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A second chance to make a good impression pays off for Cleveland Browns draft pick Jabaal Sheard

Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer


BEREA, Ohio -- Jabaal Sheard went from almost ruining his football career because of an altercation last July to Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a second-round draft pick by the Browns on Friday night.

"It was just an incident where I made a mistake and I learned a lot from that lesson," said Sheard, the Browns' newest defensive end, a pass-rush specialist who had nine sacks last season. "It was going into my senior year and I had a lot on the line and I learned a lot from that. I think it got me matured enough, prepared me for the NFL because there's going to be a lot more incidents where I'll be in a case like that and I've got to react differently."

Sheard (6-2 7/8, 254) was arrested last July and charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after he allegedly threw a man through the glass door of an art gallery. But several of the charges were dropped and he ultimately pled guilty to disorderly conduct, a fineable offense.

Sheard was suspended indefinitely by coach Dave Wannstedt, a candidate for Browns defensive coordinator this season, but then re-instated before the season. On a conference call Friday, Sheard explained he was trying to defend a teammate.

"I was just on a date with my girl and we had just left the bar and I kind of ran into a younger teammate getting into a scuffle," he said. "I just tried to get in between them and break it up and in doing so, it broke apart. [But] the guy hit me in the back of the head as I was walking away. I just went and defended myself and fought back. We were kind of both fighting and tussling and we [both] went through the window. The way the papers wrote it, I threw him in through him the window."

The incident made Sheard realize it wasn't the right example to set.

"I knew I had to make it up to my teammates," he said. "I was a senior and my team needed some leadership so I just stepped up and played as hard as I could and tried to prevent my other teammates from getting in trouble. Just doing whatever it took to get done for us to win and that was probably it. I stayed after hours and invited the younger guys to stay with me and catch film or work off the field. I just was always trying to do something to improve our team and I think that's why my teammates voted me team captain."

Sheard, who also had 14.5 tackles for loss last season, acknowledged he thought he had messed up his career at Pitt -- and maybe beyond.

"I was suspended from the team indefinitely and I think that's what made hungry a lot more during the season," he said. "I had let down my team as well as my family and my school. I was definitely nervous. That I got that second chance, I think that really helped me a lot this year."

Sheard said he wasn't concerned teams would shy away from him because of the incident.

"I never had any problem prior to that," he said. "I had Coach Wannstedt, who was a guy who has been around the league and he wouldn't lie. That's not the guy I am. On the field maybe I kind of get a little hot and it's competition, but off the field I'm not like that. I'm a cool, laid-back dude and I'm not looking for trouble."

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert talked to Wannstedt and others about Sheard and was comfortable with his character.

"We talked to a ton of people and we couldn't find one person to say a bad thing about this kid," said Heckert, who stressed Sheard's tenacity. "He plays hard – hard."

Added coach Pat Shurmur: "I promise you he'd aggressive."

Sheard likened himself to Steelers linebacker James Harrison, whom he studied while at Pitt.

"I think I'm an aggressive player," he said. "I know you guys are familiar with Harrison. I was next door to the Steelers so I watched them play a lot. I want to be the hardest hit. I want to make that hit where the crowd goes 'Ooooh' and then everybody just screams. I want to be the talk of the game so I like to watch him play. He's very aggressive. He gets off the ball fast. I think guys fear him.

"Guys really don't want to go up against him and that's the guy I want to be. When I talk to guys that I played in the past, I want them to be like, 'Man, you we're something else. I never want to play against you again.' That's the kind of feedback I want to get from my game."

Cleveland Browns draft some attitude in first and second rounds (and that's not a bad thing): Bill Livingston



BEREA, Ohio -- Winning the press conference after making their draft picks wasn't a big priority with the Browns' new front office.

They say winning the fights isn't either.

Flashy draft picks were a Browns tradition dating to Art Modell, who knew that skill position players taken high goosed the fan base like nothing else. There is not a lot of sizzle in trading down from No. 6 overall for four draft picks -- Atlanta's second- and fourth-rounders this year and the Falcons' first and fourth next year. Atlanta, clearly, thinks it is a player away from big things, and that that player is game-breaking wide receiver Julio Jones of Alabama.

The Browns know they need far more than that. Then again, admitting you have problems is the start of solving them.

Jones would have been the playmaker the Browns have needed at least since Braylon Edwards threw the punch at LeBron James' pal, Mini-Bron or whoever he was, and was shipped out to the Jets. Actually, long before then Edwards was not exactly bringing home the bacon when it came to securing the old pigskin.

But in the Big Picture, Atlanta made the Browns an offer they couldn't refuse.

In the smaller picture, Braylon, had he stayed, would have found sparring partners a-plenty. For the Browns have begun to construct what they hope will be a rock 'em, sock 'em defense.

Thursday, using their newly acquired picks, they traded up to select defensive tackle Phil Taylor from Baylor at No. 21 in the first round. Taylor brings baggage -- weight issues, a foot problem, early exit from Penn State because of involvement in an on-campus fight.

I saw Taylor play only once. I had to look hard. He was not very noticeable. Illinois, in its last four games the loser of three (Michigan, Fresno State, Minnesota, the last -- deep blush -- at home) beat Baylor in the Bears' first bowl game in 16 years, the Texas Bowl in Houston.

"I'm a good run stopper but I'm a good pass rusher as well. I can get to the quarterback," said Taylor, who added, "A lot of things didn't go our way in the bowl game."

A large measure of what didn't go so well was run defense against the Illini. Mikel Leshoure ran for 184 of Illinois' 229 yards in a 38-14 rout.

There is always the chance they will go more properly in Taylor's path to the quarterback. "I know how much Cleveland fans hate Pittsburgh," Taylor said, when asked about Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "When I am going to play against him, he is going to go down."

The analysts say the second round is when the draft really begins. Teams are expected to get good players in the first round. Well, not in Cleveland, not in the past, but generally. The very good teams get good players the second and third days.

In the second round Friday, the Browns took Pittsburgh defensive end Jabaal Sheard. Taylor and Sheard, along with incumbent Ahtyba Rubin, provide the makings of a potentially nasty defensive line.

"I'm always thinking about getting to the quarterback; I want to make the crowd go 'Oooooh,'" said Sheard, who said he wanted to be like Steeler supercollider James Harrison from Kent State.

Sheard was suspended, then reinstated, before his senior season at Pitt for a fight in an art gallery. Sheard was not incensed by a rude comment about expressionism, but said he was defending a teammate. The scuffle ended in a Saturday night in Dodge City scene, with the combatants falling through a glass window.

