NFL INSIDER
Rivals remain sold on Frye as starter
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Tony Grossi
Plain Dealer Reporter
Orlando, Fla.- Browns coach Romeo Crennel is not fooling his division rivals by not naming his starting quarterback. They expect it to be Charlie Frye.
Frye's name came up first, in fact, when two opposing coaches commented about the improvement they expect from the Browns next season.
"They've got a good young quarterback in Charlie Frye," said Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher.
"I think the Browns will be a better football team. They've settled in on a quarterback, have an identity," Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis said referring to Frye.
Cowher, Lewis and Baltimore's Brian Billick cited other reasons for expecting the Browns to improve on their six wins from last year.
Cowher said the attention the Browns paid in free agency to their front seven on defense and on the offensive line is a key factor.
"I think in our division, you better be able to play up front," he said.
Cowher believes veterans Ted Washington, who will be 38, and Willie McGinest, 34, will pay dividends with the intangibles they bring.
"The leadership and the high level they've played at will be contagious," Cowher said. "I think that's the thing they're doing - taking a young team and surrounding it with some veterans who have been winners and know what it takes."
Lewis said a second season in Crennel's system will account for natural growth.
"They've settled on guys who know their philosophy, and they've added some guys with even more insight with Romeo and what they're trying to do defensively," he said. "I think [a second season for a head coach] makes a big difference. Players are better focused and centered on what they're doing. There's not as much anxiety and you're able to just concentrate on playing football."
Billick said: "I think Cleveland helped themselves as much or more in free agency as any team in the league. And they get [Braylon] Edwards and [Kellen] Winslow back. So, it's going to be a hell of a division."
The Dilfer issue:
There's no question that some of the hesitation in formally promoting Frye has to do with sensitivity toward Trent Dilfer, who sat out the last five games last year with knee ailments.
General Manager Phil Savage said the feelings of a 12-year veteran like Dilfer should be considered before making any pronouncements about the position.
"Trent is entirely competitive," Savage said. "I think when we made the trade for him, his visions of himself were that he'd come in as the starter, kind of keep the seat warm until we got another guy, and I think his hopes were that it would be a couple of years.
"Ultimately it turned out being 11 games, as it stands right now. I think he'll fight Charlie for the spot. I don't think he's going to give up on it."
The Carthon non-issue:
Although the Browns finished dead last in the NFL in points scored last season, the job security of offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon was never an issue, Crennel said.
"Being 32nd on offense doesn't speak volumes for the way that we want to be, but I thought Maurice worked very hard, he knows the offense, and I think the second year will be better on offense particularly as we get some of the playmakers on the field," Crennel said. "I expect it to improve. We did have a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver. We just didn't score enough points."
Crennel is unconcerned if players are not enamored with Carthon.
"I mean, hey, you're not going to please everybody. It's not all hunky-dory," Crennel said. "There are some guys that don't like me. I don't understand that, but there are some who don't like me. Maurice is one of those hard-nosed, old-school coaches and some guys have to get used to it."
Crennel said that Carthon, a fullback who played for two Super Bowl winners with the Giants under Bill Parcells, is aware of the public criticism he received last year, but it doesn't faze him.
"I think Maurice is one of those tough guys, and he had to be to play the position he played, to play under some of the coaches he played for. But he's human just like everyone else. He doesn't like to be criticized. He wants to do well. And I think he's going to work hard to improve that offense."
Brownie bits:
The annual Browns scrimmage with the Buffalo Bills, which was scrapped last year by Crennel, will not resume. Crennel said he would be open to listening to offers, but so far has no plans to scrimmage another team in training camp. . . . The league will prohibit coaches from closing any portion of practice at mandatory minicamps to the media. Crennel was among those who allowed the media to see only 30 minutes of practice last year. He laughed off suggestions that the quarterback issue will provide stories every day.
Back to the future:
Traditionalists will get their wish this year. Browns owner Randy Lerner is bringing back the team's old duds for next season, including gray face masks, original striping on jersey sleeves and the old, darker shade of brown. The team will wear only white pants and alternate between brown and white jerseys - never orange. "This is not about branding. This is about the Cleveland Browns," Lerner said.
The place ex-Browns linemen go:
Denver coach Mike Shanahan added to his collection of former Browns defensive linemen when he signed Kenard Lang and Amon Gordon recently. They join Courtney Brown, Gerard Warren, Ebenezer Ekuban and Mike Myers, whom Denver acquired last year. "How many are left?" Shanahan joked at league meetings this week.
Lang will put on the 30 pounds he lost last season to play linebacker and return as a pass-rushing end for the Broncos.
Shanahan compared Gordon, a fifth-round Butch Davis pick in 2004, to Warren.
"He's 330, 335 pounds. Those guys are pretty hard to find. To get a guy like that in the draft. You've got to go pretty high," Shanahan said.
Meetings leftovers:
Owners tweaked the roster cutdown rules. Teams must get down to 75 players - not 65 - by the Tuesday after the third preseason game. The old number accounted for roster exemptions for players who played in NFL Europe. Final cutdown to 53 was moved up one day from Sunday to Saturday of the fourth preseason weekend. . . . The league raised the number of draft-eligible players that teams may bring in for visits from 20 to 30. . . . Owners agreed to keep practice squads to a maximum of eight players.
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