Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

7/24/06

Frye's the guy — or perhaps not

Receiving corps also rife with questions with Winslow, Edwards recovering from injuries.

By Sean McClelland
Staff Writer

Ten issues facing the Cleveland Browns as they prepare for the 2006 season:

1 The quarterback pecking order is clear, but how comforting can it be for head coach Romeo Crennel to know that Charlie Frye has started five NFL games and Ken Dorsey 10? Is Dorsey the backup or should Vinny Testaverde be waiting by the phone? We'll soon know.

2 Similar to the 2004 training camp, the focus is on tight end Kellen Winslow II. At last month's minicamp, K-2 said he was "90 percent" after a broken leg, major knee surgery and a staph infection kept him idle for nearly two seasons. Is that other 10 percent attainable or will Winslow ever recover the explosiveness that once made him a deluxe prospect?

3 One projected return date for receiver Braylon Edwards (knee surgery) is Oct. 22, seven weeks into the season. In the meantime, the Browns will look for a replacement from a pool of Frisman Jackson, Brandon Rideau, Joshua Cribbs and rookie Travis Wilson. More likely is a scenario that finds them with two tight ends on the field much of the time.

4 Kamerion Wimbley was drafted to infuse life into the league's worst pass rush. Saturday, the first-round pick made good on his promise not to hold out, signing a six-year contract. Next question: How soon can he become an every-down player as opposed to merely a pass-rush specialist?

5 More changes on the offensive line again raise questions of chemistry. But with Pro Bowl regular LeCharles Bentley at center, Crennel already sleeps better at night, to say nothing of Frye, who kept getting his feet tangled with last year's center, Jeff Faine.

6 There's a lot to like about running back Reuben Droughns, but the Browns would like him better if he stopped running afoul of the law every time they turned around.

7 New nose tackle Ted Washington is a Sam Adams-style run stuffer. In other words, he's huge. While it would seem his best days are past, the Browns are betting he has at least one solid season left in that 38-year-old body. Can't be worse than what they've had.

8 Is this the year cornerback Daylon McCutcheon, one of two remaining first-year expansion Browns, loses his starting job to Leigh Bodden? It could be for the best as McCutcheon, given his size (about 5-foot-8), always seemed more suited to working against slot receivers. You could do worse than having him line up as your nickel back, if that's what happens.

9 Let the competition begin for the safety spot alongside veteran Brian Russell. Brodney Pool and Sean Jones are second-round draft choices who played at big schools. Jones (Georgia) might have a slight edge early, but Crennel had a hand in drafting Pool (Oklahoma), so that might count for something.

10 Who was that linebacker Butch Davis drafted in the second round out of West Texas A&M and never made it? Sadly, Chaun Thompson risks becoming the answer to that trivia question soon if he doesn't adapt to a switch from outside to inside. He's being tossed into the mix with second-round draft choice D'Qwell Jackson and fourth-rounder Leon Williams, Jackson being the early favorite to line up next to Andra Davis.

 

[redskinbucksfan]

I really like having almost all of the draft picks in on time. All too often you see someone holdout, fall behind, and not contribute much in the first year. It's nice having the house in order. Let's hope the Browns can continue to build off a nice off season. I think this team's getting ready to turn the corner. 8-8, maybe 9-7 this year, then contend for the playoffs in '07.

 

[Buckin' A]

Under Crennel, this team appears to have gone from looking like it is run out of the back of a pool hall, to a well oiled organization. Success is immanent...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/25/06

Wimbley is ready to work

First-round pick signs, eager to learn position

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

• List to lead NFL down to 11
• Wimbley is ready to work

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - Kamerion Wimbley said all the right things Monday after he signed his first contract with the Browns.
Wimbley carried himself as a young professional, and sounded sincere about being eager to get started with his new team on time -- and as soon as possible.
``I think if I would have held out, it would have hindered my performance for this upcoming season,'' he said on the first day of unofficial rookie workouts.
Training camp opens Wednesday, and Wimbley will be the first Browns first-round draft pick in camp on time since 2000. Past holdouts hampered players -- especially running back William Green, defensive tackle Gerard Warren and wide receiver Braylon Edwards.
``I'd just like to start out and say how important it was for me to get to camp on time and get in here and learn the system more,'' he said.
No show. No three-piece suit. No entourage. Just facts.
``I am a rookie and I am making a position change,'' Wimbley said. ``I need to get in and learn the defense more. I got a little bit of time during the passing camps and things like that, but there are still things that I need to pick up.''
In a time when most first-round picks are loath to sign because they -- or their agents -- fear getting less than the pick below them, Wimbley eschewed form.
``I wasn't paying too much attention (to) other rookies,'' he said.
Wimbley and his agent, Joe Linta, decided that the Browns' offer -- which includes $9.25 million in guaranteed money and could be worth almost $24 million -- was fair.
Wimbley now can get to work on the transition from college defensive end to pro linebacker. He said responsibilities are the same, so he doesn't think it should be that big of a change.
Can he start the opener? His answer would please the team.
``I think,'' he said, ``that is up to the coaches.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

7/25/06

Browns questions need answers

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

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IS CHARLIE FRYE THE SOLUTION AT QUARTERBACK?

