Category Archives: Cleveland Browns
Browns take QB at 22: What does that mean for Colt McCoy?
With the 22nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Brandon Weeden out of Oklahoma State. What does that mean for current Browns QB Colt McCoy?
Is Trent Richardson enough to turn around the Browns?
The Cleveland Browns might not have a quarterback but they now have a running back that some have said is the best prospect since Adrian Peterson.
The Browns only averaged 13.6 points a game under Colt McCoy and lost Peyton Hillis to Kansas City during free agency.
Team president Mike Holmgren knows the Browns still have work to do but by moving up and making sure they drafted Trent Richardson they are at least going in the right direction for a change.
Teams who need to take advantage of Compensatory Picks
The NFL has announced the compensatory picks for the 2012 Draft, and now 32 extra picks were distributed to 23 different teams on Monday. For those who don’t know, Compensatory picks are handed out to teams based on the number of free agents lost and gained during Free Agency. The Oakland Raiders were the big winners as they didn’t have any picks in the first four rounds of the 2012 Draft.
Will Jonathan Stewart be traded to the Browns?
The Carolina Panthers puzzled everyone on Monday by signing the bruiser Mike Tolbert to a four-year 8.4 million dollar contract. Adding a versatile running back to an already crowded backfield with Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. I wondered why they would add another back when the Panthers for the last couple of years already had a speed back and bruiser. It makes you think, what do the Panthers actually need as draft day approaches?
Browns and Dolphins making offer for Matt Flynn
The Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins are negotiating with Packers backup Matt Flynn and are expected to exchange contract offers with his agent soon according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
The decision part 2: Peyton Manning and Cleveland Browns
Here we are again Cleveland, faced looking at another major free agent and having to react based on what that person decides. This is somewhat different than The Decision Part I (Lebron James) because the Browns never had Peyton Manning on the team. His Decision however will affect this franchise in a major way. Let’s look at some scenarios.
2012 NFL draft: Possible selections for the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns started off the 2011 NFL season with promise and a young quarterback in Colt McCoy and running back in Peyton Hillis. Now after the season is over it seems the ‘Dawg Pound’ is already searching for replacements after missing the playoffs once again.
Peyton Hillis has stated he still wants to be in Cleveland but after sitting out a number of games players and fans alike are questioning his heart, which is what got him to where he is in the first place.
While many mock drafts have Cleveland moving up and grabbing Robert Griffin III, but there are tons of options for a team that has two first round picks as the Browns do.
The Penalty Flag’s Mike Presley has Cleveland selecting the following two players in the first round;
Round 1, Pick 4: Trent Richardson RB Alabama: With Robert Griffin off to Washington, the Browns look elsewhere. Peyton Hillis is a Free Agent and there seemed to be issues with the team last year that makes me think he won’t be re-signed. Some say Trent is a better prospect than Mark Ingram and his numbers show why. He had 21 rushing touchdowns and ran for 1,679 yards last season. Richardson is the explosive player the Browns need to get their offense going.
- 2012 NFL draft: Trent Richardson RB Alabama (college-sports-university.com)
Ryan Tannehill
Round 1, Pick 22: Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M: It quite didn’t work out with Brady Quinn, and it seems things aren’t working out with Colt McCoy so let’s try this again. At first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try and well eventually you have to get it right. This has been the main problem for the Browns, and just maybe Ryan Tannehill can be the guy. He threw for 3,744 yards and 29 touchdowns and also ran for 355 yards and four touchdowns. So not only can he make plays with his arm but also his feet.
- 2012 NFL draft: Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M (college-sports-university.com)
Rob Rang of CBSSportsline.com also has Richardson going to the Browns;
With two first-round picks due to their trade last year with the Atlanta Falcons, the Browns are in the best position to move up to secure the rights to Robert Griffin III. If they don’t make the trade up, Griffin isn’t likely to slip to them, meaning that the team would have to generate offense in another manner. Teams rarely are willing to invest this high of a pick in a running back any more but Richardson is an elite talent.
Mel Kiper of ESPN.com believes Cleveland might try and reunite RG3 and Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright.
Given the makeup of the roster, and the fact that they have two first-round picks and can really enhance the level of young talent, I think the Browns are far more likely to look at a young QB prospect than get into the bidding war for a veteran like Manning, or even Matt Flynn. One question I have is whether Cleveland stays at this spot and hopes Griffin is still around, or gets aggressive and moves up to No. 2 and guarantees they get their guy. Given his experience, leadership qualities and overall skill set, I don’t see it as much of a leap for Griffin to be a Week 1 starter in 2012.
