It's Boulware Week in Cleveland

Tomorrow is June 1st, which means some more veterans will get cut and the last of the worthy free agents in the 2005 offseason will hit the market. This should help resolve Boulware's situation as well. The only reason for Boulware not to sign in the next week or so is if people aren't convinced he'll be healthy enough to go for camp. Assuming he is, I hope the Browns can snag him.

Who else will get cut? Beats me. But we may see the Browns pursue some depth on the o-line and maybe more depth at defensive end. We need a pass-rusher in the worst way, though beyond Boulware I don't see anyone. Maybe Calvin Pace from AZ, but the dude has sucked and I have no idea if he would fit in a 3-4.

Well said.

SI.com - Writers - Monday Morning QB (cont.) - Monday May 30, 2005 10:52AM: "I think it is preposterous that Kellen Winslow gets away with making a statement (yeah, right, I'm sure those were his words) and doesn't have to face the music in the media after his motorcycle injury. This kid is too sheltered for my liking. He's a jillion-dollar player in a very public sport, and he should be made to stand in front of the press and explain what he did and why he did it. 'In hindsight,'' the statement said, 'it was unwise to attempt to learn to ride a motorcycle without a professional instructor in a controlled environment.'' I mean, who possibly believes those words, or even those thoughts, came out of Winslow? Ludicrous."

Like I said, the best thing to do is to pretend like Winslow just does not exist, at least for the next 10 months. When somethng happens with Winslow I'll talk about it, but until then I am done with it. The guy's behavior after this motorcycle accident has now surpassed the stupidity of the accident itself. And that's all I need to know for the time being.

Verba

The Cleveland Plain Dealer said Verba wants a contract worth $38.5 million over five years. The newspaper quoted the left tackle as saying, ?I played last year for nothing, and I just want to be treated fairly. If not, I?m not coming into camp, and I won?t play the season. I don't want to cause problems, but I had a handshake deal with the Browns, and I upheld my part. I want them to do the same.??
Verba came off the 2004 season indicating he did the Davis regime a favor by restructuring his contract, with the understanding he would be ?taken care of?? after a strong year."

You know, I'd be inclined to agree with the idiot, a$$hole Verba if he wasn't expecting to get a 4 or 5 year contract. I mean, this was a guy the Browns went out on a limb to sign for a few years, then the dude rips a biceps (which, to be clear, was the guy making his money) and follows it up by saying he wasn't sure if he ever wanted to play again. Now he has a good year and expects his old deal to be torn up and replaced by one it is not clear he deserves.

Verba sites promises made by the Butch regime. OK. Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but Butch isn't here anymore. If you want your huge 5-year deal then go talk to him. Otherwise, shut the f#ck up. Or go to the FO and explain the situation, maybe even provide a little second-hand evidence, and ask for a one-year extension with a handsome raise. But don't insult me by saying you played last year for nothing. Seriously, go screw yourself. You played last year (and the years before that) and made as much money as I am liable to make in my entire life. I made 26K the year after I left college. What did you pocket Ross, 1 million+? Get your head out of your ass.

Verba, you have proven you are a good football player. We all like you as a left/right tackle/guard. We love your bad ass attitude when it's targeted at the Browns' opponents. But you've also established you are a grade A dickwad. We've heard about you and your crowd, and we've all met dudes like you. Ask for your next contract. Do what you have to do. But if you are publicly unreasonable you should not expect the public to be reasonable in return.

Speaking for this fan, I'd rather see Greg Randall starting at left tackle than an over-overpaid jock strap who demands he be overpaid some more. You deserve millions of dollars -- which, if I am not mistaken, you are already being paid. And we fans deserve to not hear your whining and crying.

FYI -- If I ever get the pleasure of meeting your face to face, I will be happy to express the same sentiment. You need to hear it.

Romeo Speaks

Crennel has some interesting things to say: 1) The Browns are interested in Law. I think that'd be great. More than anything else, I think the Browns interest in Boulware and Law is indicative of their realization that they really need a few more players to emerge on defense. I'd rank a guy like Boulware more of a priority than Law, but both would be great if their health allows them to play. 2) Droughns has had a good attitude in camp. Good. I still think it would be reasonable for the Browns to pay him a little more than his current contract allows, more as a gesture of goodwill than anything else. 3) Lang "doesn't look like a fish out of water" playing linebacker. Good. I have a lot of faith in Crennel to get a guy like Lang in a position to be effective, but I do wonder if this is codeword for "holy crap we need a real pass-rushing linebacker." 4) Faine has gained weight. It's good that Crennel is keeping his eye on a guy like this in whom the team's fortunes will rise or fall with. Lets face it, the Browns need Faine to be a solid guy on the line and he's got to stay healthy. I'd like to believe he can someday live up to his high-draft status.

