Crocker Signs...

...for 5 years. Hehe, I'm shaking my head that this strategy is working... now let's hope he can play!

The Offensive Plan

Butch talks about how the offense will look and what we can expect out of the wide receivers. I'd say for fantasy football this means William Green has good value, and the WRs will take turns having big games. And the starting QB might be a good sleeper.

Davis came away from the session revealing his general plan for the season. The Browns will run 40 to 45 percent of the time, and pass 55 to 60 percent of the time. He promised the ball will be spread around, even with potential stars at wide receiver. “As much as I’d like to get one of these guys to the Hall of Fame by catching 100 balls a year,” he said, “I’d much rather see four or five guys catching 60 to 75 balls a year.”

Policy Kicks Butt on Thompson

Wow! Set aside any misgivings you may have about Carmen Policy because he laid down the law yesterday and it worked. I'm probably typical of how Policy would dream a Browns fan to hear about the whole situation.... get in the car to drive home from work, turn on the radio to hear Policy saying the team's offer to Chaun Thompson was more than fair compared to deals of adjacent picks, and that the Browns would pull their offer if he didn't sign in the next 24 hours. Policy was right on all his points, but it was the determination in his voice, the righteousness that he expressed regarding the team's insistence on a 5-year deal that really made an impression. Obviously it made an impression on Thompson's agents too cause by 9 P.M. their client signed a deal pretty much as Policy had described it in the afternoon.

It was one of those times where I was really happy that Policy was running the team. When he's got to deal with a pressure-filled situation and can do so at his own schedule, the guy can be amazing like he was yesterday. It sure will be interesting to see how this affects the 3 other unsigned picks; they have to know the Browns are now only more emboldened to get 5-year deals.

NOTES: Andre Davis hasn't practiced for 3 days after getting kicked in the leg on Sunday. Sure hope that isn't anything serious. Rookie FA C.J. Jones is apparently making a good impression in his place.

"One time, at Browns camp...."

Even though camp started over a week ago, it only now feels like it had really gotten going. I love the fact that the QBs are battling like everyone else and imagine it really creates a sense of competition among all the players. That's good too because at every position except WR + RB there's a lot to be determined. Faine is finally in camp and that should unleash a good battle for the guard spots. The young linebacker corp sounds fired up. And while the number of unsigned rookies is aggravating, I think the team has gotten the two rookies it really needed most into camp. With all the action going on in Berea, you know the rest of the draftees are bouncing off the walls. The only reall "negatives" so far is the silence regarding certain players and positions: Warren has been quiet, nobody is mentioning the DBs, etc. But we are sure to learn a lot from the Bills scrimmage this Saturday.

Some stuff in the news today:

FA Cornerback Jermaine Jones has signed a contract. He's got a little experience so that is good. The more the merrier. And perhaps this is part of the "negotiating" with unsigned rookie DBs Crocker and Lehan...

Over 20,000 tickets are sold for Saturday's scrimmage at the stadium. That's more than... oh never mind.

C Brown is practicing, but only once a day and only in on-on-one drills. I hate to be pessimistic, but it sure seems like he's still hurt. If he really passed his physicial you'd think he'd be going 100%. Then again, maybe it will take him a while to regain confidence in his knee. Wonder if he'll play in the scrimmage.

I get the feeling Faine is going to be a great fit for this team. Yeah, I know he may not be an All-Pro, but this offensive line needs a leader and there's little doubt he'll be one. I'm happier with the 1st round pick now than I was after the draft.

Soccer Followup

First off, let me just say thanks to Roger Brown and Bob Roberts of the PD for regulary commenting and covering the whole deal with the Celtic/Boca Junior soccer match at Cleveland Browns Stadium. While I wouldn't say it has gotten a LOT of coverage, the amount of coverage has exceeded what would normally be approproate for an even with such lame attendance.

Today Roger Brown drops something that was news to me: that Champions World promoters turned down an offer by Blackburn Rovers of the English Premiership to play after AC Milan pulled out. They were turned down in favor of Argentina's Boca Juniors. Now, Boca Juniors MIGHT be a better club and it was nice to see a South American team, but Blackburn would OBVIOUSLY have been a much better choice since the team includes starting USA and Premiership "All-Pro" goalie Brad Friedel who grew up and played soccer in Bay Village. And Brown is right when he says that Friedel's presence would have drawn another 10,000 or so fans to the match. In fact, I think that number is a little low. Freidel has played superb in one of the toughest leagues in the world and was a hero in last year's World Cup. Blackburn plays in the one foreign league that has the most exposure here in America. There would have been a ton of cool promotional oppurtunities (not that Champions World would have taken advantage of them, but still....). Seriously, all they had to do was film a couple minutes of Freidel kicking a ball around with some Browns players at the recent mini-camp and the press would have been all over it. It's amazing how underwhelming last Friday's match turned out when there were apparently so many chances for a huge success.

