How Good is the Browns' Offensive Line?

Although many fans are fixated only on the quarterback position, last time I checked the NFL is planning to once again require that 11 guys participate in each offensive play.  So it looks like the Browns are going to develop other players, not just quarterbacks. 

No fan wants their team to draft an offensive lineman, it seems.   It is just more boring than a skill position guy.

But the consensus view from analysts is that there are five guys that are likely Pro Bowl calibre guys in the 2014 draft:   DE/OLB Jadeveon Clowney,  OLB Khalil Mack, LT Greg Robinson, LT Jake Matthews, and WR Sammy Watkins and  probably in about that order. Just to clarify, the Village Elliot actually likes WR Mike Evans better than Watkins, but it would be fair to say that that is not the majority opinion.

    So there is a very good chance that a tackle might be the best available pick when it is the Browns' turn at number 4.  Many people think a tackle would be a horrible pick, especially since we already have a great left tackle in Joe Thomas, so someone would have to move to the right side.  Of course right tackle is considered slightly less important than the left tackle (passer's blind side protector) position.

     

Joe Thomas is very tough in pass protection, shown here saving Seneca Wallace's hide.   

      However, before dismissing this idea out of hand, I am going to subject my readers to another rant about the OL.  In fact, I have been on a rampage all off season.  

       The fact is that, even though the Browns had two Pro Bowlers at OL (Thomas and C Alex Mack), overall they had a terrible year. Note, moreover in football it really matters how good your weakest guy is.  The prime pass rusher isn't coming after Thomas or Mack.  Instead they are coming after your weakest guy.  

Alex Mack ain't going anywhere folks.  He's a Cleveland Brown.    

        Consider this:              

    The Browns were FIRST in the  NFL in hits allowed on the quarterback with a (literally) staggering 121.  By comparison, the Bengals allowed only 47.  No wonder we couldn't beat them.  

   

     The Browns were THIRD in the NFL in sacks allowed, with 49.  

         Due in part to the pounding taken by the qbs, there were four injuries to qbs that caused them to miss games:  Hoyer out for the year with an ACL; a concussion and hand injury for Brandon Weeden; and a concussion for Jason Campbell.   The Browns have lost their first string quarterback every year since 2001, if you can believe that.  

      I'm tired of that. And to all you kiddies out there that think that all the Browns need is a new quarterback, I'm here to tell you that your boy is going to get pasted until and unless the Browns upgrade their offensive line.  

     The running game had TERRIBLE results, 27th out of 32 teams, with a good number of yards turned in from wide receiver reverses. Feature back  Willis McGahee turned in 2.7 yards per carry, one of the lowest per-carry averages in history.   

     I'm not sure what to think about Mitchell Schwartz.  In general line play is hard to evaluate because they are always banged up to some degree.   But many observers believe that Mitchell's play was not as strong in 2013 as it was for his rookie year. On the other hand, Mitchell played ever snap on offense last year, indicating he is one tough amigo. Maybe what might happen is that the Browns will acquire a right tackle and then shift Mitchell to a guard position.

The Browns also struggled at both guard positions.  Jason Pinkston on the right and John Greco on the left were both injured for much of the year.    Shaun Lauvao and Oniel Cousins both saw extensive playing time, but did not establish themselves.  Put it this way, GM Ray Farmer did not fight for them to stay.  

     The Browns will have to evaluate the talent on the roster to determine whether any of the holdovers will be able to contribute as starters.      If not, they might draft a starter next month for the O-Line, and they still have enough money to sign a good lineman if one should be come available at some point.
     In the best case scenario, I see the Browns drafting a lineman as a starter in an early round.  It might be at the number four overall position in the first round, but I could just as easily see them trading down and picking an O-Lineman in a later round.  They may also sign a veteran after training camp cutdowns begin.   I look for two new starters on the O-Line and maybe even three. 

    It is not foolish to add a guy who the scouts think can develop in to an All Pro right tackle via the fourth overall pick in the first round if that is the way it plays out.  If that fellow is Jake Matthews, nephew of Cleveland Browns star Clay Matthews and son of Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, Browns fans should welcome him with open arms.  There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to improve the team and specifically the offensive line.     

