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Word on the Street: Browns Will Draft Either Sanchez or Crabtree

Posted: Apr 18th 2009 1:30PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, NFL Draft, NFL Rumors

The Browns won four games last season. It cost Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel their jobs, and has led to an offseason full of speculation about whom the team will draft with the fifth-overall pick next Saturday.

Cleveland's collapse was mildly surprising; it won 10 games in 2007 and just missed the playoffs. With the quarterback position seemingly decided -- Derek Anderson went to the Pro Bowl in '07 -- only the defense needed fixing. Trading for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams accomplished that (in theory, anyway) and all that remained was winning the Super Bowl.

Continue Reading Word on the Street: Browns Will Draft Either Sanchez or Crabtree

The Once-Over: Week 7

Posted: Oct 17th 2008 12:12PM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Fans

2 COMMENTS

With attention spans dwindling, we forego full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. Click here to go back in time.

The 1s

San Diego (3-3) at Buffalo (4-1): Trent Edwards is back from being concussed (my favorite word), which is probably a good thing, since they absolutely got rolled by the Cardinals two weeks ago after Edwards went down. The bad news is that he has to face a Chargers defense that sacked Matt Cassel four times last week, basically tossing him around like the plastic bag in that video from "American Beauty." Also, always beware of the LaDainian Tomlinson bounce-back game. He's slumped before, but always has that "140-yard, three-touchdown" game when his fantasy owners are about to give up on him that makes us completely forget about what came before. I'm putting this on the table for LDT -- if he doesn't reach double-digit fantasy points this week against a team that gives up 114 rushing yards per game, he cannot appear in any more cool Nike commercials.

Pick: San Diego

Continue Reading The Once-Over: Week 7

The Giants Are Slowly Taking the 2007 Patriots Approach to Controversy

Posted: Oct 13th 2008 2:58PM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Giants, NFC East

6 COMMENTS

Think back to the 2007 Patriots season. Spygate, win after dominant win, and even a little chatter from the media about Bill Belichick running up the score on some less-fortunate teams. How did that team handle the multitude of questions from the media? Well, by never really returning the punches swung at them.

Now look at this 2008 New York Giants team. A Super Bowl ring, a 4-0 start and now being dogged by a member of the 1-3 Cleveland Browns. The Giants have decided that the best response to the talk of "knocking (Brandon Jacobs) head off" and "There ain't nothing physical about (their offensive line)" is to follow the Pats' professionalism and just let their game walk the walk.

"Not me anymore," said Jacobs, no longer taking the verbal bait, instead accepting cues from center Shaun O'Hara.

"The best statement you can make is walking off the field a winner," said O'Hara. "I can honestly say I never won a game because of bulletin board material or lost a game because of bulletin board material. You have to play the game. It makes for great TV and great drama for those not involved, but in the end it's all just hype."

Continue Reading The Giants Are Slowly Taking the 2007 Patriots Approach to Controversy

The Browns, Who Are 1-3, Are Talking Trash About the Giants, Who Are 4-0

Posted: Oct 10th 2008 11:23AM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, Giants, AFC North, NFC East

84 COMMENTS

As your mother or baseball coach or mental therapist once told you, there is a time and a place for everything in this world. When your only win is against the Cincinnati Bengals and your team looks about as tough as a clown at a biker convention, this is not your time.

Browns defensive lineman Corey Williams obviously didn't get the memo, spouting off all sorts of nonsense and ignorance about the Giants and how they are going to put them in their place.

NFL Trash Talkers

Browns defensive tackle Corey Williams talked smack to Brandon Jacobs and the Giants before their 'Monday Night Football' clash. He said, "I'm going to try to knock his head off." Click through to see the other players that ran their mouths off this season.

G Fiume, Getty Images

Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson said he was going to "kiss the star" at Texas Stadium before a matchup with the Cowboys. 'Ocho Cinco' managed just three catches for 43 yards in a Dallas win.

G. Newman Lowrance, Getty Images

Joey Porter talked smack about new Patriots QB Matt Cassel before a game against New England. Then the Dolphins backed Porter up, shocking the NFL world and beating the Pats.

Marc Serota, Getty Images

Minnesota's Pat Williams talked a big game before a 'MNF' matchup with the Packers, saying he would hold Green Bay running back Ryan Grant to less than 100 yards. While Grant only rushed for 92 yards, the Packers won the game 24-19.

