Eric Mangini’s Quarterback Rotation Conundrum: What Are You Thinking Eric?

Eric Mangini has said many times that he wants to play out this quarterback competition as long as he can, but to what extent?

Both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn have been splitting all the reps equally with both the first and second team offenses, but during the Browns’ two preseason games, it appears that Brett Ratliff is getting more reps than either of the other two.

In the game versus the Green Bay Packers, Quinn started the game and led the offense for two drives and Anderson led the offense for two drives as well.

Ratliff, on the other hand, led the offense for a total of five drives.

Against the Detroit Lions, Anderson started the game and led the offense for four and a half drives and Quinn led the offense for two and a half drives.

Once again, Ratliff got a lot of playing time and led the offense for four drives.

Now wouldn’t it be easier to evaluate your quarterback competition by giving more reps to the two guys who are competing for the starter job?

It seems like Mangini is giving Ratliff, who is his guy from the Jets, more opportunities than usual and it looks like a bit of favoritism and obviously Ratliff will be the No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart.

Whether or not is it favoritism, hopefully Mangini knows what he is doing because it appears that both Quinn and Anderson could use more reps to help make the final decision, as to who will start at quarterback on opening day, much easier.

Poor Richard Bartell. Sorry, but you should have tried a different team.

 

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source)

Cleveland Browns Vs. Detroit Lions: A Quick Preseason Game Preview

Seven games ago the Cleveland Browns’ offense got into the endzone on a long run by running back Jerome Harrison.

That was on Nov. 17, 2008 and that was also over nine months ago.

On Saturday, the Browns will face a team that made history last year by becoming the first team to not win a game during the regular season.

That Detroit Lions team from a year ago, is not the same team anymore.

They drafted highly-touted Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, tight end Brandon Pettigrew, and safety Louis Delmas. They also signed free agent linebacker Larry Foote, wide receiver Bryant Johnson, cornerback Phillip Buchanon, defensive lineman Grady Jackson, and also traded for cornerback Anthony Henry and linebacker Julian Peterson.

The Browns have also gone through a make-over and on Saturday there will be a battle royale between two clubs that have been looking up, from the bottom of their respective divisions, for a long time.

After last week’s debacle versus the Green Bay Packers, the Browns first and foremost need to focus on the mental mistakes that were made and have better focus during each and every play. These mistakes included: jumping for a pass when it’s unnecessary to jump, twitching at the line of scrimmage during a field goal attempt, or not properly reading a defensive blitz.

Those simple mistakes need to be reduced immediately.

Offensive Views for the Game against the Lions

The Quarterback Battle

This is an obvious choice. Bottom line, if Derek Anderson has another poor performance then it could be said that Brady Quinn will be the front-runner for the starter.

Eric Mangini will not tolerate two bad games in a row from Anderson, or from any other player on this team for that matter.

Wide Receiver Josh Cribbs

Josh Cribbs has shown that he is ready to step into the spotlight, not only as a returner, but as a receiver too. Many experts have said that one of the Browns’ two rookie receivers would wind up becoming the starter opposite Braylon Edwards, but Cribbs has been raising a lot of eyebrows with his transition into a more featured role on the offense.

Other contenders include rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, but veteran Mike Furrey has also shown that he still has a lot left in the tank and he can assume the slot/possession role for the team.

The Offensive Line and Running Backs

Mangini upgraded the offensive line with bigger bodies to devote more plays to the running game. That did not show up for the Packers game and hopefully the Browns will spend more time controlling the clock and pounding the trenches versus the Lions.

The Defense

Rookies David Veikune and Coye Francies

These two rookies have been making a splash in Training Camp and each were on the receiving end of a errant Packers pass for an interception. They both play with the second team defense, so watch for them in the second and third quarters of the game.

You can’t miss Veikune when he is on the field because he has “Polamalu-like” hair coming out of the back of his helmet.

Safety Abram Elam

Abram Elam was brought on by Mangini to be the Browns’ starting safety when Sean Jones left for free agency, but Elam needs to make sure he does not let any other receivers get past him for long touchdowns.

Will Shaun Rogers Play More?