Mike Evans: a Future All-Pro Wide Receiver?

    Mike Evans, not Sammy Watkins, should be the first receiver picked in the upcoming NFL draft.  Watkins is a great talent, but I believe Evans is even better.  Sammy has excellent speed, 4.43 secs for the 40 yard dash, which is very good indeed but not necessarily a record.  Some people were predicting Watkins would be in the 4.3 range or even 4.2.   He also turned out to be 6'1", rather than 6'2" as he had been listed in college. 

Evans is a beast, with the size and strength to rip the ball away from defenders and then knock people over on his way downfield.  At 6'5 and 231 lbs, I like Evans better than the more famous Watkins.  Watkins is 4 inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter but is a full 0.1 seconds faster in the 40 yard dash. 

 

Mike is not slow either, at 4.53 seconds for the 40.  But what sets him apart is his size.  He is 6'5" and 231 pounds.   He picked up 1322 yards on 65 catches (over 20 yards per reception) with 12 TDs in 12 games, playing in the SEC Conference.. Although overshadowed by media sensation Johnny (Football) Manziel, he was a legit All-American talent. 

 

    Watkins also piled up great stats at Clemson in the ACC, getting the same number of TDs, with 142 more yards in one more game than Evans.  Watkins yards per reception average was 14.2 versus 20.3 for Evans. 

 

    To me it is better to average 20.3 yards per reception in the SEC than 14.2 yards per reception in the ACC. 

 

     Moreover, Evans was only a sophomore last year, and is still improving rapidly.  It seems to me that he has a much higher ceiling than Watkins, who is the more polished of the two.  Watkins can play anywhere, but I think the smaller faster guy might be especially suited for a dome team or southern team, whereas Evans size and strength might be appealing to a cold weather natural turf team like the Browns. 

    But it is going to be hard to pass up a guy who is as big and fast as Evans.  I believe he will be first receiver taken, rather than Watkins.  Watkins, though enormously talented, is probably not really a top five pick as many sportswriters have suggested.  I think his combine performance suggests he is not quite as superhuman as previously believed, and so he might get picked around tenth.   Evans is so talented he might get picked around fifth. 

 

   I think the Browns might be  looking for prospective All Pros on defense; namely Khalil Mack or Jadeveon Clowney.  But if those guys are not available the next logical suspects are stud left tackles Greg Robinson or , Jake Mathews.  Because that is the same position currently occupied by All Pro Joe Thomas, someone would have to shift to the right side.  If the Browns would rather not do that, then Evans might be a legitimate possibility.  Alternatively they might trade down or go for their favorite quarterback (Jimmy Garappolo?  Derek Carr?  I don't believe it is Manziel, Bortles or Bridgewater, the consensus Big Three this year).  

M

Northwestern University Football Players Unionizing?

   

   The NCAA should never have let the smart kids play football!  Now the Chicago District of the National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Northwestern University  football players are permitted to unionize, meaning that they are considered employees of Northwestern University.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it could eventually shake the foundations of college sports, which are currently run as a monopoly controlled by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 

 

 

Now that Northwestern University football players are allowed to unionize, the NCAA's hypocrisy may finally be exposed.

 

    I believe that this is the correct decision and predict that the student athletes are going to continue to  kick the NCAA's butt in court. 

 

    The NCAA is currently allowed to make millions of dollars from college football, and they act like they are protecting the players' virginity by preventing them from selling their autographs, or heaven forbid someone in America might sell a t shirt or something.  Why is it fair for a video game to have a player's picture on it, and make millions of dollars, and no money goes to that player, only to the NCAA? 

 

    Why is okay for the NCAA to prevent student athletes from getting summer jobs?  Isn't that kind of like shaking kids down for their lunch money? 

 

   Why is it considered okay for players to get concussions, knee injuries and other potential long-term health issues?  If these things happened to a coal miner, the employer would have to pay a pile of money to take care of them.  But because it happens to a student athlete, it's considered okay for schools to provide medical care while they are in school.  But they are  allowed to just leave these players to rot when they get older.   Why is that considered fair?