On a related note, Cleveland Force President Paul Garofolo is leading the effort to get an MLS expansion franchise in 2005. Give him your support!!!! He seems to be a good guy and sounds like he'd promote an MLS team much better than lame-o Champions World tried to do. Plus there are, of course, countless reasons for supporting an MLS franchise here, first and foremost that the MLS league has proven itself to be a viable entity who's profile is gradually improving. When MLS players are being hand selected to go play for Man U, something good is happening. And even if you personally are not a soccer fan, you can't deny the legions of youth soccers players who are approaching college-age -- there is a good future for MLS and Cleveland should be a part of that.

Tuesday Notes

It seems like camp for the running backs is starting the opposite of the way last years did -- Green is looking very sharp and Jamel White is starting slowly. White appears to have sufferred a concussion and is sitting out some practices. As far as I am concerned, that's fine -- White is a proven entity and he'll be ready when the season starts. Concussions can linger, so let him sit out at least a few days for good measure. Afterall, I think the only thing that can stop this offense will be injuries so conservative is the right approach. Still, it's very good news that Green has been tearing it up so far. Run, William, run!

Remember when the Browns took a look at signing Sehorn? Good thing they didn't, as he is now out 10 weeks. I'll be pretty surprised if he contributes this season.

Corey Dillon is a blowhard. Wasn't he late for training campe a year or two ago? Or was that when he got in trouble with his wife? I don't know, but he was late for camp this year and followed it up with some quotes that hard-working fans of Cin-tucky can certaily identify with: "If they're going to fine me, fine me. Quit talking about it. Do it and get it over with and let's move on. It's not like I'm going to missing $5,000 anyway. Oooh, $5,000. Big deal." What a jerk.

Carmen's reach strategy

Here's something that I've been wondering about since Carmen commented on the draft negotiations a little while back, but it took a couple days for this to sink in as a real possibility. We don't really know if the "draft high/sign long" strategy was really in effect, but it would at least make some sense. After all, the fact that nearly every player in the draft was considered a reach by the national media will remain a curiosity.

No Faine, No Gain?

Jeff Faine has signed. He's the most important player in this years draft and he'll start practicing tomorrow. That is good, and it greatly relieves the pressure that was building up with regards to all the unsigned draft picks. Now I'm not sure what the Browns do in pushing for 5-year deals for the lower-round picks. Strictly from a negotiating standpoint I think the team holds the line another day or two and sees if any of the players sign. But ultimately I think it will depend on what happens with draft picks for other teams. And you can bet the rest of the NFL is paying attention to what happens in Cleveland.

Pontbriand Signs, But Still...

It's nice that the long-snapper has signed, but really this was the one guy who the Browns had maximum leverage against and it still took him a week extra to sign. That is not good news. They have to get Faine in during the next 24 hours, and everyone else within a day or two after that. The team is counting on contributions from SOME of these people this year, especially in the defensive backfield. Seriously, I give the team maybe 48 hours before it becomes a crisis.

Warren is fine or, rather, his knee is okay

He's wearing a brace now and should be fine. Sure be nice if he got it together of course....

And Bud Shaw has a sensible article -- that the QB battle is the right thing to do. He's merely stating the obvious, but there's a lot of people in Cleveland that still haven't gotten it through their heads.

"Football" match a bust for city, but cool for those who went

``The energy your (American) football fans put into cookouts we put into the liquor side of it,'' Ireland native Bryan McCarthy said. ``We don't have the weather back home for cookouts.''

Here's a nice photo of Browns Stadium and the game's poor turnout. And they announced an attendance of over 20K!

What a bummer. Almost all the fans last night were from outside of Cleveland (not too bad a thing), mostly from Canada as far as I could tell. But boy, theres seemed to be hardly any Cleveland fans and that is a huge shame. The city should be embarrassed, and anytime from now on you hear a local politician say things like "we need more downtown hotels," or "the airport is too small," or "we need a new convention center" they are full of sh!t. That Cleveland does not appear to make any effort to promote and maximize an event like this is patheitc and calls into question the sincerity of all these sorts of people. If you can't maximize what you have now, why should we put our tax dollars towards new projects? If the city attracts conventions to a new convention center the way it tried to draw fans to last night's match, then it's perfectly reasonably to expect a new convention center to be a major bust. I won't support anything until I'm convinced the city will truly follow through. Wasn't Browns stadium supposed to be a venue for things other than football?