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BEREA - The practice fields were quiet. Acres of pristine, plush grass await to be torn up, bled on, sweated on and, yes, yakked on.
None of that happened Monday afternoon outside the Cleveland Browns complex. Full-squad training camp begins Wednesday, and Year 2 of the Phil Savage-Romeo Crennel era starts — like all other eras — with hope.
No matter how many questions Savage believes the team has resolved during the last 18 months, the Browns need to start finding more answers Wednesday.
Here are five things the team must end August knowing the answers to:
Is Charlie Frye the man?
The Browns are hedging all bets that he is. The third-round pick from the University of Akron showed signs last year of being able to lead a team.
He also showed signs of not being the guy. Everyone remembers the nightmarish 41-0 Christmas Eve Massacre against Pittsburgh. Don’t forget a 9-7 Browns win the week prior.
Right now, the Browns have no other options than for Frye to be the man. Who else will get the call? Ken Dorsey?
The whole picture points to Frye being successful, but there aren’t many convinced he can carry a team.
The good news is Frye isn’t being asked to do that. He is smart and mobile. His arm strength is decent enough to throw down the field, and he has touch.
Frye has spent the entire offseason getting ready for his chance.
The Browns believe in him, and for a second-year quarterback, playing with confidence is half the battle.
Will Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards be factors?
That’s the beauty of Frye. When the Browns plucked Frye in the third round of 2005 draft, Savage already had Winslow on board. Drafting Edwards in the first round a year ago signaled Cleveland was building around a team, not a quarterback.
Winslow is healthy after his motorcycle accident, which ended his sophomore season. He is hungry, too. His attitude has changed, and he has something prove — not to mention plenty of incentive money to earn back. Winslow, providing he remains healthy, poses match-up problems for any defense.
Edwards won’t return until possibly after the bye week, which means he could miss five games. But he was spectacular at times last year. Far and away, he is the most dangerous player on offense. A better question is who will replace Edwards in the starting lineup until he’s healthy? There are answers, none of the very good ones.
If either or both of these players don’t play the final 10 or 11 games together, the offense will take a hit. There is a big difference between Steve Heiden and Winslow.
Is Ted Washington over the hill?
Don’t judge Washington based on training camp and preseason. A 365-pound 38-year-old needs another NFL training camp like an old horse needs a 365-pound passenger.
Washington — no pun intended — fills a glaring need on this team. Crennel’s 3-4 defense relies on a nose tackle, a run-clogging wide-body, to keep linemen off linebackers. Cleveland’s run defense has been embarrassing, more so because of the AFC North’s running backs.
Beyond Washington, outside linebacker Willie McGinest was one of the team’s headliners in free agency. He’s 34. The window is closing.
Washington is a veteran presence in the locker room. Don’t push him too early. No one wins anything in August. Washington has been around long enough to understand this.
Will rookie Kamerion Wimbley make the move?
At Florida State, Wimbley was a defensive end, but he has the perfect size (6-3, 245 pounds) and speed (4.6 40-yard time) to move to outside linebacker.
The concern is whether Wimbley can drop back into coverage. Rushing off the edge won’t be all that difficult. In fact, it should be easier if he’s strong enough to handle NFL linemen and running backs.
Wimbley is learning a new position and a new defense. He has that against him. But he signed before training camp, and McGinest is tutoring him. Add in that Wimbley is a good, smart character guy, and he’s the kind of player you want to root for.
If Wimbley is a bust and can’t make the position change, the Browns do have some depth at linebacker.
How important are safeties?
The casual fan knows that Crennel’s 3-4 defense in New England had a solid, if not great, front seven, but many forget that safety Lawyer Milloy was a big part of that defense. It is an overlooked position, but great defenses have Pro Bowl safeties.
The Browns have unproven safeties in Sean Jones and Brodney Pool. Veteran Brian Russel will start at free safety, but Sean Jones is high on Savage’s list.
Jones and Pool are athletic. Jones missed all of his rookie season with a knee injury. He is, essentially, a second-year player like Pool. Neither has vast playing experience.
If there are two players who need a good training camp more than Jones and Pool, it’s hard to find them.
Bottom line?
The Browns are still building. There are parts, but no wholes yet. There will be injuries throughout the course of 16 games. If Cleveland gets out of training camp injury-free, consider the luck changing.
There will be some battles for position at the linebacker spots
Look to see if veterans are leaders, and if younger players are following. See which category Frye fits in. These will be an important four weeks for Frye. Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[IronBuckI]

I like Wimbley's attitude. It's kind of hard to believe that he's from FSU. Realizing that he will inevitably make more money by learning his trade and being a better player, than holding out and looking for guarantees, without proving anything himself, is a great way to start a career.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/26/06

