USA Hockey Downs Canada!!

If you didn't watch the US - Canada Hockey game last night, you missed an amazing game. I can't remember the last time I saw a hockey game played so fast with so much hitting. Nothing like beating the favored Canada team in Canada on our way to a Gold Medal.

<--(Piggy Back ride! "Only 240 huh?")

It was fun watching all these NHLers play against their friends and teammates. However, once the game started you could sense that these guys wanted it. Only in the Olympics do such athletes put it all on the line for nothing more than pride. No contract bonuses or a fat new deal around the corner. The result? A fast, fun, physical game.

Ryan Miller was outstanding in net as he stopped 42 pucks, in an interview after the game I imagine hearing Miller "Puck That!" in response to a question about the frenzy of saves he made in the last couple minutes. Brian Rafalski played a hell of a game scoring 2 goals and adding an assist.

Speaking of winning, back to Cleveland Browns Football. Finally after a couple weeks of relatively no news, the NFL Scouting Combine starts this week, so be on the look out for nuggets regarding speed, strength, physicals and interviews coming over the course of the next week.

SUPERBOWL!!! USA!!!

Welcome Home Big Russ

The Cleveland Indians have signed Russell Branyan to a one year contract. Branyan came up with the Indians in 1998 but now hes back! Just like Duncan Meyer.

J Lew Stutter Steps His Way Out of Town

The Cleveland Browns today announced the termination of Backfield Ballerina Jamal Lewis' contract. While this move is certainly no suprise its nice to see the team hit the metaphorical hole a hell of a lot faster than Lewis has over the last 2 seasons.

Thanks for giving it your all, Jamal. It's just that sometimes giving it your all does not do anything to help the team. Even so, its nice to be able to repair your status as a human being. Remember when you were in Baltimore with the murderers there you got busted for using a cell phone to orchastrate a drug deal? So you're welcome on behalf of the Browns fans everywhere.

Ravens Sign Another Killer

Its amazing what a new uniform does for my sense of sense of judicial integrity. As most of you know last summer Donte Stallworth was driving drunk and killed a pedestrian in Miami. After he received 30 days in jail and a civil settlement I felt that it was a fair deal. The man had walked into traffic (innapropriate to make a Principal Anderson joke here) You have a bad day someone returns a sweater, Donte had a bad day and lives were lost. Furthermore pursuant to Florida statute, the fact that Donte was intoxicated had to be "THE" cause of the death. I felt at the time that the death was caused by the combination of Donte not paying attention and the victim stepping into traffic, not that he was too drunk. Anyway, this is old news.

Now the new news! THE BALTIMORE RAVENS HAVE SIGNED DONTE "dainty" STALLWORTH. In retrospect I must have been in a bad mood because now looking back on the incident I feel like 30 days were not enough. Just because they settled the lawsuit does not change the fact that a man is dead because Donte thinks he can drive drunk and hit anything that happens to get in the way of his car.

Just goes to show the Ravens mentality. They are theives (literally got away with stealing the most prized franchise in the NFL) and murderers (Ray Lewis).

Those guys make me sick!

SUPER BOWL

Eric's Talking Sports

While my mind never wanders far from thoughs of the Cleveland Browns, this is plainly put the slowest time of the year in football. We are stuck in the middle ground between the Season and the Off-Season, or Business Season. At this point the college all-star games are over and the guys are gearing up for the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis at the end of the month. To occupy my time, I've ventured into thinking about other sports. Here are a few of my thoughts unrelated to the Cleveland Browns, sorta.

Cavs:
I know almost nothing about basketball. Not only do I find it hard to relate to anyone in the game, but I also like to tease my basketball buddies about the thug culture of the NBA (hi Jeff!) and the fact that the guys need to toughen up. I will never understand the way fouls are called in this sport. Having said that, the success of the Cavs over the past few years has made me a huge Cavs fan, a borderline NBA fan and a football fan still waiting for something to happen.

So now, here I am, a Cavs fan that still really does not like basketball, yet I can not stop looking at or thinking about trade rumors. I NEEED to know now what the Cavs will do to win a championship and keep LeBron. I need Amare here yesterday, or at least tell me Jamison is on his way now. This it torture.

Browns:
Speaking of torture, I'm sick of this lull in the NFL Off-Season. Also if the Browns would just win a Super Bowl I would not have to care so much about whether the Cavs win. I am just so desperate for a Championship, that I'm willing (starting to like) to watch basketball.

Winter Olympics:
Speaking of winners, we live in the United States of America. We are the greatest nation on the planet. There are times when the people of this nation or the government do really stupid things. However nothing gets me more pumped than watching the Olypics. (At least nothing I've experienced, lets go Browns) The U.S. is amazing, did you see us roll in with over 200 athletes in the opening ceremony? That is bad ass.
Good for Bode Miller. My college roommate had an almost unhealthy man crush on Bode Miller in the 2006 games. To see the failure and heartbreak in 2006 only to see Bode rebound for a Bronze this year is a great story. He looks like hes having fun and is just happy to be there. Thats really what the Olypmics are all about. The spirit of the Olympics can not be rivaled anywhere else. U.S. Curling has some serious work to do, not a proud display yesterday people. U.S. mens hockey looked good, but um... so did Canada wow! That should be a fun game on Sunday. The winter Olympics are the best. I love the skiing, the jumping the ice skating. It all looks sooo easy and graceful. Its also a reminder about how great our country is. Its nice to be part of a winner, even if we do have to technically include cities like Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cincy in our great Nation.

