At one point this season, this team had a lot of hope. They may have been a mere 5-7, but they had one of the toughest schedules in the league. In fact, at that point, they had beaten every sub .500 team they had played (Cincinnati, Carolina). They hung within a touchdown of Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Baltimore, New York, and Jacksonville.

Rookie Colt McCoy had impressed in 5 starts, leading the team to victories over the Saints and the Patriots, before an ankle injury. Peyton Hillis had emerged into one of the premier backs in the league. The young defense had stepped up big time and elevated this team to victories over Carolina and Miami even without McCoy. Even when they lost 13-6 to the Bills week 14, things still looked promising with McCoy coming back.

However, McCoy wasn’t the same in his final 3 starts, going 54 for 95 for 3 touchdowns, 6 picks and an 0-3 record. Peyton Hillis also hit a rough patch at the same time. The breakout back, who had rushed for 1070 yards, 11 scores, and caught 57 passes for 446 yards and another 2 scores through 13 weeks, only had 107 rushing yards and 4 catches for 31 yards in his final 3 weeks. The Browns ended the season at 5-11 and Head Coach Eric Mangini was fired and the hope that was once strong has dwindled.

However, there is still some hope. Browns fans can hope with time to rest, both McCoy and Hillis can regain their form. Last year was McCoy’s rookie year and Hillis’ first year as a feature back, so it’s possible they both just hit “rookie walls” of sorts. The Browns will almost certainly try to get McCoy better receiving options this offseason.

They also will add to a defense that ranked 13^th in fewest total points allowed, a very impressive number for a young defense. Their defense only accumulated 29 sacks, so that’s obviously an area they can improve. However, this defense does look promising for the future thanks to the breakout play of rookie corner and 7^th overall pick Joe Haden.

By Derek Arnold 

The Ravens head back to Charm City for a football game for the first time in nearly a month this Sunday to take on the Cleveland Browns. And boy, could they use the home cookin’.

The Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, and Miami Dolphins are the only teams yet to play a home game through the first two weeks of the 2010 season. The Ravens, though, were not only on the road, but matched up with playoff teams from 2009 for both weeks, while the Cards and ‘Phins got some cupcakes at St. Louis and at Buffalo, respectively. Looked at through that lens, their 1-1 start isn’t nearly as disastrous and catastrophic as listening to sports talk radio in B’More right now would lead one to believe.

Many Ravens fans are already calling for Joe Flacco’s head after his rocky start to the 2010 campaign. As ridiculous as that may seem, I have to think it stems from such a desperate yearning for a true franchise quarterback in this town. The fierce desire for a Brady, Manning, or (gulp) Roethlisberger (the quarterback, not the gentleman) of our own, coupled with the still all-too-fresh memories of the struggles of the only other quarterback this franchise has ever drafted in the first round, combine to make Flacco’s leash, from a fan’s standpoint anyway, shorter than Ray Rice without cleats.

That Marc Bulger suddenly find himself as one of the most popular men in Baltimore, in just week 3, quite frankly embarrasses me to be a Ravens fan. Listening to the calls for Bulger, the ripping of the organization for trading Troy Smith (still just a backup, I’ll have you note), and the grumblings about firing Cam Cameron and even John Harbaugh are enough to make me actually thankful that my car radio only works sporadically these days.

Not that I’m a complete Flacco apologist at this point. His struggles through two games are certainly alarming, but far from a reason to panic and completely go back to the drawing board regarding the future of the franchise, as the vocal minority (I hope) would seemingly have Ozzie Newsome doing. Just as troubling is the play of the Ravens’ offensive line, so strong a year ago, that allowed the Cincinnati Bengals to consistently pressure Flacco with just a four man rush. This team is missing tackle Jared Gaither much more than any of us anticipated. Hopefully Oneil Cousins is able to play more this week and moving forward, which will allow Marshal Yanda to return to his much more natural position at right guard. Right now, the Yanda/Chester 2-guys-out-of-position situation taking place on the right side of the Ravens’ line just isn’t getting the job done. Add to that even Ben Grubbs struggling more than we expect from him, and it’s not really that surprising that Joe feels he has nowhere to step up TO in the pocket.

All that said, there are two schools of thought regarding the Ravens’ offensive game plan going into Sunday. The first is that the Ravens need to come out with the “ground and pound” mentality, running Ray Rice straight at the Browns, who have struggled mightily to stop the run through two games. This scenario would hope to get the offensive line in a rhythm, put the ball in the hands of the team’s top playmaker as often as possible, and remove the burden from Flacco to try to do too much, lest his struggles continue.

