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Lot of ppl here, esp after DeepThreat mentioned it.

J/C

The fact that Fujita was on the outside to begin with was a stupid idea. He has 0 pass rushing ability.

I feel that the lineup that was posted there is probably our best lineup, maybe replace Gocong with DQ.

My wife has been on a mission to bring back the ugly orange pants from the Brian Sipe era.

I said that because we all knew he was eventually going to move inside.

Around Berea In 80 Plays II … cussing and meatloaf

Aug 17th, 2010 @ 4:33 pm by Steve Doerschuk

Covering the orange helmets is no exact science.
In reporting on the two or three (or in today’s case, four or five) players with injury issues, one can lose sight of the other 70-some guys.

We see our duty as sharing a healthy taste of what Berea, and toward that end we put up last week’s “Around Berea In 80 Plays.”

We were dreaming when we set out to observe all 80 roster players in one practice.

Another day, another practice. This time, we came close to hitting all of the guys we missed.

Here’s what occurred to as we found the missing links under our noses and through out binoculars.

No. 13, WR Taurus Johnson, scratches his head between drills and chats with Josh Cribbs. Taurus Who? He is the newest Brown, summoned when poor Johnathan Haggerty got hurt at Green Bay, then got shuffled to the waived-injured list. Joshua Cribbs liked Haggerty. He told me they were in a Bible study group together.

No. 15, punter Dave Zastudil. He was at Skyland Pines golf course in Canton not long before camp for a speech, at which point there were no indications his offseason surgery would kill his season. Unfortunately, it did, and when we talked to him today, it was over the phone.

No. 18, rookie wideout Carlton Mitchell, long strides behind the coverage and stretches out for a deep sideline pass from Brett Ratliff. Ratty rifles a beautiful strike, but it goes through Mitchell’s hands, Braylon-style. Mitchell tosses his head back in drafted-too-late-for-safety angst.

No. 20, safety Mike Adams, is with the twos. On consecutive plays. RB James Davis and tight end Evan Moore split wide left. Adams lines up opposite them. Moore makes a quick cut that catches Adams off guard. While hustling to catch up, Adams smacks into linebacker Kaluka Maiava, who wasn’t looking and drops like a sack of spuds.

No. 21, cornerback Eric Wright, has his left ankle and calf heavily taped but seems to be moving all right. In an 11-on-11, he picks up Chansi Stuckey in zone coverage but slips, allowing Stuckey to get away, but Jake Delhomme throws elsewhere. Later, Wright and veteran Sheldon Brown are the starting CBs, but Joe Haden gets some time with the ones. On one snap, Haden lines up on Cribbs, who is split wide right. It’s a run left. Cribbs’ job is to block Haden. There’s a little rivalry developing between these two. Cribbs never forgets that he went undrafted, and he always aims to show a high pick who he really is.

You can see that in his relentless approach on the Haden block.

No. 41, safety Bubba Ventrone, picks up the new kid, No. 13, who is split wide left. The kid makes a quick move, and it takes Bubba a split second to react.

Bubba is tiny. During a water break, we notice that the top of his helmet barely clears tight end Evan Moore’s shoulder pads..

No. 30, CB Gerard Lawson, has been quiet and must be nervous, having already been unlikely to make the team before a DUI arrest. He’s one of the fastest men on the team and is a candidate to return kicks if anything happens to Josh Criibbs. He catches a “kickoff” from the JUGS machine and weaves through imaginary traffic.

No. 43, rookie safety T.J. Ward, takes on Cribbs in “the gauntlet,” a one-on-one tackling drill in which a bump counts as a tackle. Cribbs schools the rookie, bursting straight ahead, giving no clue which way he will cut, and completely losing Ward with a sudden move to the left.

Later, in 11-on-11s, Ward is with the ones at strong safety. At the snap, his head is twitching all over the place as he tries to read the play. It’s a run. He shoots in to tap Jerome Harrison on the leg, signaling a tackle. He seemed very hungry to hit at Green Bay.

No. 47, FB Lawrence Vickers, famed linebacker-bustin’ machine, weaves toward linebacker David Veikune for a lead block. Bustin’ being off limits in practice, he pulls up just as he reaches Veikune.

