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Wheres Tonya Harding?

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Trent Richardson sat out organized team activities today with a pulled muscle in his shin and might also miss the Browns' mandatory minicamp June 4-6, coach Rob Chudzinski said.

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A pulled muscle in his shin? The shin is a bone. It does not have a muscle "in" it. There is one outside of the shin---I think.

Is that what he meant? Anyone out there who has expertise in this area? Doesn't make sense to me.

He is such a beast that his cartilage was replaced by muscle lol

shin just means front of your lower leg. There is no bone called the "shin." You are probably thinking of the tibia.

*edit* If he's got shin splints, that's nasty. I had them in high school as a sophomore. It can be caused by wearing non-optimal shoes when running. I think it's when the muscle starts to pull away from the tibia.

LMAO!

Lol, Heckertts dumbest pick was drafting a 30 year old gun slinger with a first round pick.

Pretty sure there is muscle I know if you put your heel on the ground (sitting) n lift your toes it gets flexed. Tendons or Muscle...I don't think you can flex tendons. Most all the shin splits that I have had n others that I coached was usually after an off season rest n then time to push oneself getting into shape (RUNNING) the shins get soar. Sometimes as was mentioned tear a bit off the bone. Like many injuries time off will have that reattach itself to the bone - the shin is carteledge (sp) much how you see in the Leg of a Turkey. Not sure what tears away from the bone...the shin or the muscle???

within several weeks it should be gone 100%.

I'm more worried about the Groin pull of Cameron. I believe he has had it before. Its an injury that within days feels like it is gone. jog on it it feels fine then when you go n sprint it pulls again. So it could linger for the rest of the season???

JMHO

from wiki
In human anatomy, the tibialis anterior is a muscle that originates in the upper two-thirds of the lateral surface of the tibia and inserts into the first cuneiform and first metatarsal bones of the foot. Its acts to dorsiflex and invert the foot. This muscle is mostly located near the shin.

a tendon is what attaches a bone to a muscle. That's what would peel away from a bone.

j/c

Only among Browns' fans could something as innocuous as a "shin strain" be made out to be of any consequence. I believe they are holding him out so that it doesn't become something chronic. That is the prudent thing to do in this situation. Unless or until more information is revealed it's a blip during the offseason, nothing else.

Having seen the videos of TRich doing squats in the gym, I would bet money that the strain is gym related. The dude throws around some seriously big iron, and he could have easily gotten the strain from doing calf raises on the leg press rack. It shouldn't be a big deal at all, and it should heal up pretty quickly.

I have no problem resting a guy we are going to ride all season long. If he starts missing games that count I will concerned.

The guy had knee surgery last year and played the whole season. This is not a concern.

j/c

I think it is way to early to come to any conclusions, TRich played with broken ribs for half the year and still managed to find the endzone. Playing injured is part of the game, many players play injured and many times the fans or media never even hear about it.

The good thing is that Hardesty played well in his limited role last year and TRich ran the ball often even with the broken ribs.

If TRich is having shin splints the MRI was probably to check for any signs of stress fractures, for shin splint can lead to stress fractures. It could also be nothing more than a pulled muscle that will need time to heal.

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If it were just a bruise, he'd be out there and he'd be getting acquainted with Norv, and his totally new offensive scheme he is implementing... besides let's not forget the two knee scopes, ribs and etc. I am rooting for him, if he played with broken rTbs last season under Shurmer's crap offensive scheme, as I said - he'd be a wrecking ball when close to 100%.

That is correct. It is in front of the shin. LOL............heck, I knew the answer before I asked the question.

I wonder what it is that they are saying? Do you think that is what they are talking about, or are they full of crap and trying to mislead us?

j/c


Eyes on Berea: Week Two OTAs
May 24, 2013 -- 7:37am

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By Will Burge | ESPNCleveland.com

T-Rich on the sidelines – Members of the media were welcomed to week two of OTAs with a surprise. Trent Richardson was not practicing due to what the team called a lower leg injury. Normally missing a day of off season work would not be a big deal, but the Browns are installing a new offensive system that has many downfield passing routes.

When Brandon Weeden has to wait for deeper routes to develop it allows time for the defense to get into the backfield. Richardson needs to know his protection assignments like the back of his hand.

