Very true. Thanks for the reminder.

There are opinions all over the board on this issue.

Some think we haven’t seen nearly enough for Quinn to make a decision. He has played less than 10 games across 3 different seasons and at least 2 different systems. He has been yanked in and out of the starting lineup and dealt with an injury for the last 2 years. And he’ll be on his 4th coordinator in 4 years next season.

On the other hand, he has digressed in so many ways since leading Notre Dame. He is uncomfortable in the pocket, doesn’t always trust his arm and goes down too easy. He couldn’t beat out Derek freaking Anderson until the end of the preseason and even then DA was the “guy who gave us the best chance to win” by week 4. He lost the job to Derek Anderson. That’s bad.

I’ve said since week one this year that our 2010 starting QB is not on our roster right now. I don’t think we want to draft a QB in the top 5 of the draft. But if someone is there at the top of round 2 or 3, I’d be ok with that. Hopefully Quinn can hold us over until that player is ready, otherwise, we are looking for a vet in FA or trade.

Ahtyba Rubin. He’s a second year guy we got in the 6th round out of Iowa State. He isn’t as big as Rogers (but who is?) but he is just as quick and has shown some flashes the past 2 seasons. I like him.

From an opposing fan perspective, why do I need to hear about the Cavs and Indians when I’m watching a football game?

It is a large part of the fabric of Cleveland generally, and definitely our sports culture. We are extremely passionate, especially towards the Browns, and have had our heart ripped out in every way imaginable. I don’t think it is frustrating when the national media mentions our championship drought. It is a weird sense of pride. But that’s what we got.

He has his defenders.

There are a few things we all agree on though:
- He was hired too quickly and in a very odd way.
- He handled the Kokinis situation oddly, though it isn’t clear what happened.
- He has had so many odd and worrying off the field issues, you wonder if the distractions have consumed him.

That said, many fans are supportive of what he has done on a personnel side. We needed to get rid of Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow and I really like his draft. Would you want to be paying Mark Sanchez all that money?

All that said 1-10 is unacceptable. His offensive coordinator looks like a atrocious hire. His clock and game management has been questionable, at best. The media has been unfair to him, but at 1-10, it doesn’t really matter.

Josh Cribbs. Maybe you have heard of him. Maybe you think he is a good player. But he is a great player. He is the best kick and punt returner in the league, he is an all pro caliber special team gunner, and he contributes on offense with gadget plays, as a wild cat QB, and as a WR.

Joe Thomas. Top 3 LT in the NFL.
 
Alex Mack. Rookie Center. Eats 340 pound DTs for lunch.

Eric Wright. CB- Not quite a shut down corner, but has a nose for the ball and teams rarely test him.

David Bowens- Savior of a linebacking corps that has been destroyed by injuries. Plays inside and outside and likes to rush the QB.

How has Wimbley looked? I know Browns fans were pretty high on him in the offseason.

He might have saved his career this year thanks to Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan’s more aggressive scheme. Under Romeo Crennel, Wimbley had exactly one move- a speed rush. And he came from the same spot on the field every down he was in. On pure talent he got 11 sacks as a rookie, but then just 9 in the next two seasons combined. He had 4 in the first 5 weeks of the season, but has slowed recently because of minor injuries and less talent around him (more injuries). He now has 5.5 sacks on the season. He did leave the game last week with a bum knee and ee said they needed to do more tests today to see how serious the injury was. If he is gone, we are looking at 3 of 4 starting LBs from the start of the season out injured. This from the weakest position on the team coming into the season. 2 of the starting LBs against San Diego will likely have been mid season pickups off the waiver wire and practice squads.

Are you okay with Davis as the starting RB next year? It sounds like Lewis is done (retiring).

I despise Lewis. I want him gone now. I like what I saw from Davis before he got hurt, and some fans are big supporters of Jerome Harrison, thinking he can play a Darren Sproles style if he got more touches. But he can’t seem to get on the field because of injury or because he can’t pass protect worth a crap. I’d like a 2nd or 3rd round pick on a RB. Davis and Harrison isn’t enough and I’m a big fan of 2 or 3 talented backs.

What single player/event has caused the most problems for the Browns over the past 3-4 years? It has to be LeCharles Bentley, right?

Interesting question. Bentley was a huge disappointment. But its tough to say him going down on his first play of camp as a Brown and never playing again has caused the MOST problems for the Browns. If for no other reason, the Browns mitigated that situation well by finding Hank Fraley immediately, who helped anchor a very good line during the Browns 10-6 2007 season. I’d say Winslow’s motorcycle accident was worse. He was never the same, and his knee became a major liability. It made trading him a necessity. Instead of the best TE in the league as our number 1 playmaker for the next 10 seasons, we had a frustrated guy who was betrayed by his body and staph infections. That we got a 2nd and a 5th for him was a minor miracle. Bottom line, I don’t know if you can pick just one player or event. It has been that no player or coach or front office guy has been able to raise above this crap. It was systematic. That’s why Romeo and Savage had to go. And why hopefully Lerner can get Mike Holmgren or someone like him in a front office Parcells/football czar role.