Indians:
I am sure we will be irrelevant again. I wish we had an owner like Gilbert for the Tribe. Dolan is a cheap-ass and its annoying because we all know you can't be a regular playoff team with a baby boy team salary. But in the meantime, its nice to know that we will continue to be the farm system for the rest of the MLB.

USA!!!! (America's version of the Browns winning the Super Bowl)!!!

-Eric

President Clinton Shows Allegiance to Browns During NBA All-Star Saturday

In a recent call to relief for Haiti aired during the NBA All-Star Saturday festivities, President Bill Clinton wore a brown suit with an orange tie, the team colors of his favorite NFL franchise. Some have attributed his recent heart problems to the of years of disappointment and let down of being a Browns fan. President Clinton has been a huge supporter of the relief effort in Haiti, but his focus last night was to send a message to the rest of the AFC North that Cleveland is for real and that we're coming for the division crown in 2010.

-Charlie

Quarterback Speculation

So the more I think about the quarterback situation in Cleveland, the less I like what I think. DA is as good as gone. (Good, get outta here, scram, who needs you, beat it! I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean that... Sometimes I just get so scared, scared of being a nobody.) Looking ahead, I do not feel comfortable with only Brady Quinn and Bret Ratliff on the roster.

I also do not feel comfortable with drafing a rooking QB, especially outside of the first round and if we draft a QB at 7, that will send me into, well, crazy.

So looking at possible solutions that may be available via Free Agency or trade here are my initial thoughts.

Chad Pennington - I actually would really like to see Chad in Cleveland. He has had success in NY and Miami and is apparently pretty familiar with starting for a little bit til someone else gets his shot. At this point in his career I do not see him being an expensive singing and even if he is, who cares, its about to be an uncapped year. He would be an instant upgrade and would offer some veteran leadership and stability to the offense.

Donovan F. McNabb - Great QB and would be a great addition to the Browns. Well acquainted with Heckert, McNabb would surely be a huge upgrade at the most important position. However, I'm not sold on bringing him in for the high cost it would take to get him. Charlie and I talked about giving up the 2nd rounder for him, but I'd rather see us draft a player that can play for 6-7 years and not a great QB on the downside of his career. Obviously its a different story all together now (its a different story) if we were in contention and just needed a QB (See Minnesota).

Kevin Kolb - McNabb's repalcement in Philly could also likley be had for the right price. If Holmgren and Heckert decide he is what is advertised in Philly, I'll buy it, but until then, I think I'm out on this trade. Again it would take valuable draft picks that I think we desperately need to take a QB that has not done a whole lot on the field in Philly.

Matt Hasselbeck - Not a chance in hell I give up anything for the former pro-bowl QB, but if he gets cut, I'd give him a smell. (You can smell me, without the Hennigans!) An obvious upgrade with ties to Holmgren. The big guy thought enough of him to acquire him from the Packers.

Michael Vick- My guess is Vick wants nothing to do with a stadium full of barking drunks and the home of the Dawg Pound. As a player, I like Vick but don't see him helping the team at QB like he once could.

Jason Campbell - If he were to get cut in Washington, which I am not assuming will happen, I would bring him in in a heart beat. A young QB with a good arm who might be a good QB under the right system and a guy like Holmgren.

Jeff Garcia - Hahahahaha, I hate him, so no. Only thought about him that are positive are TO's famous "looks like a rat" statement.

So it will be interesting to see what transpires in Berea over the next month or so as we look to fix the underperforming QB situation in Cleveland. Finally I feel like there is some hope, and as Morgan Freeman says in Shawshank Redemption, "Hope is a great thing, maybe the best of things."

So heres to hoping!

Eric

Hey Cavs Fans!

With a week left before the NBA trade deadline, we've asked our Cavs expert Jeffrey Jerome to update us on the trade talk around the NBA and specifically any juicy nuggests regarding your Cleveland Cavaliers.

If you ever want to know, I suggest you take a ganders at it for yourself:

Well here we are basketball noobs, everyone’s favorite week of the NBA season: the trade deadline. Are the Cavs making a move? What about the rest of the east? Let’s get right to it…

Your… Cleveland… Cavalieeeeeeeeeeers
Are we making a move? Yes. YES. YES! Ok, maybe. Look, last year the Cavs passed on the same exact trade we made for Shaq this past off-season. It was on the table, and we said no. Um, oops. I’m not saying Shaq would have guaranteed a championship but based on our meeting with Orlando this year, perhaps we make the Finals. If you think we can afford to keep missing the Finals and keep LeBron, you're sorely mistaken. That one may have already cost us.

