Sleepers, Quarterbacks, and CORRECTIONS

First off, I got the bulk of my info from optimumscouting.com, and their Diamonds in the Rough feature.

On another site, I saw a mock draft in which Butch Davis and Mike Ditka somehow comandeered the Redskins draft board and traded their first and second rounders this year, then their first and third next year, to move up two slots for RG3.

Mmm-hmm.

However, the guys they picked were interesting. At #6 they had the Browns taking Trent Richardson, the super running back, so I checked him out. If the Browns are able to trade down, and fail to re-sign Hillis, I could deal with that. Everybody I've read says he's not just the best running back in this draft, but the best in several years.

The common argument against that is that Adrian Peterson, though awesome, didn't put the Vikings over the top. Also, most of the best running backs for the last several seasons have been middle round picks. Third, most NFL offenses today have two backs, or a running back by committee, so you can't afford feature back type money for one guy.

However, this is a West Coast offense, which separates it from the majority of NFL teams. Peterson mainly runs in Minnesota; doesn't catch many passes. The running back here will get the ball as a reciever maybe 33% of the time, and Richardson has plenty of receptions to his credit (averaging over 10 yards per).

The Browns need playmakers and more speed on offense, and this guy has both--along with power. Justin Blackmon is very good, but probably not as good as the top two wide recievers of last season. If you are going to take an offensive skill player, it simply makes more sense to me to take the guy who's the best in several years, and who will be getting the ball four or five times as often.

At number 22, this mock had the Browns taking Jason Wright, the Baylor burner. Can't really fault that either, especially since I said I liked it in previous blogs. But they could also get a real sure-fire stud right tackle. Toss-up. Can't wait for the free agents to start rolling in.

But high in the second round, they had the Browns taking QB Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A&M.

I did some homework, again courtesy of optimimscouting.com, and was pretty stunned. This guy was a star HS quarterback in highschool who they turned into a wide reciever in college. The dude broke every school record, and had he remained at wide reciever would be drafted as that instead.

He was switched back to quarterback as a sophomore and redshirted that season. He didn't start until half way into his sophomore season, and instantly killed everybody.

As a senior, his completion percentage dropped from 65 to 61%, which isn't that impressive. He also throws TD's to interceptions at about a 2:1 clip, which could also be better. His physical flaws are almost non-existant and easily corrected. He's 6'4" and "big bodied" so I'll guess at over 230.

His issues are mental. He's an excellent student and very intelligent, but will need a lot of work reading coverages and doing more than one check-down. He also has the common tendancy a lot of these guys have to get stubborn and try to force the ball rather than throw it away.

He'll need a lot of coaching in the pros before he's ready. This scout called him a one or two-year project.

I just remember that they said that about Andy Dalton and Cam Newton last year. For some reason, the rules of thumb aren't the same anymore for projecting quarterback development.

In this case, however, the West Coast is the most complex pro offense, so this is a guy you can't count on as a rookie.

I'd still do it, and ignore the ignorant comments and the lynch-mobs. Tannehill would have an outside shot of beating out McCoy, at least. He'd definitely push him. His arm is much better, and he can take a hit and burn you on the ground, (although more like a faster Roethsenburger than an RG3 or a Vick. He's faster than most H-backs and some wide recievers and has moves).

Most scouts agree that he looks like a true franchise quarterback. It's just a matter of when.

I'd do this, because I do not agree that Colt McCoy was the problem last season. Entering the second year in a new system, and his third season on the league personally, a marked improvement can be expected by anybody with a 3-digit I.Q. He may or may not grow into a franchise quarterback, but he can manage for awhile, with improved protection and help.

For that matter, Seneca Wallace is a solid journeyman, and I see no need to replace him as a mentor. Except maybe with Kyle Orton, who's never gotten a fair deal.

optimumscouting.com's Diamonds in the Rough showed several players that are projected to go lower than the fourth, and broke down the "why" of that.

