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Batman is devious, sneaky, and cunning ....... and has a piece of Kryptonite.

He wins hands down.

For what it's worth, I don't see us taking a 188# guy and making him a Safety. I suspect that Mike Adams will, at the very least, start the year at FS. (since the FO has talked him up a bit, and all but confirmed that Elam won't be back next year)

yawn, DC Comic guys? if you want to startup a discussion on Marvel guys, then I'll join in

Werst... argument... ever.

I don't know when it happened, but Safety and CB have become a position one in the same. When in fact they are two separate positions.

When you draft a DB many times your not quite sure as a GM or Coach where that player will best fit your team.

If you draft a CB and move him to Safety it usually means that they do not have the skill sets to play on the edge.

We did however draft an actual Safety in Hagg. Although I don't think we can say for certain he can win one of the two starting jobs.

Unless we bring in another Safety, then I think that Adams is our best option opposite TJ.

I think that a lot of that is because you have so many more nickel and dime situations in the NFL compared to college. You need guys who can cover the slot, and guys who can cover in space. Sometimes a guy might not be a starter caliber player .... but he has the skills necessary for playing a position in pass defenses. Heck, sometimes a Safety who is too slow to play in base defense will move to a LB type position in special pass defenses. LBs can move to DL spots. When these guys move up in the defensive alignment, it puts more strain on the depth a team has in the defensive backfield. If the team lacks players who can fill those special position, then they lack vital defensive capabilities.

My point was/is that CB and Safety are two separate positions and if a CB is moved to safety, because the Coach feels that he doesn't have the skill sets to play on the edge at this level and the player is moved to Safety. It doesn't necessarily mean that he will be a good safety, because he was a CB.
They are two separate skill sets.

A team really needs 4 CB to play all of the passing defenses, but only needs two Safety's (not including depth).

And my point was that there are a number of reasons for a "position change" ..... some being that a player is listed as a "DB" or "CB/S" instead of either a CB or a S depending upon their position in specialty defenses.

NFL, teams face challenge of setting rosters in short order

By Pat Kirwan NFL.com
Senior Analyst
Published: July 17, 2011 at 05:54 p.m. Updated: July 17, 2011 at 06:25 p.m.


As we get closer to the players and owners reaching a new collective bargaining agreement, the NFL should know that tons of work awaits the folks at its headquarters.

Keep in mind that every player contract agreed upon is reviewed by the league office for approval, which could take a lot of time if a contract is rejected. All it would take to make a deal null and void is something as small as a language dispute, sending the player back into the free-agent pool or, in the case of restructuring a deal, the team back to square one.

Type of negotiations done over the course of a year
Timeframe Type of negotiation Total in a year
January-March 1. Restructure or cut vets 3-6
January-May 2. Re-sign own RFAs 8-10
January-July 3. Re-sign own UFAs 4-6
March-April 4. Offer to RFAs on market 1-2
March-July 5. Offer to UFAs on market 4-6
March-August 6. Talk with tagged player 0-1
March-July 7. Offer to cap casualties 2-3
March-September 8. Make trades 0-2
May-August 9. Sign draft picks 6-12
April 10. Sign undrafted rookies 10-17
July 11. Sign supplemental picks 0-1
January-September 12. Injury settlements 2-5
40-70 total moves

I spoke to two head coaches last week at the American Century celebrity golf tournament in South Lake Tahoe, Nev., and both expressed concern about getting deals done and approved.

"I hope the league office can handle the flood of contracts that are going to pour into their office," one coach said.

One thing we do know for a fact is that 254 draft picks have to get signed, but nobody knows the market for free agents. I expect the first deals to happen right after the green light is lit, which will really upset some general managers around the league who will wonder if they can afford to compete in the new market.

In years past a number of shrewd GMs let the first wave of free agency come and go before they got into the game, but that was when free agency was a standard five-month process.

Needless to say, this isn't years past.

There will be acceleration in decision making when it comes to signings and trades in order to get the new roster into camp. With all this action happening so fast, can you imagine the chaos at 280 Park Avenue when the NFL has to review more than 1,000 contracts and renegotiations?

Can you imagine how difficult it will be to get a hold of a big-time agent to complete a deal with his client when he has 30 or 40 other clients looking for a deal?

Kirwan: Hurry, but be smart Teams around the league will have to cram a lot of business into a short period of time, but Pat Kirwan cautions against carelessness with decision making. More...

Can you imagine what it will be like for a team's contact negotiator having to finish 40 contracts to get 90 players to camp?

