The Quarterbacks with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers: Irony

Before I start, the content of this article may rub a few 49er fans the wrong way, especially the ones who like either Alex Smith or Sean Hill. I am not trying to upset anybody, I am just my offering perspective the way I see it. If you disagree, fine I welcome your comments.

With NFL training camps now going on, much of the focus around the league is one the many quarterback competitions. The two I want to look at are the ones in San Francisco and Cleveland. In the Bay Area you have Alex Smith and Sean Hill battling it out ,while in Berea you have Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson fighting for it.

I looked at those two situations the other day and just laughed. On one team you have a former No.1 pick in the draft who has been a bust who can’t stay healthy battling with a guy who would be a backup anywhere else. To be fair, Hill does do fine but looks more like a quality back up than a starter.

On the other team you have a prospect who holds 36 passing records at a school that also produced 49er great Joe Montana. He has not played much in the NFL yet, but has shown some promise. Then you have a guy who was in the Pro Bowl two years ago. In other words, both guys in Cleveland are better than both guys in San Francisco.

Am I missing something? Why isn’t some sort of deal being worked out?

I realize that I am not in the NFL and there are things that happen behind the scenes that could cause snags. Having said that, if I were Mike Singletary I would be on the phone with Eric Mangini and make him an offer that he can’t refuse.

The tricky part would be to determine which quarterback from Cleveland would go to San Francisco. Let’s say Brady Quinn first. I think that could be a good situation for both teams.

For the Browns, they would no longer have the controversy and they could acquire possibly a first round pick or a defenisve starter (such as Dre Bly, Nate Clements, Takeo Spikes, Isaac Sopoaga, or Justin Smith).

For San Francisco it would be a huge upgrade at quarterback. Quinn may take a few games to find his rhythm but a great back like Frank Gore will really help him out. The other part is that I think Brady Quinn and Michael Crabtree would be a match made in heaven.

If you go on YouTube and watch highlights on both Brady Quinn and Michael Crabtree, you will see a quarterback who specializes in the quick slants but can go down-field when necessary and a receiver who specializes in catching the ball in space and makes people miss but can also go deep.

Can Quinn-Crabtree be the next Montana-Rice? I am not going there but I do think the potential is there.

What if Anderson were the one to go to San Francisco? That would also be good for both teams.

In Cleveland, Quinn would be the undisputed starter and the controversy would be done. On paper, Quinn’s skill set seems to be a better fit for the system Mangini runs. They would also acquire a third round pick and maybe a little more.

Or how about this? Throw Braylon Edwards in with the deal for the rights to Michael Crabtree and a later pick. Certainly that would be a gamble giving up two former Pro Bowlers for a rookie. However, that rookie is really good and is a great fit with Quinn.

For San Francisco you still have an upgrade at quarterback. I have mentioned on many occasions that Anderson is inconsistent and can turn it over and is not as much of a leader.

I think that is less of an issue in San Francisco because of Frank Gore. He is the focal point of any defense and that would free up receivers down the field. That would make interceptions less likely. Anderson wouldn’t have to be as much of a leader because of Gore.

Also a great tailback can be fed if a quarterback is having an off day.

To me it makes too much sense for the 49ers to acquire one of Cleveland’s quarterbacks. The reality is that they are better than the guys they got now. Hill is valuable to the team as a back up.

I am not saying Smith can’t still be a good NFL quarterback. It just seems that with all the injuries and all that has gone against him, it just doesn’t seem that his destiny is in the Bay Area. I get the sense that he has lost a lot of the fanbase.

I really think the best thing for Smith would be to go to the UFL and reinvent himself there and come back to the NFL next year.

If I were Mike Singletary I would find a way to get a deal done with Cleveland immediately.

Cleveland Browns: Building a Championship Defense Doesn’t Require Mangeniuses

With camp now open and the season quickly approaching, Browns fans will soon find out if Eric Mangini’s moves will lead to improvement for the team. While many believe that he has the team on the right track, I am really having a hard time buying into what he is doing. That is especially true on defense.

Yes, he is an NFL coach and I am writing online articles. Still, he is implementing an idea that I do not believe in at all. That is the idea that he wants smart football players.

Don’t get me wrong. Football intelligence is very important for a team. You really need it at quarterback. However, at the end of the day you need guys that will make it happen out there.

I have coached myself and have worked mainly on the defensive side. Now, I realize that coaching at the high school level and at the NFL level are not the same thing at all. But still, it is football, and at the end of the day the idea that you need geniuses out there makes no sense to me.