When that pressure forces Weeden to check down he needs to be on the exact same page as his running back. Without thinking, he needs to know where Richardson will be and which way he needs to lead him with the pass. There is still plenty of time for Weeden and Richardson to get on the same page, but there is a chance Richardson will not be back in practice for a few weeks.

“It’s precautionary, we’re holding him out,” said head coach Rob Chudzinski. “We got mini-camp in a week and a half, he may miss that I’m not sure. We’ll take it day by day.”

While Richardson rests his leg, Montario Hardesty took the reps with the first team offense. Even though he has looked good through the first two weeks of OTAs and has been very consistent catching the ball, it seems as though he may be the odd man out. He certainly needs to build more consistency when it comes to catching the ball out of the backfield. That skill is highly coveted in Norv Turner’s and Rob Chudzinski’s offenses.

Also working against Hardesty is the fact that Dion Lewis is emerging as a candidate to not only make the roster but steal some playing time. He has been electric in team drills and thrives catching the ball in the flat.

“Dion has done a nice job,” said Chudzinski. “He had a couple nice runs out here. He shows some quickness, he can catch the ball, and has some skills.”

Add in the resigning of Brandon Jackson and Chris Ogbonnaya’s pass catching ability and it equals heavy competition in the backfield.

That’s your starting quarterback – Brandon Weeden had one of the sharpest practices I have seen in since he entered the league. Weeden was a surgeon in the two minute drill and carved up the first team defense. He found Travis Benjamin for a 30+ yard touchdown pass down the sideline and made a perfect throw on a similar route that Josh Gordon seemed to lose in the sun.

He was quick and decisive. He did not pat the ball. His footwork looked quicker. These were all the things that the coaching staff has been hoping he would improve. Even when he had his few misfires in the red zone drills, after some quick tutelage from Norv Turner, he bounced back with back-to-back touchdown passes.

If you did not know anything about the Browns and walked out to practice, you would have no trouble identifying who is the starting quarterback on the team. If Weeden continues this progression there won’t be any QB controversy before the season starts.

Brian Hoyer, who many thought would get to compete for a starting job in Cleveland, looks like he may be relegated to the third quarterback position. He did not get many reps during practice and that is exactly why the Browns went after him apparently.

“He is a guy that has had experience, has been around, and with our situation right now (at quarterback) you don’t have enough reps to split a lot of different ways,” said Chudzinski. “So having a guy who has had a lot of experience and been around on NFL teams helps.”

On a different route – One of the most improved players so far has been Travis Benjamin. Last season he was nothing more than speed in a uniform. You could tell his athleticism and quickness helped him succeed in college much more than his route running. He did not make particularly sharp cuts and didn’t sell his fakes well.

It looks like Benjamin really focused on his route running this offseason. His cuts are quicker and sharper and he consistently is beating defensive backs with precision instead of quickness. Once he learns how to sell the outside and underneath routes, his speed will be that much more effective. I have also yet to see him drop a pass.

Tight end battle getting tighter – Last week Jordan Cameron was one of the disappointments from practice. He did not have a great week and still looked as though he lacked the aggression that is needed to catch passes in congested areas of the field. This week, Cameron missed practice with a groin injury and as the old saying goes, “never let them see your backup.”

Gary Barnidge, who most dismissed as a role player and head coaches guy, has had two very impressive showings. He is not the fastest guy on earth but has great hands and knows how to use his big frame to get himself open. Only one time all practice was someone able to defend a pass thrown his way. If Cameron takes too long getting back on the field he might find himself behind Barnidge on the depth chart.

Miscellaneous sights and sounds – Rob Chudzinksi’s practices have music blasting during warm-ups to get the players loose and motivated. One of the songs that played on Thursday was Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Big Apple anthem, Empire State of Mind. Browns GM Michael Lombardi could be seen mouthing the lyrics to one of Jay-Z’s verses as he stood on the sidelines and took in the activities. He keeps it real.

The scoreboard on the side of the Browns’ practice facility looked a little different this week. The movie “Draft Day” has been filming at the facility for the last few weeks and one of the subtle changes they made was putting the name “Weaver Field” on top of the scoreboard. Sonny Weaver Jr. is the Browns’ general manager in the movie played by Kevin Costner.

