OBR news

Leonard was traded for an undisclosed pick. I'm guessing a 7th or 6th at best.

I'll love having a DL consist of Rogers-Rubin-Coleman, especially with the way that Rubin has played this pre-season.

Braxton was brought in to make up for the Tucker loss. Braxton will probably never see the field. He was an above average tackle at best. But then again, our RT isn't the greatest, so maybe he can compete.

I dont understand cutting rod hood? if anyone it should've been Ivy. Maybe an altercation with the coaches?

Hood was getting burned.And last year he was burned alot.I agree,he probably wasn't the worst of the bunch,but I'm expecting to see us either deal,or pickup some help in the secondary.Or blitz their butts off.I think/hope Mangini will go with a pressure defense.
  I think we'd be better off trying to cover man-to-man,and blitz,than letting the QB have time to pick us apart,with a 3-4 man rush,and the zone Ds.How obvious can I get?
 
Go Browns!!!

I don't see us picking anybody up with needed to shrink the roster by saturday

All the teams have to shrink their roster by Saturday.There will be some teams who have relatively decent talent,who might dangle a DB for a late pick to us,before releasing them to the open market,ala Louis Leonard.Or we might find a decent DB whose been let go.
   The thing that worries me the most about this team,is the pass defense.The talent level just isn't there.The starters are mediocre,and the backups aren't looking very worthy.So,knowing that Mangini is no dummy,I'm sure he'll be scouring the NFL for DBs released on the last cuts.
   I think Hood was released last week because Mangini wasn't going to keep him,and the Bears showed interest.So we let him go early to have a chance to catch on there.After his D yesterday,I'm certain it was a good move by Mangini.
  Let's hope once the season gets going,our pass rush makes their jobs a bit easier.

Our pass defense could be fine (other than Corey Ivy, who I just despise) assuming be can get pressure on the quarterback, which will probably be difficult to accomplish with the current personnel.  Hopefully Ryan has some blitzes up his sleeve for the regular season.  Also, Coye Francies is going to be a baller for us down the road IMO.

If anything we will need a safety in the near future (*crosses fingers and chants Eric Berry's name) especially considering Pool can't seem to stop knocking himself out.

For the Hood thing, I just don't understand how there could obviously be a market for him (he got picked up, what, like 14 hours after he was released?) but yet we couldn't get any compensation for him.  Hell, we got something for Louis Leonard for God sakes, Hood should have at least netted us a low round pick.

I'm reluctant to be happy about any of our DBs.McDonald and Wright have their days when they're not effective,and Pool and Adams are just OK,Elam isn't making me happy,and the backups aren't anything to brag about.They need some confidence.
   No lockdown corners.No bone jarring safeties.Unless you want to consider Nick Sorenson,who can't cover .So,we're gonna have to disguise our D,and hopefully get to the QB,in time to at least hurry him.
  I'd like to see us go to the blitzing/pressure D,with the coverage coming up to prevent the short passes that most teams beat us with.But that means that if we don't get the QB,WR are gonna be roaming around in the D backfield,and behind the D.
  OBR had Rogers going to DE the other day.How are they saying that,when Rogers has yet to practice?It sounds great to me.That could mean the answer to all the Browns defensive woes,and catapult them near the top ten.I read today that Robaire Smith has taken Williams spot on the DL.I'm hoping for a Rogers-Rubin-Coleman/Smith DL.Sure would be nice if they could give it some practice.

  Go Browns!!!

I believe our corners are solid.  Mangini has coached them up.  Wright is a good lock down guy and Mcdonald has learned to break on the ball better.  But when given to much time no one in the league can hold their coverage. So . . .
The secondary will only be as good as the front seven pressure.  Since it will have to be manufactured pressure (because we don't have a play making sack specialist) we will continue to get burned by the 2 minute or hurry up offense. 
Remember we did have one of the highest (if not the highest) amount of INT's last year.  It's all up to the front seven. 
 

I think our dbs will be fine espeacialy since Corey Ivy didnt make the team but it wont matter if we dont have a pass rush. But i think our pass rush will be better. 

Well,we got 2 DBs off the waiver wire.And Hood had his contract terminated in Chicago.(Did we pick on him too much Thursday?)Let's hope they work out.
     Brian Russel was cut by Seattle,so there's an option.
 As for safety next year,how about Mays on USC?Watch out for him vs. OSU.
 Jennings,Legget,and Shaefeiring(DL who looked pretty good Thursday) all cleared waivers and were re-signed to the practice squad.
  Best news for last; Rogers is practicing.NT or DE?I don't know.And I don't want to until they line up on defense Sunday.And it would be great if it wasn't leaked to the Vikings,either.Just like whose starting at QB.Any little advantage.

Go Browns!!!

I guess i'm not that mad about Hood anymore as long as corey ivy didnt make the team over him. Wright, Mcdonald, Francsis and Poteat should be good but not great. I think this will be a big year for Mcdonald as bad as he looked against Denver he had flashes of greatness. But if he doesnt hack it this year im sure Francsis will be ready to take his spot next year. 