Side Notes

1. There is no way the Dolphins successfully convince everyone that Ricky Williams is returning just so they can trade him. In fact, I'd argue the dude has virtually no trade value, not even for a 6th round pick. First off, he's just as likely to be a liability as an asset. Secondly, the guy hasn't exactly been staying in football shape (quite the opposite, reportedly). And thirdly, and most importantly, there are a lot of other, much more attractive backs on the trading block like Edgerin James (who, don't forget, was drafted ahead of Williams, correctly) and Travis Henry. The whole thing is just embarassing for Nick Saban, who looks a lot like Butch Davis from this far away.

2. What is the over/under on how many days it will be until Kellen Winslow's house goes up for sale? I'm thinking about 25, just long enough for the second opinion to have been garnered and the Browns to rattle their saber a little bit.

3. Maybe it is just me, but it certainly sounds like the Browns are very interested in Boulware, at least in a "not wanting to sound too eager" sort of way.

4. Gary Baxter will not have a Hanford Dixon-like career in radio when his playing days are done.

5. A year or so ago I would have agreed with Man U's fans that Malcolm Glazer buying the Red Devils was horrible. But that was before I learned more and more about the sad state of professional soccer ownership in Great Britian. Really, it's a mess. The best team this year is the best because they were bought by a Russian billionaire. And the rest of the team's are owned by either overmatched men who don't have enough clout to compete or consortiums that lose by concensus. ManU is already a huge corporate brnad name whether its fans realize it or not. Glazer's purchase merely reflects that.

6. Next up: how will the NFL react to the English Premiership's cozy relationship with bookmakers? A couple years ago I was able to see a Chelsea match in person and could go buy a beer and place a wager right on the concourse before kick-off. I thought it was great. I bet the NFL will make a bunch of noise about how they are investigating Glazer's relationship, blah blah blah. Glazer will come out fine cause he has the dough, and the NFL doesn't care about gambling as much as they care about making everyone think they care.

7. Who will get kicked to the curb first during the 2005 season -- Joey Harrington or David Carr? I find this race too close to call. Or maybe Kyle Boller beats them both (though I actually think Boller is the best of the three)?

8. Jhonny Peralta is solid. He seems like he could develop into a very nice hitter.

9. Grady Sizemore is the future of the Indians. He is the only guy on the current roster I'd say is a sure thing, unless you maybe want to count Sabathia, who's already a solid major-leauger.

10. What is up with Victor Martinez? His approach at the plate is nothing like 2004. And he looks skinnier. If there was one guy I'd have to bet the beat writers are suspicious of, I'd say it may be him....

11. I like Travis Hafner. But he might be more Paul Sorrento than anyone will want to admit. I hope not though. When he is patient at the plate, as he was for periods of 2004, he is a force. I hope he gets it going.

Boulware still on the radar

Good. Of all the possible guys who could still be acquired, Boulware would probably make the most impact. And if we don't get him, at least run of his price in the event the Bengals sign him.

Pile On

In addition to the millions of dollars the Browns will surely recoup from Mr. Winslow, Westlake will take another $150 just for the hell of it. Which, is, I guess, the same reason Winslow was riding that gay motorcycle in the first place.

Unofficial Official Word is in

Is there really anything to say about Winslow being gone for the '05 season? Not really, cause it should not be a surprise for anyone. And the Winslow camp's PR moves remain horrendous; he's not going to be winning me over any time soon.

For now, it's best to forget about Mr. Winslow, forget he was ever drafted by the Browns, forget about him ever coming back, and just move on.

Droughns back, saying little on contract

Droughns is in Berea and, for now, not holding out for a new deal. Like I've said before, I don't necessarily disagree with his attempt to get more money. That's the way the NFL works -- if you drastically outproduce your current deal, it's usually in everyone's best interest to re-do and extend it. But Droughns situation is a little different since he'll be on a new team with a whole new offense. But holding out is not the way to do it. Being a team player while making your feelings well-known is.