Rogers’ presence on the line creates many more opportunities for other defenders, since he usually gets double, and sometimes triple teamed.

If Rogers is in the game more, look for a better pass rush from the defensive first team.

In the end, let’s just all hope that the Browns’ offense can score a touchdown to end the drought this Saturday night.

 

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source)

It’s Do or Die for Derek Anderson Saturday Versus the Detriot Lions

Browns head coach Eric Mangini is not tipping his hand in naming a starting quarterback for this Saturday’s game versus the Detroit Lions.

But no matter who is chosen as the starter, one thing is certain.
 
Derek Anderson will have more pressure on his shoulders than Brady Quinn will.

This Saturday will be the first time that Anderson will take the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium since he was taken off the field with a knee injury on Nov. 30 to a cheering crowd.

Also, this may be the most pressure that Anderson has felt since the end of the 2007 season when it was “win and you’re in the playoffs” versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Unfortunately, Anderson could not perform under that pressure and lost the game after throwing four interceptions.

Quinn may or may not have a lead in the quarterback competition, but if Anderson has another bad game like he had against the Packers, then Quinn will easily be the front-runner to start for the Browns after two poor Anderson performances in a row.

Still, this Saturday night is very important for Anderson, and even if he has another bad game and he is not named the 2009 starter, there may still be a chance that Cleveland fans will be barking his name sometime in during the season if Quinn does not produce as the starter.

That’s kind of the way it’s been for the starter and backup quarterback of the Browns for the last few years.

 

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper:An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source)

Brett Favre Will Be a Big Test For the Cleveland Browns’ Defense in Week One

Brett Favre is officially making headlines again, this time signing with the Minnesota Vikings, who are one of the Green Bay Packers’ most hated rivals.

One of the hosts of Sirius XM NFL Radio said it best, “You can bet that the NFL executives are jumping up and down in joy (due to the signing of Favre, which means higher ratings), and fans will now have to watch the weekly drama that is Brett Favre.”

Favre will face the Browns in their home opener to start the 2009 season, and if you thought the Vikings were going to be a fierce test for the Browns’ defense before Favre joined up, now the Vikes will be an even tougher opponent for the Browns.

Everyone knows the Vikes have running back Adrian Peterson, who many say is the most exciting player in football, and now they have a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

The Browns’ defense had their work cut out for them with Peterson, but now they have to be prepared for a gunslinger who can launch the ball to all parts of the field.

Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan will have his hands full, but thankfully, he will have a full two weeks to prepare for the home opener since the season does not begin until the week after Labor Day Weekend.

Favre has a 2-2 record against the Browns in his career. Here is a look at Favre’s stats in those four games:

 

1992: Cleveland 17, Green Bay 6, Favre was 20/33 for 22yds

1995: Green Bay 31, Cleveland 20, Favre was 23/28 for 210yds, 3TDs

2001: Green Bay 30, Cleveland 7, Favre was 18/28 for 139yds, 3TDs

2005: Cleveland 26, Green Bay 24, Favre was 32/44 for 342yds, 3TDs, 3INT

Totals vs. Cleveland: 93/133, 914yds, 9TDs, 2INTs

 

As you can see from the stats, Favre had success against the Browns in the past, and with the Browns’ defense still searching to find an identity, they will have an uphill battle right out of the starting gates.

Oh yeah, and one more thing…Favre versus Eric Mangini

‘Nuf said.

 

(Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source)

Don’t Write the Cleveland Browns Off Yet; It’s Only Been One Preseason Game

Are you tired of reading all of the articles and hearing all the critics say that the Cleveland Browns’ season is already over?

I too am tired of hearing this, and it is really pathetic that all the haters have to look so negatively at the Browns after just one preseason game.

There are many factors that these critics are not looking at because they are so focused on all the negatives of the game against the Packers on Saturday.

I have heard many comparisons of the “New Mangini Browns” to the “Old Crennel Browns” and how the Packers game was like watching the same exact team from a year ago.

One thing I have to ask these haters: Do you really have Brown blood running through your veins, or do you always start every NFL season as a Browns fan, then jump ship and hitch a ride on another team’s bandwagon?

