DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Daven Holly Suffers Knee Injury

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the weird part is that I don't know of any stipulation in the CBA regarding actual cash expenditures.... does this mean that we've simply blown Randy's budget for signings for the year?

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Well... who drafted CB's high, who has CB's that might have a veteran on the bubble or who has a veteran CB whose salary might be too much for them to carry?



And, if you can't or don't know any of that, how can you just say "I still think we can wait to get a vet who's cut.."? That doesn't seem like a very bright move to me.

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I've liked plenty of what I've seen of Holly even though he gets a lot of flack, he's around the ball a lot and makes some really nice plays. But as much as it sucks for Holly, it may not be to actually hurt the team that much overall to lose him in the sense that there's heavy competition for the 3rd spot and no guarantee he would have locked it up. All the same, I hope he makes a full recovery and gets back on the field quickly.

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the weird part is that I don't know of any stipulation in the CBA regarding actual cash expenditures.... does this mean that we've simply blown Randy's budget for signings for the year?

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We still will need up front money to sign our draft picks so I can see Phil’s dilemma here.

Just a thought, but if we were to trade for Sheppard…..he is already under contract so would we still
Need up front money??? Wouldn’t that be absorbed under the Cap? Or would we have to pay him a portion of his bonus money remaining?

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We still will need up front money to sign our draft picks so I can see Phil’s dilemma here.

Just a thought, but if we were to trade for Sheppard…..he is already under contract so would we still
Need up front money??? Wouldn’t that be absorbed under the Cap? Or would we have to pay him a portion of his bonus money remaining?

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No, we wouldn't be responsible for anything but his salary and any future bonuses (performance incentives or roster bonuses) unless we gave him a new contract... which he is looking for. The Eagles are completely, 100%, responsible for his current bonus money.

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Tough break for the Browns and an even tougher break for Holly.

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The reports I have read are the team is high on AJ Davis. If the reports from guys who know corners....like Mel T...are true, I don't see any reason why he can't fill a nickel role.

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Injury could open door for Davis
Zac Jackson, Staff Writer
05.21.2008
In 2006, injuries to cornerbacks Gary Baxter and Daylon McCutcheon opened the door for a little-known young player who had been an under the radar addition to the Browns' roster.

That player, Daven Holly, has given the Browns two productive seasons while playing a variety of roles.

And now that Holly is down for an indefinite amount of time after suffering a knee injury during Tuesday's practice, the Browns find themselves in a spot similar to the one that led to Holly establishing himself in 2006.

Enter A.J. Davis? That's what Davis is working on, anyway.

A fourth-round pick of the Lions in 2007, Davis was let go after the preseason and spent the final 15 weeks of last season on the Browns' practice squad. He figured to at least find himself in the mix for a job on the 53-man roster this season, and what's transpired over the last two months has suddenly thrust Davis closer to the spotlight - and significant playing action.

The Browns traded Leigh Bodden to the Lions in March and didn't draft any cornerbacks in April. Despite signing four undrafted cornerbacks after the draft and signing Jereme Perry last week, the team still has just three players - Holly, Brandon McDonald and Eric Wright - with any NFL starting experience, and McDonald and Wright are just entering their second seasons.

Especially now that Holly is injured, Davis has a chance to make a splash.

"I've been here almost a year now, so I know everybody and I know what the coaches expect from me," Davis said. "I think I fit in well. I'm just out here working, trying to be ready for whatever they throw at me."

Davis was a full-time starter for two years and a four-year contributor at North Carolina State. He was good enough to play in the Senior Bowl in 2007 and was selected one round and 35 picks ahead of McDonald in last year's draft.

When things didn't work out in Detroit, the Browns were one of several teams that called about providing Davis a second chance.

"It was a little bit of a shock at first, but that's the business," he said. "Now, I think spending that year on the practice squad was a really good experience. I got to sit in the meetings, sit in on the game plan, see what a game week is like.