I have worked with some defenses that were really good and some that weren’t so good. With the ones that were good, there were three things they all had: a relentless pass rusher, a linebacker with a nose for the football, and a shutdown corner. None of these require a great deal of football smarts. They require studs.

How complicated is it to tell a guy to line up on the end and get after the quarterback? Does it take a genius to go out there, cover that receiver, and go wherever he goes? I don’t want my linebackers thinking. I want them relying on instincts and fierce speed to get to the ball.

In other words, I believe in the KISS theory on defense. That is “Keep it simple stupid.” Anytime you make it too complicated, you only overcoach the situation. That can hurt the team. You need players that will understand the system and that can cause you to settle for less-talented athletes. Anytime that happens, it’s bad.

The reality is that the smartest guys may not be the guys that can make plays for you.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not underestimating the value of football intelligence. It is very important to have players on the field that know the system inside and out. Those guys can be leaders and the ones the others follow. At the end of the day though, they may not be the guy who is making plays.

The reality is that the guys that were smart were guys we needed on the field. However, we often put them in places where we could hide their weaknesses.

The point is that yes you do need smart guys out there, but you also need studs that will make plays. I don’t care how smart an end is. If he can’t get after the quarterback, he is useless to me.

Yes, Mangini is an NFL coach and yes, my defensive theory isn’t the only one out there. So I will give Mangini a chance to show that his philosophy can work.

However, in my experience at the level I coached, smart defenses don’t equal good defenses. Again, high school and NFL are two totally different animals, but it is still football.

How Brett Ratliff Is Suddenly The Most Popular Guy In Cleveland

With training camp opening in just days, the quarterback competition will finally begin between Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. After months of debate, it will finally be settled in the coming weeks.

The part of the debate that I have found most funny is how supporters of Quinn will bash Anderson and vice- versa. At the same time everybody loves Brett Ratliff. Anderson supporters say that Ratliff is better than Quinn. Quinn supporters think Ratliff is better than Anderson.

Everybody seems to love Brett Ratliff. Anderson and Quinn supporters both seem to want Ratliff as the No. 2. If everybody loves him, why don’t they want him to start over the other two? Well I have heard a few say that they want him to.

My response to that is get real. Comparing Ratliff to Quinn and Anderson is just ridiculous. Many Browns fans do remember the great game Ratliff had against the Browns backups in the preseason. Considering most guys lit it up against the Browns starters last year, that is nothing to get excited about.

It is true that Eric Mangini wanted him in the blockbuster trade. But who knows why? Maybe Mangini knows that Ratliff is a really good scout team quarterback. That is an important job for a team. Maybe Mangini just wanted to see how Quinn and Anderson would respond to the team acquiring a new quarterback.

I seriously don’t think Mangini has any intention of making Ratliff his quarterback of the future. Those plans could change but I don’t think that is his plan now.

Let’s look at resumes for the three quarterbacks. Derek Anderson has a Pro Bowl season on his. Brady Quinn holds most school passing records at a school that has produced other greats like Joe Theisman and Joe Montana. In limited NFL action he has shown promise.

Now here is Brett Ratliff’s resume. He went to Utah. That is a school on the rise. They do have two BCS victories in recent years. But here is the thing one came before he was there and the other came after he left. In 2006 he didn’t even play most of the year. He backed up Brian Johnson until he got hurt.

The most impressive thing on Ratliff’s resume is an Emerald Bowl victory over Tulsa and a great preseason game against Browns backups. So there is really no comparison with his resume compared to the other two. I am not trying to bash the kid, I am really not. I am just trying to keep it real.

I don’t know who ultimately wins the job. I prefer Quinn, but I know that Ratliff is not the guy to go with if Quinn goes down. No Browns fan should want him to play this year. If he does it will be due to disastrous situations.

Those fans who I hear talk about how they love Ratliff really make me laugh. The reason they like him is because they see him as less of a threat to the guy playing. While people like him, very few want him to start. In reality everybody loves Ratliff but nobody really likes him.

Again this is not a shot at the kid, I would love to be on an NFL roster as a scout team quarterback. I am just keeping it real.

Clawing Away: A Tribute To Former Wolverine and NFL Journeyman Brian Griese

Two days ago former Michigan quarterback Brian Griese was released by Tampa Bay.  With Luke McCown and Byron Leftwich battling for the starting job and Josh Freeman in place to eventually take over, Griese was the odd man out. So it really wasn’t much of a shock that Griese was cut.

What is next for Griese?

