Cleveland Browns (2007 & prior)

[jlb1705]

Does the stadium roof guy remind anyone of Lyle Lanley - the monorail guy from the Simpsons?

I like the last part of the article, where he basically seems to say that his estimate for the cost roof would be whatever amount the city could scrape together

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

I don't know what the rest of you think, but traditionally I would love for the stadium to be open but if Cleveland ever wants to host a Super Bowl, a roof is a must, I guess a retractable roof wouldn't be bad, but its not the same in my opinion.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

5/24/06

Browns: List of starters already forming

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER


BEREA - NFL signifies “Not For Long” in a cryptic job-security sense. Still, you look at the Browns and wonder. Shouldn’t it be longer than that?

General Manager Phil Savage and Head Coach Romeo Crennel head into spring practice with a nucleus of players they want to keep for years.

Forging that nucleus, though, is the result of an overhaul that is stunning even within the context of regime change.

The latest makeover goes in motion with the start of spring practice next week. By the end of a June 16-18 minicamp, expect Crennel to reveal clues as to likely starters for the 2006 opener against the Saints on Sept. 10. Already, the team’s run through free agency and the draft makes it fairly clear who most of those starters will be.

Based on one projection, expect:

n Six starters on offense who either weren’t starters on opening day 2005 or were on some other team.

n Six new starters on defense.

n Seventeen starters who weren’t starters at the close of 2004, nine on offense, eight on defense. The only exceptions are right tackle Ryan Tucker, fullback Terrelle Smith, defensive end Orpheus Roye, linebacker Andra Davis and cornerback Daylon McCutcheon.

Radical change was logical because the Butch Davis regime went 9-23 in its last two years. Fans seem to be embracing Savage’s massive fix-it attempt.

Outside pressure is building. A recent USA Today Sports Weekly article said, “This year’s surprise team could be Cleveland ... the Browns might be ready to turn their opponents black and blue.”

The purple haze of turnover, though, is one reason optimism should be tempered, at least until it becomes apparent that these guys can play together.

‘IN YOUR FACE’

Spring practice will be a mesh-fest. Special drills that started Tuesday focus on new center LeCharles Bentley and under-the-gun quarterback Charlie Frye working on exchanges. This was a problem that factored into the demise of Trent Dilfer and Jeff Faine.

Frye also needs to get a feel for new left tackle Kevin Shaffer, who protected mobile quarterback Michael Vick in Atlanta and now must get the hang of Frye’s improvisation.

Spring practice won’t completely address the huge issue of phasing in Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards as impact receivers. Coming off knee surgery, Winslow is scheduled to be up and running in some spring drills.

Edwards, coming off a later knee surgery, will be present at but not active in spring sessions.

Chemistry among Frye and new wideouts Joe Jurevicius and Travis Wilson will be monitored. Jurevicius is a veteran who can work through Frye’s growing pains. Wilson is a rookie whose route-running needs work.

Offensive Coordinator Mo Carthon needs to have a good spring. The Browns ranked last in the NFL with 232 points, roughly half the 452 points racked up by Jurevicius’ former team, Seattle.

“Mo’s an in-your-face type of guy, and he’ll say what it is, black or white, in his opinion,” Savage said recently. “Some players respond to it and other players don’t ... some of our guys probably get along with ‘Mo’ and other guys don’t.

“For the good of the team, everyone has to be on the same page.”

PROVE IT OR SIT

The defense had a promising first chapter under coordinator Todd Grantham, but he’ll have a busy spring, too.

On the three-man line, incumbent ends Orpheus Roye and Alvin McKinley are working with a new nose tackle, Ted Washington. Rookie nose man Baba Oshinowo is trying to emerge.

The best talent at outside linebacker is in new bodies, veteran Willie McGinest and Round 1 pick Kamerion Wimbley. Crennel and Grantham must decide what to do with Chaun Thompson, who made strides in 2005 and is signed through 2007.

In theory, 2006 Round 2 pick D’Qwell Jackson can plug in alongside veteran Andra Davis to form a strong duo of inside linebackers. In fact, Jackson must prove he’s a better option than veterans Matt Stewart or Thompson.

The Browns drafted Wimbley and Jackson to be starters sooner rather than later.

“In last year’s draft,” Crennel said, “we were kind of shooting in the dark.

We really didn’t know exactly what we needed. We were able to identify our needs this time.

“If they prove they can win the job, they will play. If they don’t win the job, they sit with me for a while.”

Brodney Pool, a Round 2 pick in 2005, sat as a rookie. Savage thinks Pool can be an impact safety, but he must beat out Brian Russell and Sean Jones for one of two openings.

