MiddletownJournal.com

DB Daniels acquired from Dolphins

By Sean McClelland | Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 05:54 PM

If the first two exhibition games demonstrated anything, it’s what the team already knew:

Its secondary — starters included maybe? — is a little (a lot?) short of playoff-quality.

So here comes Travis Daniels, obtained Wednesday from the Miami Dophins for an undisclosed draft pick.

Waived as a result was rookie Mil’Von James and his annoying mid-name apostrophe.

Daniels, 6-1 and 195 pounds, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2005 out of LSU. The three-year veteran has played in 44 career games with Miami, starting 25, with three interceptions.

He played a lot when the Dolphins were one of the worst teams in the NFL. Presumably they are a little bit better this year, and now they don’t want him? I’m suspicious.

But he can play both cornerback and safety, so that versatility might come in handy at some point. And he does have some experience.

Last season with the downtrodden Dolphins he started five of the 16 games in which he appeared and snagged one pick.

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Clearly not ready for the spotlight just yet

By Sean McClelland | Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 12:01 PM

How much hitting in training camp is too much or too little?

Browns head coach Romeo Crennel thought he had struck the proper balance.

Now he’s not so sure?

To me, that was the most disappointing aspect of Monday’s 37-34 preseason loss to the New York Giants on ESPN — hearing Crennel second guess himself in his postgame press conference for having gone so lightly on the team during camp.

“Unbelievable,” Crennel said. “Evidently we didn’t do enough work. I told the team it’s my fault for trying to save them in practice by not hitting.”

NFL training camps used to be all about the hitting. Pads popped and people applauded. Eventually, most coaches (Dick Vermeil a notable exception) realized such an approach has a wearing effect later in the season and they scaled back.

Troubling that Crennel, entering his fourth season on the job, still hasn’t figured how to walk that fine line between getting guys ready to play and still keeping them fresh.

And you didn’t need to be a coach Monday to see the Browns were not ready to play, not ready for prime time, not ready to be taken seriously as a supposed playoff contender as they fell behind 30-3 early in the second quarter.

For what it’s worth, I’ve never thought the Browns did enough hitting in training camp under Crennel. Maybe they did too much under previous coach Butch Davis, but it seems the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Say what you will about Davis, but his teams would hit you in the mouth — sometimes after the whistle maybe, but in the mouth.

Believe me, I’m not trying to suggest Davis had it all figured out either, but a team’s attitude and disposition are honed in training camp. Maybe a full-contact scrimmage with another team (Davis favored these) would have helped.

Sure, it’s only preseason, but when you’re a team that’s being hyped nationally to the point of annoyance, a game like this hurts.

Not to mention the injuries. Let’s see. Starting quarterback Derek Anderson forced out with a concussion and bruised hand. Safety Brodney Pool with a concussion. Pro Bowl kick returner Joshua Cribbs with an ankle. Linebacker Leon Williams also sidelined.

Backups, including quarterback Brady Quinn and heretofore unknown receiver/returner Syndric Steptoe (great name), helped make a game of it, but generally the Browns could not have laid a larger egg in their first of many national TV appearances this season — or looked worse, by the way, in those solid-brown pants.

And to hear Crennel say he dropped the ball by running an easy training camp? That just tied a big ribbon on an ugly package.

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Another hit to the draft class

By Sean McClelland | Wednesday, August 13, 2008, 07:34 PM

Who will be the last draft pick standing?

You wonder, because they’re dropping like flies.

Thursday, rookie tight end Martin Rucker becomes the latest to see the inside of an operating room, scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery that will keep him out from four to six weeks, the Browns said.

Linebacker Beau Bell, the team’s other fourth-round draft choice, is coming off a similar procedure and might not play at all this season under the worst-case scenario.

It’s been suggested that 2008 will be a redshirt season for Rucker and Bell. That means both could wind up on injured reserve.

Rucker twisted his knee Monday in practice, three days after turning heads by catching several passes against the Jets in his professional debut.

Costly loss in that the Browns traded their third-round pick in next year’s draft to Dallas to get Rucker in the fourth round.

The Browns traded their top three draft picks to acquire QB Brady Quinn and defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.

In terms of actual 2008 draft choices still on the practice field, the Rucker injury leaves three — sixth-rounders WR Paul Hubbard and DT Ahtyba Rubin and seventh-rounder LB Alex Hall, who might end up helping the most, at least this season.

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Ex-Buckeye signed for secondary

By Sean McClelland | Monday, August 11, 2008, 11:58 AM

If either of the defensive backs acquired over the weekend makes an impact this season, I’d bet on Brandon Mitchell, the former Ohio State player.

Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker coached him at OSU and Mitchell credits him for knowing how to get the best out of him. Now, whether that “best” is good enough to help in some way, we’ll see.