Does he try to land with yet another team? One that would make sense would be the New England Patriots. There he would back up Tom Brady who backed him up at Michigan. Brady is coming back from surgery and Griese would be a good insurance plan if Brady were to go down again.

Looking around the league there are definitely teams who need a backup.

The other option for Griese would be to retire. I don’t know that he will do that just yet, but his career has definitely been one that was up and down.

After leading Michigan to it’s only National Championship in my lifetime, Griese was drafted by the Denver Broncos. He earned a Super Bowl ring his first year in the league when he backed up John Elway. Then Elway retired and Griese took over.

That is where the roller coaster ride began.

His first year starting was highlighted with injuries and inconsistency. Then in his second year he made the Pro Bowl. The team qualified for the playoffs but a late season injury kept Griese out. Then the next couple of years saw Griese do some good things but now Bronco fans are expecting him to be John Elway.

Griese learned how tough it was following a legend. Then Griese went to the Miami Dolphins. A Griese in Miami was supposed to be a hit. It didn’t work out and he was out after a year.

Then Griese was bounced between Tampa Bay and Chicago.

During those years he was also in and out of the starting line up. He kept getting injured and that made it impossible for any team to make him the long term starter. Through all of his experience though I think Griese has been a valuable asset to the teams as the backup.

How people evaluate Griese’s career is really up to them. I see him as one of the best backup quarterbacks in football. I think he could have been more had circumstances been different and he not had so many injuries. He has made his own share of mistakes but fate didn’t really help him.

Either way, I don’t care how other people remember Brian Griese. I remember him as the only quarterback to lead Michigan to a National Championship in my lifetime.

Browns, Bag It: Why Brady Quinn is Cleveland’s Best QB Option

The idea of this article came from a debate I recently had with fellow Bleacher Report writer Sam Ingro. He and I both believe that Brady Quinn will be the starting quarterback for the Browns. Where we disagree is that I believe he should already be the guy while Ingro believes that Quinn should have to earn it in a competition.

My take on it is that it was already resolved last season. It wasn’t resolved when Derek Anderson was benched and Quinn came in. It was resolved when Anderson had a chance to come back in after Quinn’s injury and show the coaches they were wrong. Instead he looked horrible and produced nothing.

By holding a competition for the job, Eric Mangini is only reopeining a can of worms that really does not need to be reopened. This to me should have been a no brainer from day one. Name Quinn the starter and deal Anderson.

Looking at this thing realistically, I think both guys are capable of about the same thing this year. That is leading the team to about an 8-8 record. The Browns will probably be about the same whether it is Anderson or Quinn behind center.

I know there are readers thinking that if the record will be about 8-8 either way, why shouldn’t they let them compete to see who is better? While I do believe that both are capable of the same thing, the major difference is where they are in stages of development. That is what should make it a no brainer.

If Anderson and Quinn were plants they would look totally different. Anderson would be fully blossomed and Quinn would be barely above the dirt. Yet the plant that is barely above the dirt is producing about the same as the fully blossomed plant.

In other words, Quinn still has a lot of growing to do and he is only getting started. At the same time, I really don’t see much more growth out of Anderson. I think the Browns have seen what Anderson will develop into and 10-6 is the best they will ever do with him.

Now I want to take a look at what happens if Anderson wins the job and what happens if Quinn wins the job. Either way it will be about an 8-8 season. However, it will be a much different kind of 8-8 record.

What happens if Derek Anderson wins the job?

Many have asked me that if I believe that Quinn is that much better, won’t he win the competition anyway. Well I believe he will but I am not going to lie. Anderson can win the job. Anderson can also get his butt kicked from one end of Cleveland to the other. It depends on which Anderson shows up.

Can Anderson get hot for a couple of pre season games and win the job? Yes he can.

Can Anderson maintain that consistency for 16 weeks in the regular season? I highly doubt it. Anderson never was consistent, not even in college. If there is any indication of future behavior, it is past behavior. In the past he has been very inconsistent.

The other issue is that heading into 2008, many speculated that he was a “flash in the pan” in 2007. I told many of my friends that he has the word FLUKE written all over his forehead. Many doubted me but I had a pretty good idea that I was right.

I have a formula that I honestly should patent. That is when a player gets hot for a few games, I can determine whether or not he is a fluke. I am not saying my formula is perfect but so far I have not been wrong. What it is is five clear warning signs that the guy is a fluke.

1. Red Hot Start- When Anderson took over for his first start against the Bengals he came out with all guns blazing.

2. Declining Numbers to End the Season- From about week 10 on, defensive coordinators figured him out and he threw much more interceptions than touchdowns in the last few games.