The other idea is that the Browns present the perfect opportunity to get Joe on the same page with his receivers and feeling comfortable throwing the ball again. Coming out with the no-huddle offense that Joe has been so successful with in the past, with the quiet home crowd on his side and the ability to change plays at the line could be just what the doctor ordered for Flacco, his o-line, and his receivers. Looking ahead to Week 4, the Ravens are certainly going to have to move the ball through the air to win in Pittsburgh (the Steelers just held Chris Johnson to 30 yards or something ridiculous), and so there is a bit of urgency to righting the offensive ship. 

Whichever of these strategies Cam Cameron decides to employ early in the game Sunday, it would be great to see the Ravens come out firing, and avoid the type of slow start that has become par for the course here in the Flacco-Cameron era. In the first quarter this season, the Ravens have had four drives – two fumbles and two punts. They were shut out for the first 30 minutes in Cincy. It’s like its 2009 all over again (think Minnesota, New England, etc.) With the way the defense is playing right now, an offense that scores early and often would have the Ravens quickly flying as high as so many had predicted for them in the preseason. Getting up early on this Browns squad will quickly sap the wind from their sails, feed the frenzied M&T Bank Stadium crowd (it is the home opener, remember), and have the home team coast to a comfortable win. Turning the ball over in the first half, unleashing a barrage of punts, and letting them hang around could spell disaster.

The Browns offense will likely be headed up by quarterback Seneca Wallace this week, with Jake Delhomme dealing with an injured foot. Wallace threw for 229 yards against Kansas City last week, with his favorite target being Joshua Cribbs. Cribbs, who has hurt the Ravens returning kicks in years past (though they bottled him up well in 2009), can also be an effective weapon running the Browns’ version of the Wildcat offense. Now he is showing that he can catch passes as a receiver, and he is undoubtedly the one guy who can turn this game in Cleveland’s favor Sunday. Expect the Ravens defense to be keying on Cribbs, and let’s hope Billy Cundiff can continue his strong season this week with some more touchbacks.

Without Cribbs, the Browns don’t have much. Their running game consists of Peyton Hillis, who came over in a trade from Denver, and Jerome Harrison. Second year player James Davis could also get some touches this week. Hillis is the kind of straight-ahead runner that the Ravens will eat up at the line, especially if Terrence Cody is back this week as he is expected to be. Harrison, though he finished 2009 on a strong note, has been ineffective so far this season, with just 85 yards on 25 carries. Mohammed Massaquoi is the team’s deep threat, but he doesn’t seem to have much chemistry with Wallace as of yet (1 reception, 9 yards against KC).

The Ravens defense, despite being gifted two of them last week, is still looking for their first interception of 2010. They have picked off Browns’ quarterbacks in 11 consecutive games though, so things are looking up in that department. This is another area where building an early lead and forcing the Browns to play catch-up with a mediocre quarterback could lead to a nice little turnover-fest for the purple D. Again, not looking past Cleveland, but looking FORWARD to Pittsburgh sans Roethlisberger, and the get-up-early, play-from-ahead strategy should pay excellent dividends.

John Harbaugh’s teams have a long resume of winning the games that they are “supposed” to win, and this one should be no different. Unfortunately, it will only lead to another week of “so they beat the Browns, so what?” talk on the local airwaves, but that’s not for the team to worry about.

The M&T Bank Stadium crowd will be jacked up for this game, and the Ravens are ready, willing, and able to take out some frustrations on the Cleveland Browns. Ravens win big.

http://www.bmorebirdsnest.com/ 

9/3/11: Another quarterback who has looked very, very good this preseason is Colt McCoy. McCoy gets a new offensive coordinator and head coach in Pat Shurmur who will put in a west coast offense scheme that figures to suit McCoy’s strengths and Greg Little is proving himself to be a very talented young receiver. They have a lot of holes, but with a weaker schedule, they could easily be this season’s Tampa Bay, a young team that beats who they’re supposed to and gets better as the season goes on. 

