Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/9/06

Browns' critical condition moves front and center

Hallen departs with personal, physical issues. Ephraim takes over starting job

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - Romeo Crennel called the center position critical on Tuesday.
Which makes the Browns' situation the same in light of the fact that Bob Hallen left the team.
Alonzo Ephraim, who was signed 11 days ago, moves into the starting spot for Thursday night's exhibition opener against the host Philadelphia Eagles.
And late Tuesday, the Browns added Ross Tucker, sending a conditional 2007 draft pick to the New England Patriots for the sixth-year player.
Tucker, from Princeton University, has played for Washington, Dallas and Buffalo and was signed in December by New England.
Tucker has four starts at center, all at Buffalo in 2004. His other 20 starts were at guard.
He could step into a position that has turned into a black hole for the Browns.
Ephraim, Tucker, Rob Smith and Mike Mabry are the centers.
LeCharles Bentley, the team's prize offseason free agent signee, is hobbling around the facility on crutches, rehabbing his surgically repaired knee.
Hallen, who stepped in for Bentley, has left the building.
Hallen was placed on the Exempt/Left Squad list, which means he will not count against the roster. Crennel said Hallen has personal and physical issues.
The physical issues are Hallen's back, which will be examined in San Diego by the same doctor who treated him last season when his back acted up. The personal issues apparently deal with the back pain, and whether he wants to keep playing.
The issues apparently are wrapped together, and Hallen has much to sort out, including retirement.
``I think he wants to be a starter,'' Crennel said of Hallen. ``That's what I thought. That he accepted the challenge and tried to do the best he could.''
Monday, Hallen complained of back pain after the morning practice. Browns doctors examined him, but Hallen decided to have a specialist in San Diego check him as well -- which means a long flight for a person with a sore back.
Tuesday, Hallen spoke with Crennel on the phone.
``He's AWOL,'' Crennel said, ``but I know why he's AWOL.''
Crennel said he would be open-minded if Hallen wanted to return, but it did not sound like that was certain.
``If he's better than what you have on the team, you have to consider that,'' he said.
That leaves Ephraim the starter in Philadelphia.
``We'll find out whether he can play or not,'' Crennel said.
Ephraim has five starts in his three years in the NFL, all at guard, but said his natural position is center. He joined the Browns on July 29, the day his first child was due. So Ephraim could make it to camp, his girlfriend had labor induced the night before.
``I can't see the future, but I can see an opportunity when it arises,'' Ephraim said.
Crennel, meanwhile, tried to address the bizarre nature of losing two centers in 14 days of camp.
``Everything surprises me,'' he said. ``You're talking about a starting center in the NFL. The next day he's got two issues that he has to deal with, which means I have to deal with them if he has to deal with them.''
Second-year quarterback Charlie Frye has dealt with three starting centers -- after coming to camp assuming Bentley would be his personal protector.
``This is a crazy world and a crazy business,'' Frye said. ``Stuff keeps happening like that. The main thing I can do is have a good attitude and keep moving forward.''
Frye said the biggest issue with a center is confidence, and developing that confidence takes time. A camp that started with promise has to have tested the team -- and its quarterback.
``At this position, you can't show it,'' Frye said. ``You want your guys believing in you.''
Brownies . . .
Frye said his thumb is fine, and he will be fine Thursday. Frye hit the thumb on a helmet a week ago.... Former British Open champion Ben Curtis was a visitor at practice. Afterward, he hit 50-yard shots through the goal posts with a crowd of Browns watching.... With Daylon McCutcheon (knee) and Gary Baxter (knee) out, Antonio Perkins worked with the starters at cornerback and probably will start Thursday.... Baxter, linebacker Chaun Thompson (calf), running back Chris Barclay (ankle), guard Isaac Sowells (ankle) and tight end Darnell Dinkins (ankle) probably will not make the trip.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

Canton

8/9/06

Browns scrambling for a snapper

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk Repository sports writer[/FONT]
<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px -3px 15px 5px; POSITION: relative" width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>

Browns: So where do we go from here? PHOTO ILLUSTRATION by RAY STEWART AND ERI HASHIMOTO
​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


