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Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

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Dispatch

Browns say goodbye to Suggs
Trade with Eagles nets Cleveland another center

Sunday, September 03, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>TONY DEJAK ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Lee Suggs, who led the Browns in rushing in 2004, was one of 20 players released by the Browns yesterday. </TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>
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BEREA, Ohio — The numbers game finally caught up to Lee Suggs, who showed flashes of brilliance during three injuryfilled years.
The running back was among 20 players released by the Cleveland Browns yesterday as the team pared its roster to the opening-day limit of 53.
The Browns also added a player, acquiring center Hank Fraley from the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional sixth- or seventh-round draft pick in 2008. The Browns had been pursuing Fraley since center LeCharles Bentley was lost for the season because of injury on the first day of training camp.
Fraley is expected to become the starter, possibly for the opener next week against the New Orleans Saints.
"It’s a new start for my career and I’m actually really excited to get out there in Cleveland," Fraley said. "I just got to come out there and get in the playbook quick."
Also of note from yesterday’s cuts:

• The Browns chose secondyear running back Jason Wright over William Green and Suggs. Green was place on injured reserve because of a leg injury and probably is done with the Browns.
"In both cases, William Green and Suggs, they’ve both been here for a while and there’s been talk about their potential," coach Romeo Crennel said. "But we just decided that Wright bought a little more to the table as far as this team is concerned."

• Center Ross Tucker was released after the Fraley trade. Rookie center Rob Smith also was cut, leaving Fraley and Lennie Friedman as the centers.

• General manager Phil Savage waived four of his former draft picks from the previous two seasons, including linebacker Nick Speegle, defensive tackle Babatunde Oshinowo and offensive linemen Andrew Hoffman and Jonathan Dunn.
The Browns might be interested in receiver Kendrick Mosley, Oshinowo and Smith for the practice squad if they make it through waivers today.
The Browns made 24 roster moves, including the trade. Crennel met with each player the team released individually.
"I tell them all that not making this team doesn’t mean that life is over," Crennel said. "They still have opportunities with other teams and life is going to go on for them. "
Brownie points

Reserve cornerback Daven Holly was suspended for one game for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. … Safety Brian Russell had minor elbow surgery and will be questionable for the opener.
[email protected]
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CPD

Where he wants to be

Football-obsessed Charlie Frye gets chance to lead Browns to glory

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter

When Browns quarterback Charlie Frye was in eighth grade, he’d stand on the sidelines during Willard High football games with a clipboard in his hands, chart plays and then suggest better ones to varsity head coach Terry King. Never mind that Frye was just the water boy. King almost always took his advice.
“Charlie knew exactly what he was talking about,” said King, now head coach at Berkshire High School in Burton. “I’ve never met anyone who had such a thirst for the game at such an early age.”
Like many young boys, Frye dreamed of being a professional football player. But Frye was no ordinary boy.
While other boys were playing video games, Frye was across the street at King’s house, watching game films with high school players. While the other boys were settling in for the night, Frye was outside throwing footballs through a tire swing until the swing blended into the pitch black night.
He had no time for girlfriends or parties. Why all that small talk when he could be breaking down film? And now the obsession has led him to the Browns, his hometown team, whom he’ll try to lead to the Super Bowl.