So, with this in mind, Danny Ferry is pulling the trigger this week. He has to. He knows it. The bigger problem is that everyone else knows this too. Here’s what we’re hearing:

Amare Stoudemire: (PER: 20.18) Would he be LBJ’s first legit second banana? Obviously. Would it work? Uhhh, no. First, Amare and Shaq both score at the basket, and we need a jump shooter. Second, even I could score on him because he doesn’t play any defense. Not happening.
Andre Iguodola: (PER: 17.84) Doesn’t fit the shooting PF role that we are looking for but would be able to be a legit Number Two for BronBron. He’s only 26 and probably going to peak in the next 3 years which means paying his contract (four years, $57 mil) isn’t a terrible thing. Rumor is that any Iggy trade will include Dalembert’s horrible contract, something we want no part of.
Antawn Jamison: (PER 17.87) Perfect Fit. Great player, and a great human being. Problems: First, he’s making a ton of money at 33 years of age (two years, $28 mil). Second, Washington is supposedly asking the world for him and we may not be willing to give up the extra pieces.
Troy Murphy: (PER: 18.02) Murphy was fourth in the league last year in double-doubles with 49. He is a 6’11 PF that roams around the three point line and is not afraid to hoist given the opportunity. But really, who’s afraid of Troy Murphy? The other three names seem to be big-time acquisitions. All things considered, he wouldn’t be a bad role player on our squad but if he is our sole midseason move, we can’t give up a lot. Rumor is we’re offering Z and only Z.

The Other Three
Here’s what we see regarding the rest of the so-called “Big Four.”

Boston: Far and away the most likely to make a move. The team has completely fallen apart (mentally and physically) over the past few weeks. Rumors continue that Danny Ainge is dangling Ray Allen’s corpse (and $19 mil expiring contract) for a player that can take the scoring load off of Pierce’s and Rondo’s hands. Expect something to happen.
Orlando: They spent a ton of money to secure their bench this off-season. If you spend money like they did and the team got worse, it may be worth spending a little more to right the ship. Expect Brandon Bass to be moved by the deadline bringing in another quality bench player.
Hotlanta: Would probably like to make a move, but I sincerely doubt they have the pieces for it. Their only expiring deal is Joe Johnson and he isn’t going anywhere (until this summer). Also, the team isn’t known for making a huge money push, even if most would argue they’ve finally made it to elite status. I expect little to no movement.

- Jeffrey Jerome

Our Best Butch Davis "GUUUUUT Feeling" On What Will Happen This Offseason

There is a lot of uncertainty heading into the first offseason without a salary cap since 1994. It is difficult to predict what will happen without a salary maximum. There is also no minimum. (Sorry Jaguar fans.) It has been speculated that the owners known for being more hands-on, like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder, will approach this season as a one year window to spend whatever it takes to build a championship caliber team. Although I have never seen him quoted, it has also been speculated in the past that if we ever got to an uncapped season, Randy Lerner would do the same and spend, spend, spend to bring a championship to Cleveland. Say what you want about him but you have to give Lerner credit so far for hiring a proven football guy in Mike Holmgren and allowing him to have total and free reign to run the football side of the organization. Our front office is now stacked. We still may see changes to the coaching staff between now and training camp. Lerner is not being cheap when it comes to paying executives and coaches. He's still paying Romeo Crennel, Phil Savage and his scouts while dishing out who knows how many millions to Holmgren, Heckert and company.

Although it comes second in the process, I have to say that I am more confident than ever in our front office's ability to run a successful draft. It's hard to say which direction they will go in the draft, but I feel like we'll have done a better job at identifying needs and the talent available at every position and go into draft weekend with a plan that will work.

The real mystery is what the impact will be on free agency. Players across the league that would normally be slated to hit the open market as unrestricted free agents are now restricted, meaning they are a lot less likely to move. Teams also have multiple franchise and transition tags to use to keep players off the market. Teams in salary cap trouble can use this year to cut dead weight and save money without having to worry about the salary cap ramifications. This is why Donte Stallworth was immediately released and Derek Anderson has little to no chance of being retained next season with a $9 million bonus due next month.

We could see some owners looking to purge their rosters of high priced talent and see some decent names hit the open market. Maybe some unexpected big names. We could see some ridiculous overspending on these players. Similarly, we could see trades consummated that we might have never seen pulled off in years past because, again, there is no salary cap to worry about.

Berea has been quiet lately. Usually we already have an idea of who we are targeting in free agency at this point, but nobody really knows this year. To avoid being skittish, I'm going to go out on a limb and make some predictions for this offseason. I have a feeling that either Donovan McNabb or Matt Hasselbeck will be our starting quarterback next season and I'm leaning towards the former. I also believe that Chris Mortensen may be on to something when it comes to Julius Peppers coming to Cleveland. Although Peppers is somewhat overrated, he is athletic and versitile enough to transition from 4-3 DE to 3-4 OLB with relative ease. He is a natural pass rusher and can be dominant when he is motivated. Who better than Rob Ryan to get somebody fired up. I have nothing to base my predictions on other than having a GUUUUUT feeling that once free agency starts we will all be pleasantly surprised. Nobody saw the Kellen Winslow trade to kick off free agency last year coming. Randy Lerner has already invested so much that I think he is really going to try to take advantage of 2010 and allow Holmgren to assemble a winner now as opposed to waiting.