BEREA - The issue of who will hike the ball to Charlie Frye has blown so ridiculously off center, the Browns don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
It’s football. They’re macho. They laugh.
“I’d play,” 59-year-old Head Coach Romeo Crennel said, “but I have an arthritic hip.”
The Browns opened training camp with LeCharles Bentley at center. Before tearing a patellar tendon, he was viewed by some as the game’s No. 1 center.
The team heads into Thursday’s preseason opener with Alonzo Ephraim, rated as the 69th-best NFL guard by The Sporting News.
And they might have to stick with Ephraim, who gets the job because nine-year pro Bob Hallen, regarded as a decent option behind Bentley, is out with what Crennel called “medical and personal issues.”
Hallen has a back injury. Crennel would not elaborate on the personal matter.
“They’re both pretty serious,” Crennel said. “Probably on an even keel.”
Are they related?
“Possibly,” Crennel said.
A short while later, General Manager Phil Savage finished a trade for 27-year-old guard-center Ross Tucker, a marginal veteran and no relation to injured Browns tackle Ryan Tucker, from the Patriots for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. Hallen was placed on the “reserve, left squad” list.
Ross Tucker was an undrafted rookie out of Princeton in 2001. In 2004, he started 12 games for the Bills — four at center, eight at left guard — but they cut him late in the 2005 preseason. The Patriots didn’t pick him up until Dec. 13, and he appeared in one game. One of his 2004 starts, incidentally, was in a 37-7 win over the Browns.
Hallen practiced Monday morning but didn’t show up for Monday evening’s practice. At that point, Crennel said he thought Hallen would huddle with team doctors to address the back issue. Instead, Hallen did not report to the team complex Tuesday.
“It surprised me a little bit,” Crennel said. “He’s AWOL, but I know why he’s AWOL. He gave me a good enough reason that there’s some concern on my part.”
Relying on Hallen was a nervous proposition, in that he had back problems while playing with the Chargers and has made only five of his 47 career NFL starts during the last three years.
Hallen, though, was signed March 14 as an important backup, intended to be the first man in if anything happened to the starting guards or Bentley.
Ephraim was a free agent who couldn’t find a better offer than the one the Browns gave him the day after Bentley got hurt. Ephraim will have been a Brown for 13 days when he starts against the Eagles.
“He’s a pretty big body, a pretty compact guy,” Crennel said of the 6-foot-4, 312-pounder. “We’ll find out exactly if he can play or not.”
There’s an excellent chance the Browns will reverse a trade process they used just before the season last year. On Sept. 4, they sent center Melvin Fowler to Minnesota for offensive tackle Nat Dorsey. Now, they’ll consider trading a player or a draft pick for a center.
They’d have been set had they hung onto 2003 first-round pick Jeff Faine, but he was dealt to the Saints on draft day so the Browns could trade up in the second round for linebacker D’Qwell Jackson.
“Haste makes waste,” Crennel said. “We’re not gonna go grab the first thing that jumps out. We’re gonna do our homework.
“We can get somebody better, but if you’ve got to give up too much, you’ve got to weigh that.”
Crennel left the door open for Hallen to return. For now, Ron Smith, an undrafted rookie from Tennessee who sweats profusely and has had trouble converting snaps, is Ephraim’s backup.
“I’m a rookie,” Smith said. “I’m just trying to work my way up.”
Ephraim, 25, was a versatile starter at Alabama and has played in 40 NFL games, including 10 for the Dolphins last year, with three starts, all at guard.
Ephraim will have snapped to Frye in three practices with the No. 1 offense heading into Thursday’s preseason kickoff.
“He’s only been here like ... a week,” Frye said. “We have to get in there and watch film together, the same things I was doing with Bob, but starting over again.”
As flighty as the situation seems, Ephraim is trying to stay grounded.
“There’s nothing new about this,” he said. “This is the NFL. Somebody gets hurt. Somebody has to step up.”
EXTRA POINTS
n Charlie Frye says the thumb he banged on a helmet Friday night is a non-issue. My thumb’s good to go,” he said. “I feel 100 percent.”
n Linebacker Chaun Thompson (calf) and cornerback Gary Baxter (knee) seem unlikely to play until preseason game No. 2, against the Lions on Aug. 18. Crennel said both are “questionable” for the Eagles game.
n Tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. might play into the second quarter Thursday, Crennel said. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

8/9/06

Put your money on Jackson

Wednesday, August 9, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk Repository sports writer[/FONT]



