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BEREA -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the Browns morning practice ...

* Three defensive players left the practice with different degrees of injuries. The most serious appeared to be a hamstring or thigh injury to cornerback Eric Wright. It's not a leap to suspect the injury would push Joe Haden into the starting spot in the first preseason game in Green Bay on Saturday. Also, defensive lineman Brian Schaefering and linebacker Marcus Benard left the field under their own power and then were carted to the building (it's quite a walk from the field they were on). No updates from the club.

* Right tackle Tony Pashos, who missed the first few days of camp during a bout of food poisoning, has missed the last two days with an apparent shoulder injury. He missed 11 games last season in San Francisco with a shoulder injury. No update from the club.

* Haden apologized to coach Eric Mangini for Tweeting that a player was fined $1,760 for having his cellphone go off in a meeting. That followed Brandon McDonald's infamous Tweet about Terrell Owens. All of which has Mangini and his bosses pondering a club social media policy. Great line from Mangini: "I think our social media policy is a work in progress. We'll iron it out. Sometimes with ironing you have to apply a little steam."

* Safety T.J. Ward intercepted a Jake Delhomme pass intended for Benjamin Watson. Watson also had two drops and was not happy with them.

* Just a fantastic catch by Josh Cribbs in the right corner of the end zone on a perfect pass from Seneca Wallace. Cribbs caught it over his right shoulder with one hand as he was tumbling to the ground. Gerard Lawson's coverage was pretty good on the play.

* The Monday practice was so bad -- Mangini called parts of it "horrendous" -- that the coach challenged his team to put two good ones together on Tuesday. It appeared that the morning session qualified as good. Mangini wants to see his players put bad plays, bad days, behind them, so the evening session will be a test.

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The Browns practiced from 8:45-10:45 this morning. Here are the highlights from practice:

* Defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and C.J. Mosley, defensive backs Brandon McDonald and Coye Francies, linebackers Titus Brown and David Bowens, punter Dave Zastudil, offensive lineman Tony Pashos and running back Montario Hardesty were sidelined.

* For the second consecutive day, running back Peyton Hillis and defensive linemen Kenyon Coleman and Brian Schaefering practiced for the second consecutive day after missing time last week.

* In a seven-on-seven drill, rookie safety T.J. Ward intercepted a pass thrown by quarterback Jake Delhomme.

* The crowd went wild when quarterback Seneca Wallace hit wide receiver Josh Cribbs with a long pass in the end zone.

* Tight end Benjamin Watson dropped a pass from rookie quarterback Colt McCoy.

* Cornerback Eric Wright walked off the field about one hour after practice started. He left with an ice pack strapped to his right leg. Mike Adams filled in for Wright at nickel back with the first-team defense while rookie Joe Haden and Sheldon Brown lined up on the outside.

* Hillis caught a pass from Wallace, zoomed out of bounds and crashed into players on the sideline. Hillis knocked defensive lineman Derreck Robinson to the ground. Robinson was on one knee when Hillis crashed into him. Nobody appeared to be hurt during the play.

* Kicker Phil Dawson hit the left post and missed on a 48-yard field. Dawson, though, rebounded by hitting a 57-yard field goal.

* Wallace hit rookie Johnathan Haggerty with a deep pass along the left sideline.

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Here are the highlights from practice:

* Defensive linemen Shaun Rogers and C.J. Mosley, defensive backs Brandon McDonald and Coye Francies, linebackers Titus Brown and David Bowens, punter Dave Zastudil, offensive lineman Tony Pashos and running back Montario Hardesty were sidelined.

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How sad is it that this qualifies as the first "highlight" of practice? Did Florio write this?

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* The crowd went wild when quarterback Seneca Wallace hit wide receiver Josh Cribbs with a long pass in the end zone.

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This is not the first time we've read about Wallace and Cribbs having chemistry on a traditional passing play.

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* Wallace hit rookie Johnathan Haggerty with a deep pass along the left sideline.