3^rd round pick Colt McCoy took over week 6 as the starter, as a rookie, after 5 weeks of Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. He lost by a lot in his debut against the Steelers, but after that, he had 4 straight strong performances. The Browns beat the Saints and the Patriots in consecutive games, and then came within 2 minutes of an overtime tie with the Jets, and then hung within 4 points of a Jaguars team that was in first place in their division at the time. McCoy was being called a right handed Steve Young.

However, McCoy got hurt and didn’t return until week 15. He wasn’t the same. The Browns lost in his first game back to the lowly Bengals and then McCoy threw a combined 6 interceptions in back-to-back losses to the Ravens and the Steelers. The Browns finished 5-11. Whether McCoy hit a rookie wall or he never recovered from that ankle injury, something was different with him after he returned.

Luckily for Browns fans, McCoy is no longer a rookie and his ankle is most likely 100% right now. He’s the undisputed starter for a franchise that almost yearly has quarterback battles in camp. He should have a very solid year as the starter. He played put in a lot of work in the offseason and is a natural fit for new Head Coach Pat Shurmur’s West Coast Offense. He played very well in his first preseason game. He has a chance to be this season’s Josh Freeman.

Speaking of someone who wore down late, Peyton Hillis averaged a mere 3.9 yards per carry in the 2^nd half, another possible reason why McCoy wasn’t the same when he came back. It’s a lot harder to play quarterback if the defense doesn’t fear your running game. Hillis is expected to be given less of a load this season with 2010 2^nd round pick Montario Hardesty and free agent acquisition Brandon Jackson shouldering some of the load.

Up front, former first round picks at left tackle and center respectively, Joe Thomas and Alex Mack are among the best in the league at their position. However, the other 3 offensive line slots are a little bit more of a question. Eric Steinbach and Tony Pashos remain starters at left guard and right tackle respectively. Steinbach, once one of the best in the league at his position, had a very poor year last year. Pashos, meanwhile, is often injured and fairly mediocre when healthy.

At right guard, 2010 3^rd round pick Shawn Lauvao takes over for free agent departure Pork Chop Womack. Lauvao, a surprise 3^rd rounder, struggled as a rookie last year. The Browns do have two players in John Greco and Jason Pinkston who could be interesting for them up front. Team president Mike Holmgren specifically traded for Greco from St. Louis and given his track record, that means Greco could end up being a diamond in the rough for them at guard. Pinkston, meanwhile, is a 5^th round pick rookie who could play guard or tackle for them. Still, this offensive line could be a lot better.

The Browns traded down from the 6^th slot in the draft to get 5 picks, 2 of which were in the first 2 rounds this year, with one being a 2012 1^st rounder. The Browns were not a piece away from a title or anything, so it was a smart move to get 2 early picks this year and an early pick next year. However, doing so cost them a chance to get Alabama’s Julio Jones, who could have been the solution to their wide receiver problems. The Browns will hope Greg Little, who was drafted with the 2^nd round pick from Atlanta, acquired in the deal that sent Jones to Atlanta, can be what Jones could have been for them, a #1 receiver.

Little certainly has a lot stacked against him. He was suspended for the entirety of the 2010 season, a season that was supposed to be a breakout season for the physical freak from North Carolina. Combine that with the lockout and he went close to 2 years between organized team activities. He has plenty of talent, and experience with the West Coast offense in college, and I really would have liked his chances as their #1 receiver had we not had a lockout, but he does have a lot stacked against him as a rookie.

The Browns better hope Little can overcome the odds, because, other than him, McCoy’s options are pretty limited. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi are former 2^nd round picks going into their 3^rd year, that magical year when all young receivers seem to break out, but neither of them have done anything in their first 2 years in the league to suggest much upside is even there, especially Robiskie.

McCoy’s most reliable target is probably Ben Watson. The former bust in New England finally came into his own last year after signing a 3 year deal with the Browns, catching more balls, 68, than he had in his previous two seasons combined, 51. He and McCoy had great chemistry in the few games McCoy played last year, but he’s still just a tight end and you need talent at wide receiver to win in this league.

I had the Browns as a potential sleeper team right around the time the lockout ended. I liked Colt McCoy at quarterback and I thought they could have been this year’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with an easy schedule. They had a lot of money to work with in free agency as well. However, they did next to nothing in free agency and they still don’t have the front 7 to be a competitive team in this league.

On their defensive line, the Browns have two of their early draft picks. Phil Taylor was drafted with their first round pick from Atlanta (after they moved up a few spots to get him). He will start at defensive tackle for them. 2^nd round pick Jabaal Sheard, meanwhile, is penciled in at defensive end as a starter. Both are talented players, but, as with most rookies, they’ll be hurt by the lockout.