News reports said Sheard threw the other guy through the window. Which is what Harrison would have done.

"We've done our due diligence with these guys with their character," said coach Pat Shurmur. "We think they will fit in well."

A huge fuss shouldn't be made of such incidents, as long as they are isolated. These are young guys who are lightning rods for attention and, in the wrong setting, trouble. Everyone deserves a second chance. Still, there will be plenty of chances in the future to see if the aggression is channeled properly or not.
Cleveland Browns draft some attitude in first and second rounds (and that's not a bad thing): Bill Livingston

Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer

With their other pick in the second round, the Browns took wide receiver Greg Little, one of Butch Davis' players suspended for the season at North Carolina. A No. 1 receiver in the offing, Little, 6-3, 219, took improper benefits from an agent, including diamond earrings and travel accommodations in the Bahamas.

Browns fans, in lieu of the playoffs, think of the draft as a trip to Fantasy Island. For Little, Paradise Island was close enough.

If he tosses Ben thru the window, I think we can learn to like this kid.

Browns Hope Little is Big


By Fred Greetham
OBR Browns Reporter
Posted Apr 29, 2011



Cleveland addresses wide receiver need with the 6-2, 231 Little.



BEREA—Mike Holmgren talked about drafting a homerun hitter at the NFL Combine and the Browns hope they found one in Greg Little.

The Browns obtained the pick in the trade with the Falcons (59th overall). The extra second-round pick was the key in the trade that moved the Browns from sixth overall to the 27th spot in the first round. The Falcons traded the Browns their first-, second- and fourth-round picks this year in order to draft Julio Jones. In addition, the Browns will get the Falcons’ first- and fourth-round picks next year.

Pat Shurmur is excited to add Little to the receiving corps.

“You are looking for a guy that can beat bump and run and can get down the field and can catch the football,” he said. “You’re always looking for guys who are big, strong and fast, who can catch the ball and run with it.”

Little (6-2, 231) sat out the 2010 season along with Robert Quinn at North Carolina for NCAA rules infractions, but still was named a Biletnikoff Award candidate, an award given to the nation’s premier collegiate receiver.

Despite missing his senior season, Tom Heckert said it wasn’t hard to evaluate Little.

“It’s not hard to evaluate him,” Heckert said. “It’s just older tape.”

Shurmur was asked if Little could be the Browns’ No. 1 receiver, eventually.

“We feel like he has a chance to be a (No. 1),” Shurmur said.

Little says you have to earn that status, but hopes to achieve that level.

“Quite frankly, I think that’s something that’s earned, especially in this league,” he said. “It’s a challenge that I’m willing to accept.

“I think the sky is the limit for me since I’ve only played the position for one complete year.”

Despite missing the 2010 season, Little said he stayed sharp by catching 100 passes a day. He said he is excited to continue to play in the West Coast offense.

“I prided myself on trying to catch 100 balls a day,” he said. “I come from the West Coast offense and it’s the same terminology and calls.”

Heckert likes Little’s ability to get up and get the ball in a crowd.

“I think he can get down the field and one of the best things he can do is go up and get the ball,” Heckert said. “I think he can make big plays for us.”

Little amassed 2,282 all-purpose yards at North Carolina. He caught 86 passes for 969 yards in his three seasons for the Tar Heels with six touchdowns. He also rushed for 805 yards on 166 carries (4.85 avg.) with six touchdowns. He started as a running back when Hakeem Nicks was still playing for North Carolina to get Little on the field as a freshman.

Little feels his time as a running back has helped him after the catch.

“I think I developed my physical, downhill style from being a running back earlier in my career.”

Little isn’t characterized as a speed guy, running in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash, but he says there are other things that help him.

“I think a lot of things come into play as a receiver,” he said. “I feel like route running and the ability to separate is an area that I flourish.”

“He’s got a lot of the attributes we look for in a receiver,” Shurmur said. “He finds a way to separate and he finds a way to get into the end zone.”

Ironically, Little played for former Browns coach Butch Davis.

“(Davis) said it was a remarkable organization to be a part of.”

The Browns were not concerned with his character issues.

“We spent a lot of time with him here and at his personal workout,” Shurmur said. “We feel we’ve done our due diligence on these guys and feel good about it.”

Little said he learned from the missed season and is hungry to play football again.

“I think I’ve grown from sitting out,” Little said. “I’m so hungry to get back out there and play.”

Little said he can’t wait to hook up with Colt McCoy.

“I sent a text out to Colt and am waiting to talk to him.”

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Cleveland Browns' risk-taking is a reasonable strategy:


BEREA, Ohio -- Scribbles as the Browns finish the second day of draft weekend.

1. Let's start with the fact that taking is a risk is not always bad. So it's not necessarily a negative to insist that General Manager Tom Heckert is taking more than a few chances from the moment he traded the No. 6 pick to Atlanta for five draft picks. Taking a risk and adding picks is necessary if the Browns are ever to climb out of the deep ditch of losing that has been squeezing the life out of this franchise since its return in 1999.

2. So Heckert took a defensive tackle (Phil Taylor) who was asked to leave Penn State following a fight. He picked a defensive end (Jabaal Sheard) who was suspended during the off-season after being in a fight. He grabbed a receiver (Greg Little) who missed of all last season because of the scandal involving gifts from an agent at North Carolina.

3. Does this mean all of these are bad guys? Of course not. College kids do dumb things, and many players in this draft have had off-field issues. The key will be for the Browns to make sure these young men are in the right setting, mentored and accountable. It's a fresh start for all of them, but it's also a time when they will become instant millionaires.

4. Taylor seemed to grow up in his last three years at Baylor, losing 50 pounds and having no more off-field problems. The Browns desperately need defensive linemen, and Taylor can combine with Ahtyba Rubin to provide twin peaks in the middle of the line.

5. Sheard is a defensive end from Pitt. He was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year, leading the conference with 9.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He fits into Heckert's profile of a quick defensive end -- 250-pounders who can torment a quarterback. Heckert kept saying Sheard "plays hard, hard." Coach Pat Shurmur said it didn't take long to say "wow" when watching tape of the senior.

6. The Browns and other teams are convinced Sheard could switch to linebacker in a 3-4 defense. But it's better than he can remain at his natural position when moving into the NFL and the Browns' 4-3. It's possible the Browns may be finally be able to rush the quarterback, as Marcus Benard could be playing the other end in passing situations.