BEREA - Anything can happen. Bob Costas might slur a word. John Madden might go bankrupt. Terrell Owens might become a monk.
Somebody other than D’Qwell Jackson might be the Browns’ starting inside linebacker alongside Andra Davis.
But bet on the obvious choice, Jackson.
Why?
n The team traded Jeff Faine to move up in the second round and get him.
n Fourth-year pro Chaun Thompson, his main competition, is nursing a strained calf.
n Odell Thurman and Lofa Tatupu were standout rookie linebackers on playoff teams last year, and both were drafted lower in Round 2 than Jackson was this year.
n Jackson is rising, not wilting, in the heat of training camp.
Romeo Crennel lights up when he talks about Jackson’s “instincts.”
“He has an uncanny knack for knowing where the ball’s gonna be,” the Browns head coach said.
One piece of evidence popped up Friday in front of 24,000 witnesses in Cleveland Browns Stadium. During an 11-on-11 drill, Jackson knifed in front of a Ken Dorsey throw toward Lee Suggs and stole away with an interception.
His main job in 34 college starts for Maryland was run defense, which accounted most of his 447 tackles — he averaged 13.7 tackles per game in 2005. But expect strategic big plays, too. He had two interceptions in each of the last three seasons.
He acquired his ball skills from his uncle and father figure, Charles Dixon. Dixon would stand a few feet away and heave balls at young D’Qwell’s face.
Dixon, a powerfully built physical specimen, remains a central figure in Jackson’s life.
Dixon says he first saved himself from a street-running life that could have ended in jail or on the wrong side of a bullet. He took an interest in D’Qwell, setting out to save him from the streets early on.
“My uncle molded me in the back yard, doing football drills,” said Jackson, who grew up in Seminole, Fla. “Even when football season wasn’t in, I was still doing football drills.
“I’d throw up or whatever. He pushed me to the limits without overdoing it. He showed me you had to get up keep moving, push through.
“He always told me, everybody’s good at the beginning of the game. It’s who prevails at the end who’s a a good player.
“I always concentrated on staying low and shuffling my feet and just understanding how football is.”
Crennel senses Jackson is fired up about showing his wares during Thursday’s preseason opener at Philadelphia.
Davis, a fifth-year pro, has helped bring Jackson along, but Davis can’t teach Jackson how to be 6-foot-1, 254 pounds, as he is.
“As you get older, being my size, you figure out what you can and can’t do,” said the 6-foot, 228-pound Jackson.
What the Browns like most about Jackson so far is that he seldom does things he shouldn’t do. Crennel marvels at how quickly Jackson transfers something he sees on film to the next practice.
“If Coach knows you’re not one of those guys whio’s gonna blow an assignment,” Jackson said, “he’s gonna put you out there.”
Early indications are that Jackson has an excellent chance to be out there deep into a future that begins now.
Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

Schedule
Today No practice
Thursday Preseason: Browns at Eagles, 7:30 p.m.
Friday No practice
Saturday 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Sunday 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Monday 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Times are subject to change. For a complete schedule, visit: www.clevelandbrowns.com Directions Take Interstate 77 north to Route 18 in Medina. Take Route 18 west to Interstate 71 north. Exit at Bagley Road. Turn left onto East Bagley Road. Turn right onto Beech Street. Parking is free and located at Baldwin-Wallace College. A shuttle service is available to the practice fields.


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

8/9/06

Frye's destiny likely in mold of Sipe, Kosar

By Sean McClelland
Staff Writer

To hear critics speak of quarterback Charlie Frye, you would think he was the next Mike Phipps.
Who knows? He may, in fact, be the next coming of the most disappointing quarterback in Browns history (they did trade Paul Warfield to get Phipps, after all), but the bet here is that Frye's career ends up looking more like that of Bernie Kosar or Brian Sipe — a sprinkling of success mixed with the kind of agonizing failure to which Cleveland fans are accustomed.
Like Frye, neither Kosar nor Sipe wowed you with physical attributes.
The gangly Kosar moved like a chess king, but his accuracy and smarts made him a marquee player until blitzing Chiefs defensive back Lloyd Burress crashed into his elbow in 1989.
Sipe was a finesse pitcher on his strongest-armed day, but with the guts of a burglar. Frye has Sipe's quick feet, which can be the saving grace of NFL quarterbacks with ordinary arms. Joe Montana's footwork, remember, is what first caught Bill Walsh's eye.
Are the Browns Super Bowl-bound with Frye at the helm? Not in the near future, it seems, but he's clearly diligent and bright, and if you surround him with decent talent and his arm doesn't fall off the way Tim Couch's did, he might succeed.
Even though the former University of Akron star wears a Superman T-shirt under his jersey in tribute to his favorite superhero, let's not expect anything superhuman just yet, however.
Although it never hurts to dream.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or
[email protected]

DDN

8/9/06

CLEVELAND BROWNS
Safety aims to be among NFL's best

Sean Jones recovered from 2004 knee injury, may earn starting job.

