Let the love-fest begin. If this guy can throw and Richardson can run, then I hope to get excited about the Browns again like I did in the summers of 1985 and 1986 when you could see the future starting to come together. The Browns had a good defense and the offense was starting to take shape. The Browns have a good defense now, but what about the offense....

 

Weeden has the look of a franchise QB

June, 6, 2012

By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com

 

BEREA, Ohio -- No one can say whether Brandon Weeden is going to lead the Cleveland Browns from the ranks of the worst teams in the NFL. No one, and this includes Mike Holmgren as well as Pat Shurmur, can declare that Weeden is going to stop the Browns' quarterback carousel that has spanned 16 starters since the city's return to the NFL in 1999.

 

But, after 40 days and 10 practices with the Browns, there is one assessment of Weeden that everyone can agree upon: The rookie first-round pick has the look of a franchise quarterback.

 

It only takes one practice to see how Weeden has the size and the arm to live up to that billing. The building excitement with Weeden comes from the fact that his potential extends beyond physical gifts.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/49180/weeden-has-the-look-of-a-franchise-qb

So why wouldn't they want to pick up Plaxico Burress?

 

Wide receivers remain weakness for Browns

June, 7, 2012

By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com

 

I went to the Cleveland Browns' minicamp this week with an open mind about their wide receivers. I left shaking my head.

 

By my count, there were six dropped passes in a 90-minute practice Wednesday. If this carries into the season, the passing attack will struggle again and it wouldn't matter whether the quarterback is Brandon Weeden, Colt McCoy or Aaron Rodgers.

 

You could chalk it up to a bad practice for a lot of teams, but the Browns were tied atop the NFL in dropped passes last season. There were legitimate excuses for 2011. Greg Little hadn't played a full season since 2009. Mohamed Massaquoi dealt with a foot injury in training camp and another concussion during the season.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/59411/wide-receivers-remain-weakness-for-browns

And H&H didnt want to address the issue in the draft and refuse to make any moves in free agency. They even say they like our receiving core and didnt see it as a big priority.

And H&H didnt want to address the issue in the draft and refuse to make any moves in free agency. They even say they like our receiving core and didnt see it as a big priority.

 

That's gotta be CYA BS. Anyone with half a brain would dislike our WR corps and consider improving it as a priority. If they don't, then this is going to be a rough couple of years until the Browns brass are fired again. But I'm hedging that they are covering their arses. No one could be that deaf, dumb and blind....  Right?

Can't answer all the problems in one draft. They did make FA offers to Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, but were outbid by offers I consider overpaying. But most FAs end up 'overpaid'.

 

Still, we have 40M in cap space...third most in the NFL. Next season, they ought to be more active.

If Weeden and Richardson perform as hoped, I don't think our remaining problems among the starters are all that extensive. I count our biggest problems as wide receiver, linebacker and depth. So a stretch-the-field receiver who can hang on to the ball and a run-stopping linebacker alongside D'Qwell Jackson from free agency could provide a huge boost to this team's fortunes. The depth should be acquired through the draft. But if we wait to solve everything through the draft, then by the time we do, new holes will have emerged. It's like playing whack-a-mole and we end up fielding a mediocre team for years.

FWIW, James Michael Johnson ("JMJ" to his teammates) has supposedely shown well at both inside and outside LB.  Maiava is also back completely healthy and I consider him to be vastly underrated as a utility LB.

 

I don't think we have a great, or even very good WR corps, but I just can't cast judgment on them based on last year.  There were so many factors.  If I'm wrong, I'm wrong.  But I really think we are going to see a drastic improvement this year.  Drastic.  I expect Little to flirt with 1,000.  I expect MoMass to show he can play in this league.  I expect Cribbs to be a legitimate deep threat teams are going to have to account for.  And I expect one player to step up (maybe Cooper?) and have a surprise year.  Weeden and Richardson are going to really open things up for them.

I"ll have to wait and see on the linebacking side.

 

I am hopeful a WR can emerge from the current pack, and I do think Little has the talent and athleticism to excel at this level. But what goes on between the ears with that guy makes me wonder if he can put it all together. Still, 60 catches and 700 yards is pretty good for a rookie on a team where there wasn't another wideout threat to divert defenders' attentions. I'm going to have to wait and see on this one too. I just wish there was some "sure things", or even some "highly likely's" in the WR corps.