3. Strong Performances came when No Pressure Was On- When Anderson took over he was filling in while Quinn was getting ready. There really was no pressure for him to do well because he was only supposed to be in for a few games. Then when the pressure mounted he folded and continued to do so last year.

4. Poor Performances in Big Games- Against the Patriots and Steelers Anderson was not very good. Then in the biggest game of the year he threw four interceptions to cost the Browns the playoffs.

5. Was Unimpressive Prior to Big Year- The Ravens cut him because they were more impressed with Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright. That is pretty unimpressive. He also had a chance to start a few games at the end of 2006 for the Browns. I think he threw like 5 TDs and 8 INTs. Both he and Frye were so unimpressive the next pre season that it was decided with a coin toss.

Usually if a quarterback exhibits 3 of those signs, I think he is a fluke. Anderson exhibited all 5. Sure there is the argument that 2008 wasn’t all Anderson’s fault. Braylon Edwards wasn’t exactly  his best friend last year. He did drop 19 balls. That is a lot and he should have been benched along with Anderson.

However, Anderson did enough wrong on his own without anybody’s help. That play against the Ravens and Terrell Suggs was just brutal. The turnovers and lack of organization in the huddle made the unit look bad. That is on the quarterback.

Plus I noticed that if the defense puts any pressure on him, he throws it low, high, or out of control. It is the NFL and a quarterback has to be able to complete a pass under pressure.

At the end of the day, the Browns have a fully blossomed plant in Derek Anderson. I really do not see much more growth out of him at all. If he starts, the Browns will win about 8 games and will look very inconsistent from week to week. The feeling in the city will be another disappointing year.

In the meantime while the fully blossomed plant showed very little if any growth, the other plant is still barely above the dirt and Browns fans still don’t know what they have in him.

Make no mistake of it. Anderson can win the job, but if he does it will be bad for the Browns.

What will happen if Brady Quinn wins the Job?

Many Quinn supporters are hoping for a breakout year from him. I am projecting that it won’t happen. I think he will go through a lot of growth and development this year. That is why he has to play. Those who say he isn’t ready may be correct. However, he won’t learn anything more from the bench.

What I do think Quinn will do is more of what we saw last year in his first couple of starts. I think he will remind me of Tom Brady. Now relax, I don’t mean Tom Brady today. I mean Tom Brady when he first took over in New England. They did win the Super Bowl. But that year Brady was a manage the game and not kill the team QB.

Last year’s game against buffalo reminded be a lot of Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl. He wasn’t spectacular but he managed the game and made good decisions. In the end he led the Patriots to a game winning field goal. Does that sound familiar?

Quinn’s critics will say that his completion percentage isn’t that great. That is true but that can be worked on. Now imagine that you are an NFL coach. If you started a quarterback for the first few times, what would you say if I told you that your offensive production would average 29.5 points?

What if I also told you that there would be very few penalities and your young quarterback wouldn’t turnover the ball at all? Would you take it? I sure would.

The point is that those who critique Quinn for checking down and not looking spectacular are really missing the big picture. It is better for a young quarterback not to try and do too much than it is for him to throw deep into triple coverage.

One argument I hear is that would Quinn be working as hard if he didn’t have to compete. Knowing what I know about him, I would say yes. He had a great work ethic his last couple years at Notre Dame when there was no way he was ever coming out.

He worked hard after his rookie year even when he had no chance to start the year as the starter. His work ethic never changes no matter what.

By putting Quinn in the Browns will see a lot of growth from September to December. Now the plant that was barely above the dirt is much higher above the dirt. The best part is that that plant still isn’t even fully blossomed.

Now what happens if Quinn folds and doesn’t grow? Well then at least the Browns would know. Then they could look in other directions. At the end of the day that isn’t so bad since the program is rebuilding anyway.

Whether you go with Quinn or Anderson you get about an eight win season. But let me ask you, which eight win season looks better? We all know the answer.

 

 

Browns, Bag It: Why Brady Quinn is Cleveland’s Best QB Option

The idea of this article came from a debate I recently had with fellow Bleacher Report writer Sam Ingro. He and I both believe that Brady Quinn will be the starting quarterback for the Browns. Where we disagree is that I believe he should already be the guy while Ingro believes that Quinn should have to earn it in a competition.

My take on it is that it was already resolved last season. It wasn’t resolved when Derek Anderson was benched and Quinn came in. It was resolved when Anderson had a chance to come back in after Quinn’s injury and show the coaches they were wrong. Instead he looked horrible and produced nothing.

