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Injuries and drama defined season for Cleveland

Tapegoplegaiz — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:17:21 +0000

By Tom Withers,

Associated Press

9:18 PM Monday, January 2, 2012

BEREA — The growing pains were agonizing, the mistakes numerous, the progress difficult to spot.

The Cleveland Browns had another one of those seasons.

Losing, though, has its rewards in the NFL, which compensates its worst teams with high draft picks to help them get better. After going 4-12, the Browns, with one of the league’s youngest rosters, will have the No. 4 overall selection in April and Cleveland fans are already frothing at the chance to bring in a college star like Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III to be their savior.

As he packed his bags for the offseason Monday, Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown issued a warning to that line of thinking.

“My thing is, if you’re dependent on a draft pick to come in here and change your life, then you’re kidding yourself,” he said. “This game is too hard.”

It certainly has been for the Browns, who haven’t made the playoff since 2002. They’ve lost at least 11 games in each of the past four seasons and a minimum of 10 in eight of the past nine. Green Bay (15) won more games this season than the Browns (14) have won in the past three seasons — combined.

And consider this stat: The defending Super Bowl champion Packers outscored the Browns 560-218.

It was a turbulent first season in Cleveland for coach Pat Shurmur, who because of the NFL lockout didn’t have an offseason to install his new West Coast offense or get to know his team on the field. He made his share of mistakes, but Brown, who was previously with Shurmur in Philadelphia, is confident Browns president Mike Holmgren hired the right coach.

Shurmur has his detractors, but there’s no denying the Browns, who went 0-6 in the rugged AFC North, played hard for him.

Shurmur will discuss his rollercoaster rookie year today, and Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert are scheduled to meet the media Thursday, when they’re sure to be grilled about the team’s quarterback situation.

Colt McCoy made 13 starts this season, but missed his final three games with a concussion. The Browns have a better sense of what McCoy is, and there’s a strong argument to be made for sticking with him in 2012 after investing so much time into his development. But if the Browns — particularly Holmgren — don’t think McCoy can take them to a Super Bowl, they may look for a starting QB in free agency, a trade or the draft.

Cleveland’s wild season included costly injuries, endless drama around running back Peyton Hillis, dropped passes, and tough losses. The Browns lost six games by seven points or less, dropping their final three by a total of 13 points.

Gotta run!.

Cleveland Browns did not check McCoy on sideline

mjcnaple — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:02:20 +0000

BROWNS’ BOSS BACKS SHURMUR

BEREA (AP) — Browns president Mike Holmgren said Wednesday that Pat Shurmur will “absolutely” be Cleveland’s coach in 2012.

Holmgren was asked about Shurmur’s status during a press conference triggered by quarterback Colt McCoy’s concussion and the team’s controversial handling of his head injury during a Dec. 8 loss at Pittsburgh. Shurmur has had a tough first season with the Browns (4-9), who have had numerous injuries and their fair share of controversy.

Holmgren called Shurmur “a very competent young head coach who will be here for a long time.”

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Colt McCoy Not Checked for Concussion During Loss…

xkrist — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:12:00 +0000

On Wednesday, Dec. 14, Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren admitted the team didn’t check Colt McCoy for a concussion after Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison nailed the quarterback with a helmet-to-helmet hit last Thursday.

I’m usually one of those people who will give teams the benefit of the doubt, but that’s not happening this time. Holmgren noted that the Browns medical and training staff didn’t see the hit because they were treating other players at the time. However, that doesn’t mean no one else on the team’s sideline didn’t watch the play.

The Browns coaching staff should have known better. Concussions are becoming commonplace in the NFL, and head coach Pat Shurmur should have held McCoy out long enough to get him examined. By sending McCoy back into the game, he risked his quarterback’s health and the organization’s reputation.

Remember, this is the same team that already has a poor reputation due to the team’s issues with staph infections in its training facilities from 2006-2008. The Browns can’t afford to have their intentions questioned when it comes to the well-being of their players.