Next to Taylor inside is Ahtyba Rubin, a talented run stuffer. However, while both Taylor and Rubin are stout against the run, neither offers much of an interior pass rush. I would have preferred to see the Browns draft a more traditional pass rushing under tackle in place of Taylor. A more traditional pass rushing under tackle would have complimented Rubin better. They don’t even have a talented 3^rd down pass rusher in reserve.

The situation is even worse at defensive end. The Browns are transitioning to a full time 4-3 this year. However, their rush linebackers from last year can’t play defensive end for them. Matt Roth left as a free agent and Marcus Bernard, the team’s leading pass rusher with 7.5 sacks, is too small to be an every down end in this league. He fits better as a nickel rusher in a 4-3. Their pass rush was already bad last year, with a mere 29 sacks. Other than Benard, no one had more than 3.5 sacks last year for them. Changing schemes, especially with a shortened offseason, isn’t helping.

Jabaal Sheard will start at one defensive end spot, not necessarily because he’s ready to do so, but out of necessity. On the other side, they may force Marcus Bernard to start, though he’d be better as a pure nickel rusher. If not Bernard, then it will be Jayme Mitchell, a former reserve end of the Minnesota Vikings. Like John Greco, Mike Holmgren specifically traded for Mitchell. Holmgren has found diamonds in the rough before, but I have my doubts with Mitchell.

At linebacker, things don’t get much better. D’Qwell Jackson is the only above average linebacker they have and he’s missed 26 games in the past 2 years since leading the league in tackles in 2008. He’ll start in the middle, but is no guarantee. Chris Gocong and Scott Fujita will start around Jackson. Both are marginal players. If Jackson gets hurt, the Browns will have to hope 2009 4^th round pick Kaluka Maiava can step up in his 3^rd season as they cut veterans David Bowens and Eric Barton in the offseason. To this point in his career, Maiava has not shown much for Browns fans to be excited about.

The secondary is really the strength of the defense. Joe Haden wasn’t even a starter for this team’s week 1 last year, but, by the end of it, he proved himself to be one of the best young cornerbacks in the game. The 7^th overall pick in 2010 could give Devin McCourty a run for his money as the best cornerback in the 2010 draft class this season. Haden allowed just 2 touchdowns to 6 interceptions and allowed a completion percentage of 53.2%. The only qualified cornerbacks that allowed a lower quarterback rating against last year were Asante Samuel and Tramon Williams.

Unfortunately for the Browns, Haden isn’t nearly as valuable to them as he could be because opposing quarterbacks can just throw away from him. Veteran Sheldon Brown will start opposite him. In stark contrast to Haden, Brown had the 3^rd highest quarterback rating against. Only Mike Jenkins and Eric Wright were worse. Brown surrendered 7 touchdowns to 2 interceptions and allowed a completion percentage of 63.9%. He’s 32 years old so he’s not going to get much better.

Unfortunately, the Browns don’t have much to push Brown and he’s really only starting by default. 5^th round pick Buster Skrine is expected to be the nickel back for them though he could get beaten out in camp by free agent acquisition Dmitri Patterson. That’s how thin their cornerback depth is. Patterson was terrible for the Eagles as a starter after Ellis Hobbs went down. He was exiled from Philadelphia after they traded for Dominique Rodgers Cromartie and signed Nnamdi Asomugha.

At safety, TJ Ward was a huge surprise as a rookie last year. Though widely considered a 4^th or 5^th round prospect, Mike Holmgren took him in the 2^nd and Ward lived up to it. He’s not great in pass coverage, but he’s a very good run stuffer as a strong safety. Free safety is the bigger issue. Two mediocre players, Usama Young and Mike Adams will battle it out.

Given that, it wouldn’t surprise me if rookie 7^th round pick Eric Hagg ended up in the starting lineup before season’s end. I thought Hagg was a nice pick when they got him, but obviously if he ends up in the starting lineup this year, you know something went wrong. He wasn’t regarded much higher than a 5^th round pick anywhere and guys like that don’t start as rookies unless they really surprise or a situation gets really desperate at a position.