On the other hand, if you were on West 6th last night between 5:30-7:30 you probably had a fabulous time learning soccer songs, drinking Guinness, and generally soaking up the enthusiasm of the Celtic supporters. Cleveland residents need to get their head out of the sand and get engaged with the world a little bit -- the area really missed out on a great time last night.

Breedlove waived!!!! Other Notes from ABJ

Patrick McManamon reports that "The first-unit linebackers had Barry Gardner in the middle and Ben Taylor and Kevin Bentley outside..."

I'm a little bummed for Dimitrius Breedlove. As probably the biggest of Ben Gay's Gaybackers I was sort of hoping we'd get another phonetically-humorous player.

Yeah, no rookies have signed yet. Who knows what is going to happen with that. The club is obviously in a staring match with the players' agents and it will all depend on what other players sign to other teams for. Sounds like lots of teams are going to longer deals though.

Did anyone realize that R.J. Bowers was still in Browns camp?

Oh yeah, 1100 was reporting last night that Gerard Warren left practice early with a limp. Anyone know what the deal was with that?

Brown's Deal Redone

Now let's hope his knee holds up.

I'll have more about the Celtic-Boca Juniors match later. Let's just say that it wasn't a very good showing for the city last night. Boooo.

Celtic vs. Boca Juniors Tonight -- Time for Weee Drink!

Celtic + Boca Juniors are set for 8 PM tonight. Supposedly ticket sales have been slow, but I'm still optimistic for a good turn-out. If you are in the area, you really should consider going to the game. Here are some reasons why you should be interested:

• What an event for Cleveland now, and in the future. This nearly unprecedented event is sure to be eye-opening for anyone on this side of the Atlantic/Rio Grande. And it's a big deal that Cleveland is the only city not on the East or West Coast to host a game like this. Relish it, enjoy it.
  
• A good, enthusiastic showing tonight will increase the likeliehood of 1) future games like this, 2) future soccor-related events like World Cup qualifying events, and 3) an MLS franchise in 2005. Even if you don't care about soccer, these are undoubtedly good things for Northeast Ohio.
  
• Two great teams -- Boca Juniors won the club championship as the best team in all of South America. That is a big deal. Celtic lost in the final of one of the big European championships this spring (there are two major competitions). Both teams are among the best in their respective leagues and have plenty of world-class players.
  
• For a "friendly," this is a pretty important match. Both teams have very important matches coming up and soccer is not a game where a team can play poorly one day and impressively the next -- it's all about pace and tempo, so these teams are attempting to get into the zone so to speak. Boca is warming up for a competition against AC Milan, this years European champion (and originally the team scheduled to play in Cleveland). Celtic has a "play-in" match next week that, if victorious, gets them into the coveted "Champions League" in Europe this season, which would result in great presetige, in millions of revenue for the team, and essentially cement the team's place among the best in the world. You won't see these teams dogging it tonight.
  
• Know what you are missing. Yeah yeah, America doesn't like soccer. But most have never been to a real match, with lots of real fans, with lots of really good players. It rivals NFL football in some ways, and bests MLB baseball in others. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
  
• Irish-Catholic Night Out. Celtic has a huge following in Ireland and one of the largest global followings of any team. You'll find fans all over the world following "the Bhoys." If you missed Irish-fest last week, you can relive it in a different sort of way tonight.
  
• You know how Browns fans brag about the countless "Browns-Backers" clubs? Same deal with Celtic. There are at least 35 Celtic Supporters Clubs in America, and many hundreds around the world. The Cleveland C.S.C. will be out in force and watched every single Celtic game at Brendan O'Neils in Westlake.
  
• More on Celtic.... 80,000 people traveled to Spain this spring for a game that only 30,000 could get into.... they've got tribute bands....your typical Dawg Pound season ticket holder will find much to like.

Still no rookies; it's a problem

Finally the scoop is out on exactly why none of the Browns draft picks have signed; the team wants them to sign for 5 years. This is pretty much a first in NFL as far as I know. It is an atempt by the team to avoid the dreaded "restricted free agent" tag after players have been in the league a few years. This makes a lot of business sense for the Browns since they'd be taking almost no risk -- if the player doesn't pan out and gets released, only the signing bonus goes against the cap. But it's also completely understandable that the players are balking at this. Typically a veteran who survives 3-4 years in the NFL expects to make very good money. Under this approach they won't, and they aren't getting additional security in the deal. I think the Browns will either have to step back to get only 3 or 4 year deals, or will have to increase the amount of guaranteed money in the contracts. While I give the team credit for pursuing a potentially advantagous arrangement, we don't want to become the cheap-o Bengals either.

