BEREA, Ohio — Browns star running back Peyton Hillis is not practicing because of an injury.

Hillis rode the exercise bike Tuesday as his teammates worked out in preparation of Thursday night’s exhibition in Philadelphia. Hillis did not play in Cleveland’s preseason game on Friday because of a hamstring injury. Browns coach Pat Shurmur is expected to provide an update on Hillis following practice.

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(Sports Network) – As usual, the Browns enter this year’s draft with several holes to fill. The team is switching to a 4-3 defense and currently has just one player — tackle Ahtyba Rubin — that’s viewed as starting material on the front line, so finding bodies for both the ends and the interior is essential. There’s also a glaring paucity of weapons for young quarterback Colt McCoy on the present roster, and Cleveland looks to be in good position to land either of the two premium wide receiver prospects (Georgia’s A.J. Green, Alabama’s Julio Jones) with the sixth overall selection if it chooses to go that route. The Browns appear pretty well set at running back, linebacker and cornerback, but could use the middle rounds to bolster other need areas such as safety and a right-side offensive tackle, as well as supply necessary depth across both lines. Cleveland does have an extra sixth-round pick as part of last year’s trade of disappointing quarterback Brady Quinn to the Broncos.

2010 Record: 5-11

Top Needs: DE, WR, DT, OT

First Three Picks: No. 6, No. 37, No. 70

Number of Selections: 8 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7)

RECENT FIRST ROUND HISTORY: 2010 – Joe Haden (CB, Florida); 2009 – Alex Mack (C, California); 2008 – none; 2007 – Joe Thomas (OT, Wisconsin), Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame); 2006 – Kamerion Wimbley (OLB, Florida State); 2005 – Braylon Edwards (WR, Michigan); 2004 – Kellen Winslow (TE, Miami-Florida); 2003 – Jeff Faine (C, Notre Dame); 2002 – William Green (RB, Boston College).

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CLEVELAND — Unless there is a shakeup in the NFL draft order by April 28, here are the overall selections the Browns hold:

 First round: No. 6.

 Second round: No. 37.

 Third round: No. 70.

 Fourth round: No. 102.

 Fifth round: No. 137.

 Sixth round: No. 168 (Denver’s pick, Brady Quinn trade).

       No. 170.

 Seventh round: No. 248 (compensatory).

 The first round is on Thursday, April 28, and begins at 8 p.m. The second and third rounds are on April 29 and begin at 6 p.m. Rounds 4 through 7 are on April 30 beginning at 12 noon.



Feel free to leave your comments below.

By Steve Doerschuk

For Sporting News

An analytical look at the Cleveland Browns heading into the 2011 NFL draft:

Team needs

1. Defensive lineman. Last year, the Browns barely had enough players to run a rotation for a three-man front. Now, additional bodies must be found to feed new coordinator Dick Jauron’s 4-3 scheme. Starters Shaun Rogers and Kenyon Coleman were released in February, further thinning the position. Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers seems an obvious option, if available, with the No. 6 overall pick. He has the classic build and physical tools of a top-shelf 4-3 end. Alabama’s Marcell Dareus, who could be a force at tackle, also is being considered.

2. Wide receiver. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi, both 2009 second-round picks, have been disappointments so far. However, many feel they were miscast as No. 1 and No. 2 receivers, respectively, and could be effective if a true No. 1 wideout is found. Massaquoi’s former Georgia teammate, A.J. Green, is perfect for Cleveland if he’s available at No. 6. If the Browns wait until Round 2, Pitt’s 6-5 Jon Baldwin or Maryland’s Torrey Smith are options. Smith is more of a burner than Baldwin, and the Browns have a need for speed.

3. Right tackle. The Browns are in great shape on the offensive line with left tackle Joe Thomas, left guard Eric Steinbach and center Alex Mack, but there are problems at right tackle. New Browns coach Pat Shurmur says the trenches will be a priority. Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi would be a good right tackle option if he’s available when the Browns pick early in the second round. Arkansas’ DeMarcus Love played left tackle in 2010 but has the size and strength to do well on the right side. He is an option in the middle rounds.