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Oh boy... do we have a controversy brewing? Should we?

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Great line from Mangini: "I think our social media policy is a work in progress. We'll iron it out. Sometimes with ironing you have to apply a little steam."

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I am so liking this approach to discipline. Nip the problems in the bud early, let guys know what's expected, and then hold them to those expectations.

It works when you're training a puppy.... it can work when you're training a Dawg.

I hope to see a smart, clean act from this team for the entire season. I can be done. Heck, there was a time when rules infractions were the exception... not SOP.

Mangini hasn't been known to be a players coach...I wonder if these apparent changes are making a difference.

Never mind.

In a seven-on-seven drill, rookie safety T.J. Ward intercepted a pass thrown by quarterback Jake Delhomme.
* The crowd went wild when quarterback Seneca Wallace hit wide receiver Josh Cribbs with a long pass in the end zone.


Can U say:'QB controversie???"

" For the second consecutive day, running back Peyton Hillis and defensive linemen Kenyon Coleman and Brian Schaefering practiced for the second consecutive day after missing time last week.

I'm not much on modern math,but thinking that would be 3 straight days they've practiced?

If they practise another two consecutive days, how many would that be?

This is going to be an interesting part of the season to me this year. We all know how Cleveland fans get. If Delhomme struggles, will people call for Wallace ? Or Colt 45. And if so how does the new front office handle it.

another view on our brown's:

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Confidential: Cleveland Browns
August, 11, 2010 Aug WalkerESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 28

BEREA, Ohio -- With three teams in the division coming off winning seasons, the Cleveland Browns have a long way to go to climb out of the AFC North basement

• Training camp page
That’s why Cleveland's ownership put together the high-profile pairing of president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert. The new front office has reshaped the roster through the draft and free agency in hopes of starting to close the gap with its rivals and improving on last year's 5-11 record.

With so many new faces, Cleveland remains a team in transition. The Browns must come together quickly in training camp to be competitive in 2010.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. The heat is on Eric Mangini heading into his second season in Cleveland.1. Will Eric Mangini win in Year 2? This is a critical year for Mangini, who begins the season on the hot seat. Holmgren, a longtime head coach, knows that it takes more than one season to implement a program and was fair in giving Mangini a second year. A four-game winning streak to end last season also helped.

But Mangini must keep that momentum going in what should be a very competitive year in the AFC North. He doesn't have the same level of talent to work with as other coaches in the division. But Mangini is optimistic about 2010.

"I feel really good about the progress we've made, the strides we've made," Mangini said. "The second year is different. Guys understand expectations. There are so many things that you don't have to cover because they get it and they become teachers to people who are new, and that helps a lot."

2. Is quarterback Jake Delhomme the answer? Despite his pedigree, the Delhomme signing has not instilled much confidence with Browns fans.

Delhomme is coming off the worst year of his career (eight TD passes, 18 interceptions) and was benched and eventually released by the Carolina Panthers.

But if Delhomme isn't the answer, the team will turn to backup Seneca Wallace, who is a longtime Holmgren protégé. Rookie third-round draft pick Colt McCoy is regarded as the quarterback of the future but isn't expected to start this season.


3. The Browns are counting on players like Brian Robiskie to step up and contribute. Will young players step up? When you have a rebuilding team, young players must step forward. Cleveland has a lot of first- and second-year players who are unproven but expected to be major contributors.

Players such as second-year receivers Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi and rookies Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, a free safety, and Montario Hardesty, a running back, are expected to fill major roles. These players will learn on the job as Cleveland's coaching staff tries to minimize their mistakes.

Haden, a cornerback, will have the biggest spotlight because he was taken No. 7 overall this year and is the first draft pick of the Holmgren and Heckert era. Haden struggled some in minicamp but is starting to look more comfortable. He still must get to the point where he's thinking less and relying more on his football instincts. So far, Haden has been a step late on too many plays.