Gary Baxter was supposed to stand out at corner last year. He sat out 11 games with a pectoral tear and must prove he can rebound.

Leigh Bodden and Daylon McCutcheon enter one of the team’s hottest position battles, for the starting cornerback job opposite Baxter.

These are some of the issues the Browns face as they attempt to turn “overhaul” into “up and running.”

Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com

Busy in Berea

What’s going on with the Browns:

Most players are participating in offseason conditioning at the team complex.

On Tuesday, the first of three special training sessions among centers and quarterbacks was conducted.

The first of 10 spring practices will be June 1.

A full-squad minicamp is set June 16-18, to be followed by summer break.

Training camp is tentatively set to start the last weekend in July. STEVE DOERSCHUK


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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

CPD

5/24/06

BROWNS Wimbley

<H1 class=red>Talks open on top pick

</H1>

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Mary Kay Cabot


Plain Dealer Reporter

The agent for Browns first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley came to town Tuesday to open contract negotiations.

Joe Linta, who also represents coach Romeo Crennel, met with Browns General Manager Phil Savage and salary-cap coordinator Trip MacCracken. Linta also had lunch with Crennel.

"They were just preliminary talks to dis cuss the pa rameters of the contract," said Browns spokes woman Amy Palcic. "It's a positive step that he came in to talk, but it's just the first step."

The only first-rounder signed so far is top pick Mario Williams of the Texans, but Wimbley said during draft weekend - and again at rookie minicamp earlier this month - that he expects to be in on time.

"I don't think there will be any holdout," said Wimbley, the Florida State defensive end who will be converted to outside linebacker. "I'm looking forward to getting into camp as soon as possible. I don't see any reason why I would be holding out."

If Wimbley does sign on time, he'd be the first Browns first-rounder to do so since Courtney Brown in 2000. The string of subsequent top-pick holdouts includes Gerard Warren, William Green, Jeff Faine, Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards.

Winslow and Edwards both held out for about two weeks. In Edwards' case, it prevented him from cracking the starting lineup until Week 11 against the Dolphins.

"I know I need to be here and not miss any time," said Wimbley.

A reference point in negotiations will be the contract of last year's No. 13 overall pick, Jammal Brown, a tackle for the Saints out of Oklahoma. He received a five-year deal worth $11 million, including a signing bonus, roster bonus and 2005 salary worth $8.5 million.

Perhaps the No. 13 will be as lucky for the Browns as it was for the Saints.

Brown pushed his agent to get him in on time and was the third top-20 player to sign, on July 30.

Wimbley has been participating in the Browns' off-season program and was impressive in rookie minicamp.

"Wimbley looks like he can make the conversion [to outside linebacker] OK," Crennel said during the camp. "He still has a lot to learn, but he has the ability and I think he can do it."

Crennel cited two college ends who made successful conversions to linebacker as rookies in the 3-4 defense -- current Browns Pro Bowl linebacker Willie McGinest and Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.

Wimbley said he's looking forward to learning all he can from McGinest, and if the Browns have their way, the education will begin sooner than later.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

5/25/06

Browns' RB Droughns jailed on assault charge

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Cleveland Browns running back Reuben Droughns turned himself in to police Wednesday to face an assault charge, authorities said.
Droughns, 27, was being held without bond until a court hearing Thursday morning, said Arapahoe County sheriff Patrol Capt. Mark Fisher.
Fisher said Droughns faces misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and harassment in this suburb south of Denver. The alleged assault happened May 12, three days after a jury in Medina, Ohio, acquitted him of drunken driving.
Droughns had left the scene before sheriff's deputies arrived, Fisher said. No other details were released.
The running back turned himself in and was arrested after deputies contacted his attorney.
Droughns' agent Drew Rosenhaus did not immediately return a message seeking comment. A message also was left for Browns spokeswoman Amy Palcic.
Droughns, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Browns earlier this year, rushed for 1,232 yards last season on 309 carries, scoring two touchdowns. He was traded to Cleveland from Denver in March 2005.
Earlier this month, a jury decided Droughns was not impaired by alcohol when an Ohio State Patrol trooper pulled him over Nov. 1. A breath test showed Droughns had an alcohol level of 0.08, the state's legal limit.
Droughns was charged with failing the Breathalyzer test, driving under the influence and traveling 50 mph in a 35-mph zone.
Droughns and his wife, Kellie, disputed the trooper's testimony that Droughns was weaving, and Droughns said he was unfamiliar with the speed limit in the area. Droughns said he drank three cocktails at a Halloween party that night.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