7. Yes, Sheard was involved in an incident last summer. He said he didn't throw a guy through a window, that it was a fight and he was helping a teammate. Heckert stressed that the Browns talked to "a ton of people," and no one had anything negative to say about Sheard. This is from a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story by Ray Fittipaldo: "Sheard pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge, was ordered to pay medical bills for the victim and write a letter of apology to him. Charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief were withdrawn by prosecutors."

8. In judging players, one question is if a player repeats his poor decision. In Sheard's case, it was one bad move. Former Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt stood behind Sheard, and made him a team captain. Wannstedt has an NFL background, and that should help Sheard.

9. Here's the Sheard scouting report from Dan Shonka at ourlads.com: "Uses the rip and bull rush to pressure the edge. Disciplined within the defense. Can stack the run but needs to get stronger. Explosive pass rush ability. Intense, mobile, and quick. Had a red flag off the field, but was cleared up. All reports are A+ solid."

10. Little seems to be the biggest gamble, because he sat out 2010. He also may be the best pure athlete picked by the Browns. He was the 2006 North Carolina Gatorade High School Player of the Year. He is 6-2, 230 pounds and began his career as a running back, later switching to wide receiver. North Carolina gave him the ball a lot, as he gained 805 yards in 166 carries (4.85 average) for his 3-year career. He ran back 27 kickoffs in three years, and caught six touchdown passes.

11. Shonka's scouting report on Little: "Talented and athletic as any wide receiver in the 2011 draft. The sticky wicket in Little's production lies in the quarterback position where T.J. Yates threw more interceptions than touchdown passes and consistently missed open receivers in 2009. The upside for the big receiver was that almost every catch he made was spectacular and magical. ... Does it all -- blocks, catches, and runs strong after catch. Slashes through arm tackles and finishes the play. Goes up after the ball at the high point with his strong hands and positions his body between the ball and defender. An impact player with long arms and big hands."

12. The Browns believe he'll be ideal in the West Coast offense, which stresses the ability to run after the catch. Shurmur went as far as talk about how Little can "beat bump and run [defenses]" and believes he can eventually become a No. 1 receiver. Nonetheless, he didn't play for a year, so it will take some time to bring him up to NFL speed.

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Cleveland Browns picked Phil Taylor right where he belonged - Terry Pluto


1. One draft expert had Phil Taylor being the No. 21 pick in the draft, the exact spot where the Browns selected him. That was Dan Shonka from www.Ourlads.com. "But I had him going to Kansas City at that spot," Shonka told me early Friday morning. "By far, Taylor is the best nose tackle in the draft, and the Chiefs need one."

2. But it was the Browns who traded their No. 27 and No. 70 picks to move up and grab Taylor. Shonka had Taylor rated as the No. 24 best player in the draft: "He's an explosive, wide bodied, angus bull of a lineman. He really matured the last year, lost 20-30 pounds. I think he's a 3-4 nosetackle, but in a 4-3, you can put him over the center and that would make their life miserable. He is intimidating."

3. Taylor is listed at 6-foot-3, 337 pounds. At Baylor, he played in the 4-3 defense. So the new 4-3 being installed by Dick Jauron should be comfortable for him. "The Browns have decided to build their line from the inside," said Shonka. "With (Ahtyba) Rubin and Taylor, they really should be able to control the run in the middle. What the Browns did is not a stretch, it's smart."

4. Shonka said there was a fear that some teams would grab Taylor before he reached the Browns at No. 27. He mentioned Baltimore at No. 26 as a real possibility. "Anyone with a 3-4 would love this guy. I rate him better than any nose tackle in last year's draft."

NFL Draft 2011: Cleveland Browns introduce top draft pick Phil Taylor NFL Draft 2011: Cleveland Browns introduce top draft pick Phil Taylor Phil Taylor, the 1st round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2011 NFL Draft, spoke with reporters in Berea after being the 21st player selected last night. (Note: The NFL limits the length of audio we can post online) Watch video
5. Shonka admitted Taylor had problems "fighting with teammates" and other maturity issues at Penn State. "But he really turned his life around at Baylor," he said. "I talked to scouts from NFL teams who see him growing up and that he's just now figuring out what he can do. I repeat, this is a great move for the Browns because they need so many linemen."

6. Another reason the Browns like Taylor is he was on the field for "about 80 snaps a game," according to General Manager Tom Heckert. There were times when Taylor looked tired on the field because he was tired. Meanwhile, Auburn kept Nick Fairley rested as he played only 35-45 snaps a game, rotating in and out.

7. Shonka thought it was wise for the Browns to skip Julio Jones at No. 6 and grab the five extra picks in the deal with Atlanta. "Is Jones that much better than someone they can get in the second round? I'm not sure of that. And you'd have to pay him so much more (which chews up salary cap room)."

8. Here's a list of five receivers in order Shonka said the Browns should consider as they move forward: A) Torrey Smith, Maryland. B) Greg Little, North Carolina. C) Leonard Hankerson, Miami. D) Randall Cobb, Kentucky. E) Titus Young, Boise State. Shonka likes Smith the best, but said Cobb "could help the Browns because of his quickness." He compared Boise's Young to a "poor man's DeSean Jackson," a player drafted by Heckert in Philadelphia.

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Damn Mour...Listening to Shurmur and Heckert's PC from yesterday...These 2 are seriously no nonsense types...

First dumbass question was about the Lockout reinstatement...Heckert looked PO'd right away...

D Ends---Specifically asked about Benard...Said they need to see what he can do as far as 3 down at End...But specifically asked about being a "Situational" pass rusher and Heckert without hesitation said DEFINITELY...

Also said keeping Mitchell (Jayme) is High Priority...

Shurmur also said he expects Little to make an impact...Finally we might lose this dumbass idea of having Cribbs trying to be an NFL WR...

Thanks for all the reads Mour..

well, all in all, seems like we have tough, hardnosed and aggressive players coming aboard. can't find much wrong with that.

it's funny, several months ago, in a presser, Heckert said he wouldn't rule out players in the draft if they had issues off field, as long as he can verify they've turned it around or that it was a kinda one time thing.

Ha,, all three guys have had those issues.. Funny how that works out.

Honestly, I love this draft thus far. Taylor was a terrific pickup. I had him slotted in the 20 to 25 range and so did ourlads. We have 700 lbs of powerful run blocking beasties in the middle of our line. Just listen to the excitment in Pat Shurmur's voice when talking about Taylor and that alone should sell everyone on the pick.