Another factor -- no more "voidable" years for 1st or 2nd round picks. I'm all for this, but again it's something that is a good deal for the player and the Browns may have to give a little. But this seems to be lesser of an issue than th 5-year deals for lower picks. I think when you pick a center and a line backer the team can dictate the terms of the deal.

Anyway, it's clear the team is reaching a situation now. It sounds like it will be Monday at the earliest before any of thee guys are on the practice field and this WILL affect the team's performance this year. Faine won't be an anchor, at least not the first month of the year; he's got a ton to learn as it is. Lehan and Crocker -- it seems like late-reporting DBs always struggle. Thompson supposedly has a lot to learn too, but if he is used only situationally perhaps he can overcome. Etc.

Qasim Mitchell

"A year ago, I was just trying to kill somebody. Now I try to use more technique and still kill somebody."

Still no rookies signed. Ben Taylor and Zukausgus practiced with the rookies; not sure if that says anything about their place on the mythical depth chart.

Camp starts in half an hour

I've heard no news that any rookie draft pick has signed a contract yet, but that seems to be the way it is in every NFL city this year. Expect a slow start to camp. No one will start panicking unless Faine/Thompson/Suggs remain unsigned into next week. The Texans top pick WR Johnson did sign today, so many that will get things going for the rest of the league.

Let's hope for an aggressive AND healthy camp. As cool as camp is, it doesn't matter if our guys are world-beaters in August -- I'd rather have an aggressive and still improving team at the end of September.

Hehe, great article from Grossi today

No sooner do I open my mouth does Tony Grossi remind me that when he sticks to news reporting he's great. He has a nice run-down of the defense with Campo and quotes Butch saying, "The most disappointing thing about last year, defensively, was that we were an atrocious tackling football team." Amen.

Campo basically says what we've suspected for a long time -- the DL and LB will probably be okay or maybe even good. The secondary we need to be "realistic" about. That's why the performance of the guys upfront and their ability to generate some pressure will be the most critical thing for this defense. Without that, the secondary will be routinely carved up.

Notes from the ABJ

The generally excellent Patrick McManamon sums up the training camp battles to come today, and he generally hits on the most important issues. The only thing I'd add is that, while Warren and C Brown are very important pieces of the D-line puzzle, the is counting on strong performances along the entire depth chart of DEs and DTs. And that generating a pass rush -- either from DE or LB positions -- will have a big effect on how guys like Henry are perceived to be performing.

Fellow ABJ columnist Terry Pluto does something similar, noting 10 things the team wants to "go right" this season, with 7 or 8 equalling a playoff season. Best observation: "if Gardner and Boyer are playing a lot, that means the kids aren't ready."

I hate to do comparisons between the ABJ and the PD, but sometimes it is to obvious to ignore. Pluto does a fine job of giving out measured criticism while acknowledging the upside of this team, while Grossi take a much more skeptical and occasionally cynical approach. I might also add that, as usual, I think the Browns offense could be a bit better than even optimistic guys like Pluto say. Man, if we don't score points I am going to have egg on my face...

Celtic + Boca -- Attendance is Bloody Bad

I'm sad to relay Roger Brown's word that this July 25th soccer match has sold only about 15,000 tickets so far. That blows. I was hoping for attendence in the 40K, maybe 50K range. I'm sure the promoters were hoping for at least that. Of course the cancellation and week-long suspension of ticket sales had to hurt significantly.

That said, the promotion of the event has been ATROCIOUS! Terrible, pathetic, embarassing. How much do we hear bitching that the city of Cleveland does not draw high-profile events or outside tourists? I swear, it's like NO ONE realized the potential of an event like this. International pro soccer. A totally unique event. No comperable event in the entire middle part of America. Jesus, you can get 40,000 people to a tiddilywinks convention in this country and here Cleveland appears to have made no effort to capitalize on this. If you live in another city and are a soccer fan, a rock 'n roll fan, or just curious or itiching for an interesting weekend -- why haven't you heard about this? People from all over Ohio, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Buffalo, Indianapolis, and beyond should be flocking to the shores of Lake Erie this weekend to for this very cool match and, while they are at it, a visit to the rock hall or a home game at Jacob's Field. Seriously, besides the Grand Prix can you think of any other event in Cleveland that could potentially draw tne of thousands of non-Clevelanders to the city? This is BS. I'm sick of hearing residents and officials complain about how the city needs a new convention center yet an event like this is so blatantly overlooked.