Cleveland needs help at wide receiver but may not be able to get it in free agency, and Wright is a player who can provide an element the Browns don’t have right now. The pick makes sense on both need and value. Wright quietly had a season that almost matched Blackmon’s in the Big 12. Greg Little was inconsistent but certainly showed a lot of promise as a rookie, and Wright is a good complement. He’s smaller at about 5-10, 190 pounds, but adds a speed threat this offense really needs. He’ll stretch the field with speed. The Browns need weapons, and Wright fits the profile.
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Erin Andrews
2012 Mock Draft: AFC North edition
As I continue my way around each division in this mock draft, we land in the AFC North where the winds of change certainly blew within the division. The Pittsburgh Steelers who have owned the North for quite some time, fell to the Baltimore Ravens, not once but twice. They also were a victim of Tim Tebow as the Denver Broncos were able to knock the Steelers right out of the playoffs in the wild card round. As for the Ravens, they struggled at times during the season with devastating losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars on the way to winning the AFC North. Yet they were able to pull through, make it all the way to the AFC Championship game and was a Lee Evans touchdown away from the Super Bowl.
While the Ravens and Steelers may own the AFC North, they should be worried about the young and upcoming Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals helped the AFC North get three teams into the playoffs for the first time, and that was in part thanks to the success of second round rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. They have two first round picks in the upcoming draft and look to close the gap on the Ravens and Steelers. The Cleveland Browns also have two first round picks and are in prime position for a Franchise Quarterback, or are they?
Cleveland Browns:
Round 1, Pick 4: Trent Richardson RB Alabama: With Robert Griffin off to Washington, the Browns look elsewhere. Peyton Hillis is a Free Agent and there seemed to be issues with the team last year that makes me think he won’t be re-signed. Some say Trent is a better prospect than Mark Ingram and his numbers show why. He had 21 rushing touchdowns and ran for 1,679 yards last season. Richardson is the explosive player the Browns need to get their offense going.
Round 1, Pick 22: Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A & M: It quite didn’t work out with Brady Quinn, and it seems things aren’t working out with Colt McCoy so let’s try this again. At first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, try and well eventually you have to get it right. This has been the main problem for the Browns, and just maybe Ryan Tannehill can be the guy. He threw for 3,744 yards and 29 touchdowns and also ran for 355 yards and four touchdowns. So not only can he make plays with his arm but also his feet.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Round 1, Pick 17: Janoris Jenkins CB North Alabama: I was looking for a place to put him and I didn’t put him here because of the history of the Bengals taking troubled players. I put him here because the Bengals could use another corner after losing Jonathon Joseph last year in Free Agency. He doesn’t have good size at 5’9 but he has great speed to stay with receivers. He also is a threat in the return game with 390 return yards on the season with three touchdowns.
Round 1, Pick 21: Cordy Glenn Guard Georgia: He may be one of the most flexible offensive lineman in this draft. Not only can he play guard but he can play Tackle as well which will be a benefit for the Bengals if they ever decide to move on from Andre Smith. Glenn’s strength is run blocking and whether it’s Cedric Benson or some other running back, they will be thankful for Glenn’s presence on the Bengals’ offensive line.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Round 1, Pick 24: Dontari Poe NT Memphis: Father time seems to have caught up to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Casey Hampton will be 35 a week before Week 1 of the 2012 season and will be coming off ACL surgery. Poe’s size at 6’5 makes him a massive lineman that will make it hard for any center to block. He totaled 33 tackles, eight tackles for loss, one sack and one forced fumble last season. Poe will play good in either a 3-4 or 4-3 system.
Baltimore Ravens:
Round 1, Pick 29: Mohamed Sanu WR Rutgers: This may shock some people but Sanu isn’t mocked to the Ravens due to Lee Evans dropping the touchdown pass in the AFC Title game. This has more to do with giving Joe Flacco another weapon along side Torrey Smith in the long haul. Anquan Boldin is 32 and it’s unsure how many more years he has left in him so drafting another receiver makes sense. Sanu has a combination of size, quickness, and speed, and he has good hands. He caught 115 passes for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns. This will give Joe Flacco a good 1-2 punch at receiver with Smith and Sanu.