I believe Holmgren when he states that McCoy “didn’t display any signs of a concussion,” but he’s the team’s president, not a doctor. Shurmur is a coach and not a member of the medical staff. Both Shurmur and Holmgren aren’t the ones who should be deciding if McCoy is healthy enough to play. When in doubt, the team should be calling a member of the staff over and to have McCoy looked at.

I don’t believe the team did anything out of a lack of concern for McCoy. Instead, I think coaching staffs don’t know what to look for when a player has a potential head injury. The NFL needs to do more to protect its players, including setting up mandatory training with each team to ensure that everyone knows what symptoms to be aware of. Perhaps there should be a rule that states anytime a player is laid out by a helmet-to-helmet hit, he must sit out a full series. I understand there are competitive ramifications with a rule like that, but something needs to be done to protect the athletes.

A native of Northeast Ohio, Derek Ciapala grew up in a family of Cleveland Browns’ fans. He has been following the Browns since 1987 and still hopes to see the team play in the Super Bowl one day. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

That’s all the news for today.

Right now, the Cleveland Browns don’t need a Big…

Voiniakib — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:26:28 +0000

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Weren’t calamity and dysfunction in Berea supposedly put on notice when the Big Show arrived? Now that nickname feels more ironic than anything.

Big Show? Mike Holmgren gave up the stage and his claim to the marquee when he decided he wasn’t going to return to the sidelines. Coaching is what he did best. Did he have to become the mystery man behind the curtain?

Didn’t owner Randy Lerner deem the need to overhaul the organization’s credibility almost as important as fixing the endlessly flawed football operation? Isn’t that why Lerner gave some consideration to the idea of hiring Mark Shapiro once upon a time?

Even if Cleveland sports fans don’t recognize it, Lerner saw how the Indians have done it right under Shapiro; how they dealt professionally and directly with issues; how Shapiro always showed support for his manager when the criticism came in an avalanche.

In which instance have the Browns shown even the slightest inclination in that direction under Holmgren? His tenure has created more issues than it’s resolved.

There was a wasted year with Eric Mangini. Now a season spent with an overwhelmed coach in a dual role, and a kid quarterback running for his life with no receivers to bail him out. That’s Holmgren’s watch in brief.

In this latest episode, a ESPN report cast aspersions on the Browns’ medical staff and head coach Pat Shurmur over the handling of Colt McCoy’s concussion. The father of the quarterback basically leveled both, saying high school trainers he knows would’ve handled it better and that his son had no business returning to the field.

That’s a double broadside shot at the organization, the response to which should’ve come from Holmgren on behalf of the team medical staff and the head coach Holmgren hired. Instead, to answer that criticism — or, more accurately, to not answer that criticism — the Browns trotted out Shurmur Monday to reiterate that procedure was followed after James’ Harrison’s hit knocked McCoy out of the game.

Did that procedure include the league’s sideline concussion test? Shurmur wouldn’t say yes or no. So it’s understandable if you took that as a no. If there weren’t enough evidence — beyond a vicious helmet-to-facemask hit — to administer the test, well, that’s one explanation. Not a great one mind you. But it’s one.

If trainers were overwhelmed by multiple injured players, as right tackle Tony Pashos seemed to suggest, concussive hits still have to take precedent. But, at least that would be a second explanation.

The Browns medical staff has done right by other concussed players. Trainers deserve more than the benefit of the doubt. They deserve clarity. If they followed protocol, do them a favor. Check off each step followed. Or let them explain for themselves.

Was McCoy tested more extensively Thursday night after the game when the Browns’ own PR staff asked the TV people to turn off the camera lights on McCoy’s behalf? Is it true they waited until the next morning to administer the concussion test, after he flew on a plane back to Cleveland and after a night’s sleep?