First of all, have you forgotten that Saturday was the first time the Browns have played in an actual, organized game against an opponent while using a new playbook with many new players?

Getting the entire team on the same page will take a few weeks, and that’s why training camp and preseason games exist.

Secondly, yes, the offense did look horrible, but again: The Browns have a first-time offensive coordinator who will need a few games to get used to the game day feel of calling plays and running the offense.

But at least one part of the offense looked good: quarterback Brady Quinn.

Quinn might not have gotten the team in the end zone, but he was able to move the team down the field on the Browns’ first possession and in the two-minute drill.

That is positive progress for the offense to build on in the preseason.

The defense looked bad too, and the Packers’ first team offense absolutely destroyed the Browns’ first team defense.

However, the Browns’ defense did not do too badly when you look at the entire picture.

Okay, the Packers ran all over the Browns for over 200 yards, but there were bright spots.

The defense did show good pressure, and seeing them blitz (more than the last several years combined) was very refreshing.

Several rookie defenders, such as Coye Francies and David Veikune, made their presence felt and looked promising. Cornerback Eric Wright shut down the Packers’ No. 1 receiver, Greg Jennings, in the first half.

In conclusion, I love the passion that I see out there with all the articles I have read regarding the Browns, but everyone needs to chill out a bit. Give the team a chance; this means giving it more than just one preseason game to prove itself.

If the Browns are still terrible once the regular season starts, then you can let your voice and negativity be heard and complain about the team. But don’t start complaining after one preseason game.

Seriously, give the Browns a chance to grow as a team first before you stick a knife into them.

Optimism (noun): 1. Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome about something. 2. The belief that good must ultimately prevail over evil in the universe.

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Wednesday 8/12 Practice

While I was getting into my car today, there was a moment of thought that said, “What happens if Eric Mangini starts to give Brett Ratliff more reps in practice due to his performance over the last several days?”

Then I laughed to myself and said, “No way will Mangini take reps away from Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson.”

Then, after a long wait on 71 South, due to traffic at the Bagley Road exit, I finally got to practice and low and behold, Mangini was giving Ratliff more reps today than any other day of practice that I have been to.

What a weird coincidence.

Anyway, today there were so many players working out with trainers and riding on the stationary bikes that one would think the players are starting to drop like flies due to some kind of injury.

The list of players include: RB Jerome Harrison, WR Braylon Edwards, WR David Patten, LB David Bowens, and WR Lance Leggett.

There may have been others, but I could not see them from where I was located.

Also, RB James Davis was missing in action once again. Davis was no where to bee found and no one outside of the Browns organization seems to know what the deal is, and that’s weird since Davis has been outstanding in camp. (UPDATED 8/12 @ 5:30PM, Davis was been getting dental work done over the last few days and will be back on the field very soon.)

Another little piece of important information is that linebackers D’Qwell Jackson and Eric Barton were off separate from the rest of the defense with a coach. Both these two seem to be attached by the hip and that’s good because Barton is going to help Jackson truly become that leader of this defense.

First, the team broke down into a six-on-eight drill with a QB, RB, and four WRs versus the linebackers and defensive backs from the defense’s own 21 yard line.

Quinn was 3-4 for 7 yards

Anderson was 3-4 for 18 yards with two touchdowns

Drill note: There was no offensive or defense lines, so the QB did not get any pressure. Anderson’s two scores were caught by receivers Josh Cribbs and Paul Hubbard.

Next, were some 11-on-11 drills from the defense’s 21 yard line with music blasting in the background.

Quinn was 1-3 for 21 yards and one touchdown

Anderson was 1-2 for 3 yards

Drill note: Quinn’s score was a great pass over the middle into coverage to TE Steve Heiden. Jamal Lewis was running the ball hard and ran it four times for 17 yards, splitting time with only Noah Herron since Harrison wasn’t playing and Davis is M.I.A.

Now the ball was placed on the three yard line on and it was time for a goal line stand by the defense in this 11-on-11 drill.