I should also note that the promoter, Champions World, seems to have lost some oppprtunities here. Have they partnered with any local soccer-oreinted organization? Are they involved with any other events surrounding this Friday's match? There was money to be made if people were excited about it.

Outside of a couple back-page blurbs in the PD and some stories on soccer web sites there has been no mention of this anywhere. Where's the mention on talk radio? What about a mailing to Browns season ticket holders? Were are the group ticket applications to youth soccer groups? Where's the cheesy PR stunt where Phil Dawson takes on the Celtic goalkeeper in a penalty shootout? Damn it, I am in the wrong profession.

Oh yeah, and with Cleveland in the bidding for a 2005 MLS soccer franchise getting poor attendance this Friday will not help that effort.

Grossi makes good point, after he veils his criticism

Good point: Grossi reports that the team is working on renegotiating with 3-4 veterans to free up some cap room. He also correctly notes that this is in lieu of the team's first choice, which is reworking C Brown's deal. Brown has a medical examination this week to determine if he can play this training camp. And you know, if it comes back negative there's going to be some big-time complaining. There's no way the team could release Brown without a bunch of other roster moves.

WTF: He also expounds on the fact that all the big national magazines pick the Browns to be below average this season. This is one of those articles that you read and, while it is factually correct, you wonder why Grossi is so concerned about it. Sports Illustrated doesn't like unknown quantities and everyone knows the Browns have unknowns at QB and LB. All the magazines complain about this. Grossi, on the other hand, should know better. He has already reported on the Browns defensive purge in January. He has reported on all the offseason moves and knows the team's plans as intimately as possible. He could write all sorts of articles at this juncture. He could get candid comments from other teams' scouts on the Browns perceived shortcomings. He could compare the Browns' released linebackers with their likely replacements. He could compare the 2003 Browns with the 2000 Rams (ok, that's just me talking). But instead Tony quotes the broad-stroke analysis of some national magazines as a way of criticizing the team without actually doing the talking. It's lame. If you are the team's lead reporter and you want to criticize the team, at least write it in first-person. This isn't one of his better articles.

Pre-camp Contract Blather

What a difference a year makes. Actually, what a difference returning a couple punts for TDs and picking up dozens of crucial first down can make for an NFL player's career. Last year we were all speculating whether Dennis Northcutt was even going to make the team... this year we are waiting to her if he can be signed to a long-term contract. There hasn't been anything written up about this by the regular Browns-beat newspapers, but talk-radio and tv chatter suggests the team is close to getting a deal done. It'd be nice. Next up for an extension? Morgan, hopefully. Two players are the team's most dangerous offensive weapons and have plenty of good years ahead.

Still complete radio silence on any contract action with Couch or C Brown. It makes sense that this would not get resolved until late in training camp. But the timing is going to be an issue since the team is likely to need the cap space to make other moves. Specifically, It would seem to hamper the team's ability to sign any veterans to an extension.

And rookies... none are signed yet. I don't see this being an issue, at least not anymore than it always is an annoyance. The only guy it really matters to is Faine, and he doesn't play a glamourous enough position and he wasn't drafted high enough to hold out. Thompson would ideally be in camp too considering he didn't play Div I college ball. Odds are everyone signs contracts next Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday morning. It's just not worth worrying about until then.

Final week of inaction

One week until training camp, the best 6 weeks of the summer. Rookies report next Tuesday and the veterans next Thursday. The big questions are as follows. These are, of course, duplicated on this site and elsewhere but here's today's slant.

• Salary restructuring for Couch or C Brown. Something has to happen with at least one of these guys.
  
• QB Battle. Who cares who wins? Odds are good they will both be needed.
  
• D-Line. It all starts here on defense despite plenty of questions elsewhere. C Brown's knees are starting to become like Z's feet.
  
• DBs. There is speed here, but no one knows where anyone will play.
  
• Linebackers. We may have to wait for the first month of the regular season before making any big judgements.
  
• Quincy Morgan.
  
• William Green.
  
• Jeff Faine.
  
• Chaun Thompson. Will he make a contribution in his rookie season?

Rush, ESPN to talk to themselves.