4. Cornerback. Eric Wright seemed to be approaching elite status in 2009 but lost his confidence and gave up some monster plays early last season. Eventually, he landed on injured reserve, and last year’s No. 7 overall pick, Joe Haden, shined in his role. After investing so much in Haden, the Browns may try to get lucky in the third or fourth rounds this year. Utah’s Brandon Burton, Ohio State’s Chimdi Chekwa and Michigan’s State’s Chris Rucker are on the radar.

5. Quarterback. One of the big questions this year is whether the Browns are sold on 2010 third-round pick Colt McCoy as their QB. Cleveland isn’t likely to spend a first- or second-round pick on a quarterback but might pick a QB to develop behind McCoy and Seneca Wallace, who was re-signed this month. Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick is athletic enough to groom in a West Coast offense.

6. Middle linebacker. Switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme dictates chasing an inside linebacker. Scott Fujita is versatile enough to try the middle, but he’s coming off a knee injury and might be a better outside linebacker. Greg Jones was a prolific tackler at Michigan State and could be a nice fit for Cleveland. LSU’s Kelvin Sheppard has the feisty temperament Cleveland G.M. Tom Heckert likes and would be a decent option in the middle rounds.

7. Right guard. Last year’s third-round pick, Shawn Lauvao, struggled as a rookie due to injuries and personal issues. Lauvao will get another chance in 2011, but Cleveland needs depth at guard and center and could bring in a youngster to push Lauvao. Mid- to late-round candidates include Auburn’s Lee Ziemba, Lehigh’s Will Rackley and Connecticut’s Zach Hurd.

Five-year history

Top-of-the-draft mistakes keep plaguing the Browns, going back to preferring Kellen Winslow over Ben Roethlisberger in 2004. Haloti Ngata would also have been far superior to Kamerion Wimbley in ’06. Avoiding a trade that cost a future first-round pick for Brady Quinn in 2007 might have saved the Romeo Crennel regime.

A defensive superstar, Clay Matthews, would have been the ticket over merely a good center, Alex Mack, in 2009. Steals, such as 2008 sixth-rounder Ahtyba Rubin, have been too few and far between, while mistakes, such as spending two second-round picks in 2009 on pedestrian receivers, have been too frequent.

2006: C+

2007: C+

2008: C-

2009: D

2010: B+

Just one question

Q. Have you assured coordinator Dick Jauron you will address the shortage of defensive linemen?

Team president Mike Holmgren: “We absolutely talked about that before he even accepted the position. We know what we have to do to make life easier for him, and (G.M.) Tom Heckert certainly does. That’s a pretty easy one to call just from a numbers standpoint. We are switching our defense from a 3-4 to a four-man line. That would be an area (of need). Dick trusts us. If you have to shore it up, you shore it up.”

Gotta run!.



CLEVELAND — The Browns’ draft day war chest has increased by one.
 
 They were awarded a compensatory pick in the seventh round in the NFL’s ultra-complex compensatory draft system. The extra pick is No. 247.

 The Browns now have eight picks in the 2011 draft — their own in the first through sixth rounds, Denver’s pick in the sixth round (by way of the Brady Quinn trade) and now the compensatory pick in the seventh round.

 The Browns gave up their original pick in the seventh round to Seattle in the trade last year for quarterback Seneca Wallace.

This is only the second time the Browns have been awarded a compensatory pick, which is usually reserved for teams that suffer net losses in free agency the previous season.

 But only 21 picks were assigned on this basis this year. By rules of the former bargaining agreement, however, the total number of compensatory picks each year must equal 32. So 11 additional choices were awarded at the end of the seventh round based on the first-round selection order..

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Could a backfield of Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty be a secret weapon for the Cleveland Browns in 2011? Browns president Mike Holmgren is intrigued by the possibility.

“I could get real excited about that,” Holmgren said this week. “That’s a good combination for this reason: I think they both have excellent ball skills, catching the ball and running skills. So you don’t have to have one guy as the runner, one guy as the catcher, one guy as the blocker, you don’t have to do that.”

Peyton Hillis

#40 RB
Cleveland Browns

2010 STATS

• Rush270
• Yds1177
• TD11
• Rec61
• Yds477
• TD2

The Browns, who finished 5-11 last season, need all the help they can get to close the gap with the Baltimore Ravens (12-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) in the AFC North. Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert joined the Browns one year ago with a significant talent deficit. But the pair did a good job of bringing good, young players to Cleveland last season.

