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What to make of winless preseason

By Sean McClelland | Friday, August 29, 2008, 05:48 PM

OK, what did we learn from this 0-4 preseason?

I’m open to suggestions, but here’s what I think we know after watching as much of those four games as I could possibly endure:

1. Three quarterbacks might not be enough. If Derek Anderson can’t shake the cobwebs, Brady Quinn will step in and do a decent job. I’m confident of that. He has the skills and the makeup. But what happens if Quinn goes down? Then you’re stuck with Ken Dorsey and then your season is over. Scary. Better start massaging that emergency list.

2. There’s not enough depth. It’s the best talent we’ve seen on a Cleveland roster since 1999, but they still look short in a few spots, namely cornerback, safety, running back and receiver. And you know there are going to be more injuries.

3. Panic is unwarranted — at least for now. Upset the Cowboys next week and nobody will care about a winless preseason or how bad they looked in putting it together. At least we know the team won’t be suffering from a false sense of superiority off anything that happened in August.

4. Ty Law would look good in an orange helmet. The cornerbacks are young and the safeties are hurting. If Law has anything left, the Browns probably need to find out, within financial reason. He knows the defense, at least, and could help on the field and off.

5. It’s a fact being tossed around to placate the fans and make them feel good: The 1972 Browns went 0-6 in preseason — can you believe they actually played six of these? — and still made the playoffs, losing to the undefeated Miami Dolphins. And the quarterback back then was Mike Phipps, so maybe there’s hope.

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Jurevicius out for at least six games

By Sean McClelland | Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 04:26 PM

In what hardly qualified as a surprise, the team placed rehabbing receiver Joe Jurevicius (knee surgery followed by obligatory staph infection) on the reserve/physically unable to perform list today.

It means he’ll miss the first six games of the regular season for sure and probably a few more.

Doesn’t look like it’s going to be a final season to remember for Joe, does it?

And that’s a shame, because the Cleveland native was so looking forward to contributing to a legitimate playoff contender in his hometown (which the Browns still are, by the way, no matter how sloppy and miserable they’ve looked in preseason and no matter what any of these national talking heads might tell you).

In cutting down to the NFL-mandated roster limit of 75, receiver Kevin Kasper was put on injured-reserve, ending his first season as a Brown before it could begin, and three players who had little hope of making the squad — DB Damon Jenkins, DL Brian Schaefering and RB Austin Scott — were released.

In regard to Jurevicius, after six weeks the Browns have a three-week window (Weeks 7-9) to allow him to start practicing.

There are other stipulations and regulations, but what it comes down to is this: Don’t expect to be seeing Jurevicius and his reliable third-down hands on the field much this season. (And, of course, don’t waste a fantasy pick on him.)

And with Kasper also gone and Braylon Edwards (heel) and Joshua Cribbs (ankle) hobbled, if you see any able-bodied receivers wandering around, point them in the direction of the Cleveland Browns Training Complex, 76 Lou Groza Blvd., Berea, Ohio.

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DB Daniels acquired from Dolphins

By Sean McClelland | Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 05:54 PM

If the first two exhibition games demonstrated anything, it’s what the team already knew:

Its secondary — starters included maybe? — is a little (a lot?) short of playoff-quality.

So here comes Travis Daniels, obtained Wednesday from the Miami Dophins for an undisclosed draft pick.

Waived as a result was rookie Mil’Von James and his annoying mid-name apostrophe.

Daniels, 6-1 and 195 pounds, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2005 out of LSU. The three-year veteran has played in 44 career games with Miami, starting 25, with three interceptions.

He played a lot when the Dolphins were one of the worst teams in the NFL. Presumably they are a little bit better this year, and now they don’t want him? I’m suspicious.

But he can play both cornerback and safety, so that versatility might come in handy at some point. And he does have some experience.

Last season with the downtrodden Dolphins he started five of the 16 games in which he appeared and snagged one pick.

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Clearly not ready for the spotlight just yet

By Sean McClelland | Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 12:01 PM

How much hitting in training camp is too much or too little?

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel thought he had struck the proper balance.

Now he’s not so sure?

To me, that was the most disappointing aspect of Monday’s 37-34 preseason loss to the New York Giants on ESPN — hearing Crennel second guess himself in his postgame press conference for having gone so lightly on the team during camp.

“Unbelievable,” Crennel said. “Evidently we didn’t do enough work. I told the team it’s my fault for trying to save them in practice by not hitting.”

NFL training camps used to be all about the hitting. Pads popped and people applauded. Eventually, most coaches (Dick Vermeil a notable exception) realized such an approach has a wearing effect later in the season and they scaled back.

Troubling that Crennel, entering his fourth season on the job, still hasn’t figured how to walk that fine line between getting guys ready to play and still keeping them fresh.