Theres a good chance I will be completely wrong but I just woke up this morning feeling a little extra optimistic and hopeful than normal. Just imagine the Plain Dealer headline: "Eagles Castoff McNabb Lead Browns to Super Bowl Victory." Picture Jim Donovan's radio call: "Brees in the shotgun, he's got Colston to his left, Bush split out wide right with Shockey, back to pass, and PEPPERS HITS HIM AND KNOCKS THE BALL LOOSE! He's got it at the 40, 45, 50, 45, 40, run Julius, run! 15, 10, 5, TOUCHDOWN! And that will do it, Cleveland, your Browns are SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!" And think how excited Doug Dieken will be: "Whoahoho! Well!... (silence)"

The 2010 is going to be a blast and it all begins with the Scouting Combine in a couple weeks!

-Charlie

Chchchchchchanges! Bowie to Cleveland!

Turn and face the strange. Fresh off the Donte Stallworth cut, the Browns have signed CB John Bowie formerly with the Oakland Raiders.

Browns Cut Donte Stallworth

The Cleveland Browns started a little bit of housekeeping today, terminating the contract of Donte Stallworth. This really has no impact on the Browns. Its unfortunate what happened to Donte, and while I don't think he would have done a whole lot on the field I think hes a nice guy that was in a bad situation.

Superbowl!!

Happy New Year!!!!

So for the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Someday became yesterday. I will start by saying congratulations to the Saints and their fans. It was a great game and I'm thrilled for Drew Brees.

And... now its time to move on. They have had more than 12 hours at this point and lets be honest, enough is enough. Happy Next Year!!! This is it, last year is over this year is THE year. A couple quick fixes and there is no reason we won't be playing in Dallas in 52 short weeks. We just need to get a Pro-Bowl QB, a better line, better receivers, better backs, a better TE, better D-line, better LB's and a better secondary. And all of those must be a lot better.

This year has begun and its time for decisions to be made. We are 3 weeks from the start of Free Agency, and before that roster decisions must be made. I expect we will no longer see DA in the Brown and Orange and lets hope J Lew makes good on his promise to retire. It is an exciting time to be a Browns fan, its the OFF-SEASON!!! As our guy Adam Schein says... HAPPY FOOTBALL MONDAY!!!


SUPERBOWL!!!!!

Reflections on Super Bowl Sunday

Over the course of the last 26 years, I was unconsciously thrust into the life long anguish known to many as being a Cleveland fan. I did not want to become a Cleveland fan, or ask to become a Cleveland fan. Yet I have no doubt that being a Cleveland fan has had a profound impact in my life away from game day. Mind you, I have not dealt with so many problems that people have suffered through in life. But what I have suffered through is a drought of sports success; constant failure made worse only by the times we have been so close.

Every day I wake up and appreciate what I have in my life. Despite the feeling that something is missing, I walk out into the world full of hope. I hope for a better world, happiness for me, my friends and family, and a championship. Today, on Super Bowl Sunday, I would like to pause for a moment and renew my sense of hope. It is after all, our sense of hope that has sustained us as a people for the last half century. As I venture to the Super Bowl party where 2 teams I don't care at all about battle it out for a week and a half of glory on ESPN, an admittedly pretty cool Sports Illustrated Commemorative Special, and a year of bragging rights, I think "wouldn't it be great if the Cleveland Browns were playing today?" To be honest, I'm not sure how I would feel. I would be nervous, excited, cautious but a part of me would have died along the way. The hope, the constant yearning, the depression and the self-deprivating humor would all be snuffed out like a candle.

So heres to another year! Another year of hope and smart-ass comments (that only we can make). Lets make this season the best yet, so that in one year from today we may bid our sadness farewell and bask in the satisfaction and glory of winning the Super Bowl.

DJ SBS - 2009 NFL Draft (Remix)

As the 2009 season is officially winding down, the 2010 season began for the Browns sometime around the 2009 Bye Week. Were oh so close to not having to watch videos of Peyton Manning throw better footballs at age 5 than Brady Quinn does at age 25.

Before we completely move on to 2010, in the spirit of Festivus, SBS felt it was necessary to have an airing of grievances, where we will gather the Browns' 2009 draft class and former front office employees and tell them all the ways they disappointed us over the last year.

One of the greatest frustrations watching the garbage most NFL fans call Weeks 1-13 for me was the lack of productivity from our 2009 draft class. While other teams' rookies were making plays on Sundays, ours mostly stayed on the sidelines. As we all know by now, we managed to rally in the final quarter of the season, winning the last four games on our way to a 5-11 record. What this article presupposes is, maybe we didn't?