Grace period ends today for QB Frye

By Tom Reed

<!-- begin body-content -->Charlie Frye's rise from small-town athlete to NFL quarterback makes for a nice story.
With training camp starting today, Frye will need to be much more if he wants people outside of Willard and Akron to remember that story five years from now.
Frye has gotten almost as much mileage out of his middling physical abilities as the 1993 Pontiac Grand Prix he drove through his senior season at the University of Akron. Browns fans love his blue-collar composition, Ohio roots and folksy tales of growing up with a Bernie Kosar poster on his bedroom wall.
Good stuff when you're a rookie third-round draft choice earning starts at the end of another losing season. As training camp opens, however, the level of expectation is about to go way up.
Frye is the Browns' starting quarterback. There is no competition or debate. He has a season, no more than two, to prove he's worthy of the position. Frye won't get a four-year audition like Tim Couch to demonstrate himself unfit for the role.
The Browns' fourth different opening-day quarterback in four seasons, Frye has a legitimate opportunity to succeed. He is mobile, competitive and tough. He also has the best supporting cast given to any Browns starter since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999.
It used to be that playing quarterback for the Browns was akin to juggling chain saws blindfolded. The job reduced Couch to tears and made the Jeff Garcia and Trent Dilfer eras brief ones.
Frye can begin his reign by taking snaps from one of the NFL's best centers -- free-agent signee LeCharles Bentley -- and handing the ball to 1,200-yard rusher Reuben Droughns. The line is improved. The receiving corps, with the addition of Joe Jurevicius and return of Kellen Winslow, has the potential to be potent, especially when Braylon Edwards is ready to go.
The excuse factor has been narrowed. If the Browns still are struggling to score touchdowns, Frye will feel a heat that makes every day seem like a date against the blitz-happy Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hometown connections go only so far and carry little weight with a bottom-line coach like Romeo Crennel. He would play an Uzbek yak herder at quarterback if it meant winning more games.
Crennel realized Dilfer no longer could make plays and correctly allowed Frye to start the final five games of last season. Willard's finest performed admirably, exhibiting some spunk and playmaking ability in leading the Browns to a 2-3 record.
Kosar and Brian Sipe are proof that big arms aren't a requisite for winning football. The Browns believe Frye has enough other qualities to compensate, including a work ethic that enabled him to arrive at minicamp with tighter spirals and 15 pounds of additional muscle.
Frye's biggest problem might be coming back to Berea without a suitable mentor or backup. The thought of the Browns being one play away from Ken Dorsey is only slightly less disconcerting than the Uzbek yak herder.
Any wonder why an ESPN panel ranked the Browns last among the league's 32 teams at quarterback? If the franchise is going to sign 42-year-old backup Vinny Testaverde, shouldn't it want him as camp counselor sooner than later?
Frye doesn't need to lead the Browns to the playoffs this season to show he's a possible long-term solution. They could be improved and finish no better than 8-8 because of four division games with the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
The second-year quarterback does, however, have to show he can handle the pressures of playing the position when the games are meaningful, and the price for losing them costly.
As he's about to learn, everything changes for Charlie Frye starting today.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/26/06