By Sean McClelland
Staff Writer

Sean Jones still thinks he can be what a second-round draft choice is supposed to be.
He still considers himself a star in the making.
"But it's a process," the third-year safety cautioned. "Some guys come out here and show their talent, their game, right away. Some guys take a little while."
And some guys, like Jones, tear their anterior cruciate ligament in their first minicamp and spend the next two years in comeback mode.
After missing the 2004 season, Jones got back on the field last year and, not surprisingly, played like a rookie.
"Things were happening too fast for him," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "He's better than he was last year. He understands the defense better."
Jones goes into Thursday's preseason opener at Philadelphia with a narrow advantage at strong safety over last year's second-round draft pick, Brodney Pool. Chris Crocker, who played the position last season, was traded to Atlanta in the offseason.
When evaluating Jones at the University of Georgia, Butch Davis — then the Browns' head coach — took note of his knack for delivering big hits. Last week, he popped Joe Jurevicius, getting the veteran receiver's attention.
"That's how I was in college," Jones said. "I'm trying to get everything back the way I was."
The AFC North is heavy with quality safeties, from Troy Polamalu in Pittsburgh to Ed Reed in Baltimore, even Madieu Williams in Cincinnati.
Robert Griffith had his moments, but the Browns truly have not had an enforcer-type in their defensive backfield since the late Eric Turner during the Bill Belichick years.
Free safety Brian Russell is smart and a ballhawk, but he's a former quarterback, and his efforts at tackling are sometimes laughable.
"I'm going to continue thinking that I'm going to be one of the best in the league," Jones said. "Eventually, I'm going to get to that point."
The knee, he says, is no longer an issue, mentally or otherwise.
"The first year (after surgery), you feel good, but when you take a whole year off, your muscles aren't used to doing these actions," Jones said. "Last year, I was just trying to get back into the mix. This year, it's all coming together."
Hallen leaves team
Center Bob Hallen, who became a starter when LeCharles Bentley suffered a season-ending knee injury early in training camp, has left the club for personal and medical reasons, the Browns said.
Hallen did not practice Monday. Crennel said the nine-year veteran had come down with a "back issue" but did not reveal the nature of Hallen's injury or his personal situation and said it's possible the 31-year-old may retire.
Tuesday, the Browns placed Hallen on the exempt/left squad list, then traded a conditional pick in next year's NFL draft to the New England Patriots for center Ross Tucker.
Alonzo Ephraim, a street free agent signed by the club July 30, is expected to start at center against the Eagles.

DDN

8/9/06

Browns
McGinest settling into role

Linebacker's knowledge of Crennel's defense key.

By Sean McClelland
Staff Writer

Willie McGinest has three Super Bowl rings from his 12 seasons with the New England Patriots.
Now a member of the comparatively downtrodden Cleveland Browns, the outside linebacker sees little to be gained by flashing his jewelry.
"Rings mean nothing at this point," McGinest said. "That's in the past. You can't keep reminiscing about what you've done."
Still, the Browns need him to play like a winner, to get after the quarterback, to make an impact on a defense that finished last in the NFL with 23 sacks last season.
The 35-year-old McGinest arrived in training camp with exactly those intentions. He won't say if being dumped by the Patriots provides extra motivation, but you don't have to be Dr. Phil to believe it probably does.
"It's different, but I don't even think about the old situation anymore," McGinest said. "It's over. This city, the fans and this organization have embraced me and given me a lot of support."
McGinest won championships in New England with current Browns head coach Romeo Crennel as his defensive coordinator. So when it became obvious that the Patriots would not re-sign him in the offseason, Cleveland emerged as a logical landing spot.
"Willie has a professional attitude and I think that is the thing he's been able to lend to the team," Crennel said. "Talking to the guys about their attitudes, the way they have to practice, talking to the young outside backers about how to play that position."
The Browns have been in Crennel's 3-4 defense for one full season. McGinest brings encyclopedic knowledge of that system and eagerly shares it with young players such as first-round draft pick Kamerion Wimbley, an outside linebacker from Florida State making the transition from defensive end.
"Of course there's going to be some ups and downs," McGinest said. "But they're playing faster now, which means they're learning."
One question is whether McGinest can be a three-down player in his advancing years or whether the NFL's all-time postseason sack leader might be relegated to the role of situational pass rusher.
For now, the plan is for McGinest to be on the field as much as possible. He bristles at the mention of anything less.
"I'm not coaching," he said, somewhat testily, after a recent practice. "I've still got my uniform on. If I can keep the level of play I've been at for the last few years, I'll be fine."
And he won't look back.
"My focus now is on trying to win some games, being a force in the division and being part of the puzzle that takes this organization to another level."
Baxter tweaks knee
Gary Baxter's left knee could be the latest area of worry for the Browns.
The cornerback tweaked it during a drill Monday morning and was briefly taken off the field. A few hours later, he wore a protective sleeve on the knee but didn't seem to be favoring it much as he walked out for the evening workout. He spent most of the two-hour session riding a stationary bike.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/9/06

Who’s No. 2?