"It's getting better and better every day," Haden said. "[Tuesday's] practice was better than [Monday's] practice. … now I feel like I'm about at 90 percent of knowing of exactly what's going on, so when I get that next 10, it's going to be full go."

BIGGEST SURPRISE

With so much attention put on Delhomme this season, I thought the best quarterback in camp this week was Wallace. He made some very nice throws, particularly on the run, while leading the second-team offense.

But unless Wallace lights it up in the preseason, do not expect another quarterback controversy in Cleveland. The Browns are paying Delhomme $7 million this season to be the starter.

Despite being a backup, Wallace will play in another capacity as the team's Wildcat quarterback, which we will get to later.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

This was supposed to be a breakthrough camp for Hardesty. Instead, his first training camp never got off the ground because of a knee injury.

Hardesty was competing with incumbent Jerome Harrison for the starting tailback job, and after a solid spring, many considered him the early favorite. But the second-round pick has missed every full-squad practice of training camp thus far and has fallen behind.

According to Mangini, Hardesty may not return until sometime next week at the earliest.

OBSERVATION DECK

Something that jumps out right away is Cleveland's lack of team speed. The Browns look slow and not as athletic as the other two teams I watched in training camp (Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals). That could be a problem. Cleveland has plenty of thumpers, so size isn't an issue. But the Browns appear more built to win a 13-7 game in inclement weather in December than a 35-30 shootout in September.


The "Flash and Cyclone" package has been successful in training camp. Josh Cribbs and Wallace are arguably the most versatile players on the team and appear to be developing solid chemistry in Cleveland's version of the Wildcat. Both players are elusive and dangerous with the football.


I'm still not sold on Cleveland's receiving corps. Massaquoi has made some plays, but certainly not enough to be a dominant No. 1 receiver. The same goes for Robiskie, who is a projected starter. The Browns are throwing to the tight ends and running backs a lot in this camp, and a reason may be the lack of depth at receiver.


Ward is having a solid training camp. He continues to show up around the football, which is what you want from a starting safety. The rookie second-round pick still makes mistakes in pass coverage, but Ward usually shows good effort and practices hard. He is known as a big hitter.


Keep an eye on running back Peyton Hillis. He was the forgotten player in the Brady Quinn trade this offseason with the Denver Broncos. But Hillis is showing good toughness running between the tackles. He runs solid routes and has soft hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Hillis could be an underrated acquisition who works out well for Cleveland.

Another sleeper on this team could be second-year tight end Evan Moore. Although his run blocking needs work, Moore is probably the best receiving tight end on the roster. With starting tight end Ben Watson and Robert Royal able to do the dirty work, Moore could be a nice change of pace to give the tight-end position some big-play ability.


A weakness in Cleveland's defense could be its outside linebackers dropping in pass coverage. Matt Roth and Marcus Benard, in particular, do not look comfortable shadowing running backs. Hillis and Harrison beat Cleveland's outside linebackers repeatedly on passing routes in camp this week.


It's been difficult to get a firm read on McCoy. He has played a majority of camp with the third-team offense, which consists of many players who will not make the team. Inconsistent in camp, McCoy looks like a typical rookie quarterback. Preseason games probably will be a better gauge of where the third-round pick stands.

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Just thought there were some intersesting pionts in the article.

Everyone has been talking about Hardesty, but I honestly feel that Hillis could be a real steal.

Also, we keep hearing good things about both Ward and Moore, let's just hope that they can step up.

Walker is pretty objective. Don't like hearing that we are slow compared to other teams in the division. I think that's consistent with the idea that we have a lot of smart and solid guys, but no real elite players. We lack a true number one WR, LB, RB, DE, FS. Guys that have not just talent but speed to give those game breaking plays. We can probably beat mediocre teams, but elite teams will just outrun us.