All this in a span of about two weeks.

The Arizona Cardinals are a great example of this perfect storm coming to a head. They are in need of a quarterback (probably by a trade); they only have six offensive linemen under contract and need 15 for camp; they have a total of 49 players under contract and need to sign seven restricted free agents, six draft picks, and somehow sign 28 more players to reach 90.

I know that NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell like to remind us that there is still work to be done on the new CBA. But when that work is done there's a heck of a lot more work to be done on rosters.

Man this is gonna be flippin' wild...

Sportscenter better extend to 3 hours cause it's gonna take 2 hours everyday to report signings...

BRING IT ON!!

FA shopping list; ( in no certain order)


QB, Matt Hasselbeck Age: 35 < Replacement for Delhomme and he could really help Colt McCoy with the new offence and end his career with the man who gave him his shot.
He could go else where and still start for another team if he so desires too, but at 35 his years as a starting QB are numbered.

DE, Ray Edwards Age: 26 < He could be out of our price range with so many other needs.
Edwards has been a consistent force for Minnesota, but he also might have benefited from playing with two all pro’s on their front line.

DE, Charles Johnson Age: 25 < Can he put together another double digit sack season? Johnson is also strong against the run and can play the strong side, but might be out of the price range we are looking for.

DE, Mathias Kiwanuka Age: 28 < Is he medically cleared to play after a season ending neck injury? That would be my first question/concern.

DE, Jason Babin Age: 31 < I wouldn't bid too high on his services at his age and the with question, is he a one hit wonder?

DE, Vernon Gholston Age: 25 < A bust at OLBer in the Jets 34 defense, but he might be a second option to the above options to play DE in our new 43 and he is only 25, but he still needs to prove he belongs in this League and should not coast us too much..

DE, Jayme Mitchell Age: 27 < I would be shocked if Mitchell was not resigned and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was one of our 3 day resigns.

DT, Robaire Smith Age: 33 < His veteran presents and experience is something we are lacking and I would like to see him finish his career here with the Browns. We are looking for depth behind Rubin and the rookie Taylor and have Guys like Brian Schaefering and Travis Ivey who could provide some depth, but we really won’t know until we see it on the field. I would not expect any big name DT to be signed as they will be looking for starting jobs for the most part.

DT, Antonio Johnson Age: 26 < The light seemed to finally come on last season and he showed some pass rushing abilities too. He could resign with the Colts.

DT, Tony McDaniel Age: 26 < Tough against the run and had 2.5 sacks playing DE in the Dolphins DL rotation last season.

DT, Martin Parker Age: 22 < Developmental UDFA prospect who will need to improve his lower body strength at the this level, but he showed good range and a quick first step from the DT position and he use’s his hands well to shed tackles and he locates the ball fairly quickly.

OT/OG, Marshal Yanda Age: 26 < Baltimore will attempt to resign him and he could be priced out of our range, but if he clears the 3 day signing period I would be very interested in bringing him in, because he could solve our problem at RT for the near future and he has the versatility to play OG, although after showing he can handle himself quite well at RT, I don‘t see him going back to OG if he signs else where then Baltimore. He won’t get LT money but It will take close to that to sign him.

OT, Jeremy Trueblood Age: 28 < The Bucs probably have the availed cap space to resign him if they so which. He has been a pretty solid RT for the Bucs.

OG/OT Floyd Womack Age: 32 < we know his worth and at his age he might not get much action in FA otherwise I hope he is one of our 3 day resigns.

RB, Darren Sproles Age: 28 < Mr. do it all might not be what he was a couple of years ago, but he could be a nice change of pace back and could take over the PR duties from Cribbs.

RB, Tim Hightower Age: 25 < A pretty solid RB who excels at receiving out of the back field.

RB, Derrick Locke Age: 22 < The Top UDFA RB who would be a change of pace to the power backs we have.

WR, Lance Moore Age: 28 < He would be our slot receiver and would give Colt another important 3rd down option. He has had a history of injury and still could chose to resign with NO. I don’t expect much action with this position in FA. Still I would like to see us bring in a proven SWR.

TE, Evan Moore Age: 26 < I expect him to be resigned before FA before the League signing period begins.

OLB, Manny Lawson Age: 27 < A former first round Draft pick, Lawson is not a great pass rusher, but he is very good in coverage and making plays in the open field. I think he could benefit from a switch to a 43 defense.