Starts young

Frye grew up in tiny Willard, Ohio — 30 miles south of Sandusky, population 6,200 — where his uncle is the police chief and everyone at Uncle Dudley’s restaurant knows your name. He was the third of four kids born to Dave, an engineer, and Sally, a teacher’s aide. Weekends were spent with their big extended family at a private lake in Willard, pontoon boating, jet-skiing and playing volleyball.
When Frye was 4, he received a football for his birthday and “he’s pretty much had one in his hands ever since,” said his mom.
Frye and his brother Clay, five years his senior, spent all their time in the yard playing football and basketball with friends until dark. Although Frye was the youngest, the boys relied on him to call the plays. At night, they’d sneak out of bed, push the bunk beds aside and play football.
A huge Browns fan growing up, Frye always dressed as a Browns player for Halloween and wore Browns gear to school. He idolized former quarterback Bernie Kosar and wore his No. 19 jersey everywhere, even under the clothes he wore as an altar boy. He also had a Kosar poster in his bedroom and imitated him in pickup games. “At first I wanted to be [running back] Eric Metcalf, but I didn’t have the shakes like him,” Frye said.
As a kindergartner, Frye met Kosar when he went to Chuck E. Cheese in North Olmsted as a reward for receiving good grades.
Kosar was in a roped-off area, but Frye still scored an autograph. “That was the greatest thing to me,” Frye said.
Twice a year, Dave would take Clay and Charlie to Browns games. When they weren’t there in person, they’d huddle around the TV in the basement, jumping off the couch every time Kosar completed a pass.
“Going to those games gave Charlie vision for what he wanted to be,” Dave said. Frye became a water boy for Willard High at age 7 and was always around the team. He and his buddies were so into football that their second-grade teacher used scores from the NFL games in her math lessons to keep them interested.
At 12, he wrote a letter to his parents titled “Who I Am.” He wrote, “I love the hitting about football. When I grow up, I hope to play professional football and get a good education in math.”
By fifth grade, he was watching game films at King’s house with the older players. “We’d order a pizza and sit in the basement,” King said. “Charlie was always there, whether it was with the quarterbacks or defensive backs.”
In middle school, he was in the yard throwing footballs through the tire swing for four to five hours a day. He’d practice rollouts, drops, scrambling — anything he saw on TV.
“He loved to bet us that he couldn’t make a throw,” said his high school tight end, Joe Beddingfield.
“There wasn’t a throw he didn’t think he could make.”
Frye also threw through a window of his family’s woodshed and into a 50-gallon barrel at the high school, sometimes from 50 yards out. Often he’d use his little sister Liz as a prop. “He’d make me wear Clay’s gloves and he threw balls to me from every angle,” Liz said. “When I took the gloves off, my hands would be beet red.” When Liz was busy, mom and dad stood in. In eighth grade, Frye accompanied Willard players to a 7-on-7 camp at Ohio State. But he ended up taking some snaps at quarterback.
“By that time, he could run the varsity offense,” King said.
Frye wanted to be a running back, “but anyone with that much knowledge of the game had to be the quarterback,” King said. “Charlie knows the game of football better than anyone I’ve been around in 30 years of coaching.”
In Frye’s sophomore and junior years, Willard won a total of five games. The teams were so bad that “Charlie got the snot knocked out of him,” Clay said.
But Frye never let up. “During study hall, he’d go into the coach’s office and watch films,” said his friend and former receiver, Chris Carr. “After practice, he’d take a stack of tapes home with him.”
Once, Frye was picked off by a linebacker, but ran down and made the tackle at the 2-yard line. He suffered a concussion, but refused to come out. He also played safety and upended big tight ends. “He was the toughest kid on the team,” King said.
King left after Frye’s junior year and was replaced by Chris Hawkins, who installed a prostyle offense complete with seven- step drops and bootlegs. “We threw a lot at him and he picked it right up,” Hawkins said.
Once, Hawkins got hit on the sidelines and had to leave the field. “Charlie took over and scored two TDs while I was out,” Hawkins said. “He never panicked.”
Frye led Willard to a 10-2 record and a Division III state playoff berth as a senior. The town was so excited that extra bleachers had to be brought in from a park for the 4,000 fans.
He made sure that his teammates studied their playbooks and bought pizza for his linemen when he went through a game without being sacked. In the playoffs, he drew up plays in the dirt and cried when Willard lost its final game.
Hawkins knew Frye had bigtime potential, so he asked him for a list of five colleges he wanted to play for. One of the schools was Ohio State, “but I couldn’t get any of them to listen to me,” Hawkins said. “I’d tell them they were making a big mistake.”
Frye attended a 7-on-7 tournament at Akron and was spotted by then-Zips coach Lee Owens.
“He didn’t have the strongest arm and he weighed only 175, but he was the best leader on the field I had ever witnessed,” Owens said.
Two days after committing to Akron, Frye turned down an offer from Iowa State. “I had already given coach Owens my word,” he said.
As a freshman, Frye began as the backup but replaced the injured starter in the opener and rallied the Zips to a game-winning field goal on the last play.
He started the next week in a loss against Ohio State, but received kudos from Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel.
As in high school, Frye played on bad teams at Akron, but left everything on the field. “Charlie played hurt and took a lot of shots,” Owens said. “Against Central Florida, he got dehydrated but wouldn’t come out.
Afterward, he fell off a stool and passed out.”
During games, he wore a Superman T-shirt under his jersey.
“Guys gave him a hard time about it, but that was his mentality — ‘I’m invincible,’ ” Owens said.
After his junior year he handed out the medals he won for breaking school records to his teammates. “Charlie was the player who inspired me the most in my career,” said Owens, now head coach at Ashland University. “He made me want to be a better coach.”
Frye set records at Akron — 54 in all. “If he had had a better supporting cast, he would’ve had the same career as Byron Leftwich, Chad Pennington and Ben Roethlisberger,” said Owens, referring to other MAC quarterbacks now in the NFL. “I wouldn’t trade him for any of those guys.”
After Frye’s junior year, Owens was fired and replaced by J.D. Brookhart, a former Pitt assistant.
An upset Frye considered coming out early in draft and was told by the NFL he’d probably go in the third or fourth round.
Brookhart met with Frye and his family and convinced him to stay. “I couldn’t let my teammates down,” Frye said.
At the first spring practice, Brookhart arrived an hour early and Frye was already there throwing balls. Over the summer, Frye ran players-only practices and helped install Brookhart’s west coast offense.
“Charlie sat in on our coaches’ meetings and came in on Thursday nights to go over the game plan with me,” Brookhart said.
The system was so foreign to Frye that he admitted to Brookhart after the opener against Penn State, a 48-10 loss, that he didn’t know what he was doing.
Still, Joe Paterno sang his praises. By late season, he mastered it well enough to produce a 31-28 upset over Marshall, in which he rallied the team from a 21-point deficit. The Zips went 6-5 and finished second in the MAC East, and Frye was on the NFL radar screen.