By holding a competition for the job, Eric Mangini is only reopeining a can of worms that really does not need to be reopened. This to me should have been a no brainer from day one. Name Quinn the starter and deal Anderson.

Looking at this thing realistically, I think both guys are capable of about the same thing this year. That is leading the team to about an 8-8 record. The Browns will probably be about the same whether it is Anderson or Quinn behind center.

I know there are readers thinking that if the record will be about 8-8 either way, why shouldn’t they let them compete to see who is better? While I do believe that both are capable of the same thing, the major difference is where they are in stages of development. That is what should make it a no brainer.

If Anderson and Quinn were plants they would look totally different. Anderson would be fully blossomed and Quinn would be barely above the dirt. Yet the plant that is barely above the dirt is producing about the same as the fully blossomed plant.

In other words, Quinn still has a lot of growing to do and he is only getting started. At the same time, I really don’t see much more growth out of Anderson. I think the Browns have seen what Anderson will develop into and 10-6 is the best they will ever do with him.

Now I want to take a look at what happens if Anderson wins the job and what happens if Quinn wins the job. Either way it will be about an 8-8 season. However, it will be a much different kind of 8-8 record.

What happens if Derek Anderson wins the job?

Many have asked me that if I believe that Quinn is that much better, won’t he win the competition anyway. Well I believe he will but I am not going to lie. Anderson can win the job. Anderson can also get his butt kicked from one end of Cleveland to the other. It depends on which Anderson shows up.

Can Anderson get hot for a couple of pre season games and win the job? Yes he can.

Can Anderson maintain that consistency for 16 weeks in the regular season? I highly doubt it. Anderson never was consistent, not even in college. If there is any indication of future behavior, it is past behavior. In the past he has been very inconsistent.

The other issue is that heading into 2008, many speculated that he was a “flash in the pan” in 2007. I told many of my friends that he has the word FLUKE written all over his forehead. Many doubted me but I had a pretty good idea that I was right.

I have a formula that I honestly should patent. That is when a player gets hot for a few games, I can determine whether or not he is a fluke. I am not saying my formula is perfect but so far I have not been wrong. What it is is five clear warning signs that the guy is a fluke.

1. Red Hot Start- When Anderson took over for his first start against the Bengals he came out with all guns blazing.

2. Declining Numbers to End the Season- From about week 10 on, defensive coordinators figured him out and he threw much more interceptions than touchdowns in the last few games.

3. Strong Performances came when No Pressure Was On- When Anderson took over he was filling in while Quinn was getting ready. There really was no pressure for him to do well because he was only supposed to be in for a few games. Then when the pressure mounted he folded and continued to do so last year.

4. Poor Performances in Big Games- Against the Patriots and Steelers Anderson was not very good. Then in the biggest game of the year he threw four interceptions to cost the Browns the playoffs.

5. Was Unimpressive Prior to Big Year- The Ravens cut him because they were more impressed with Kyle Boller and Anthony Wright. That is pretty unimpressive. He also had a chance to start a few games at the end of 2006 for the Browns. I think he threw like 5 TDs and 8 INTs. Both he and Frye were so unimpressive the next pre season that it was decided with a coin toss.

Usually if a quarterback exhibits 3 of those signs, I think he is a fluke. Anderson exhibited all 5. Sure there is the argument that 2008 wasn’t all Anderson’s fault. Braylon Edwards wasn’t exactly  his best friend last year. He did drop 19 balls. That is a lot and he should have been benched along with Anderson.

However, Anderson did enough wrong on his own without anybody’s help. That play against the Ravens and Terrell Suggs was just brutal. The turnovers and lack of organization in the huddle made the unit look bad. That is on the quarterback.

Plus I noticed that if the defense puts any pressure on him, he throws it low, high, or out of control. It is the NFL and a quarterback has to be able to complete a pass under pressure.

At the end of the day, the Browns have a fully blossomed plant in Derek Anderson. I really do not see much more growth out of him at all. If he starts, the Browns will win about 8 games and will look very inconsistent from week to week. The feeling in the city will be another disappointing year.

In the meantime while the fully blossomed plant showed very little if any growth, the other plant is still barely above the dirt and Browns fans still don’t know what they have in him.

Make no mistake of it. Anderson can win the job, but if he does it will be bad for the Browns.

What will happen if Brady Quinn wins the Job?

Many Quinn supporters are hoping for a breakout year from him. I am projecting that it won’t happen. I think he will go through a lot of growth and development this year. That is why he has to play. Those who say he isn’t ready may be correct. However, he won’t learn anything more from the bench.

