I don't know what the Browns should do at QB. I really want to believe that Colt McCoy can be the answer, but that might just be foolish, irrational reasoning at this point. There are a ton of good QBs in this upcoming draft, and we won't have to pay a billion dollars to get one because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. So maybe it will be good to get a stereotypical 6'4" QB with a laser rocket arm.
I do think a nice alternative though is to draft a quality RB (i've stated previously I'm okay with LeMichel James and Peyton Hillis in the backfield next year). We also need another WR and some Oline help. If we have enough early picks to sneak another DB in there, that's good too.
But if the Browns can't get it right in this offseason, than I'm not sure they ever will. By all rights, they have the office staff to do it, and they have a solid base of talent to add too (Thomas, Mack, Haden, D'Qwell, D-Line). This is partly why I hope they don't take a QB early this year, I want to see those early picks used on talent to help this team this year. We've seen around that league this year that rookie QBs can step in and work right away, so we don't have to pick one this year to 'develop' them. We can wait another year until we're good and then grab one to fill in.
Nothing much to say about the Indians or Cavs right now.
Ohio State should fire Gene Smith as Athletic Director. He wanted to 'reward' the current seniors by letting them play in this bowl game when he should have self imposed a bowl ban this year when they are 6-6. Now, the NCAA instituted a bowl ban for next year when OSU could play in the Big 10 championship game under Urban Meyer. This was a horrible decision by Smith and he cost the Buckeyes a possible BCS bid next year because they will be that good under Meyer.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Random thoughts vol. 1
CAVS
Was the trade for Baron Davis the best deal ever made? Maybe not, but since was just released because of the amnesty clause, it certainly seems like it. Let's quickly review the important details of that trade.
Cavs trade Mo Williams and a bag of balls to the Clippers for Baron Davis' huge contract and their first round draft pick. Davis has $27 million gaurenteed dollars left on his contract, but because of the new CBA's amnesty clause, the Cavs get some kind of relief from all that money. On top of that, we got out from under Williams contract and secured a lottery draft pick, the one that turned out to be the No.1 pick overall and we got Kyrie Irving! If Irving is any good at all, that was a steal that turned into the best trade ever since would release Davis almost free and clear.
I wasn't interested in the Cavs last year because they were terrible, not exciting, and I just hated the NBA for all the players positioning themselves like that. However, the youth this year might get me interested in at least the Cavs again. Purely as a fair weather fan, nothing else. I still dislike the NBA because of the way they promote their game and the way they let the players run the association.
BROWNS
I like hearing Mike Holmgren talk. Regardless of what he is actually saying, is voice is very confident, yet calm and reassuring. It gives me optimism just to hear him speak about the Browns. Hopefully that all does not go unjustified.
James Harrison is a punk. He's the kind of player that tries to get away with as much as possible and then he plays the ultimate victim when he gets caught. I don't care if the player is a 'runner' or not, if you put your head down and dive at them with the top of your helmet, you're a gutless coward that can't tackle within the rules. Just accept your punishment and move on. You can keep playing hard, but when you get caught, don't cry like a baby.
Please pick LeMichel James. He will be a perfect piece for the west coast offense coming out of the backfield on screens and draw plays. (watch Darren Sproles for an example) I really want that dude on my team, he's ridiculous.
OTHER
OSU Basketball is pretty awesome right now.
OSU Football will be pretty awesome in 2013.
Was the trade for Baron Davis the best deal ever made? Maybe not, but since was just released because of the amnesty clause, it certainly seems like it. Let's quickly review the important details of that trade.
Cavs trade Mo Williams and a bag of balls to the Clippers for Baron Davis' huge contract and their first round draft pick. Davis has $27 million gaurenteed dollars left on his contract, but because of the new CBA's amnesty clause, the Cavs get some kind of relief from all that money. On top of that, we got out from under Williams contract and secured a lottery draft pick, the one that turned out to be the No.1 pick overall and we got Kyrie Irving! If Irving is any good at all, that was a steal that turned into the best trade ever since would release Davis almost free and clear.
I wasn't interested in the Cavs last year because they were terrible, not exciting, and I just hated the NBA for all the players positioning themselves like that. However, the youth this year might get me interested in at least the Cavs again. Purely as a fair weather fan, nothing else. I still dislike the NBA because of the way they promote their game and the way they let the players run the association.
BROWNS
I like hearing Mike Holmgren talk. Regardless of what he is actually saying, is voice is very confident, yet calm and reassuring. It gives me optimism just to hear him speak about the Browns. Hopefully that all does not go unjustified.