     Coye Francsis looks kinda skinny and small to me.Like he'll get pushed around.If he gets a chance.I liked that other guy we drafted who got injured more.
     Well,so much for the return of Brian Russell.The Jaguars scooped him up.I hope we get SS Roy Williams(horsecollar) from Dallas.Word is he'd rather play in a 4-3,so he can play closer to the line.I just can't believe we're gonna go into the season with Elam and Sorenson as our only SSs.And one rookie tackle(Tebows LT,who missed all of last year)to back up both starters.Let's keep our fingers crossed.I think we'll send that new RB to the practice squad,and get another tackle on the roster before Sunday.

     Go Browns!!!

We drafted Coye for his size, so i dont see being small as a problem..And I've seen him making big hits more common then him getting pushed around. And the other guy we drafted (who is now a jaguar) is atleast 2 inches shorter. 

But we will need to upgrade the Saftey position next year. cough cough eric berry cough cough

I didn't know we drafted Coye for his size.I thought it was because he was a good football player.I thought the guy who went to the Jaguars was a better footbal player before he got injured.Is that better?I said small,referring to his stature,not short,which would refer to Coye's height.Watch for Mr. Francies to play solely on special teams this year,unless there are some injuries.I really don't expect a whole lot out of him,so if he does come along,all the better.
     And I'm a Taylor Mays guy.I'd take him over Eric Berry,and the way we're playing,unless we trade down again,we just might get him.`

I like Taylor Mays but not as a first round pick. And i don't think its fair to say "the way were playing" after one game especially since we played really well in the first half. And the most surprising player to me was Abram Elam, who is a saftey. Its to early to talk draft but if it were today I would try to get Berry at a reasonable first round spot and a RG/RT in the 2nd round, unless Braylon leaves.

Something that really bothered me was the offensive play calling. This bothers me especially  since we have a rookie coordinator. We were held on the goal line because we called 2 straight plays for a wildcat offense. I could see trying it once but when they called it again it was so obvious what we were going to do the Vikings stopped it easily. In the first half we did way to many pitches to Davis, they were predictable and all 100 times we did them it didnt work. Last but not least, we were in the shotgun to much. I dont know if Daboll didn't trust the o-line against the Vikings blitzers but they went away from every good thing we did in the preseason. We need to continue to do the quick passes. Every pass play was to Royal who i'm convinced had a bad enough game do go down a spot in the depth chart. Get Furrey and Mohammed that ball in the slot and then threaten with Braylon deep. 

I'm hoping Mangini will point out so of those things and I think we can expect a big win over the Broncos next week if we come out ready to play.

i forgot to mention as far as the draft goes we also need LBS, so lets hope Elam plays well enough to let us draft a LB in the first round

Favre certainly didn't look like he was ready to go.So they plugged away with Peterson until we fell apart.
   Myself,if Cribbs scores on the second try,everyone is happy.But I really would have like to see us run left behind Thomas with Lewis.Let Lewis pick a hole.I think Mangini was afraid of BQ throwing the ball away for six the other way,damaging BQs confidence.No need to do that.Let him come along.(I'd tell him to try to step up more in the pocket,and look for the run.)
  I would like to see Rubin play more in the middle,and I'd move Rogers to the wide side of the field,at DE.And keep blitzing from the DB.
   On offense,I was amazed we didn't run the end around with Cribbs,or try getting him involved in any sort of trickery.How about an option pass on a pitch to Cribbs?
   I'd like to see Massaquoi start in the two spot.He's a bigger target for BQ.Let Cribbs be a part of the backfield on offense.How much longer until Heiden is back?Royal made some plays,but BQ needs a better best friend.
   Hopefully,we'll turn it around in Denver,and get some momentum before what I consider the toughest part of our schedule,the following six weeks.I know it's early to be saying "must win",but we're in deep do-do if we can't beat Denver.

   Go Browns!!!

Heiden played, I know he caught at least one ball.  I still am dumbfounded at the lack of screen plays we ran, I thought for sure that screens were going to be a bigger part of the gameplan to neutralize their passrush.

I didn't know we drafted Coye for his size.I thought it was because he was a good football player.I thought the guy who went to the Jaguars was a better footbal player before he got injured.Is that better?I said small,referring to his stature,not short,which would refer to Coye's height.Watch for Mr. Francies to play solely on special teams this year,unless there are some injuries.I really don't expect a whole lot out of him,so if he does come along,all the better.
     And I'm a Taylor Mays guy.I'd take him over Eric Berry,and the way we're playing,unless we trade down again,we just might get him.`

-realbrownsfan

Mays showed in the Ohio State game why he's not worth a first round pick.

People who like him over Berry tell me that 1) they only look at players that are big and fast and 2) they don't watch much USC football.

Mays isn't as good as people make him out to be.