Two of those additions were Hillis and Hardesty. Hillis was acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos for quarterback Brady Quinn, and Hardesty was Cleveland’s second-round draft pick.

Hillis had a breakout season in 2010, rushing for 1,177 yards and scoring 13 total touchdowns. Hardesty showed promise in camps but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the final game of the preseason.

Next season, both players will start the year healthy. With fullback and pending free agent Lawrence Vickers’ future with Cleveland in doubt, you could see a lot of Hillis and Hardesty sharing the same backfield.

“They both have to be willing to do all those things for each other,” Holmgren explained. “If those are the two in the game at the same time, they have to block for each other and they have to do everything. I think they are capable of doing that. I hope I get a chance to see that.”

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Published: Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 3:34 PM     Updated: Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 3:40 PM

Cleveland, Ohio — Only one good thing has ever come out of labor strife in the NFL. But enough about “The Replacements,” starring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. Let’s talk about the one that’s looming now.

If the NFL and the players association can’t reach a new collective bargaining agreement this spring — and rhetoric from both sides at least seems to imply that is the case — more than just dollars could be lost. We’re talking the most valuable commodity of all: time.

Seven teams changed head coaches this year (we’re kinda going to assume that neither Super Bowl participant, the Steelers nor the Packers, is contemplating a change). The offseason is going to be monstrously important. But to no team will the organized team activities, minicamps and the like be more important than the Browns. That’s what Cory Felegy of clevelandexaminer.com says, and frankly, we agree with him.

As Felegy points out, the shift from whatever it is you’d want to call the offense the Browns have run (the “We’re Toast Offense” comes to mind) to new coach  Pat Shurmur’s version the West Coast Offense is going to take a lot of time and practice to institute.

Routes will change. Timing will change. Nomenclature will change. Personnel will change. It’s all part of a whole philosophy change. And, again as Felegy notes, early and often practices will help determine if Colt McCoy is indeed the quarterback the Browns can ride into the playoffs (for the record, we think he is, but we’re not the ones drawing up the X’s and O’s).

But the often overlooked aspect is the anticipated switch from the 3-4 defense the browns have been running (three down linemen and four linebackers) to a 4-3 defense (four down linemen and three ‘backers). And this is where Felegy makes his best points:

(The Browns) are painfully thin on the defensive line and its unclear who the four linemen would be in (new defensive coordinator Dick) Jauron’s 4-3 defense.  Ahtyba Rubin figures into the equation but does an injury-prone Shaun Rogers or an aging Kenyon Coleman?  There’s talk that Matt Roth and/or Marcus Benard could make the switch to from linebacker to defensive end.  But that’s the kind of change that would require time and practice, two things the Browns won’t have if a lockout continues into the summer.

Plus, the 4-3 defense puts added pressure on the one middle linebacker and it’s unclear if the Browns even have a player that fits the mold of a 4-3 MLB.  The only player on the current roster fitting this role is D’Qwell Jackson, who didn’t see a single snap in 2010.

Good points all. And remember, even though the draft will happen as scheduled in April, those picks can’t be signed until the new CBA is reached. It’s a daunting prospect, at the very least.

Fortunately, it’s also an expensive prospect. And if the past labor strifes in sports have proven one thing, greed trumps pride and principles every time.

Kolbs and robbers
So a recent Starting Blocks poll is drawing interest in Philly. A blogger for bleedinggreen.com raised a hoary eyebrow after three-quarters of the voters said the Browns shouldn’t pursue disgruntled and dethroned Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb.

In a lot of ways I can understand. They already have a young QB in Colt McCoy, who while not particularly impressive, probably did enough that no one is going to call him a bust just yet. Plus, given that they just invested a 2nd rounder in McCoy and spent a first rounder on Brady Quinn recently, it’s understandable that the fanbase would be gunshy about spending yet another high pick on a QB. Frankly, I can’t blame them.

Of course, let’s also not discount the nature of just being a fan. For a lot of people, the mere suggestion that some other teams’ player is better than yours is blasphemy and clearly Kolb is a no talent loser that the Eagles are trying to pawn off on some unsuspecting team desperate for a QB. Of course, when your team actually does trade for him… he becomes a nearly can’t miss prospect destined for a career that’s maybe not quite Joe Montana, but probably better than Dan Marino.