Quinn was 1-4 for 3 yards and one touchdown

Anderson was 1-2 for 3 yards and one touchdown

Drill note: TE Robert Royal caught both touchdowns from each quarterback. The defense got amazing penetration and had a solid goal line stand in this entire drill series. There were many players that got to the quarterbacks including: DT Shaun Rogers once, CB Hank Poteat on a blitz for one, and LB David Veinkune was constantly collapsing the pocket and he got three sacks in this series.

Then the ball once again moved to the offenses own 35 yard line for the next 11-on-11 series.

Quinn was 3-3 for 19 yards

Anderson was 2-3 for 21 yards and one interception

Drill note: Anderson was picked off by CB Rod Hood after the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage. Herron had good bursts of six and eight yards. Lewis caught a quick screen and took it 15 yards downfield.

In the final 11-on-11 drill, the ball was at the defense’s 45 yard line and the offense had to run a no-huddle offensive attack.

Quinn was 2-4 for 11 yards

Anderson was 2-3 for 30 yards

Drill note: Lewis was again running the ball hard for several carries of four to six yards a piece. TE Martin Rucker made a diving catch of an Anderson pass. Cribbs gained about 10 yards on a reverse in which Anderson was his lead blocker around the end.

Special note: During one of Ratliff’s drives he was picked off by S Nick Sorensen and ran back about 55 yards for a score. You could hear the S Brodney Pool telling Ratliff during the play, “You better run him down Brett with those fresh legs of yours.”

There was another Rogers moment during one of the D-Line drills where the guy run around the big free standing pads and he missed one of them so he started to do a little dance and then went over to coach Bryan Cox and pushed him around while they both laughed.

The players to highlight from today’s practice has to be Cribbs, Hood, and Veinkune.

Cribbs continues to impress in his route running and ability to get into the open field out of tight coverage. Also, he is catching everything that comes his way and without Edwards practicing, he was able to play more with the first team offense.

Hood continues to show solid coverage skills and he continues to pick off passes and looks to challenge Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald for their starting jobs.

Veinkune is just compelling to watch. He is still playing middle linebacker with the second unit, but his motor is unbelievable. The guy is non-stop action and his ability to get into the pocket to cause pressure in magnificent.

His three sacks of the quarterback and his constant presence near the ball carrier lead me to believe that Veinkune will be included in many different packages throughout this entire season.

(Next practice to be reported on will be Thursday 8/13 at 1:30PM)

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Report: Tuesday’s Morning Practice

Upon entering the Cleveland Browns Training Facility this morning there was one word that stood out instantly because it was painted on the practice field and that word was “focus.”

Unfortunately, the Browns did not focus at times this morning due to many false starts on both offense and defense during 11-on-11 scrimmages.

Towards the end of practice, the false starts seemed to happen every few minutes and the coaches let those players know about it. Fans could hear the coaches screaming at the players who jumped the snap.

Players that jumped too soon and had to run laps were: DL Ahtyba Rubin, WR Braylon Edwards, RB James Davis, DL Kenyon Coleman, WR Brian Robiskie and LB Kamerion Wimbley.

First up are the 8-on-8 drills where the quarterback lined up with his receivers and a running back versus the defensive backs and linebackers. No offensive or defensive lines were present.

Quinn was 4-of-5 for 45 yards
Anderson was 2-of-5 for 58 yards and one touchdown

Drill notes: Quinn threaded the needle on a pass to tight end Steve Heiden who was between two defenders and caught the pass for 15 yards.

Anderson’s first pass in the drill was a 40-yard touchdown bomb to Edwards in the end zone.

Josh Cribbs had two catches for 23 yards.

Next, the team went into a 11-on-11 scrimmage from the offenses’ own 25 yard line.

Quinn was 4-of-5 for 47 yards       
Anderson was 3-of-3 for 42 yards

Drill notes: Quinn avoided a heavy pass rush on one drop back and found Edwards for about 20 yards.

Anderson had a perfect lob to Jerome Harrison for about 23 yards.

Jamal Lewis, Harrison, and James Davis all got about three to four carries each, with Lewis running for 12 yards, Harrison had 10 yards running and Davis ran for 20 yards.