St. Clair carted off, brass gets nervous

Aug 12th, 2010 @ 11:02 am by Steve Doerschuk

Right tackle John St. Clair, who has been running with the ones lately, pulled up lame during wind sprints at the end of an oven-baked practice.

I had watched st. Clair for a while before that. he weas moving fine through practice, which in his case, being the widest body on the team, is slowly.

The Browns are holding their breath about the right tackle spot because Tony Pashos has missed a lot of practice, and now St. Clair must be evealuated. They insurance policy is Pork Chop Womack, who would slide over from right guard, with rookie Shaun Lauvao force fed into duty with the ones.

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Mangini’s update on D’Qwell Jackson; keep an eye on Veikune

Aug 12th, 2010 @ 11:49 am by Steve Doerschuk

As you know, D’Qwell Jackson has been knocked for a loop by another pectoral injury. A similar injury to the other side of his body wrecked his 2009 season.

“Really no update,” Eric Mangini said after the morning practice. “We’ll let him rehab the next few weeks and then we’ll re-evaluate.”
Any plans for surgery?

“Right now the plan is just to let it quiet down for a few week and see where we are.”

2009 Round 2 pick David Veikune is rehabbing a minor injury. Mangini said Veikune might practice tonight.

“He was playing well. he had made some significant jumps from last year, similar to Robiskie. Hopefully he’ll be back sooner rather than later and we’ll continue to see that practice.”

Brandon McDonald was back at practice today and was expected to be Twitter-free all day.
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John St. Clair “will be fine,” Mangini said. “He just cramped up.” St. Clair was wheeled off on a cart after practice-ending wind sprints.
Mangini called the sprints “reminders.” They were a punishment for practice mistakes.

“I told them, we’re not going to try to do it right,” Mangini said. “We’re going to do it right.”

Tony Pashos didn’t practice this morning and won’t practice tonight, so, it’s important that St. Clair isn’t hurt.
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Mangini on Jerome Harrison: “I’d say he’s had a good camp.”
Mangini mentioned pass protection, a problem that has limited Harrison’s playing time in the past. He said Harrison has improved. We don’t get the sense Mangini is nearly as confident with Harrison blocking as he is with the other backs.
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Has Mangini established a number of touches per game he’d like to see Cribbs get?

“No, because it’s gonna be touches as a ball carrier, as a returner, as a receiver. We’re gonnaa have to break it up between special teams and offense and get a number. I don’t have a definitive number right now … probably within the nnext couple weeks.”
Mangini said Cribbs’ overall role is still being defined.

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Ok, if Pashos isn't ready for GB, does that make Womack the RT with Lavaou at RG?

I thought this was kind of cool.

Around Berea In 80 Plays: The Novel

Aug 12th, 2010 @ 12:50 pm by Steve Doerschuk

It was more fun than a barrel of linebackers.

It made my head hurt.

It was a self-imposed assignment to watch at least one segment of practice for all 80 players on the Browns roster.

Here goes nothing, sharing it with you in order of jersey number rather than in chronological diary form:

No. 1, Mike Holmgren, watches an 11-on-11 drill from a golf cart about 20 yards from where “Hell’s Bells” is blaring from a speaker. OK, so the big guy doesn’t have a jersey number …

No. 2, punter Reggie Hodges, stands around with Phil Dawson and Ryan Pontbriand, waiting to be summoned. If he punted two straight hours, his leg would fall off.

No. 4, Dawson, gets summoned to a drill. He nubs an onside kick, which dribbles to hands-team member Mohamed Massaquoi.

No. 5, quarterback Brett Ratliff warms up by playing catch with Colt McCoy. Later, in 11-on-11s, Ratliff takes a snap while “Never Never Land” is blaring. Poor Ratty is headed that way.

No. 6, QB Seneca Wallace, also warming up, has a laugh with a ballboy, then pretends to take a snap, turns to his right, and hits Jake Delhomme right between the numbers.