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Mike Presley is a NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. He is a graduate of the Carolina School of Broadcasting and hosts a weekly NFL show on the schools radio station 89.3 The Storm entitled “The Front Seven.” Mike also writes for the racing website www.hardcoreracefans.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikepresley64.
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Browns should jump up to number 2, take RG3
Cleveland Browns fans might be torn on Colt McCoy but Mike Mayock of the NFL Network isn’t. He believes the Browns should do everything they can do to land Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.
“As much as I like Colt McCoy, I still think they have to look to upgrade that position and I think they have to do whatever it takes to get there,” said Mayock of grabbing Griffin. “If it’s me, yeah, I’m looking at that real hard. I want to go get RG3.”
Mayock also said they should consider Green Bay’s Matt Flynn, but he would focus on moving up to No. 2 by giving the St. Louis Rams the No. 4 and No. 22 overall picks.
“If you’re talking purely draft, I’m looking to move up to No. 2 as opposed to No. 3, because if I move to three what if the Redskins come up to two? Obviously I’d like to give less — I’d rather not give up No. 22 also — but I think that’s shortsighted when you’re talking about trying to secure your future at the most important position in all of sports.”
Mayock stated that if the Browns did draft RG3 they would need to change their offense to exploit his strong arm and speed instead of just placing him into the West Coast offense.
“I thought the coaches around the NFL last year did a better job than with rookie quarterbacks than they’ve ever done,” said Mayock. “They adapted some of their offense to suit what the rookie quarterback does best. Look at Cam Newton. Look at (Andy) Dalton. Look at (Christian) Ponder. They gave those kids chances to make plays in comfortable situations.
“If Cleveland moves up to get this kid, they have to make this kid comfortable. He’s too explosive and too much of a playmaker to have him just sit there and read the triangle the West Coast offense is. In other words, (new offensive coordinator) Brad Childress and that group of coaches in Cleveland is going to have to change some things to make this kid the playmaker he is.”
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- Let’s Get Ready to Rumble: Colt McCoy vs Robert Griffin III (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Will RG3 be an Immediate Impact in the NFL? (college-sports-university.com)
- Spreading the Wealth: What Teams Could Adopt the Spread Offense in 2012 (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Blast from the Past: Browns to Bring Back Braylon Edwards? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Peyton Hillis Wants to Stay in Cleveland (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Spreading the Wealth: What Teams Could Adopt the Spread Offense in 2012
“Conventional knowledge” has always said that the spread offenses featured in the college game would never work in the NFL. However, the Denver Broncos, under Coach John Fox, proved different this year. The Broncos adopted the new system to better compliment quarterback Tim Tebow and ended up winning the AFC West and upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wildcard round of the playoffs this year. Make no mistake, there are other teams in the NFL that could excel by utilizing this new trend of offense, especially teams with quarterbacks that have had trouble adapting to the pro-style. Here are some teams that would not surprise anyone if they used this new offense in 2012.
Carolina Panthers
- Cam Newton greatly excelled in college and junior college running this scheme, and since he has already established himself as a threat both throwing and running the ball teams would be put into a sticky situation trying to defend him. Compliment that with the one-two punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart running the ball and Steve Smith outside could be lethal. One catch here is that they are a fan of the two tight end sets with Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen, so the spread could be used as a compliment to their already established offense.
Philadelphia Eagles
- This would be the perfect way to get the fans excited and light a spark underneath the offense. Not to mention that Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy would give defenses nightmares! Also, arguably their top receiver, Jeremy Maclin, had success in the system in college. Inadvertently, this would help out their defense too if they decide to stick with their hybrid-nickel scheme with three corners.
Cleveland Browns
- Considering that Colt McCoy and their suspected target in the draft, Robert Griffin III, both had success in college running the spread, the change would make sense. The hang up here is that Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator for Sam Bradford in St. Louis and insisted on running the pro-style. Also, new offensive coordinator Brad Childress is also an advocate for the more conventional offensive scheme. However, with an offense that has Greg Little as its top receiver and a running game that will most likely be without Peyton Hillis, creativity is necessary to have success in the AFC North.