Thinking big
After the season, Frye was named MVP of the Senior Bowl, where he dazzled Browns General Manager Phil Savage. “At first, Charlie thought the game was just a show,” said his agent, Eric Metz. “But then he got clocked in the mouth early and said, ‘We’re on.’ ”
He prepared for the draft with former NFL offensive guru Rod Dowhower in Arizona, who refined his throwing motion. But scouts still questioned his arm strength. “It’s more than adequate,” Brookhart said. “Joe Montana didn’t have great arm strength. Charlie has all the intangibles to make up for it.”
Frye was projected as a firstday pick in the draft, but two rounds went by without a call. To pass the time, he took Brookhart on a tour of Willard. Finally, his cell phone rang in the third round — but he just kept looking at it. Finally, Clay said, “That’s Phil Savage, you better answer the phone, son!”
Frye began last season as Trent Dilfer’s backup, “but even going into camp, he knew he was the man,” Clay said. Frye spent most of last season absorbing Dilfer’s knowledge and became close to boyhood idol Kosar, now his mentor.
He went 2-3 in his five starts, but got drilled in a 41-0 loss to Pittsburgh. He was sacked eight times and suffered a concussion.
“I talked to him after that game and he told me he was taking his offensive linemen out to dinner,” Owens said. “He said, ‘I want to build their confidence.’ ”
In the off-season, Frye gained 15 pounds and worked on his arm strength. He also became close with tight end Kellen Winslow Jr., who matches his obsession to become great. They spent 10 hours a day together, lifting weights, watching films and doing Pilates and yoga. They also golfed and played video games.
“Charlie is a competitor and we bring out the best in each other," Winslow said. "We bonded and built a trust together that I hope translates on the field.”
Frye lives with safety Brodney Pool and has brought his teammates closer. The receivers have said Frye is throwing a better ball this year, and those who know him agree.
But success hasn’t changed him. The day before the draft, he played dodgeball with a Willard High gym class. He still gets his hair cut at Ron’s Clip Joint in Willard, and his mom comes in on Saturdays to cook a pregame meal. He returns to Akron and Willard to help and conduct camps.
He bought a new house in an upscale subdivision in Avon — but brought along the old blue couch from his parents’ house.
“He says it’s already broken in,” Sally said.
He still doesn’t have a serious girlfriend because he’s wed to football.
“I want to bring this town a Super Bowl,” he said. “And I want to change the game.”
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4670
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CPD