BROWNS TRAINING CAMP QUESTIONS

<!-- begin body-content -->Key issues for the Browns in their 2006 training camp, as compiled by Beacon Journal pro football writer Patrick McManamon:
1 -- Is Charlie Frye the guy?
He pretty much has to be. The Browns entrusted the offense to the second-year quarterback when they traded Trent Dilfer to the San Francisco 49ers. Frye showed ability last year, especially in the preseason, and in his first start against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Frye completed 13-of-20 passes for 226 yards and had a rating of 136.7. He finished his rookie season with five starts, four touchdowns and five interceptions. The Browns believes he did everything possible in the offseason to be ready for this season, but it's a big jump from the offseason to training camp, and a bigger one from training camp to the regular season. The biggest point Frye must prove: He has an arm strong enough to stretch NFL defenses.
2 -- Can Kellen Winslow bounce back?
Winslow has missed the better part of two seasons because of a fractured ankle and a torn knee ligament. He is trying to return from two injuries, either of which have derailed other players' careers. When Winslow was the team's first draft pick in 2004, he was expected to make an immediate impact. He hasn't because of bad luck in breaking an ankle trying to recover an onside kick. He also made a bad decision, crashing a motorcycle in the offseason. He returns after eating a healthy dose of humble pie, and with a gigantic chip on his shoulder. Winslow seems determined to show he can come back. Now he has to do it.
3 -- Can the line be fine?
It seems like an annual event -- new offensive linemen arrive, and the starting five talk all camp about how important it is to jell and understand each other. This year is no different, except that one of the new arrivals has legitimate Pro Bowl credentials: center LeCharles Bentley. Bentley steps in for Jeff Faine (another discarded former No. 1 draft pick). Kevin Shaffer steps in at left tackle for L.J. Shelton. More questions surround Shaffer, who will face a bounty of talented, fast pass-rushers as he tries to protect Frye's blind side. Guards Joe Andruzzi and Cosey Coleman are solid if healthy, but both struggled with knee injuries last season.
4 -- When will we see Braylon Edwards?
Don't count on it until November. If he plays in October, it will be a pleasant surprise. Edwards will spend training camp continuing his rehab from a torn knee ligament. The bigger question is what Braylon Edwards will the team see? Will he be full-speed, 100 percent, or will he be like many other players who struggle the first year back and return to form the second year?
5 -- Who will play wide receiver until Edwards returns?
Not easy to answer this one. It might be the most intriguing competition of camp, because the Browns need someone other than Joe Jurevicius. Among the candidates: Dennis Northcutt; who did not do well a year ago; Brandon Rideau, who had a tough minicamp; Travis Wilson, the team's third-round draft choice; Joshua Cribbs, the talented and athletic former Kent Stater, and Frisman Jackson, who seems to get a chance every year. One of those players has to come to the forefront.
6 -- Who will score touchdowns?
This is a rocket's-red-glaring need. The Browns scored 22 touchdowns last year, which ranked dead last. Their four rushing touchdowns were abysmal -- only the Arizona Cardinals did worse. Somehow the Browns must find playmakers, guys who can get in the end zone. That's a reason Jurevicius was brought in -- he scored 10 touchdowns for the Seattle Seahawks, even though he didn't start the entire season. In past seasons, Northcutt was a threat, but penalties wiped out punt-return scores a year ago, and he never fit in as a receiver. Edwards was supposed to help in that regard as well, but he's injured. Somehow the Browns need to find scorers. It could be Winslow or rookie running back Jerome Harrison or Frye, who can move to score. This is a key to the preseason.
7 -- Will Reuben Droughns' legal situation affect him?
Probably not mentally. Droughns seems to be a pretty easygoing, affable guy who does not seem to let much bother him. He and the Browns hinted that his case was going to be dropped in July. Instead it continues, and if it is not settled, he is due at a pretrial conference Aug. 21, which means he'll miss at least one day of camp. If the case drags on -- and alleged domestic abuse is treated with great seriousness in Colorado -- it could weigh on Droughns' mind, which could make Lee Suggs more of a candidate to make the team.
8 -- Who is Andra Davis' partner?
Someone has to play inside linebacker next to Davis, and at the start of camp, it's as wide open a position as there is on the team. The starter could come from a group that includes Chaun Thompson, second-round draft pick D'Qwell Jackson and a long shot -- fourth-round pick Leon Williams. When minicamp started, it seemed like Jackson had the edge. But General Manager Phil Savage talked as if the team could use a group of players at the position. This brings to mind the old saying: If you've got two quarterbacks, you've got no quarterback.
9 -- Can Ted Washington be more than a monument?
It's pretty rare that a 38-year-old nose tackle is pursued, but that's what the Browns did when they brought in Ted Washington. He's a mammoth body (365 pounds) in the middle of the line, and nearly impossible to move. But... . . he's 38, and backup Babatunde Oshinowo is a rookie. The Browns' improvement in run defense will depend a lot on these two guys.
10 -- What other positions are worth watching?
There are several, starting with outside linebacker, where first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley will try to step in. At cornerback, Leigh Bodden was more than impressive when he played last season. Bodden will attempt to unseat longtime starter Daylon McCutcheon. Finally, the safety spot next to Brian Russell is wide open, with Sean Jones and Brodney Pool competing.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/26/06

TV station suing Browns over contract

Wednesday, July 26, 2006


ASSOCIATED PRESS

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A TV station sued the Cleveland Browns yesterday after the team said it would break the station’s contract to broadcast preseason games and other programming because the station aired a 911 call involving the team owner’s relatives.
WOIO-TV aired the call placed by owner Randy Lerner’s sister, Nancy Fisher, after she found her 6-year-old daughter drowned in a creek on family property July 9.
Browns vice president Michael Keenan sent a letter to Bill Applegate, WOIO’s vice president and general manager, on July 13 informing him that the team was terminating the contract, citing what he called irresponsible journalism.
WOIO, a CBS affiliate, is seeking to keep the contract and to collect damages exceeding $25,000. The case was assigned to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McMonagle.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

7/26/06

COMMENTARY
Frye's the key for Cleveland

By Sean McClelland

BEREA — "Playoffs or bust."

Such is the rallying cry for this year's Cleveland Browns. At least according to middle linebacker Andra Davis, one of their better players.

Davis even likes the quarterback, despite the fact that Charlie Frye has started five games in his NFL career, winning two.

"He's cocky, and he's got swagger," Davis said. "That's what we need."

At least he didn't call him a young Brett Favre, as offensive lineman Ross Verba once said of Tim Couch only to watch him crumble and even cry after one particularly painful defeat.

Players have no choice but to be relentlessly optimistic at this time of year.

They want to believe anything is possible. So they sell you on their chances, as if mainly trying to convince themselves that everything will be better.

What are the Browns' actual chances? Well, they reside in a division that includes the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who they can't seem to beat, and the reigning AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals. Strike one.

Inspection of the schedule — three of their first five at Cincinnati, Oakland and Carolina — shows it to be rather menacing. In back-to-back November games, they play the Chiefs at home, then the Steelers on the road four days later. Strike two.