No. 10, WR Syndric Steptoe, is still here, somehow, a year after his agent said some things stupid enough to become a former agent. Steppy not getting many balls today, but he’s so quick that he’ll get some looks at Green bay.

No. 11, WR Mohamed Massaquoi, lines up against rookie Joe Haden, who is in press coverage. Massaquoi rockets off the line on a slant, leaving Haden in the dirt. Dang, Massaquoi looked quick on that snippet.

No. 12, QB Colt McCoy, drops back, looks left to where Bobby Engram is running a short route against no defense, and delivers a short strike. Every time I look for McCoy he seems to be throwing to Engram.

No. 16, WR Joshua Cribbs, snares a short pass from Jake Delhomme, then is very meticulous about the way he lines up and throws back in to the ballboy. Cribbs doesn’t get a lot of in-practice throwing. The way he thinks, every throw he makes is practice for when they let him do it in a game.

No. 17, QB Jake Delhomme, has his right hand on his hip and his orange helmet in his left hand as Seneca Wallace takes a shotgun snap from a coach, then flicks a pass to Evan Moore.

No. 22, CB Brandon McDonald, having cooled his tweeting and celebratory flipping jets while he was held out of a couple of practices, creeps to the middle of the field in anticipation of blitzing.

No. 23, Joe Haden, who says he loves the feeling of returning kickoffs, takes one from a JUGS machine and runs “against air” (no coverage team on this drill). Later, Haden makes a quick move to break up a short Delhomme pass to Massaquoi.

No. 24, CB Sheldon Brown, runs with the ones on defense. He is quick and has a nose for the ball, which is why he practices edge rushing on the field-goal-block team .

No. 26, safety Abe Elam, eyeballs Delhomme as the offense shifts. Delhomme slips the ball into Jerome Harrison’s gut and makes like he still has the ball, rolling to Elam’s side. Elam doesn’t bite but instead scampers toward Harrison, coming up the middle.

No. 27, DB Nick Sorensen is lining up with the third-string defense. He must be one whale of a special teams player to have lasted into a 10th season.

No. 28, RB James Davis catches a little pass out of the backfield. He is very businesslike in his movements, never looking nonchalant even during breaks.

No. 34, RB Chris Jennings, skips through the right tackle hole as the song “Thunderstruck” starts blaring through the big portable speakers.

No. 35, RB Jerome Harrison, runs up the middle in 11 on 11s and bumps into LB Eric Barton, who tries to rip the ball out but can’t. The LBs aren’t tackling, so they have to invent ways to seem physical.

No. 36, a DB named John Bowie, is a fourth-year pro out of Cincinnati who has an outside shot at a roster spot. He covers Cribbs on a deep sideline route. Cribbs throws up his arms as if the ball is arriving. It’s a fake — over-acted by Cribbs — to keep Bowie away from a running play.

No. 39, DB DeAngelo Smith, has a blue sock pulled over his helmet, signaling a specialty role during kickoff practice. The guys who get these blue-sock jobs never seem to make the team.

No. 40, FB Peyton Hillis, takes a quick pitch and runs to the right sideline. There’s a bounce in Hillis’ step in everything he does.

No. 42, rookie safety Larry Asante, is right there with as Robert Royal catches a short pass. Asante wraps up Royal and tries to poke the ball out.

No , DB Chris Chancellor, points to a man in motion, then follows rookie Carlton Mitchell to the slot. Mitchell runs a crossing route as Chancellor tries to fight through a pack to cover him.

No. 50, ILB Eric Barton, lines up over center Alex Mack and looks like Peyton Manning as he barks signals and waves his hands. Then he blitzes Delhomme but is picked up by guard Eric Steinbach.

No. 51, Chris Gocong, puts a bull rush on Joe Thomas. He gets as far as you’d expect him to get against Joe Thomas.

No. 52, LB D’Qwell Jackson, isn’t on the field, and might not be in 2010.

