BEREA, Ohio -- Offensive coordinator Norv Turner expects tight end MarQueis Gray, who's expected to play a lot against the Jets in the likely absence of Jordan Cameron (concussion), to have a bright future with the Browns.
"MarQueis has improved a lot,'' said Turner. "He’s probably going to get an opportunity to play a lot in this game based on where we are today. That could change back. But he, to me it’s a combination of things. Number one, he wasn’t in camp. Number two, he’s making a position change. That’s a very complicated thing.
"Usually guys that make a position change, it’s two or three years, particularly if you move from quarterback to another position, before they can really feel comfortable playing. I think he’s way ahead of that. I think he’s made great strides and I expect him to be a guy that’s got a real good future with our team, with our organization, because he does a lot of things well. I think because he hasn’t played as a receiver, whether a tight end or a move guy or a slot guy, he can improve real fast.”
Gray and fellow tight end Gary Barnidge will split the extra reps at tight end if Cameron sits out with his concussion. He was idle for the second straight day Thursday.
"I think it’s what coaching in this league is,'' Turner said. "Like I said, we’ve got a good plan if Jordan can play. If he can’t, I think we’ll handle it. We’ve got guys that will step up and make plays for us.”
Gray, the former University of Minnesota quarterback and receiver, can also play in the wildcat and at fullback. Last week he ran for 18 and 12 yards off of direct snaps to set up an Edwin Baker TD run.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
He was horrendous at fullback, lets not try that again. I'm not sure I;ve seen this article posted here before but it's on the other board RE: developing UDFA talent.
Quote: Cleveland Browns work to develop talent on roster and find it outside organization
BOSTON – It took eight weeks for cornerback Leon McFadden to gain enough trust from Ray Horton to play one down. It required another month of prep work to earn more than two snaps in a game.
As some Browns fans wondered if their third-round draft pick would ever see the field, McFadden was attending 7:30 a.m. meetings for reserve defensive backs and staying after practice to hone his footwork and technique with position coaches.
It’s been a humbling apprenticeship, one which has included buying sunflower seeds and coffee for a group of young defensive backs that convenes before the veterans arrive at the facility. It’s not glamorous stuff, but player development rarely is.
“I believe you’re accountable to your teammates and I have to be able to trust you,” said Horton, the Browns defensive coordinator. “(McFadden) has that now. He has my trust to go into a game, he’s prepared hard, he’s worked hard and he’s earned his chance to play.”
Every 53-man roster is divided into two groups – the one fans see regularly on Sundays and the one striving to be seen. While most attention is paid to starters and key reserves, successful franchises identify and cultivate talent in that second group. Organizations like Baltimore, Pittsburgh and New England have been plugging in players for years.
The Browns have been too busy losing and changing regimes to establish much continuity. But Horton, who spent seven seasons with the Steelers, has witnessed the value of player development.
“I think, really when you base a winning franchise on something, it’s probably a system,” he said. “The players come in, you try to get players to match your system and you try to get good, smart players that are somewhat interchangeable, because at some point somebody is going to get hurt or they’re going to graduate to another team or retirement. That’s the life blood of your team is getting good, young players to come in and play.”
As McFadden readies for his first true test Sunday in New England against the Patriots, the Browns continue to work with others reserves and troll for talent in the waiver pool and on the practice squads of other teams. The bottom of the roster remains in a constant state of flux as players are signed, cut and sometimes re-signed – think receiver Tori Gurley. This practice has drawn some criticism, especially in recent weeks as the Browns, who at one point had 12 offensive linemen on the roster, did not immediately add a quarterback after Brian Hoyer suffered a season-ending knee injury Oct. 3. Concussions to Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden in consecutive weeks forced the team to hurriedly acquire Alex Tanney and Caleb Hanie, who have had little prep time with the Browns. The club is fortunate that Campbell has been cleared to return and will play Sunday.
But look for the organization to stay aggressive in the waiver market even as management concedes it will miss a lot more times than it hits on such players.
Browns CEO Joe Banner said the Eagles, his former employer the past two decades, did a study several years ago tracking the NFL entry point of Pro Bowlers. Not surprisingly, most came from players selected in a draft’s first round. The next group was second rounders. After that, however, the third wave was undrafted free agents.