You probably already heard about Rush Limbaugh joining ESPN's pre-game coverage. A few years ago when he was a candidate for a Monday Night Football gig I actually thought it was a pretty good idea. Yeah he is a loud-mouth and a blowhard but that's not very different from the supposedly legendary MNF commentators of old. This time, however, he won't be there to give much meaningful insight into a game. Instead, he'll merely interupt the normal ESPN guys while they discuss the week's matchups. Snooze. I haven't watched ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown for a long time for this very reason -- if the commentators are windbags (and they are paid to be), the show's content is the equivalent of an empty Drug Mart bag blowing around the back yard.

Four-wide + Four Deep

I meant to post this yesterday.... The Browns potentially awesome offense is starting to get some publicity. This time it is Pasquarelli, but I think we will see more and more preseason forecasts that, now that writers are sitting down and actually looking at rosters, pick the Browns to do rather well offensively ("this year's Chiefs," "2000 Rams-redux," etc.).

Pasquarelli picks the Browns as having the NFL's best WR depth. This is not a surprising choice as the Browns have 4 game-breaking players. I'd say the Steelers and Raiders are the only comparable teams, but the Browns have the most speed. He also correctly notes the Browns are among the teams with the most depth at QB and RB. As you might expect, no mention is made of the Browns when discussing depth on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe next offseason that will change.

Hollings to Texans

The Texans picked up Hollings in the supplemental draft, burning a 2004 second round pick to do so. That is a steep price, though it's probably comensurate with where he would have been drafted next season anyway. The main thing here is that no AFC North team seemed to make a move for him.

Vikes Bennett Goes Down

After beating up the league last season (especially down the stretch), Michael Bennett is likely to sit out 2003 after tearing up his knee. This means two things: 1) pay attention to who will be running the ball if you are in a fantasy football draft (Moe Williams, Doug Chapman and rookie Onterrio Smith would be the guys), and 2) here is one more team who is a potential suitor for James Jackson in the event Lee Suggs is healthy and effective. Besides, the Vikings seem to have a thing for former Browns.... see Travis Prentice, Spergon Wynn.

Boca vs. Celtic at CBS!

According to the Celtic web site:

Sexy football will be the order of the day as Martin O'Neill's side have announced they will take on Maradona's old club and South American Champions Boca Juniors in the States on 25th July.

...

However, the Hoops will now take on Boca Juniors in the Cleveland Brown Stadium and all tickets sold for the game against AC Milan will be valid for the match against the South Americans, and the game will also stick to the original kick-off time.

Great news!!! Here's is more on this. Boca is Argentina's most popular club and just won the South American Libertadores Cup. They do not quite have the international profile that AC Milan has, but the quality of the team is similar and this is a much better replacement than I had expected. The city should be pretty happy to have an event like this. Hopefully the scheduling fiasco with AC Milan and suqsequent ticket-sale suspension won't hurt attendance too much.

Daniels and the Cavs

One of the veteran point guards the Cavs are reported is interested in is Antonio Daniels. I think he'd be a great signing cause he's a good players, has experience deep into the playoffs, is still hungry and wouldn't command huge money. There's one more reason too -- when I went to college at Dayton his brother, Chris Daniels, played center on a pretty good Flyer team. Chris' highlight had to be when he went toe-to-toe with Marcus Camby at then #1 UMass and came out with some pretty impressive stats. Later in the basketball season, Chris suddenly and mysteriously died in his sleep at his campus home. It was a tragedy. And it the first I had heard of Chris' younger brother was when Antonio came down from Bowling Green to mourn with many others at UD. Since then I can't help to root for the guy. Last year in Portland he was a forgotten man, but before then he played well for San Antonio and Vancouver. He'd look pretty good in a Cavs uniform.

Holling's Draft

Tomorrow's supplemental draft is somewhat interesting. No AFC North team is reportedly interested in selecting GT running back Tony Hollings, but I wonder if the Bengals might gamble a 3rd or 4th round pick since they basically have no depth behind Dillon. The Browns, meanwhile, seem unlikey to have interest in any available players tomorrow.

Confident Quincy

At least according to this article. Say a prayer for health and touchdowns when it comes to our WRs.

LeBron Looks Good

Cleveland is happy today -- LeBron looked pretty good in his first taste of NBA-level basketball. Actually he looked like he was the most talented player on the court and provided evidence that he just might be as good as hoped. His stats were not great, but pretty good. It's incredible how much positive mojo surrounds LeBron and the Cavs at the moment, especially considering how many people are waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's just one preseason game, but it all looks pretty good now.