No. 53, OLB Matt Roth, is hard to spot because he scrunches up his jersey, exposing his belly and hiding his number, but that’s Roth all right, pretending to be a left tackle as Rob Ryan runs a defensive line drill — the offensive linemen are off somewhere else.

No. 54, LB Blake Costanzo, turns and does a double take during a break. He sees Holmgren driving his golf cart across the field where a drill has just ended. Holmgren is by himself, operating the cart from the passenger seat with his left foot on the gas.

No. 55, C Alex Mack, holds a square pad while 335-pound tackle Scott Kooistra fires out of a stance to hit the pad.

No. 56, LB Kaluka Maiava, isn’t allowed to tackle Josh Cribbs, who blows by him after taking a direct snap. What everybody loves about Cribbs … he blasts through guys when they are allowed to tackle.

No. 58, OLB Marcus Benard, walks toward a rest area as a horn blows. Holmgren drives by in the golf cart, cutting across the field, having picked up a driver, Gil Haskell.

No. 59, LB Titus Brown, lines up in the middle and does a looping blitz on Colt McCoy. Seems they’re giving McCoy as many blitzes as they can to get him ready for the fourth quarter at Green Bay.

No. 62 Titus Adams, runs a wind sprint, as does the entire squad with full pads on, after the last 11-on-11. Robaire Smith took his pads off but was advised to put them back on. Eric Mangini calls the sprints “reminders.” They are punishment for a sloppy practice.

No. 64, long snapper Ryan Pontbriand, was standing around when I looked over five minutes ago, and now is standing around with Phil Dawson, who is stretching his right leg on a lonely field far from where everyone else is practicing.

No. 67, DL Derreck Robinson, is one of the Kirk Ferentz “products’ both Phil Savage and Eric Mangini have tended to like. He puts a little inside rush move on Billy Yates, but contact is so light in the 11-on-11 drill that it wouldn’t hurt your grandma.

No. 69, DL C.J. Mosley, shuffles laterally by himself in front of the rehab bikes, his training camp home, to date. Then a trainer straps a rubber-band type apparatus around Mosley’s waist and resists as Mosley pulls him down a sideline.

No. 70, rookie defensive lineman finishes first in his group in one of the “reminder” sprints. Put yourself in his position. You have almost no chance to make the final 53. The vets coast. You sprint.

No. 72, rookie tackle Casey Bender, takes a knee after the horn blows, signaling the end of a drill. He leans hard on his helmet next to Elam, who is on a knee with a towel draped over his bowed head. It’s a sauna out here.

No. 77, G Pork Chop Womack, shoots the breeze with FB Lawrence Vickers during one of the frequent moments without a drill or an 11-on-11 to tend to.

No. 78, tackle John St. Clair, makes guard Eric Steinbach look like a stick figure as they jog back to a huddle together. St. Clair easily has the widest, uh, “anchor” in Berea. Later, St. Clair is hauled off on a cart after cramping up during those “reminder” sprints.

No. 80, WR Brian Robiskie, takes off on a short, straight curl route, chopping his feet, and does a 180 as a pass arrives from wide receivers coach George McDonald.

No. 81, TE Alex Smith, takes a quick toss in the right flat from Seneca Wallace and puts a double move on a ballboy, who doesn’t have a chance. Make no mistake, this is heady work for a ballboy.

No. 82, TE Ben Watson, goes half speed in a two-man drill, pretending to line up tight right. He releases from the line of scrimmage, and catches a little pass from Delhomme near the sideline. Canton musician Tim Hunt, a big Browns fan, told me at practice the other day that Watson had the dropsies and didn’t seem real intense.

No. 84, TE Robert Royal, stands and watches on the sideline as Chansi Stuckey catches a short pass. Stuckey comes over and gets a fist bump from Royal, one of the most social guys on the team.

No. 85, WR Jake Allen, is mistaken for Josh Cribbs because of the hair flowing out of his helmet until a fan notices that Allen is wearing No. 85, not No. 16.

