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shocker. I wouldn't be mad if Campbell beats out Weeden (or vice versa)

I will be ticked if one guy beats out the other in terms of performance, but doesn't start.

No shocker there. Weeden just might not be good. That is why Campbell was signed.

More on Weeden & Campbell:

Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden pressing on after team passes on rookie
By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

BEREA, Ohio -- Brandon Weeden didn't sit around on draft weekend fretting that the Browns were going to take Geno Smith, EJ Manuel, Ryan Nassib or any of the top quarterbacks in the draft.

When the three days were over and there was no new hotshot rookie coming in, he went right back to what he'd been doing all along: trying to prove that he should be the starting quarterback.

"I didn't really read into [the draft] one way or the other," Weeden said Thursday on the first day of organized team activities open to the media. "I wasn't really concerned with it. I was up here the days before the draft and the days after preparing just like I have every other day. That's the way I was all along.

"I was telling someone the other day, I've been drafted twice [including baseball]. You never know what's going to happen in the draft. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. I wasn't concerned about it. That was probably my least concern. I was worried about this team getting better and getting back to work."

Weeden hopes the new regime already believes he's their man. They did agree to terms on a two-year deal with Cleveland native Brian Hoyer Thursday night, but Hoyer, the former Cardinal, is expected to challenge for a backup role.

"I hope they see not only what I'm doing out here, but the way I'm handling myself and working and spending time studying and doing all of those other things," Weeden said. "This means a lot to me. This is my job. I take it seriously and I want to be the guy.

"I think we're going to be a better football team in a lot of ways and I want to be a part of it and prove to them that I am that guy to make this team better."

With the Browns checking into every possible QB option, signing nine-year veteran Jason Campbell, studying the draft and now adding Hoyer, is Weeden primed to put the regime's concerns to rest?

"No one has come up to me and said anything," he said. "It's not really my concern. I'm here now and my concern now is going and watching the film today and getting better. If I worried about all that other stuff, there's no way I could function."

Weeden acknowledged that Campbell's presence is bringing out his best.

"Absolutely, yeah, because he's playing well and he's doing a lot of good things," he said. "He's been in this offense so he kind of knows a little bit of the ins and outs so I can kind of ask him questions and we can help each other. But he's throwing the ball good and he's pushing me and that's the way it should be."

Sources told The Plain Dealer earlier this month that Campbell will get a legitimate shot in camp and the competition isn't just lip service. Although Weeden is working with the first-team offense and Campbell with the twos, Campbell will get some reps with the starters in camp. Thad Lewis is working with the third team and it remains to be seen what happens when Hoyer joins the mix.

"It's competition," said Weeden. "But that's just the way it is. Jason is great to have around. He's been a great resource for me, we've helped each other. He's a veteran guy. He's a pro. He gets it. He's been around and I think we are both competing and trying to both get better."

Campbell, 31, hasn't been told anything about his chances.

"Honestly I haven't gotten caught up in that," he said. "I feel like we're all trying to reach a common goal which is to win. If you get caught up in that you can't go out and focus and get better. Ultimately I do want to help but also compete and give my best.

"We'll just see how it goes. ... I'm helping Brandon, trying to learn this myself, trying to help Thad as we go and right now we're a team and that's how it's going to be throughout the season. ... Whatever that role is I'll do the best I can because I just want to win, especially at this point of my career."

Campbell has a slight knowledge edge in the system, having played it for about four seasons, including his last two in Oakland.

"[Campbell] knows the terminology," said coach Rob Chudzinski. "It's a little more comfortable for him. He has basically called the same things before. That definitely helps."

The Browns also like what Campbell brings in terms of experience (31-40 record) and intangibles.

"Really if you look at him, he's a guy that's had success," said Chudzinski. "He's played in the league. He's got a good arm, good mobility and that experience level that he brings to the table. He has good touch and he is able to get the ball where he wants to put it."

Weeden, meanwhile, is working overtime to memorize the new terminology. "Me and my wife [Melanie] have spent too many hours studying," he said with a laugh. "It's been crazy."

Weeden's arm was on display Thursday and he made some ice completions in 11-on-11s, including a deep ball down the right sideline to Jordan Cameron with safety Tashaun Gipson in tight coverage. But on the only OTA day open to the media this week out of the three, he had his rough moments.

He was almost picked off on a deep ball for Cameron and was intercepted twice, once by safety Eric Hagg on a ball tipped by Josh Gordon and once by Gipson against Travis Benjamin. Cornerback Joe Haden also broke up a few passes, including a deep offering to Cameron.

"My third day was not as good as my first two days," Weeden said. "Day One and Day Two, I was making completions everywhere. I told Joe, 'You got me today, but I won the first two.'"