Was there any danger in that? If not, it can only help the Browns to explain what they knew and when they knew it. The Browns’ inadequate, contradictory response only made it look like they were trying to get their stories straight.

Don’t confuse this with Holmgren not wanting to address a contract situation, or the performance of a first-year head coach. This isn’t about placating the media. Head injuries are serious matters. Players’ welfare is at stake. Much less importantly, so is the organization’s image.

If the Browns wanted to withhold comment until after the NFL and NFLPA officials were done with them Wednesday, Holmgren was the guy to deliver that message in support of an overwhelmed coach, if nobody else.

Shurmur actually said one of Monday’s questions would be better directed at the medical staff. No kidding. Quickly asked if reporters could talk to the medical people then, Shurmur said what amounted to, um, uh, er, maybe … yes, maybe someday.

This would be laughable if the issue weren’t so serious, and if we hadn’t seen this sort of unintentional comedy of errors out of Berea for so long.

On Twitter: @budshaw

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Mike Holmgren learning to love life outside…

Invidessilili — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:09:46 +0000

Originally published October 22, 2011 at 10:02 PM | Page modified October 22, 2011 at 10:10 PM

BEREA, Ohio — The president still was reacting like a coach. Still suffering the way he did for 17 years, pacing NFL sidelines. Still “simmering,” as Mike Holmgren called it, hours after the loss.

The Cleveland Browns dropped their opener to Cincinnati, a game Holmgren believed they had a chance to win.

Later that evening, eating dinner at a restaurant with his wife Kathy, Holmgren, by his own admission, was “acting like a jackass, a jerk,” quietly brooding over his meal, replaying the what-ifs of the 27-17 defeat.

All day, the next day in his office, Holmgren continued to simmer and quietly second-guess. That night he went home, still angry.

Then came what he calls his “epiphany.”

“What is wrong with you?” asked his wife, who also is his conscience. “If you want to act this way and get all churned up and get mad at everybody, get back into coaching, because you’re not there now. You’re the team president. I thought we already had this talk. Do you want to be angry all the time?”

Sitting on a sofa in his spacious office suite Friday, almost six weeks after that loss to the Bengals, former Seahawks head coach Holmgren, in his second year as the Browns’ president, readily admits, “She was absolutely right.”

The next day Holmgren called his new head coach Pat Shurmur into his office and told him about the epiphany.

“I don’t want to be walking around here mad all the time,” he told Shurmur. “My door’s always open. If you have questions about anything, if I can help in any way, but I’m not coaching anymore. You’re the coach now and I’m here to help you.”

In this new job, Holmgren sits in a booth on Sundays, high above the field, wearing a tie.

“Can you believe it?” he asks.

But he still watches the game like a coach, still grades the game tapes and reviews his notes with Shurmur every Tuesday.

“The same coaching frustrations crop up,” Holmgren said. “I’ve had to learn to deal with it. I have to. It’s one of my jobs now to be supportive of Pat and help him be the best coach he can be. And that does not include banging on the table in frustration.”

Holmgren’s successful NFL history is apparent on the walls and shelves of his office. There is a framed picture of the ride he took on his players’ shoulders after his Green Bay Packers beat the New England Patriots and won Super Bowl XXXI.

Helmets from the Packers, Seahawks and Browns rest on a book shelf. A nook in his office has pictures from his days with the Packers and framed photos of all seven of his grandchildren. There are photos of Holmgren with presidents Obama and Clinton.

A huge photo of fireworks exploding over Cleveland Browns Stadium hangs over the sofa. The team’s mission statement, signed by Holmgren, is written in the middle of the picture.

Mike Holmgren is not in Seattle any more.

Two years ago, after the “Great Housecleaning,” Holmgren, who coached in Seattle from 1999 to 2008, seriously considered returning to the Seahawks.

Briefly, he was excited about the possibility, but he wanted full responsibility for running the franchise. The Seahawks never offered that to him. Their handling of the situation was clumsy and dishonest.