And you didn’t need to be a coach Monday to see the Browns were not ready to play, not ready for prime time, not ready to be taken seriously as a supposed playoff contender as they fell behind 30-3 early in the second quarter.

For what it’s worth, I’ve never thought the Browns did enough hitting in training camp under Crennel. Maybe they did too much under previous coach Butch Davis, but it seems the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Say what you will about Davis, but his teams would hit you in the mouth — sometimes after the whistle maybe, but in the mouth.

Believe me, I’m not trying to suggest Davis had it all figured out either, but a team’s attitude and disposition are honed in training camp. Maybe a full-contact scrimmage with another team (Davis favored these) would have helped.

Sure, it’s only preseason, but when you’re a team that’s being hyped nationally to the point of annoyance, a game like this hurts.

Not to mention the injuries. Let’s see. Starting quarterback Derek Anderson forced out with a concussion and bruised hand. Safety Brodney Pool with a concussion. Pro Bowl kick returner Joshua Cribbs with an ankle. Linebacker Leon Williams also sidelined.

Backups, including quarterback Brady Quinn and heretofore unknown receiver/returner Syndric Steptoe (great name), helped make a game of it, but generally the Browns could not have laid a larger egg in their first of many national TV appearances this season — or looked worse, by the way, in those solid-brown pants.

And to hear Crennel say he dropped the ball by running an easy training camp? That just tied a big ribbon on an ugly package.

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Another hit to the draft class

By Sean McClelland | Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 07:34 PM

Who will be the last draft pick standing?

You wonder, because they’re dropping like flies.

Thursday, rookie tight end Martin Rucker becomes the latest to see the inside of an operating room, scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery that will keep him out from four to six weeks, the Browns said.

Linebacker Beau Bell, the team’s other fourth-round draft choice, is coming off a similar procedure and might not play at all this season under the worst-case scenario.

It’s been suggested that 2008 will be a redshirt season for Rucker and Bell. That means both could wind up on injured reserve.

Rucker twisted his knee Monday in practice, three days after turning heads by catching several passes against the Jets in his professional debut.

Costly loss in that the Browns traded their third-round pick in next year’s draft to Dallas to get Rucker in the fourth round.

The Browns traded their top three draft picks to acquire QB Brady Quinn and defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.

In terms of actual 2008 draft choices still on the practice field, the Rucker injury leaves three — sixth-rounders WR Paul Hubbard and DT Ahtyba Rubin and seventh-rounder LB Alex Hall, who might end up helping the most, at least this season.

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Ex-Buckeye signed for secondary

By Sean McClelland | Monday, August 11, 2008, 11:58 AM

If either of the defensive backs acquired over the weekend makes an impact this season, I’d bet on Brandon Mitchell, the former Ohio State player.

Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker coached him at OSU and Mitchell credits him for knowing how to get the best out of him. Now, whether that “best” is good enough to help in some way, we’ll see.

No question about it, the Browns are scrambling for backup help, even more now that they had to release Gary Baxter.

Understandably alarmed (panicked?) over how poorly some of their non-starters played in Thursday’s 24-20 preseason-opening loss to the New York Jets, the Browns waived Steve Cargile on Sunday while signing Mitchell and Travis Key, who played at Michigan State.

This is Mitchell’s second year in the league. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder went undrafted in 2007 and spent last season on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. This after playing in 45 games at safety for the Buckeyes.

As an OSU senior, Mitchell ranked fourth on the team with 51 tackles and had two interceptions.

Key (5-10, 185) was a former walk-on at Michigan State and played in 40 career games with 113 tackles. He started at strong safety for the Spartans as a senior and picked off a couple of passes.

You’d like to think these are the last two additions to the defensive backfield the team will have to make. But I wouldn’t bet the SUV on it.

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End of the line for Baxter?

By Sean McClelland | Saturday, August 9, 2008, 04:08 PM

No great surprise here. Just kind of sad. Defensive back Gary Baxter is no longer a Brown.

The team terminated his contract today and, no, it seems Baxter won’t be the first to return from dual patellar tendon tears.

He had been in camp, then had surgery to remove cartilage in one of his knee on Aug. 5, bringing his surgery total to at least four since the initial injuries in 2006 caused him to miss all of last season.

GM Phil Savage explained the move this way:

“Last year we were able to hold a roster spot open for Gary as he attempted to make a monumental comeback. After he underwent a knee scope last week, we are unfortunately not in a position to hold a roster spot this year.

“We are releasing Gary today in hopes he will be able to continue his rehab and get back into the NFL, either with another team, or possibly with the Browns. Gary has made tremendous strides thus far and we believe he can play professional football again in the future.”

Baxter’s original injuries occurred Oct. 22, 2006, on a routine play attempting to break up a pass in the second quarter against Denver. He spent all last season in rehab mode, hopeful of resuming his career at some point.

Regrettably, it’s probably not going to happen for him. Good guy. Wish him well.

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