As a ground rule, I assumed the Browns had to pick where they ended up picking after trades. For instance, I'm not going to argue with trading out of the 5 spot to get extra picks and players from the Jets. We were not enamored with the talent at the top and needed the extra rookies and vets in camp. The move also saved us a significant amount of cap space going into this year and future years. I really think Sanchez isn't that good and in time will not pan out to be the sanchise quarterback everyone thinks he is. With that said, here is SBS giving the Browns a mulligan on the 2009 NFL Draft. Here are the results:

Round 1, Pick 21 (21st Overall)
Actual Pick: Alex Mack - C (California)
REMIX: Percy Harvin - WR (Florida)

Don't get me wrong, I think Alex Mack is a stud center and was a good pick. He will be making line calls for us for the next decade. I understand the thinking behind the pick at the time too. Eric Mangini began his run with the Jets by drafting center Nick Mangold. Mangold did an excellent job his rookie year starting from day 1 and is now a Pro Bowler. He was was the ideal fit in Mangini's physical style offense. Coming to the Browns he saw the same opportunity in Mack and was happy to take him where he did, saving boat loads of cash in the process. However, watching the Brown's struggle on offense, especially at the receiver position, trade away their #1 receiver in Braylon "Look Mom, No Hands!" Edwards, looking at our team needs now going into this draft, and how we approached our subsequent picks, I really have to question the logic. In a team extremely deficient and depleted of play makers, we constantly passed on proven, talented college players for project, developmental types (my last statement applies more to the Browns later picks than Mack). We obviously identified receiver as a major need, drafting two in the 2nd Round. Why not take perhaps the most dynamic receiver in this draft? Percy Harvin was a game breaker for the Gators and his talent carried over to the NFL. Maybe the Browns had concerns about his migraine headaches or his character. Percy Harvin proved to be a great teammate on the Vikings and won Rookie of the Year.

Also Considered:
Michael Oher - T (Ole Miss) - Solid swing tackle for the Ravens, played both left and right tackle for Baltimore as a rookie. We now have a glaring hole at RT. Plus he had a movie about him which would have drawn some nice pub to Cleveland.
Clay Mathews - OLB (USC) - Clay Mathews started 2009 slowly but was extremely productive for the Packers, racking up 51 tackles, 10 sacks and a forced fumble. I'd still take Mack over him.

Round 2, Pick 4 (36th Overall)
Actual Pick: Brian Robiskie
REMIX: Rey Maualuga

Even with the DUI on his record I still hate the fact we didn't draft this guy. I was convinced we kept trading down in the 1st to take him. Then when he was still available to us in the 2nd I was ecstatic! This guy is a warrior. He is completely reckless and loves running full speed into things (insert DUI joke here). I was very much looking forward to the illegal contact, late hit penalties and watching this guy destroy opposing players. Now we have to face him twice a year. I recently read hes going to move to MLB next year (another position we still need). Weird as he may be, he's a football player, plain and simple. I really think he's going to be good for a long time. Robiskie will be a decent possession receiver in time but his 2009 season was very disappointing.

Round 2, Picks 18 and 20 (50 and 52 Overall)
Actual Picks: Mohammed Massoquoi - WR (Georgia) and David Veikune - ??? (Hawaii)
REMIX: Phil Loadholt - RT (Oklahoma) and Sean Smith - CB/S (Utah)

Drafting Percy Harvin in the 1st Round gives us the luxury of skipping out on Mo Mass in the 2nd. While Mo had a good rookie season and stepped up in Braylon's absence, he wasn't spectacular. David Veikune is a whole different story. The fact that this guy could not see any significant playing time was maddening. We can't afford to waste such a high draft pick on a guy were trying to move from DE in college to MLB in a 3-4 defense. Hopefully he learned a lot this season and will develop into a starting quality player in the NFL. We can't afford to swing and miss in the 2nd round. That is why were 5-11 and constantly picking so high in the draft. Loadholt started at right tackle for the Vikings all season, protecting Brett Farve. Loadholt played extremely well in pass protection and is a force to be reckoned with in the running game. Sean Smith is a tall, physical DB that has the speed and fluidity to play corner. On a team solely lacking a good #2 corner, I think Smith would have been a good pick. As receivers in the NFL get taller, why not take a corner thats just as big? He also has really good hands. I have a feeling he'll be making plays in this league for some time.

Round 4, Pick 4 (104th Overall)
Actual Pick: Kaluka Maiva
REMIX: Brian Hartline - WR (Ohio State), Louis Murphy - WR (Florida), Austin Collie - WR (BYU) or Johnie Knox - WR (Abilene Chistrian)

If we wanted two WR in this draft, we should have taken better ones. I would have been nice to pair Percy Harvin with any of the four listed above. Kaluka Bean played okay filling in for Eric Barton once he went on IR for the year, but the four receivers above had very productive seasons. Hartline may already be the Dolphin's best receiver and Louis Murphy IS the Raider's best receiver. Austin Collie has made the Colts forget about gonzo in Indy. Knox was not even taken until the 5th Round but is one of the fastest players in the NFL and played very well in Chicago. If I had to pick one, I would take Austin Collie. He's a great route runner and would be a perfect complement to Harvin's speed.