Anderson also had to run the ball a couple of yards on a broken play and threw a pass to Paul Hubbard that was tipped at the line, but Hubbard still came down with it for about 10 yards.

There was an attempted double reverse when Quinn was in and he handed it off to Robiskie, who then handed it to Mike Furrey, but the ball hit the ground and Robaire Smith picked up the fumble and ran it for a score. Both Robiskie and Furrey ran a lap for the bad exchange.

Halfway through this scrimmage, the music started blaring out of the speakers in the endzone and both Quinn and Anderson did not seem to be effected by it.

After a quick break, the team reassembled and began another set of 11-on-11.

Quinn was 2-of-3 for 12 yards
Anderson was 5-of-7 for 51 yards

Drill notes: Linebackers Kamerion Wimbley and Eric Barton had good pressure on two plays in a row during Quinn’s series.

Cornerback Coye Francies had solid man-to-man coverage on Cribbs for a play that came up incomplete.

Harrison ran the ball will with three carries for 29 yards.

Mohamed Massaquoi, Robert Royal, Martin Rucker and Furrey all contributed with catches.

The final 11-on-11 drill of the practice did not feature Quinn or Anderson, but backups Brett Ratliff and Richard Bartell, who were leading the offense in a two-minute drill from their own 25-yard line.

Bartell did not fair well in this drill because after an incomplete that was thrown behind the receiver, Bartell followed that up by tossing a pick right into cornerback Rod Hood’s chest.

Ratliff did have a solid showing by leading his team down the field for a scoring touchdown drive with time still remaining on the clock. He hit passes to Cribbs for 10 yards, Edwards for 16 yards and followed that up with a toss to Edwards on a quick slant route that Edwards took to the end zone for a 45-yard score.

Very impressive showing for Ratliff, and he looks very comfortable behind center and he made good defensive reads to get the score.

A side note, both Quinn and Anderson have been having trouble scoring touchdowns in the two-minute drills so far in camp.

A pretty good showing at camp this morning, with the exception of all the false starts.

Both Edwards and Cribbs were catching everything that came their way and both were able to break out of coverages an into the open field all morning.

This may very well be the opening day starting receivers especially if Cribbs keeps getting open in his route as he has been doing over the last several practices.

The comfort level of the offense does look to be growing, now that they have been playing together for over a week.

(Next camp report will be from Wednesday’s afternoon practice at 1:30 p.m.)

Cleveland Browns Sunday Scrimmage: Non QB Competition Oberservations

The Browns Team, led by quarterback Derek Anderson, successfully defeated the White Team, led by quarterback Brady Quinn, 17-14, but the victory was in typical Cleveland Browns fashion with an offense that sputtered and could not get into a rhythm until late in the game.

The main source of the information that is in this article was provided by Browns web site, Dawgs By Nature, who had a detailed account of the offensive series during the entire scrimmage.

That report can be read here.

In this detailed reported it needs to be said that since the scrimmage was a two-hand touch tackle type of game, the running game could not really get going like in a real game situation because as soon as the back would go between the tackles, a referee would see two hands touch the runner only after a few yards and the backs couldn’t really break tackles like they’re paid to do.

Nevertheless, the passing game was able to show off the quarterback competition that has been one of the hottest position battles in almost all of the NFL, and even ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen and SI.com’s Peter King made visits to Browns Stadium to report on and watch the full team scrimmage on Sunday.

1. Quinn looked hot right away, silencing many critics with his ability to throw the deep ball, by tossing a bomb to wide receiver Lance Leggett in which the ball was in the air for approximately 60 yards and on target.

2. Anderson did move the ball on offense, but not until until the fourth quarter and since this journalist doesn’t like to get involved in “the debate,” let us talk about another quarterback.

3. Surprisingly, backup Brett Ratliff raised many eyebrows with his ability to throw the deep ball to receiver David Patten on two different plays of 46 yards and 71 yards, with the later being for a touchdown.

Ratliff also showed good leadership in the huddle and despite being the predicted third string quarterback for the Browns, he does look to have a bright future in the NFL (especially if Quinn or Anderson cannot take this team to victory).