The coaches are demand a fast pace, and practice reps occur at breakneck speed.

"If you're at the line of scrimmage all you hear is 'let's go, let's go, let's go.' That's all that I hear and they just harp on it because it's tough on defenses," said Weeden. "If you can get lined up and do your motions and stuff, it's tough for defenses to get lined up and that's where big plays come about and [offensive coordinator] Norv [Turner] is the main reason."

Weeden's development is being accelerated, in more ways than one.

Link

PPE...that was the opinion of the Sport exchange - Slaughter challenging Gipson for the starting job.

I've heard that we drafted him because of his prowess shown on special teams. It is hoped after time he can compete for the FS position.

If that was our plan to draft a player to Challenge Gipson for the starting job. We sure as heck wouldn't wait till the 6th round to invest into that as well as totally ignore the FA market

possible depth - does it mean Slaughter cannot win the job...weirder things have happened. But I don't think the expectations of a Site should be taken as inside info with the FO/Coaches. I just wouldn't read too much into it. Outside of what it is.

Vambo outside of his size I didn't really read any account of Weeden's play vs Campbell.

I'm not sure if this is the same day but I read somewhere that Weeden threw an INT to Gipson on a long pass but then completed two long passes I think TDs??? to Cameron n Forgot the other (Little, Gordon or Benjamin...sorry for the forgetfulness). No mention of any other negatives except for that early INT.

All I know - QB Controversy is Bad for the Browns. QB Controversy is Narvana to Bozo's as they got daily stories for weeks easily written n always read!

When Campbell gets extensive time with the #1's then I will believe that he is taking over. It not like he hasn't flashed some good game in the past - inconsistency has always been his problem n he has an extensive data base where in Weeden does not.

JMHO

j/c

If anyone watched the video accompanying the article, you'll hear Chud glow about Weeden and not even mention Campbell's name.

This is just typical media pot stirring.

It is impossible to evaluate olinemen while they're in shorts.
I knocked Lava when he was first drafted,called him cement shoes.
I was completely and utterly wrong.He has impressed me.You are correct,he has improved each year,with this being his 4th year I believe he will become a very good RG.
I'm not ready to say he can play on the left,but,having been wrong once I won't say he can't.

It's amazing how many people overrate Lava Man. I ain't backing down on the footwork thing.

The guy has his good points. He has a very strong upper body. He can really lock you up once he gets his hands on you. He does have a nasty streak. He is a hustler and plays until the whistle blows---sometimes after--LOL. He is good in tight spaces.

He also has some weaknesses. His footwork is awful. I can't believe we are even debating this. He ends up on the ground on a high percentage of plays because he can't keep his feet under him. He really struggles w/gap blocking because he can't explode on the angle block. If he is in space, he will get juked and beat. He does get more than his share of penalties.

I am not saying he stinks, but man, you guys are killing me w/this footwork thing. IT'S AWFUL!!!

I have no problem w/the coaching staff moving guys around at this time of the year, but he won't be starting at LG. No way. His feet simply won't allow it.

tab-------the article Vambo posted did say that Campbell clearly outplayed Weeden on Thursday. Read it again.

Purple----we will have to see. I am thinking that the coaching staff is high on Gipson. I could be wrong. I am obviously speculating.

j/c Does anyone know how much of the OTA was open to the media? I'm wondering how long the media had to view the team.

I think they got to see day 3, but not the first 2 days. I am judging that by Weeden's comments about who outplayed whom.

A. I'm not going to concede that his footwork is bad. I've seen him on the second level doing good things.

B. You talk like the guy wears concrete shoes.

See here: NFL Combine Video - Lauvao

And compare him to "the most athletic G" at the NFL Combine 2013:

Johnathan Cooper
20 yard shuttle: 4.84
3 cone drill: 7.78

Shawn Lauvao
20 yard shuttle: 4.51
3 cone drill: 7.56

These are the two drills where footwork come into play big time.

The Combine, huh?

Don't freaking concede it. Who cares. But, I ain't conceding it either.

See, this is one of those instances that if I mention something about what I did for a living---a bunch of you will rip me for pointing that out. Instead, I just gotta take it because you are the expert. BS!

Thanks for the quick response.

So when you paint yourself into a corner your deus ex machina is pulling the I used to be a scout card?

Come on man thats pretty weak.

Watch the guy move around.

Take a look at the video from 0:40 to 0:56 and tell me what you see as a former scout.

Here is a part of a player profile about Lava Man when he was coming out of college.

Quote:

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Initial quickness: Lauvao displayed good but not great quickness of the line of scrimmage. His second stop, where you power slide back, is lacking.