I focussed on Browns needs:

1: Tavaris Cadet, RB(WR), Appalacian State 6'2" 215 (he gets MUCH bigger as a pro): Exactly like Josh Cribbs, he was a quarterback in highschool, and was basicly his whole offense. He actually shifted back and forth between quarterback and wide reciever, and excelled at both. As a quarterback, he ran almost as often as he threw.

Then he signs with Toledo, and Toledo got in all sorts of trouble with the NCAA before he could start his first season. They screwed around with him til he went to a JUCO school in Mississipi where he was a QB/RB/WR/returner.

Then he had to pay back Toledo for his scholarship so that he could sign with a major college! Twenty grand! He had to get a job, and finally his whole family chipped in with him to pay the bastards back. This cost him his shot at Kansas State, who couldn't wait for him, but Appalacian State took him on.

That was 2009, after much wasted time that wasn't his fault. That season he played mostly in the slot and at running back, gaining 700 all-purpose yards. In 2010, he lost time with a hurt thumb, but still gained 671 yards on 115 attempts from scrimmage, and over a thousand as a reciever. Last year, he got similar results.

He's projected low due to his level of competition, and a false perception of his background. He has real speed. From the slot, he was sudden and got separation. He was sure-handed. As a running back he was fast and shifty; he has NFL speed.

He can fill multiple roles including special teams, and has unknown potential. Could be another Little, OR Cribbs, for all we know!

Josh Norman, CB(S) Coastal Carolina, 6', 192: Basicly a small-school guy who tore it up in the East-West Shrine game after piling up records. He should have had more picks than the school record number he has, but quarterbacks avoided him. The article didn't mention man vs. zone skills, but he does have the hips and the speed. If he played all-zone, we can't know yet about cornerback, but he's a safety prospect for sure. Good tackler too.

Jared Green, WR, Southern 6'2", 184: He is the son of Hall of Fame CB Darrell Green, and inheritted his speed. We was ill-used for all four years at the University of Virginia. Coach Al Groh, who had recruited him, was fired 3 games into his sophomore season, and he pretty much got screwed the rest of the way.

As a FRESHMAN, he had 3 catches for 40 yards vs. USC. He caught 3 passes including a TD vs. the Miami Hurricanes. Groh had planned to use him more, but...

With his bachelor's in hand, he signed up with Southern U, where he caught 17 balls for over 300 yards.

All of this sounds unimpressive, but this scout said that he gets separation, has great hands, can jump like a kangaroo, and is usually the fastest guy on the field. My theory is that he couldn't get off a bump at the line. He's skinny and maybe got pushed off his routes. Maybe his quarterback sucked, or they ran all the time.

But he's 6'2" and he'll get bigger. At least 205, I bet.

Adrian Hamilton, DE, Prairie View A&M, 6'3", 255:

Oklahoma State recruited him, then wanted him to sit out his freshman year because they were out of scholarships. That's right: they screwed him.

So he walked on at Texas Tech. He was used sparingly his first year, and got four tackles. He probably was clueless and sucked, to be honest. Then his Coach announced that he had been dismissed, offering no explanation. The explanation was that the kid had been paying for school and couldn't afford it anymore, so he told the coach he had to leave.

He had an issue with academics, which is what messed up a scholarship. He went to a smaller university for a year to get his grades up. (I can tell you as a former corrections officer, most of the inner city inmates were highschool graduates, and many were illiterate. It's usually not about intelligence. This guy had a lot of catching up to do. Some of the othe c/o's were illiterate, for that matter.)

After this, he was off everybody's radar screens, with some bogus baggage to boot. Pairie A&M gave him his scholarship. He finished 2010, his first season, with 5 1/2 sacks, 8 TFL's, and a blocked punt touchdown.

In '11, it was 19 tackles-for-loss and 14 sacks...at the time the article was written...with four games left!

He has extra-long arms and was tough to block. Freakish speed. His head coach, Gabe Northern, said that he can bull rush, spin, and set the edge--no work needed on any of that. Northern was a second round pick and played defensive end for the Bills, so he obviously taught the kid what he knew. The scout mentioned impressive rips and swims, too.