“They didn’t want me,” Holmgren said, “and that’s OK. I’m a big boy. I’ve been around a long time. And once I got my ego in check, I mean it would have been nice, but once I got here and the challenge of this, I was off to the races.”

Holmgren moved to a Browns franchise that has had two winning seasons since it came back into the league in 1999. Shurmur is the sixth coach in the 13-year history of the new Browns.

Fixing the franchise is The X Games of rebuilding.

“It’s much different emotionally,” says Holmgren of how different his new job is to coaching. “You hire who you think the best man for the job is and do what you can to help him be successful. You’re passing the baton, handing him the ball and then you have to sit back and watch. It’s like watching your child play. But there will be, and there already has been, a great feeling watching when it works.”

Holmgren is 63 and in the second year of a five-year deal with the Browns. He is blessed with a hands-off owner, Randy Lerner, who allows him freedom he never would have had in Seattle.

When he took the job, people wondered if Holmgren merely was treading water, anticipating an eventual return to coaching. Will he ever coach again?

“I don’t think so,” he says. “I did it for a long time and to do it and to do it properly, where you’re not conning anybody and you’re not taking any shortcuts, you have to be all in. That’s time-wise. That’s emotionally. I don’t think I’d be willing to go all in as a coach. And while I work hard now, the emotional attachment is different.”

This is the job he wanted. Holmgren runs the building. He oversees both the football and business operations.

“Holy smokes, I even have a budget,” he jokes. “Imagine that.”

Echoes of the Seahawks are all over the Browns’ headquarters. A gaggle of former Hawks assistants were on the field during practice Friday. Holmgren has surrounded himself with longtime members of his football family.

Gil Haskell, his former offensive coordinator, occupies the office next to Holmgren’s and is his senior adviser. Keith Gilbertson, an offensive assistant for three years in Seattle, is a senior offensive assistant.

Former Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes joined the staff this year as senior defensive assistant. Tom Headlee, an assistant for 10 years in Seattle, is a scout. And Shurmur is the nephew of the late Fritz Shurmur, who was Holmgren’s longtime defensive coordinator.

“Fritz was a crusty, wonderful man and a great help to me,” he says. “I’m hoping I can be that guy for Pat.”

Holmgren, whose Browns play the Seahawks on Sunday, still is in the early stages of cementing his vision into reality. Cleveland is only 7-14 since he arrived, but Holmgren’s history says he won’t fail.

“This,” he says with a broad smile, “is my last great adventure.”

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com

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Seahawks will see a calmer Holmgren on Sunday

MonaGENDK — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:13:19 +0000

RENTON — The Mike Holmgren who serves as president of the Cleveland Browns is different than the Mike Holmgren who spent 17 years as a head coach, including 10 seasons guiding the Seattle Seahawks.

He is calmer now, he insists, better equipped to handle a disappointing result from time to time. All it took for Holmgren to mellow was some time away from the sidelines, as well as a stern talking to from his wife, Kathy.

Following the Browns’ season opening loss this year, Holmgren recalled on a conference call with Seattle reporters, he was “Kind of a jerk,” while out for dinner with Kathy and some friends. After blowing off some more steam the following Monday, Holmgren came home and heard it from his wife.

Kathy’s message: “If you wanted to be that big of a jerk, get back into coaching. … Do you want to be that angry all the time? Do you want to be that frustrated?”

Holmgren, who was best known in Seattle for making the Seahawks a perennial playoff team and leading the franchise to its only Super Bowl, but also known for his fiery sideline demeanor, realized his wife was right.

“You know what, I don’t (want to be angry and frustrated),” he told himself. “I’m 63 years old, I’m enjoying what I’m doing, I want to build this up again to be something special. I said, ‘You’re right, I don’t want to be like that.’ It was an epiphany of sorts.”