The Browns may yet deal for Kolb. The connection has been clearly stated several times: Cleveland GM Tom Heckert was part of the braintrust that drafted him, and new Browns coach Pat Shurmur has coached him and, as the blogger pointed out, most likely will institute a very similar kind of West Coast offense to that run in Philly.

We’ve got to be honest: Starting Blocks finds the results of the poll encouraging. We’ve been in Cleveland for 20 years now, and it’s the first time since the Bernie Kosar era that we’ve seen a Browns fan base this solidly behind a quarterback. Yeah, Colt McCoy has detractors, and there are those that keep bringing up a perceived lack of arm strength and doubts as to his ability to play in the frigid climes of a Midwest winter.

But dang it, isn’t it NICE to have a quarterback who can count to six without having to check his other hand?

Back to the future
We were reading Todd Maternowski’s Top Six List of Super Bowl Myths on pegasusnews.com and just about fell out of your chairs. The Browns Nation has been excitedly talking about instituting this new thing called “The West Cost Offense.” Only it isn’t so new after all:

Superbowl Myth #5: The West Coast Offense Originated On The West Coast. Any time a team attempts a pass shorter than forty yards, you will hear a TV announcer indicate that this is due to the team in question employing a “West Coast Offense.” This is an offense where quarterbacks throw to guys five yards downfield, and was invented by Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers in the 80s. San Francisco is an iconic American city located on the West Coast of the continent of North America, which is something even most NFL television announcers can be made to understand.

The Problem With That: According to Bill Walsh himself, the name is a misnomer, and should be called the Cincinnati Offense. Walsh didn’t even technically invent it, as the Cleveland Browns –you know, the winners of eight NFL championships… You knew that, right?– used it to perfection in the 1950s. When former Browns coach Paul Brown moved on to the Bengals in the 1970s, he worked with then-offensive coordinator Bill Walsh on the system, to take advantage of their QB who had a weak arm.

Fate, meet Destiny. Destiny, this is Fate.

From The Plain Dealer
Mary Kay Cabot writes that the Browns confirmed the hiring of four coaches, including former Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who will take over as quarterbacks coach. It’ll be up to Whipple to mentor young Colt McCoy and mold him int the quarterback Browns President Mike Holmgren and the rest of the team’s brain trust think he can be. Our only question is how long it’ll be before someone makes a squeeze-the-Charmin joke. Ah, TP or not TP, that is the question.

 

Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

Published: Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 3:34 PM     Updated: Tuesday, February 01, 2011, 3:40 PM

Cleveland, Ohio — Only one good thing has ever come out of labor strife in the NFL. But enough about “The Replacements,” starring Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman. Let’s talk about the one that’s looming now.

If the NFL and the players association can’t reach a new collective bargaining agreement this spring — and rhetoric from both sides at least seems to imply that is the case — more than just dollars could be lost. We’re talking the most valuable commodity of all: time.

Seven teams changed head coaches this year (we’re kinda going to assume that neither Super Bowl participant, the Steelers nor the Packers, is contemplating a change). The offseason is going to be monstrously important. But to no team will the organized team activities, minicamps and the like be more important than the Browns. That’s what Cory Felegy of clevelandexaminer.com says, and frankly, we agree with him.

As Felegy points out, the shift from whatever it is you’d want to call the offense the Browns have run (the “We’re Toast Offense” comes to mind) to new coach  Pat Shurmur’s version the West Coast Offense is going to take a lot of time and practice to institute.

Routes will change. Timing will change. Nomenclature will change. Personnel will change. It’s all part of a whole philosophy change. And, again as Felegy notes, early and often practices will help determine if Colt McCoy is indeed the quarterback the Browns can ride into the playoffs (for the record, we think he is, but we’re not the ones drawing up the X’s and O’s).

But the often overlooked aspect is the anticipated switch from the 3-4 defense the browns have been running (three down linemen and four linebackers) to a 4-3 defense (four down linemen and three ‘backers). And this is where Felegy makes his best points:

(The Browns) are painfully thin on the defensive line and its unclear who the four linemen would be in (new defensive coordinator Dick) Jauron’s 4-3 defense.  Ahtyba Rubin figures into the equation but does an injury-prone Shaun Rogers or an aging Kenyon Coleman?  There’s talk that Matt Roth and/or Marcus Benard could make the switch to from linebacker to defensive end.  But that’s the kind of change that would require time and practice, two things the Browns won’t have if a lockout continues into the summer.