The defense should be better, if only because they're using the same scheme for the second year in a row and old hands such as outside linebacker Willie McGinest and nose tackle Ted Washington can fall out of bed and play it.

Still, poor quarterback play sinks a team faster than an iceberg, and what gives anyone reason to believe in Frye, a second-year player and third-round draft pick from the University of Akron?

As Couch discovered, leading a team out of the wilderness is a tall order for one so young.

That's the biggest question facing the Browns as they open Romeo Crennel's second training camp today: Can Frye get the job done? And if not, then where are they? Ken Dorsey? Vinny Testaverde? A fourth consecutive season of six wins or fewer?

Davis and others think Frye's the guy. For long-suffering Browns fans, that should be enough to keep air in the balloon for a while.

Put it this way: Nobody's canceling their season tickets because an inexperienced quarterback is lining up under center. If anything, interest is heightened by the fact that Frye grew up near here and played at Akron.

But don't kid yourself. Frye needs to make plays, not just "manage the game," as some are suggesting.

Can he do what Bernie Kosar did and lead the Browns to the playoffs in his first full season? At this point, that would seem a good bit like wishful thinking.

Canton

7/26/06

BROWNS BEAT: Expect at least a few surprises

Wednesday, July 26, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]BROWNS BEAT STEVE DOERSCHUK[/FONT]


BEREA Rising cornerback Leigh Bodden ends Daylon McCutcheon’s seven-year run as a starter. Sean Jones beats out Brodney Pool in a strong safety slugfest between recent Round 2 picks. Rookie inside linebacker D’Qwell Jackson sends four-year veteran Chaun Thompson to the bench.
None of this would make TV legend Gomer Pyle roll out a wide-eyed “surprise, surprise, surprise.”
What are the real surprises that might give Browns fans a case of the gollies?
Here are 10 possibilities, in ascending order of shock value, as the team opens its first day of training camp today.

Linebacker Andra Davis emerges as star material.
Davis has played amid seriously undermanned defenses ever since Jamir Miller blew out an Achilles during the 2002 preseason. Suddenly, Davis is part of an interesting corps of linebackers, playing behind a nose tackle, Ted Washington, who is still a beast when healthy.

An unexpected wideout emerges who will remain a key man even after Braylon Edwards is phased back in.
Dennis Northcutt is coming off a poor receiving year, soon will be too old to return punts and is in the last year of his contract. The braintrust likes 6-foot-3 Frisman Jackson well enough — and given Edwards’ knee surgery has a need keen enough — to keep an open mind about the fifth-year pro. Jackson had a 128-yard game against the Bengals on Sept. 11.

David McMillan breaks through as a pass-rusher.
Last year’s fifth-round draft pick must prove he has grasped enough to make his sensational speed useful. He was lost as a rookie.

Rookie fullback Lawrence Vickers steals playing time from veteran Terrelle Smith.
Smith, a seventh-year pro, is a tough leader and lead blocker, but few play fullback longer than five years, and the more versatile Vickers impressed in spring drills.

Big rookie Isaac Sowells is ready to play guard.
Compact veteran Bob Hallen is the likely replacement if Joe Andruzzi (108 career games) doesn’t hold up. Sowells is being groomed to start in 2007, and it would be a plus if he could play acceptably now.

Second-year pro Antonio Perkins assumes a meaningful role.
Some scouts thought Perkins was drafted way too high (Round 4) last year. He wasn’t ready to be even a No. 4 cornerback. If he hasn’t made a big jump, he’d waste a roster spot. He’s a punt-returning prospect, but that’s what Northcutt does best.

Nick Eason gives Alvin McKinley a fight for playing time at defensive end.
McKinley was about Eason’s age when his career started to move, and they’re the same size. McKinley is in the last year of his contract and may not fit the personality the braintrust seeks.

Derek Anderson moves past Ken Dorsey as the No. 2 quarterback.
Dorsey’s arm might be too weak to handle the Lake Erie’s November winds. Anderson’s body and arm are bigger than Charlie Frye’s.

Frye goes one way or another, lighting up preseason foes or looking terrible.
The likelier scenario is for the Browns to nurse Frye into the season with minimal risk of disturbing his confidence. That calls for safe practice and preseason game plans that lend themselves to Frye seeming capable but not flashy. Frye looking awful in this climate would be huge surprise, given his apparent mental toughness.