OLB, Thomas Howard Age: 28 < He has the talent to start (Wil) for another team and will probably test the waters outside of Oakland.

OLB, Rocky McIntosh Age: 28 < He is miss cast in the Redskins new 34 and he could benefit by moving to a 43 (Wil) defense like ours.

OLB, James Anderson Age: 27 < He was a tackling machine last year for the Panthers from the strong side and also recorded 3.5 sacks.

OLB, Ernie Sims Age: 26 < A player Juron would be familiar with.

FS, Eric Weddle Age: 26 < Landing the top FA Safety will be no small feat. Weddle will have many bidders and he won’t be an easy sign, but he is a top 5 Safety in this league and would be worth a paycheck to match it.

S, Quintin Mikell Age: 30 < Mikell is a well known commodity by Juron and Heckert and Elam probably won’t be back. At 30 he would only be a stop gap.

FS, Dashon Goldson Age: 26 < Goldson had a down year last season for the 9ers and could be brought here at a reasonable price.

FS, Deunta Williams Age: 23 < UDFA and this would be with the future in mind, so we would still need to sign another Veteran Safety.

S, Jordan Babineaux Age: 29 < A player who Holmgren would be familiar with, who could be a stop gap option at Safety.

CB, Chris Carr Age: 28 < Can we steal him from Baltimore?

CB, Eric Wright Age: 26 < He was tendered although that will not count with a new CBA and we will most likely attempt to resign him before the League FA begins. Will he resign?

CB, William Gay Age: 26 < The Steelers have to resign their starters first and that might leave the door open for us to steal one from them.

CB, Ashton Youboty Age: 27 < If we can’t resign Wright, then Youboty could be an option.

Pluto nails it once again...

Bottom line...Don't rely on previously injured players in DQ...Pashos...Hardesty...

Cleveland Browns can't be shy in adding more talent when lockout ends:

Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With the National Football League nearing a labor settlement, the shopping season for teams could begin as soon as this weekend. Remember, this is more than free agency.

It also can include trades, and Browns General Manager Tom Heckert made two significant deals last season -- he turned Brady Quinn, Alex Hall and a seventh-round draft pick into Chris Gocong, Sheldon Brown and Peyton Hills. Three starters for a guy who became a third-string quarterback in Denver and defensive end who had one tackle for all of last season with the Giants.

So Heckert has a knack of making little deals that can turn out big, especially for a team with so many needs such as the Browns.

Not sure about Heckert's priority list, but here's mine -- the top six in order.

1. Where are the linebackers?

No matter how many nice things the Browns say about D'Qwell Jackson, how can they count on him as a starter? He has had major injuries to both shoulders. He has played only six games in two years, none last season. I believe they praise Jackson because he's a good guy who desperately wants to heal and play in the 4-3 defense.

But the fact remains you need three linebackers in this defense, and the Browns have two-- Scott Fujita and Gocong. Titus Brown, Jason Trusnik and Eric Alexander are linebackers on the roster -- but all are backups.

I say the Browns need not one, but two legitimate linebackers to help new defensive coordinator Dick Jauron. This is the thinnest area on a team without much depth -- and that's a scary statement.

Since the Browns didn't draft a linebacker, you have to believe they have an eye on a free agent.

2. They must lean right

The starting right guard is ... well ... probably Shawn Lauvao, a third-round pick from 2010. He played 118 snaps last season, about 11 percent of the plays. Maybe he is ready to start.

But listing Tony Pashos as the starting right tackle is like saying Jackson is a starting linebacker. It's buying a lottery ticket to pay the mortgage. Pashos will be 31 this season. He has played 11 games (four starts) in the last two years.

The Browns hope to retain veteran Porkchop Womack, who is a solid backup at guard and tackle. They did draft Jason Pinkston in the fifth round, and he is a left tackle expected to help on the right side. But we're talking a fifth-round rookie.

Some media people say, "Get Colt McCoy help at receiver."

I say, "First, get him help on the line so he has time to find an open receiver."

3. Can someone rush the QB?

Second-rounder Jabaal Sheard maybe be their most exciting draft pick, but it's a lot to ask for him to be the prime pass rusher. Who plays the other defensive end? Let's hope Robaire Smith is right when he insists he's healthy enough to return.

Smith and Ahtyba Rubin at least bring some experience as the team looks for four linemen. First-rounder Phil Taylor and Sheard are expected to start -- two rookies.

They have Jayme Mitchell, who is supposed to be able to rush the quarterback -- but never played last season. There is Marcus Benard, who showed he could rush as a 3-4 linebacker, but now has to learn defensive end.