I think the Browns eventually do up his deal slightly, but not a huge amount. The Browns knew they'd have to do something before ever making the trade. And Droughns is not in a good enough bargaining position to turn down a modest increase.

Indians Future

Say what you want about CC, Hafner, and Martinez, but I think Peralta, Broussard and Sizemore are the future.This will be a fun summer, even if the wins don't add up like we'd hope.

Winslow may write Boulware a large check

Winslow cap relief?: "If a player is required to return signing bonus money, the team receives salary cap relief after the money is returned.
'We will know more in seven to 10 days, after the next medical assessment (of Winslow) is made,' General Manager Phil Savage said."

Sounds like Savage is waiting to see how bad the knee is. I was a little dissappointed the team didn't take a tougher stance at the "new conference" the other day. But supporting Winslow for the time being is probably the right move. As long as the team has no qualms about asking for bonus money back if and when the time comes, that's cool. In fact, if the Browns never give Winslow a public rebuke, that is fine with me. The money is what matters, and is the only thing likely to affect players' behavior.

The other big news (and the subject of the article above) is the Browns interest in Boulware. The more I read about the guy the more I'd like to see him suit up for the Browns in 2005. And it would be ironic if an injury to last year's first-round pick wound up bolstering the defense with another former first-round pick. The Browns could actually come out of this thing pretty well if things came together like that.

Boulware

This would be a fine move. I'd like to see the Browns get a veteran linebacker, and if they can get a guy who is as good a pass-rusher as Boulware that is all the better. Somehow, however, I doubt the Browns will be as eager to pay him as much as, say, the Bengals, who are under much more pressure to win this year. So, if we don't get Boulware at a good price, let's at least hope the Bengals severely overpay for him.

Flats development -- sounds positive

I am not a fan of publicly financed sports stadiums like the Cleveland Browns Stadium, at least when the public pays the majority of the costs only to essentially give the facility to a private business. That doesn't mean I oppose any public financing -- it's just that what is publicly financed ought to be, you know, public things.

That's what I like about
this plan to redevelop the East Bank of the Flats. It looks like public money will be spent "fixing, and possibly reconfiguring, streets and sidewalks, improving sewer systems and building a new, publicly owned riverfront boardwalk." These are all good things. Sure, they are going to enable Scott Wolstein to make a lot of money -- and that is a great thing. Afterall, if guys like Wolstein can't make money developing downtown, then the only thing getting developed downtown will be projects that are almost entirely tax-payer funded and, most likely, not going to be self-sufficient.

People younger than their mid-twenties probably don't remember this, but the East Bank of the Flats was the best thing about Cleveland for about 15 years. The place was great on night summer nights -- jammed with people, bars and restraunts all packed, boats docked up five-deep, and the various bridges lit up like Christmas trees. The fact that it all disintegrated is an indictment of the city leadership at the time (though I really don't know enough details to even guess who's to blame). But the life in the Warehouse District and the abundance of housing now being constructed make the East Bank a hugely attractive area. So in short, the area has the best location in the city, there continues to be more and more downtown residents, the area already has ample public transportation, and there's plenty of space for new development. Projects like this are what will invigorate downtown and the city.

Stating the Obvious

"It is hard to believe the Indians and even the Cavaliers wouldn't have tried to gain control of this story with a news conference by now."

Damn right. Though I think an Indians news conference would probably help the player, and the Cavs' would probably make the situation worse than it already was. Anyway, the point is valid -- The Browns ought to say something. And Winslow absolutely should step up to the plate and take some accountability with fans. Otherwise he'll be better off gone.

Besiders, Winslow's statement about "respecting (Winslow's) privacy" is total BS and no one should buy it. Afterall, I don't think any of Winslow's neighbors felt like he was respecting their privacy by roaring past their homes in his now demolished Suzuki.

Chad Brown

Can someone tell me why the Browns didn't try and sign LB Chad Brown? He signed with the Patriots, 2 yrs/4mil. That is not that much bread for a guy who can still play and would have been a very good fit. Too bad.

John Collins: Props

Just a thought -- remember last offseason when people were lamenting that John Collins was somehow going to get schooled by the Postons on the Winslow contract? Now consider that Winslow's deal was the first Browns contract to specifically forbid riding a motorcyclen (where it's mentioned a whopping 9 times). And consider that a large portion of the deal's value was not guaranteed until Winslow got on the field for an extended period of time. I don't know how much credit Collins deserves here (maybe Trip MacCracken insisted on this). But whatever the case, Collins has protected the team well. Give him credit for that.