“He reminds me of myself, with the speed, power and technique, he has way better hands than I ever had, he has a spin move that Robert Mathis, and James Harrison have mastered, which would put him way ahead of me. If I was a second round pick, I think he has the physical capabilities to be a first round pick.”

The Browns need a weak side defensive end. Mathis will be tried by 3-4 teams at linebacker, so he's likely to keep his weight down for the combine. Sounds like Dwight Freenie.

There are a few more guys, but these are the ones that I felt would be good for THIS team at this time. It sounds like all these guys will rise up the charts somewhat once they get their clock-times and they do their drills, but right now every one of them is projected to go very low or undrafted.

Unfortunately, there weren't any tackles. Bummer.

Ok now: One guy mock-drafted the Browns drafting an offensive tackle at number four..............

What was I Thinking

1: Due to a poor connection, my previous blog published incorrectly, and I missed some typos too. I haven't been able to access the "edit" feature, which is why I look semi-literate.

2: I said that Tom Schneider (mispelled) would probably go for Matt Ryan instead of trading up for RG3. Matt FLYNN. 2 botches in one sentence. Impressive, no?

Speaking of which, I was basing my theories on bad information. I had been told that Flynn would cost a bunch of draft picks in a trade, but he is unsigned. The only way Green Bay could extort a trade would be if they franchised Flynn.

I'm no expert, but I don't think clubs operate that way. It's sort of bad faith. They prevent a player from exploring his opportunities and getting his chance to start, and put a cieling on his salary. As a GM, being the ruthless cutthroat I am, I would be strongly tempted to do it anyway, but wouldn't. Bad PR, hard feelings--not good.

If that's the case: that Flynn is an unencumbered free agent, then (DUH) he's the Browns likely first option.

I've read some laughably shallow cliched comments about Flynn:

1: He was a seventh-round pick for a reason. What does that have to do with what he did to Detroit and New England? These clowns are like women--they never forget, and it always matters, no matter what.

Nobody seems to notice yet that he's as short as McCoy, Rodgers, Montana, and Young, and less than two inches taller than Brees...but it will come.

2: We only have two games to look at, and he was in a great system with great support. Yeah. This one has some actual logic to it. All the same, Rodgers was statisticly the best quarterback in the NFL last season, and Flynn more than matched him. Matched Aaron Rodgers, ya know?

3: The Browns don't have enough money. I won't bother to comment on that. That's a top ten dumbass there.

He's been practicing the West Coast for four years, learning from the best in the business.

It's true that, given Cleveland's relatively lesser talent, Flynn couldn't be as effective as he was in Green Bay. But a guy who's been around as long as him, with an arm like his, has an edge on Colt McCoy, and an extremely short learning curve.

Salary shouldn't dictate who starts, and I can't accept that it will here, so if Colt McCoy outdoes Flynn, so be it. They said they wanted to bring in somebody to compete with McCoy: Flynn is it.

Now they have all options on the table in the draft. RG3 could still be there at #4 and the trade possibilities are all there. Claiborne will be there, but might still be there after a trade with Washington.

What would they give for Flynn instead? Just a thought.

The Draft

Qualifier: Unlike other pundits, I trust Holmgren, Heckert, and Shurmer to evaluate Colt McCoy and Robert Griffin III more accurately than I can. Not only have I zero experience, but I also have no access to the player-specific game-tapes they'll be looking at. If this braintrust does anything different than I suggest, they are probably right, and I am probably wrong.

You won't hear that anywhere else...except maybe from Terry Pluto.

I've been defending Colt McCoy from mostly assenine attacks (including some who say the drops were his fault because he throws a less "catchable" ball), and still feel he could become a franchise guy.

But this is despite one physical limitation which I first commented on before he was drafted:

The arm thing. In all of his highlight tapes, I never saw him fire a low-trajectory frozen rope. I have to note here that his passes have been timed with radar guns, and travel at the same 56-58 mph passes guys like Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and others throw. This conflicts with what my eyes tell me, as he still hasn't thrown those aforementioned "stick" passes as a pro.

Still, niether did Joe Montana, ever. Nor Brian Sipe. A number of other pro quarterbacks today (Kyle Orton, Chad Pennington, and others) don't even have McCoy's arm.