What I do think Quinn will do is more of what we saw last year in his first couple of starts. I think he will remind me of Tom Brady. Now relax, I don’t mean Tom Brady today. I mean Tom Brady when he first took over in New England. They did win the Super Bowl. But that year Brady was a manage the game and not kill the team QB.

Last year’s game against buffalo reminded be a lot of Tom Brady’s first Super Bowl. He wasn’t spectacular but he managed the game and made good decisions. In the end he led the Patriots to a game winning field goal. Does that sound familiar?

Quinn’s critics will say that his completion percentage isn’t that great. That is true but that can be worked on. Now imagine that you are an NFL coach. If you started a quarterback for the first few times, what would you say if I told you that your offensive production would average 29.5 points?

What if I also told you that there would be very few penalities and your young quarterback wouldn’t turnover the ball at all? Would you take it? I sure would.

The point is that those who critique Quinn for checking down and not looking spectacular are really missing the big picture. It is better for a young quarterback not to try and do too much than it is for him to throw deep into triple coverage.

One argument I hear is that would Quinn be working as hard if he didn’t have to compete. Knowing what I know about him, I would say yes. He had a great work ethic his last couple years at Notre Dame when there was no way he was ever coming out.

He worked hard after his rookie year even when he had no chance to start the year as the starter. His work ethic never changes no matter what.

By putting Quinn in the Browns will see a lot of growth from September to December. Now the plant that was barely above the dirt is much higher above the dirt. The best part is that that plant still isn’t even fully blossomed.

Now what happens if Quinn folds and doesn’t grow? Well then at least the Browns would know. Then they could look in other directions. At the end of the day that isn’t so bad since the program is rebuilding anyway.

Whether you go with Quinn or Anderson you get about an eight win season. But let me ask you, which eight win season looks better? We all know the answer.

 

 

Joshua Cribbs’ Situation: Another Irritating Thing About Mangini/Kokinis

I hear many Browns fans saying that Joshua Cribbs needs to get to camp and play out his contract.

The problem is that the old regime of Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage had promised him a new contract. Now the new regime of Eric Mangini and George Kokinis say that they didn’t promise him anything.

Unlike many Browns fans, I am on the side of Joshua Cribbs. I believe that when you take over a company in any walk of life and the Cleveland Browns are a company, there are certain committments that you have to honor from the old regime. This is one they need to honor.

Cribbs was one of the Browns who never quit last year. He played hard no matter the score or record. He was and is the most versatile player the Browns have.

He is known for returning kicks, however, he can also catch passes, take handoffs, and run a wildcat package. He can even play defense in nickel and dime situations.

He did whatever was asked of him. I have seen no evidence of him being a problem player. He works hard and plays hard. Without mentioning names, we know that some of the players quit on the team last year. Cribbs never did.

So for those of you telling Cribbs to get to camp, put yourself in his situation. Imagine if you were promised a new contract in whatever your profession is. Then for whatever reason a new boss takes over. He tells you I didn’t promise anything.

Would you take that lying down or would you be upset?

I know how I would feel.

Why I Am Still Not Sold On Eric Mangini

Browns fans will soon see whether or not the off season moves that Eric Mangini and George Kokinis have made are positive for the team. While their is a lot of optimism and hope among most Browns, you will have to forgive me if I don’t share those feelings.

I am skeptical and I think that this could be a lesson to NFL owners around the league. That is that you can’t give total control to an unproven coach and a rookie GM. While total control is desired, it is something that should be earned first.

I thought owners would have learned that after the Matt Millen fiasco in Detroit. But I guess not.

While many think his off season moves are good, I see nothing that causes any excitement. If anything I see reason to be nervous. Here are some of Mankok’s highlights since being hired.

 

Mishandling the QB situation

To be fair, Randy Lerner should take some accountability for how this mishandled. Because Mankok is still unproven, this should have been off limits from the start.

Lerner should have told them that Brady Quinn is the quarterback and that is non-negotiable. He also should have told them to trade Derek Anderson and get what you can.

Maybe Lerner expected them to do that. That is what most people including Anderson expected to happen. After his season ending injury, he was even saying goodbye to the media and trainers in the locker room. That is a sign that the decision should have taken about ten seconds.

Instead Mankok lets it leak that they don’t really like either. That will really make other teams want to trade for somebody. 

I have heard one defense of them was that if they weren’t here, the Browns could have Matt Cassel or Kyle Orton.