James Harrison is a punk. He's the kind of player that tries to get away with as much as possible and then he plays the ultimate victim when he gets caught. I don't care if the player is a 'runner' or not, if you put your head down and dive at them with the top of your helmet, you're a gutless coward that can't tackle within the rules. Just accept your punishment and move on. You can keep playing hard, but when you get caught, don't cry like a baby.
Please pick LeMichel James. He will be a perfect piece for the west coast offense coming out of the backfield on screens and draw plays. (watch Darren Sproles for an example) I really want that dude on my team, he's ridiculous.
OTHER
OSU Basketball is pretty awesome right now.
OSU Football will be pretty awesome in 2013.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
State of the Browns
This is just beyond sad. So frustrating. And it just never ends. How is a team so consistently bad? They're not just bad, they're boring. There's nothing fun about watching the Browns. They make football the most boring sport.. Seriously. Can't we get these games blacked out so we have no choice but to not watch them?
How does this team get better? We have two first round picks. One of them should be in the late teens, early 20s. One of them should be in the top 5. My guess is that we'll draft right after the team that takes Andrew Luck.
Looking at Mel Kiper's big board (who may or may not be the slightest bit reliable.. Braylon Edwards and Mike Williams were can't miss prospects at one time) It looks like there's a good OT available, Matt Kalil. We can always use more of those. We could take a RB, Trent Richardson. Assuming that we let Hillis go, which looks apparent. We could takeWR Justin Blackmon and hope he's an AJ Green and not a Julio Jones. We could go Defense and get Joe Haden again but on the opposite side of the field with CB Morris Claiborne. Or we could take one of the runner up QBs, Landry Jones or Matt Barkley. Both of which are the poor man's Andrew Luck. Or are they? Jay Cutler did pretty good for himself after not being projected as high as Vince Young and Matt Leinart..
How do you make this team better? What do they need?
I'm going to break down the Cleveland Browns into four categories:
Stars, Could be-Stars, Backups/Special Teamers, Filler, and Crap.
Stars:
Joe Thomas
Phil Dawson
Could be-Stars:
Haden
Ward
Sheard
Taylor
Rubin
Hillis
Watson
Mack
D'qwell Jackson
Backups/Special Teamers:
Hardesty
Cribbs
Sheldon Brown
Moore
Little
Massaquoi
Alex Smith
Fujita
McCoy
Wallace
Filler:
Jordan Cameron
Ogbanana
Adams
Young
Patterson
Schaffering
Crap:
Norwood
Mitchell
Pinkston
Hicks
Vallos
Lauvao
Greco
Pashos
Cousins
Thaddeous Lewis
Mitchell
Stephens
Paxon
Spears
English
Tripp
Gocong
Titus Brown
Skrine
Dockery
Ventrone
Hagg
Bonus Category, Worst Player on the Team:
Owen Marecic
So far, that's the single biggest mistake of the Holmgren era. Letting Lawrence Vickers go. We had the best fullback in the league. An offensive lineman who could run like a RB. And we let that go, in favor of starting some fourth or fifth round draft pick. Marecic is getting his ASS KICKED out there. Granted, Arian Foster is the running back, but now that Vickers is on Houston plowing over defenders, aren't they better off?? No one on the Browns realized that our Running Game last season was almost all because of Vickers? Hillis had all those holes because Vickers was putting people on the ground. Now, we have some guy, who I think is smaller and slower than Hillis. Great.
So how does Holmgren fix this mess for next year? Hell if I know. No one has been able to do it since I started watching the Browns again in 2002-ish. Crennel had one extremely easy schedule. Davis had a fairly lucky year, all things considered (idiot players, QB controversy). Palmer got thrown in front of a train. Mangini didn't do ANYTHING. And now Pat Shurmur. The most boring Head Coach choice produces the most boring football team I've ever seen.
Someone "qualified", FIX IT.
How does this team get better? We have two first round picks. One of them should be in the late teens, early 20s. One of them should be in the top 5. My guess is that we'll draft right after the team that takes Andrew Luck.
Looking at Mel Kiper's big board (who may or may not be the slightest bit reliable.. Braylon Edwards and Mike Williams were can't miss prospects at one time) It looks like there's a good OT available, Matt Kalil. We can always use more of those. We could take a RB, Trent Richardson. Assuming that we let Hillis go, which looks apparent. We could takeWR Justin Blackmon and hope he's an AJ Green and not a Julio Jones. We could go Defense and get Joe Haden again but on the opposite side of the field with CB Morris Claiborne. Or we could take one of the runner up QBs, Landry Jones or Matt Barkley. Both of which are the poor man's Andrew Luck. Or are they? Jay Cutler did pretty good for himself after not being projected as high as Vince Young and Matt Leinart..