 

     The NCAA argues that players are, uh, compensated by getting a free scholarship.  Well look,  if you agree that the scholarship is a form of  compensation, then you are basically admitting that the student athletes are professionals.  In that case, it becomes a discussion of what they are  worth.   Shouldn't it  be all right to have a professional representative negotiate how much compensation they are entitled to?  That's one facet of unionization.  

 

Cartoon Credit:  MacLeod Cartoons.

 

      The NCAA argues that it is an amateur association, but in reality they make millions and millions of dollars and use it to pay salaries and make themselves rich.  Players have to work very hard, and risk serious injury while they get paid nothing and yet the coach may make millions of dollars per year while wielding almost complete control over the players.   Some nonprofit!

 

     What the court has ruled is that if it barks like a dog, has four legs like a dog, sits up and begs like a dog, it probably is in fact a dog.  Playing football is in fact a job and the schools can not continue to prevent players from being compensated and taken care of.   

 

      No doubt the NCAA will appeal and argue that the players should continue tobe given some sort of quasi-slave status.  But I think they will lose.  The NCAA is just too powerful and makes too much money to justify taking it away from student athletes. 

 

    Clearly, if the unionization decision stands,  this is going to change the way that college sports are run.  In the long run it will be a better deal for the student athletes.  It might give an advantage to some schools which are better situated to have rich alumni and big media contracts.  But overall I have no doubt that it is going to result in a fairer system, with less power concentrated in the hands of the NCAA. 

 

    Stay tuned...it will be a wild legal ride for a while. 

 

 

 

.   

 

Rookie QB? Ask the Buffalo Bills....

     The 2013 Buffalo Bills (which happen to have been Coach Pettine's team in 2013, by the way)  are an interesting case study. Much like the Browns, they have had mediocre production from the QB position for a number of years. In 2013, they had the opportunity to draft the first QB in E. J. Manuel. What's not to like? 6'4" 237 lbs, fast and smart with a good arm, played in the ACC.

Would first round pick E. J. Manuel propel the Bills into the playoffs?   Not quite....

    Manuel was installed as the starter for the Bills. He had some decent games and won a few for the Bills. But the Bills were 6-10 again this year, same as last year. Truth to tell, when Manuel got injured the Bills eventually installed Thad Lewis (the Browns number 3 qb in 2012), who actually played a little better than Manuel, with higher qb rating and lower INT percentage, etc. So getting the big strong qb did not lead to an instant turnaround, but he is probably an upgrade--over time--compared to Ryan Fitzpatrick and Lewis. I see at least 5 guys that I think may be similar to Manuel--good enough to start, but not a one-man team. If you are willing to wait till 2015 and 2016 they will be worth it. But for just one year, it is hard to compete against a less talented guy that has some NFL experience. 

Thad Lewis is undersized, not as gifted an athlete as E. J. Manuel, but because of his experience and grit he was a bit better than E. J. last year. 

     Mike Lombardi liked to congratulate himself for finding a potential starting qb in Brian Hoyer. I think he is ok as a caretaker type qb, though eventually he will be overtaken by one of the young guys. But the Browns also cut Thad Lewis to sign Hoyer, and Lewis might be just as good as Hoyer. In 2013 I would say that Lewis was better than Manuel. 

 

     If the Browns do improve their team in 2014, I'm looking for most of the improvement to come from the running game, linebacking, O-LIne and defensive backfield, rather than the qb position.

    

The $24 Million Dollar Queston for the Cleveland Browns

     Is this the year that the Cleveland Browns turn it around?  Maybe.   
     There are some big questions that will be answered in the next few months.  First, is new GM Ray Farmer going to be allowed to make the draft selections for the Browns? Or will Jimmy Haslam III seek to emulate Jerry Jones and the late Al Davis, and make his own draft picks?

 

      And the bigger question is whether the Browns will be allowed to carry salaries at the same level as the other NFL teams, or will they be forced to again lead the NFL in dollars under the salary cap? 

