DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum No One Gets Star Treatment From Crennel (And Other Tidbits)

No one gets star treatment from Crennel
Jeff Schudel, JSchudel@News-Herald.com
05/18/2008

Corey Williams was the left end, Shaun Smith the nose tackle and Robaire Smith the right end with the Browns' first-team defense Wednesday during the spring practice session open to reporters. Some in the media thought it was noteworthy Shaun Rogers was not with the first team. After watching Romeo Crennel coach for three seasons and preparing for a fourth, it would have been a bigger surprise if Rogers was with the first team and Shaun Smith was on the sideline.

Crennel has always made players earn their starting positions. Star status in college or with another team doesn't mean anything to him once the player enters the Browns' training complex in Berea. It cannot be said enough - it is why players respect Crennel so much.

Shaun Smith was the starting nose tackle in the final game last year, so for now he is the starter in OTAs.
Williams is as new with the Browns, as is Rogers, but he was with the first team because the guy who would have been in front of him, Orpheus Roye, was released over the winter.

Rogers is determined to shed the image he had in Detroit of being fat and lazy. The Browns gambled a change of scenery will make him a different player. They gave the Lions a third-round draft pick and cornerback Leigh Bodden in the deal made Feb. 29. They also gave Rogers three added years on his contract for a total package of six years and $42 million. Crennel said the trade could not have been made if the Browns hadn't given Rogers the extension.

It would be inaccurate to say one could count Rogers' ribs when he removes his shirt, but so far he has kept his weight in the 350-pound range. He is leaving a losing environment with the Lions and is eager to get going with his new team. "We have a bunch of good guys fighting for a common goal," Rogers said. "There's a lot of camaraderie here. That's been the biggest thing I've noticed.

"I'm just trying to keep myself in the best shape possible and doing what it takes to make sure I'm healthy."

A word of warning: Rogers might not match the seven sacks he recorded with the Lions last year. The same goes for Williams, who played in a 4-3 defense with the Packers. Williams and Rogers will be asked to tie up the offensive linemen in front of them so Kamerion Wimbley will be able to rush the quarterback. There will be times when Rogers and Williams rush (Williams also had seven sacks), but it is unrealistic to expect each to duplicate those numbers while Wimbley and the other outside linebacker increase their sack totals.

"This scheme is very unselfish," Rogers said when asked if he could have a career year. "When you're talking about a career year, you're looking more toward stats. Our goal is to have a winning defense, a top-10 defense. I want to play my part in that. It's not a get off and get 'em defense like I'm used to playing. It's more about being patient and unselfish. I'm making my adjustments to that."

Wide receiver Braylon Edwards knows Rogers better than most of the Browns because Detroit is Edwards' hometown. He said he was a sophomore at Michigan when he first met Rogers. "When he's on the field, he's a warrior," Edwards said. "It will be the same type of situation as when we got Jamal (Lewis) last year. Jamal had a lot to prove and came out and had 11 TDs. I'm looking for the same thing out of Shaun."
Lewis rushed for 1,304 yards - the highest total by a Browns running back since Jim Brown rushed for 1,544 yards in 1965. Lewis signed with the Browns in March of last year after seven years with the Ravens.

Right place, wrong time

Rookie Rashard Mendenhall, the first running back taken by the Steelers in the first round in 19 years, was robbed at gunpoint recently while walking with his girlfriend along Chicago's lakefront. The problem was he was walking at 2 a.m. No one was injured. Mendenhall was robbed of his wallet and his Rose Bowl watch he earned in January while playing for the University of Illinois.

"It's cool," Mendenhall told reporters. "It wasn't too bad. I'm safe. I was just hoping he wouldn't pull the trigger. I was just trying to cooperate so he wouldn't (pull the trigger). I figure I'll be conscious and wary of situations."

Of more lingering concern for the Steelers could be the fact Mendenhall missed the final two days of minicamp with a hamstring injury. It isn't a good sign when a player is injured practicing in shorts and a T-shirt.

Team in disarray

The Bengals have so many issues that have nothing to do with figuring how to stop opponents that comments from Coach Marvin Lewis are almost laughable. Tackle Levi Jones wants to be traded, wide receiver Chad Johnson wants to be traded and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh is working out on his own rather than with the team.