Sheard easily is a first rounder without all the idiots jumping on 3rd round QBs and backup offensive tackles. He fits Jauron's defense like a glove. He was a steal.

In my last mock i had us taking Little with our 2nd round pick. Then i began talking myself out of it because of Randall Cobb, Titus Young and their speed. One thing about Little is the guy just catches everything and I do mean everything. Those jump balls that McCoy threw up and our receivers ran away from last year now become huge game changing plays.

The fact he is already talking to McCoy and wanting to get this thing going is terrific. He is still learning how to run routes but folks he has one year in the position and was dominate. I can see Gil Haskell's brain a churning ways to get this kid up to par.

We acquired 3 starters and a first round pick for next year in this draft and I would take any of these 3 over Julio Jones who we gave up in the trade. This was an A- draft.

Yep...

Wait till we see the first time Little lays Polamalu's ass out...

I think we tricked KC. I think they thought we had our eye on someone else and Taylor was gonna slip to them at 27. They really needed a guy like Taylor, I can't see any other explanation for why they'd make that trade with us.

That someone would be Cameron Jordan.

J/C

I can see the need for dline out of the gate with our switch from 3-4 to 4-3.

I really am liking the Little selection. 230 pound receiver? Since the WCO needs a big guy who can go over the middle and make the run after the catch, they definitely pegged that one.

And I like the TE pick in the fourth. For the McCoy needs targets crowd you have to appreciate the selections.

Browns press conf. transcript - 4/30

Posted 2 hours ago

* a
* a

The transcript of Browns GM Tom Heckert, President Mike Holmgren and Coach Pat Shurmur's joint Saturday evening press conference.

Browns President Mike Holmgren, General Manager Tom Heckert

and Head Coach Pat Shurmur press conference 4-30-11

Pat Shurmur

(On if it is killing him not to be able to coach the new players right now)- “I don’t know about that. We still got some work left to do with the draft. We had an opportunity to at least talk to all the players that we’ve drafted. We had those few hours the last couple of days to talk to the ones on the team. That’s where we’re at so as we move forward with the year, at some point something will happen.”

Tom Heckert

(On tight end Jordan Cameron)- “I tell you, we’re really excited about this kid. He obviously, he hasn’t played a whole lot of tight end or football for that matter, but he’s big, he’s super athletic, he’s got really good hands. As you watch him through the year, I know his production was not great, but when he did play, we thought he played very well. He played well at the all-star game, he performed well at the combine. We’re excited. We thought this kid was a top athlete and we’re excited about him.”

Tom Heckert

(On fullback Owen Marecic)- “Obviously, Owen you know the whole story about him playing both ways. He’s going to be a fullback for us. But he’s a great kid. Super-hard worker. I don’t know if you guys got a chance to talk to him, but he’s a legit fullback. I mean he can lead block, he can catch the ball, he can run the football, but obviously his strength is blocking and catching. We think he’s going to be a great special teams player. And I think Jordan Cameron will be a really special teams player too. He played a lot for Southern California. We think both of those guys will help us on offense and on special teams as well.”

Tom Heckert

(On defensive back Buster Skrine)- “He’s a kid that is super athletic and he can fly. He really can. He’s a really fast kid. It’s kind of an interesting story. I think he’s had I think, four different position coaches, so I do think he can only get better. I really do. We’re excited to have him. I think he can play outside, he can play inside for us. We think he’s a good player that can run. That’s kind of why we took him.”

Tom Heckert

(On offensive lineman Jason Pinkston)- “We think he can play, probably if he had to, play left tackle, he could. But, he can play right tackle, he can play guard. I think anytime you can draft an offensive lineman that has that versatility, you’re in good shape. He was another guy that we liked. We obviously traded both our sixths to get up to get and get him. Hopefully he comes in and plays well for us.”

Tom Heckert

(On if versatility was a common thread today)- “It helps. I don’t think it was a thing where we went in and said, ‘If this guy can’t play two positions or whatever.’ But no, it obviously helps. We talk about it all the time where especially if a lot of these guys are coming in as backups, if they can help you in any other way. If they can help you on special teams, it’s just a huge factor. Where last year and I’ve been in situations in Philadelphia where you have guys that aren’t playing because they’re backups, but they’re not playing on special teams, so they’re sitting on the sidelines and that doesn’t help anybody. Obviously the more you can do, the better off we are.”

Tom Heckert

(On if any of the four players selected today was a surprise where they fell in the draft)- “I don’t think it’s really any of them. They’re kind of where we thought we could get them and we took them.”

Pat Shurmur

(On trading up for Pinkston)- “We were looking at the teams that were picking ahead of us. We had projected teams that we thought were going to go offensive line. He was a guy we had targeted and we just didn’t want to risk losing him.”

Tom Heckert

(On if the Browns tendered Lawrence Vickers)- “We have not said any of those, so when the league year starts up, you’ll know the situation.”

Tom Heckert

(On the future of Vickers)- “We’ll see when we get back to the league rules. You know once the league starts, we’ll see.”

Tom Heckert

(On projecting Jordan Cameron into an NFL offense)- “He played a lot. I mean he had 16 catches, but he played an awful lot. He really did. You see him do it. He obviously doesn’t catch the ball every time he’s on the field, but we made a cut-up just to have the thing and there’s like 500 plays. This guy played offense for them.”

Tom Heckert

(On drafting a tight end for the possibility of the future)- “I think so, but I’m not saying this kid can’t come in here and help us this year. We like this kid. We think he’s talented and there’s been some receivers or tight ends in the past that have come out that have been basketball players or that didn’t have as much. This kid’s got a feel. This kid, he plays. I mean he’s been on the field. It’s not like he’s a one year player. This guy has played football. I don’t think we’re looking at it as, ‘He’s going to help us four years from now.’ We hope he helps us this year.”

Tom Heckert

(On concerns with Skrine’s size)- “No. Obviously you want six foot guys if you can get them, but at the end of the day you have to draft good football players. Some guys are going to be a little bit undersized, but we like him as a player.”

Tom Heckert

(On Skrine’s speed and if he can play in and out)- “Yes, he can play in and out and he’s fast, fast. He’s a low 4.3 guy.”