I'm ending the re-draft there because I can't rip the Browns for their 6th Round picks. Don Carey and Coye Francies seemed to be great values in the 6th round on a team in need of corners. However, in trying to sneak Carey through waivers in training camp, the Jaguars snatched him up. Another wasted pick. We constantly read about how good Francies looked in practice but he never showed up on Sundays. Mangini refused to play him and instead favored Hank Poteat. That worked out well. The way the he performed in the preseason, James Davis looked like he could be on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. However, Davis was lost early in the season after a heckler ran over him with an old Volkswagen after practice. Hopefully the latter two players will rebound and be able to contribute next year.

Recap:
Actual Picks
Alex Mack - C
Brian Robiskie - WR
Mohammed Massoquoi - WR
David Veikune - LB
Kaluka Maiva - LB

REMIX
Percy Harvin - WR
Rey Maualuga - LB
Phil Loadholt - RT
Sean Smith - CB/S
Austin Collie - WR

-Charlie

I Know I Said That I Wouldn't...

I know I said that I wouldn't be talking much about National Signing Day, but there is one student athlete that stands out. If the Browns are going to be going to the superbowl in the next 3 decades it is possible that this is the kid that does it.

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2010/02/middle_school_quarterback_comm.html

Best and Worst Picks of the Browns by Round (Since the Return)

Because this years Super Bowl Media irresponsibly reports on only 2 of the 32 teams in the NFL, we here at SBS will retaliate by irresponsibly reporting on 1 team, the Cleveland Browns. If and when the Browns are one of the two teams getting this media coverage, we will continue to really only focus on the Browns. In this spirit, we at SBS look back and rank the best and worst picks (by round) of the drafts since the return of the Cleveland Browns in 1999. Thanks for the idea Andrew.

1st ROUND

Worst Pick:

Courtney Brown (DE) Penn State: Brown was hyped up coming out of Penn State as the #1 overall pick. He never lived up to the high expectations and showed he was not mentally tough enough to play in the NFL. Also considered was Jeff Faine, Tim Couch, and Willie Green.

Best Pick:

Joe Thomas (LT) Wisconsin: Clearly our top pick and the only multiple time pro-bowler drafted in the 1st round since the return. Don’t expect this to change any time soon.


2nd ROUND

Worst Pick:

Chaun Thompson (LB) West Texas A&M: Chosen as a developmental guy, he had all the size and speed you want, but there is a reason that players from a BAD West Texas A&M squad are not first day picks. OOPS.

Best Pick:

Eric Wright (CB) UNLV: Wright has developed into a very solid cornerback at this level. He has all of the physical tools that could have made him a 1st round pick, but character issues and moving from USC hurt his chances.
Also considered was D’Qwell Jackson. Jackson has been a great story and has become a good linebacker for the Browns. We expect Wright to end up being a better CB than Jackson is at LB so Wright gets the vote.

3rd ROUND

Worst Pick:

Travis Wilson (WR) Oklahoma: The self-proclaimed #1 WR in the draft was a bust. He never produced at the NFL level with the exception of off field talk. A stunning combination of his attitude and his ineptitude garner him this prestigious award.

Best Pick:

Daylon McCutcheon (CB) USC: While he wasn’t the biggest guy on the court he feared nobody. Just like me. D-Mac as he was affectionately called had a solid career in Cleveland, although it was cut short for health concerns. D-Mac was a good quality corner and an all around good guy to have on some of our worst teams.
4th ROUND

Worst Pick:

Beau Bell (LB) UNLV: As the Browns’ first pick in the ’08 draft Bell had perhaps a little too much hype. Supposedly our sledge-hammer MLB of the future Bell did nothing on the field in his rookie year before failing to make the team a year later.

Best Pick:

Anthony Henry (DB) S. Florida: Henry was a very solid CB for Cleveland during his tenure here. Henry continued to play well after leaving for Dallas via Free Agency. Without a doubt the best 4th round pick of the Browns since the return.


5th ROUND

Worst Pick:

Demario Minter (DB) Georgia: As we get into the later rounds it is hard to remember who the worst of these selections is. Therefore, I am going with who I was personally most disappointed in. For some reason I thought Minter was going to be a decent player. I was wrong and he is now our worst 5th round pick since ’99.

Best Pick:

Jerome Harrison (RB) Washington State: As you may have heard, Jerome “the Ghost” had a breakout second half of the 2009 season. This elevates him past the rest of the former 5th round picks. The only other player actually considered who deserves a shout out is Ryan Pontbriand. He is a former pro-bowler and is certainly a huge success. However because he is a long snapper and did not rush for the 3rd most yards in a single game, he is a close second to Jerome Harrison.

6th ROUND

Worst Pick:

Melila Purcell (DE) Hawaii: Besides having a girly sounding name, Melila did nothing after being drafted by the Browns. In fact it was pathetic, and pathetic players do not stay on the Browns, unless you are Hank Poteat.

Best Pick:

Lawrence Vickers (FB) Colorado: Vickers has been great since arriving from Boulder. This year he was a huge reason why the ground game came on strong at the end of the year. I believe he is pro-bowl material and its only a matter of time before he is there.