BROWNS CUTDOWN DAY
Fraley steps in as cuts hike out


Sunday, September 03, 2006 Mary Kay Cabot
Plain Dealer Reporter
On final cutdown day in Berea, the Browns' biggest news was the trade for Philadelphia Eagles center Hank Fraley, whom they've had their eye on since LeCharles Bentley was injured in July.
The Browns surrendered a conditional draft pick in 2008, either a sixth- or seventh-rounder, said coach Romeo Crennel. They also released Ross Tucker, who started the final two preseason games at center, and kept Lennie Friedman, who would've started if the Browns couldn't get Fraley.
Based on his 71 starts for the Eagles over the past five seasons - and 10 postseason starts, including a Super Bowl - Fraley (6-2, 300) is a virtual lock for the starting job.
"I think because you've got a starting center, a guy who's played in the NFL, you can say that the position has been solidified a little bit," said Browns coach Romeo Crennel. "His experience and toughness will bring something to the table for us."
The Browns also:
Cut running back Lee Suggs and receiver Frisman Jackson.
Placed running back William Green (quad) on injured reserve, but will try to reach an injury settlement with him and let him go.
Waived sixth-round pick Babatunde Oshinowo, a nose tackle.
Announced that safety Brian Russell, who sat out Thursday night's game, underwent surgery to remove a bursa sac from his elbow Friday morning and is questionable for the regular-season opener next Sunday.
Announced that cornerback Daven Holly has been suspended for one game for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. His suspension, the reason for which was not revealed, begins immediately and he'll be eligible to return Sept. 11.
Cut draft picks Andrew Hoffman (offensive lineman), Nick Speegle (linebacker) and Jonathan Dunn (offensive lineman).
Crennel said Fraley, a seventh-year pro and sixth starting center candidate for the Browns this preseason after Bentley, Alonzo Ephraim, Bob Hallen, Tucker and Friedman, might start against the Saints.
"The guy he's competing with [Friedman] hasn't been here long either," Crennel said. "How he does in practice and how quickly he can pick up the system will be critical."
Fraley, who missed the final eight games last season after undergoing shoulder surgery, lost his job in Philly to Jamaal Jackson. Fraley is in the final year of a contract that pays him $850,000.
"I just want to get back on the field," he said in a conference call. "I've been a starter for five years. Getting hurt last year hurt me, but I'm definitely hungry to get out there and get into the starting role."
Crennel said second-year running back Jason Wright made Suggs and Green expendable. "We decided that Wright brought more to the table," Crennel said. "We decided to keep him and move on from those other guys."
He said the team will try to reach a settlement with Green within the next few days and then release him. In that case, the Browns could re-sign him if they wanted. If he stays on injured reserve, he's lost for the year.
Crennel said he likes Green, the Browns' No. 1 pick in 2002, but he had to make some tough decisions. Crennel said he never had a chance to evaluate Suggs because of his injuries, but he thinks Suggs will have an opportunity elsewhere.
Crennel said Russell, who missed Thursday's game, went to the Cleveland Clinic because he was feeling ill and had swelling in the elbow. He said Russell could play against the Saints despite his stitches. If not, safeties Brodney Pool and Sean Jones will start.
Crennel said Jackson and Oshinowo were numbers victims at their positions and that keeping receiver Joshua Cribbs was "definitely important" because of his special-teams ability.
Some of the waived players will be signed today to the practice squad. Candidates include receiver Kendrick Mosley, cornerback Jereme Perry, offensive lineman Rob Smith and Oshinowo.
Brownie bits:
Crennel said that "at this point in time" he's sticking with his quarterbacks and the backup will be decided week to week. He said cornerback Daylon McCutcheon (knee) will not be ready for the opener and that he's still deciding between D'Qwell Jackson and Chaun Thompson at right inside linebacker. He also said linebacker Matt Stewart will still start ahead of rookie Kamerion Wimbley.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
[email protected], 216-999-4670
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Getting Fraley helps for years to come... this year he'll start... and he'll do well.. he'll significantly add to the line..
and for the next few years after that.. they have a primo backup to center and guard..
the best trade for a 6th or 7th round imaginable... yee haa

we still need a backup QB
and is there any help out there for DBs after the cuts?!?
 