Movement: His lack of movement is what makes Lauvao a guard prospect at the next level. He didn't pull much as a senior because he was playing tackle. But when he does move around, Lauvao is heavy footed. He doesn't maintain very good balance and his strength gets negated.

Pass blocking: Held up well enough in pass blocking as a senior. Is more of a phone booth blocker and he should be much better on the inside as a pro. Consistently gets good reach with his ams to keep defenders back.

Run blocking: Lauvao has the skills to be a good power run blocker at the next level. He's aggressive and really strong in his upper body.

http://www.sbnation.com/2010/4/10/1414573/shawn-lauvao-nfl-draft-scouting

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Gee, I was so far off in my analysis of him. Scroll up and look at what I wrote. Both pros and cons. Let me guess---the guy[s] who wrote this--and me--are clueless and you are the great talent evaluator?

Paint myself in a corner?

Take a hike, Dj....errr....Held.

I watched the guy play. I put my binnoculars on him during live games because there was such a difference of opinion on him. I recorded games and watched him play.

I listed his strengths. He does have strengths. Footwork is NOT one of them!!! That is my opinion as a former scout and a guy who actually coached OL!!!

I'm analyzing him from the perspective of a NFL RG. This guy was talking about how his strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of a LT is going to mean he's going to have to play G at the next level.

From the point of a NFL Guard he has pretty good feet and great athleticism.

Ok CoachB....er I mean quite versitile.

This coming from a guy who didn't know what the strong side and weak side was as it related to defensive players.

But whatever internet persona you want to portray is fine by me.

This all started because I said he does not have the feet to play LG. The LG is asked to pull more. Trap more. Gap bock more. Area block on the back-side more. Get to the second level in zone blocking schemes more. I said he was better suited to play RG because of his feet.

I never said he sucked. I listed what I thought his strengths were. Good feet are not one of them!

Yeah, Vers corrected me when I got confused. Not the other way around.

Although I don't think you need to get lost. lol

Just thought I'd throw my opinion in here. While I do agree with Vers that he lacks the feet to be the "ideal" LG I don't think that means he will fail. I think that may be how people are portraying what your saying.

IMO he lacks the lower body bend and strength to be a great RG as well. He is not a perfect prospect for either. He won't drive a man off the ball 5 yards and he won't lock down Geno Atkins on a pass pro.

I do think, even though his average athleticism holds him back from turning his hips in the 2nd level, that he does a good job of getting to his guy purely by will. He is ferocious. I think as a pulling LG if he can get there he would be a great bulldozer. Maybe not lock on and deviate his man like Joe but if he can use his upper body to jolt defenders he can create "pileups" as I've seen multiple times from him on the 2nd level.

I've said many times if Lava is our 5th best OL we have a great OL. Ever consider maybe we wanted to balance the line out by flopping guys? Joe is clearly and always will be better than Schwartz so a better RG would solidify the line as a whole.

Bademosi embraces switch from corner to free safety:

http://www.ohio.com/blogs/cleveland-brow...safety-1.398677

" Johnson Bademosi made his mark as a rookie this past season playing special teams for the Browns, and he also showed promise in limited action as a cornerback.

But Bademosi, who went undrafted out of Stanford University, is now undergoing a position change with a new coaching staff in place. After spending most of his life playing cornerback, Bademosi has been working exclusively at free safety as of late. Tashaun Gipson is atop the depth chart at free safety, though Bademosi is hoping to push him.

Bademosi discussed his new role and more with reporters during the 14th annual Cleveland Browns Foundation Golf Tournament today at Westwood Country Club in Rocky River. Below are some highlights from the interview.

What are your thoughts on moving from cornerback to free safety?: “It was an idea some of our coaches had. I’m kind of up for anything. Anyway I can help the team I’m willing to. I’ve heard the more you can do in this league, the longer you’ll play in this league. Whether it’s long snapper, corner, safety, Wildcat quarterback, I’m willing to do it. I’m willing to learn.”

You’re built like a safety -- 6-foot and 200 pounds: “People have said that. The way the league is now there are a variety of sizes at positions. You’ve got big corners and small corners, big safeties and small safeties. It just kind of depends on what you prefer.”

What experience do you have at safety?: “Not too much. I’ve been a corner for pretty much all my life, and I’ve done a good job at corner. So now it’s just a means of learning safety. It’s a new thought process, new checks, new responsibilities.”

How tough is that transition?: “It’s different. I’d say physically, it’s not as demanding as corner. But it’s demanding in a couple different ways as far pre-snap reads and responsibilities to make certain checks and calls. At your job, sometime they put you in a new position and you have to learn how to operate in that fashion, and that’s what I’m doing now.”