 

     I wasn't totally thrilled with reports that Bill Parcells claims to have been sent to interview hotshot quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on behalf of the Browns (i.e., Haslam), while the Browns front office is prepared to ignore his advice.  This according to Mark Sessler of NFL.com ( http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000331252/article/bill-parcells-meets-with-teddy-bridgewater-in-florida  ).  This tends to reinforce the notion that Haslam may be tempted to make his own calls, and if he doesn't like what his full time GM says, he may just wing it and go with Bill Parcells' gut feeling.   Not a good sign.  Moreover, according to  Derek Harper of CBS Sports  ( http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24467773/nfl-draft-pettine-says-browns-did-not-interview-johnny-manziel  ), the Browns have not even interviewed the major quarterback candidates.  That may mean that they don't believe that there are any franchise quarterbacks in this draft.

 

     If the Browns go with Teddy Bridgewater at the Number 4 position, that will be a sign that Haslam is calling the shots, and that he is afflicted with quarterback fever, that dread disease which causes the sufferer to hallucinate about the abilities of rookie quarterbacks. 

 

Is Ray Farmer trusted enough to make the draft selections for the Browns?

 

     The other big issue is the overall payroll.  Last year the Browns front office really did tank the entire season.

 

     The Browns gave up running back Trent Richardson as well as a fourth round draft pick and a fifth round pick in 2013, getting a 2014 first round pick, a third round pick and a fourth round pick.  They also held back $24 million dollars from the 2013 payroll, which can now be added to the 2014 payroll ($133 Million + $24 Million = $157 Million).  They also cut some of the free agents that they had added, including blocking tight end Kellen Davis (who picked up a Super Bowl ring after the Seahawks signed him), and slot receiver David Nelson, who caught two TD passes against the Browns last year.  

 

   Howver, though it is abundantly clear that the Browns deliberated tanked the season in 2013, we don't know why the Browns did it.  Was it so that they could add payroll in 2014?   Or was it because Haslam was uncomfortable with his cash position in the wake of the Pilot Flying J rebate scandal?  To some extent the owner has to be responsible either way, but after watching Banner's antics, and I'm inclined to believe that it may have been his scheme to pare down the 2013 payroll.  If so, the Browns personnel might be significantly improved in overall  talent as well as depth this year.   

     

So whose idea was it to tank the 2013 season?  Was it all Joe Banner's idea?  Or did Jimmy Haslam want to conserve cash for his upcoming legal battles? 

    If this whole mess indeed is Banner's doing, the Browns could get well in a hurry.  They can add some $30 million dollars in payroll, which translates to about  half a dozen starters in free agency, plus a few more from the draft.   We shall see what transpires. 

 

 

 

NFL Draft Quarterback Prospects in 2014

    The Browns were just kidding about Johnny Manziel.  That's the word now that Banner is out. It may have been a counter-intelligence plot, or perhaps Banner really loved the guy, but now the buzz is that new GM Ray Farmer is looking at other qb candidates, as well he should.  



Now that Banner is gone, Johnny Manziel is no longer the Browns' first choice at quarterback. 

     After the combine, it still appears that this year's NFL draft will have at least  five or perhaps even more qb's taken in the first round.  

     In the case of the Browns,  Brian Hoyer may have a few games left in him before giving way to the rookie in 2015.  We'll have to see how that plays out as Coach Pettine makes that call.  In any case, I don't anticipate that the rookie will be substantially better right away, though perhaps down the road.   

Blake Bortles would be the number one quarterback pick. 

     But back to the draft.  I think  Blake Bortles will be the first quarterback taken, maybe by Jacksonville in the number 3 position unless someone pulls of a trade with St Louis or Houston.   Bortles  has all the attributes that you want to see, including savvy, arm strength, mobility and size.  But Jacksonville would be a hell of a fit for a UCF guy. 

Teddy Bridgewater is All-Everything to some observers.

     Teddy Bridgewater may be next.  Initially I was not as high on him as others.  But at the combine he weighed in at 214 pounds, or nine pounds heavier than his listed weight.  That's not very big in today's NFL, but it is a bit less of a factor. 

   Later in the first round, I expect Derek Carr to be taken and also Jimmy Garoppolo as a bit of a surprise.  The knock on Garoppolo is that he played for a smaller university, but I think that can be overcome with time.  The guys who are too little may still be too little a year from now, but Carr and Garoppolo will likely make progress as quarterbacks.  The Browns are said to be hoping that Carr is available when it is their turn to draft again in the first round, but he may be gone a bit earlier than that.  