Brian Schaefering and Derreck Robinson remains as backups, but the Browns need another legitimate NFL starter on the line.

4. Safety in numbers

The Browns need more people for the safety spot. T.J. Ward is a viable starter, a hard-hitter. He played next to Abe Elam last season, who is now a free agent and isn't the best fit for the Browns, who need a safety who can cover receivers.

Yes, they still have Michael Adams, a nice utility man in the defensive backfield. So they have Ward, and they have Adams ... and that's not enough.

5. Running backs and backups

Can anyone expect Peyton Hills to stay healthy for all 16 games? He may play in each one, but the Browns need him to be more than 240 pounds of welts and bruises by December.

Montario Hardesty? Maybe he stays healthy, maybe he doesn't. But knee problems knocked him out of all of 2010.

They need a viable veteran running back to help the situation.

6. And finally...

Some fans are probably screaming, "What about receivers?"

Yes, they can use a veteran. But at least they have some guys with starting experience from which to pick.

The Browns really do believe a full training camp with McCoy in the new West Coast offense will help Brian Robiskie, Mohamed Massaquoi and second-rounder Greg Little to be at least acceptable. They think Little could soon become far more than that.

They also have Joshua Cribbs and they are intrigued by Carlton Mitchell, a Heckert seventh-rounder in 2010.

At least there is quantity at this position, even if the quality is uncertain. But that's more than can be said at the other five areas of need.

Not that it really matters, but this article is already posted here:

https://www.dawgtalkers.net/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/827502/an/0/page/0#Post827502

Jason Trusnik is a FA, as is DT, Derreck Robinson and he must not be too high on Maiava, because he made no mention of him.

Quote:

---

No matter how many nice things the Browns say about D'Qwell Jackson, how can they count on him as a starter? He has had major injuries to both shoulders. He has played only six games in two years, none last season. I believe they praise Jackson because he's a good guy who desperately wants to heal and play in the 4-3 defense.

---

Actually it was his pecks and not his shoulders IIRC.

Not really a "major injury".

I have less concerns about DQ, then I do with Pashoes and Hardesty.

Browns GM Tom Heckert: 'We want to win now'

By Jeff Schudel
JSchudel@News-Herald.com

Exactly when the NFL players and owners will approve the same version of a collective bargaining agreement is uncertain, but what is certain is the Browns team that emerges from the preseason will be much younger than the one that creaked like an old rocking chair at the end of 2010.

Soon after the Browns finished 5-11 for the second straight season, Mike Holmgren fired Eric Mangini as head coach, and then General Manager Tom Heckert lopped linebackers David Bowens and Eric Barton, offensive lineman John St. Clair, defensive lineman Shaun Rogers, defensive end Kenyon Coleman and tight end Robert Royal. Each player in the group with the exception of Royal had been in the league a minimum of nine years.

"It's my job to make sure we get enough players to win," Heckert said in an interview last week. "We're going to be younger than some teams, but that's OK. I guarantee we're not going to use that as an excuse.

"If we have young guys and put them in there, they have to beat out whoever played there last year or whoever we sign as veteran free agents. We can't just say we're young and rebuilding. We want to win now."

Second-year quarterback Colt McCoy is replacing 13-year veteran Jake Delhomme. Second-year offensive lineman Shaun Lauvao is a likely starter at right guard or right tackle, replacing either St. Clair, 34, or, 32. Womack is one of 17 Browns from 201 who are free agents.

The biggest part of the youth movement will be on the defensive line. Coleman, 32, and Rogers, also 32, are already gone. Robaire Smith, 33, is hoping the Browns give him a chance to play tackle in the 4-3 defense the Browns plan to play. That position is stacked with young players – Ahtyba Rubin (he turns 25 on Tuesday), Brian Schaefering (27) and rookie Phil Taylor.

Last year, the ends were Coleman and Smith. In 2011, they are likely to be rookie Jabaal Sheard and Jayme Mitchell, 27, if the Browns re-sign Mitchell.

"I think we've done that through the draft and we are younger, but we're not going to be satisfied with five or six wins," Heckert said. "That isn't the case at all."

The Browns haven't had a winning season since 2007, when they finished 10-6. They haven't been to the playoffs since 2002 when they finished 9-7.

Well, OK,, I'm glad he feels that way..

I still didn't think Lavaou was ready to start, but hope he proves me wrong.

He was ready to start before last year and would have if he hadn't been hurt.