No. 88, WR Bobby Engram, runs a little decoy route while Gil Haskell, with whom he spent years in Seattle, scratches the back of his head while watching on the field. This is before Haskell reports to the golf cart to consult with his old pal Holmgren.

No. 89, TE Evan Moore, does a little dance with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, brushing up on some footwork. Daboll is wearing a T-shirt bearing the words “What’s up, Bud?” That’s the new team slogan. What’s up with that?

No. 91, DL Brian Schaefering is in a drill over where a few days ago he got a verbal spank from line coach Bryan Cox. Schaefering was slow to move around a dummy when Cox chided, “You just got stabbed by a doll.”

No. 92, DL Shaun Rogers, isn’t out here as far as I can tell. It’s not as if it’s easy for Rogers to hide.

No. 93, LB Jason Trusnik, flows right to defend a sweep. Center Alex Mack engages Trusnik. Seemed to me Mack used the play to practice holding he can get away with.

No. 94, 6-foot-5, 336-pound Kwaku Danso, is on the field goal block team. Late in practice, with the pace slowing to a crawl in the heat, Phil Dawson kicks. The “block” guys lazily raise their arms while just standing there.

No. 98, DE Robaire Smith, lines up for an 11-on-11 rush while “Start It Up” starts rolling through the speakers. Robaire will start it up at Green Bay, maybe. On this play, with practice dragging in the heat, he makes a light surge forward and stands there as Delhomme throws a pass.

No. 99, LB Scott Fujita, is taller than most linebackers you’ll ever see. Rob Ryan is no shrimp, but he’s almost a head shorter than Fujita. Not surprisingly, Fujita lines up on the “field goal block” unit.
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Uh oh. Practice is over.
I see that we hit barely more than 50 guys, far short of our 80-man goal. Not good enough.
Do I have to run sprints?

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Totally understandable.

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We're playing with fire if we give him too many touches when he's not under center.

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Doesn't he at least have to be a threat/decoy as a reciever, if the ELF is going to work?

Toad,, I hope that every opponent we face this year has the same take on Cribbs that you do.. I love it when he gets underestimated.

Given how he came into the league, how he fought to get a roster spot, how he improved at each task/assignment he's given. No way I ever count him out or underestimate him.

If he's on the field, the opponent has to put someone on him,, maybe two someones.. he's that good and the whole league knows it..

So while you may be right about what you think he can and can't do,, I've learned something.. don't tell Josh that.. he's liable to make you eat your words

I don't think Harrison is as bad of a blocker as people think he is. He seemed to do a decent enough job last year on many of Cribbs' returns too.

He made a good point the other day about RBs often getting injured, but when it happens to be a smaller back, they get labeled fragile. Tiki Barber became more productive as his career progressed - people thought he was too small to carry the full load and was initially labeled a "3rd down back."

BTW, thanks for all your posts and insights. It's hard for me to follow the Browns from NYC in such detail and I appreciate even the most ancedotal commentary.

I thought he was throwing a lot to Robiskie?

www.KFFL.com

Browns | Jake Delhomme lacking rapport with receivers
Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:24:21 -0400

Cleveland Browns QB Jake Delhomme continues to throw mostly to tight ends and running backs, reports CBSSports.com. His lack of a rapport with the team's receivers is becoming a cause of concern.

I know Delhomme and Watson have a good rapport but haven't heard anything about him not throwing to WRs.

Is KFFL usually a reliable source?

Very nice read,......no one is left out.

Yeah, KFFL is pretty much just a gathering point for news. They take headlines from all over and put them on their site. It's good in that it has a lot of info, but bad because it has a lot of info.

So, you take it for what it's worth.

I just posted it because it was the first time I'd seen anything about Delhomme neglecting his WRs.

http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/540685.html?nav=5025

Mangini will be watching the offense

By MIKE McLAIN Tribune Chronicle
POSTED: August 12, 2010

Browns coach Eric Mangini continued his easy-as-it-goes approach to training camp by giving the players another off day on Wednesday.