No. 57, Veikune, is back from an injury. Keep an eye on this kid. He can bench press 225 pounds 40-some times and is starting to figure out how to play. He’s running with the twos in 11 on 11s with fellow 2009 draft pick Kaluka Maiava as the other inside backer. He diagnoses what’s behind the pile at the snap, hustles all the way around to his left, and darts in to confront RB Jerome Harrison.

No. 60, offensive lineman John Malecki, was signed just last week but had to play right away at Green bay because of injuries to other players. He chops his feet through mini-agility hurdles in which the offensive linemen and quarterbacks line up and follow each other through the drill. Malecki and Jake Delhomme are only a few players apart. Mangini is a psychology guy. This drill is intended to promote bonding.

No. 63, Paul Fanaika, gets a turn at right tackle and fires out to his right. A bit later, with Wallace at quarterback, Fanaika fires out, pulls right, and gets his 327 pounds all over linebacker Jason Trusnik, who looks as if he would have been blown to Medina if full-fledged contact had been allowed.

No. 65,G Eric Steinbach, looks very quick moving sideways through agility hurdles, but not as quick as the man coming behind him, Joe Thomas. Steinbach lifts his legs a bit higher than Thomas does to make sure he doesn’t trip. Thomas skims his feet about a half inch over the hurdles with machine-like efficiency.

An hour later, during a break after 11 on 11s, Steinbach stands and chats in the hot sun with Jake Delhomme. It hits you that Steinbach, listed at 6-6, seems a head taller than Delhomme. Delhomme is listed at 6-2 but doesn’t seem it in this glimpse.

No. 68, center Billy Yates, snaps to Seneca Wallace during 11 on 11s, then fights to keep his feet steady as he gets bumped by oncoming traffic from both sides.

No. 71, NT Ahtyba Rubin, runs through a drill with assistant defensive line coach Rick Lyle, who played for the Belichik-era Browns. Lyle extends his hands, pretending to be an offensive lineman, and Rubin slaps them away. All of the D-linemen repeat this. Lyle is wearing gloves, lest his hands turn into meatloaf.

No. 83, WR Chansi Stuckey, is in a position drill including only the wideouts. He runs a little square-out and takes in a perfect strike from receivers coach George McDonald. It is an impressive throw, seeing as how McDonald has two other balls tucked under his other arm. It’s a tempo thing. Mangini wants busy drills; thus, McDonald makes like a juggler while he dishes out passes.

No. 90, DE Kenyon Coleman, lines up with the ones in 11-on-11s. Before the snap, he shifts a bit to his right after reading a possible run that way. “Run” is the call. As Coleman tries to penetrate inside, he is picked up by center Alex Mack and guard Eric Steinbach. It is the life of a 3-4 end.

No. 95, defensive lineman Swanson Miller, is used as a practice body, playing the role of left offensive tackle and firing out against starting DE Robaire Smith. The real offensive linemen are off in their own position drills. A coach pretending to be a QB hands off to Blake Costanzo, a linebacker impersonating a tailback, while Miller blocks Smith.

No. 97, defensive end Clifton Geathers, launches on to a two-man sled alongside Coleman. Ideally, both men are supposed to exert equal force, driving the sled straight back. Coleman has much better drive than Geathers, and the sled retreats crookedly. Line coach Bryan Cox seems not to be picking on Geathers as much as he did early in camp. Then, Cox did a lot of cussing.

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The inside scoop on Steinbach’s exit

Aug 17th, 2010 @ 6:52 pm by Steve Doerschuk

The lads are in full pads this evening.

Left guard Eric Steinbach just walked off the field with an hour left in the evening practice.

He did not seem to be laboring as he made his way to the door, and he did not seem upset.

He left his helmet at the door.

This might be too much information, but it must have been a potty break. He’s back outside, making his way back to the field.

The way the offensive line has been going today, it raises the eyebrows when you see one of the big guys go inside. I’d imagine a guy like Steinbach might read a post like this and smirk, but …

Steinbach is now taking part in a position drill alongside his pal Joe Thomas. Looks like an all clear on the Steiny front.

Billy Yates and Scott Kooistra are the right side of the line when the ones are on this evening. Betcha didn’t see that coming on the 31st of July.

• • •

Jake Delhomme just lobbed a pick to Sheldon Brown in the end zone. He also blamed himself for making “a bad throw” on a pick in the morning practice.