I'm starting to wonder how much the Cavs can encroach on the Browns winter-sports dominance. I don't think too much. The NFL and NBA are not really head-to-head competitors. They may vie for the sports headlines in the Plain Dealer and Akron Beacon-Journal, but I don't think too many people consider the Browns + Cavs an either/or proposition. All those LeBron jersey will probably hurt Browns apparel sales. But I'll bet $50 that at a preseason Browns game I see someone wearing a Browns jersey with "23" and "James" on the back.

Believe in the Young LBs

This article in USA Today asserts what we should all already expect -- that the LB corp will be okay, and besides, it's not like the young guys are replacing a group of All-Pros. Last I checked the unit wasn't so great last year even if you account for some strong play by Earl Holmes down the stretch. We can do better with the young guys, and odds are good that at least one of them emerges as a real stud.

In other news.... still no news on the Celtic match at CBS. This has gotten very, very annoying. How can ChampionsWorld call itself a "promoter" when it lets a huge event linger with such uncertainty? Their website has been useless too, as it still lists AC Milan and touts the availability of tickets. Somebody get them a copy of FrontPage. Heck, I've even emailed the PD's Roger Brown looking for the scoop on this and will be anxiously awaiting his next column....

Hope everyone enjoyed the 4th. It was a wonderful weekend in Cleveland. A little hot and humid, sure, but you can't beat a home series at the Jake and the still awesome Grand Prix on the lakefront. By the way, cheers for holding the race at night too.

There are rumours that the owner of Formula 1 may purchase CART -- this is something Clevelanders should definitely root for as it would provide a much needed influx of cash and hype to the racing series, and keep the Grand Prix the big event that it is. If you follow auto racing you already know that the Cleveland race is a unique type of race that is held on one of the most prime weekends of the summer. Now with the night racing and a possible series sale, there's reason to believe the race will grow. That would be quite a reversal of fortune from a few years ago.

The Fourth Back

One of the more interesting training camp battles is sure to be at the running back position. If Lee Suggs is healthy and impresses, the team will be faced with keeping James Jackson as a backup RB and special teams player, or possibly dealing him to a team looking for running back depth. One such team may be the Bengals, where Brandon Bennett is hurting and there's a dearth of talent behind Dillon. It's way too early to suggest Jackson won't be on the 2003 roster, but it's worth keeping an eye on the Browns' options should he become expendable.

AC Milan can bite me

The very cool July 25 soccer friendly at CBS between Celtic FC and AC Milan has been thrown for a loop. AC Milan has pulled out of the event. That sucks. This is part of a string of international friendlies being played in the USA, and the only match in this part of the country (most are on the east or west coast). A large Midwest and Canadian contingent of fans were expected, and besides being a really cool thing for soccer fans, this event would bring many thousands of people to Cleveland on a beautiful summer night. In other words, a cancellation would suck for the city. Supposedly the organizers are trying to find another team to play -- Juventus and Barcelona play two days later in Boston so maybe one of those sides will be interested. For now Ticketmaster has suspended sales.

AC Milan will go ahead with 2 other friendlies in the USA which tells me that something is amiss. The promoter is denying there was slow ticket sales, which probably means the exact opposite. Perhaps Cleveland is not the best place for an Italian team to play; certainly Celtic would have been the "home" side. Given the logistical challenges of getting one of the other teams to come to the continent early, it seems likely the whole match will be cancelled. Or if there is a match it will be against a lesser side. Columbus Crew anyone?

UPDATE: No sooner do I post this do I finally see some news. And it's good!!! Don't know who the opponent will be, but it sure sounds promising that Celtic will play somebody in Cleveland on July 25. Let's hope it happens.

Northcutt

Ace Davis has already pointed out a great post on BerniesInsiders regarding the team's WRs. Go read it if you'd like a mostly meaningful statistical breakdown of each player's 2002 performance. But basically two things really stand out to me:

1. Northcutt gained a first down on an incredible 81% of his catches. I would have guessed about 60%. The guy was just amazing last season, and it's even harder to believe that many of us were speculating he might be part of the final roster cut.
   
2. Morgan was undoubtedly the team's "big play receiver." He'll be All-Pro caliber if other parts of his game develop. But at the least, it's obvious the team has a home-run threat.

Obviously I'm not a regular on those message boards so things like this get to me late. I prefer to read all the news, maybe tune into the radio every few days, and make judgements from there. Oh, and watch the games closely.

Predictions or lack there of

While the consensus is clear -- no one has a clue how the Browns will perform this year -- this blogger is willing to committ. Despite an offseason filed with unknowns, the cup is more than half full.