How do you make this team better? What do they need?
I'm going to break down the Cleveland Browns into four categories:
Stars, Could be-Stars, Backups/Special Teamers, Filler, and Crap.
Stars:
Joe Thomas
Phil Dawson
Could be-Stars:
Haden
Ward
Sheard
Taylor
Rubin
Hillis
Watson
Mack
D'qwell Jackson
Backups/Special Teamers:
Hardesty
Cribbs
Sheldon Brown
Moore
Little
Massaquoi
Alex Smith
Fujita
McCoy
Wallace
Filler:
Jordan Cameron
Ogbanana
Adams
Young
Patterson
Schaffering
Crap:
Norwood
Mitchell
Pinkston
Hicks
Vallos
Lauvao
Greco
Pashos
Cousins
Thaddeous Lewis
Mitchell
Stephens
Paxon
Spears
English
Tripp
Gocong
Titus Brown
Skrine
Dockery
Ventrone
Hagg
Bonus Category, Worst Player on the Team:
Owen Marecic
So far, that's the single biggest mistake of the Holmgren era. Letting Lawrence Vickers go. We had the best fullback in the league. An offensive lineman who could run like a RB. And we let that go, in favor of starting some fourth or fifth round draft pick. Marecic is getting his ASS KICKED out there. Granted, Arian Foster is the running back, but now that Vickers is on Houston plowing over defenders, aren't they better off?? No one on the Browns realized that our Running Game last season was almost all because of Vickers? Hillis had all those holes because Vickers was putting people on the ground. Now, we have some guy, who I think is smaller and slower than Hillis. Great.
So how does Holmgren fix this mess for next year? Hell if I know. No one has been able to do it since I started watching the Browns again in 2002-ish. Crennel had one extremely easy schedule. Davis had a fairly lucky year, all things considered (idiot players, QB controversy). Palmer got thrown in front of a train. Mangini didn't do ANYTHING. And now Pat Shurmur. The most boring Head Coach choice produces the most boring football team I've ever seen.
Someone "qualified", FIX IT.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
McCoy and Flacco
Since the Browns are playing the Ravens this week, it seemed fair to compare the QBs. Here are my conclusions from some stat digging and mostly just historical observations.
Both guys have 230 completions this year, 13 TDs and 8 INTs. McCoy has a slightly better completion % but Flacco has more yards (and therefore more yds/game).
So what I take from most of this is that they are virtually the same. However, the Ravens are 8-3 and the Browns are 4-7. And this year, the Browns defense is not really losing them games. So I have a hard with simply saying that Baltimore has a better Defense and that's the reason. The answer probably is simple though. The Ravens have a better running game. Period.
They also have a better offensive line (or at least they are playing better at that position). I basically point all this out because I am rather tired of hearing how much better all the QBs in the AFC North are than Colt McCoy. At the end of the day, its really not true. I'm not saying McCoy is as good at Tom Brady...of course not. But he can most definitely compete with Flacco and Dalton (supposing this isn't a fluke with Dalton). I guess you could say Rapelisberger is better, but anyone who has the morals he does is terrible in my eyes. (plus i still agree with the argument that Big Ben has no 'touch' and gets a lot of credit for throwing to open receivers.)
So just some food for thought. McCoy and Flacco are virtually even in all respects, but one has a better record because of factors outside of his control.
Debate over!
Both guys have 230 completions this year, 13 TDs and 8 INTs. McCoy has a slightly better completion % but Flacco has more yards (and therefore more yds/game).
So what I take from most of this is that they are virtually the same. However, the Ravens are 8-3 and the Browns are 4-7. And this year, the Browns defense is not really losing them games. So I have a hard with simply saying that Baltimore has a better Defense and that's the reason. The answer probably is simple though. The Ravens have a better running game. Period.
They also have a better offensive line (or at least they are playing better at that position). I basically point all this out because I am rather tired of hearing how much better all the QBs in the AFC North are than Colt McCoy. At the end of the day, its really not true. I'm not saying McCoy is as good at Tom Brady...of course not. But he can most definitely compete with Flacco and Dalton (supposing this isn't a fluke with Dalton). I guess you could say Rapelisberger is better, but anyone who has the morals he does is terrible in my eyes. (plus i still agree with the argument that Big Ben has no 'touch' and gets a lot of credit for throwing to open receivers.)
So just some food for thought. McCoy and Flacco are virtually even in all respects, but one has a better record because of factors outside of his control.
Debate over!
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