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Last minute moves:
cut Kirk Chambers (OT) and J'Vonne Parker (DE)
picked up Kelly Butler (OT) and Jovan Haye (DE)

Practice Squad (a number of their own):
Babatunde Oshinowo (NT) Stanford
Rob Smith (C) Tennessee
Andrew Hoffman (G) Virginia
Kendrick Mosley (WR) W. Michigan
Therrian Fontenot (DB) Fresno St - previous from trade
Jereme Perry (DB) E. Michigan
Chris Barclay (RB) RB Wake Forest
Buck Ortega (TE) Miami FL - from Redskins

On Ortega: "after making a team-best 44-yard catch at Cincinnati and adding a 30-yard touchdown on a pass from Todd Collins against the Jets, Ortega seemingly at least played himself onto the practice squad. All told, Ortega had five catches for 85 yards in the first three preseason games.

What's holding Ortega back is his lack of weight. He's generously listed as carrying 227 pounds on his 6-4 frame.
"I'm eating everything I see, everything and anything," Ortega said."
 
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ABJ

Center No. 9 joins the line

Hank Fraley plans to be quick study with Browns as the opener approaches

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - It's nine and hopefully not counting for the Browns.
That's nine centers acquired since the end of last season -- with Hank Fraley's acquisition from the Eagles being the ninth.
``Wow!'' said tackle Ryan Tucker.
``We've gone through them,'' said tight end Steve Heiden.
``Nine?'' guard Joe Andruzzi asked incredulously.
Nine -- and the constant coming and going started in training camp with the injury to LeCharles Bentley, who was supposed to solidify the position for years to come. Instead, it's been anything but solidified, with more departures and arrivals than O'Hare Airport.
``We can't allow that to be an excuse,'' guard Cosey Coleman said.
To Coleman and his linemates, it's simple: Doesn't matter if it's Fraley or Lennie Friedman or Lenny Wilkens at center, everyone still has a job to do.
Coleman practiced with Fraley for the first time on Monday, about one hour after he introduced himself to the new center.
``We're more or less in tune to the task at hand,'' Coleman said.
Fraley wasn't even with the starters in the early drills open to the media. Friedman was, but it would be surprising if Fraley doesn't start.
``I don't think we'll completely jell for a few games,'' tackle Ryan Tucker said. ``But who knows? Maybe we'll jell tomorrow.''
Tucker is coming off his first preseason action. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee on Aug. 1 and was on the field for two series against the Chicago Bears.
He said his knee is fine for Sunday's opener, but his conditioning might not be.
``I'm going the whole game,'' he said.
``Whatever it takes, unless I fall flat on my face or I get too tired to block anybody.''
Even with Tucker out and the center position a mess, Reuben Droughns and rookie Jerome Harrison averaged 5.1 yards per carry in preseason.
That's when teams are not game-planning, but last season, with a line the team felt needed upgrading, Droughns topped 1,200 yards.
Tucker said the key is having a group ready to go for opening day.
``There's usually a lot of change or rotation through offseason, summer, camp,'' he said. ``What you need is a lineup from the beginning of the year, and hopefully we'll be together throughout the season.
``It would have been different this year with all the new additions anyway.''
Fraley arrived Saturday night and spent a lot of time studying the playbook. He said he can be ready to face New Orleans.
``I feel comfortable even though I haven't taken any reps or plays yet,'' Fraley said before practice. ``I feel comfortable enough to get in there and play. We have two veteran guards in there that know the playbook and can help me out.
``I feel comfortable with the calls having studied the past couple of nights.''
That's the value of experience. Fraley has started 71 games the past six seasons, so theoretically it should be easier for him to step in.
``No question,'' Tucker said. ``He's been there, done that; 71 games is a lot of games.''
``Time will tell,'' Coleman said. ``But there's only so many different things you can see in six years. You would think that you would have seen all the different things you can see from the center position.''
Fraley did not seem too worried.
``If you put the play up there on the chalkboard, ask me what I have,'' he said. ``I'll be comfortable enough to give you the right call.''
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ABJ