New England Patriots
- When have we ever known Bill Belichick to not love new trends, especially when it condones spreading the ball around in the passing game! In no way do I suggest that they will completely scrap the offense they have featured this year, but with Bill O’Brien leaving for Penn State some minor changes could occur. The most likely replacement for O’Brien is former offensive coordinator and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels is already on the Patriots’ staff and started to feature the spread last year with the Rams to help out Sam Bradford.
Minnesota Vikings
- This could be an interesting endeavor for the Vikings. Christian Ponder showed signs of being a solid starter in this league, but they greatly overworked Adrian Peterson to make the rookie quarterback’s transition easier. With the spread, it would help Ponder in the passing game, give Adrian Peterson less but more effective carries, and would be better suited to fully utilize the skill set of Percy Harvin. Either way, they need to find a way to limit Peterson’s carries and further Ponder’s fragile progression as a starter in the NFL.
Detroit Lions
- How scary could this be? The passing game would open up further for Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson while also making the running load easier for Jahvid Best. In games against high powered offenses, the Lions seem to convert to a pass-first scheme anyway.
Miami Dolphins
- This is very contingent of them not signing Peyton Manning, but if they decide to stick it out with Matt Moore or sign Matt Flynn this could be a good option. The main reason is because this team had success running the Wildcat in the past and now with personnel like Reggie Bush and Steve Slaton, if they re-sign him, they could run the legs off of teams. Also, with the development of Devone Bess and Brian Hartline alongside Brandon Marshall this offense could put up some serious numbers.
St Louis Rams
- Josh McDaniels tried to implement this offense last year but wasn’t very successful. New coach, Jeff Fisher might try the same moving forward to cater to quarterback Sam Bradford’s strengths. Surely, there will still be pro-style sets since Fisher is old school and favors a run-first offense, which is well-equipped with running backs Stephen Jackson and Cadillac Williams. However, in the modern game you need your quarterback to be productive and the spread would seem to be the answer.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Blaine Gabbert had a rough time showing any consistency in his rookie season, but coach Mike Mularkey is known for creating unique ways to get production out of his offenses. He will probably try to implement the same style of offense he featured in Atlanta, but considering the Jaguars biggest threat in the receiving game is tight end Marcedes Lewis they will have to effectively utilize the ground game. Also, Gabbert had success running the spread at the University of Missouri.
Steve Gross is a Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag and can be contacted at SGross@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com
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Blast from the Past: Browns to Bring Back Braylon Edwards?
The heading says it all, but really the Cleveland Browns have run out of a lot of options at this position. The 2012 NFL draft in my opinion is not that strong this year at wide receiver. The only home run option that this team has is Justin Blackmon, this kid is extremely intriguing standing at 6’1 but has been rumored to not have that down field speed that the Browns lacked so badly this year. He is known for his route running and great hands, which the Browns need because they led the league in drops this past season. It not only hurt the offense but made Colt McCoy look like a pop warner quarterback at best. I don’t know if he will be there at No. 4 as its been rumored that the St. Louis Rams would take a hard look at him so that their young quarterback Sam Bradford would have his No. 1 threat and pairing him with Brandon Lloyd would be good for the young man. Outside of Blackmon, wide receivers are pretty weak. Should the Browns look to bring back Braylon Edwards?
I know that there are other free agents that the Browns should probably look at such as Desean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Robert Meachem, or maybe even Ohio’s own, Tedd Ginn Jr. The guy that intrigues me though would be Edwards. Yes, he was a head case when he was in Cleveland. He tallied an enormous amount of speeding tickets and was very vocal. Most importantly he was known for smacking the crap out of Lebron James’ friend. Still it would be nice to see him back.
Braylon is known for his off the field negativity but he has done good things as well. For example, he made a pledge to 100 Cleveland students that if they maintained a 2.5 grade point average or higher he would pay for their college tuition. He is also a prototype wide receiver standing at 6′ 3 and running a 4.38 in the 40.
Edwards was the Browns 1st round pick when they selected him 3rd overall in 2005. Edwards made a mark for himself in Browns history in 2007 when he broke records catching 16 touchdowns and having 1,289 yards receiving. He hasn’t done much since as his best season was with the Jets in 2010 catching seven touchdowns and having 904 yards receiving. With Edwards being selected so high in the 1st round, the “I’m Bad” attitude has taken a huge hit. He has crashed to reality after being waived by the San Francisco 49ers, a team that is currently pursuing the Super Bowl.
