as a returner in any game that was pretty much nailed down.
Much of this protest is based on false assumptions. Cribbs himself is smiling from ear-to-ear about the formations which Chud created just for him-he'll get his chances, allright. He's not just working in a specialized role, but practicing at wide reciever in normal sets.
- As the Browns training camp is coming to an end, QB Derek Anderson is the starter and nothing outside of injury is going to change this.
- Yes, QB Brady Quinn can be a player and has displayed on numerous occasions he has a quality arm and vision. But, as the team stated, there would be no competition and there hasn't been, though the backup QB has practiced well after a bad first week.
Here's my own note: Hall makes the final roster--he'd never clear waivers and has astronomical potential. He has been practicing every facet of OLB, and may already be a scary situational rusher. Sam Rutigliano, who ought to know, called him a Clay Matthews/Chip Banks cross. WOW!
Initially projected as a special-teamer or practice squad player this season, he's much more advanced than was expected. While for this season he may or may not develop into a solid all-around OLB, it's very likely that we will see him attacking the passer on third-and-longs.
Good coaches will make the most of what they have, and allow raw young players to concentrate on one role at a time.
With Peek, Orr, and McGinest there are three viable, if not exceptional, OLB's aside from Wimbley. McGinest is no longer the QB-killer he used to be, but has become awesome against the run, and can still threaten a QB. He is vulnerable to injury and fatigue. Peek is a passrusher, but has constantly been injured. All we can do is cross our fingers. Orr is a solid all-around OLB who, to my own surprise, has been able to get pressure coming off the edge.
From among these three, a platoon, matchup, situational approach ought to work out pretty well, and you use Hall when all you need is an attack-dog who is faster than the rest of them.
I also believe that by late in the season, he can be taking reps away from the other guys. I mean, you haven't heard enough about this guy: he probably should have been a linebacker all along in college. Like Wimbley, he took to it like a duck to water. GOOD JOB, PHIL!
Wilson. Steptoe. Hall. Cribbs. Anderson. Harrison (as you'll see). Vickers. Williams. Leonard. Holly. McDonald. Rucker. Wright (the running back). Gotta include Lewis, too--remember everybody thought he was washed up? All the offensive linemen except Steinbach, Tucker, and you-know-who (they were obvious). Mike Adams, too...how can anybody in his right mind question Phil's judgement?
Can't wait til monday night. I'll actually get to watch this one!
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