The way Delhomme operated at full speed in Wisconsin,I doubt the brass isn’t concerned with a practice glitch or two.

Mike Holmgren isn’t out this evening. His second set of eyes, Gil Haskell, is always watching.

• • •

Seneca Wallace just now scrambled, planted, and threw a nice little TD pass to Bobby Engram. Engram caught another TD pass moments later.

You could get a lot of fantasy points with practice touchdowns.

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Wright welcomes competition in Browns' secondary

By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer

POSTED: 07:24 p.m. EDT, Aug 17, 2010

BEREA: Cornerback Eric Wright insists he didn't panic when the Browns bolstered their defensive secondary in the offseason.

Actually, he even laughs at the mere suggestion that he might have been offended by the Browns' moves.

In Wright's mind, the Browns' acquisition of cornerbacks Sheldon Brown and Joe Haden didn't automatically spell doom for his playing time. But when the Browns traded for Brown and drafted Haden with the seventh overall pick, it did create a competition in which Wright has shined during training camp.

''I've started since I was a rookie,'' Wright said after the Browns practiced Tuesday morning. ''I'm looking to start this year just because I'm a competitor. And [when] you get put in a position where people say it's an open competition, you want to win. We're not quite there yet. We'll see opening day, but it's gonna be what it is.

''I have extreme confidence in my ability, as you guys all know. And I didn't feel threatened at all. I just felt like there was a time for us to make some moves in the offseason and try to better this team, so competition brings out the best in everybody and cream always rises to the top. It was an exciting time rather than anything else.''

So far, Wright and Brown are in line to become the Browns' starting cornerbacks. Haden typically enters the mix when the Browns have three cornerbacks on the field at the same time in their nickel defense. When that happens, Wright covers the slot receiver while Brown and Haden line up on the outside.

''He's working some in the slot, and that's to build flexibility,'' Browns coach Eric Mangini said. ''He had never done that, but it wasn't a function of him saying, 'Hey, I really play outside.' No, he wanted go in there and do that. He wanted to work on that, so he could be ready to play any one of those spots, and that growth that I've seen from him is great.''

Since training camp began, Wright has made several notable plays. This past Thursday, Wright was sidelined during a morning practice, but he had two interceptions when he returned for an afternoon session.

However, Wright did not play Saturday in the Browns' first preseason game of the year against the Green Bay Packers. He sat out to rest his right hamstring, which forced him to miss some practices last week. In Wright's absence, Haden started.

Wright practiced Monday and Tuesday, and he's hoping to suit up when the Browns play the St. Louis Rams in a preseason game Saturday night at Browns Stadium.

''We're still working towards that, and hopefully I'll be able to get out there and play with the rest of my teammates,'' Wright said. ''The focus is to try to go out there and build some camaraderie and chemistry and get ready for the opening day.''

Wright isn't accustomed to missing games. Since the Browns drafted him in the second round (53rd overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft, Wright has started 45 of the 46 games in which he has played, including every game for the past two seasons.

Last season, Wright finished fourth on the team in tackles with 65. He tied for the Browns' lead with four interceptions and paced them with 14 passes defensed. He also had an interception in each of the final two games, wins over the Oakland Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

''I thought Eric elevated his game towards the latter part of last season and really, where I thought he made the biggest strides was mentally,'' said Mangini, who sometimes calls Wright ''Wrighteous.'' ''There were times where I call on these guys in meetings, and I've shared this story before. At first, Eric was a little reluctant to get up there. By the end, he was the closer. He was the guy that wanted the last answer to get me out of the room.

''There's always one last answer. [If] they get it right, I leave. If they don't, I stay, and he wanted to be the closer and that's a totally different approach. With the really talented cornerbacks, the more you study, the more you know. The more that you can just let yourself play and react and jump things, the better you're going to be, and he's really embraced that. I think that's outstanding.''

Although Wright has established himself as a solid coverage corner, his tackling has often been criticized. Brown and Haden, meanwhile, have developed reputations as physical corners. Wright, though, isn't worried.

''I've never heard anything about me being a third guy or about me even being a second guy or a first guy,'' Wright said. ''You know it's competition, man. We have a great group of guys, and it's always been that way. Everybody has a positive attitude. Everybody is team-oriented, and everybody is just looking to go out here and compete and win a job. That's just the way we go about our business, and that's just what's gonna make us better as a team.''