7th ROUND

Worst Pick:

All of them: Lets be serious, it’s the 7th round. We have not gotten anything from any of them except (because for some reason I am in a good mood) see below.

Best Pick:

Alex Hall (DE) St. Augustine: For a 7th rounder Hall has been alright. He plays on specials and has a little bit of pass rush ability.

Undrafted Free Agent

Worst Pick:

You actually expect me to name the worst undrafted free agent? Get a life.

Best Pick:

It rhymes with Joshua Cribbs. Enough said.

Tomorrow is National Signing Day!!!

For those college football enthusiasts among us, tomorrow is national signing day, the first day that high school football players are able to sign their letters of intent, thereby choosing officially the school at which they will obtain their higher education.

College football diehards feel the way about National Signing Day as we here at SBS feel about the NFL Draft.

Feel free to keep an eye on any big stories, out there, as I will not be bringing them to you. We will talk about these players in 3-4 years if and when they are good enough to help get the Browns to the Super Bowl.

2010 NFL Mock Draft: Version 2 (Round 1)

Drafter	Pick	Team	Selection
Charlie	1	Rams	Ndamukong Suh - DT (Nebraska)
Comments:	Charlie: Too Suh(n) to make any changes at the top of the draft. Perhaps in a later version.
	Eric: Don't expect to see this change unless the Rams fall in love with a QB.
Eric	2	Lions	Gerald McCoy - DT (Oklahoma)
Comments:	Charlie: Jim Schwartz is just as happy landing Gerald McCoy as he would be with Suh.
	Eric: Has the potential to be as good as Suh at the next level. Lions sure up a terrible run defense.
Charlie	3	Buccaneers	Eric Berry - S (Tennessee)
Comments:	Charlie: Bucs can go so many different directions with this pick but in the end choose the game changer in Berry.
	Eric: Bucs get an immediate upgrade in their secondary with the big play ability of Berry.
Eric	4	Redskins	Sam Bradford - QB (Oklahoma)
Comments:	Charlie: The consensus at SBS is that Mike Shannahan will start his tenure with the Redskins with his quarterback.
	Eric: Assuming his shoulder is healthy, Bradford becomes the franchise QB the Skins have been looking for for years.
Charlie	5	Chiefs	Russell Okung - OT (Oklahoma State)
Comments:	Charlie: Chiefs need help on both sides of the ball, but in the end Pioli takes a tackle to protect Matt Cassel
	Eric: Chiefs look to get a dominant LT for the next decade although they would have loved any of the top 3 instead.
Eric	6	Seahawks	Jimmy Clausen - QB (Notre Dame)
Comments:	Charlie: Pete Carroll takes a QB that never managed to beat him when he was at USC. But, he's still impressed.
	Eric: With the injury concerns surrounding Hasselbeck, the Seahawks give their new HC a new QB.
Charlie	7	Browns	Joe Haden - CB (Florida)
Comments:	Charlie: Eric Wright was insulted on Twitter when someone suggested that if we drafted Haden he'd be the #2 corner
	Eric: Browns take the top CB to play opposite Eric Wright. The CB situation in Cleveland allows Ryan to get creative on D.
Eric	8	Raiders	Dez Bryant - WR (Oklahoma State)
Comments:	Charlie: Raiders take a WR in the 1st round as apparently, they didn't do that last year. SMH LMAO
	Eric: Al Davis likes playmakers. He thinks about looking O-line but scares because of Gallery years ago.
Charlie	9	Bills	Bryan Baluga - OT (Iowa)
Comments:	Charlie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjUYAom5i4c
	Eric: Bills need help on the O-line after losing Peters prior to last season.
Eric	10	Jaguars	Rolando McClain - LB (Alabama)
Comments:	Charlie: Jags address the LB position here but I think they would really take Dan Williams if he was available on 4/22
	Eric: Jags can not seriously consider Tebow in Round 1. Instead they look defense and get a hard hitting, playmaking MLB.
Charlie	11	Broncos	Dan Williams - DT (Tennessee)
Comments:	Charlie: Broncos get a versatile defensive lineman that Josh McDaniels can use at DE and DT in his 3-4 system.
	Eric: After a great Senior Bowl week, the Broncos look to upgrade the D-line.
Eric	12	Dolphins	Derrick Morgan - DE/OLB (Georgia Tech)
Comments:	Charlie: Joey Porter and Jason Taylor did not have great years last year. Dolphins look to the future and take Morgan.
	Eric: After not thinking about C.J. Spiller, the fish upgrade their pass rush with Derrick Morgan.
Charlie	13	49ers	C.J. Spiller - RB (Clemson)
Comments:	Charlie: Singletary loves defense but knows how hard it will be for other teams to stop the Gore and Spiller 1-2 punch.
	Eric: Spiller is a terrific compliment to Frank Gore, giving the 49ers big time playmaking ability.
Eric	14	Seahawks	Anthony Davis - OT (Rutgers)
Comments:	Charlie: Seahawks get Clausen AND a LT who Peter King suggested was the best in this draft class. He must be good!