There are some opportunities for starting jobs at safety and corner. What gives you the best opportunity to get on the field?: “It’s hard for me to say. We’ve got a lot of great players on the team at both the corner and safety positions. There’s a lot of competition at both positions.”

Are you confident specials teams can continue to perform well without Josh Cribbs, who recently signed with the Oakland Raiders?: “Cribbs was a really productive player, and he was special. It shows in what he’s done in the past. But like any other year, no year is the same, and the team is different every year. We’re just going to progress and get better as a unit.”

Cribbs and free agent Ray Ventrone took pride in being leaders on special teams. Do you look to do that?: “Bubba (Ventrone) was a leader and Josh was a leader, and I learned a lot from those guys. I’m going to try to take what those guys taught me and hopefully teach that to others and just build on what I did this past season.”"

Sorry for bringing that up, man. It just irritates me how guys lie around here because they NEED to be right.

Thanks for posting. I owe you one.

Fair response, but man, I just don't see him at LG.

Like I said earlier, he does have strengths. The trouble w/the board is that you are not allowed to list both strengths and weaknesses. It's like you gotta say this guy is great or he sucks. I won't play that game.

I like Lava at RG because he is very strong in the upper body. Strong hands. Good punch. Mean. Plays well in tight areas. I am not saying to bench the guy. I just don't think he has the skill set for a LG.

So I looked it up and it was a conversation I had with Overtoad not you.

So for that I apologize.

Onto Lauvao you're still wrong. You said that his footwork is "AWFUL". It is not. The end. I'm done. I'll let others continue it if need be.

It really helps to have an intelligent FS. The guy went to Stanford. That's a plus.

I was thinking about something else in the article. Losing both Cribbs and Ventrone is going to hurt the special teams in regards to coverage. Wonder why we didn't bring Ventrone back?

Lauvao doesnt have the good feet for Tackle but he does have the feet for a guard. He isn't Steiny and Steiny had just phenominal feet for anyone. When you compare Lauvao to the rest of the league however, I would say, he has good feet without hesitation.

agreed.

Just a thought. If, Shaun Lauvao is going in at left guard, like they should have at least experimented with last year, then, the way I figure it... Of the projected starting 5 Browns O-linemen, the 3 most experienced, ... Mack, Thomas, and Lauvao, will be lining up next to each other.. and for that; I'm Stoked!
I really think there's something to that, footwork aside, which will work itself out good or bad, in the end anyway.

Stoked!

Joe T. had an unusually bad year for penalties last season. Still luavo killed several drives with his untimely penalties. He is not good enough to make up for them either.

Don't know why people care so much about Lava man. He is just barely an average guard at best. He constantly get pushed back on passing plays and just flat out gets beat often. His poor play is one reason I wanted to draft a stud at guard this past draft. Unless he suddenly learns how to stay on his feet and not whiff on blocks when they use a swim move on him then replacing him on the o-line is still a high priority for me next draft.

Quote:

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Don't know why people care so much about Lava man. He is just barely an average guard at best. He constantly get pushed back on passing plays and just flat out gets beat often. His poor play is one reason I wanted to draft a stud at guard this past draft. Unless he suddenly learns how to stay on his feet and not whiff on blocks when they use a swim move on him then replacing him on the o-line is still a high priority for me next draft.

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It WILL happen. Just watch.

The Browns have something going on up front that no other team in the NFL has. And this isn't even remotely debateable.

Thomas & Schwartz are Book-End STUDS at Tackle.
Mack is a STUD in the middle.

I challenge ANY team to have anything even close to that 3 pack.

We WILL be looking at BOTH Guard spots in the future. And when we find a LG that can actually PULL. And a RG that can actually get some PUSH. Richardson will run wild all over the place.

In our Guards defense. I'm one who believes the difference we will see between Shurmer's pathetic version of a WCO and what Chud and Turner bring to the table will be night and day. How much brighter remains to be seen. The jury's out on Pinky and Lava.

This bears watching all year long. We didn't have anything even close to what we have now back in 07. And Lewis ran all over the place.

I agree with everyone about our lack of talent at Guard. It is one of the biggest weaknesses on the team, and while I'd rather have a great LT and RT than great Guards, it is still a concern.

I'm of the opinion that we MUST upgrade QB (via 1st round of draft), G, FS, and CB before we become competitive in our division.

Really? You flip out because of one sentence? What about the previous year? How many penalties?

Look, I didn't make a big deal out of it. At least not enough to get that response from you.

Mourg: I'll tell you what. Let's put some type of wager on whether or not Lava Man starts at LG this year. I really can't believe people are arguing w/me about his feet. Seriously. It is so obvious. It makes me wonder about other comments you guys make. Comments that I just used to believe.

Saying that Lava has good feet, though.........