 

BTW, the more I read and watch about Weeden, the more I like him. His is a great story, something that's movie material if he does anything in the NFL (ala "The Rookie"). Even if he doesn't, he already made it to "The Show" after spending six years in the bus leagues and another four in college football. He really appreciates where he is and what he's achieved thus far. I just love his story, and his episode on Gruden's QB Camp was epic.

 

Sounds like Seneca is saying, "let me dress or let me go."

 

Browns QB battle continues

Updated: June 12, 2012, 5:50 PM ET

 

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Pat Shurmur wouldn't pick his starting quarterback. So Seneca Wallace went ahead and did it for him.

 

Although it's only a matter of time before the job goes to rookie Brandon Weeden, Shurmur has been reluctant to say he's the starter before training camp opens. But on the final day of media availability during the Browns' offseason program, Wallace brought clarity to Cleveland's QB situation.

 

"I'm a realist," Wallace said. "Obviously the kid was drafted in the first round for a reason and it wasn't they drafted him to come and sit on the bench. At some point he's going to play. If it's the first week or it's the 12th week, at some point the kid is going to play."

 

Wallace wasn't done there.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8043114/seneca-wallace-says-cleveland-browns-drafted-brandon-weeden-start

Can't answer all the problems in one draft. They did make FA offers to Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, but were outbid by offers I consider overpaying. But most FAs end up 'overpaid'.

 

Still, we have 40M in cap space...third most in the NFL. Next season, they ought to be more active.

 

BTW, I was looking at the remaining free agent WRs and there isn't much out there. All have had injury problems or are headcases.....

 

Roy Williams

Braylon Edwards

Mike Sims-Walker

Patrick Crayton

Mark Clayton

Plaxico Burress

 

I might be willing to take a shot at Sims-Walker or Burress. But after seeing that list of FAs, I would certainly understand it if the Browns sat this one out.

 

What I've been reading from Miami U fans is that we got a steal in Travis Benjamin. The guy's production was probably held down by QB Jacory Harris who couldn't throw the long ball and lead TB. Now what skill does Weeden have? A strong arm maybe? So Miami's QB and TB's size probably kept him from getting drafted higher.  I never understood why a burner's size is important. If they're getting separation from defenders, who cares how tall they are? And TB isn't tiny at 5-10 like Gerald "The Ice Cube" McNeil was at 5-7 or Lionel "Little Train" James at 5-6, both of whom had some good years in the NFL because they were very fast.

Last night on the NFL network's Total Access, there was a debate between Warren Sapp and Heath Evans on which of the 14 teams that have never won a Super Bowl would be next to win a championship.

 

Sapp's thought? The Cleveland Browns. Why? See and hear it at the video below. Evans thought Sapp was nuts but host Andrew Siciliano liked Sapp's answer....

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d829ced84/Which-team-is-next-to-win-its-first-Super-Bowl?continuous=true

Anyone listen to the Holmgren presser today? If you did, did you get the same impression as me that Colt McCoy is gone?

 

I think he threw Colt under the bus by saying that WRs were open last year and that QBs couldn't get the ball to them. That also tells me they wanted Weeden or some other strong-armed QB BEFORE the draft. And it also tells me why H&H believe the WR situation isn't as much of a problem as I've feared.

 

He also said he wants a backup QB to be ready to play without being fully prepared with the game plan, which means being able to improvise and be mobile, thus turning broken plays into running plays. Colt is mobile, but Seneca is more mobile. He also is more experienced, including at being a backup. Colt has never been a backup QB.

 

He also covered his ass a little bit by saying he says the Browns need a third-string QB. But that doesn't mean Colt would be the Browns third-string QB. That's what backup Thaddeus Lewis can do -- run!

OK, here it is.......