	Eric: Seahawks are thinking about Clausen's backside.
Charlie	15	Giants	Sean Weatherspoon - LB (Missouri)
Comments:	Charlie: Giants have problems in the defensive backfield but instead go with the dominant weakside linebacker
	Eric: Spoon impressed at the Senior Bowl and looks to reestablish the Giant's LB corps.
Eric	16	Titans	Carlos Dunlap - DE (Florida)
Comments:	Charlie: "Fat in the face, jowls, fat ass." "Dunlap didn't get fat." "Dunlap is a FREAK OF NATURE!"
	Eric: Thought about getting a big man for the middle, but with Williams gone, they take Dunlap to provide a pass rush.
Charlie	17	49ers	Brandon Graham - DE/OLB (Michigan)
Comments:	Charlie: Singletary gets a force off the edge to rush the passer. Graham dominated his Senior Bowl competition.
	Eric: 49ers take Senior Bowl MVP adding a defensive playmaker after taking Spiller 4 picks sooner.
Eric	18	Steelers	Trent Williams - OT (Oklahoma)
Comments:	Charlie: Steelers take a tackle here to protect Roethlisberger. Hopefully he fails miserably.
	Eric: While needing to protect the QB, the Steelers take a LT who will also help the running game.
Charlie	19	Falcons	Patrick Robinson - CB (Florida State)
Comments:	Charlie: Patrick Robinson goes in the top 20 but he's going to have to prove he can shut down half the field.
	Eric: Robinson immediately shores up a secondary that sees the Saints twice a year.
Eric	20	Texans	Taylor Mays - S (USC)
Comments:	Charlie: I think Houston reaches a bit on Mays. I think Peyton Manning will pick on his coverage skills… Or lack thereof…
	Eric: Mays is beginning to slip after a mediocre week in Mobile. Texans can't pass up the potential and are pleased to get the big safety.
Charlie	21	Bengals	Jermaine Gresham - TE (Oklahoma)
Comments:	Charlie: Adam Schein (yelling): "Our guy Jermaine Gresham making his mock draft debut!" Bengals need a receiving TE
	Eric: Could have looked for a WR here, but Gresham provides the Bengals with a weapon they have lacked for a very long time.
Eric	22	Patriots	Jason Pierre-Paul - DE/OLB (South Florida)
Comments:	Charlie: Eric ripped me for taking Pierre-Paul here last week so he went ahead and took Pierre-Paul here this week.
	Eric: Standard Patriots smaller school pick with tons of upside.
Charlie	23	Packers	Bruce Campbell - OT (Maryland)
Comments:	Charlie: Packers grab a tackle that is quickly flying up the draft boards to keep Aaron Rodgers off the ground.
	Eric: Rogers was sacked too often in '09.
Eric	24	Eagles	Earl Thomas - S (Texas)
Comments:	Charlie: Eagles weren't satisfied with Sean Jones' play last year. Browns not resigning him should have been their 1sr clue.
	Eric: Earl Thomas will not make anyone forget the hard hitting of Dawkins, but is a terrific talent.
Charlie	25	Ravens	Kyle Wilson - CB (Boise State)
Comments:	Charlie: Boise painted their turf blue because, well, they had never seen blue turf before. Ravens need help at corner.
	Eric: Ravens grab Wilson to improve their secondary, which has been the soft spot on a good defense.
Eric	26	Cardinals	Everson Griffen - DE/OLB (USC)
Comments:	Charlie: Cardinals were torched by the Saints in their last playoff game so they focus on defense with this pick.
	Eric: With Dansby likely leaving, the Cards need to find a pass rushing OLB.
Charlie	27	Cowboys	Charles Brown - OT (USC)
Comments:	Charlie: Cowboys O-line is ancient and Flozell Adams can't keep tripping defenders forever. How 'bout them Cowboys?!
	Eric: The Cowboys look to add youth to the O-line.
Eric	28	Chargers	Jonathan Dwyer - RB (Georgia Tech)
Comments:	Charlie: The LT era is officially over in San Diego. Chargers take Dwyer to pair with the smaller Sproles in the backfield.
	Eric: Chargers finally move on from the LT era.
Charlie	29	Jets	Devin McCourty - CB (Rutgers)
Comments:	Charlie: McCourty is a local guy who can cover and Rex Ryan will love.
	Eric: Jets find the CB they so desperately need to pair with Revis.
Eric	30	Vikings	Nate Allen - S (South Florida)
Comments:	Charlie: I made the same pick last week but I'm starting to think they might address the guard position instead.
	Eric: Vikings have few weaknesses, but the secondary is one of them. With no top corner left, the Vikes go for a starting safety.
Charlie	31	Saints	Vladimir Ducasse - OG/OT (Massachusetts)
Comments:	Charlie: Saints did well this year with a makeshift line. Vlad is a versatile lineman they can plug in at guard or tackle.
	Eric: Saints like the potential of this versatile O-lineman.
Eric	32	Colts	Navorro Bowman - LB (Penn State)
Comments:	Charlie: Colts take a LB from Linebacker U to help solidify their defense. I think they might go with corner or DE.
	Eric: Like the Vikes, the Colts have very few weaknesses, but will address the LB position with this pick.