Since rookies could not join any team's spring practice until this past Friday, it means quarterback Carson Palmer was throwing to guys he won't be throwing to in the fall. "This is all voluntary, which is good," Lewis said. "We're excited about the guys, as usual, who have been here, which has been common to our football team."

Palmer wasn't so nice. Since Chris Henry was booted off the team for being arrested multiple times (and suspended eight games last year), Palmer is practicing without his top three targets from the 2005 playoff season. "We're definitely missing valuable time," Palmer said. "We'll get to work whenever they get here. ... The guys who are here are getting valuable experience."

Group hug

Players in the NFL are separated in the locker room by position.

The offense dresses on one side, and the defense dresses on the other. They usually meet separately and pal around separately. There have been instances in the Browns' locker room where a couple offensive players didn't even know how to pronounce the name of a defensive teammate.

Ravens rookie head coach John Harbaugh is trying to change things in Baltimore by mixing offensive and defensive players together like a locker-room stew. "In the past, the perception around here was the offense and defense was separated," cornerback Samari Rolle said. "Offensive and defensive guys get along great. But perception becomes reality. He's trying to change the culture, and you can't go against it."

Harbaugh also got his team's attention by making the Ravens practice in pouring rain in their first practice of mandatory minicamp.

Ticket takers

The Cowboys are moving into their new $1.1 billion stadium in 2009, and fans will have to pay - a lot.
The most expensive seats cost $345 a game. That comes after a one-time seat license fee of $150,000.
Team owner Jerry Jones is making 8,000 seats available at $59 a game, a modest increase of only $9 a seat over what fans are currently paying in Texas Stadium. Also, those seats do not require a PSL.
Fans will have to buy season tickets or none at all. Single-game tickets will not be available.

Link

Yeah, those prices are just crazy.... The game is leaving the average fan behind.. Sad really..

I forgot to mention, this thing about RAC treating nobody like a star,, sounds like a good way to go. The egos are big enough for most guys, maybe a good ole boy coach that makes them prove and earn it everyday is just the ticket..

Just another in a long list of reasons why RAC is the right man for the job today. JMO however.

Middle class not allowed at Cowboys games, That's why they have expensive PSLs.
Were not good enough.

$150,000 and down, What's the cheapest a leg?

I was just thinking, with Williams and Rogers used to getting to the QB, it might be easy for teams to use a screen pass against us. When those boys see an oppurtunity to get the QB after taking on 2 blockers all day, they might be too eager to take it rather then read the play.

"It would be inaccurate to say one could count Rogers' ribs when he removes his shirt"

Is that somewhat like my One Pack I've been developing with all my Core work...lol

What I do like is that Rogers has no problem recognizing the fact that this D is a team D centered on Discipline. He ain't no dummy, he'll be in that starting line-up soon enough

As for the Sacks in the 3-4...if we bring it on passing downs with 5...mixing it up. I don't see why NOT, regarding 14 or more Sacks by the DL...let them pin their ears back on passing downs!

JMHO

One pack.

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What I do like is that Rogers has no problem recognizing the fact that this D is a team D centered on Discipline. He ain't no dummy, he'll be in that starting line-up soon enough

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This goes right to legalizedwd's concern about discipline and that is key with these new guys coming out of the 4-3, staying in their lanes and not over-pursuing when they've been released off their blocks. They'll need to be able to differentiate the difference between getting penetration and being released to draw them in. It's fortunate they're not rookies in that sense and understand about discipline.

I think by reading the first paragraph, Mr Rogers is going to be all over on the DL. RE LE or NT he will be expected to do it all!

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"This scheme is very unselfish," Rogers said when asked if he could have a career year. "When you're talking about a career year, you're looking more toward stats. Our goal is to have a winning defense, a top-10 defense. I want to play my part in that. It's not a get off and get 'em defense like I'm used to playing. It's more about being patient and unselfish. I'm making my adjustments to that."




This is very good to hear. Time will tell, but at least for now, he's saying all the right things. And I like how he admits that it will be an adjustment for him. That tells me he is being honest and really wants to do his part and not let anybody down.

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I was impressed by what Rogers said too. He has the talent. Hopefully, he will actually dedicate himself to getting in shape and playing hard. At least for this year.