Mike Holmgren

(On what was different about this year’s draft working with Tom Heckert in comparison to last year)- “I think that I made a decision early on that this was going to be Tom’s draft along with Pat (Shurmur). Last year, I was probably a little more actively involved in it. I was in preliminary meetings of course and in meetings prior to the draft. But when it came down to selections, we talked about it. I was a part of the decision-making, but really this was Tom’s draft. I think the overall draft strategy of the initial trade and then as you can see how we placed people, a priority on filling the roster a little bit without reaching. Without reaching, which is the trick in the draft. I think these guys did a marvelous job. I enjoyed this year’s draft probably a little bit more than last year’s draft. Look after working with Tom, actually working with him and then being with Pat for a while here, I have the utmost confidence in their ability to do a great job in the draft. While it’s still fun for me, I kind of backed off a little bit.”

Mike Holmgren

(On if this is an ‘outside the box’ draft)- “I wouldn’t put labels on it. I really wouldn’t. I think we have a way and Tom has a way of putting the thing together. We picked the best player available at the time at a position without reaching. That’s the key to a draft. If you can be solid year after year, I don’t think spectacular, but solid year after year and this is a solid way to do it. Then if you hit a spectacular pick, fine. But that’s the way to build and clearly he’s got a clear vision of this. The beauty of it is these two fellas worked very well together. Now the proof is in the pudding. We’ll see down the road, but we’re very, very excited and very, very happy with these picks right now.”

Pat Shurmur

(On drafting physical players this year)- “I don’t know about this team, but that’s an underlying component to football in general. You like to have tough guys. Let’s not ever undersell a guy’s ability to play the game, but if you get tough guys in the building we feel like that’s going to pay dividends.”

Tom Heckert

(On his feeling about the draft)- “I think we’re really excited. We really are. Like Coach (Holmgren) said, ‘Time will tell,’ but right now on paper we’re really happy. Everyone says before the draft while you’re going through your process of who are the guys you want and you are probably going to take guys you have written down before the draft, but these are the guys that we really wanted. We’re really excited about it and hopefully we made the right decisions, but we are very, very excited about it.”

Tom Heckert

(On achieving the goal of finding six potential starters in the draft)- “If you can get six guys that can play and help your football team, that’s great. Obviously we want all of them to come in here and help us, but if you hit six guys every year you are going to be in pretty good shape for a long time. Obviously, that’s the goal and we think we did that, but we have to wait and see.”

Tom Heckert

(On signing undrafted free agents this year)- “It’s not going to happen so it’s going to be a lot different. Once we pick the seventh pick we’re done. Whenever that starts up, I guess it will be the same type of flurry, but you won’t have the whole draft. You will probably be a little more relaxed and it will probably be a little easier at night because it is a hectic time right after the draft. I don’t think it is a good thing because you want it to happen now, but it will probably be a little more relaxing to do that.”

Mike Holmgren

“When it does happen down the road we can call it the ‘Super Flurry’ because it will happen closer to the time that the season starts, but it will happen. We’re ready for it whenever it happens, but it probably will be a little hectic in there for a while.”

Mike Holmgren

(On it being a strange week for the draft with the lockout situation)- “I think our focus was on the draft. The cookie that the organization was thrown was the ability to get the players in here for a while for one day, phone them and get them in here. Then that was taken away, but we were fortunately in some ways still working on the draft and so we did what we could for a while, but now it is what it is and now we just continue to plan and wait for it for things to settle down a little bit.”

Tom Heckert

(On if there will be more players in free agency)- “I think it could go both ways. Somebody that before the draft was thinking getting a position and they end up getting him in the draft. I don’t think it’s going to change much. It could work both ways.”

Tom Heckert

(On if not having free agency after makes the draft easier)- “I really don’t. When we are in the draft room, we are not really thinking about the college free agency even in a normal situation. You start thinking about those guys in the seventh round and that’s when you think about, ‘If this guy doesn’t get drafted, he is a guy we want to get.’”

Tom Heckert

(On focus being strictly on preparation for the draft)- “I really don’t think it’s much of a difference. I really don’t.”

Pat Shurmur

(On if Pinkston will start at tackle or guard)- “I think we will probably look at him first as a guard, but we think he’s a guy that will have the ability to play tackle. As you see him on his tape he was a left tackle at Pitt, but we do feel that he is one of those flexible lineman.”

Tom Heckert

(On if the extra time helps with signing free agents and being ready for it)- “We were ready before this whole thing happened so we were expecting it to start and it just didn’t. Nothing has really changed in that aspect except for if we were considering doing something in free agency and we end up drafting a guy then that’s probably a different direction. Other than that it hasn’t changed a whole lot.”

Tom Heckert

(On if there are still target areas to be addressed)- “If there are good player’s we’re going to try to get them. We don’t know what the rules are or who’s going to be available or not. If there’s a player we think can help us, we will go after him.”

Mike Holmgren

“It kind of shifted. Normally free agency sets up your draft just a little bit because you’ve dealt with some position stuff and maybe it gets you thinking a little bit differently in the draft. Now it’s, to my way of thinking, it could be flipped. Not necessarily, but it could be flipped. So your draft fell a certain way, you’ve addressed maybe an issue you thought you had to address, and now maybe in free agency it doesn’t become quite as critical. It’s just kind of flipped. It doesn’t have to work that way, but probably people are thinking about that a little bit.”

Tom Heckert

(On if Cameron was the guy they wanted at the start of the day)- “He was 100% the guy we wanted. It’s kind of funny, but there was a team that was going to take him right behind us, that was pretty close behind us.”

Mike Holmgren

(On if he could dunk like Cameron when he was younger)- “No, the guy is a special athlete isn’t he? Wow.”

Mike Holmgren

(On if he watched the tape of Cameron)- “Yes I did. I told him when I talked to him now that he’s out of there, my $10 bucks a month going to the school, I’m pulling it out of there. I’m done (joking).”

Pat Shurmur

“They do have a secret handshake though (joking).”

Mike Holmgren

(On what he sees with Cameron)- “I think he’s a pup first of all. He has played as Tom mentioned, but his best years are clearly ahead of him. The guy was a basketball player, a very good one, and he adapted to the football game which isn’t always easy for a basketball player at a very difficult position. The tight end position is a very difficult position. You have to have the skill of a pass receiver and the toughness of a lineman and they are asked to do a lot of things. He played against really high-level competition and he’s really a good athlete. He’s kind of lean at 250 lbs. There is a possibility of him getting a little bit bigger perhaps. The last thing is that he really wants to do this. He wants to be good at this and I like that type of attitude. I think there is a tremendous upside here for a young man who started off his life thinking he was probably going to play basketball.”