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This article had a good picture of McCoy with gimpy Holmgren in the background.



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Shaking off Green Bay errors, Colt McCoy eagerly awaits more NFL lessons with the Browns
Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer Tony Grossi,

BEREA, Ohio -- The low point of Colt McCoy's rookie training camp?

No, not throwing two interceptions in his first NFL exhibition game Saturday in Green Bay. Those weren't fun, of course, but playing 16 snaps against the Packers made him feel like a quarterback again.

Banging his right thumb on the helmet of a teammate? No, that happens. What Cleveland quarterback hasn't done that?

No, the low point -- by far -- came on Monday when McCoy was instructed to sit out practice to give the thumb another day to heal. He stood glumly as President Mike Holmgren gave him a little pep talk from his golf cart.

"That was the first practice I ever missed," McCoy said.

Ever? At any level of football?

"Ever," he repeated.

So McCoy couldn't wait to get back on the field on Tuesday. He needed to erase the memory of the interceptions.

"You don't like to throw interceptions. But the one thing I admire about Brett Favre is the way he responds to those things. He shakes them off and keeps going," McCoy said. "For me, that's the thing I have to do. Especially in the situation that I'm in.

"I'm learning. The games are really the reps I get. I can't let something get me down. Just got to show my teammates and coaches that, 'hey, that happened, I won't make that mistake again and I'm ready to go.'"

The first interception at the end of the first half was the one that McCoy heard loads about. The Browns were in field-goal range at the Green Bay 17 with 37 seconds on the clock. On first down, McCoy and receiver Johnathan Haggerty read the coverage. Haggerty faked a slant inside and converted it to a fade route.

Haggerty was double-covered. McCoy's throw was short and easily intercepted.

"We had points [a sure field goal] on the board," said coach Eric Mangini. "We had an under [receiver] coming free. So, hit the under and move to the next play. You're not in a situation at that point where you have to take a chance to push the ball into double coverage.

"Sometimes guys want to make a play and maximize their opportunity, but in trying to make a play, you can actually make a play for [the opposition]."

After making his point, Mangini shrugged off McCoy's boo-boo.

"He has historically made good decisions in college and he's a conscientious kid. He could have been a little bit excited, a little bit nervous, a lot of confidence. All of those things," he said.

McCoy admitted he was fired up to play in Green Bay. The hallowed Lambeau Field venue is as good as it gets in the NFL. He wouldn't have been human not to feel some butterflies.

"For the most part, I felt I moved the ball and executed what was called," he said. "But, that was the first [preseason game]. It was good to get in the huddle and run more than three or four plays in a row. I've never done that [here]. I've just got to build on it and play better this week."

In his first exhibition game, McCoy completed five of 10 passes for 25 yards. He converted two third-and-long situations with scramble runs up the middle for gains of 13 and 12 yards. He was pleased with those because he recognized the coverage and took advantage of the seam left open for him.

It's all part of the learning process for the Texas Longhorn turned NFL greenhorn.

The next time he takes the field, Saturday in Cleveland Browns Stadium, McCoy will oppose his college rival from Oklahoma, Sam Bradford, the presumed savior of the St. Louis Rams and No. 1 pick of the NFL draft.

They split their two meetings in the fabled Red River Shootout, but Bradford is the one with the $50 million contract guarantee and the likely one to be behind center when the real season starts next month.

McCoy is locked in a battle with Brett Ratliff to make the Browns' roster as the No. 3 quarterback.

"A lot of people have told me it's going to be different your first year, it's going to be a struggle at times," McCoy said. "For me, I just try to stay upbeat as much as I can. Sometimes you're down. Sometimes you're discouraged. But as a leader, as the quarterback, you can't show those emotions. You've got to be the level-headed guy that's ready to work every day."

That's where McCoy was on Tuesday, back at work. After two hours of practice, and another 30 minutes of signing autographs, McCoy trudged off the field carrying the shoulder pads belonging to Jerome Harrison.

He was smiling and feeling good again.

Browns rookie Joe Haden exudes confidence

By Tom Withers
The Associated Press
Posted Aug 19, 2010 @ 05:14 PM
BEREA —

Browns cornerback Joe Haden oozes confidence from every pore. It trickles from the ear holes in his orange helmet and seeps through his No. 23 jersey whether he’s walking, running or simply standing and talking about his first NFL training camp.