53 TDs versus 9 INTs?  In one year?  You have got to be kidding me Jimmy Garoppolo.  You are first round material. 

Zack Mettenberger has all the physical attributes necessary to succeed. 

     Zach Mettenberger had off the field issues and has an ACL injury, but will likely be at 100% by 2015 or even later in 2014.  But at 6'5" and 235 with the proverbial cannon for an arm, there is no reason to not like him.  Most mock drafts have him going in about the third round, but there is an outside chance that could go in the first round if there is a team that can be patient enough to let him develop,  possibly to a team like Cincinnati.   

      Only Bortles and Mettenberger have the  prototypic size for an NFL quarterback.  I also think Mettenberger and McCarron are pretty good.   

       But I don't see any of them jumping in and turning around an NFL team like RG3 and Luck did in 2012.   I think this year's class has some guys who are good enough to start, but perhaps not be outstanding their first year, maybe a little like Geno Smith or E. J. Manual in 2013.  They might get better in their second or third year, but I don't anticipate any of these quarterbacks being stars in their rookie year.

A. J. McCarron is not rated quite as high as some of the other qbs, but how bad would it really be to have him as the team's qb?  Especially if he brings Miss Alabama Katherine Webb with him?  

My rankings:   Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewater,  Johnny Manziel,  Zack Mettenberger A. J. McCarron. 



Where they will be drafted:

Blake Bortles                     UCF                                6-5         230        1

Teddy Bridgewater           Louisville                     6-2         214        1

Derek Carr                          Fresno State               6-2         215        1

Jimmy Garoppolo             Eastern Illinois           6-2         219         1

Johnny Manziel                   Texas A&M                6-0         210        1

Zach Mettenberger          LSU                              6-5         235         2

A.J. McCarron                   Alabama                     6-3         214         3

Aaron Murray                    Georgia r                   6-1         201         3

Tajh Boyd                           Clemson                    6-1         222        4

Brett Smith                         Wyoming                 6-2         206         4

Logan Thomas                   Virginia Tech           6-6         248         5

Connor Shaw                     S Carolina                6-0         206         5

David Fales                         San Jose State          6-2         220         7

NFL Backup Quarterbacks in 2014; Who WIll the Browns Sign?

.      Even if the Browns draft a quarterback in the first round, they will probably also bring in a veteran free agent quarterback. Brian Hoyer is probably the incumbent starter, but the rookie will get a shot, and there might be an outside shot for a veteran to seize the job like Campbell did in 2013.    But Campbell will likely be cut because he is getting close to first string money ($3.25 Million), and currently he projects to the number three qb.  Weeden will probably be cut out of spite, even though the Browns will incur a salary cap penalty due to the rules about bonus money (it costs the Browns $2 Million to cut Weeden--it does not save money to cut him, it costs money to cut him).  But I think they would rather cut him and have some other quarterback with less baggage with Cleveland fans.  At the end of this blog, I've listed the primary backups for each NFL team, followed by a list of free agent quarterbacks. 

 

     Note also that for the Browns, the second string guy has been called upon to start games every year since 2001.  More often than not, the third string guy has also  had to start games including both 2012 and 2013.  So it really does matter who the backup is, as well as the third string guy. 

 

    So who are the best  backup quarterbacks in the NFL, and how good are they?  And how about the available free agents?  I've listed the principal backups below, and under that is a list of the likely free agents available in 2014.  If you just look at the names, listed below, there are only a few guys that look like potential future stars.   Ryan Mallett, a "developmental" prospect with a big arm,  has been the understudy for Tom Brady for centuries, and some people figure he might be worth a number one draft pick by now.  Similarly, Brock Osweiler is the backup for Peyton Manning at 6'7" 242 lbs  and a rocket arm.  He might be ready now if the opportunity should arise.  