Tom Heckert

(On Marecic will play linebacker at all)- “No. He’s a really good fullback.”

Tom Heckert

(On difference between Cameron and Evan Moore)– “I do think they are different. Evan played all receiver in college and this guy was actually lined up as a tight end. But size-wise, they are very similar. Athletes – Evan is a very good athlete too but just the way they play, I do think they are different. I think they are very good. Both of them are very good but I like the fact that if we want two tight ends, whether Ben is in the game or not, you’ve got two 6-5 guys. I just think adding another weapon to the offense can only help.”

Tom Heckert

(On whether Skrine will return kicks)– “He’s done it but right now, Josh (Cribbs) is our guy.”

Pat Shurmur

(On how quickly young defensive linemen can play at a high level in their first year)– “We feel as though that is a position where a guy can come in and play, compete and really start in their first year. Every young player in the league, there’s a little bit of a learning curve, but I think with those players, they have a chance to be up and running a little quicker than say, some other position like an offensive lineman or something like that.”

Mike Holmgren

(On mentioning earlier that he wanted a home run hitter in this draft)– “When I made that statement, I was thinking of a couple guys. Because of how the draft fell, we did absolutely the right thing, first of all. Secondly, in Little, I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised if you don’t know him very well. I think he is a young man who has a tremendous upside. A home run hitter isn’t necessarily everyone going out for a long one. Yards after a catch and a receiver’s ability to break a tackle and move after the catch can be a home run of sorts. This young man can do that. That is where one of his strengths is. I’m hopeful. We added to our receiver pile. I’ll say this, too – I’ve said this and I’ve said this as long as I’ve been here – I think our receivers are underrated and I don’t know if we know what they can be. Now we are going to find out because the offense we are going to run is a little bit more geared to getting the ball into their hands. So we will find out, but at this point, I think we have good receivers here and this young man is a nice addition to the group.”

Tom Heckert

(On working with Shurmur during this draft)– “We had a really good time, we did. The way we have the draft room set up, we’re not in their stressing. We have a good time. Obviously, when it’s our turn to pick or when we are close, then we start but it’s easy. I guess that is probably the best term for it. We all get along, we’re all thinking the same thing, so it’s just very easy.”

Mike Holmgren

“They all like sushi, I don’t like sushi. They’ve got platters of that stuff all over the place (joking).”

Tom Heckert

“That’s the best part of the draft, bringing the sushi in (joking).”

Mike Holmgren

(On if not being as active in the draft was the reason for not drafting a quarterback)– “That was the one big fight we had in there (joking). No don’t write that, I’m teasing. We didn’t do that. I think philosophically, I always like to take a quarterback in the draft late. But that also had to make sense. This year, based on our roster needs and what we had and what we needed to do, we did the right thing. Now, are we finished adding to the quarterback pile? I don’t think so but maybe we are, but I don’t think so. I think we are going to try and figure out a way to get another guy in here but you do what you have to do when the draft comes up to make good decisions and Pat and Tom did that.”

Tom Heckert

(On if there was a specific position he wanted to address but couldn’t)– “I don’t think so. We tried to do the best we could but if there was a guy – the tight end could be one of those guys – where someone says, ‘Maybe you didn’t need him,’ but this guy was so head and shoulders above anyone else and everybody was on the same page and said let’s take him. We’re happy we did.”

Tom Heckert

(On feeling bad for the guys not drafted because of the labor uncertainty)– “These guys that are not going to get drafted are going to be sitting there going, ‘What do I do now?” It will be different for them, there’s no doubt.”

Tom Heckert

(On if Cameron was head and shoulders better than anybody else at his position or on their board)– “On our board.”

Tom Heckert

(On why he’s excited about Cameron who did little in college)– “You keep saying that, but if you watch, he plays in every game. He had 16 catches so he didn’t catch a ton of balls but he plays. I don’t know how many routes we saw him run in a game, probably 40-50 every game. He didn’t catch the ball every time but you see him do it and at the all-star games he was really good, so it was easy for us.”

Tom Heckert

(On summarizing how the team was reshaped over past few days)– “I don’t know if it’s been reshaped. I think we’ve added good football players. We talked about the toughness factor but that’s always been our goal. I think we proved that last year with Joe (Haden) and T.J. (Ward). I just think we got good football players. Obviously we helped our defensive line, which was a concern but we just think we got good football players to come in and help us. We needed to get some young players in here and we think we did that.”

Mike Holmgren

(On advice for guys not drafted that will be in limbo)– “First of all, stay in terrific shape. If they fall into that category, then they’ve been watching drafts and they’ve been watching the procedures. Maybe they have friends or brothers or somebody that knows how it works. At some point, they just have to be ready to go. They have to be ready on a pretty short notice to deal with organizations. We can’t do it now. That does not mean that if you fall into that category – and they know who they are, I believe they know who they are – they should just stay in shape, be ready to go and not worry too much about it other than the fact that there is a delay of sorts. Things will kind of clear up, I hope relatively quickly on the procedure. We’ll just see, but that would be my advice to them.”

Pat Shurmur

(On if he feels better about the roster than he did three days ago)– “I feel extremely good about what we’ve accomplished. We picked players that we feel like are going to have, in most cases, a chance to come in here and start and compete right away. We’ve got guys that we really feel good about and they are players we like. Coach made the comment that we didn’t reach and we felt like if we came out of this draft with a lot of good players, we were going to get better. I think that is what we’ve accomplished.”

Mike Holmgren

(On his thoughts about the first trade)– “I went into Tom’s office many, many times and he when he finally said, ‘This is what I think I want to do.’ It’s a big deal because at pick six, there is going to be a good player there. About every morning I’d come in and I’d bang him a little bit for the only reason that I wanted him to make sure that this is what he wanted to do. It was absolutely the right thing to do for our team at this particular time. The trade was kind of an amazing trade when you count it up. Next year we’ve got a one and I believe a four and it’s what we needed. The hard part for you and for my family and anyone else watching the draft is you get to six, ‘Who are we going to pick,’ and you say ‘We’re trading back to 27,’ and everyone goes ‘Ugh.’ You wait and you wait and you wait and you see players come off the board, that’s the hard part. But it was the right thing to do, absolutely the right thing to do.”