Any chance Brodney Pool plays against San Diego?

I hope not. Pool has had several serious concussions in the past. Word is he is considering quitting football all together. And that is probably the right decision. He needs to be thinking of his long term health. It would be tragic, because I always thought he had potential and heart.

See above. Thomas, Steinbach, Mack, Cribbs, Wright (DB), Wimbley (LB).

No probelm.

Mack- has been great. After struggling with the snap exchange early, he has settled down, is finishing plays, plays with a mean streak, and should be the center of our line for the foreseeable future.

Brian Robiskie, WR- major disappointment for a second rounder who was touted as NFL ready. Can’t get on the field and has been passed by practice squad players and kick returners on the depth chart.

Massaquoi, WR- shown flashes of dominance both as a #2 behind Edwards and as a #1. Probably more of a #2 WR going forward. Really struggles with reading blitzes and when to break off his routes. Not the surest hands in the world, but not bad.

Veikune, LB- odd pick, moving a DE to ILB. Pretty much has only seen the field on special teams. This is a long term project. Disappointing, only because it was a second rounder.

Kaluka Maiava, LB- starting because of injuries. Looks a little small, but has good instincts. Still is going to get burned in coverage, but once the game slows down for him and he is used to playing in the NFL, not the Pac10, he has potential.

Coye Francies, CB- sleeper at the time, but also can’t get on the field. And with Hank Poteat seeing time, this is disappointing, but a late pick, so the jury is still out.

James Davis, RB- liked what little we saw, hurt in practice, now on IR.

Chris Jennings, RB- UDFA, shown some promise, but still raw and not sure he is big or fast enough. Now our #2 RB.

Easy. Philip Rivers. We need a franchise QB, and I am very high on Rivers.

Who would the Chargers want on the Browns? I don’t know enough about the Chargers personnel. Cribbs to add some spice to your offense and a dynamic kick returner? Joe Thomas and Shaun Rogers (if healthy) would be starters on any team.

I think you are underrating a top end C. And it had worked with Mangini before- Nick Mangold in New York.

Also the drop way down made so much sense. As the guys at WFNY said:

Think of it this way: with the #5 pick, the Browns drafted Alex Mack, Mohamed Massaquoi, Coye Francies, James Davis, Abram Elam, Kenyon Coleman, and Brett Ratliff, and will pay all of them combined probably the same or even LESS than Mark Sanchez will get from New York. That’s value, no matter how you slice it.

The team has been absolutely awful on offense this year. Besides the explosion against Detroit, the passing game has been historically bad. Part of it was the QB play. Some was on the right side of the offensive line. Some was on the hands and routes of the WRs. Some was on the offensive coordinator. There was plenty of suck to blame. But the coordinator gets the majority of the blame from me.

I don’t think “studs” is the right word to describe the ceiling of Massaquoi or Davis. Massaquoi seems perfect as a #2 WR. And if he can run a little cleaner routes and learn to read when to break off his routes a little better, he’d be right there. He was rushed into PT because of the Edwards trade, but it will help his development in the future.

At RB, I think NFL teams are getting away from searching for feature backs (unless you have a Peterson or a Tomlinson, circa 2006). You need 2 or 3 productive RBs for a good running attack. (see Giants, Saints, Panthers). Davis can be one part of this equation. Because of this, I wouldn’t mind taking a RB in the draft next year- we do have 11 picks.

Mack and Massaqoui. I’ve talked a lot about each of them above.

This has been the best question and answer section with the opposition by far

Agree. Ryan, could we interest you in becoming a Chargers fan?

You won’t be treated too badly. The pound is a much tamer place these days. It is a frustrated bunch, so just don’t be an ass and you’ll likely stay dry.

And thought it was pretty over the top.

Claiming VJ is in the top 10 possibly top 5 is one thing; claiming he’s THE best will get laughs everywhere but on chargers boards.

At DBN we are pretty infatuated with Eric Berry. I personally want Berry or Suh. But we are in some desperate need of offensive improvements.

But it is still a ways until the draft. I’m not ready to project or decide who I want.

1964 Browns was the last title. Indians last won the Series in 1948. Cavs haven’t won since they started in 1970.

The Buckeyes help, but its different. Not something for the city to really be proud of. There are mostly Ohio State fans here, but also a lot of Notre Dame fans and a lot of people that don’t care.

The Browns were unquestionably the best professional football team in 50, 54, and 55. They were NFL Champs and there wasn’t another league. I don’t discount even the 64 championship just because it was before the merger, and before the corny title of “Super Bowl” for the title game.

SD’s AFL title would be on par with the Browns 4 AAFC titles from 46-49. The champs of the second best league.

And I’m also not counting the professional indoor soccer dynasty of the 90’s: as the Cleveland Crunch and their 3 titles.