Braylon Edwards is from Michigan but Cleveland, Ohio has to be his second home. Cleveland is where he made his mark in the league, where everything first started… The Browns’ offense needs Braylon just as much as Braylon needs the Browns. Come Home…
Lamont Broadus is an NFL team writer for The Penalty Flag. He can be contacted at LBroadus@thepenaltyflagblog.com, Followed on Twitter @TheSportologist and on Facebook.com/TheSportologist
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Let’s Get Ready to Rumble: Colt McCoy vs Robert Griffin III
As I read article after article, tweet after tweet saying that the Cleveland Browns should draft Robert Griffin III I’ve had mixed feelings. At first I was very adamant about the Browns not drafting him. As we all know the Browns have a deep dark history with quarterbacks… meaning we don’t have many great ones. I will do you a favor and rate my top three Browns’ quarterbacks of all time. 1. Otto Graham is the only Cleveland quarterback in the Hall of Fame. His record was an amazing 105-17-4 with 188 total touchdown passes. He played from 1946-1955. 2. Brian Sipe he was the leader of the “Kardiac Kids” and has a team passing record for the Browns 23,173 passing yards. He also won league MVP with 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns in a season. He played from 1974-1983. My final is Bernie Kosar, he led the Browns to the AFC divisional title game three times but each time falling short to the Denver Broncos. He ranks 2nd behind Sipe for most career passing yards for the Browns.
I took you down memory lane because once again we are stuck with the decision to turn over the reigns to another quarterback. I *sigh* know that we are tired of dealing with this every year (If you’re a Cleveland fan). Most are tired of hearing about it. Browns have been thru failed projects ranging from Charlie Frye to Brady Quinn and lets not forget Tim Couch. I can understand why most Cleveland fans are screaming for another quarterback. Colt McCoy has been almost horrible in his 21 starts as he is 6-15. That’s a winning percentage of .286 to go along with his completion percentage of 58.4, 4,309 yards passing, 20 touchdowns, 20 interceptions, and a QB rating of 74.5. Should I say anymore? OUCH! I understand most people like myself would defend McCoy saying that he has dealt with injuries or his team led the league this year in dropped balls by the receivers. Are those really valid excuses?
Let’s get down to the fight! McCoy vs. Robert Griffin III, In this corner you have standing at 6’1, weighing in at 215 lbs, Colt McCoy! He comes in with amazing college career stats 158.25 qb rating, completing 70.3 of his passes, passing for 13,253 yards, 112 touchdowns, and 45 interceptions. In the opposite corner you have standing at 6’2, weighing in at 220 lbs, the Heisman Trophy winning Robert Griffin III! He comes in with impressive college career stats 155.35 qb rating, completing 66.1 percent of his passes, passing for 10,071 yards, 77 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. The strength with Colt McCoy is that looking at his college stats he is supposed to be extremely accurate. In his 2008 regular season, he set a college record 76.7 percent completion on his passes breaking the previous mark set by Daunte Caulpepper. The strength of Robert Griffin III is his amazing ability to extend a play. He has rushed for over 2100 yards and 32 touchdowns in his college career, then again Colt is not too far behind him rushing for 1589 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career.
The biggest point that I have picked up throughout my debates about this topic is that McCoy has already proved that he doesn’t have what it takes to be in the NFL. However, Griffin III has the star power and amazing intangibles to potentially be successful in the NFL. People are saying that McCoy will not sell tickets but the buzz from Griffin III will, much like how Cam Newton did for Carolina this past season. I’m not sold on Griffin III, I believe that yes he is a phenomenal athlete but does he posses all of the skills it takes to be a quarterback in the NFL? How well can he digest a playbook? How well can he recognize coverage? Will he hold the ball too long? We have to ask ourselves too many questions to feel comfortable with him. Plus he would not be going to the best situation as there are absolutely no weapons on the offense in Cleveland. So how would that stunt his growth? At least we know what we already have with McCoy and I think he can get better.
Instead of using a high pick on a quarterback, build around what you have. If he doesn’t pan out then go for a quarterback next season. The Browns are in one of the toughest divisions in NFL as the AFC North is stacked. Would it be wise for the Browns to throw a rookie quarterback into that kind of situation?
Lamont Broadus is an NFL team writer for The Penalty Flag. He can be contacted at LBroadus@thepenaltyflagblog.com, Followed on Twitter @TheSportologist and on Facebook.com/TheSportologist
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