For one I like Cassel and two they could have ended up with Orton. Draft day trade rumors involved Quinn. One team involved was Denver so it is a safe assumption that Orton would have been part of it.

It would have been acceptable to deal Quinn in a package for Jay Cutler. However, that failed because Cutler wanted no part of Mangini and claims that he would not have reported. To be fair, Cutler has shown that he is a bit of a prima donna.

Now here we are with no clear leader and that shouldn’t be the case.

 

Trading Kellen Winslow

This move is one that really made me scratch my head. I realize that Winslow was a bit of a problem child last year. However, he had a point if he was getting sick because of work conditions. Now that Joe Jurevicious is suing, there probably is a lot of truth to what he said.

Not only did they trade Winslow, but they replaced him with Robert Royal. If you believe that that is an upgrade at tight end, you believe in Santa Claus.

Had they named Quinn the starter from day one like they should have, this trade probably doesn’t happen. We all saw the chemistry that Quinn and Winslow had after only a couple of games. Imagine what that could have became.

If Quinn was named early, he would have been able to give his input and I guarantee he would have wanted Winslow.

 

Wide Receiver Moves

Mankok had no control over what happened with Donte Stallworth so I will give them a pass on that one. Besides he was a bust anyway.

They tried to trade Braylon Edwards and it didn’t work. I think they will be lucky that they failed on this one.

Then they cut Jurevicious and sign David Patten and Mike Furrey. I wouldn’t consider that an upgrade.

They did draft Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi. That could end up being a really good move, but there is no guarantee. The wide receiver position is hard to project because the reality is that it is easy to get open in college. It is not so easy in the NFL.

 

Offensive Line

This I have to be fair and give Mankok two thumbs up. The acquisitions of Floyd Womack and John St. Clair are huge. Then they drafted Alex Mack who will replace Hank Fraley at some point.

 

No Deal for a Running Back?

The line moves are especially huge when you consider that Mankok wants to build a running offense with a controlled passing game.

This would be good for Quinn if he is the starter like he should be. That will force defenses to key on the runners and make it easier for him to pass. That will be great for his development.

That all sounds good but there is only one problem. Jamal Lewis is well past his prime. He can still run but not like he used to. Jerome Harrison has some positive signs but in no way a proven commodity.

The fact that they didn’t bring in another runner either through free agency or the draft is a mystery to me. In this kind of offense, you never have too many runners.

 

Defensive Moves

Mankok’s moves for the defense are a real mystery to me. He brought in a lot of his former players from the Jets. The funny thing is that some of these guys didn’t even start for him with the Jets.

He has brought in some good players like Eric Barton, Abram Elam, and Roderick Hood. Those are good players but nobody to get excited about. Certainly none of these guys are dominant defensive players.

I have always believed that much like you build an offense around a quarterback, you have to build a defense around somebody as well. That is preferably a middle linebacker. It works with guys like Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis.

Who is the guy that this defense is being built around? Is it D’Qwell Jackson? Is it Eric Barton? Is it Kamerion Wimbley? Are any of thes three a guy you can build the defense around? Nobody knows.

It is a mystery to me why the Browns haven’t pursued Derrick Brooks. He is older but is still a guy the unit can rally around.

In Closing, I think owners everywhere will learn to be careful about giving total control to coaches and GMs who haven’t earned it. Although there is optimism I am still skeptical.

Much of the talk is that fans love that Mankok wants smart football players. I do think that is important to a degree and very important at the quarterback position.

However, that thought reminds me of something that a friend of mine who coaches a variety of sports told me. He said that, “Geniuses don’t play sports for a reason.”

Brady Quinn the Next Tim Couch? I Sure Hope Not

Many who don’t believe in Brady Quinn have compared him to Tim Couch. That is an unfair criticism, considering that Quinn has yet to really get a chance to show what he can develop into. Oh wait, Tim Couch never got that chance either. At least that is how I remember it.

Couch was the first draft choice for the expansion Browns. Coach Palmer didn’t wait long before he threw him in. Being that it was an expansion team in all, fans had to know that it would take awhile to build the team. Therefore, they should have expected that the development of Couch would take longer than it normally would.

The coaches did stick with Couch for awhile. Then they abandoned him when he was really starting to come along. Say what you want, but the only quarterback to lead the new Browns into the playoffs was Tim Couch.

I remember that year well. They started the year with Kelly Holcomb because Couch was injured. He looked really good. The team went 1-1 and then Couch returned. In his first game back, he threw for more than 300 yards and the team won. The rest of the year the team was very competitive and Couch was getting better each week.