 

After sitting for two years watching Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler might be the backup quarterback with the most potential in the NFL 

 

 

    Otherwise, NFL backup qbs  are not exactly superstars, though some recycled veterans have had some success in the past, including Josh McCown, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Matt Schaub and Kyle Orton.  I think the top 10 or so backups  are good enough to win with a good team behind them, but would probably not change the fortunes of a team like the Browns.  I would put both Campbell and Weeden in that category by the way. Unless the talent level of the team changes (say if they actually add some good players), I think that the Browns would be about  a five win team with either Campbell or Weeden.     As for the free agents, I think that we are probably talking about guys at the same talent level. Strictly backup material. 

 

34-year old vet Josh McCown was great subbing for Jay Cutler, but because of his age is regarded strictly as a backup. 

 

 

     Note also that there are already four recent Cleveland Browns serving as backup qbs, and probably there will soon be two more if they cut  Weeden and  Campbell:  Thad Lewis, Josh Johnson,  Colt McCoy, and  Bruce Gradkowski.  They are all pretty competent players, imho, though they are not going to be All Pro.  In any case, I'm not sure how smart it is to continually sign and cut backup quarterbacks.  It would be great if they could keep a guy around for a few years to become really familiar with the personnel and the plays. Put it this way, I would be happy to trade back Weeden and Campbell for Thad Lewis and Colt McCoy.  I don't think it would make much difference overall in quarterback play, and if anything that Browns might have been slightly better off sticking with the guys we had in 2012, rather than expending a first round pick and a big free agent contract.     

 

Did anyone notice that former Browns backup Thad Lewis outplayed E. J. Manuel for the Bills last year?  He was 2-3 in five starts with a qb rating about the same as Hoyer's. 

 

    No matter, that isn't the way things are done in Cleveland, so if Campbell and Weeden are both gone, I think I might take my chances with Chad Henne (former starter with Jacksonville and Miami) or maybe Tavaris Jackson.   A lot depends on the thinking of the free agent though.  Sometimes they figure it is better to remain unsigned until some team's starter goes down, at which point they might be willing to offer a starting job immediately.  I kind of think Mike Vick might try that this year, and thus may not sign immediately with a new team. 

     One other scary possibility is Mark Sanchez, he of the infamous Butt Fumble.  But Coach Pettine knows him from his time as the Jets Defensive Coordinator, and based on that relationship it is not crazy to think that Sanchez might be evaluated for the post.  Doubtless Sanchez got blamed for a lot of things that were really Rex Ryan's fault, and in any case he did lead two teams to the AFC Finals. 
 
      They would probably begin the season as the number three quarterback behind Hoyer and the rookie if we go ahead and draft one.   

 

Could someone like Chad Henne be signed as a number three quarterback by the Browns? 

 

 

Current NFL Backups

 

Ryan Mallett, NE

Brock Osweiler, Denver
Matt Barkley, Philadelphia
Josh McCown, Chicago
Kyle Orton, Dallas
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tennessee
*Thad Lewis, Buffalo
**Jason Campbell, Cleveland
*Colt McCoy, San Francisco
Matt Schaub, Houston
Matt Hasselbeck, Indianapolis
Matt Moore, Miami
Matt Simms, NYJ or Mark Sanchez
Matt Cassel, MinnesotaTyrod Taylor, Baltimore
*Josh Johnson, Cincinnati
*Bruce Gradkowski, Pittsburgh
Ricky Stanzi, Jacksonville
Chase Daniel, KC
Matt McGloin, Oakland
Brad Sorensen, San Diego
Ryan Nassib, NYG
Kirk Cousins, Washington
Kellen Moore, Detroit
Scott Tolzien, Green Bay
Dominique Davis, Atlanta
Matt Blanchard Carolina
Ryan Griffin, New Orleans
Mike Kafka, Tampa
Drew Stanton, Arizona
Austin Davis St Louis
BJ Daniels Seattle

2014 Likely NFL QB Free agents

Mike Vick

Chad Henne
Matt Flynn
Josh Freeman
Shaun Hill
David Garrard
Charlie Whitehurst
Kellen Clemens
Luke McCown
Jimmy Clausen
Brady Quinn
Tavaris Jackson










 

Browns Banner, Lombardi Out, Farmer In. But Will it Help?