4. Another mention needs to go out to cornerback Eric Wright, who was exclusively covering receiver Braylon Edwards all day, and kept Edwards playmaking abilities in check.

This may be a sign of what’s to come with Edwards in 2009, or a sign that Wright is a shut down cornerback and may ready to step into the spotlight as one of the better cover corners in the NFL.

5. Running back James Davis did more signs of flash, but again with the inability to break real tackles, Davis’ performance could have been better on gameday.

Still Davis was showing tremendous ability on the plays where he got his hands on the ball whether is was running or catching the ball.

6. There were several defenders that were able to sack the quarterback, which this stats is also handicapped with the inability of the offensive line to truly block the defensive lineman, but here are several defenders that were able to get a sack or two: LB David Bowens, DT Shaun Rogers, LB Alex Hall, DL Louis Leonard, and DE Robaire Smith.

7. Reveiver Josh Cribbs showed that he has put a lot of work into becoming a better pass catcher and route runner. Cribbs was able to get open from coverages and catch a half dozen passes from Quinn during the game. Both Cribbs and Leggett were Quinn’s favorite targets throughout.

Since Cribbs was showing a facet of his game that many Browns fans have not seen too much (he only has 16 career receptions), and he is really gunning for that No. 2 starter slot opposite Edwards.

8. Linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was all over the field getting in on almost every touch tackle, breaking up passes and intercepting Anderson at the goal line ending a promising drive.

Jackson has been seen always near fellow linebacker Eric Barton and it really looks like Barton has got Jackson to really take control of the defense and become a true leader.

9. A quick final note, punter Dave Zastudil got many punts in during the scrimmage with one particular punt going about 70 yards downfield.

 

In conclusion, again this was more of a backyard football game, but with Eric Mangini simulating this as a real game there were similar elements just like on a fall Sunday game.

In the reality of the game of football this was just a pre-preseason game warmup and based on the quarterbacks performances so far, Quinn may get the starting nod for Saturday’s first preseason game at Green Bay.

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source

Five Things to Watch During Week Two of Cleveland Browns Training Camp

After a full week of training camp, the Cleveland Browns have learned many things about coach Eric Mangini and his outlook for the team.

Going into the second week of training camp means that gameday is less than a week away, and now is the time to step up individual performances; otherwise roster cuts are right around the corner.

Fans of the Browns need to keep their eyes on several things going into week two.

1. Will either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson be able to go from mediocre performances during camp so far to stepping up to the plate and performing at a high level to take control of this team?

Both Anderson and Quinn have had their good and bad moments in the first week of camp, and it is really hard to tell who is in the lead for the starting spot.

One thing is for sure: Both these guys are learning a brand-new system, and it may take some real gameday situations to be able to gel with the other 10 guys that are on the field. Maybe Sunday’s scrimmage will help both these guys.

Quinn on the White Team and Anderson on the Brown Team will make for a very interesting scrimmage, as they literally are opposing each other.

2. Can rookie back James Davis continue the stellar performances he had almost every practice in the first week?

Coming into training camp, many thought that fellow back Jerome Harrison was going to break out and get many more touches during games in 2009.

What no one predicted is that Davis would be as much a force at running back as he has been. He is easily earning himself more gameday carries, which may mean fewer touches for Harrison.

3. Is rookie center Alex Mack ready to be a starter?

Mack has had many mishaps snapping the ball to the quarterbacks in week one, causing him to run quite a few laps. Even though Mack looks strong at times, if he cannot get the ball into the quarterback’s hands, then it will be a trip to the bench with a clipboard for him.

Hopefully it is just week one jitters, because Mangini did start his center, Nick Mangold, when he was a rookie with the New York Jets a few years back.

4. Which wide receiver will step up his game to make a stronger push for the No. 2 starter spot opposite Braylon Edwards?

Both rookies Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi have shown they can play at the pro level, but receivers Josh Cribbs, Mike Furrey, Paul Hubbard, and Lance Leggett have all played well too.

This is a position that will be very interesting to continue to watch since there are so many talented guys, but only five or six roster spots available when the regular season roll around.