Plus, the 4-3 defense puts added pressure on the one middle linebacker and it’s unclear if the Browns even have a player that fits the mold of a 4-3 MLB.  The only player on the current roster fitting this role is D’Qwell Jackson, who didn’t see a single snap in 2010.

Good points all. And remember, even though the draft will happen as scheduled in April, those picks can’t be signed until the new CBA is reached. It’s a daunting prospect, at the very least.

Fortunately, it’s also an expensive prospect. And if the past labor strifes in sports have proven one thing, greed trumps pride and principles every time.

Kolbs and robbers
So a recent Starting Blocks poll is drawing interest in Philly. A blogger for bleedinggreen.com raised a hoary eyebrow after three-quarters of the voters said the Browns shouldn’t pursue disgruntled and dethroned Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb.

In a lot of ways I can understand. They already have a young QB in Colt McCoy, who while not particularly impressive, probably did enough that no one is going to call him a bust just yet. Plus, given that they just invested a 2nd rounder in McCoy and spent a first rounder on Brady Quinn recently, it’s understandable that the fanbase would be gunshy about spending yet another high pick on a QB. Frankly, I can’t blame them.

Of course, let’s also not discount the nature of just being a fan. For a lot of people, the mere suggestion that some other teams’ player is better than yours is blasphemy and clearly Kolb is a no talent loser that the Eagles are trying to pawn off on some unsuspecting team desperate for a QB. Of course, when your team actually does trade for him… he becomes a nearly can’t miss prospect destined for a career that’s maybe not quite Joe Montana, but probably better than Dan Marino.

The Browns may yet deal for Kolb. The connection has been clearly stated several times: Cleveland GM Tom Heckert was part of the braintrust that drafted him, and new Browns coach Pat Shurmur has coached him and, as the blogger pointed out, most likely will institute a very similar kind of West Coast offense to that run in Philly.

We’ve got to be honest: Starting Blocks finds the results of the poll encouraging. We’ve been in Cleveland for 20 years now, and it’s the first time since the Bernie Kosar era that we’ve seen a Browns fan base this solidly behind a quarterback. Yeah, Colt McCoy has detractors, and there are those that keep bringing up a perceived lack of arm strength and doubts as to his ability to play in the frigid climes of a Midwest winter.

But dang it, isn’t it NICE to have a quarterback who can count to six without having to check his other hand?

Back to the future
We were reading Todd Maternowski’s Top Six List of Super Bowl Myths on pegasusnews.com and just about fell out of your chairs. The Browns Nation has been excitedly talking about instituting this new thing called “The West Cost Offense.” Only it isn’t so new after all:

Superbowl Myth #5: The West Coast Offense Originated On The West Coast. Any time a team attempts a pass shorter than forty yards, you will hear a TV announcer indicate that this is due to the team in question employing a “West Coast Offense.” This is an offense where quarterbacks throw to guys five yards downfield, and was invented by Bill Walsh of the San Francisco 49ers in the 80s. San Francisco is an iconic American city located on the West Coast of the continent of North America, which is something even most NFL television announcers can be made to understand.

The Problem With That: According to Bill Walsh himself, the name is a misnomer, and should be called the Cincinnati Offense. Walsh didn’t even technically invent it, as the Cleveland Browns –you know, the winners of eight NFL championships… You knew that, right?– used it to perfection in the 1950s. When former Browns coach Paul Brown moved on to the Bengals in the 1970s, he worked with then-offensive coordinator Bill Walsh on the system, to take advantage of their QB who had a weak arm.

Fate, meet Destiny. Destiny, this is Fate.

From The Plain Dealer
Mary Kay Cabot writes that the Browns confirmed the hiring of four coaches, including former Miami Hurricanes offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who will take over as quarterbacks coach. It’ll be up to Whipple to mentor young Colt McCoy and mold him int the quarterback Browns President Mike Holmgren and the rest of the team’s brain trust think he can be. Our only question is how long it’ll be before someone makes a squeeze-the-Charmin joke. Ah, TP or not TP, that is the question.

 

That’s all the news for today.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Thanks for reading! .

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