If Charlie Frye falters in his first go-round as a starter, the Browns don’t have an experienced backup waiting on the sideline

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

By James Walker THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>MARK DUNCAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Browns quarterbacks, from left, Ken Dorsey, Lang Campbell, Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson practice footwork on the opening day of training camp July 26. With the first preseason game Thursday, the team is no closer to naming a backup to Frye. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>

</IMG> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


BEREA, Ohio — So what happens to the Cleveland Browns if Charlie gets fried? The Browns enter the season with one of the league’s most tenuous quarterback situations.
Incumbent Charlie Frye has just five starts under his belt, and a 16-game NFL regular season will test the durability of the second-year player out of Akron.
If unproven reserves Ken Dorsey or Derek Anderson are called upon to lead the team, the situation could go from bad to worse.
Cleveland is beginning the season with its fourth starting quarterback in four years. Another change would force a difficult in-season adjustment, similar to what the Browns offense did last season, going from Trent Dilfer to Frye with five games remaining.
The preseason performances of Dorsey and Anderson will give the Browns an indication of what steps, if any, need to be made.
"They’re tremendously important, and we’ve said that all along, particularly as far as Ken Dorsey is concerned," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "We want to get him in the games to see how he performs before we make a major consideration . … For Anderson, for Dorsey, it’s going to be important how they play and how they handle the pressure of the game."
Both quarterbacks said they’re looking forward to Thursday’s exhibition opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Frye is expected to play about one quarter, leaving the backups to split the final three.
"It’s your time to earn the spot on the team, especially at the quarterback position," Anderson said. "It’s a lot of guys that aren’t going to play during the regular season, a lot of non-starters, and it’s your chance to show them you can play."
Neither Anderson nor Dorsey has separated himself as a reliable No. 2 in the first two weeks of training camp, and each has struggled in a different area.
Dorsey has more game experience (10 starts) than Anderson and Frye combined. The 2003 seventh-round pick started 10 games over the past two seasons for the San Francisco 49 ers and went 2-8. He is not a deep-ball thrower, which isn’t essential in Cleveland’s offense, but he needs to minimize mistakes and make the proper reads.
Dorsey has struggled in those aspects so far, partially because he’s learning a new offense. His career completion percentage is 54.1, but turnovers have hurt his standing.
In addition to a few interceptions in practices, Dorsey threw two more picks in Friday’s scrimmage.
"We got a little unfortunate on some throws," he said. "But we did some things in the scrimmage we’re going to learn from, and that’s just the way it goes."
Anderson, at 6 feet 6, 229 pounds, is more of a conventional, strong-armed quarterback. But he’s had problems with batted balls at the line and fumbled snaps, both of which could be traced to inexperience or poor mechanics.
Anderson insists fumbling is "not an issue," and he’s just working to develop chemistry with the rotating door the Browns have at center.
The team began training camp with two-time Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley, who went down with a season-ending knee injury. Backup Bob Hallen took over, but this week he suffered a back injury and left the team, leaving Alonzo Ephraim as the starter.
The Browns signed Ephraim last week, and now most of his work will be with Frye and the first team.
Cleveland could look to add another veteran to the mix if no one steps forward. Former Brown Vinny Testaverde, for instance, has been on the team’s radar for a couple of months and could be just a phone call away.
"Whatever they decide to do, I’m sure they’re going to make a decision that’s in the best interest of the team," Dorsey said. "I know what I can do, and I know that I’m excited about being here and the situation I’m in."
For the immediate future at least, the plan is to let the young quarterbacks experience the growing pains together.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

8/10/06

Posted on Thu, Aug. 10, 2006


SCOUTING REPORT

<!-- begin body-content -->Browns vs. Eagles
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field
TV: WKYC (Channel 3).
Injuries: WR Braylon Edwards (knee) will not play. LB Chaun Thompson (calf), OT Ryan Tucker (knee), CB Daylon McCutcheon (knee), CB Gary Baxter (knee), RB Chris Barclay (ankle), G Isaac Sowells (ankle), TE Darnell Dinkins (ankle) are not expected to play.
Players to watch: Quarterback Charlie Frye makes his preseason debut as the no-holds-barred, plain-and-simple starter.... Center Alonzo Ephraim is the third to snap the ball to Frye this preseason; Ephraim has a golden chance to win a job tonight.... Inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson starts alongside Andra Davis, and the team hopes he stays in that spot the rest of the season.... Tight end Kellen Winslow gets his first game action in almost two years.