Overall, I think this team is a year away. They have a better situation at quarterback than they’ve had in many years and Mike Holmgren has this team in the right direction. I trust his leadership. However, the talent simply isn’t there in the receiving corps and the front 7. They also have holes in the secondary and on the offensive line. They won’t be awful, but I think they’re going to endure another losing season in Cleveland.

Quarterback: B-

Running backs: B+

Offensive line: C

Receiving corps: C-

Run defense: C+

Pass rush: D

Pass coverage: C+

Coaching: C+

Projection: 11-5 2nd in AFC North

Quarterback

Colt McCoy is not the long term solution. He was a great college quarterback, but there’s a reason he fell to the end of the 3^rd round in 2010 behind Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Jimmy freaking Clausen. He doesn’t have the tools to make it as an NFL quarterback. His first 2 years have proven that. He’s got a 6-15 record in 21 starts and has completed 58.4% of his passes for an average of 6.3 YPA and 20 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. Mike Holmgren drafted him, but it’s not like he was in love with him. He didn’t take him until his 5^th pick of that draft class. Meanwhile, head coach Pat Shurmur, who Holmgren expressed faith in, was not there when McCoy was drafted and probably wants his own guy after seeing McCoy start for a year. Ideally, they probably want Robert Griffin to fall to them at 4. They could also trade up for him. If they can’t land him, Ryan Tannehill and Brock Osweiler make sense with their 22nd overall pick or their early 2^nd round pick.

Wide receiver

It’s not like McCoy had that much help though. His top receiver this year was Greg Little, a promising young player, but a raw 2^nd round rookie who led the league in drops. After him, they’ve got nothing. If they can’t get Robert Griffin, Justin Blackmon is probably the pick at #4. If not Blackmon, then they’ll spend one of their early picks (22^nd overall, early 2^nd rounder) on a receiver. They could double dip on this position, but they have so many other needs.

Defensive end

Rookie 2^nd round defensive end Jabaal Sheard had an awesome rookie year with 8.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 42 quarterback pressures. However, the Browns still managed just 32 sacks as a whole. A big part of the reason why, left end Jayme Mitchell couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback. The big left end was good against the run, but managed just 5 quarterback pressures in 738 snaps. They’ll look for a young end opposite Sheard fairly early in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Offensive tackle

More help for the offense, whoever the new quarterback is, they can’t let him get hit as much as Colt McCoy did. Despite having an elite left tackle in Joe Thomas, the Browns still allowed 39 sacks last season. A big part of the reason why, veteran journeyman right tackle Tony Pashos allowed 7 sacks, despite missing 4 games with injury. Look for them to find a new right tackle in day 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Running back

Peyton Hillis seems to have worn out his welcome in Cleveland and will likely not be resigned. That leaves them with Montario Hardesty and Chris Ogbonnaya at running back. Hardesty has yet to prove he can stay healthy in 2 years since being taken in the 2^nd round in 2010, while Ogbonnaya really struggled on the occasions he was asked to carry the load this season. The Browns have bigger needs, but luckily they can find a rotational back in the mid rounds. They don’t necessarily have to spend a high pick on this one.

Guard

Right tackle isn’t their only position of need upfront, both guards, Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston, really struggled last season. Their guard play was awful with Eric Steinbach missing the whole year with back surgery. Steinbach could be a cap casualty this offseason as he’s owed 6 million, a lot for a 32 year old coming off major back surgery. In that case, they need to get at least one new guard in, maybe two. Even if he’s brought back, guard is still a need because of how uncertain Steinbach’s future is.

Cornerback

The soon to be 33 year old Sheldon Brown could move to safety next year. Brown wasn’t awful last year opposite Joe Haden, but really started declining down the stretch. After him on the depth chart, they have Dmitri Patterson, who was solid as a nickel last year, but really struggled the year before as a starter in Philadelphia, and Buster Skrine, a 6^th round rookie who played limited snaps as a dime back. They need cornerback help opposite Joe Haden.

Outside Linebacker

Chris Gocong and Scott Fujita aren’t terrible, but they could be upgraded. Besides, Fujita turns 33 this offseason as well.

Safety

TJ Ward should return from injury in 2012, a very good thing as he is a promising young strong safety. However, neither free safety Mike Adams nor Ward’s replacement Usama Young were very good this year. Sheldon Brown could move to free safety, but he’ll be 33, so if a safety makes sense for them, they could draft one.

Middle Linebacker

D’Qwell Jackson is a talented linebacker and should be their #1 priority to resign this offseason.