One of the Browns PR staffers told us a funny story about the film crew. They were filming a scene in the hallway near the weight room and had no signs up or production assistants to signal that cameras were rolling. While going about his daily activities, the staffer wandered right into the middle of scene causing the director to yell, “Bogey, bogey! Cut!” The next day there were production assistants at every possible entrance to the filming area.

http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&action=blog&r=19&post_id=18351

nice to hear about weeden.

I think it's much ado about nothing. At this time of year, it's pointless to not give a guy rest for small tweaks. He can still learn it all. It's more detrimental to force a guy to participate with small dings that need rest. Come training camp and the season, I have little doubt that he'd be participating.... it's a pulled muscle. They didn't say "torn", it's just pulled. A little rest, rehab, and easy stretching and he'll be back to full-go in no time. What you don't want to do with that sort of tweak is rush it back and have it linger like a Hammy strain.

Heck, a year ago when I started to ramp up my daily run mileage, I was tweaking that muscle almost twice a week until the muscles caught up to what I was trying to put them through. When you over-do it, you back off and let things rest/heal up, then you go back at it a little slower and a little smarter. No big deal.

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That’s your starting quarterback – Brandon Weeden had one of the sharpest practices I have seen in since he entered the league. Weeden was a surgeon in the two minute drill and carved up the first team defense. He found Travis Benjamin for a 30+ yard touchdown pass down the sideline and made a perfect throw on a similar route that Josh Gordon seemed to lose in the sun.

He was quick and decisive. He did not pat the ball. His footwork looked quicker. These were all the things that the coaching staff has been hoping he would improve. Even when he had his few misfires in the red zone drills, after some quick tutelage from Norv Turner, he bounced back with back-to-back touchdown passes.

If you did not know anything about the Browns and walked out to practice, you would have no trouble identifying who is the starting quarterback on the team. If Weeden continues this progression there won’t be any QB controversy before the season starts

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What the....???

Holy seven pound 4 ounce, ain't barely spoken a word yet Baby Jeebus.... did ESPN just say complimentary things about a Cleveland QB????

good coaching makes bad players look average and average players look good.

It's OTA's. Who was rushing him? Were they mixing coverages up.

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I think it's much ado about nothing. At this time of year, it's pointless to not give a guy rest for small tweaks.

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I hear you. However, I have always contended that he was an injury waiting to happen. We'll see...............not that anyone will say I was right if it continues to prove itself true. LOL

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We'll see...............not that anyone will say I was right if it continues to prove itself true. LOL

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Come on Vers, that's not true at all. YOU'LL be saying it!

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Come on Vers, that's not true at all. YOU'LL be saying it!

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Thanks man. I needed that laugh.

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I must be blind. I don't understand how he was so successful. Even when I watch his tape I rarely see him beat many one on one compared to TRich's path of destruction and Wilson's homeruns.

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Do you remember the little scouting report I wrote about Martin? The guy has a lot of strengths:

--he's explosive to the hole.
--stops and starts on a dime.
--runs behind his pads w/real power.
--great cutting ability
--always falls forward
--excellent hands
--good at picking up the blitz
--superb instincts.
--very good vision.

What are his negatives? He's short and he doesn't have track speed.

Personally, I like shorter backs. They seem to have better balance and are harder to get a clean shot on. They typically are more durable. Not as many muscle pulls. I know some sports science guy will come on here and rip me on this, but I know from experience that guys w/a body like TRich are always battling injuries. I said BEFORE the draft that this was a big concern and got laughed at. I'm saying it again and will get dismissed. Again, we'll see.

Back to Martin---sorry, I got side-tracked. While he doesn't have the speed of a guy like Wilson, Martin does break off a high percentage of long runs. He gets through the hole so quick and once he is in the open field, he isn't going to get caught.

I truly think the guy is in the mold of LT, Ray Rice, and Jones-Drew. I was so excited for that draft.

We were sitting pretty. The 4th overall, 22nd, and another high one round 2. We trade out of 4 w/Tampa or someone else and let them take TRich---because EVERYONE knew Minni wasn't taking him---we get their first rounder and another first rounder plus some mid-round picks in addition to our 22nd and high 2nd round pick. Awwww man............it was right there for us. We probably could have had Martin and so much more. So much more. It still pains me to think about it.

I'm not sure why you bring up height as a factor when Martin and Richardson are each 5'9". Richardson does weight more, is overall thicker, and I would agree that overall his body does look more tightly sprung than Martin's does.