I still say that when Eric Steinbach went down, then Massequoi, and especially Hillis, it made an already tough transition to a complex West Coast offense (with no offseason) a whole lot tougher. Then the drops. Those passes were mostly on-the-money; VERY accurate. How can you blame the quarterback for those? Are you nuts?

That latest defense of McCoy was a second qualifier, because if they take Robert Griffin at number four, I'm all for it. As for trading up to number two, I'll leave that to Heckert and company. I mean, #22 AND a second rounder? For two slots? Remember when Butch Davis traded his first and second rounder to move one slot and draft Kellen Winslow Jr.?

But like I said, I'd leave that to the experts.

Anyway, Washington would have to jump four slots, without ammo. They'd have to mortgage their future. Most of their picks this season, or a first and second and then a first next season.

That's Tom Sneider, isn't it? It's more likely he'd go for the Matt Ryan anyway. It would only cost him money, and he can trade his draft picks for some more overpriced old guys.

All that can wait.

Griffin has all of Colt's strengths, plus a very strong arm and the athleticism of an Olympic calibre hurdler. Those assets include great accuracy. Statisticly, he outdid Andrew Luck in every category. (Level of competition, height, etc. yeah so stipulated-Luck is the prototype I get it).

Height: Griffin is about McCoy's height. This is overblown. Delhomme was a half inch taller. Do you really think a half inch is critical? Rodgers is that height, Brees an inch or more shorter. Montana and Young were no taller, Sipe shorter than all of them, Vick is right there too--please just stop it.

Could RG3 adapt to the West Coast quickly? Well, he graduated highschool a year early, then graduated college a year early (closing in on a Post-Grad degree now). This doesn't always translate to the football field, but in Griffin's case, it will.

Griffin relied on his athleticism too much (per scouting reports) until his senior season. Had he come out as a junior, he nevertheless might have gone in the third or fourth round, because he'd already shown flashes of greatness.

As a senior, he came in as a new player. Standing in the pocket under pressure (not taking off until he had to; pocket awareness). Progressing to secondary and tertiary recievers. Shifting his feet in the pocket for good alignment before throwing.

He was always decisive--a very quick release--but now his mechanics were much-improved.

Griffin's arm is exceptionally strong, and he alters his throwing angle to 3/4 or even side-arm to get it past linemen without losing accuracy. On the run, he can throw "all-arm" like John Elway did while scrambling to his left or right, and still get it deep, and on the money. Important: He doesn't lose track of his recievers when he scrambles. He keeps his eyes downfield to track them--many scramblers can't do this. They glance at the pursuit, or look for daylight.

He always had perfect touch and accuracy on short and intermediate throws, but as a senior became much more accurate throwing deep. Looping "bucket" throws (ps McCoy does that well), or darts (which McCoy doesn't do).

The scouting report I read decried his narrow waist. I don't get that.

He's more solidly built than McCoy, and will probably add a few more pounds to play at over 220. When Edgarrin James came out of college, he was about the exact same height and weight as Griffin is now. Of course, running backs don't take near the punishment as quarteracks, right? Just stop it. Please.

They're not going to "kick McCoy to the curb". That's rediculous. He's got a third round salary and does NOT suck. He still has upside. '11 was his SECOND SEASON for crying out loud! RGIII might not even beat him out fair and square of they draft him, either. McCoy could predictably improve in his third season (duh).

Why are these goobers reading so much into the braintrust not declaring McCoy the starter, and bringing in competition for him? That's just common sense! They simply know that he will be good--just not HOW good! Hardly ANY of what happened to this season's offense was his fault.

Some assert that Wallace was better. This is a hallucination. He was approximately the same, with no upside left. You see what you want to see. Cut that out, and think with your brain.

But I digress.

Yeah, I know. They need a right tackle, a speedy reciever, and maybe a running back. They need a true 4-3 outside linebacker (or two) and a better DE to play opposite Sheard. They could really use a good man corner opposite Haden.

I know that if RG3 is in the same situation as McCoy was, he'll be in trouble too...but not as much.