It’s believed the Browns view defensive back Jordan Poyer, who’s now returning punts, as a legitimate prospect. They’re also eager to get safety Josh Aubrey (ankle) and guard Chris Faulk (knee) ready for next season.
The club claimed Poyer off waivers Oct. 21 from Philadelphia, who drafted him in the seventh round. Aubrey and Faulk were part of the initial cluster of undrafted free agents signed in April.
“It’s a matter of going out and finding it, bringing it in the house even though it’s a little dusty and dirty,” Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer said of acquiring lesser-known talent. “The coaches dust it off and polish it up. One day you come in the house and say, ‘That’s a good looking piece of furniture there. Where did you get it?’ It’s a matter of uncovering things others don’t want to uncover.”
Sometimes, teams must also work to polish the skills of players they drafted.
Taking a step back
Unlike baseball, hockey and basketball, there is no minor league for NFL teams to incubate prospects. So when McFadden fell behind in training camp due to a groin injury and played poorly in exhibition games against Indianapolis and Chicago, the Browns chose the remedial route rather than exposing him in the regular season.
“There’s a confidence level involved,” secondary coach Louie Cioffi said. “You don’t want your guys to go out there and not succeed because the damage cannot be overturned.”
The Browns' best success rate has come at their deepest position -- defensive line. Seventh-round pick Armonty Bryant has been eased into the rotation and shown flashes of quality play. The secondary has been better than anticipated and the development of cornerback Buster Skrine has mitigated the struggles of McFadden.
Some assumed the San Diego State product would beat out Skrine and Chris Owens in training camp. But the injury coupled with technique flaws took him out of the competition. The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder said he’s worked to improve his acceleration out of breaks and defending against three-step drops by quarterbacks.
“It’s been eyes forward, run my race and compete every day to try to get back on the field somehow,” McFadden said.
Beyond extra practice reps, he’s among the early-rising defensive backs who meet in small groups with Cioffi and his assistant Bobby Babich. Each week a different youngster is charged with the task of supplying coffee and sunflower seeds.
The meetings are informal and free flowing. Coaches preview the day ahead and answer questions the reserves might feel too inhibited to ask in front of veterans.
“They can get a jump on what’s going on, what they’re working on for the day, but it’s much more interactive, much more user friendly,” Cioffi said.
Each position group offers similar opportunities. Assistant offensive line coach Mike Sullivan said his prospects get an addition 25 minutes of on-field work before adjourning to the film room where coaches critique their scout-team effort against the first-unit defense.
For offensive lineman Reid Fragel, signed off Cincinnati’s practice squad on Oct. 29, the bonus time is important as he tries to learn a new system.
Poyer made a similar observation. He felt overwhelmed a week after arriving in Berea. The All-America cornerback from Oregon State has had a difficult year, one that included a May arrest for second-degree trespassing after an incident at a campus bar.
But the 6-foot, 191-pound defensive back has made an impression with the Browns. Several veterans said he’s been noticeable in practice and last week he contributed a 38-yard punt return in the 32-28 loss to Jacksonville.
“I expect myself to be able to go out there and make plays when my name is called,” Poyer said. “I don’t fear anything when I go out on the football field because at the end of the day it’s just a game.”
Opportunity knocks
In a league with large rosters, young players don’t need to look hard for inspiration. Poyer points to undrafted free agent safety Tashaun Gipson. While in Cincinnati, Fragel learned the story of center Kyle Cook, who went from practice-squad player to starter.
The Browns had a success story slip through their grasp earlier in the season. They claimed running back Bobby Rainey off waivers from Baltimore on Sept. 1 only to release him six weeks later.
Rainey has rushed for 306 yards in four games with Tampa Bay. Maybe the second-year back won’t remain productive, but he’s helped the Buccaneers win three times without costing them a draft pick or substantial free-agent money.
Browns tight end Jordan Cameron, who spent two seasons as a reserve, said it’s what prospects do when the coaches aren’t watching that’s so important.
“You’ve got to buy into the process,” Cameron said. “It’s hard sometimes and it’s not always going to go your way. These last couple years have been a grind. You’re waiting and wondering, ‘Am I going to get my chance?’
“The main thing is working when you don’t want to do it. When you’re body hurts and you’re tired. You’ve got to prepare for your opportunity.”