Joe Robbins, Getty Images

In days leading up to a another emotional game versus his old team, Cowboys star Terrell Owens said he got "too big" for Philadelphia and former teammate Donovan McNabb. Dallas won the game 41-37.

Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

It was meant just as a joke, but Donovan McNabb took some fun pokes at Chicago Bears stars Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris before a Week 4 battle. "He can't grow any more hair," McNabb said of Urlacher. And about Harris, McNabb remarked: "He shaves his head with a butter knife and he eats fatty foods." Philly lost 24-20 at Chicago.

Tom Mihalek, AP

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has been pretty vocal this season, taking shots at both referees and the ppposition in Texas. Jones told the 'Los Angeles Times' in October that, "The Cowboys have never been about checkered tablecloths and boots and hats. They've been about glitz and glitter. Leave the other stuff to the Houston Texans."

Tony Gutierrez, AP

Continue Reading The Browns, Who Are 1-3, Are Talking Trash About the Giants, Who Are 4-0

Packers' Cullen Jenkins Out for Season

Posted: Sep 30th 2008 5:40PM by Bruce Ciskie (author feed)
Filed under: Packers, NFC North, NFL Injuries

2 COMMENTS

The Green Bay Packers defense suffered a monumental blow Tuesday, as it was announced that end Cullen Jenkins will miss the rest of the season.

Jenkins, a fifth-year pro, was really blossoming into a star end opposite All-Pro Aaron Kampman. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle during Sunday's 30-21 loss at Tampa Bay. The injury will require surgery and around three months of recovery time, making it pointless for Jenkins to remain on the active roster.

For Green Bay, this is a really bad break. Jenkins and Kampman were clearly the bright spots on a defensive line that has struggled to make plays. The trade of tackle Corey Williams to Cleveland before the NFL Draft, combined with the injury problems involving 2007 first-round pick Justin Harrell, really damaged the interior line.

The Packers have already slipped to 27th in the NFL in run defense (almost 160 yards per game, or more than 60 ahead of last year's total), and losing Jenkins isn't going to help.

It's expected that Mike Montgomery and rookie Jeremy Thompson will share time at Jenkins' end position. There will also be pressure on veteran Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila to provide pass pressure.

Of more concern for the Packers than the run support in that spot may be the pass rush Jenkins provides from the interior on passing downs. Montgomery and Thompson aren't likely to be very effective at all in that role, and the Packers don't have any tackles who are good at getting upfield.

Between The Lines: Steelers Use Blunt Force to Beat Browns

Posted: Sep 16th 2008 11:50AM by JJ Cooper (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, Steelers, AFC North

11 COMMENTS

Every week I take a look at the line play in one NFL game. Check back every week for a new Between The Lines.

The NFL loves to make its game seem extremely complex, and sometimes it is. We hear about 300-page playbooks, 22-word play calls and marathon film sessions.

But then you watch a game like the Browns-Steelers game on Sunday night, and you get reminded that at times football is simply a matter of lining up and seeing who can win the man-on-man battle.

Admittedly, the Steelers-Browns game wasn't one that set offensive records, but if you focused on the line play, it was clear that the Steelers came into the game with the belief that their offensive line, as maligned as it has been, was better than the Browns' front seven. Then they went out to try to prove it.

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FanHouse NFL Season Preview: Cleveland Browns - How Good Is This Offense?

Posted: Aug 10th 2008 9:18PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, AFC North, NFL Fans

7 COMMENTS

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: A year ago at this time,Charlie Frye was the man. That lasted about 10 minutes into the Week 1 Steelers game before Derek Anderson came on in relief, and, well, you saw how things turned out. Anderson led Cleveland to 10 wins, and made the Pro Bowl, but faces pressure to exceed last year's surprising performance. I think he'll be fine, but if he falters, Brady Quinn will be eagerly awaiting his shot. Heat Index: 7

Running backs: Jamal Lewis was left for dead, at least in the professional sense, when the Ravens decided to "move in another direction" last offseason. Lewis signed a short-term deal with the Browns and proceeded to rush for more than 1,300 yards. He now has a new contract and will run behind one of the most underrated o-lines in the AFC. Heat Index: 7

Receivers: Prior to Donte' Stallworth putting out a hit on No. 1 wide receiver Braylon Edwards, these were some of the best pass-catchers in the conference. Actually, Edwards should be fine, and even with Joe Jurevicius on the mend, it's a talented group of big-play threats. And although he listed as a tight end on the depth chart, Kellen Winslow in No. 1A after Edwards. Heat Index: 9

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Great News, Cleveland: the Browns Are Going to the Super Bowl!