Mike Holmgren

(On trading for picks for next year’s draft)– “There will be a draft next year. I heard someone say, ‘What if there’s no draft?’ Well, what if they take the air out of every football in the United States. Then we can all do something else, I guess (joking).”
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thanks for the excellent read.

I disagree with Holmgren on one thing here. Heckert wasn't looking for just solid. He was looking for superstars on most of those picks.

Good point. Well .. if even 1 of these guys becomes legit, then we got the home run hitter!

I think Heckert might have put a couple over the fence the last three days. Man we added some really vicious hitters over the last 3 days. One of the most physical group of draftees that I can remember. All these guys love to hit whether on offense or defense.

Little has superstar written all over him with not only terrific hands but damn his feet are incredible and he has that Hillis mentality from the receiver position.

Marecic with Hillis will be painful. Kid plays the game with a violent aggression.

Sheard and Taylor finish plays with force throw Benard and Rubin in there with them and that aint a bad front 4 lol. If any of the rest work out it will be just a phenomenal draft and I think Pinkston was a steal and will definitely work out, sounds like Steiny's replacement was added.

Well I would love to see Lauvao and Pinkston develop, but if we have womack back and even ONE of those 2 young guards can step up to the left guard position ... have we though about moving Steinbach to Right Tackle at all? could be a short term solution?

Man, I am really disappointed in the overall lack of opinion / comments on the draft on the board - particularly on today's picks. I come here for that insight dammit, especially since I don't watch much college football.

It sounds to me like Taylor and Sheard seem like safe picks with a floor of solid starter. Those sound like good picks. There seemed to be a lot of negative reaction to the Little pick and for good reason, but when you watch his highlights the term "jumping off the screen" comes to mind. Keeping in my mind that a 3 minute clip of highlights should be a collection of great plays, there was something special about what I was watching. Viscious player at the WR position. Boom or bust pick, but if he booms he's going to be off the charts.

The TE and the FB seem like they could be huge busts. Heckert said something interesting about the TE ...although he didn't have that much production it sounded like he was able to get open consistently and made the most of his opportunities. They liked something they saw on tape that had nothing to do with actually catching the ball. I can't wait to see how it plays out.

For this draft to be an A we need 3 starters immediately and a backup to possible starter for down the road ...Pinkston?

Most of the venum being spewed is all fake by people that never saw a single game these kids have played in. They want a reason to complain so they find one. When I see a few of the complainers saying Little was a 5th round prospect because they saw it on a websight, I know what it is about.

Bottom line last year we got Hayden, ward, McCoy and Lauvao thats 3 starters and 1 that will be starting soon.

This year we got Taylor, Sheard, Little, Marecic and Pinkston. thats 4 starters and 1 that will be starting soon.

The pieces are being added and more will be added through free agency. I like what i see being built and we arent mortgaging the future to build it either. In fact we added another first next year.

The FB got rave reviews on espn.

Most of the complaints are taken verbatim from the 2 "con" sentences given for each player on NFL.com.

To be fair, most of the "pro" comments are also being made by people who never saw some of these guys play ..... so it is what it is.

I doubt that many people watched Little play 2 seasons ago. (2009)

I doubt that many watched a lot of tape on Owen Marecic or Buster Skrine ... or that most people even knew that they existed before today.

You can't call out the cons while excusing the pros similar behavior.

take the FB we got in the 4th. I hear all this complaining because of well we have Vickers.

Vickers is a FA and probably wont be back as he will want to test free agency and someone will pay high for him. Vickers was banged up a lot last year. He isnt a threat as a receiver. Shurmur wants a fullback with hands.

with a 4th round pick we got an excellent blocker. He will be lucky to make about as much in the next 4 years as Vickers will make next year alone. He happens to have great hands and is a perfect fit for Shurmur's offense.

The draft just makes to much sense.


I hear complaints that Taylor is Rogers so why didnt we keep Rogers?

Rogers hasnt been healthy in 3 years. Rogers was due like 6 mil this year if we had retained him. Rogers even when healthy played on average 1/3 of the defensive snaps because of poor cardio. Rogers also had no discipline and why he made great plays his lack of discipline gave up just as many huge plays and lets not forget the gun incidents at airports. Rogers would not have been back beyond this year anyway.

Taylor lost weight and showed excellent cardio last year. He became a model citizen at Baylor. he plays very disciplined and is praised for being coachable. at the 27th position he will be very cheap and he will be here for the next 6 years in his first contract alone. BTW this kid has great hands once he learns how to use them like rubin he will be unstoppable.


Ok now for Little

This kid was projected by a few of the so called experts to go in the late first. he catches everything within reach. he doesnt look for defenders, he just goes for the ball. He has amazing feet and has great rac ability and he punishes defensive backs. He is raw running routes and dropped a few passes early because he was more worried about being in the right spot.

I loved Randall Cobb also and would have taken Cobb ahead of Little due to speed but Little plays fast also. The sky is the limit for this kid and he really fits Shurmurs dink and duck approach.

Even Jordan Cameron pick makes sense although I would have taken Stucker.

Watson is starting to get up there in age. Moore is often injured and we will run a lot of 2 tight end sets. This kid has amazing upside but is a high risk. All 4th rounders are of high risk. this one just has a really high risk and a really high reward.

I think the draft started off fine, The trade down, and the first 3 picks were plausible in nature. There were specific needs that had to be filled.

The only thing I did not like was trading up and giving up picks, and we lost a third rounder.

On Saturday the wheels fell off... We have a clone of Jordan Cameron in Evan Moore, who does not get enough playing time. Sam Acho is this years Elvis Dummerville for me. We have a clone of Maresic in Vickers, so it looks like he is not going to be resigned. I don't like losing good players. The corner was fine, someone to keep up with Wallace and Smith. The trade up for Pinkston was questionable at best. And frankly, I remember him from the combine, and shook my head. The saftey was fine, but maybe too late..

So, what does this mean,

1) The Browns have figured out who they will move around to make the 4-3 work.

2) They will be very busy during free agency.

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We have a clone of Jordan Cameron in Evan Moore

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Cameron and Moore are both white tight ends. That doesn't mean they are similar players. Cameron has the potential to be a Kellen Winslow type player.

In was replying to the fact that those of us who haven't seen much of these players live can't have an opinion on their reported strengths and/or weaknesses. The poster I replied to said this:

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Most of the venum being spewed is all fake by people that never saw a single game these kids have played in. They want a reason to complain so they find one. When I see a few of the complainers saying Little was a 5th round prospect because they saw it on a websight, I know what it is about.