I will admit that I am a little concerned that Richardson does seem to have injuries all the time. He plays through them, but it's obvious that he was limited last year. I do think that healthy Richardson is a better overall back than a healthy Martin .... but we haven't seen a healthy Richardson yet

As far as moving up for Trent, I didn't have a huge problem with that, because we still had 11 draft picks. We still had 5 picks in the top 100, and 6 in the top 120. Frankly, I think that I might have tried to trade ahead for extra picks this year .... but I think that Heckert saw the writing on the wall, and that if this team didn't make a jump forward, or if he couldn't show indisputable proof of progress, that he would be out. I don't think that he saw in trading forward as a result ..... and I also think that he saw Richardson as the biggest offensive weapon on the board after the top 2 QB, and felt that he had to get one of those 3.

I wonder what might have happened ...... maybe we stay at 4 and get jumped for Richardson. Then we probably take Blackmon. Bleh. Maybe we take Tannehill. Bleh.

Do we then take Martin at 22? If not, then he still might be gone when we pick in the 2nd round. Would we have to trade up back into the 1st?

If we trade down with the Bucs, then we might get Martin .... but who knows? RB was such a clear and pressing need for us that someone might have jumped us at 31 for him. (unless we went with him at 22) It's hard to say for certain, because once a board changes at one spot, it can have a domino effect down the rest of the board.

I dunno. it's hard to argue that we could have taken different guys via a trade down because once a team trades down the dynamic for other teams might change, and someone else might decide that they have the same dire need as we do. (as was reportedly the case for Richardson) Maybe that other team decides to trade up instead of staying put. Making changes to a draft after the fact assumes that everything stays the same after that trade, which might not be the case.

Honestly Vers when I watched his tape I just didn't see anything stand out. I didn't think he had any true blue chip qualities. At most positions you have to be dominant in some aspect to be able to be dominant in the NFL. Maybe that's not really true of a RB? He's good at everything and great at nothing which is more valuable for a RB? I liked Pead alot as a late rounder and actually called for him more than anything now that I think about it. If RBs aren't reached for because of us he probably wouldve fell to our 3rd rounder.

Regardless I still would've traded 1st rounders with the Buccs. I hated that 1st round. When Mark Barron and Harrison Smith are your 2 only can't miss prospects it's weak. Although I got you on the Schwartz front so far hehe. I remember a fun convo where you had him as a 4th round project and I projected pretty much what he's done. If we ended up with Barron+ a pick, Wilson/Martin, and Schwartz I couldn't have been happier.

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If you did not know anything about the Browns and walked out to practice, you would have no trouble identifying who is the starting quarterback on the team. If Weeden continues this progression there won’t be any QB controversy before the season starts.

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I guy I totally respect in knowledge of the game. Mangini has explained this is why you have a competition. Not to really find who, what n where. But for the guy you believe to be the starter. Rise above the competition to have "ALL" know who IS THE STARTING QB...top to bottom.

Nice to see Weeden take steps towards this outcome of CREAM RISING TO THE TOP...as well as good news for us Browns Fans.

I've said it n yes I will be redundant. 90% of being a good QB is to be comfortable...known as the Comfort Zone. I thought this offense n more important Norv along with some Chud teaching him and their Prowess of putting QBs in their comfort zone. Will have positive results. SO FAR SO GOOD...right on track.

Benjamin I'm a little leery cause its hitting that defines his game on the field. As in he doesn't like it at all. We'll see who knows how he will look in a more spread out field with Vertical n Horizontal stretch.

To the author on the check down timing (regarding the injured Trent) it is not difficult - as for his blocking duties on blitzes etc. Its best experienced with live action. But he came to us trained by a Saban ran team n looked pretty good for the most part as a rookie in recognizing his duties. Most of all the blocking schemes are in a play book for him to learn. As noted you don't gain too much experience on how it looks in OTA's. I don't think he will fall behind.

I feel bad for Hardesty - he has proven healthy and has some skills, unless we totally go gaga for Dion Lewis I hope he stays. Lewis has mad skills just HEAD issues as in not working hard to become the best. Cannot tell yet but it could be he hit HUMBLE PIE n is working hard for his 2nd Chance!!! Good for us

JMHO

Too bad Mangini did not actually believe in what he stated.

That talking point may have made sense but he set the Browns back years with his preference for players that he knew but could no longer play.

Bitter... you bet. he was a pompous jerk.