Lee Suggs beats out Reuben Droughns as the No. 1 running back. Suggs is a better all-around talent. Droughns has been more durable and is coming off two acceptable years as a No. 1 back. If Droughns’ ego can handle the setback, opening the year with Suggs as “the man” might work. Suggs might reveal special talent, which Droughns simply doesn’t have. If Suggs gets hurt again, Droughns is a deluxe replacement, with rookie Jerome Harrison available in relief. Droughns was excellent off the bench for Denver in 2004. Romeo Crennel, though, seems sold on Droughns, which would make this a big surprise. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

7/27/06

Free agents fuel Browns' optimism

Camp begins on high note; Frye still question mark

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - Optimism flowed from the field faster than the Browns at the end of their one-hour workout Wednesday, the first of the team's 2006 training camp.
``It ain't about waiting anymore,'' corner Gary Baxter said. ``It's about getting it done.''
``The expectations are that much more high,'' guard Cosey Coleman said.
``There are no excuses,'' cornerback Daylon McCutcheon said.
Linebacker Andra Davis called the team's talent level the highest it's been in his five years in Cleveland, and McCutcheon added he's never been more optimistic.
Even the ever-cautious coach acknowledged that, on paper, the team is better.
``But we still have to take it to the field,'' Romeo Crennel said. ``We have to be better on Sundays.''
The good feelings come from the Browns bringing in several big-name free agents -- ``Definitely the best group we've brought in in free agency,'' McCutcheon said -- to go with a team that is in its second year under the same coaching staff and system.
``We've always been kind of iffy,'' McCutcheon said. ``Lose a game by six points or a field goal. We always come close to getting over the hill. I feel like this group should put us over the hill.''
But with the optimism comes a dose of realism -- the Browns are pinning many of their hopes on second-year quarterback Charlie Frye.
``It's untested water,'' Baxter said. ``Charlie has his back up against the wall right now. But like anybody else that starts this game, you got to prove yourself.
``Charlie knows what's expected of him, but all he has to do is go out and play.''
In an interview with a media group large enough to be worthy of the White House briefing room, Frye said all the right things -- especially about being more comfortable.
``I've always been the starter,'' he said. ``Last year I came into camp No. 3 and I didn't know how to act.''
When did Crennel know that Frye could be the starter? ``When I traded (Trent) Dilfer,'' Crennel said.
The media laughed, and Crennel shrugged.
``Hey guys, it is what it is,'' he said. ``It was open competition to that point. Then I didn't have any competition so Frye became the starter.''
That would indicate a certain level of concern existed about Frye before Dilfer's trade, but that concern needed to be erased when Frye was the only quarterback who had played and knew the system.
But Crennel also described Frye as a guy who learned much in his five starts last season, and who never got rattled. Not even in the 41-0 embarrassment to the Steelers on Christmas Eve.
``He saw things he wasn't used to seeing,'' Crennel said, ``but I don't think he was afraid or scared.''
General Manager Phil Savage described the plan with Frye this way: Protect him physically, preserve him mentally and promote him organizationally.
Crennel said the Browns will give Frye as many defensive looks in practice as they can, but they will not risk injury. Preseason playing time is to be determined, though it's reasonable to think Frye may get more than usual to get him accustomed to his teammates and the system.
Most preseason predictors agree that the Browns are better, but most also say the team's biggest question mark is its quarterback. Many of the publications rank the Browns' quarterbacks at or near the bottom of the league.
``I'm just going to let my play speak on that,'' Frye said. ``I'm not going to comment on that. We'll see where that ends up at the end of the season.''
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ABJ

7/27/06

Browns notebook

Kosar might be on broadcast team

Former Browns QB could work preseason games

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - An old friend was on the sidelines for the Browns' first practice, and that friend might be around for preseason games.
Former quarterback Bernie Kosar watched practice, then said afterward he might be part of the team's preseason broadcast team.
``I don't know if I should be saying that yet,'' Kosar said Wednesday, ``but I'm not a good liar.''
Kosar has visited the team off and on the past year, but has not been a regular. Owner Randy Lerner has reached out to Kosar to make him more a part of the team -- much like he reached out to Jim Brown.
Browns vice president Bill Bonsiewicz said the team hopes Kosar is part of a three-man broadcast team that also would include play-by-play man Sam Rosen.
Last season, Rosen did the games with Bob Golic.
After watching practice, Kosar said he still could throw the ball, if asked.
``(But) I think if one of those 300-pounders hit me, I'd crack in half,'' he said.
Wilson missing
The only rookie not present for the first full-team practice was third-round draft pick Travis Wilson. The team made the usual statements about coaching the guys who are present, but also put some clear pressure on Wilson.
``When a player misses a week or two in camp, it translates to almost half a season in some cases,'' General Manager Phil Savage said.
``I know last year when the No. 1 (Braylon Edwards) wasn't in, it took him a while to get acclimated,'' coach Romeo Crennel said. ``I would imagine the same thing would happen to the No. 3.''
Winslow at full speed
Crennel said tight end Kellen Winslow will be able to go full speed right away in camp.
``I think Kellen's limitations will be what he can handle physically,'' Crennel said. ``We don't know what that is because he hasn't practiced in two years.
``We have to play that by ear to see how that goes. If he gets a little sore in camp, we'll have to back off a little bit. If he can keep it going, we'll let him go.
``He's a competitive guy, he wants to win and he wants to show that he can get it done. If anything, I'll probably have to pull back on him.''
Edwards started camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He can be taken off that list at any time during camp. Savage said there is a definite plan for Edwards, but would not specify.
``We're anticipating he is going to be back with us, as we've said all along,'' Savage said. ``Is it October 1st? Is it September 1st? Who knows?''
Crennel said he has no idea when Edwards might be cleared to practice.
``It could be a possibility that he could be out there on week one,'' Crennel said. ``Until they pass him, I don't know. If they pass him tomorrow and he's out there tomorrow, I would say week one is a possibility.
``If they wait until the middle of the preseason to pass him, then I would say it's doubtful.''
Brownies . . .
There is open competition at four defensive spots: outside linebacker (Kamerion Wimbley and Matt Stewart), inside linebacker (D'Qwell Jackson and Chaun Thompson), safety (Sean Jones and Brodney Pool) and cornerback, where Crennel said Leigh Bodden and Daylon McCutcheon will be bracketed as starters and share reps to see who wins the job.... Fifth-round draft pick DeMario Minter will have knee surgery today.... Today is the first day the team will practice in full pads, with practices set for 8:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