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So ... anyone who trusts the front office blindly is OK. Anyone who never saw these kids play, but thinks they're great is OK. Anyone who loves a particular player based on a 1 minute highlight YouTube is knowledgable. However ... anyone with concerns based on what has been reported in website articles and online scouting reports has no clue,and is spewing venom.

I have concerns about some of the players we drafted based on what has been reported about them. I have seen some play a little ... and some not much at all. (if at all) I doubt that many people have seen Little play live in a game .. or if they have, that they remember much about him from 2 years ago. I doubt that many people on here followed Stanford super closely, and watched the FB saying "Man, I hope we get him!". Most people, if they watched Stanford, were watching the passing game in general, and the QB in particular.

That's my only point here. People who have concerns based on what they have read are haters. Those who like the picks based upon what they have read, or seen in a 30 second hihghlight clip, well, they're obviously intelligent and insightful.

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So ... anyone who trusts the front office blindly is OK. Anyone who never saw these kids play, but thinks they're great is OK. Anyone who loves a particular player based on a 1 minute highlight YouTube is knowledgable. However ... anyone with concerns based on what has been reported in website articles and online scouting reports has no clue,and is spewing venom.

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Everyone is titled to their opinions. That's great for debate. But I will say that I hardly think that Marecic or Little are as unknown by the masses as some might suggest. I rather think that the people complaining about it have some unhealthy man-crush on Vickers or Julio Jones and aren't interested in Marecic or Little.

I have concerns about some of the players we drafted based on what has been reported about them. I have seen some play a little ... and some not much at all. (if at all) I doubt that many people have seen Little play live in a game .. or if they have, that they remember much about him from 2 years ago.

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I doubt that many people on here followed Stanford super closely, and watched the FB saying "Man, I hope we get him!". Most people, if they watched Stanford, were watching the passing game in general, and the QB in particular.

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Undoubtedly, but many of them might have remembered seeing Gerhardt's runs and seen video of Luck (when they thought he would enter the draft) and thought to themselves 'Nice block!" on a DE or LB (or both) or a nice pass block allowing Luck to complete a nice pass.

Many of those Luck and Gerhardt films are Marecic films also.

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That's my only point here. People who have concerns based on what they have read are haters. Those who like the picks based upon what they have read, or seen in a 30 second highlight clip, well, they're obviously intelligent and insightful.

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There are some folks here that watch other games, not just Ohio State (or even just Big Ten games). I'm pretty sure that there are at least some here that watched other bowl games with some of these players in them. They watched the combines. They watched some films too. Of course, most, I am sure, don't work for any NFL team as a scout, but they are (some of them) capable of seeing with their own eyes and take what some 'scouting' sites have to say.

You could compare the so-called 'experts' Mayock & Kiper and there would be differences in their ranks. You could put together a plethora of information and you'd see all kinds of conflicting data.

I'll trust my own knowledge on some of these players, what I've seen and so on, and trust the Browns front office on what I haven't seen.

Overall, I like this draft and I see 4 selections as starters, possibly 6. If Montario Hardesty is healthy (which I have no reason to believe he won't be), then it could be like getting 5, possibly 7 starters in this draft.

On top of that, we get a second first rounder next year and a second fourth rounder. Absolutely worth it! Who knows, we might use some picks next year to move around again. And if Vickers leaves, we could get a compensatory pick.

What really gets me is the posters who want to bring up off the field issues. I would be willing to bet that some of those same folks where complaining about Mangini only bringing in his type of players. I supported Mangini but that was the one thing about him I didn't like.He seemed to have tunnel vision about exactly what system he was modeling after and exactly what type of player he would bring to the team, with no deviation. I am not saying go the route of the Bengals, but, we have let free agents pass us by and released veteran players that didn't seem to fit the Mangini mold.There has to be a middle ground at times.

It has been quoted that one website/publicationhad Little as a 5th rnd. pick. There are also numerous sites saying he was the 4-5th best receiver in the draft. After missing the entire year.

Jason Pinkston conf. call transcript - 4/30

Posted 18 hours ago

The transcript of OL Jason Pinkston's Saturday afternoon conference call with the Cleveland media.

Browns offensive lineman Jason Pinkston conference call 4-30-11

(On his hometown of Pittsburgh and if he’s okay with coming to Cleveland)– “Yes, I’ll be there. Can’t wait to get there.”

(On the kind of player he is)– “I’m a hard worker. I love football. It’s my life. I love running the ball. I love drive-blocking people. Whatever I can do to help the team win, I’m going to do it.”

(On growing up in Pittsburgh and the Browns/Steelers rivalry)– “I grew up a Steelers fan. I grew up watching them all my life. I love them but it’s on to a business now and I’m a Cleveland Brown.”

(On going up against teammate and fellow Browns draft pick Jabaal Sheard in practice)– “I did block Jabaal sometimes. I had some pretty good battles with him. He’s a great player and I can’t wait to keep working with him and transition to another team with Jabaal.”

(On fitting better at right tackle or left tackle)– “It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to get caught up in that.”

(On meeting with the Browns)– “I met with their offensive line coach at the combine but that was it.”

(On how he describes himself as a player)- “I’m a hard worker. I’ve been in a pro-style offense with Coach Tony Wise, who’s been my offensive line coach for a long time. We ran a lot of power football. Some of our blocking schemes are very similar to the Cleveland Browns. Our coaches actually know each other very well, Coach Wise and the offensive line coach now. I’m a hard worker. I love football. I love playing offensive line. I’m a former defensive lineman. I’m ready to go here and get back to work.”

(On a shoulder injury that didn’t allow him to lift at the combine)- “Both of my shoulders were cleared. I did not have to go back out to the combine for another evaluation. I benched at Pro Day and I did 22 reps so my shoulders are fine and cool.”

(On his relationship with his cousin Todd Pinkston and if they have talked about the NFL)- “I’m not that close with him. He’s a distant cousin. That’s it. I haven’t talked to him at all about it.”

(On being listed size at 317 lbs. and maybe getting bigger)– “I can get bigger if I need to. It’s not a problem at all.”

(On if he can step in and start right away)– “I’m going to just come in and do my part and do it the best I can, playing offensive line, learning the playbook and getting things done like that. I’ll try to follow the lead of the older veterans on the team and if I can get in and play right away, I’m definitely up for it.”

(On what he’ll do with the Steelers gear he’s accumulated over the years)– “I’m donating it to Goodwill.

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