He’s a rookie — a rare one.

There’s a swagger about the former Florida standout, a don’t-mess-with-me bravado that doesn’t come across as cocky but self-assured.

“You have to be confident playing corner,” Haden said Thursday after the Browns wrapped up their morning practice. “D-backs just have that naturally.”

It’s just one of Haden’s many gifts. The No. 7 overall selection in April’s draft, he entered the league with questions about his speed after he posted a disappointing time in the 40-yard dash at the college scouting combine in Indianapolis.

No one is doubting his speed now. Haden has hit the ground at full stride with the Browns. He’s proving to be a quick study on and off the field.

Because of an injury to Eric Wright, Haden started at left corner in Cleveland’s exhibition opener in Green Bay last week. Against one of the league’s top offenses, Haden more than held his own in his pro debut, finishing with three tackles and defending one pass.

Haden has a ways to go, but he has impressed Cleveland’s coaching staff with his early body of work.

“I like a lot of what I’m seeing,” coach Eric Mangini said. “The real value there is there’s a lot to coach off of. He is playing against a higher level of competition more consistently. His experience last week against Green Bay’s offense was a great way to start because you’re starting fast against one of the best offensives in the NFL.”

Haden could challenge Wright for the No. 1 job or he may start alongside his close friend if Sheldon Brown is dropped back to safety. No matter, Haden will be on the field this season for the Browns — a lot.

Although he hasn’t needed long to make an impact, hardly a minute goes by that Haden isn’t reminded by one of his teammates or coaches that this is his first year.

“I hear it every day,” he said. “’Rook this, rook that. Rook, get me some seeds.’ That’s the main thing.”

Yep, one of Haden’s first duties with the Browns has been bringing packets of sunflower seeds to meetings for his teammates.

“Still the seed man,” he said, smiling.

Haden believes playing for the Gators and against other schools in the talent-rich SEC may have given him an advantage over other first-year players. Not only does that conference have some of the nation’s top players, the league boasts some of the fleetest as well.

“The NFL is fast, but the SEC might be a little bit faster sometimes,” Haden said without batting an eye. “The speed thing is something that has helped me out a whole lot.”

He’s been getting some tutoring, too.

Haden has been leaning on Wright and Brown for advice. They’ve been showing him the daily dos and don’ts of playing cornerback, arguably the most challenging position in pro football.

“They’re helping me out a whole lot,” Haden said. “Sheldon has so much experience and knowledge. He talks a lot about not letting plays get to you. You want every play to be your best play, but Sheldon’s says, ’Joe don’t worry about it. Each practice just come out here and try to get better but some days are going to be a whole lot better than others. Just take what the coaches say and give it your best effort.”’

Haden and Wright have a growing bond, one that could be tested by competition and the depth chart. Haden, though, won’t allow his friendship to get in the way of accelerating his career.

“If you’re going to be nice to somebody or mean to somebody it’s not going to help you at all,” he said. “If you are making plays, you’re going to start. If you’re not, then you’re not. Off the field, me and him are really cool. On the field, you gotta do what you gotta do to play.

“The better man is going to play.”

Haden is far from a finished product. He’s struggling to learn every facet of Cleveland’s 3-4 system. Unlike in college, where he was only required to know his responsibilities and those of the secondary, the Browns want him to understand where every player should be on every snap.

On top of that, Haden is cramming to learn various offensive formations, which will change from week to week. It’s much easier to stop a wide receiver running a pass route if you can anticipate his next move.

Haden is listening and learning.

“I feel like I’m getting a whole lot better every day,” he said, “and the coaches keep telling me to just keep improving.”

Notes: Mangini said the first teams will play through the first half of Saturday’s home exhibition against St. Louis. QB Jake Delhomme only played one series last week against the Packers. ... Rookie wide receiver Carlton Mitchell appeared to injure his left shoulder during the morning session. The team did not have an update on his condition.

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Nice read.

When does a good dose of confidence become a bad dose of cockiness?

Please don't cross that line, Haden.

And keep up the good work!

“The NFL is fast, but the SEC might be a little bit faster sometimes,” Haden said without batting an eye.

I would guess there are more players in the SEC that can run a sub 4.4 than there are in the NFL.