 

http://lowbrowsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/14019852-mmmain.jpg

 

   The Browns shook up their horrific front office today, firing Mike Lombardi as well as Joe Banner.  This was not a completely bad thing.  As the Village Elliot has pointed out, Lombardi was incredibly bad in his first draft for the new Browns, such that the Browns had zero starters on the 2013 from the draft.  Barkevious Mingo or Leon McFadden might have an outside chance of emerging later on, but it was a  horrible draft.  Free agents were somewhat better, with starters Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant being  signed, albeit at a very high price.  Then there is the case of Brian Hoyer, who Lombardi liked but nobody else did. 

     Banner seems to have been a destructive force in the organization, as he sought to expand his turf to encompass Lombardi's personnel decisions.  He apparently turned off a number of candidates for the coaching vacancy, with good reason.  Does the coach report to the GM (Lombardi)?  Or to Banner?  Or to the owner.  This fundamental issue could not be answered by the Browns, and this is one major reason why their management is known as the Three Stooges. 

    Normally, I would be jumping up and down with joy at the news that Lombardi and Banner are leaving town.  However, I want to first know whether new GM Ray Farmer is actually going to be in charge of this draft.  Or will it be the one person worse than Lombardi, namely owner Jimmy Haslam?  Will we satisfy the owner's whim to draft Johnny Manziel, sacrificing two or three first round picks in the process?   In the latter case, all those resources (say two number ones and a number two?)  tied up in one guy could prove to be problematic down the road.  If you use two or three top draft choices, that means you are not drafting Sammy Watkins, and you are not getting top-drawer help for the offensive line or at running back.  Is Manziel so good that he can compensate for all that? 

         All the evidence we have is that Haslam is determined to get Johnny Football for the Browns, and anyone who disagrees with him gets fired.  It looks like a number of coaching candidates tried to reason with him, and as a consequence they were no longer candidates.   

    Also, will Haslam allow Farmer to spend money at parity with the rest of the league?  Or will the Browns once again lead the league by paying the lowest salaries in the league versus the salary cap? 

     If  they choose to, the Cleveland Browns could spend up to $45.46 million in additional salaries in 2014, according to Chris Pokorny in Dawgs By Nature(  cleveland-browns-set-to-have-about-45-million-in-cap-space ).   Chris does a good job of explaining the basics, and if you want more numbers you can check out overthecap.com ( http://overthecap.com/  ).  

 

   The $45.46 million includes a  "rollover" of  $24.5 million that they did not spend in 2013. This is kind of like money in the bank.  Once it is spent it is gone.  Even so,  if the Browns to save the carryover money to 2015 or later, they still have at least $20 million that they can spend in 2014 to improve the team.   The total amount that can be spent on salaries is $126 Million, or $150 Million if you want to spend the rollover.    

     But will Haslam be comfortable in allowing the Browns to spend moneyh while the Pilot Flying J rebate scandal is still not resolved, and the threat of a Federal indictment is still possible? 

 

 

     My guess is--and it is just a guess--that the Browns will once again undercut the salary cap and be among the lead leaders in dollars under the salary cap.   The hope will be that the Pilot Flying J situation will stabilize and allow the Browns to compete salarywise with the rest of the NFL in 2015 and beyond.  Good luck with that, Mr. Haslam.   

 

 

    

Grading Mike Lombardi's 2013 NFL Draft

    So how did Mike Lombardi actually do in his first NFL draft?  They say you need to wait a few years to evaluate, which is usually true, but in this case all the players might be out of the NFL by that time.  And in fact, Mike Lombardi might be out of the NFL by that time.  
   
      The fact is that there has been very little talent extracted from the draft over the past few years.  

 

1.  Barkevious Mingo, OLB.   Mingo proved to be a promising backup, ranked 38th out of 42 outside backers by Pro Football Focus.  That is not real good for the sixth overall pick.  It was understood that Mingo was too small to play defensive line, but even at linebacker he appeared to struggle against the run, especially later in the year.  New Coach Mike Pettine says he wants Mingo to come in a little heavier, and perhaps that will help him contend for a starting role this year.  

  Was Mingo worth the Number 6 overall pick in the first round?  Well, no....

2. No pick.  That pick was traded for Josh Gordon by the previous administration, the best move ever made by Tom Heckert.  This pick does not count for Lombardi, and in fact the Browns were trying to trade him away at the NFL trading deadline last year. 