No question about it, the Browns are scrambling for backup help, even more now that they had to release Gary Baxter.

Understandably alarmed (panicked?) over how poorly some of their non-starters played in Thursday’s 24-20 preseason-opening loss to the New York Jets, the Browns waived Steve Cargile on Sunday while signing Mitchell and Travis Key, who played at Michigan State.

This is Mitchell’s second year in the league. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder went undrafted in 2007 and spent last season on the Houston Texans’ practice squad. This after playing in 45 games at safety for the Buckeyes.

As an OSU senior, Mitchell ranked fourth on the team with 51 tackles and had two interceptions.

Key (5-10, 185) was a former walk-on at Michigan State and played in 40 career games with 113 tackles. He started at strong safety for the Spartans as a senior and picked off a couple of passes.

You’d like to think these are the last two additions to the defensive backfield the team will have to make. But I wouldn’t bet the SUV on it.

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End of the line for Baxter?

By Sean McClelland | Saturday, August 9, 2008, 04:08 PM

No great surprise here. Just kind of sad. Defensive back Gary Baxter is no longer a Brown.

The team terminated his contract today and, no, it seems Baxter won’t be the first to return from dual patellar tendon tears.

He had been in camp, then had surgery to remove cartilage in one of his knee on Aug. 5, bringing his surgery total to at least four since the initial injuries in 2006 caused him to miss all of last season.

GM Phil Savage explained the move this way:

“Last year we were able to hold a roster spot open for Gary as he attempted to make a monumental comeback. After he underwent a knee scope last week, we are unfortunately not in a position to hold a roster spot this year.

“We are releasing Gary today in hopes he will be able to continue his rehab and get back into the NFL, either with another team, or possibly with the Browns. Gary has made tremendous strides thus far and we believe he can play professional football again in the future.”

Baxter’s original injuries occurred Oct. 22, 2006, on a routine play attempting to break up a pass in the second quarter against Denver. He spent all last season in rehab mode, hopeful of resuming his career at some point.

Regrettably, it’s probably not going to happen for him. Good guy. Wish him well.

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Not bad, for openers

By Sean McClelland | Saturday, August 9, 2008, 03:15 AM

Observations from Thursday night’s preseason opener, a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets in Cleveland Browns Stadium:

THE GOOD

1. The quarterbacks. I’m convinced the Browns are covered in the event anything happens to Derek Anderson. Brady Quinn is athletic enough to avoid the rush, smart enough to make quick decisions and accurate enough to keep the chains moving.

2. The young receivers. There’s a lot to like here, including guys such as Steve Sanders, who spent all last season on the practice squad. Just one needs to emerge. That’s all. Just one. Could be Travis Wilson. Maybe he’s not a complete bust after all. He looked to be really getting after it.

3. Braylon Edwards. Hate this cliche, but he seems intent on taking his game to another level. With Donte Stallworth and Kellen Winslow drawing coverage away from him, Edwards could exceed last year’s production.

THE BAD

1. Play of the DBs. The starters — Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald at the corners, Brodney Pool and Sean Jones at the safeties — should be better than fine. Maybe a Pro Bowler will even emerge from this group. But those long TD passes against the backups are cause for concern. A guy named Clowney made them look like bozos. Is it time to give Ty Law what he wants?

2. Ken Dorsey. Lucky this third-string QB is the brains of the operation or he’d be looking for work after a dismal showing that saw him complete 8 of 26 passes with two interceptions.

3. That blown lead. Browns led 20-10 two minutes into the fourth quarter. Anything can happen with second- and third-stringers on the field, so it’s not that big of a deal. Still, you want to believe your depth is better than the other team’s and that certainly wasn’t the case.

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At the movies with Gene Washington

By Sean McClelland | Thursday, August 7, 2008, 04:29 PM

Before grabbing that first cold beverage and sitting down to watch tonight’s exhibition opener between the New York Jets (with Brett Favre on the sideline) and Cleveland Browns at 7:30, it might be helpful to take a look at this instructive video supplied by the NFL.

Highlighted, among other rules changes and points of emphasis, is the death of the force-out rule. A receiver now must get both feet down regardless of whether or not an official thinks he would have done so without contact.

The only exception — and it’s a tad confusing — is if the receiver is carried out of bounds by the defender. Can’t wait to see the first argument over that one.

The Browns, of course, would have made the playoffs last season if not for a force-out play against the Arizona Cardinals involving Kellen Winslow in the end zone that went against them.

Now at least most of the gray area of that rule has been eliminated.

Anyway, your host for this movie is Gene Washington, who really doesn’t have much else to do in the commissioner’s office except look good in a suit and dole out punishment once in a while.

That would be Gene Washington the former 49er receiver, by the way, not to be confused with the former Vikings receiver of the same name who made a habit of terrorizing the Browns years ago.

Happy viewing.

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