They couldn't attack Griffin as they did McCoy. McCoy is highly mobile, but proved to be less accurate on the run, and wasn't dangerous if he turned upfield to run. McCoy throwing "all-arm" isn't the same as RG3 is. Defenses stacked up and threw the kitchen sink at McCoy.

Griffin has to be contained. Defenses can't show him a gap, or let the edge guys cross anybody's face to get inside the tackles. This guy clocks 4.4 and NOBODY, including most cornerbacks, can run him down from behind. If you're in coverage, exactly when do you let your guy go and try to stop Griffin as he loops toward the line of scrimmage, huh? He gives these guys nightmares.

RG3 has the tools to overcome some of the deep doodoo that McCoy can't, and to force the defense to attack the backfield in a more predictable/manageable way. Even though he would no doubt be behind McCoy on the learning curve, he can scramble for yards and downs until he learns. Mcnabb's first season in Philly was like that.

Further, Massequoi is another guy who gets bashed unfairly...like for being injured. When he was healthy, he got open and he caught the ball. You lump him in with Robiskie simply because they were drafted together. You know that Mangini drafted him, so you close your eyes and lay some of Little's drops on him. It's convenient for you to see things that way. Mangini bad. Heckert good.

Little showed nice progress late in the season, and almost stopped dropping balls. He's NOT just a possession guy, either! He's a potential number one double-coverage demander.

Why do people think we need a big possession guy when that's what Moore does anyway? Have we forgotten Jordan Cameron already? Watson's concussions could wreck him, but Cameron, from what I've heard, looks like a decent in-line blocker and can replace him. Maybe Moore still can too. If not just make him a wide reciever so he can play without tipping off the defense every time he's on the field.

What about Mitchell? It's do-or-die time for him this season. Not just DOA, okay?

There are recievers on this roster, including two potential number one scary deep guys. We're just not SURE of it all.

Griffin's presence could help lure elite free agents here, too. Any guy who thrives on deep passes needs to see a bomber QB. McCoy doesn't do that. Griffin can. Overlooked is the scrambling. "You mean I get ten seconds to get open? You mean the guy on me has to sweat the quarterback too? Where do I sign?"

If they don't trade up, Kendall Wright might be it, too. He's only 5'10", but was also a star hurdler with a 42' vertical. He's amazingly strong for his size, and doesn't get pushed around. Besides, if you try to push him around and he gets by you, you got a big problem. He darts and dashes to get separation.

Most scouts label him a slot guy only due to his stature. Well, is Steve Smith a slot guy? Just wonderin. Put him next to Moore and opposite Little--call it a 3-wide. Fixed!

Also, football evolves. Big recievers have been the thing, and to date everybody wants big cornerbacks to match up with them. Put Wright up against Joe Haden--that's a fight. Put him up against Nambi Asem...you know--and Wright gets OPEN. You hear it here first: Smaller wide recievers will return, and Wright might be the first (after Smith).

That would be perfect, since Griffin and Wright are already a tandem.

Sorry to cut this short (haha).

Wow This guy Predicted All this Stuff!

You've got to check this guy out! He said:

1: Jordan Norwood would emerge as the third and sometimes second reciever and make big plays. He is quick as well as fast, and creates separation, which offsets his stature. While most pundits labelled him a long-term slot project, this guy said that while he's best in the slot, he can play outside as well.

2: Massequoi, or the absence thereof, makes a difference. Little is still learning (and making mistakes.) Robiskie never got over his inability to separate. MoMass beats single man coverage more often than not. Some corners can shut him down, but not many.

3: Cribbs HAS become a pretty good wide reciever. He NOW runs precise routes. He only gets a little separation, but with this quarterback and his brute strength, that's enough. Mike Trivisano as recently as the week before last said that Cribbs "can't run a route".

4: The new running back, whose name starts with "O"...this guy said that he was a former wide reciever who was developing as a running back. He said that while for his first couple seasons this guy was mediocre, he could emerge now--in his third season, as is common.
This guy said that O-Whozzit is an excellent fit in the West Coast due to his recieving skills, which extend downfield.

5: This guy said that a huge part of the offense's problem was the revolving-door rookie guards, who were still learning and screwing up a lot. Opposing offenses were loading the box and sending never fewer than four guys, and often six. McCoy had little time. The only way he could throw over the top was when he was running for his life, and he frankly sucked...

6: This guy said that McCoy had demonstrated superb accuracy in the past (as a rookie) and could do it again. When a young player demonstrates great skills and then regresses, USUALLY he gets his feet back under him and continues to grow and improve.

7: He pointed out two rookie starters on the defensive line, who would show marked improvement in the second half of their rookie seasons, which is utterly and obviously predictable.

8: He lauded Buster Skrine as a guy who could tackle and cover any reciever under 6' tall as well as any cornerback around. He predicted that by the middle of his inaugural season he would at least be the fifth, more likely the fourth, and possibly even the third cornerback, and that he would be used on any small/quick slot guy.

You've just got to check this guy out!

Oh yeah. He's ME. Dammit.

I've got to admit, I'm stunned by Chris Ogbonnaya's emergence. I never thought he'd be THIS good running from scrimmage. Give Tom Heckert credit--what a FIND!

The offensive line is blocking a LOT better now. I actually heard Even Moore's name several times last week. That means that the Browns no longer needed to keep the tight end in to help block a kitchen-sink pass-rush.

Who caught the passes? Wide recievers. Two plays over fifty yards in the last two weeks. Part of this is Oggi's getting past the front wall and making them pay, but part of it is also McCoy's making ACCURATE stabs downfield.

Understand that it doesn't have to be 40 or 50 yards. 20 yards--like the one to Little crossing--does wonders to back safeties off the line.

Then I've read that most of the drops were 3-5 steps, and the ball was gone in less than three seconds. That's exactly how the West Coast is supposed to work.

The analyst attributed this to a change in Shurmer's playcalling, but what it's really more about is McCoy trusting his recievers to be where they're supposed to be. That only happens when the recievers have PROVEN themselves to him. MEANING, when THEY have improved their reads and routes!

Little and Norwood are entering the second half of their rookie seasons. Massequoi cam back from his concussion.

Before, McCoy wasn't throwing when he was supposed to throw. Young recievers would keep going when they were supposed to break off or stop, or the reverse. No quarterback can cross his fingers and throw to a spot where he's not sure the reciever will be there to--at the very least--prevent an interception. No coach can bully him into it--nor would many try.

Can they beat the Bungles? That's a tall order. Like it or not, Cinci has an elite team, and the Browns are still behind them developmentally. But it's the North, and they have a real, legit shot.

Cribbs

Josh Cribbs will have an expanded role vs. the Rams. Everybody is guessing about the wildcat and stuff.

I believe that finally, at long last, Pat Shurmer has recognized him as a West Coast TAILBACK.

Cribbs doesn't have the "fast start" needed to hit the hole quickly, like most running backs do. This is probably why no coach has used him there. But this quick accelleration is all that he lacks to be a tailback in this offense. He can block, catch, break tackles, and score from anywhere, given a little space.

And he can throw. Given a dumpoff in the flats, when DB's and linebackers break out of coverage to stop him....

Now, I have to repeat this for my bro and nephew, who have declared that nothing will change for the Browns:

New Coach. New Personnel Director. New GM. New systems. Young players.

Randy Lerner doesn't interfere, so you're judging a bunch of new people unfairly, and that IS irrational.

Something else: Pro defenses are expert at decieving inexperienced recievers. You think "zone" and "man" coverage is it, but it's not. They show one thing pre-snap, then do another. The safety takes a step one way, then turns the other.

The quarterback can see this. It's hard for even him to read it correctly. For a wide reciever, it's harder to watch the whole secondary at once while running a pattern. It's a series of fleeting glimpses, through bodies running every which way. Based on that, there is only ONE of several patterns that is correct on any given play. The QB and reciever must read it the same, and the quarterback must trust the WR BEFORE he turns to look back to make the right move and get to the right spot.

The only way a QB can trust a reciever enough to throw that ball into empty space is after that reciver has made the correct move, without error, a whole bunch of times in a row.

Do you think the rookie Little is there yet? Really? Do you know that this is why MoMass and Cribbs are/were catching more passes--because they're more accustomed to Pro defenses dirty tricks?

Can you please try to wrap your head around the fact that Little five games from now will be better than he is now?

In the absence of Peyton Hillis, defenses are stacking the box and sending five and six rushers. They do this not just to give McCoy hell, but to keep the back and Ben Watson inside and blocking, depriving him of two recievers. To keep Evan Moore off the field. And it's working out great-especially since the raw guards are screwing up blocks.

I never realized how much they would miss Eric Steinbach. Wow, what a difference he made!

So now I must re-iterate:

1: BEFORE: Vertical passing, inside running. NOW: West Coast short passing, inc. to backs.

2: BEFORE: Mangini. NOW: Shurmer.

3: BEFORE: Rob Ryan 3-4. NOW: Dick Jauron 4-3.

4: BEFORE: Can't remember. NOW: Tom Heckert.

5: Heckert/Holmgren SECOND SEASON.

6: McCoy SECOND SEASON.

7: Basicly rookie guards, revolving RT's, rookie X-reciever, Cribbs, and guys off the practice squad I mean grow up! Come on now!

What, do you think it's a gypsy curse or something that the QB will "NEVER" have any time to throw? Because he never has before, therefore young guys will never improve with experience, Heckert will never acquire better blockers, that the new regime will suddenly start duplicating people they never met except in passing?

Do you think it's like the staph problem at the Cleveland clinic--that there's an incompetance virus in the walls of the training facility that somehow destroys everybody's brain cells?

No. Sorry. It's 1-7 above. those are empirical, irrefutable facts. To deny them is, indeed, irrational.

My faith in McCoy isn't blind. He's been screwing up himself. A lot. However, I HAVE seen him play damn near perfect against elite defenses under pressure, so I have to give him a chance to work through it. Quinn was NEVER accurate, by the way. McCoy was a damn SNIPER, so don't even say they're the same. That's just idiotic.

Nor is my faith in Shurmer. However, sans Shurmer look at the Rams and Bradford. And then he's suffering from a profound abundance of rookies, injuries, and a current lack of talent while trying to institute a new and yes, complex scheme.

It's possible they won't ultimately succeed, but at least equally possible that they will, once people are healthy and experienced, and more players are added.

That's reality. Deal with it.

As the Stomach Turns

I normally wait before writing about a game, but this time I was able to actually watch it live...

Ok thanks to Denver Browns Backers Pres. Schott and the Retreat Bar...and a bunch of REAL fans such as I haven't met in a Cleveland bar for a long time...I mean and they knew their stuff...

Anyway this time I'm listening to the post-game on the internet and can't help jumping on stupidity when I hear it.

Don't be saying that a quarterback with 13 NFL starts, with an obviously porous offensive line, in a new system, who is a walking bruise--can be judged one way or the other, period. You can say "so far" he doesn't seem to be the quarterback we need and be technicly correct, but you are still an asshole to say it.

The ex-quarterbacks on NFL Radio sort of explain some of it: No matter how much you're coached, or what orders you have, as a quarterback, you won't throw blind to a spot until you have learned to RELY ON a given reciever. McCoy right now doesn't trust his outside guys.

He knows that on paper they should be physical/tall enough to guarantee an incompletion at worst, but until he has seen it proven conclusively, he can't stake drives and games on faith.

At this point, he trusts only his eyes. He has to SEE his open target before he'll throw, and that's why he so often checks down to the last resort.

I need the reader to comprehend that these guys were NOT bashing McCoy. They are DEFENDING him. They've BEEN there.

All the same, I was encouraged to see that Evan Moore wasn't locked in the basement again. McCoy DOES trust HIM (and Watson). Watson must have been hurt today.

Massequoi was moved back to the X-reciever slot, but Little was the Z-man. It seemed to work out okay, although the wide-outs in general did little. But again, this was more about McCoy, and the time he generally lacked, than with them.

I was massively relieved to see Hardesty not bobble or drop even one pass. He is a very good all-around running back--possibly in the top 13-15 in the NFL when healthy and not doing his Braylon Edwards imitation.

One point: He is elusive and shifty only compared to Peyton Hillis, okay? He is a BIG, tackle-breaking running back. Those who describe him as a stark contrast to Hillis are dumbasses. Defensive coordinators will all plan to defend Hillis and Hardesty about the same way, and Shurmer will use them each the same way.

The Seahawks with Whitehurst for the first time is not a formidable offense. All the same, the Browns defense did a great job on them.

McCoy did come through in the clutch, as did Little and Massequoi. Little moreso: McCoy threw one deep to him when he was double-covered. It wasn't completed, but Little made sure it wasn't picked off either. After he's seen the tape, Colt will note and file it. It was inches away from being a game-changing completion, and McCoy will do it again.

Little will become a stud. You'll see.

After further analysis, I'll let my win/loss prediction stand at 13-3.

As the Team Turns

In previous episodes:

Peyton Hillis, on the flimsy pretext of severe strep throat, causing a 14-pound weight loss, refused to play. We know, of course, that this was really about his contract negotiations. Otherwise, he would have played and no doubt done much better than Montario Hardesty.

One can only guess at the sense of profound betrayal felt by his teammates at this cowardly, selfish act. The fact that they're denying it says all there is to say.

The following week, Pat Shurmer was forced by Tom Heckert and J.R. Holmgren to play Hillis, despite his deep hatred of him. He did so for the first series, and then benched him in favor of Hardesty in an effort to reassert control of his team.

Behind closed doors, there can be no doubt that there were shouting matches and perhaps fistfights. According to one source, Benard was never even on a motorcycle and was injured in the melee. He has recently pled not guilty to his traffic charges, which supports this report.

In the last game, Hillis pretended to have an injured hamstring, exaserbating this acrimonious, divisive situation.

The brilliant Chris Mortenson's report that the Browns could be persuaded to trade the unwanted fullback is probably accurate. Shurmer's version of the West Coast requires a total-package running back who can block and catch the ball downfield.

Another article made a lot of sense. The Browns probably aren't going anywhere this season, and should jettison the excess baggage. Hillis is obviously on his last legs, and the team needs running backs who will be effective next season.

OK I'm sorry I can't do this any more. I can't even PRETEND to be that stupid.

Hillis is young, perfect for this offense, has played with cracked ribs (Ever had cracked ribs? It's crippling. It's like being stabbed over and over again just to breathe.) Strep throat is a CONTAGEOUS VIRUS, and Hillis would have been worthless without his strength and wind. This "play hurt" crap gets insane after awhile. How well do you think Peyton Manning would have done this season had he stupidly insisted on playing?

You people and your magic wands and mind-over-matter stuff. At the time nobody knew that Hardesty was the second coming of Braylon Edwards. At the time he was deemed the best running back, and he was--he played well that game.

Sure, Hillis wants to get paid. And the Browns want to KEEP him! I doubt that anybody will give up a first round pick for him, and that's the only thing that would make them consider a trade unless his demands are rediculous--which I doubt.

There's no controversey in that locker room over Peyton Hillis. Remember that most of these guys are college graduates who can spell their names right and everything, plus you can't play football without a 3-digit I.Q. So much for that rumor.

This is a rebuilding team with a lot of youth, and new systems on both sides of the ball. Sam Bradford in L.A. is having a hell of a time, just as McCoy is, thanks to a new offensive system, and has about six games more experience.

The Raiders are a vastly improved team this season. They're loaded with talent, and their systems are in their second seasons. Despite McCoy's horrific performance and the fact that Rubin and Taylor got "handled", they still needed a special teams TD to win at home.

NEXT season, if you don't blow this up, this Browns team can be where Detroit, Buffalo (yes, Buffalo!), and the Raiders are this season: Playoff contenders.

That's how it works. Reps. Experience. Growth.

Grow up and accept the growing pains. And quit trying to turn it into a damn soap opera.