3.  Leon McFadden, DB. The Browns were afraid to play Leon in 2013, who was the fourth defensive back.  He was usually torched when he did play.  Defensive backs often improve a lot between their first and second year (for example, Buster Skrine was much better last year than his rookie year), but McFadden seems to have a long way to go before he can be a starter or even the nickel back.  

4.  Traded for a 2014 3rd Round pick from Pittsburgh.

5.  Traded to Miami for Davone Bess.  Bess dropped a number of passes last year, and did not gain very many yards, despite a very large contract with guaranteed money.  Davone seemed to be in a drug-induced stupor over the off-season, and no one is sure what will happen to him.  

Bess showed flashes of brilliance, but mainly was known for dropping the ball in crucial situations.  

5.  Traded to Indianapolis for a 2014 4th round pick.  

6.  Jamoris Slaughter, S.   Slaughter was drafted despite a career threatening Achilles Tendon tear.  At 6'0", 200 pounds and a 4.6 sec 40 yard dash time before the injury, he was not considered a prospect.  Notre Dame used him at both safety and linebacker, but there is no such animal as a 200 pound linebacker in the NFL.  Similarly, a safety who runs a 4.6 is considered slow by NFL standards.  So it is not clear what Lombardi was thinking.   A guy with linebacker speed and safety size?  

7.  Armonty Bryant, DE.  Bryant slid into the seventh round because of off-the-field issues, but  earned some playing time on the defensive line. 

7.  Garrett Gilkey, OT  Gilkey has the size and physicality to be a good lineman, but is very raw. He started one game in 2013 and played in a few others.  

Amazing, the Browns had not one regular starter emerge from the 2013 draft despite occupying the number six position in the draft.  Normally, the guys drafted in Rounds 1-3 are expected to either start or at least be solid contributors.   The best moves appear to be the ones in which the Browns traded 2013 draft picks for 2014 picks, because these picks still exist and might someday contribute to the team.  It looks like Mingo is certainly behind Jabaal Shears in the linebacker corps.  McFadden seemed overmatched as the fourth cornerback, and will have to improve to make the team again.  Bryant and Gilkey made minor contributions as backups, and may be back in 2014 but probably not as starters.  

     Can the Browns really be this bad at selecting players?   Lombardi & Co. did a bit better at signing free agents, signing two starters on defense (linebacker Paul Kruger and Desmond Bryant at defensive end).  Chris Owens was a decent nickel back.  The  Browns also picked up two credible starters at quarterback in Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell.   Hoyer will be back in 2014, but because of his high salary cap number, it is likely that Jason Campbell will be cut.   

Keeping in mind that Haslam and Banner both seem determined to draft a quarterback in Round 1 this year, it is doubtful whether Lombardi's acquisitions of Hoyer and Campbell will be much appreciated by his bosses.  They are regarded as potential backups only.  

The Browns also signed a backup tight end in Gary Barnidge, and some backup running backs in Edwin Baker and Fozzy Whitaker.   The Browns also signed Bobby Rainey, but Coach Chudzinski would not play him, so he was eventually cut and signed by Tampa Bay, where he became a solid starter. The other big trade was sending Trent Richardson to Indianapolis in exchange for another 2014 pick. TRich continued to struggle in Indianapolis, another team with issues on the offensive line,  but we at least have to admit that he has not set the world on fire so far.  

Overall, the Browns' personnel was weaker in 2013 than in 2012.   Obviously, it is hard to criticize too much based on a single season, but let us at least admit it was a very rough start for the Lombardi era.   Probably the Browns draft would have to rank at the absolute bottom of the league. The best you can say is that they deferred some picks till 2014 so there is still some hope of landing some players.  As for the free agent signings and trades, they at least wound up with players, and avoided major catastrophe.  I think that the draft is a "D" and the free agent signings are more in the "C" range.  The main problem is that the Browns did not sign as many free agents as they could have, preferring to defer salary cap space to 2014, which is legal under the new rules.  

     Speculation is that they may get some help in making draft picks in 2014.  Ray Farmer might be given more responsibility.  That would probably be a good thing.