That's now two days off in the first 12 days of camp. At that rate, Mangini might develop a reputation for being too easy on the players.

There will be two practices today (the morning session is closed to the public) before the Browns travel to Green Bay on Friday to open the preseason the next night against the Packers. Results of preseason games mean nothing to coaches. The main goal is to look competitive, which wasn't the case when the Browns opened preseason last year with a 17-0 loss to the Packers.

Among many things that should catch Mangini's attention is the overall efficiency of the offense. The unit looked improved from last season (that didn't take much of an effort) early in camp, but the defense has stood out of late.

It will be an important game for quarterback Jake Delhomme. The start of camp saw Delhomme look sharp, but his performances have tailed off a bit. Each time he's thrown an interception, eyebrows are raised by skeptics that wonder if he's shaken the eight-touchdown-18-interception season he had last year in Carolina.

One thing that's hard not to like about Delhomme is his infectious confidence. If he feels down after a bad day on the practice field, you can't tell by his body language or his words.

Saturday will mark the first time that Delhomme has thrown a pass for a team other than Carolina since he played for the New Orleans Saints in 2002.

"I'm looking forward to it," Delhomme said. "There are a lot of new guys here and it's the second year in Eric's regime. We haven't gotten to game planning and what not. We're still in camp mode as you can tell by the way practices go.

"It's always nice (to play a game). You have a target, a new team and obviously an extremely talented football team. A lot of people's picks to go very far this year. It will be a good test to see where you're at and see where you need to improve."

Delhomme has developed some chemistry with second-year receivers Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie. Another evolving trend has been improved play by backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, who's had success getting the ball to rookie free agent Johnathan Haggerty.

It's not a stretch to say that the offense will go as far as the young receiving corps will take it. The inexperience of the group was evident last season, but it didn't receive much help from the inconsistencies of quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn.

"I think they're doing an outstanding job," Delhomme said of the receivers. "They all have their strengths. I think they're extremely intelligent. These kids, they work their tails off. I think they're doing a very good job, but everybody in the passing game is. I think the tight ends are really doing well; running backs coming out of the backfield; very, very positive so far."

Don't count the tight ends out of the mix. Until having a couple of dropped passes Tuesday, Ben Watson was having a good camp. Evan Moore, who was a pleasant surprise after being activated from the practice squad for the final five games of last season, has picked up where he left off.

Moore isn't known for his blocking skills, but his 6-foot-6 frame is a quarterback's dream. He has deceptive speed, which he exhibited a few times in catching 12 passes for 158 yards last season.

It doesn't matter if the Browns return from Green Bay with a win, but it would be a positive sign if they make their presence known.

mmclain@tribtoday.com

The real question is how long before Gil Haskell takes over the offense?

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It will be an important game for quarterback Jake Delhomme. The start of camp saw Delhomme look sharp, but his performances have tailed off a bit.

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I hadn't heard that from any other source,, is that true?

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Each time he's thrown an interception, eyebrows are raised by skeptics that wonder if he's shaken the eight-touchdown-18-interception season he had last year in Carolina.

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Ha,, anytime any QB throws a pick eyebrows are raised.. not sure it's any more so for Delhomme..

Heck, it all depends on who plays anyway! We might have most of our starters out there, but I won't be surprised if someone"like Thomas or Steinbach or Mack or Eric Wright, etc. plays only a few series.

Browns sign OL John Malecki and cut TE Joel Gamble

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent offensive lineman John Malecki.

He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Tennessee in April and waived by the Titans on Aug. 10. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Malecki made 24 starts in college at Pittsburgh, where he began his career as a defensive tackle before switching to the offensive line.

Malecki was a first team All-Big East selection as a senior right guard.

The Browns, who will open their exhibition season on Saturday in Green Bay, also waived tight end Joel Gamble.