Are You Ready? The Browns Aren't, Not Yet Anyway

Nice article by the always reliable Patrick McManamon in the Akron Beacon Journal today. I don't want to harp on Tony Grossi too much cause he's sometimes fantastic, but McManamon's article is a great example of a reporter giving measured criticism while still reporting what happened, as opposed to quoting hearsay and trying to perhaps influence events. Bottom line in the article? The "Browns aren't close," there's lots of work left undone mostly on the defensive side of the ball and, perhaps, there are some things left to be desired from a coaching standpoint. It's all wrapped up with the dead-on accurate, if not exciting, statement: "What's the prognosis for the season? That's a tough one. The preseason indicators are not good -- mainly because the defense hasn't stopped anybody. But like the stock market, the indicators can be misleading."

Oh yeah, I've been posting/not posting at weird times due to a lot of offline time lately. The viruses going around have definitely slowed things down. What can you do...

Some random notes:

1. Something tells me Tommy Maddox is in for a rough season. He hasn't looked too good in the preseason and with a struggling running game defenses are going to be waiting for Maddox to soft-toss balls.
   
2. Jake Plummer last night on MNF -- I've never really seen him as a star and last night didn't change my mind, despite the occasional impressive throw. His arm strength looked great but he screwed up enough for the fans to boo him; it could be an interesting season there.
   
3. Former Steeler 1st-round bust Troy Edwards may get cut from the Rams. If so, he may stay on the scrap heap. Kind of crazy -- just a few years ago Steeler fans were happy how he'd caught so many balls as a rookie. Too bad the Steeler brass figured out how to draft wide receivers after that...
   
4. More entertainingly, Cleveland favorite Akili Smith got cut from the Packers. That guy is rich due to his big rookie payday, but he's still a moron. Seeya Akili. I'm telling you, bad things happen when you lead your team to victory on the road and proceed to give the finger to the home-town fans.... Akili did it in '99 in Cleveland, Couch in 2002 at Baltimore. Who's next?
   
5. Despite my initial reaction, Gerard Warren wasn't too bad Saturday night. Still, a couple pressures does not a Pro Bowler make. Hopefully it's a start though.
   
6. I think Vinny will play decent QB for the Jets. Pennington doesn't make or break the team. And that team is not so great with either guy playing.
   
7. Ryan Kuehl is hurt for the Giants. So is Ignatius grad Dan O'Leary. In fact, all the Giants long-snappers are hurt.
   
8. The whole AFC North could stink. I'd probably rate it from top to bottom as Steelers, Browns, Bengals, Ravens. The Steelers offense will struggle and the defense isn't great, but they are the most complete. The Browns D looks terrible but they'll fight it out with anyone. The Bengals will be bad, just not as bad as they traditionally have been, and they'll win a few for the new coach. The Ravens offense is well below par and the defense will regress. 9-7 might win this division.