Are Any Options Good?

Bud Shaw sums it up pretty well:

• Cleveland has bad luck when it comes to pro sports
  
• There aren't a lot of possible happy endings from this Winslow situation
  
• The team will have to release Winslow to get back his signing bonus; I'd probably favor this option even though it totally sucks.
  
• If the team keeps Winslow that means he keeps his money. Frankly, this is just too wrong for me to endorse. And I believe it is fraught with more risk than the above option.
  

But Shaw is guilty of strikingly low standards here -- sure, we might not EXPECT Winslow to do the right thing and return a huge chunk of money, but that is the standard as a man to which he should be judged. But realistically, the Browns have more to lose -- part of the team's future is tied up here, and they are in a business where the perception of fans impacts them in tangible ways.

Given all that, I'll say what Bud Shaw ought to use his platform to say: The right thing for Winslow to do is to return (or donate) a portion (but not all) of his signing bonus, apologize to the Browns and fans for his poor decision, and promise to reward the Brown's belief in him by rehabbing and being the best player he can be. The dude really could use this opportunity to win over fans, to gain a huge chunk of respect, and salvage his career with the Browns and still get paid a heck of a lot more than he would if he got released and signed as a free agent who is damaged goods.

I keep reading and hearing the sentiment that "at least Winslow wasn't killed in the accident." I don't disagree, but frankly it is not the first thing that pops into my mind. Maybe it is the first thing that pops into Kellen's head, or his father's or maybe the Postons', but to me the first thing I wonder is how someone can be so, so stupid. And the second is I try and think of a more applicable word than "stupid."

"I think Winslow is a complete punk ass." Hehe. Sometimes the gut-feeling is the only one that matters. But I still thought he'd be, you know, someone who PLAYED FOOTBALL. Now, I seriously wonder if he'll ever play for the Browns again. Why should he? What are the odds he'll come back strong even in 2006? A broken leg, then a torn ACL will do bad things to a guy. Will he ever be as fast/strong/quick/agile again? No way. When you consider the ahteltic and character issues surrounding this jerk, it should be a no-brainer that the team release him as soon as the opportunity arises. I don't care if he later goes on to be a Pro-Bowler, he doesn't deserve to be on my team and I'm not all that thrilled about him living around me either.

I've read in a few places that it is unlikely the Browns would try and recoup money from Winslow since it would mean the team is not "player friendly." That is crap. All it would mean is that the team expects players to abide by a mutually agreed upon contract. That's called being fair, and in pro sports that is getting treated pretty well.

Finally, I did enjoy hearing one of the Poston's on tv yesterday trying to explain how it is actually a GOOD thing that Winslow is still in the hospital because it means he's getting the best treatment. Ughhhhh yeah.... and it means the Poston's are crapping their pants.

Torn ACL, Lost Cash

Winslow reportedly tore his ACL in his motorcycle accident. Idiot. Info will be definitive once the swelling goes down.

And his contract specifically states he can't ride a motorcycle. Idiot.

Convention Center -- Smaller is Better

A new study reports that a smaller convention center would be more profitable than a larger one. Maybe this fact was not self-evident to everyone involved, but now all parties should agree on this fact. It's time for city and county leaders to temper their expectations and, to some extent, stop treating a new convention center as some kind of cure-all for the metropolitan area. Treat for what it is -- an important civic project that has as many potential advantages as well as serious possible pitfalls for the city. It's not a project that is going to be a homerun for the city, and it's more important (to use Phil Savage's mataphor) to hit a single or a double on this project and make sure that the convention center actually becomes an asset to the city instead of a liability.

With all that in mind, this blog is coming close to officially endorsing the Tower City location over the Mall C one (or whatever it is called).

Browns' Winslow Has Questionable Intelligence

The word is out that Winslow was hurt in a motorcycle accident. Is it just me, or do you also get a "we're never gonna get anything out of this guy" feeling when it comes to Mr. Winslow? Why is he riding a motorcycle when can't practice? Why is he wearing a helmet but not strapping it on?

Of course, on the positive side Winslow's broken leg must be healing quite well for him to be out doing tricks on his motorcycle.

On the other hand, maybe he has a contract stipulation about not riding motorcycles and is intent on not getting paid anything from the Browns.