Then in the final game of the year, a trip to the playoffs was on the line. Couch went down in the game and Holcomb once again stepped in and did a really good job. The team won. The following week Holcomb was phenomenal in a playoff game. He threw for more than 400 yards and multiple touchdowns. The team lost, though.

That is where the team got distracted the first time. They seemed to forget that Couch was the quarterback for most of the year. He was supposed to be the face of the franchise. They could have traded Holcomb away and got a great deal for him. Instead they decide to keep both guys and let them compete.

That was when everybody in Cleveland thought Holcomb was better. Holcomb did win the job and the Browns were a disaster that year. Holcomb ended up being a “flash in the pan.” Couch came back in late in the year but the team had already given up.

To be fair, hindsight is 20/20. I myself thought it was the right choice to go with Holcomb. It turned out that we were all wrong. The problem is that the Browns don’t seem to learn from their mistakes.

In 2007, Quinn was drafted to be the franchise quarterback. However, Romeo Crennel didn’t want to play him right away. That was the correct decision. Derek Anderson steps in and has a Pro Bowl year. However, he does ultimately end up costing the Browns the playoffs against the Bengals.

Then the Browns had a chance to trade him and really get a great deal for him. Instead they get distracted again. They re-sign him to a huge contract and Quinn is once again on the bench. Then Anderson turned out to be another “flash in the pan.”

Now, with a new coach and new management, they want to look at it again and have an open competition. The problem is that the Browns have been here before and look how it turned out. I realize that it was different coaches and different management, but the fans are the same.

That is where the Randy Lerner should step in and put a stop to it. I know Jerry Jones would. No good businessman would allow his company to make the same mistake twice. We all know Lerner wants Quinn to be the guy, so make it happen.

And no, I am not afraid that he can’t beat out Anderson. I am very confident in him. I just am not confident in Eric Mangini making the right decision. He is a defensive-minded guy and has made the wrong choice before at quarterback. Just ask Chad Pennington.

While the competition is a noble idea, in the end it does more harm than good. I know Jerry Jones would never allow this to happen. If he wanted a player on the field, then that player would be on the field. Even if Bill Parcells is the coach.

So Mr. Lerner, it is on you. Don’t let Quinn be the next Couch. We all know that Anderson is another Holcomb. That is, a guy who can look phenomenal in spots, but at the end of the day he will take you nowhere.

There Is Just Something About the New England Patriots’ System

Many Denver Bronco fans have been upset this offseason with the departure of Jay Cutler. Many are mad at Josh McDaniels for how he handled the whole ordeal. Looking at it, I think Kyle Orton may be a blessing in disguise for the Broncos.

The reason is that Cutler is really a gunslinger and that really isn’t the kind of quarterbacks that have gone through the system. They generally take guys who are already smart and manage the game well. They don’t want a guy who will kill them with mistakes.

If the quarterback already possesses these qualities, the coaches can turn them into a superstar. Let’s look at three quarterbacks that have gone through the system.

 

Tom Brady

At Michigan, he was what I like to call a bridge quarterback. That is a quarterback that follows one great quarterback and there is another great prospect waiting in the wings. In Brady’s case he followed Brian Griese who led Michigan to their first National championship in a long time. Waiting in the wings was Drew Henson.

Brady was really the guy to keep it above water until Henson was ready. That is why I use the term bridge QB. He is the link between great QBs.

It is funny how things work out because Brady has obviously gone on to be the best quarterback in the NFL and Griese and Henson are both career backups.

 

Brady Quinn

I realize that he has yet to have a chance to establish himself in the NFL, but still the Patriot system has definitely had an impact on him.

At Notre Dame he was a very mediocre quarterback under Tyrone Willingham. Charlie Weis came in and Quinn ends up breaking many school passing records and leading them to the BCS.

When Weis first took over at Notre Dame, it was fitting that his QB was named Brady because the offense he implemented was a spitting image of the patriots.

It will be exciting to see what he does at the NFL level when he is ever given his chance. It should be this year.

 

Matt Cassel

This is the ultimate story of how effective the Patriots system is. Cassel never even played at USC. Then he came in last year and does an amazing job.

The funny thing is that both he and Quinn get criticized for not going downfield and checking down. Well I would rather have them do that than force it into triple coverage. That is especially true while they are still developing.

I bet Matt Leinart felt very weird last year when Arizona made a trip to New England. He had to watch Cassel start for the other team while he entered the game late in a blowout loss.

Is Kyle Orton the next great experiment for this system? That remains to be seen but he does have some of the same qualities that all three of the other guys have.

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