5/25/06

Savage feels Frye is right QB

Thursday, May 25, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>By Steve Doerschuk REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER



UNIONTOWN - As golf balls flew off tees behind him, Phil Savage touched on each point of the passing triangle on which his second season might ride.
The Browns’ general manager discussed quarterback Charlie Frye and how critical targets Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards will help, and when.
Savage clarified key points during and after a speech to the Northeast Ohio Celebrity Luncheon Club on Wednesday at Ohio Prestwick Country Club.
For starters, he said Frye is a promising enough prospect that the Browns wouldn’t have drafted Matt Leinart, had the USC quarterback dropped to No. 12 overall. The Cardinals picked Leinart at No. 10.
“There wasn’t that much difference between Charlie Frye a year into it vs. Matt Leinart as a rookie,” Savage said. “To me, (Leinart) doesn’t have that much stronger an arm than Charlie, if he does at all.
“We play in a windy stadium. That was the last line of my (scouting report) summary. ‘How does this guy fit in a windy stadium in Cleveland in December? I’m not sure.’ ”
Savage said drafting Vince Young, who went to the Titans at No. 3, would have been “a different animal altogether.”
“He was a unique athlete,” Savage said. “He would not have been a duplication of Charlie. I thought Leinart to some way of thinking was a little bit of a duplication, and ... guys, if it comes down to it, let’s pick a defensive player.
“On our board, Leinart was behind several defensive players that we would have taken, even had he fallen to us.”
‘LUCKY’ STEELERS
Frye was a third-round pick who started five games as a 2005 rookie. He enters 2006 as the projected starter in a division that includes 2003 No. 1 overall pick Carson Palmer and 2004 No. 11 pick Ben Roethlisberger.
Savage worked for the Ravens when Pittsburgh picked Roethlisberger, several spots after Cleveland passed so it could trade up for Winslow.
“Roethlisberger was in the top five on our board in Baltimore,” Savage said. “We liked him a lot. Kellen Winslow was up there near the top, too.
“As that draft went on, it was like, ‘Oh, boy, there’s Pittsburgh at 11. They’re gonna wind up with Roethlisberger, and they don’t even have to play him right away. How lucky can you get?’ ”
Frye is feisty and aims to prove he is as good as his former Mid-American Conference rival, Roethlisberger. Savage avoids applying that kind of pressure.
“I’m not sure that we’re ever gonna catch up at that one particular position,” Savage said. “So we’ve got to be able to win at other spots, and help our quarterback get to that point.”
Winslow has recovered from knee surgery to the extent Savage said he will be on the field for spring practice next week.
“It was such a huge disappointment for him to get hurt on that motorcycle,” Savage said of Winslow’s May 2005 crash.
“It’s taken him a year to prove he really, really wants to do this bad. And he’s worked hard. He’s around the facility.
“The guys like him. They want to see him succeed. When I have a chance to look out the window and see some of the work that he’s done, you do start to get excited about the potential that he brings.”
Plans call for Winslow and Steve Heiden to form an imposing tight end duo.
UPDATE ON EDWARDS
The schedule for Edwards’ return from his knee surgery, performed months after Winslow’s operation, has been vague. Savage cleared it up a bit.
“He’s running in a straight line,” Savage said of the 2005 No. 3 overall pick. “He’s not doing any cutting.
“We’ve tried to slow him down because he sees where Kellen is and wants to catch up. They’re kind of competitive that way, which has been a good thing.
“If Braylon is somehow able to get out on the field toward the end of training camp, then you’d think he might be able to play some in September.
“If it’s not until September that he’s getting on the field for the first time, then it might be Oct. 1.
“But he’s young. He’s healthy. He’s doing well.”
Savage made another point about Leinart that related to Ken Dorsey, the third-year pro acquired in the recent Trent Dilfer trade.
“I think Leinart is an exceptional quarterback, a lot like Dorsey,” Savage said. “He won a ton of games at USC, surrounded by great talent.”
Dorsey, Winslow’s QB at Miami (Fla.), looms as Cleveland’s Plan B passer if anything goes wrong with Frye.
“If (Dorsey) performs like we think he will over the next six weeks and into camp, I would feel fine with it, because he’s actually played more football than Charlie has at the NFL level,” Savage said.
The May 4 Dilfer-Dorsey trade left Head Coach Romeo Crennel without a veteran quarterback. “I’ve been asking him once a week for the last three weeks, ‘Romeo ... you OK with the quarterback thing?’ ” Savage said. “Romeo looks at me with a smile on his face and, ‘Phil, I’m fine.’ ” Reach Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk at (330) 580-8347 or e-mail: steve.doerschuk@cantonrep.com


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