Posted: Jul 9th 2008 10:04AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, AFC North, NFL Fans

9 COMMENTS

Somehow I missed this last week, but thanks to Hashmarks' James Walker, I am happy to report that the Cleveland Browns are going to the Super Bowl. At least according to the Dallas Morning News' Rich Gosselin, one of the best best NFL columnists anywhere.

The Browns are one of only six NFL teams that have never been to a Super Bowl. So let's send Cleveland to the 2008 NFL championship game against the defending champion New York Giants. Go ahead, skewer me. But my loyal readers/e-mailers also skewered me last November when I forecast a Giants-Patriots Super Bowl in this same Internet space.

That's what makes the NFL so intriguing – nothing is ever as obvious as it seems. As we sit here the opening week of July, there are probably 20 teams that believe they can be in Tampa next February playing for an NFL title. The Browns and Giants are certainly two of them.

Gosselin isn't just waving his hands and making outrageous proclamations (well, at the very least, he's not waving his arms); he points out that Cleveland returns all 22 starters from last year's surprising 10-6 team (edit: um, well, except for this pretty important guy), and they've added Donte' Stallworth, Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers this offseason.

Still, suggesting the Browns will emerge as the AFC's representative ahead of New England, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and even division rival Pittsburgh, seems a tad optimistic. Do I think it'll happen? Uh, no. But as Gosselin suggests, there are probably 20 teams with Super Bowl aspirations and it's not completely insane to think the Browns are one of them. Okay, maybe it is, but, it's July, who really knows what the NFL landscape will look like in six months?

Daven Holly Promises to Come Back Better, Stronger, Faster

Posted: Jun 30th 2008 10:22AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, AFC North, NFL Injuries

0 COMMENTS

Hey, some good news for the Browns' secondary: Daven Holly, who was lost for the year during OTAs, says he'll be a better player when he returns in 2009. The problem, of course, is that Cleveland has to play an entire season of games without a legit starting cornerback (although, that could change, and, if we're being honest, nobody considered Holly "a legit starting cornerback" in the NFL when Leigh Bodden was still on the team.)

"I know fans have been wondering how serious this is and whether or not I'll be back," said Holly in a phone interview. "But I expect to make a full recovery with no loss of speed or strength. A delay is not a denial. I'll come back better, stronger, faster and more mature than before." ...

"I know I'll be a better person be cause of this injury," he said. "Not only will I be working my butt off to come back as soon as possible, I'll be around to help the younger guys filling my role."

That's encouraging. And while this is the story of the Browns' summer, I'm convinced losing Holly wouldn't be much of a story had it happened during the regular season. Not because Holly isn't a good player, just that he's not so good that he can't be replaced.

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Ty Law Wouldn't Be the Worst Thing to Happen to the Browns

Posted: Jun 27th 2008 11:33AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Browns, AFC North

0 COMMENTS

Generally, I disagree with FoxSports.com's Adam Schein on principle, but I think he's right to suggest the Cleveland Browns might want to go after Ty Law. Even if he currently weighs 275 pounds.

The Browns dealt playmaking cornerback Leigh Bodden to Detroit in the Shaun Rodgers deal. Then, the club learned that Devin Holly is done for the year and was placed on injured reserve. It makes Cleveland paper thin at cornerback.

While young Eric Wright is talented, he needs some help. Law, while past his prime, is still crafty enough to make plays and provide leadership Cleveland desperately needs.

The reason the Patriots are able to get by with an average secondary is because the seven guys in front of them do a good job of getting to the quarterback. The Browns have had a mediocre secondary and a suspect front seven for awhile now, and that explains why they routinely rank in the bottom half of the league in team defense. But with Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams beefing up the offensive line, third-year linebacker Kamerion Wimbley should be freed up to wreak havoc on quarterbacks like it's 2006.

Continue Reading Ty Law Wouldn't Be the Worst Thing to Happen to the Browns