Browns notebook

McCutcheon likely to sit out

Ailing elbow might keep safety Russell out of season opener

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - The Browns have written cornerback Daylon McCutcheon out of the plans for Sunday's opener against the New Orleans Saints.
McCutcheon has not recovered yet from arthroscopic surgery on his knee and does not figure to play.
The status of safety Brian Russell also remains in doubt. Russell had a bursa sac removed from his elbow on Friday.
``It depends on his stitches and how they are healing,'' Crennel said. ``The doctors are concerned about the stitching breaking open again. If he makes good progress during the week, he might play on Sunday.
``If he doesn't make good progress then he won't play on Sunday.''
With Gary Baxter returning from a partially torn pectoral muscle, the team's secondary could be without three of its top six players if Baxter does not play.
But Baxter practiced Monday and the week prior, and he has insisted he will play in the opener.
Neither McCutcheon nor Russell practiced.
Moves
The Browns added a tackle who started 16 games a year ago when they claimed Kelly Butler from the Detroit Lions.
Butler started every game for the Lions and started in the preseason, but did not make the final cut for new coach Rod Marinelli (though Ross Verba did).
``There was a new system and they are going in a different direction,'' Butler said. ``I have no hard feelings.''
He did call his release a shock, though.
Butler, 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, was a sixth-round pick out of Purdue in 2004.
The team also claimed defensive end Jovan Haye, who was waived by the Carolina Panthers.
To make room, Kirk Chambers and J'Vonne Parker were waived.
Brownies . . .
Crennel said he would decide who would start at inside linebacker later in the week.... He said the decision on the No. 2 quarterback will come Sunday.... The team signed its eight-man practice squad, and it is comprised of RB Chris Barclay, DB Therrian Fontenot, G Andrew Hoffman, WR Kendrick Mosley, TE Buck Ortega, NT Babatunde Oshinowo, DB Jereme Perry and C Rob Smith.... Crennel evaluated the offense in the preseason this way: ``I like the way they played in game number two and I hated the way they played in game four.''
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ABJ

Crennel hoping Browns `get it'