Free agency priorities

Wide Receiver

Greg Little has a lot of upside, but he’s raw and didn’t play last season. Other than him, they literally have nothing at wide receiver unless Mohamed Massaquoi can bounce back from a terrible sophmore season. I think they try to add a veteran in free agency.

Offensive Tackle

The right tackle position was a huge hole of theirs last season. I like Jason Pinkston, who they drafted late, but not as a rookie.

Offensive Guard

The right guard position was as big of a hole as right tackle for them last year. They need to keep Colt McCoy upright and they didn’t draft a single player at the position (though late rounder Jason Pinkston can also play guard). Pork Chop Womack is a mediocre player, but resigning him might be their best option at this point.

Safety

They drafted Eric Hagg late with the intention of having him play alongside TJ Ward for the future. However, in the short term, resigning Abram Elam or a similar veteran might be their best move.

Draft Needs 

Wide Receiver

Mohamed Massaquoi led all Browns wide receivers with 483 receiving yards. Their top wide receivers by yardage were as follows, Massaquoi (483), Chansi Stuckey (348), Brian Robiskie (310), Josh Cribbs (292), Sam Aiken (7). There’s a little bit of talent there, but they need to get Colt McCoy a true #1 receiver. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they double dipped at this position early if the draft were to fall the right way.

Drafted Greg Little (#59) 

Defensive End

The Browns are making the move to a 4-3, but they don’t have any 4-3 ends. Great. Besides, they only managed 29 sacks last year anyway.

Drafted Jabaal Sheard (#37) 

Defensive Tackle

Shaun Rogers isn’t a good fit for a 4-3 and with his large salary, he’ll probably be cut this offseason. They’ll need someone inside next to Ahtyba Rubin.

Drafted Phil Taylor (#21) 

Outside Linebacker

Who are their outside linebackers in a 4-3? Chris Gucong? Scott Fujita? Eric Barton and David Bowens if they resign D’Qwell Jackson? Eh, nothing too special there. You can get by with that mix, but there’s no stand out players. Also, only Gucong is under 30.

Resigned D’Qwell Jackson 

Guard

Joe Thomas and Alex Mack are both among the best in their respective positions, left tackle and center. Other than they, they need help on the offensive line, including at guard where they could potentially get 2 upgrades this offseason and at the very least need depth and competition. 

Offensive Tackle

See above. Right tackle John St. Clair isn’t very good.

Drafted Jason Pinkston (#150) 

Middle Linebacker

This is a bigger need if D’Qwell Jackson doesn’t resign. If he leaves, they’re left with David Bowens and Eric Barton inside. Nothing too special, and one or two of them might have to play outside anyway. Both are over 30 as well. 

Cornerback

Sheldon Brown turns 32 in March, which is right about when cornerback start heading south in terms of their abilities. They need to look at potential replacements. The Browns ranked 27th in terms of YPA allowed against the pass, which is skewed by a tough schedule, but still an area in need of improvement. Joe Haden is a definite keeper, but they need one opposite him.

Drafted Buster Skrine (#137) 

Safety

TJ Ward had a good rookie year, but Abram Elam could be upgraded.

Drafted Eric Hagg (#248) 

QB Seneca Wallace- resigned 3 years 9 million

RB Mike Bell

FB Lawrence Vickers

WR Chansi Stuckey

TE Evan Moore (exclusive rights)- Tendered

TE Robert Royal

TE Alex Smith- Resigned

OT John St. Clair

G Pork Chop Womack

G Steve Vallos

NT Shaun Rogers- signed with Saints 1 year 4 million

3-4 DE Kenyon Coleman 

3-4 DE Robaire Smith

3-4 DE Brian Schaefering

3-4 DE Derreck Robinson

RLB Jayme Mitchell

RLB Matt Roth

RLB Marcus Bernard (exclusive rights)

RLB David Bowens

RLB Titus Brown

MLB D’Qwell Jackson

MLB Eric Barton

MLB Jason Trusnik

MLB Blake Costanzo

CB Eric Wright

S Abram Elam

S Nick Sorensen

S Sabby Piscitelli

K Phil Dawson- Franchised 

Offseason moves:  

Resigned Seneca Wallace

Resigned D’Qwell Jackson

Resigned Alex Smith 

Tendered Evan Moore

Franchised Phil Dawson

Cut Shaun Rogers

Cut John St. Clair

Cut Eric Barton

Cut Robert Royal

Cut David Bowens

Cut Kenyon Coleman

Draft 

OT Mike Adams (Ohio State)