ABJ

8/10/06

Jinxed would be step up

By Terry Pluto

<!-- begin body-content -->You can't even blame anyone for what happened to the Browns in the last few weeks. That's the most frustrating part about the Browns going from two experienced centers to none.
General Manager Phil Savage correctly assessed that the Browns needed to upgrade the offensive line, especially at center, where Jeff Faine was being shoved around -- when he wasn't injured.
So Savage signed LeCharles Bentley, a Pro Bowl center, to help protect young quarterback Charlie Frye. Savage also imported Bob Hallen as a backup center and guard; he's a guy who had started 47 games in eight years.
And both were injured before the first preseason game.
If you're a Browns fan, you're probably screaming one of two things:
1. THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!
2. THAT FIGURES!
With the Browns, it always does seem to be something. But Bentley blowing out a knee on the first play of the first training camp practice? Bentley, who is 26 and has missed only two games in two years?
It's not as if he were cluelessly riding a motorcycle in a parking lot (no names, please); Bentley was just snapping the stupid ball and blocking!
Crackle and pop went his knee.
As for Hallen, he's 31 and entering his 10th season. He's had some back problems in the past, but was healthy enough to play nine games last year, including three starts. He walked (or limped) out of camp with a balky back and landed on the ``Exempt-Left Squad'' list with ``personal problems.''
In the offseason, Hallen passed physicals for several teams that considered signing him. He was not considered damaged goods when he arrived in Berea.
So what took place Tuesday stunned Romeo Crennel.
Remember that the Browns coach is the kind of guy who could be told pirates just moved into his basement, and he'd say, ``I'm not real surprised; these things happen. We just have to regroup and charge down the stairs to save the ping-pong table.''
But he was left nearly speechless by the Hallen affair.
The Browns had been using a free agent rookie named Rob Smith at center, but he supposedly sweats so much that quarterbacks fumble his snaps. (Look, I'm just reporting what people say here, not making this up.)
Starting tonight's game in Philadelphia will be Alonzo Ephraim, a man with long braids, a wonderful smile and a great attitude who was looking for work on July 26 when the Browns called. He had been cut by the Miami Dolphins.
Let's just be kind and say Smith and Ephraim are quite a bit of a drop-off from Bentley and Hallen.
Meanwhile, Browns fans felt their football hearts sink, their dreams of a playoff season fade. Some fans may say the Browns should have kept Faine. He was traded to New Orleans to allow the Browns to move up and draft D'Qwell Jackson, who has a real chance to start at linebacker.
Suppose Faine had remained? He'd probably be down with scurvy by now.
Being jinxed would be an improvement for what has happened to the Browns lately. One of the main offseason plans -- bolstering the line and protecting Frye with experienced players -- is gone. Once considered a strength, the offensive line is now one injury away from utter calamity.
Savage picked up Ross Tucker from the New England Patriots, where he was fighting for a roster spot as a backup center/guard. The Patriots considered him a decent reserve with some experience -- 24 starts in his career.
For some reason, he was cut early last season by the Buffalo Bills (where he started 12 games in 2004) and was signed by the Patriots near the end of the year. He played in only one game.
The Patriots do have plenty of depth and more talent. One general manager who knows Tucker told me that he's ``OK,'' which is a major upgrade at the moment for the Browns.
But quite a downer for their fans.
<!-- end body-content --><!-- begin body-end -->

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/10/06

There will be little action for Browns’ first-teamers
Reserves will get chance to impress coaching staff in first preseason game

Thursday, August 10, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Tune in early, because Charlie Frye and the rest of the Cleveland Browns’ first-teamers will not play very long tonight in their preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The first preseason game is considered the ultimate warm-up for NFL teams.
Cleveland has more than 90 players in training camp. Nearly half will not make the final 53-man roster, meaning Romeo Crennel and his coaching staff will have a lot of evaluating to do in the next four weeks.
Cleveland’s starters are expected to play about one quarter, which usually amounts to two or three series of offense or defense. After that, the reserves and those struggling to make the team will get their chance to impress the coaches.
"The older guys probably aren’t going to get as fired up as the younger guys, but still it’s a game," third-string quarterback Derek Anderson said. "We got to go out there and compete and you want to win."
Despite the starters taking a seat early, there are four interesting things to look for tonight:

• It will be important for Frye to get off to a good start. He has had an up-and-down training camp and struggled last week in an intrasquad scrimmage. A scoring drive or two in the first quarter would help his confidence.

• Take a close look at the offensive line, particularly the center. The Browns are down to their third-string center, Alonzo Ephriam, after Le-Charles Bentley (knee) and Bob Hallen (back) went down with injuries.
Reserve right tackle Kirk Chambers also will start in place of Ryan Tucker (knee), leaving Frye in a vulnerable position.
"A depleted line, if they are holding up, (Frye) might go ahead and play the assigned time," Crennel said. "If they’re not doing as well, then we might pull him a little bit early."

• This will be tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.’s first game in two years. He has looked impressive in camp and is expected to play one quarter with the first-team offense. It will be interesting to see how he handles live competition, particularly against an aggressive defense such as the Eagles have.