5. Will Shaun Rogers continue to dominate while entertaining the crowds?

Definitely. Rogers has been dominating much of the time in drills and scrimmages, but he has also been able to entertain the fans with his mistakes by playing up his “power walking” routine when he takes his lap around the field. If you haven’t seen it yet, then here is a link to a video on YouTube.

Hopefully the Browns can get it together before their first preseason game this Saturday evening and Sunday’s full team scrimmage will help the team get to where they need to be.

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source.

Cleveland Browns Training Camp Week One Recap: Surprising Players

Training Camp audiences have been known to be highly critical of their players even though it is just practice.

On Saturday, Aug. 1, the Browns held their first training camp practice that was open to the public.

There were almost 3,000 fans in attendance.

There were fans yelling out to the defensive coaches, “We want to win against Pittsburgh,” with replies from the coaches, “We want to win them all!”

Also, in Saturday’s first practice, there was a single word that was consistently being whispered throughout the crowd, and that word was “organized.”

All of the practices have been just that: very organized.

It is really hard to tell what players are up and coming and which may not make the final roster because there is no real tackling at all.

There are a few players that need to be highlighted because of their surprising performances on the field after one week of practices.

Rookie RB James Davis 

Davis has shown why he was such a great player at Clemson his sophomore and junior years.

Explosive speed through the holes, combined with the ability to power his way past arm tackles and some nifty moves that made Browns defenders miss tackles have put Davis on the radar.

He has made the crowds gasp many times in camp already with his polished running technique, and seems to record a 25+ play during each practice session.

Wide Receiver Lance Leggett

Leggett has shown the ability to consistently go up to get the ball and come down with it in his possession, no matter how tight the defensive coverage has been.

Blessed with great size at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Leggett has also shown great body control and concentration while on the field.

His 80+ yard touchdown bomb from Brady Quinn had the crowd in a frenzy on Monday morning.

Linebacker Alex Hall 

Over the last four to five practices, Hall has become a force in the pass rush. He is constantly getting to the pocket to either flush the quarterback out or to just cause added pressure.

In Friday morning’s practice, Hall recorded three sacks during scrimmages and drills.

Wide Receiver Paul Hubbard 

Hubbard has stepped up his game since Monday and has been able to haul down pass after pass. His breaks and moves have given him the chance to get open out of tight man-to-man coverage.

It will be tough to make the final roster at receiver with so many other receivers trying to make the team, too, but if Hubbard can keep up his performance, then there might be a spot waiting for him come September.

Rookie Linebacker David Veikune 

When the Browns drafted Veikune in the second round of the NFL Draft, many experts were confused as to why Mangini decided to draft him so high. So far in camp he has shown why Mangini had to have him in the second round.

Initially thought to play as an outside linebacker, Veikune has been spending most of his time as a inside linebacker with the second-team defensive unit. He was advertised as having a strong motor and loves to make contact.

In practice, not only has Veikune been near or part of almost every play that comes his way, but he has also shown the ability to get pressure on the quarterback, and he has recorded a few sacks along the way.

Cornerback Rod Hood 

Many believe that Mangini brought in Hood because he may not be comfortable with both Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright.

So far Wright has been very strong in man-to-man coverage and McDonald has had his good moments too, but Hood has been excellent in his tight coverage and has a couple picks, one of which went for a score.

Linebacker Kamerion Wimbley 

Even though he is not really a surprising player, what has surprised is where Wimbley has been lining up all over the field on defense and offense: from tight end to outside linebacker and inside linebacker to defensive end.

Mangini has been outspoken regarding Wimbley playing many different positions, but who would have though on offense, too. Just think of the role New England Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel played while with them.

Vrabel was a very successful situational linebacker and did play some tight end, too, during goal line packages. He even caught a few touchdown passes. The same might be in Wimbley’s future.

Overall, these individual players have looked superb on the field, but on gameday it is a whole different story. Hopefully, the guys can continue their success when the first game of the preseason rolls around on Aug. 15.

Article originally posted on Dawg Scooper: An Unofficial Cleveland Browns News Source

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