Preseason finale best forgotten, coach says

By Patrick McManamon

<!-- begin body-content -->BEREA - Browns coach Romeo Crennel remains unhappy about his team's performance in Thursday night's preseason finale.
He called the team's effort and output ``disturbing'' during a Saturday news conference, but added he wants to forget it.
``I told the players we are going to put it behind us,'' Crennel said. ``That is what we are doing. We are moving forward and I am not even going to mention that game anymore, if you guys (in the media) will let me.''
Pick an adjective to describe the coach's emotions for the way his team sleepwalked through the 20-7 loss to Chicago.
Embarrassed.
Disturbed.
Angry.
All applied, Crennel said.
And Crennel seemed to be the only one who was angry, indicating the Browns were ``distracted'' or they just don't ``get it.''
Crennel has another way to think about it: He is looking on that lack of effort as an aberration, not a trend.
``I don't think (that game) was indicative of the way this team will play,'' he said.
Fans were not pleased. E-mails were received from club-seat holders who left at halftime, though others pointed out that if the Browns beat the New Orleans Saints all will be forgotten.
And that's probably true.
But when the coach agrees the effort was lacking and the performance dismal, it was.
Crennel just does not want the fourth exhibition game -- dismal as it was -- to be a defining game for his team.
So he's going to ignore it.
``I would like to think that games two and three of the preseason are more indicative of what you can expect,'' Crennel said. ``By throwing this game up in their face all of the time, they might start believing it. If they start believing it, I might get another performance like that, and I don't want that.
``It's behind us. We are going to move forward and get better.''
Secondary problems
The Browns face the reality that they will play the Saints with two of their top defensive backs watching from the sideline.
Daylon McCutcheon, who is slated to be the nickel back, is still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his knee that took place Aug. 1.
It appears very doubtful he will play.
On Friday, safety Brian Russell had an inflamed bursa sac removed from his elbow.
Crennel said Russell will try to practice this week with stitches in his elbow.
``He'll be a game-time decision,'' Crennel said.
Russell should be back for the second game in Cincinnati, but it might be too much to expect him to return for the opener. He is valuable in calling defensive coverages from his free safety spot.
If Russell can't play, Sean Jones and Brodney Pool will both play at safety.
Bet on it
A Web site called bodog.com lists numerous offbeat odds for the Browns for the season. There's the obvious -- 80-1 to win the Super Bowl, 9-1 to win the AFC North -- to go with the not so obvious.
And they indicate the perception of this team nationally.
The over/under for Charlie Frye's passing yardage is 2,625.
Kurt Warner had more last season.
The over/under for:
• Frye's touchdown passes is 13 -- same as Aaron Brooks a year ago.
• Reuben Droughns' rushing yardage is 1,025, 200 less than he had a year ago.
• Droughns' rushing touchdown total is four, which would have tied for 30th last season.
Finally, the over/under for Kellen Winslow's receiving yardage is 525.
Pressing issue
If the NFL didn't think it had a serious problem with human growth hormone, it should now that the Charlotte Observer published a story detailing HGH use by players during the Carolina Panthers' 2003 season.
The paper detailed the prescriptions given to players, when they were used and how they were used.
Several linemen were named, and the question was rightly raised whether the team's Super Bowl appearance was tainted.
If it was that easy for the Panthers to get around the drug-testing system, it's worth wondering how many other players did as well.
Peter King of www.SI.com (and Sports Illustrated) asked new Commissioner Roger Goodell about HGH.
Goodell's response: ``It's an area I haven't had much focus on, but I'll be getting more involved in it.''
Brownies . . .
King, by the way, says the Browns' best-case scenario this season has them going 8-8.... Crennel raised media eyebrows when he said that Matt Stewart would continue to start at outside linebacker ahead of Kamerion Wimbley.... Forbes listed the value of the Browns at $970 million.... Charlie Frye hit his hand on a helmet following a throw Thursday night, but he said he felt fine and Crennel said he had not complained.... It will be interesting to see what happens to Lee Suggs. Will he catch on with another team, stay healthy and gain 1,000 yards, or will the injuries that plagued him in Cleveland continue to short-circuit his career? One GM said that any team that signs him will have injury waivers on five or six body parts.
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Canton


Edwards, Winslow must learn to share
Tuesday, September 5, 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 - In theory, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow Jr. will be Charlie’s angels.
Given the standard psychology of receivers drafted where they were, Charlie Frye could have a devil of a time keeping twin go-to targets trucking along in peace.
Winslow will start at tight end Sunday against the Saints in his first real game since Sept. 19, 2004. Head Coach Romeo Crennel said Edwards, further behind in recovery from knee surgery than Winslow, should play “quite a bit.”
In the same breath, it was fairly clear Crennel was managing egos. The head coach used a question specifically about Edwards to preach a team-first sermon.
“All 53 players have a role,” Crennel said — remember, this was an Edwards question. “The role changes from day to day, in some cases week to week.
“One week, I may be the star, but the next week, the game plan might not allow me to be the star. It depends on how you plan to attack an opponent. ... The thing that’s important is who is going to play and how well they will play.”
Approached at his locker Monday before practice, Edwards declined to be interviewed. He might be uncomfortable saying much in the wake of a preseason in which he played briefly in just two games, making one catch for 9 yards.
Winslow seems less on edge. He played in all four preseason games, catching seven passes for 59 yards, coming away convinced there will be more for him when the games get real.
“I just have to be patient,” he said, referring to the obvious, that playbooks don’t get dumped into practice games.
Winslow hasn’t lost his “want the ball” nature. He was visibly upset after getting wide open in a preseason game. Frye didn’t see him and threw the ball away in another direction.
But Winslow has turned into more of a deep thinker. He reacts quickly one moment, thinks things through, and maybe comes to a different conclusion a while later.
He says Frye will be “a star in this league.” Maybe he’s practicing his own ego-management agenda.
If Winslow progresses as planned, Crennel said, “He’ll cause the defense some problems.”
Ego problems? One reason Joe Jurevicius was hired was to make sure there aren’t many.
“He’s great,” Frye said of the 31-year-old Jurevicius, a ninth-year pro. “He’s well-respected on this team. I really enjoy him as a person, not just a player.
“He’s gonna be a big part, not just catching balls, but being a mentor for Braylon and Kellen, also.”
Whereas Winslow is a tight end, Edwards plays the same position as Jurevicius, wide receiver. Jurevicius and Edwards project as the starters over the long haul of the season.
“I know athletically and physically why they picked him where they did,” Jurevicius said of last year’s No. 3 overall draft pick. “In terms of his rehab, he’s done a lot to get back to where he has in such a short time.
“I think that’s a testament to his want-to. He’s gonna do nothing but help the Cleveland Browns.”
Crennel, no doubt, sees Edwards helping best if he accepts passes getting spread among Winslow, Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt and others.
“I think you saw some of the abilities we have offensively in the second preseason game,” Crennel said. “We were able to mix it up and get the ball to several different guys. That let you know that it’s in the bag. We just have to take it out of the bag and use it.”
Edwards didn’t play until the third preseason game.
Jurevicius was barely noticed in any preseason game. He made two catches for 18 yards.
He’s not ready to retire, just when he’s getting a chance to play for his hometown team.
“Obviously, you get older,” Jurevicius said, “but look at what I did last year.”
He caught 10 touchdown passes for the Seahawks in helping them reach the playoffs. They lost to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL.
By way of comparison, Northcutt has 11 touchdown catches in six Browns seasons. Winslow and Edwards have a combined three in the NFL. Jurevicius has 25, including his work in three postseason runs to Super Bowls.
“He’s not an out-front kind of guy,” Crennel said. “Maybe it’s part of being a good professional to be low-key.
“He goes about his job, runs his route hard, goes down the field and blocks. Part of the reason we might gain yards is because Joe puts a good block on the linebacker.
“Maybe he’s not as spectacular as some people might want a receiver to be. He helps the team win because he moves the football. Maybe there are some good things about not being spectacular.”
Suppose Winslow and Edwards both come back strong from their surgeries. What if game plans don’t allow them to have spectacular stats, but they work? Can they get their hands around that? Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]


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Dispatch

BROWNS NOTEBOOK
Frye faces adapting to another center

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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BEREA, Ohio — Charlie Frye couldn’t recall how many centers he worked with during training camp. At least now he knows the two he’ll have for the season.
Newly acquired Hank Fraley joined Lennie Friedman with the Cleveland Browns yesterday in preparation for their opener Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Neither has been with the team for more than a week. A starter will be named closer to game time.
Fraley is expected to step in, if not this week then once he learns the system. He started most of the past five years with the Philadelphia Eagles and was acquired Saturday for a conditional 2008 draft pick.
"You always want time to get in here and get to know each other," coach Romeo Crennel said. "The more time (Fraley and Frye) have together, I think the better they can be. … Having an experienced guy makes that short transition better because he knows how to play the game."
Frye started training camp taking snaps from LeCharles Bentley, whose season-ending surgery resulted in a string of successors: Bob Hallen, Alonzo Ephriam, Ross Tucker, Rob Smith, Friedman and now Fraley.
It’s not an ideal situation for a quarterback entering his first full season as the starter, but Frye is making the best of it.
"I don’t know which number this is, but I think we have two solid centers now," Frye said.
Edwards ready

Braylon Edwards will reach a personal goal when he plays in the opener. Edwards’ original timeline to return from knee surgery was Oct. 1. He worked hard enough in rehabilitation to see limited action in the final two preseason games.
He had one catch for 9 yards and took several shots from defenders. He also has looked good in practice during noncontact drills.
"Braylon is going to play in the game, no question about that in my mind," Crennel said. "And I think that he’s going to make plays in the game."
Brownie points

The Browns will not make a decision on several starting positions until later in the week, Crennel said. The center spot (Fraley-Friedman) and both inside linebackers (Chaun Thompson-D’Qwell Jackson) and outside linebacker (Matt Stewart-Kamerion Wimbley) are up for grabs. … Starting free safety Brian Russell (elbow) and cornerback Daylon McCutcheon (knee) both missed practice yesterday. Russell will be a gametime decision and McCutcheon is doubtful. … Cornerback Gary Baxter (pectoral muscle) is expected to start.
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