• Watch for competitions at safety, linebacker and backup quarterback and running back. Those positions are up for grabs.
Brodney Pool and Sean Jones are both having good camps at safety. There are four or five linebackers competing for two starting jobs. And backup roles at quarterback and running back remain major concerns.
"Game situations are important any time," backup quarterback Ken Dorsey said. "It doesn’t matter what the situation is on the depth chart. Game experience is the most important thing and that’s what I’m looking forward to."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CNNSI.com

8/10/06

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=756 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=cnnGalleryImgHdr width=586>NFL Training Camp Battles</TD><TD align=middle width=170> <!--include virtual="/si_adspaces/2.0/photo_gallery/bottom.160x41.ad"-->
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=cnnGalleryImage width=586>

</TD><TD align=middle width=170>
6 of 33
Browns Safety
Sean Jones (third) vs. Brodney Pool (second)

<STYLE>.cnnGalleryRightRail {padding-left:5px;}</STYLE><TABLE class=cnnGalleryRightRail cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=170 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>A pair of former second-round picks, Pool (left) and Jones, are battling it out to get on the field. The winner will start, but the runner-up will be part of nickel packages.
Photo: John Biever/SI
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[buckeye247]

Anyone else worried as i am about the giant hole at center. I think center is the most important position next to left tackle and we have no one. Ross Tucker is a guard and we are going to play him at center we have to trade to get someone to plug that hole this is a disaster and the season hasnt even started.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I think we are in some trouble at center unless Hallen comes back.....

 

[buckeye247]

I think we are in some trouble at center unless Hallen comes back.....

Hallen is retiring because of displaced disks in his back.

 

[scarletngrey11]

So we are down to our 3rd string center and havent even played a preseason game yet.

EDIT: Our offense will be average this year, but I honestly think our defense will be top-15 in the league.

 

[tsteele316]

So we are down to our 3rd string center and havent even played a preseason game yet.

EDIT: Our offense will be average this year, but I honestly think our defense will be top-15 in the league.

rumor is willie green to philly for hank fraley. philly also wants a draft pick, which is the sticking point.

 

[scarletngrey11]

rumor is willie green to philly for hank fraley. philly also wants a draft pick, which is the sticking point.

Anyone know anything about Hank Fraley?

Green would be a good fit in Philly, they dont have a decent sized back that can carry it 15+ times a game.

 

[scarletngrey11]

Just watched the entire preseason game, and here are my thoughts:

1. Defense is going to be very good. Washington is a mammoth, and Roye played great also. The Eagles could not run the ball on our first team defense. Wimbley had a great night, hes a helluva athlete that has sick speed for a DE/LB. The 1st team Eagles offense only had one good play, and that was a spectacular catch that easily could have been incomplete. Leon Williams flies around the field. Stewarts speed at OLB hurts our defense, especially when they throw to a tight end out in the flats. Sean Jones didnt really stand out to me as much as Brodney Pool, but Pool played more minutes. Bodden dropped a pick off of a quick slant, but it was still a good play. If healthy, this defense will be top-15 in the NFL. McMillan had a great game also.

2. Offense sucks. Offensive playcalling sucks. Offensive execution sucks. We didnt attempt a pass over 7 yards until there were 2 minutes left in the second quarter. We dropped more balls than we caught, and Dorsey has no feel whatsoever when pressure is coming. I lost count of how many times we got called for a false start. We definately need to improve. Winslow isnt 100% healthy, he looked slow after the catch and didnt have the moves he had in college.

3. Special teams are on the verge of sucking. Punter had a bad day, and a couple times our returners should've called for a fair catch rather than getting a 2 yard loss.

Overall it was a decent game. Offense absolutely sucked, defense looked great, and special teams were on the verge of sucking.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

8/11/06

Browns can’t get offense going in loss

Friday, August 11, 2006



<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By Steve Doerschuk repository sports wRITER[/FONT]


<TABLE style="MARGIN: 10px -3px 15px 5px; POSITION: relative" width=300 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD>

View another photo
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia, right, is sacked by Cleveland Browns David McMillan in the first half of their pre season football game Thursday in Philadelphia. ​