 

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2012/06/cleveland_browns_president_mik_5.html

 

Q: On what makes him think the receivers will consistently get open this open:

 

Holmgren: “That’s a good question, but you are working on a tremendous assumption there that last year they weren’t open. Where I would say they were open probably more than you thought and we just didn’t get them the ball, but I think you’re right. I am playing with you a little bit here. I think our offense is based on timing and it has to be taught right, the receivers have to be disciplined, you need right what we’re doing right now, to get it done right. This is important and I think it hurt us as much as any team. There were other teams that struggled because they didn’t have the lockout, we weren’t the only team, but it hurt us because of the nature of what we were asking the team to do. I just think getting open isn’t just a matter of being the fastest guy on the field. I think our receivers have good speed, not a sprinters type speed, but good speed. When you couple that with the teaching they are doing right now. They’re more familiar with what we are asking them to do. I just think you’ll see a better group this year. I really do. I like the fact that we have that little guy from Miami (Travis Benjamin). The speed helps. It always helps and he has come in and done a nice job and we’re going to try and figure out ways if he’s with us, which we assume he will be, that he can get on the field and kind of help us that way.”

I didn't think that getting open was the issue. The issue was that they'd get open 1 yard short of a first down on the third down or they'd get open and not figure out how to catch the ball.

OK, here it is.......

 

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2012/06/cleveland_browns_president_mik_5.html

 

Q: On what makes him think the receivers will consistently get open this open:

 

Holmgren: “That’s a good question, but you are working on a tremendous assumption there that last year they weren’t open. Where I would say they were open probably more than you thought and we just didn’t get them the ball, but I think you’re right. I am playing with you a little bit here. I think our offense is based on timing and it has to be taught right, the receivers have to be disciplined, you need right what we’re doing right now, to get it done right. This is important and I think it hurt us as much as any team. There were other teams that struggled because they didn’t have the lockout, we weren’t the only team, but it hurt us because of the nature of what we were asking the team to do. I just think getting open isn’t just a matter of being the fastest guy on the field. I think our receivers have good speed, not a sprinters type speed, but good speed. When you couple that with the teaching they are doing right now. They’re more familiar with what we are asking them to do. I just think you’ll see a better group this year. I really do. I like the fact that we have that little guy from Miami (Travis Benjamin). The speed helps. It always helps and he has come in and done a nice job and we’re going to try and figure out ways if he’s with us, which we assume he will be, that he can get on the field and kind of help us that way.”

 

I love how Holmgren tries to make football sound like it's so ridiculously complicated.

 

Mike, we saw the games last year. The Browns fans can be a lot of things, but they aren't stupid. Any way you want to try and excuse that sucky offense and even suckier coaching go right ahead.

 

Anyone else think the intelligence of these nfl "genius" types is overblown? Think if Mike didn't get into football he'd be a physicist or something? Or that Bill Belichik would be a brain surgeon?

I love how Holmgren tries to make football sound like it's so ridiculously complicated.

 

Mike, we saw the games last year. The Browns fans can be a lot of things, but they aren't stupid. Any way you want to try and excuse that sucky offense and even suckier coaching go right ahead.

 

Anyone else think the intelligence of these nfl "genius" types is overblown? Think if Mike didn't get into football he'd be a physicist or something? Or that Bill Belichik would be a brain surgeon?

 

LOL!!

 

Yes, lots of coaches feel the need to over-complicate the offense when some simple plays that are well-executed beats the other guys. When Marty Schottenheimer coached the Browns, he noted that play-calling is overrated and that, when you win, you out-execute the other team.

 

Holmgren was on The Fan this morning and made a similar point. He referred to his WR Mark Ingram when he coached in Seattle and said Ingram probably ran only two routes but he ran them so well that other teams couldn't stop him.

Nothing really earth-shattering in this brief article. Of course the Browns would rather trade Colt and get something of value for him than release him! But it does point to the likelihood that Colt is the odd-man-out between him and Wallace, as I noted yesterday afternoon.

 

Source: Browns want to trade Colt McCoy, not release him

 

The Cleveland Browns realized soon after the NFL Draft that they want to get rid of quarterback Colt McCoy. They had no takers, so they decided to keep him, reports ESPNCleveland.com.

 

“When Weeden was drafted, I was told by an NFL source that the Browns didn’t want to ‘pile on’ McCoy and just release him,” says Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. “They were sensitive to the fact he had gotten such a raw deal already. They would like to find McCoy a new team, a new opportunity, to spare him the ignominy of being released. They will not demand much in a trade.”

 

READ MORE AT:

http://tracking.si.com/2012/06/15/browns-want-to-trade-colt-mccoy/

 

 

EDIT: here's a differing view.....