2003 prediction: 10-6, and a wildcard berth. They'll finish 4-2 in the AFC North, beating the Steelers twice and the Bengals and Ravens once each.

The Browns offense will be among the best in the NFL, charging out of the gate with a strong passing game and turning up the rushing attack as the season progresses -- it won't be the '99 Rams but it will evoke a few memories. 7 players will have over 20 receptions. The team will throw for 30+ TDs/3800 yards and rush for close to 2000, making the team a top 10 offense.

The defense will be porous at times, especially early, but will generate turnovers and be a good unit by midseason. There is no way Campo and Davis allow the defense to get worked week to week. I expect Warren, Lang and Roye to be a handful upfront. Gardner will play a lot vs. the run, but otherwise expect a youth movement at LB -- and their athleticism makes mroe plays than their inexperience concedes. Generating a pass rush is will be interesting -- either Lang + Word are turned loose, or a guy like Thompson will emerge. Most likely the team will play the pass straight up, letting their LBs cover a lot of ground and making quarterbacks beat them. If the defense proves adequate, the Browns are in business.

Special teams should be very good, especially if we see Northcutt 2002 instead of the 2000 version. I have a hunch Gardocki will rebound from a sub-par 2002, and Dawson has developed into a kicker who can reliably hit from 40+ yards.

There will be a couple bumps in the road. It's likely there will be a QB change at some point, though I think Couch's raw talent will show itself now that he is being pushed. Injuries will come, but the team has some solid depth now and should be able to weather its fair share. And the team may lose to the Bengals, but not more than once.

Offensive Leaders:
Passing Yards: Couch
Rushing Yards: Green
Receiving Yards: Morgan
Receptions: White

Defensive Leaders:
Tackles: Griffith
Sacks: Thompson
Interceptions: Little

Garay and WR fantasy action

6th round DT Antonio Garay is mentioned as a 2nd-day pick who's "generating excitement." Since the draft Garay hasn't generated any excitement with me personally but, hey, when news is slow it's nice to hear that someone heard something... you may remember Garay being a talented but often injured talent. It does sound like if he can be healthy he'll make a decent, perhaps above average, pro. You can never have enough defensive line depth either. You can, however, have enough INJURED defensive line depth.

Oh yeah, some guy on Sportsline has an article today stating that the Browns would be much better off starting Couch this season. No link cause the article says nothing you don't already know. So don't bother looking it up. Instead, return to your daydreaming about how Holcomb carved up the Steelers last winter.

More fantasy blather: What Browns WRs can make a significant fantasy impact? It seems to me the Browns overall talent at this position renders all WRs no better than spot-starter status. But in the right situation all top four guys could be useful.

• Kevin Johnson: the best fantasy talent on the team for the first 3 years, but the winds apparently shifted last season and KJ now falls somewhere between "possession receiver" and "consistent scorer." I think he'll catch a lot of balls this season, but he won't be on the receiving end of too many 30+ yard completions. A guess -- 750 yards, 6 TDs.
  
• Quincy Morgan: definitely the most intriguing receiver and best bet for fantasy-starter status. Morgan has all the tools and is a playmaker. He also showed considerable improvement in his second year. If there's one Browns WR who should be on this list, it is Morgan. Yet there are reaasons to temper your enthusiasm as Q can't shake a reputation for inconsistency and curious outbursts -- for instance, it was his catch/no-catch and dumb celebration that kicked off "Bottlegate" in 2001. Morgan will rightly be considered the team's most dangerous WR -- he'll probably finish with the best stats, but expect lots of attention from opposing defenses and lots of big plays to go to other players. Can he face the defensive pressure while becoming a more consistent player? He's worth a shot. and he's got a great shot at an 1100-yard year. But don't draft him earlier than the 5th round, and ideally you pick Morgan in the 6th - 9th rounds.
  
• Dennis Northcutt: all-around superstar in 2002, he picked up 600 yards and 5 receiving TDs. He's likely to pick up a TD or two returning punts as well. As awesome as he was last season, I wonder if he can stay healthy and if he can get enough touches to be a fantasy difference maker. Unless something changes he's no better than a spot-starter when injuries or matchups dictate. But as we saw last season, if things go well they could go very well.
  
• Andre Davis: A viable sleeper who could be a difference maker. Davis is big and fast, and showed a knack for the endzone early last season. He also picked up a kickoff return TD. He and Morgan will vie for the title of most dangerous deep threat. It may take an injury to someone else to open up some playing time, but if Davis progresses from his rookie year he could really excel. Pick him as a sleeper in the 8th-12th round and see how much he sees the ball.