DT Armond Armstread (USC)

WR Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)

DT Michael Brockers (LSU)

CB Morris Claiborne (LSU)

QB Kirk Cousins (Michigan State)

OLB Lavonte David (Nebraska)

WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

CB Stephon Gilmore (South Carolina)

G Cordy Glenn (Georgia)

TE Ladarius Green (LA-Lafayette)

CB Jayron Hosley (Virginia Tech)

OLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

MLB James-Michael Johnson (Nevada)

DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)

OLB Josh Kaddu (Oregon)

OT Matt Kalil (USC)

RB Doug Martin (Boise State)

OT Jonathan Martin (Stanford)

DE Whitney Mercilus (Illinois)

RB Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati)

DE Nick Perry (USC)

RB Trent Richardson (Alabama)

OT Mitchell Schwartz (California)

G Amini Silatolu (Midwestern State)

P Brian Stahovich (San Diego State)

OT Donald Stephenson (Oklahoma)

QB Ryan Tannehill (Texas A&M)

OLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State)

QB Brandon Weeden (Oklahoma State)

RB David Wilson (Virginia Tech)

WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)

21. DT Phil Taylor C-

They do need a defensive tackle, but they already have Ahtyba Rubin to play nose tackle in the 4-3. They needed a 4-3 under tackle. I’m also concerned about Taylor’s medical. Finally, if they really wanted him, I don’t think they needed to move up for him. This was not one of my favorite picks.

37. DE Jabaal Sheard B-

Jabaal Sheard over Brooks Reed, Sam Acho, and Da’Quan Bowers? I understand being scared of Bowers’ medical, but I had all 3 of them rated higher than Sheard and Reed and Acho didn’t have medical problems. This does fill a major need though.

59. WR Greg Little C

Again, they’re filling a need. In fact, defensive tackle, defensive end, and wide receiver were their 3 biggest needs and they addressed them with their first 3 picks, which I liked, but I’m not a fan of the players they decided to take. I had Little rated low because of character problems and lack of production in school.

102. TE Jordan Cameron C-

This one doesn’t fill a need. Ben Watson and Evan Moore are both good tight ends. He’s also a minor reach. This is one I really didn’t like.

124. FB Owen Marecic C

Fullback wasn’t a huge need of theirs and I am not a fan of taking a fullback in the 4^th round, especially when you’re a team like the Browns with a ton of other needs (CB, OT, G, S, OLB, MLB). However, they’re getting a hell of a football player, a gamer, and a strong special teamer to boot.

137. CB Buster Skrine A-

They needed something long term at the cornerback position opposite Joe Haden. There were better corners available, but Skrine may have more upside than any of them and they don’t need him to contribute right away.

150. OT Jason Pinkston A

Pinkston is a great value here and should have gone at least a round early. He can play either guard or tackle, both of which are big needs of theirs, and I think he can start sometime next year.

248. S Eric Hagg A

Excellent value in the 7^th. I had him as a 5^th round position and he also fills a need opposite TJ Ward. Great pick.

Overall:

Keep in mind I’m taking their trade down from 6 to 27 (though they eventually moved back up 6 spots for Taylor) into account in their overall grade. Though I liked the move for Atlanta, I love the decision for Cleveland. Atlanta was one piece away from being a really serious contender and Jones was that piece. Cleveland, well, they’re not one piece away from being a really serious contender. They traded down and got 5 picks. I think it’s much smarter for them in their situation to move down and get someone like Phil Taylor and Greg Little, as well as 2 4ths and a first in 2012, than to take Jones there. I may not agree with the picks the made with those selections, but I love the idea to move down. I also love how they filled needs. Taylor, Sheard, and Little would not have been my picks, but they fill their 3 biggest needs with their first 3 picks. They obviously just had a different board from me. I liked their last 3 picks as well. The only picks I didn’t understand where Jordan Cameron and Owen Marecic. Their other 6 all filled needs and, again, I love their decision to trade down.

Grade: B

2010 Record: 5-11

Draft Position: 6

2010 Season Recap: Click Here

Offseason Needs: Click Here

Free Agents/Team Transactions: Click Here

Draft Grades: Click Here

Key Offseason Moves: None

Browns Bloggers: Daniel Wolf, Vince Fratiani