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


PHILADELPHIA - Center Alonzo Ephraim played against Cleveland for Miami on Nov. 20.
There was no evidence Thursday that Ephraim will play for Cleveland in Miami when Super Bowl XLI is staged there on Feb. 4.
In a worrisome reminder they were a 6-10 team, the Browns said hello to 2006 with nondescript play against a Philadelphia team four days removed from the Hall of Fame Game.
Philadelphia polished off a 20-7 win behind ex-Brown Jeff Garcia, who was sharper than any of Cleveland’s first three quarterbacks.
The Eagles led, 3-0, when first-team offenses and defenses were on the field. It didn’t matter which Cleveland offense was on the field. It didn’t move. At one point, the Browns were 1-for-9 in third down conversions.
The nicest gain came at garbage time, a diving 26-yard grab by rookie Round 3 pick Travis Wilson, from No. 4 QB Lang Campbell. Round 5 pick Jerome Harrison came up with an 8-yard touchdown catch a few plays later.
The Browns got some troubling news. Cornerback Gary Baxter suffered a strained left pectoral muscle in the first half. Baxter joined the Browns as a pricey free agent in 2005, playing six games before a pectoral tear put him on injured reserve.
After the game, Baxter was elusive, but seemed optimistic nothing is seriously wrong.
“I’ll be good,” he said before getting on his cell phone. “Trust me.”
Head Coach Romeo Crennel said, “Gary seemed to be moving his arm around a little bit (after getting hurt). He should be OK.”
The Browns are without veteran corner Daylon McCutcheon, who is making his way back from arthroscopic knee surgery.
The cornerback crisis was underscored in the third quarter when fifth-year pro Pete Hunter got burned on a Garcia touchdown bomb that gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead.
Crennel took a little comfort in his first-team defense.
“We settled down and played better down the stretch of the half,” he said, “but we also had too many penalties.”
The offense produced only 80 yards in the first half, behind Charlie Frye and Ken Dorsey.
“Once again, we had too many penalties,” Crennel said. “We put ourselves in bad situations. We’ll have to improve on that.”
Taking snaps from the recently acquired Ephraim, Frye held up all right but produced no points in two series.
Veteran defensive end Jevon Kearse seemed to think the Eagles might have their way against Cleveland’s depleted offensive line, also playing without veteran right tackle Ryan Tucker.
“We were trying to have a little contest to see who could get back there most often,” Kearse said.
Frye didn’t seem at all down about his only two series.
“The thing is, the only time we’re gonna stop is when we stop ourselves,” he said. “We were going OK but stopped ourselves tonight.”
Frye might play a full half next Friday in the first home preseason game, against Detroit.
“I want as much playing time as I can get,” he said.
He said Ephraim’s snaps “hit my hands every time,” but conceded the two have a long way to go in establishing chemistry.
Cleveland’s first-team defense was fortunate not to give up a touchdown in its brief work against Donovan McNabb. McNabb threw a perfect 33-yard sideline completion to Hank Baskett (Hunter was covering) for a first-and-goal on the 2. Rookie Browns linebacker Leon Williams threw Reno Mahe for a 3-yard loss to help force a field goal.
Frye went dink and dunk to the tune of 4-of-7 for 23 yards, with no completion longer than 7.
The Browns, at least, unleashed a hot young sack artist — second-year pro David McMillan, not first-round draft choice Kamerion Wimbley. McMillan came away with two sacks.
McMillan, a speedster who has a chance at a key role as a pass rusher, delivered a sack the first time Garcia took a snap in relief of McNabb. The play was ruined by a facemask against Nick Eason, but McMillan blitzed on the next play and sacked Garcia again.
Wimbley was on the field the first time the Eagles were in a passing situation. He is projected as a strong edge rusher, but on that play he dropped into coverage.
Wimbley got an extended look on running downs and seemed to hold up well.
Cleveland’s backup defense, though, collapsed in the third quarter, giving up two touchdown drives directed by Garcia.
Third-string quarterback Browns Derek Anderson had a chance to salvage something, but he badly missed a wide-open Frisman Jackson on what might have become an 80-yard catch-and-run.
In first-half duty, Dorsey went 5-of-9 for 48 yards but was sacked twice for 21 yards. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail [EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected][/EMAIL]

Browns notebook

Friday, August 11, 2006


Willie McGinest did not dress. A Browns spokesman said the 34-year-old linebacker simply was given the day off. McGinest played for Head Coach Romeo Crennel on three Super Bowl winners and knows the system well enough that he will be used cautiously during the preseason.
Droughn-ing on Reuben Droughns has a stranglehold on the feature back job based on Thursday’s evidence. Droughns rushed four times for 21 yards before turning over the rest of the first half to William Green (three carries, minus-3 yards) and Lee Suggs (two carries, 6 yards). Suggs did have an 8-yard catch, the sort of thing he’ll need more of to win the role of third-down back.
quick work Joe Jurevicius’ first catch as a Brown ended in a hard collision with Lito Sheppard. Jurevicius got up first, showing no signs of the back trouble that bothered him recently. Sheppard was shaken up and left the game briefly. Jurevicius had to reach back to tip the ball to himself on a short throw from Charlie Frye.
little to see from charlie Frye’s first two series ended in punts. During the second, on third-and-7, right tackle Kirk Chambers whiffed on a block, but Frye stepped away from the rush. Tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. fell down on his route, but Frye threw to him anyway. From flat on his back, Winslow got his hands on the ball but couldn’t hang on.
backup battle Wide receiver hopeful Frisman Jackson didn’t help himself by getting nailed for holding at the end of a decent gain by Droughns. Second-year pro Joshua Cribbs, on the other hand, made a splash with a first-down catch over the middle on third-and-10 just outside the first-half two-minute warning.
special play Jereme Perry, an undrafted rookie from Eastern Michigan who has had a decent camp as a defensive back, helped himself with a special-teams play in the second quarter. Perry hustled down on punt coverage and stopped a Dave Zastudil punt on the 2.
take that Phil Dawson, who thinks his kickoff ability is unduly criticized, boomed a touchback on his first kickoff of the preseason. STEVE DOERSCHUK