"I learned a lot about NFL offenses and how other corners handle things. I'm trying to take all that stuff with me and add it to my game."

The Browns hope that year of polish will pay dividends for Davis, and they may be counting on seeing him produce sooner rather than later. He still has two-plus weeks of organized team activity (OTA) practices and a June full-squad minicamp to not only improve, but make an impression as the Browns weigh their options in free agency and/or the trade market for addressing the cornerback position.

"I'm just going to keep learning, keep playing hard," Davis said. "I know this is my chance to take my game to another level."

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Every year I recommend we need a corner , most think we don't ..and it usually comes around we do..this year is no exception.

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Our D is starting to resemble the Eagles of a few years ago..they had a good line and good backers but corner was not a strength.

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I was talking more about the fans here on the board.

I understand Savage passing as he isn't just going to select a player for need unless he fits close to BPA.

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Sorry I miss interrupted your point peen.

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Our D is starting to resemble the Eagles of a few years ago..they had a good line and good backers but corner was not a strength.

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Maybe so.

I don't know that our backers are so great to make the DB's the weakest link, but it is a topic for another day I suppose, and I don't totally disagree, so it wouldn't take so much to flip my view that I am going to sit here and debate it with any fervor.

I guess it just depends on how good Beau Bell really is and if a guy like Orr can come around.

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Time is now for Wright, McDonald
Jeff Walcoff, Staff Writer
05.22.2008
With one unfortunate injury, suddenly there's a bit of pressure on two second-year Browns.

After Daven Holly's "serious" knee injury during organized team activities (OTAs) Tuesday, Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald are now the most experienced cornerbacks on the roster and the lead candidates to earn the team's two starting jobs.

Wright was a second-round pick of the Browns in 2007. During his rookie season, he played in 14 games, starting 13, and recorded 70 tackles, 1 sack, 11 pass breakups and 1 interception.

"Overall I was personally a little disappointed (with my rookie year)," Wright said. "I feel like I played solid but I didn't make as many plays as I should have. I'm just trying to be more productive this year."

McDonald, meanwhile, emerged in the Browns backfield rotation after he was selected in the fifth-round earlier in the year. He played in all 16 games for the club with 2 starts as a rookie, marking 15 tackles, 2 interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 17 special teams tackles.

At times, McDonald covered the slot receiver when the team began installing its sub defense Wednesday. He knocked down a couple of potential completions, picking up where he left off last season as being one of the team's best practice players.

While both players looked impressive during their respective rookie seasons and have looked good so far in OTAs, it's still a big step forward to face the league's top receivers week in and week out.

But McDonald said Holly's presence will be missed.

"Daven is a good guy and a heck of player," McDonald said. "He added a lot of energy to our defense. You need talented corners and with Daven going down you have to have guys who are going to pick up where he left off."

Those guys could be A.J. Davis, a fourth-round pick of the Lions last year who spent the '07 season on the Browns' practice squad, or Jereme Perry, a young corner who played with the Browns in '06 and was re-signed by the team last week. Or one of the team's many undrafted free agents on the roster including Missouri's Darnell Terrell and UNLV's Mil'von James, who has been garnering some quality reviews so far.

Or the team might still go out and find another affordable veteran corner or two, as general manager Phil Savage indicated Wednesday.

The team lost another one of its top corners during the offseason when it traded Leigh Bodden to the Lions in March along with a third-round pick for defensive lineman Shaun Rogers.

The team got what it needed in a big body along the defensive line, but lost an experienced cornerback.

"Bodden was a great player," McDonald said. "He did a lot for this team. We hate to see him go but that's part of the business."

The club also recently released veteran corner Kenny Wright last week following some legal troubles.

But despite the thin and relatively inexperienced unit, Wright said the group is determined to solidify as a strongunit that can be a strength for the team's defense.

"We're all trying to stick together as a unit to become tight knit and go out there and be productive," Wright said. "It's unfortunate (Holly) went down. We're just looking forward to coming together and being a great unit."

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