7/27/06

Browns: Good first day; nobody got hurt

Thursday, July 27, 2006
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[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk Repository sports writer [/FONT]

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Repository Scott Heckel EASY AS THEY COME Veteran wide receiver Joe Jurevicius looks in a pass Wednesday during the first day of Cleveland Browns training camp. Jurevicius and the rest of the team enjoyed a light workout but are expected to get into heavier lifting today.
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BEREA
Young wide receiver Brandon Rideau made a fabulous play.

Old pro Joe Jurevicius fell down.

What did it matter? On the first day of training camp, the Cleveland Browns drew a large crowd but did no more than break a sweat, wearing shorts.

Rideau reached out and made an amazing, one-handed sideline grab.

“Nice catch,” said receivers coach Terry Robiskie, who threw the pass.

Jurevicius drew a cheer when he caught a pass in a seven-on-seven drill featuring ultra-light defense. Then he slipped while making a cut, going down hard.

Jurevicius got up, slightly embarrassed. Within six weeks, Rideau might not be on the team. Jurevicius might be the No. 1 wide receiver.

Things will get more serious today with the first double practice session.

On Wednesday, most of the meat came from conversations with General Manager Phil Savage and Head Coach Romeo Crennel.

Savage is jazzed about starting camp with rookie third-round pick Travis Wilson as the only holdout.

“I think we have a real together squad,” he said as a song by The Who blared in the background. “This team has the right focus and mentality. I think that will be played out over the season.”

If and when he signs, Wilson will be behind wideouts Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt, Frisman Jackson, Josh Cribbs and Rideau.

Receiver Braylon Edwards, who blew out a knee Dec. 4 against Jacksonville, opened camp on the physically unable to perform list. That keeps him from taking up a roster spot and doesn’t prevent him from playing in the Sept. 10 season opener against the Saints — which Crennel didn’t rule out.

“He’s make good progress in his rehab,” Crennel said.

Savage declined getting more specific than this: “Our anticipation is that (Edwards) will be able to do some things with us during training camp.”

Job one is getting quarterback Charlie Frye ready for the Saints. Savage said Frye figures to be managed through the preseason “like most of the No. 1 quarterbacks around the league.”

In other words, he probably won’t play more than a half in any of the preseason games.

“One of the major themes for us, in my mind at least, is to protect Charlie physically, preserve him mentally and promote him organizationally,” Savage said. “I think we’re on track to do that.

“It’s gonna take a lot of patience. There’s gonna be some down times when he doesn’t look so great, but we have some other players here who can pick up the pace and maybe make a play when he can’t do it.

“On the flip side, we’re anticipating him being able to do some things late in games to help us win.”

Frye was 2-3 as a rookie starter. Crennel said he liked Frye’s mental toughness, even in a 41-0 loss to the Steelers.

“I think he saw some things he wasn’t used to seeing in that game,” Crennel said, “but I don’t think he was afraid or scared. Not at all.”

Both Crennel and Savage gave strong indications that the team is fully committed to Reuben Droughns as the No. 1 running back.

Savage said Droughns will “probably miss a day” of the preseason because of an Aug. 21 court date in Colorado to answer domestic violence charges.

There should be some heated position battles on defense.

Second-year pro Brodney Pool and third-year man Sean Jones — both former Round 2 picks — are hot prospects at free safety.

“The winner of that gets to run out there and start the game,” Savage said, “but I think if we can get to a point we improve our run defense, both guys will play a lot in our sub package.”

Rookie Round 2 pick D’Qwell Jackson is viewed as a potential star at inside linebacker, but he must beat out four-year veteran Chaun Thompson.

“Chaun obviously has a lot of talent,” Savage said. “He’s one of the guys on our defense who can close with some burst and acceleration.”

Rookie fifth-round pick DeMario Minter quickly fell out of the competition for the No. 4 cornerback job. Minter was placed on the PUP list as the result of surgery on his left knee. The Browns would not get more specific about the surgery.

Minter’s absence makes last year’s fourth-round pick, Antonio Perkins, the likely fourth corner, but he was unimpressive as a rookie.

Rookie first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley will try to be an every-down outside linebacker. He would have to move past veteran Matt Stewart.