 

Cleveland Browns Should Look to Move Seneca Wallace, Not Colt McCoy 

By Andrea Hangst (AFC North Lead Blogger) on June 15, 2012

 

Just a few days ago, Cleveland Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace told the assembled media to expect that either he or fellow quarterback Colt McCoy will be off the team by the time the regular season started.

 

Yesterday, Browns team president Mike Holmgren backpedaled from Wallace's comments—somewhat—saying that as of now, they have no plans to seek a trade for either Wallace or McCoy, though he did concede that doesn't mean "might not change something" at the position before September (via CBSSports.com).

 

ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi today examined Holmgren's words and determined they mean McCoy's time with the Browns is nearly up.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1223178-cleveland-browns-should-look-to-move-seneca-wallace-not-colt-mccoy

Best they can probably hope for is a conditional draft pick ranging from 5th to 7th round depending on whether he makes the final 53 man roster and how much he plays.

I think whatever they get for Colt isn't going to be much. It's going to be like waiving him without actually waiving him. I wish they could get more, but everyone knows they have to dump one of the two QBs. The issue isn't what they get in return, it's which QB gets moved out.

 

I think it's going to be Colt. BleacherReport says it's going to be Seneca.

 

EDIT: Funny tweet by Case McCoy, Colt's younger brother and QB at the University of Texas, which was retweeted by Adam Schefter before Case could delete it.....

 

http://www.dawgsbynature.com/2012/6/16/3091301/latest-on-colt-mccoy-and-the-browns-trading-block-rumor

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/06/colt-mccoys-brother-rips-into-browns-then-takes-it-back/1#.T99XLxd5GSp

 

Browns are going downhill? To what, 0-16? To say they're "going downhill" is to imply they were uphill recently!

I heard the tweet discussed over the radio.  I wasn't sure when he said "Cleveland is only going downhill" if he was talking about the Browns or the City.  Either way, what a knucklehead.  I imagine Colt's agent might've shat himself when he got wind of the tweet.  They are still doing some damage repair from the thing with his Dad last season.  None of this makes Colt very attractive to other organizations.  I love how that family tries to come off as good ole boys yet, from what we've seen, are much more prone to be drama queens.

Hope springs eternal in Browns Town. They haven't even played a down together and yet people are already making predictions. Here's my prediction: if they win more than two games by their Week 10 bye, then they have a chance of improving on their 2011 record...

 

 

Cleveland Browns Will Shock NFL in 2012

By Brian Klein (Contributor) on June 18, 2012

 

Many experts believe the Cleveland Browns and their fans are in for another season of lackluster football.

 

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has already projected the Browns to finish last in the AFC North with a 3-13 record.   

 

With that said, hope still rings eternal in Cleveland for the Browns.  A majority of the fan base believes the Browns could surprise and shock the NFL in 2012.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1225626-cleveland-browns-will-shock-nfl-in-2012#

Hope springs eternal in Browns Town. They haven't even played a down together and yet people are already making predictions. Here's my prediction: if they win more than two games by their Week 10 bye, then they have a chance of improving on their 2011 record...

 

 

Cleveland Browns Will Shock NFL in 2012

By Brian Klein (Contributor) on June 18, 2012

 

Many experts believe the Cleveland Browns and their fans are in for another season of lackluster football.

 

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report has already projected the Browns to finish last in the AFC North with a 3-13 record.   

 

With that said, hope still rings eternal in Cleveland for the Browns.  A majority of the fan base believes the Browns could surprise and shock the NFL in 2012.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1225626-cleveland-browns-will-shock-nfl-in-2012#

 

I called Ms. Cleo (in the great beyond), Madame Zelda, Jackie Stallone, Dionne's Psychic friends and this guy

 

We'll be lucky to win 5 guys!

 

 

Than cast your vote! I set up the poll so you can change your vote just in case Ms. Cleo somehow tells you she is actually Ms. Cleo Miller!

 

 

 

I voted 4-5, I just don't see them pulling off more than 6 games this year. If a few games fall their way I could be wrong, but I'm not going to get my hopes up this early again.

Than cast your vote! I set up the poll so you can change your vote just in case Ms. Cleo somehow tells you she is actually Ms. Cleo Miller!

 

 

 

 

LOL  I hate you old people!  LOL

I can't vote yet. Not until I see how they perform on the field in 2-3 preseason games. But if someone else wants to vote sight-unseen and based on their opponents' records from last season and/or how they think their opponents will do this year, then check out the Browns' 2012 schedule and vote!

 

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/schedule-and-events/schedule.html

 

 

 

LOL  I hate you old people!  LOL

 

Is that what you say when you look in the mirror?!?! 

I don't need to see a preseason game.  It is the 5-year tease rule.  2002 they made the playoffs after going 9-7 and capping it off with the "Run, Willie, Run!" game (which I happened to be at).  Five years later in 2007 they had probably their best season since returning and several players made the probowl but we lost the tie-breaker with Pittspuke to get into the playoffs (both teams finished atop the division at 10-6...... I believe we went 7-1 at home).  So enjoy the 2012 Browns fans while it lasts..... we have 4 years of pain ahead of us after that. 

There are some things about this team that make me as excited about their future as I haven't been since they came back in 1999. But then I was excited just to have football again. I didn't expect them to do anything positive for a while. Yes, I was a little bit excited about their future after the 2002 and 2007 seasons (BTW, that was "run William run!" ;) ). But there were some things about those teams that didn't quite feel "right" -- I can't explain it. I just didn't feel like there were any superstars on those teams. And I think any perennial playoff contender has to have at least a few superstars on the team, and maybe a half-dozen stars or pro-bowl alternate types.

 

There is one big thing about this team that doesn't quite feel right and that's the head coach. He's still an unknown, unproven commodity in that role. But I love Brandan Weeden and I want to cheer for him. Trent Richardson is one of the potential superstars on this team. So might Joe Haden, TJ Ward, Jabaal Sheard and maybe Phil Taylor. I submit Joe Thomas already one of the top players at his position, but since O-lineman aren't usually famous, most casual fans outside of Cleveland probably have never heard of him. And D'Qwell Jackson is a solid player but not yet one of the best at his position. So there are some potentials on this team already, and we might include Greg Little in that someday, or perhaps one of the guys picked up in this year's draft, like WR Travis Benjamin or OL Mitchell Schwartz. But it's too early for that.

 

So there's enough guys on this team that make me want to watch how they perform in the first or second years, and moreso how they'll play together. I think there's some real potential to do something special in the next couple of years, but it also depends on how Coach Shurmur and his staff uses them. I do like the pick up of Brad Childress, especially him working with Weeden, Richardson, Little, Benjamin, the tight ends and RB Brandon Jackson (a solid player who ran for 700 yards and caught 43 passes in 2010 yet everyone seems to have forgotten about him after his injury last year). I do think the Browns will get knocked around a bit and make a lot of mistakes in their first few games. I am most interested to see how they perform after the bye week. Once Weeden adjusts to NFL speed and can start reading coverages (which he is very quick at, as he is at trying to squeeze fireballs into coverage -- maybe a little too quick on that one!), I think we'll start to figure out what this team is made of. These pieces they have are very interesting. It's going to be fun and sometimes frustrating watching them grow up, just as it was when we started afresh in 1984-86.

 

And of course, the injury bug must stay away......

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1229080-cleveland-browns-should-pursue-disgruntled-wr-percy-harvin

 

Summary of this article: "Hey lookeehere !! Harvin may be available and we could trade McCoy for him but Harvin and Childress are a game of Mortal Kombat waiting to happen so maybe it not such a... oh never mind."

 

So why did she even bother writing it??

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE RELEASED

 

For your reference:

http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/06/22/browns-to-open-training-camp-july-28/

I would LOVE this trade. Problem is the Browns don't seem to love it, according to Mary Kay....

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82a1a63b/article/james-jones-reportedly-not-a-trade-target-for-browns

 

 

Why James Jones (with 187 catches and 20 TDs over the last five years) is unhappy....

 

http://www.totalpackers.com/2012/06/21/james-jones-pulls-rodney-dangerfield-card/

 

 

EDIT: oh and for some entertaining reading, here is one writer's imaginative predictions for the 2012 season (showing just how hard it could be for the Browns just to eke out a 6-10 record)....

 

Cleveland Browns 2012: Predicting the Results of Each Game

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1234711-cleveland-browns-predicting-how-each-game-will-go-in-2012

This is pretty awesome info on new Browns RB Trent Richardson. And I love some of the comments afterwards.....

 

Sports Science can breakdown a video of an athlete taking a dump and make it seem fascinating

I'm 6'4" 235, and he's 5'11" 225.....he's only ten pounds lighter than me D:  This guy is a f*cking rock, hes gonna tear sh*t up in the NFL.

(He can bench-press) 475 pounds! what is this guy half robot?

God must've been watching me play madden... Cuz i swear i made this guy.

 

Juggernaut Index No. 28: The Cleveland Browns

By Andy Behrens | Roto Arcade – 35 minutes ago

 

Before we discuss the 2012 edition of the Cleveland Browns, I'd like you to take a moment to appreciate just how relentlessly awful this team's offense has been since the franchise was reborn. With the exception of that one freak season in 2007 — when Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards were briefly not terrible — the Browns have consistently delivered numbers that place them at or near the bottom of the league.

 

Here's a look at the past decade of offensive production in Cleveland, with the team's overall NFL rank in parentheses:

 

2011 — 13.6 PPG (30), 288.8 YPG (29)

2010 — 16.9 PPG (31), 289.7 YPG (29)

2009 — 15.3 PPG (30), 260.2 YPG (32)

2008 — 14.5 PPG (30), 249.1 YPG (31)

2007 — 25.1 PPG ( 8 ), 351.3 YPG ( 8 )

 

2006 — 14.9 PPG (30), 264.6 YPG (31)

2005 — 14.5 PPG (32), 284.4 YPG (26)

2004 — 17.3 PPG (27), 280.1 YPG (28)

2003 — 15.9 PPG (28), 281.5 YPG (26)

2002 — 21.5 PPG (19), 314.2 YPG (23)

 

READ MORE AT:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/juggernaut-index-no-28-cleveland-browns-130328425--fantasy.html

Who?

 

Browns' Kiante Tripp arrested in Ga.

UPDATED JUL 3, 2012 4:37 PM ET   

 

COLLEGE PARK, GA. (AP)

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Kiante Tripp is in a Georgia jail on a burglary charge.

 

College Park police spokesman Sgt. Jeff Hightower says Tripp was arrested with two others Sunday afternoon at an apartment in that Atlanta suburb.

 

The arrest resulted from neighbors calling police to say that armed men were in the apartment. Officers arrived, heard the men through the locked front door, and then caught them fleeing through the back. Hightower says nothing was stolen.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/cleveland-browns-tackle-kiante-tripp-arrested-on-burglary-charge-070312

July 3, 2012

Cleveland Browns camp outlook: Let Richardson-Weeden era begin

 

Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. The countdown to training camp has begun. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into camps. Today: Cleveland Browns. Wednesday: Atlanta Falcons.

 

[the conclusion!]

 

....Yet, there are reasons for hope.

 

Jim Brown’s view of Richardson isn’t shared by many. Weeden was impressive in the spring. The offensive line could become elite if Schwartz pans out. Jauron did masterful work with a patchwork cast on defense last season.

 

Give Holmgren credit for cobbling together at least something decent, and Shurmur a break after not having a 2011 offseason. The building Browns should be no worse than 6-10, and could do better if the key rookies break through early.

 

Prediction: Fourth, AFC North

 

READ MORE AT:

http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-07-03/cleveland-browns-camp-outlook-trent-richardson-brandon-weeden

I found this on the internet today. You have to admit it is pretty funny.

 

 

They might start beating people in 2013. This year's schedule is too tough and still too many young guys on the roster. But those young guys are much more talented than in a long time.

 

And after reading this article, I say trade Seneca Wallace and his contract that's a million dollars more per year than Colt's. But that's me hoping they do something with the extra cap room, like get a top-notch free agent linebacker and/or wide receiver for 2013. I'll look at who's contracts are ending after 2012. Besides, Seneca is sounding like a cancer in the locker room. I hope Colt is more mature than what Seneca (or Colt's brother) has been saying.....

 

McCoy ready to fight for Cleveland Browns starting QB job

Browns quarterback prepared to battle rookie Weeden

 

By Joey D. Richards [email protected] 325-670-5213

Posted July 3, 2012 at 11 p.m.

 

For Daniel Colt McCoy, the word quit isn't his vocabulary. While it would be easy for the former Jim Ned and Texas great to just give up and request a trade, it's not in his nature. He wants to fight for the starting quarterback job at Cleveland. Not just for him, but for his teammates and the Browns fans.

 

"I really like Cleveland," McCoy said Tuesday after wrapping up his two-day youth football camp in Abilene. "I've always been a guy that wants to finish what he starts."

 

McCoy, a third-round pick by Cleveland in the 2010 NFL draft, is preparing for his third season with the Browns. He has started 21 games for the Browns, including 13 last season before sitting out the final three games with a concussion. He threw for 2,733 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.reporternews.com/news/2012/jul/03/mccoy-ready-to-fight-for-cleveland-browns-qb-job/

Unrestricted free agent WRs and LBs in 2013.....

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

Michael Jenkins, 30, MIN

Lee Evans, 31, BAL

Steve Smith, 33, CAR*

Johnny Knox, 25, CHI*

Brandon Tate, 24, CIN

Mohamed Massaquoi, 25, CLE

Joshua Cribbs, 29, CLE*

Brian Robiskie, 24, CLE

Jarett Dillard, 26, DET

Greg Jennings, 28, GBP*

Mike Thomas, 25, JAX*

Dwayne Bowe, 27, KCC*

Brian Hartline, 25, MIA*

Davone Bess, 26, MIA*

Wes Welker, 32, NEP*

Brandon Williams, 31, NEP

Devery Henderson, 30, NOL*

Louis Murphy, 25, OAK* (could be waived)

Mike Wallace, 25, PIT*

Deon Butler, 26, SEA

Brandon Gibson, 24, STL*

Sammie Stroughter, 26, TAM

 

LINEBACKERS

Paris Lenon, 34, ARZ

Brandon Williams, 24, ARZ

Paul Kruger, 26, BAL

Shawne Merriman, 28, BUF*

Nick Barnett, 31, BUF

Brian Urlacher, 34, CHI

Rey Maualuga, 25, CIN*

Scott Fujita, 33, CLE

Anthony Spencer, 29, DAL*

Justin Durant, 27, DET*

Brad Jones, 26, GBP

Daryl Smith, 30, JAX*

Cameron Wake, 30, MIA

Tim Dobbins, 29, HOU

Jasper Brinkley, 26, MIN

Jerod Mayo, 26, NEP*

Gary Guyton, 26, NEP

Mathias Kiwanuka, 30, NYG*

Clint Sintim, 26, NYG

Moise Fokou, 26, PHL

Steven Sylvester, 25, PIT

Darryl Tapp, 28, PHL*

Shaun Phillips, 31, SAN

James Laurinaitis, 25, STL*

Will Witherspoon, 31, TEN

Gerald McRath, 26, TEN

 

* my favorites

I may be the only Browns fan left on this forum based on recent postings, but this should generate *some* discussion!

 

Cleveland Browns considering former Baylor WR Josh Gordon in supplemental draft

Published: Monday, July 09, 2012, 8:31 PM    Updated: Tuesday, July 10, 2012, 7:45 AM

    By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

 

CLEVELAND --The Browns will attend former Utah and Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon's pro day workout in Houston on Tuesday, and it's an indication that they'll strongly considering bidding on him in Thursday's supplemental draft.

 

Teams submit bids based on the round of the pick they're willing to surrender in the 2013 draft.

 

Problem is, the 6-4, 220-pound wideout won't come cheap.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.cleveland.com/browns/index.ssf/2012/07/cleveland_browns_considering_f.html

Yeah!!!! Supplemental draft fever!

 

that being said....I'd like to see some kind of play mayking WR. Just not sure that a guy that sat out for a year, and had disciplinary problems is that guy.

I'm starting to like this guy Gordon after reading this very detailed and glowing analysis.....

 

http://mattwaldmanrsp.com/2012/07/05/wr-josh-gordon-hands-are-for-more-than-catching-the-football/

 

If only we knew more about his indiscretions at Baylor. You don't suspend a guy indefinitely just because of one marijuana incident, right?

I'd take a stab at Gordon but not Lumpkin. Gordon is such a physical specimen that I think he might be worth as much of a second-round pick. The Browns were willing to part with a second-round pick on Montario Hardesty who was an injury risk (and proved he still is one). But marijuana is something you can stop using if you're serious. You can't choose to stop being injury prone if your bones are made of glass....

 

Browns study former Baylor receiver Josh Gordon

By Nate Ulrich

Beacon Journal sports writer

 

Published: July 10, 2012 - 09:40 PM | Updated: July 10, 2012 - 11:42 PM

 

The Browns continued to do their homework for the NFL’s supplemental draft by attending the pro day of former Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon Tuesday afternoon at the Houston Texans’ practice facility.

 

Gordon is the top-rated prospect in this year’s supplemental draft, which will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday. And the Browns are among the receiver-needy teams that are logical candidates to bid on him.

 

Gordon pulled his left quadriceps while running the 40-yard dash on Tuesday, posting a time of 4.52 seconds, Adam Caplan of TheSidelineView.com reported. Gordon, though, was able to finish the workout, which 21 teams attended, by running routes without dropping a pass, according to Caplan.

 

READ MORE AT:

http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/browns-study-former-baylor-receiver-josh-gordon-1.319402

Unrestricted free agent WRs and LBs in 2013.....

 

Felix Jones is a RB, not a WR.  Dwayne Bowe is a WR, not a LB.  And some of the LBs you have listed are only LBs in a 3-4 system and would be limited to playing DE in our system.... such as Kiwanuka, Phillips and Spencer.  Cameron Wake I believe is exclusively a DE.

 

Megatron is off the list.  He signed a record deal with Detroit

 

We cut Robiskie and he was last seen on Jax's bench

Felix Jones is a RB, not a WR.  Dwayne Bowe is a WR, not a LB.  And some of the LBs you have listed are only LBs in a 3-4 system and would be limited to playing DE in our system.... such as Kiwanuka, Phillips and Spencer.  Cameron Wake I believe is exclusively a DE.

 

Megatron is off the list.  He signed a record deal with Detroit

 

We cut Robiskie and he was last seen on Jax's bench

 

Thanks. I'm not sure why I had Jones as a WR or Bowe as a LB (!) -- I know better than that. Fixed! I missed news of Megatron's contract, however. Though I never expected him to leave Detroit, or for Detroit to let him leave. So it's moot anyway.

 

So what time is the supplemental draft today? Ooops, I see it is at 1 p.m. I hope the Browns can take Josh Gordon, even if it means parting with a second-round pick. I think his upside is that good.

I'm hoping we get slotted ahead of Washington so we are not bluffed into using a 2nd rounder.  I think, with his previous issues, Gordon is a 2nd round pick in the regular draft.  The supplemental draft traditionally knocks you down a round from where you would otherwise be slotted, so 3rd round sounds about right for this kid.

The first round came and went with no picks in the supplemental draft. According to news tweets: Supp draft order - BUFFALO, CLEVE, TB, MIA, STL, MIN, WSH, JAX, IND, CAR are top 10 in each round.

 

This is a big risk if the Browns don't take Gordon in the second round. Some team like St. Louis might. I say take him in the second round. Gordon is that good. Some have compared him to Julio Jones but without the dropped passes!

 

EDIT: We got him! Browns just picked Josh Gordon in the second round!! Woo-hoo!! I think you're gonna love this kid. I found some interviews of him, and sometimes you can tell about people. He didn't rub me the wrong way and said all the right things. I hope he's learned his lesson and will clean up his act.

 

I think this is a MAJOR pickup for the Browns!! They have a very young offense now, but I think their quarterback situation is improved with Weeden, the offensive line is stronger with Schwartz, their running game is much improved with Richardson (backed up by a healthy Brandon Jackson), their tight-end situation is stable, and their wide receivers may actually become a strength with a more experienced big WRs Greg Little and Gordon with Benjamin running the post. This will be a year of growing pains but also some very exciting things to see. I am now much more excited, especially for 2013.

Wow.  Considering how much H&H covet draft picks, this comes as a surprise.  They probably thought that Washington (due to Baylor ties with RGIII) was going to take him in the 2nd if they didn't

^ Agree.  He could step right in an be WR2.  There are gonna be some large men running through the opposing secondary this year... Gordon, Little, Watson, Moore, Richardson.  Big run after the catch potential.  Great in WCO.