It’s here now for McFadden, who played 10 snaps against Pittsburgh and a season-high 31 snaps last week – most of them coming before the Browns lost Owens to a season-ending knee injury.
“Is it hard for certain positions because of what it takes to play mentally or physically?” Horton asked rhetorically. “It can be, and I believe defensive back is because if you make a mistake it’s always points or yards. So for me it’s a very critical position to be trusted and be accountable and he’s earned that now.”
I would love to see him at FB. He would be a hard cover for the defense swinging out of the backfield.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
Quote: “There’s a confidence level involved,” secondary coach Louie Cioffi said. “You don’t want your guys to go out there and not succeed because the damage cannot be overturned.”
This is what some of us have said regarding the age old argument about our talent.. How many of them went on to succeed elsewhere? When you spend your first year or two being forced in when you aren't ready... and then told you suck... that's really hard to overcome.
It's the end of a Browns season, alright.... the articles are now on looking at the talent of guys that wouldn't see the field regularly if we were in the hunt or the first several guys on the depth chart ahead of them were healthy.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Quote: I thought it was a bit odd that Gray had two very successful plays out of the wildcat last week then we didn't go back to it.
Talk about an "evaluation" season.
That's Norvs fantastic play-calling abilities for you
How many times do you want him to run the wildcat per game? Considering most wildcat formations probably have less than 5 or 10 plays, there's not much variation to it. You don't want to tip your hand too early or too much.
Good teams don't even run that trash. Unless they have their starting QB that can run the read option. Even then, maybe 5 times a game.
Everytime i see the "Wildcat" I cringe, it makes me think of Chris Palmer having Dennis Northcutt run it back in the day.
Before someone says they don't remember us running that back then.
Quote: The next week, Head Coach Chris Palmer went Wildcat way before its time, using wideouts Dennis Northcutt and Kevin Johnson in a job-saving ploy against Philadelphia.
Quote: I thought it was a bit odd that Gray had two very successful plays out of the wildcat last week then we didn't go back to it.
Talk about an "evaluation" season.
That's Norvs fantastic play-calling abilities for you
How many times do you want him to run the wildcat per game? Considering most wildcat formations probably have less than 5 or 10 plays, there's not much variation to it. You don't want to tip your hand too early or too much.
My guess is that we were already in "evaluation mode" at that point. We ran it a couple of times to get something on film, etc...
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Quote: It's the end of a Browns season, alright.... the articles are now on looking at the talent of guys that wouldn't see the field regularly if we were in the hunt or the first several guys on the depth chart ahead of them were healthy.
Yeah, but I do think that Gray could be a diamond in the rough for this team.I am hopeful that he can make a great 1-2 punch, with Cameron, at TE, a year or so from now.
I don't expect him to be perfect, but he has the physical talent to be an exceptional TE. He has excellent size and speed to be a useful 2nd TE. Norv does like to use 2 TE sets, so hopefully we can develop him.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
The first play was an inverted veer .... just because we had someone different in at the QB position doesn't make it wildcat. whatever.
However, the second play was read option. He was our QB for that play and he ran the read option. No wildcat about it.
Wildcat refers to the formation not the plays. It's just like saying they ran a zone read out of the shotgun instead of the pistol. In this case though, it was the wildcat.
Has anyone noticed the size of Gray's thighs? They are freaking huge. It would be cool if this guy turns out to be a diamond in the rough.
I like how the Browns are trying to develop this untapped talent. It's smart. Horton had a great comment about the Steelers........they never used FA much and some of their draft choices were underwhelming. However, they always had the same system in place and they would develop these young guys and then they would step in and produce when guys left via FA or retirement.
I hope we develop that continuity here. I think we have the right people in place. Let them see this thing through.
Why does everyone think because Gray will play TE Browns will run "Wildcat?" Yes, he has run the "Wildcat" in the past, but I would be very disappointed if all Chud/Turner do is run Gray in the "Wildcat." If his position is TE, I want to see Gray run similar plays as Cameron. I also want to see Gray block. If his blocking is non-existent, what good is he? Browns have plenty of receivers who can fill that role. Having two serious TE's make a good offensive look.
Gray was a total non-factor. He had issues blocking. He seemed so incredibly slow when I was watching him run routes. I didn't expect to see a superstar, but I expected to see "something".