“Wimbley seems to be picking things up pretty good,” Crennel said.

One could pick up glimpses of what the Browns might look like at certain moments when the games get real.

Cribbs, the former Kent State quarterback, flew around the left corner on a reverse. Droughns, last year’s 1,232-yard rushing workhorse, lined up wide left and wound up catching a pass on a deep slant route.

But it was only the first day, with a thousand glimpses to come.
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

Canton

7/27/06

SPORTS SPOTLIGHT: Frye, Browns look to write a new chapter

Thursday, July 27, 2006

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BEREA During the offseason, which began a week after the Christmas Eve massacre at Browns Stadium, Romeo Crennel studied up. He learned about the history of the Browns. About the team that produced — year, after year, after year — teams the rest of the NFL respected.

Those were the days.

He said the Browns had 10 winning seasons back when the franchise first started 60 years ago. He said it as if any of this might be news around here.

“This is a rich tradition. It’s not just the bottom of the barrel that we’ve been in,” Crennel said Wednesday, fresh off the practice field on the official start of his second training camp as Browns head coach. “There have been some good things that happened in the past.

“I know lately they haven’t been as good, but we’re going to work to turn that around.”

Oh, what a story that would be.

The Browns are betting Charlie Frye is the guy to write the script.
He’s their guy.

Ready or not.

Crennel gave a history lesson that no self-respecting Browns fan needs.

Quite frankly, it’s refreshing that a Browns head coach learned the history.

Can history repeat itself?

Local kid makes good in Cleveland? Fans fall in love with introvert quarterback? Sound familiar. The funny thing is Bernie Kosar took in the Browns’ first day of training camp from the sideline.

And Frye spent his first day of his first training camp as the starting quarterback shrugging off the pressure of being local kid leading his team out of the muck.

No one knows how Frye will react when the hits are real and they keep score on Sunday afternoon. But the make up of his fiber says he will be just fine.

Frye didn’t take the practice field Wednesday with a sense of “This is my team.”

“I had that sense when I played last year,” said Frye, who proved no one wrong and no one right in five starts as a rookie. “You don’t want your guys in the huddle questioning who takes control. Throughout five starts, I tried to take control more and more. ... You don’t want your quarterback looking dazed and confused. Whether you’re a rookie or a 10-year veteran, guys turn to you for answers.”

Frye is confident he will have them.

He cut an Arizona vacation short in the offseason so he could spend more time throwing with tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. He’s spent more time with his head in the playbook than the “little black book.” Tim Couch had it reversed.

But there still are questions about Frye. He hasn’t proven himself, and he was handed the starting job.

Crennel didn’t sound all that convincing when asked at what point did he believe Frye was the guy?

“When I traded (Trent) Dilfer,” Crennel said, half laughing at the answer.

“That’s the way it is. I had an open competition until that point.”

So the Browns are celebrating 60 years of football — if you can count the last seven — this year.

Just look at the last seven. The team has gone through six quarterbacks.

The dirty laundry of smelling gym socks makes your toes curl.

The team hasn’t had a quarterback since Kosar. He wasn’t great, but he was good enough. He didn’t have to be great. He had an offensive line, running backs and wide receivers.

Frye has what none of the others in the clothes hamper did.

He has a 1,000-yard running back. He has an All-Pro center. He has a potential star at tight end and a break-out wide receiver.

And now he has the pressure to produce.

LeCharles Bentley, the All-Pro center and one of four Browns who grew up in Northeast Ohio, laughed.

“He’s the starting quarterback in Cleveland. What more can you say about that?” Bentley said. “It’s like being the starting running back at Ohio State.

You’re going to have pressure on you. People have expectations. That comes with the territory.”

Kosar is spending time with Frye. In fact, Kosar tried to do his best Wednesday not to grab the spotlight. It’s bad enough Frye has to play in his shadow, he shouldn’t have to yell over him.

There are intangible benefits to bending Kosar’s ear.

Frye knows what is expected of him.

Win.

Win with Reuben Droughns. Win with Kellen Winslow Jr. Win with Braylon Edwards. Win with Charlie Frye.

Browns fans won’t care.

Just win.

It was the first day of training camp. Nothing is more amazing, though, than the fans who show up. They come wearing orange-and-brown mohawks — the real ones. They come in cars painted in Browns colors. They take off work. They use vacation days.

Since 1999, the first day of training camp is the most optimistic day of the season. It’s an hourlong practice. The only goal is no one gets hurt.

Charlie Frye completed every pass he threw. Ready or not, he is the face of the team.
Reach Repository sports writer Todd Porter at (330) 580-8340 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[Brutus - NYC]

Bad News from camp...

...I just got an update from a very reliable source that Bentley just got carted off the field in the first session of the first practice of training camp. Apparently something serious regarding his left knee.

Unfortunately, as a long time Browns fan, I am starting to expect news like this.

 

[scarletngrey11]

Wouldnt expect anything less as a Browns fan...

Hopefully its not as serious as it sounds, but im not counting on it....

 

[NFBuck]

Yup...sounds about right. :frown2: