Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

BROWNS NOTEBOOK
Crennel?s ?new? approach works

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH




BEREA, Ohio ? Sometimes it takes psychology to be a successful head coach in the NFL.
Romeo Crennel pushed all the right buttons with his team last week, and the Cleveland Browns responded with a 20-13 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
He preached "starting a new season" leading up to the game. Players latched onto the message and said it was a much-needed attitude adjustment after a 1-5 start.
The resignation of offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon and the promotion of Jeff Davidson helped spark the team.
"There was a change on the offensive side, and so it was a chance to start over, to a degree," Crennel said yesterday. "The first part of the season is still there, and we can?t write that off the schedule or the record. But with a 10-game stretch, the mentality can be, ?All right, we?ve got 10 games to show what we can do.? "
Crennel even sang to the players before the game, although he would not divulge which song.
"That was a little something I just did to help them loosen up a little bit," Crennel said with a tinge of embarrassment.
Merriman?s status unknown

The Browns will not know until later this week whether All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman will play for the Chargers in San Diego on Sunday.
Merriman was suspended for four games for violating the NFL?s steroid policy, but the suspension has not started because Merriman filed an appeal. Reports out of San Diego yesterday said Merriman is considering dropping the appeal, which means the suspension would start Sunday.
"It might make a difference in game plan, but I think that right now we have to plan like he?s going to be there and try to determine how we?re going to slow him down," Crennel said. "If he?s not there, then that might help the game plan a little bit."
Brownie points

The Browns rushed for 147 yards against the Jets, their most since Nov. 20, 2005, when they gained 181 in a 22-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins.? The Browns are 8-2 in their past 10 games when scoring 20 points or more, including 2-0 this season. ? Guard Joe Andruzzi (knee) and linebacker Willie McGinest (ankle) were scheduled to have magnetic resonance imaging tests. Results were not made available.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Browns: Now that Bodden is healthy, he provides big lift
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

BEREA The Browns have had such rotten luck with megamillion free agents.

Dwayne Rudd lives in infamy for a helmet trick that made a sure win disappear.
Ross Verba blew out a bicep and missed a season.
LeCharles Bentley didn't make it to the preseason.
Gary Baxter will be gone for a long time.
At least this team got lucky with Leigh Bodden, an undrafted free agent who keeps looking like a million at cornerback. The Browns are 2-0 in Bodden's last two starts. They lost the two games in between, which he missed with a high ankle sprain.
Bodden had been emerging as one of the league's most surprising cornerbacks. He was one of the reasons Chad Pennington had a horrid Sunday, going 11-of-28 for 108 yards, with two interceptions and a 21.1 passer rating.
Every defense wants a shut-down corner. Head Coach Romeo Crennel raved at Bodden's Sunday work in man-to-man coverage.
"He's a pretty good match on most receivers," Crennel said.
He was one reason the Jets' thrilling final play went to the right side. The Jets wanted no part of Bodden, who helped limit prolific Laveranues Coles to four catches for 40 yards.
Trailing 20-13 with about a minute left, Pennington lofted a fourth-down pass into the end zone toward tight end Chris Baker, a fifth-year pro out of Michigan State.
"I was on the other side, but I saw the whole thing clearly," Bodden said. "(Baker) was open. That kind of scared me, He made a great catch, one-handed."
Baker was in the air when safety Brodney Pool drove him out of bounds. Officials made a controversial ruling that Baker would have landed out of bounds, had he not been hit.
Bodden said he wasn't full go but went into the game thinking he could help.
He helped a lot when the game was tied 3-3, and the Jets had reached the Cleveland 33-yard line. He fired in from the left side on a corner blitz, leaped when Pennington threw, and tipped the ball to Sean Jones for an interception.
"That was the first time all year I blitzed," said Bodden, playing in his fifth game.
He had asked Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham to put him in playmaking roles.
"I told him to try to get me loose, that I can make things happen," Bodden said. "He listened. He mixed it up and he called some different blitzes."
With Baxter and Daylon McCutcheon out for the season, the Browns head for San Diego with Daven Holly and Ralph Brown in key roles as injury replacements at corner.
It's a tough situation, but Crennel feels a lot better about it with Bodden back in place. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

BROWNS BEAT: Seeing things at face value
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
BROWNS BEAT STEVE DOERSCHUK

I walked away from the football for a while Sunday to gauge what the people who pay for it were feeling.

By chance, I walked into the stadium with Todd Grantham, a likable guy who runs the Browns defense. A chilly wind blasted the west approach, where security people and ticket-takers outnumbered fans.
Foot traffic on the Third Street bridge was picking up. Most of the incoming wore something "Browns."
Some of you recall hitting stores at Christmas time in 1995, after the announcement the team was bolting. You could get some nice-looking Browns stuff for the price of a steak dinner, but at that point, the dinner was more appetizing.
The team is in its eighth year back - but absent the old buzz. The guess is lots of Sunday's Browns coats were bought at the best garage-sale rate.
I headed south toward Tower City, then west to the restaurant district. Fans were everywhere, going in and out of doors, tailgating in parking lots, moving toward the game.
It seemed people looked forward to seeing the game but weren't fired up. There was lots of cynical jocularity.
"Can't stay away. Bad habit."
"Paid for it. Might as well sit through it."
"Beats a sharp stick in the eye."
"No Mo Carthon. That counts for something."
Later, back at the stadium, a man would announce, "tickets distributed for today's game, 72,507." It would be embarrassing to announce the actual turnstile count.
I don't doubt those tickets really had been distributed. I saw an incredible number in the hands of scalpers.
For sport, I posed as a customer and began to shop for scalped Browns-Jets tickets.
How much for three?
"How much you want to pay?" said a guy standing outside Mallorca restaurant.
"Just give me your best price."
"$20 a ticket. Ten rows up in the Dawg Pound."
"I'll get back to you."
Nowhere was the walk between scalpers longer than a block.
"Face value for the good ones," a guy working a spot near a hot dog stand said. "$20 for the get-ins."
Panini's was hopping. Multiple scalpers worked the area. Many work together, seeming more organized than the Raiders.
Across the street from a Marriott, a man's cap blew off and skipped along the sidewalk. A scalper held out a fistful of tickets posting a face value of $40.
"$20," he said, an hour before kick.
Ohio State-Michigan tickets might not be this easy.
I kept walking and shopping.
"$20," I kept hearing.
It was as if the fine folks who fix gas station prices had taken over. Except, this would be like everybody charging $1.19 a gallon.
It was time to cover a game. The street crowd was thick atop the stairs near the south side of the stadium.
I took one more shot at a guy with a fistful of tickets. Some sellers had simply been stuck with extra tickets. This guy's picture appears next to "scalper" in the dictionary.
He thumbed through his stack and held out tickets so I could read the face value, $77.
"Whaddaya want?" I said.
"A buck."
"What?"
"A buck."
I walked away.
"Hey, buddy, come back."
Never did figure that out.
The people filed in ... maybe 60,000. It wasn't a bad game. The fourth quarter was uncharacteristically loud.
During the fourth-quarter, fourth-down pass on which the Browns' 20-13 win rode, Charlie Frye said, "You couldn't hear yourself think."
There's an elevator from the press box to locker rooms, but I like to take the outer ramps. It's a gauge-the-feeling thing.
"Woof-woof-woof," yelled the loudest guy in the moving mob. "Two-and-five, baby."
A one-game winning streak?
Hey, it's a start. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

TheMorningJournal

Bolts still a beast
JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
11/02/2006


BEREA -- The player Kellen Winslow Jr. refers to respectfully as ''a beast'' won't play Sunday. Unfortunately for Charlie Frye and his Browns teammates, the rest of the Chargers' second-ranked defense is eager to pick up the slack.


Shawne Merriman, the NFL leader with 8.5 sacks, dropped his appeal of a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's steroid policy. By serving his suspension starting Sunday, Merriman is assured of playing in the San Diego-Denver game Dec. 10 in San Diego. He will be serving the third game of his punishment when the Chargers and Broncos meet in Denver Nov. 19.

Right tackle Kelly Butler, wide as a road and tall as an oak, is shedding no tears. Merriman would have been left tackle Kevin Shaffer's responsibility on most plays, but San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer moves Merriman around, so there would have been times when Butler would have been responsible for keeping him off Frye.

But now Butler, playing because Ryan Tucker is still out with an undisclosed illness, doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

''They have some phenomenal pass rushers, with or without Merriman,'' Butler said. ''They have Shaun Phillips and Luis Castillo. I'm not going to focus on Merriman; I'm focusing on what is there.

''I'm going against Castillo and Phillips. We have to stay out of third-and-long because they'll blitz. They're physical and emotional. It will be a good challenge to see where we are as a team.''

Castillo is the left defensive end and Phillips the left outside linebacker. Phillips has a calf injury and will not start against the Browns, Schottenheimer said.

Marques Harris is replacing Phillips and Carlos Polk is replacing Merriman. Polk and Harris have a combined 11 tackles and one sack. Polk has never started a game. Harris got his only start last week against the Rams. Still, the Browns are braced for an all-out pass rush.

The Chargers are 5-2, tied with Denver for first in the AFC West. Defensively, they are about as different from the Jets as a team that also plays a 3-4 defense could be.

The Chargers are first in the NFL with 26 sacks; the Jets entered the game last week with 10 sacks in seven games. Even without the scalps on Merriman's belt, San Diego has 3.5 sacks more than the Browns.

Castillo, the left end and Butler's primary assignment, has six sacks. That's double what Kamerion Wimbley, the Browns sack leader, has.

San Diego's second-ranked defense comes from being sixth against the run and sixth against the pass. Sometimes those rankings aren't reflective of how a defense is playing. The Raiders, for example, are first against the pass because teams run on them, not because the secondary is great.

The Chargers' rankings are legitimate. Last week the Browns rushed for 147 yards against the Jets. They would like to have but do not expect that same success on the ground in San Diego.

''A lot of their defense is based on getting pressure on the quarterback,'' Frye said. ''Different pressure schemes and blitzes have caused teams some problems. We're concentrating this week on keeping me protected.''

Frye said the Chargers remind him defensively of the Steelers. The last time the Browns dealt with such aggressive defense was Christmas Eve of last year, when the Steelers won 41-0.

The Ravens rushed Frye from all angles in the third game this season and sacked him seven times. The Browns still led most of the game until Frye threw an interception in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

''We play our 3-4 different than a lot of people,'' Schottenheimer said during a conference call yesterday. ''We have a system that puts a priority on stopping the run first and then take it to the second element, which is finding a way to defend the pass.''

Jamal Williams is the Chargers nose tackle. One player alone cannot block him, Schottenheimer said. Williams' primary job is to occupy blockers so linebacker Donnie Edwards can swoop in unblocked.

Edwards leads the Chargers with 67 tackles. Williams is fifth with 32 tackles. He also has two sacks.

Browns nose tackle Ted Washington has 25 tackles and no sacks.

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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

Winslow looks forward to playing in San Diego

It's a homecoming for Browns tight end; his dad played for Chargers.


Associated Press

Thursday, November 02, 2006


BEREA ? Kellen Winslow II could be even more fired up than usual this Sunday.
Winslow, never lacking emotion on game day, will return home to San Diego and play in front of about 50 friends and family members when the Cleveland Browns face the Chargers.
His Hall of Fame father will be among them, watching his son play on the field where he redefined the tight end position.
As if that's not enough for the younger Winslow to get excited about, he made it a point Wednesday to hype his matchup with another pretty good Chargers tight end, Antonio Gates.
"I look at it like it's a heavyweight match. It's me versus Gates," Winslow said. "I want to be the best tight end out there."
The tale of the tape reads like this: Winslow, playing in his first full season after a motorcycle accident and multiple injuries, leads all tight ends with 40 receptions. He has 393 yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez is second with 33 catches for 441 yards and a score. Gates is third with 32 receptions, 384 yards and four touchdowns.
"Tony is right behind me. Gates is right behind me. So I've got to stay on top," Winslow said.
Winslow was asked to clarify. Did he mean keep his lead in receptions?
"The best overall. I'm trying to be the best. I said I was the best. I am the best, and I'm going to prove it on Sunday," he said.
Winslow got humble, though, when asked to compare himself to his father.
"He's not even human," he said. "I'm not even on his level, so I can't even compare the two. Not yet."
Winslow, who dreamed of following in his father's footsteps with the Chargers, doesn't see himself as the same type of player.
The elder Winslow brought speed and athleticism to the position, but had a bigger frame than his son. He caught 541 passes for 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns in nine seasons with the Chargers.
The younger Winslow was just a tyke when his dad was through making NFL history and doesn't remember much. But he's watched the game films over and over.
"My skills are different from my dad's," Winslow said. "I compare Tony (Gonzalez) to my father.
"I think I'm a different type of breed. I'm not really a tight end. I'm not really a receiver. I'm kind of a 'tweener.' "
Like Gates, the junior Winslow has speed and great hands, but Gates is bigger and has proven himself over 3? seasons, while Winslow will play in just his 10th game Sunday.

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch
Winslow says he?s best
Brash tight end relishes chance to play against Gates in his hometown
Thursday, November 02, 2006
James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

TONY DEJAK ASSOCIATED PRESS Kellen Winslow Jr., celebrating the Browns? win over the Jets on Sunday, leads all tight ends with 40 receptions.

BEREA, Ohio ? Who is the NFL?s best tight end?
A half-dozen players could claim that title, including Tony Gonzalez of Kansas City, Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants and Alge Crumpler of Atlanta.
But without a tinge of doubt and in a calm voice, Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. yesterday said he?s the best ? after just nine games in the NFL.
He has a chance to prove it Sunday when he goes against another one of the league?s best in tight end Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers.
"I look at it like it?s a heavyweight match ? it?s me versus Gates," Winslow said. "I want to be the best tight end out there and I got to go do it on Sunday. Tony is right behind me. Gates is right behind me. So I got to stay on top."
Winslow wasn?t just talking about statistics ? he leads all tight ends with 40 receptions ?he was talking about overall talent.
"I?m trying to be the best," he said. "I said I was the best, and I am the best."
It is no surprise that Winslow has extra motivation this week. In addition to trying to outshine Gates, Sunday will be a homecoming for the third-year tight end.
Winslow grew up in San Diego where his father, Kellen Sr., put together a Hall-of-Fame career with the Chargers. Kellen Jr. played locally for Scripps Ranch High School and became one of the most sought-after prospects in the country.
Winslow said he is not jealous of Gates being the latest great tight end to grace his hometown. Kellen Sr. will always be the original.
"I got all the respect for Gates, but he?ll never be my father," Winslow said. "Nobody will. I won?t. He?s on a whole other level. He made the tight end position.
"But I?ve always dreamed of playing for the Chargers and I?m happy that Gates is doing well out there. It makes me better in the end."
Gates? story is an interesting one. He didn?t play football at Kent State and was a two-year letterman in basketball. He was considered too short (6 feet 4, 260 pounds) to play in the NBA, so he tried the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
Browns receiver Joshua Cribbs, who was a quarterback at Kent State, tried to talk Gates into playing football in college.
"He came out there a few times, but the basketball coaches don?t like their star athletes crossing over and possibly getting hurt, especially since his senior season was coming up," Cribbs said. "He came out to a couple of practices, but I never saw him out there again. His coach got to him and said, ?Hey, stick to this.? "
Gates has back-to-back 80-catch seasons for San Diego, and this year he?s on pace for 73 receptions. He already has one vote as the league?s best from a pretty good teammate.
"I think Gates, in my opinion, he?s the best at what he does as far as tight ends," Chargers All-Pro running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "He creates such a mismatch on people. He?s not just down on the line of scrimmage. He?s able to split out like a receiver and run great routes."

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

Edwards thinks he's 'always open'
Friday, November 3, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


BEREA The Braylon Edwards whom Browns fans were itching to see broke through in his fifth NFL start.
It was Charlie Frye's first start, 11 months ago today. The rookies hooked up for a 34-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. The encore, just before half, was a 17-yard TD pass for a 14-3 lead over playoff-bound Jacksonville.
The Dawg Pound unleashed that roar of old.
In the fourth quarter, Frye went deep down the right sideline to Edwards, who positioned himself for a circus catch that would take him over 100 yards. Instead, the tent collapsed. A twisted landing left him with a blown-out knee.
Flash forward to 2006. The Edwards fans were afraid they would see began showing up in his fifth start of the season.
In Game 5, Edwards caught three passes for 27 yards at Carolina. In Game 6, he caught two passes for 6 yards against Denver. In Game 7, he caught two passes for 21 yards against the Jets.
Did the knee injury slow him down? Is it true what somebody said about Edwards struggling to get open?
"I'm open all the time," Edwards fired back Thursday. "You tell somebody, come check me and see if they can ... "
He didn't finish that thought, jumping to the next one.
"I'll line up with anybody in this league, anybody in this defensive locker room," Edwards went on. "I'll line up on any one of you guys, so ... "
Graying reporters came away sizing each other up to see who among the 40- and 50-somethings could make Edwards eat those words.
It was a funny prospect, but things get serious when Edwards goes against the Chargers' No. 6-rated pass defense, which includes the No. 5 pick of the 2002 draft, cornerback Quentin Jammer.
It's not as if Edwards hasn't shown signs of beating his knee injury. He had 15 catches for 301 yards in Games 2-4. Even in the last two games, Frye has taken three deep shots at Edwards. They have resulted in two incompletions and an interception, but maybe it's the thought (that this can be one game-breaking dude) that counts.
It remains to be seen how Edwards' role will emerge as the offense develops under new coordinator Jeff Davidson.
Edwards said there have been "just subtle changes" since Mo Carthon was replaced, but enough to make a difference.
"It forces the defense to say, 'Hey, we haven't seen this look,' or, 'Hey, where'd this come from?' " Edwards said. "It's things that cause them to turn their heads a little bit to the sidelines.
"If we can continue to cause this kind of confusion, we're doing better. We're doing our jobs."
The Chargers' defense has sprung a few leaks. Two starting linebackers won't face the Browns, including NFL sacks leader Shawne Merriman.
What does that mean for the Browns' wideouts? In a 38-24 win over the Rams last Sunday, the Chargers gave up five catches for 105 yards to veteran Isaac Bruce and seven catches for 79 yards to No. 3 wideout Kevin Curtis.
In a 30-27 loss at Kansas City a week earlier, the Chargers shut down the wideouts (Eddie Kennison had two catches for 30 yards) but gave up six catches for 138 yards to tight end Tony Gonzalez and 132 rushing yards to Larry Johnson.
This might indicate the Browns focusing on tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. and running back Reuben Droughns, both of whom had big games in Sunday's win over the Jets.
But there's always room in the game plan for a No. 3 pick.
Edwards certainly thinks so.
"I'm always open," he said. Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: [email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

There's no ignoring him

Chargers star Tomlinson recalls Browns' snub on draft day

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - LaDainian Tomlinson could have been in Cleveland.
The Browns chose not to draft him.
Tomlinson, who has rushed for more than 8,000 yards since the San Diego Chargers drafted him in the first round, apparently wasn't even on the Browns' draft radar screen.
``No,'' he said this week in a conference call with Cleveland media. ``Not at all.''
What's that?
``They didn't show any interest at all,'' Tomlinson said.
That draft was the first in the Butch Davis era, and the Browns selected Gerard Warren with the third overall pick. In the third round, they selected running back James Jackson of Miami.
Tomlinson wound up going to San Diego with the fifth pick.
Warren has since been traded to Denver for a fourth-round draft choice. Jackson rushed for 1,071 yards in four seasons in Cleveland.
Tomlinson already has his jersey in Canton. The hall of fame displayed it after Tomlinson set a record by scoring a touchdown in 14 consecutive games. He seems assured of a bust there as well.
The Browns passed on him even though their leading rusher in 2000 was Travis Prentice.
To be fair, four teams passed on Tomlinson. Atlanta took quarterback Michael Vick, Arizona took lineman Leonard Davis, the Browns took Warren and Cincinnati took defensive end Justin Smith before Tomlinson went off the board.
To hear Tomlinson talk, however, the Browns ignored him before the draft.
``I was prepared to go to Cleveland,'' he said. ``I knew they needed a running back badly. Obviously with me being there, I thought there was a good chance I would land in Cleveland.
``But I never went to Cleveland on a visit, never talked to (them) at all. I don't think I even talked to them at the combine.''
Hindsight shows that perhaps the Browns should have at least talked to Tomlinson.
Through seven games this season, he ranks second in the league with 656 yards rushing. Sunday against St. Louis, he had 183 yards rushing, 57 receiving.
He has scored a league-high 11 touchdowns and has 91 touchdowns in his career.
In five seasons and seven games, Tomlinson has rushed for 8,017 yards and holds or shares 19 San Diego team records.
Coach Marty Schottenheimer said Tomlinson is the best back he has seen, and Browns coach Romeo Crennel said ``LT'' ranks among the best ever.
``The thing about LaDainian is, you watch him make it look easy,'' Crennel said. ``When he runs through a hole, guys that are unblocked and should be able to make a tackle don't get a hand on him. If they do get a hand on him, he is running away from them before they can even think about wrapping him up.
``He can bounce it out or run inside. These runners that can go the distance are not inside runners. LaDainian can run inside as well as outside.''
Tomlinson said he one day would like to be considered among the best ever -- that's not a large worry -- but added: ``I'm in my sixth year and I have a long way to go.''
Not too far, really.
Tomlinson ranks on numerous lists of the NFL's best players.
And he doesn't think things would have been too much different had the Browns drafted him.
``I don't want to sound cocky or anything, but I think I was destined to be where I am now,'' he said. ``If I would have gone to Cleveland, I think I would have had a successful career, considering the amount of time I put into working hard.
``I try to be the best and I don't think it would have been different being in Cleveland.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Browns notebook

Braylon Edwards is open: Just ask

By Patrick McManamon

Beacon Journal sportswriter

BEREA - Braylon Edwards' numbers have not been glittering the past three weeks: seven catches for 54 yards, less than eight yards per catch.
Is something going on?
``Not to my knowledge,'' Edwards said Thursday. ``We're just playing football.''
Don't, though, suggest that Edwards is not getting open, as one reporter did.
Edwards paused when that theory was put to him, then said: ``Say what, now?''
He then did his best 7-Eleven.
``I'm always open,'' he said.
Pressed on the subject, he continued.
``I'm open all the time,'' he said. ``You tell somebody to come check me and see if they can. I'll line up on anybody in this league, anybody in this locker room. I'll line up on any one of you guys.''
No Holly
Cornerback Daven Holly missed practice for the second day in a row with an unspecified illness.
``I spoke with him (Wednesday) and the doctors haven't told him anything,'' coach Romeo Crennel said. ``He does not want us to say anything until he finds out what's going on.''
Holly was in the hospital when Crennel spoke to him.
Crennel said he does not believe Holly's illness is a staph infection.
``This is a different situation,'' Crennel said.
Brownies . . .
Guard Joe Andruzzi was working with the second team Thursday in the portion of practice open to the media.... Wide receiver Dennis Northcutt may play for the first time since hurting his ribs Oct. 8 in Carolina... Linebacker Willie McGinest and defensive end Orpheus Roye were limited in practice for the second day in a row.... San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers ranks fourth in the league with a 97.6 passer rating.

 

[osugrad21]

Browns | Winslow practices Thursday
Thu, 2 Nov 2006 20:03:08 -0800
Scott Petrak, of the Medina Gazette, reports Cleveland Browns TE Kellen Winslow Jr. (knee) practiced Thursday, Nov. 2, and is questionable for Week 9.



http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Browns safety emerges
Jones puts poor season, knee injury behind him
Friday, November 03, 2006
James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The Browns? Sean Jones is tackled by a host of Jets players after an interception.
BEREA, Ohio ? Cleveland Browns safety Sean Jones always believed in himself, even when others didn?t.
Jones held tight to the belief that he could develop into one of the better safeties in the NFL. During training camp, he said his talent level is comparable with other top safeties in the AFC North, such as Troy Polamalu of Pittsburgh and Ed Reed of Baltimore.
He didn?t have much of a leg to stand on because of a knee injury his rookie year and a bad second season. But seven games into this year, he is starting to make his case.
Jones is tied for the NFL lead with four interceptions and is third on the Browns with 42 tackles. He was named AFC defensive player of the week after making two interceptions in a win over the New York Jets on Sunday.
"I?ve been working hard these past two years and I haven?t really been getting the credit because I haven?t done anything and I really haven?t played," Jones said. "But it feels good because all the hard work I?ve been doing behind close doors, it?s all starting to pay off for me."
There were high expectations when Jones was drafted in the second round in 2004. He and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. were considered the jewels of the draft under former coach Butch Davis, who was fired that season.
Jones suffered a serious left knee injury during minicamp, ending his rookie season before it began.
By the time Jones returned last year, he had a new coach in Romeo Crennel and a new 3-4 defensive system. Between returning from injury and trying to learn a complicated defense, Jones was never able to find the field and played primarily on special teams.
"We knew that Sean had the ability," Crennel said. "The system had changed and he needed to get comfortable in the system. I think he spent time in the classroom and with the coaches so he could be comfortable in the system. As a result, he won the starting job and is taking the most advantage of it."
An offseason trade of Chris Crocker to the Atlanta Falcons opened the door for Jones. He said it meant a lot to him that Crennel gave him a clean slate in training camp and allowed an open competition.
As a former Davis draft pick, Jones was never "their guy" and was in competition with 2005 second-round pick Brodney Pool, who was selected by the current regime.
Jones was the clear-cut winner in Crennel?s eyes and he?s not letting up. He believes his solid seven weeks are just the beginning of long and prosperous career.
"I made a comment about Reed and those guys, and all of those guys are great athletes and great players in this league," Jones said. "And when my career is over, I want to be one of those guys that people remember."
[email protected]

 

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Edwards dismisses drop in production
Friday, November 03, 2006
James Walker
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

BEREA, Ohio ? Cleveland Browns receiver Braylon Edwards said nothing has changed even though his production has dropped in recent weeks.
Edwards has just seven catches for 55 yards in the past three games and the Browns have won just once.
Cleveland (2-5) will need more big plays from Edwards on Sunday against the San Diego Chargers (5-2).
"I?m open all the time," Edwards said yesterday. "You tell somebody come check me and see if they can. I?ll line up with anybody in this league, anybody in this defensive locker room. I?ll line up on any one of you guys, so ? "
Some relief

The Browns received a boost this week when news came that Chargers All-Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman dropped his appeal and will begin serving a four-game suspension.
Merriman, who is tied for the NFL lead with 8 1 /2 sacks, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone.
"I know Shawne and he?s a great player," Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. said. "That?s a load off our shoulders. He?s a beast, plain and simple."
The Chargers enter the game with the league?s second-ranked defense. Browns coach Romeo Crennel believes they will have no problem adjusting without their star player.
"We were not going to play Shawne Merriman. We?re going to play the San Diego Chargers," Crennel said. "They are without a player. A lot of teams in the NFL have to line up on Sundays without a player that they would like to have."
Merriman and his attorney have blamed a tainted supplement for the positive test result.
Brownie points

Cornerback Daven Holly has an unspecified illness and is questionable. ? San Diego is 3-0 at home and is outscoring opponents in Qualcomm Stadium by a combined score of 101-44. ? Crennel said receiver Dennis Northcutt (ribs) is making good progress in practice this week and might return Sunday.

 

[NJ-Buckeye]

Wonder if Edwards drop in production has anything to do with Edwards DROPS

 

[IronBuckI]

Shouldn't we be better than 2-5? I mean we do have a receiver that's always open, and the best TE in the league right?

 

[osugrad21]

Canton

Browns extend Cribbs? deal
Saturday, November 4, 2006
By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

BEREA Coming off a game that turned dicey when Joshua Cribbs whiffed while trying to catch a punt, Romeo Crennel sounded concerned.
"Joshua has been struggling for the past couple of weeks with ball possession," the Browns head coach said. "There have been too many balls on the ground, and we can't afford that.
"We talked to him about it. That will hurt you in the long run if you keep doing stuff like that."
That said, the Browns signed Cribbs on Friday to a contract extension through 2012. He could have been a restricted free agent after the 2007 season.
It was already clear the Browns love what Cribbs has done as a kick returner and special teams tackling commando. The new question becomes how many balls they want him to get his hands on as a return man and a receiver.
There is little question the extension signals the end of Dennis Northcutt's run with the Browns, which began in 2000.
Cribbs likely will evolve as a combination kick and punt returner and No. 3 or No. 4 receiver.
If he grows as a receiver, that role will expand.
Cribbs made the 2005 Browns as an undrafted rookie out of Kent State and quickly became a fan favorite.
"This is a dream come true for me," he said. "I love the city of Cleveland and our fans. I'm excited that I'll be here for the long haul. It feels good to be wanted.
"Now, I'm even more motivated, because I want to prove to this organization that they made the right decision."
Northcutt is signed only through this year. Terms of Cribbs' contract were not disclosed.