DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns announce final cuts (Travis Wilson waived)

"Well just ask.
Jon Dunn, Andrew Hoffman, Nick Speegle, McMillan, Perkins and Frye.
Justin Hamilton, Baba, Minter and Wilson.
Pittman and Purcell."

Are you trying to say that Savage doesn't draft well?

Seeing a pick develop for a season or two is not favoritism as was suggested. It was mentioned that the only possible reason that Sowell made the team over Lee was because Savage plays favorites with his drafted players.

Not for the fact that Lee totally sucked against guys who just are not NFL football players. As a LT he had no possible contribution for us...and the fact he never played RT suggested he just lacked the power for RT.

Sowells didn't do great but he showed to be more of an NFL RT/OT plus he has the versatility to move inside. Looked way more nimble on his feet which is always useful on special Teams. You know overall contributions to a team. Lee proved to be a log with no viable contributions on special teams or versatility as a backup.

His skills did not make up for that lack of contribution. But its cause Savage is stubborn and refuses to let him go...Lets not even put into consideration that the two most involved in influencing our scouting department to take Sowells would be Davidson his OL coach (and our Asst. Head Coach) and MO our OC...both gone.

It would be so easy that if Savage's ego was as big as was suggested that he could simply turn around and say - Hey he wasn't my pick.

Granted Sowells is on the bottom of our barrel as far as contributions to this team.

But skill, versatility has gotten him a roster spot on our team...not Savage's ego.

JMHO

I don't disagree with any of that reasoning when it comes to Sowells ... I was thinking more of Hubbard when I made my post.

Don't try to explain that one away. Savage said in his own words he didn't expect much from the guy this year. He was chosen on long-term potential. He easily played worse than Sanders and Leggett in camp and the preseason.

Like I said, it's a balancing act. What appears to be 'saving face' is merely a look toward the future of this team.

What I see out of Savage is the first 3 picks he makes are conventional wisdom picks....picks most people would make. After that, he sort of throws the dice on guys who will either make it big in his opinion, or flop.


I don't have a problem if he operates in this manner as long as we don't travel to the far ends of the earth trying to prove it wasn't a bad pick. If it's a bad pick, you move on, and thus far, that is what we have done.

All of his picks this year were in the reach category....yes, even Beau Bell.

When you look back at teams drafts around the league, you have done a good job if you can pluck 2 decent starters a draft. So far he has done that. This year might break the streak, but then we didn't start until round 4...a round you can still point out some good players, but a round where the failure rates begin to increase rapidly around the league. I don't have any facts or figures to base this on, but league wide over the past 10-15 years, the success rate for 4th rounders can't be much over 25-30%....guys who actually start and are considered good pro's...not some guy running on special teams and filling in here and there.

You can always find those guys if you need a few. Contracts expire all the time and new guys enter the league every year, so throwing a few darts to possibly get a guy who meets Savage's criteria of upside is something I am willing to watch for a while even at the risk of not hitting on the normal 5th rounder.

Browns: LB Titus Brown, RB Omar Cuff, OL Christian Gaddis, S Travis Key, WR Lance Leggett, DL Melila Purcell, WR Steve Sanders.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/01/practice-squads-as-of-september-1/

Browns claim Young, add practice squad
09.01.2008

TheBrowns have been awarded OL Scott Young via waivers from Philadelphia and have waived OL Nathan Bennett, the club announced today. The Browns also signed the following seven players to the practice squad: LB Titus Brown, RB Omar Cuff, OL Christian Gaddis, S Travis Key, WR Lance Leggett, DL Melila Purcell and WR Steve Sanders.

Young, 6-4 and 312 lbs., spent the last three years with the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup guard and appeared in 13 career games. He was originally a fifth round draft choice of the Eagles in 2005 out of Brigham Young. Young played in a career-high 12 games and two postseason contests with the Eagles in 2006.

Four of the club's seven practice squad players signed today were with the Browns during training camp, including Leggett, Key, Purcell and Sanders.

Brown, 6-3 and 245 lbs., was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Mississippi State who spent training camp with the Miami Dolphins. Brown was a four-year letterman at Mississippi State with 170 career tackles and 18.5 sacks.

Cuff, 5-10 and 195 lbs., was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Delaware who spent training camp with Tennessee. Cuff ran for 4,364 yards and 65 touchdowns during his collegiate career at Delaware.

Gaddis, 6-4 and 300 lbs., spent last season with the Buffalo Bills and appeared in one contest. Gaddis was originally an undrafted rookie free agent with Buffalo in 2007 out of Villanova. He spent ten weeks on the Bills practice squad before being signed to the active roster on Nov. 14, 2007.

link

My argument:

based on performance:

Sanders > Hubbard, right?
Lee > Sowells, right?

based on potential

Hubbard > Sanders, right?
Lee > Sowells, right?

Why keep Sowells? Verstility? lol, we have like 6 G/C on this team...so, we need a T-backup, right? Rewatch the preseason games, Sowells is a pretty bad RT...he got beat by guys who are out of the league right now (ie Bazuin)...Lee was better in preseason AND has more potential

So...why keep Hubbard and say "potential" without applying it to the Lee vs. Sowells battle? I tried figuring out the argument and come up with this

Hubbard and Sowells = 5th and 4th round picks (Hubbard is 2009 5th rounder)

Sanders and Lee = UDFAs

The players you listed were mostly 6th and 7th rounders...every 3rd to 5th rounder gets at least 2 years here, even when they obviously suck (Perkins, Wilson, Sowells)

I mean how can Savage say with a straight face he kept Hubbard over Sanders because of potential and the cut Lee for Sowells...its ridiculous...I´m no Savage hater by all means, I like most of what he´s done....but on draft day he gets prospect happy and on cut day he shows some vanity...imho

j/c

Broncos | Wilson signed to practice squad
Mon, 1 Sep 2008 12:29:22 -0700

The Denver Broncos have announced they have signed free-agent WR Travis Wilson (Browns) to their practice squad.

Browncos!!

seriously!!!

How many guys have the signed from us?

I didn't think he was eligible for the PS. I guess I don't fully know the rules.

Here is the applicable section of the PS rules (Ithink):

(a) The practice squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than one previous season on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). No player may be a practice squad player for more than two seasons.

I guess he wasn't active for enough games in the last 2 years to have an accrued season.

It says alot that we put Legget on the PS and not Wilson. there was definetely something up it seems.