And as Holmgren’s new team prepares to host his old one this weekend, it’s perhaps fitting that both his demeanor and his role in Cleveland are different, because so, too, is the Seahawks team he’ll see on Sunday.

Holmgren admitted that it will be emotional to see “players that went to the trenches for you,” but the thing is, there aren’t too many of those players left on Seattle’s roster. Of the 53 players currently on the active roster, just seven played for Holmgren: receiver Ben Obomanu, running back Justin Forsett, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, defensive end Red Bryant, linebacker Leroy Hill, linebacker David Hawthorne and punter Jon Ryan.

“The fewer number of players that there are, yeah, I think it will take away from the emotions just a little bit,” Holmgren said.

Those few remaining Seahawks who did play for Holmgren say it will be a special moment when they see their former coach.

Like Seahawks fans, players can appreciate what he did for the team. When Holmgren was hired away from Green Bay in 1999, the Seahawks hadn’t been to the playoffs since 1988, and hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1984 season. Under Holmgren, the Seahawks made the playoffs six times in 10 seasons, won four consecutive division titles and made their only Super Bowl appearance.

“He changed the face of this franchise,” said linebacker Leroy Hill, who played four seasons under Holmgren and was a rookie on the Super Bowl XL team. “I think people will always remember that.”

Holmgren’s former players are thankful for the coach who gave them a chance in the NFL, and hope to pass that message along this weekend. They also will have a hard time believing that the man who not too long ago intimidated professional athletes with simple stare could possibly have mellowed.

“I can’t imagine it at all,” Obomanu said with a chuckle. “On game days, when a play went wrong, he would turn around and nobody wanted to be in his eyesight, because you didn’t want to be the one to get yelled at first. So, I can’t imagine him being a front office guy upstairs, seeing things not going the way he wants, and turn around have nobody there to fuss at.”

After leaving Seattle following the 2008 season, Holmgren took a year off. When Seattle was looking for a new president after Tod Leiweke left for a job in the NHL, Holmgren was a candidate for that job, but ultimately he chose to go Cleveland where he would have total authority over the franchise. He and Kathy have made Cleveland their home, but they still have family in the Seattle area, and see themselves back here someday.

For now, however, Holmgren’s focus is on doing in Cleveland what he did in Seattle — turning a struggling franchise into a Super Bowl caliber team.

Holmgren said he doesn’t plan on coaching again. He did consider taking over as Cleveland’s coach last season before hiring Pat Shurmur to replace the fired Eric Mangini. And staying out of coaching will probably sit just fine with his wife after his dinner performance following that Week 1 loss.

Instead, the calmer, less fiery Holmgren will try to make the Browns a winning franchise while staying off the sideline.

“I want to help,” he said. “I want to be there for Pat Shurmur. I don’t want to be the guy banging on the table all the time anymore. I did that for a number of years in coaching — and it’s part of what you have to do to get everyone’s attention — but now my role is different. That’s how I’m approaching it.”

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog

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

Cleveland Browns: Mike Holmgren doesn’t expect a…

MarkCaish — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:33:55 +0000

Well it looks like Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren will not be in Cleveland forever. He talked about his love for the Pacific Northwest in a recent interview.

He’s lived there for a number of years, so we get that.

But why did he call Cleveland and its fans “they” and “them” in his interview with a Seattle radio station?

Holmgren was interviewed on Wednesday on station KJR 950/AM, on the Mitch in the Morning Show.

“I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be 10 years. We still have our home in Seattle,” he said. “And, like I said, the kids are there, the grandkids are there. And I don’t think they are going to be moving anywhere too soon. So our vision is to kind of get back to that area at some point. Exactly when that is (I don’t know). I would like to see improvement here and lay the foundation here so they can feel good about their team again before I make any changes at all.”

Fox Sports reporter Pat McManamon writes how Holmgren has three years left on the five-year deal with the Browns, and he has never said a thing about wanting to leave, but Holmgren is 63 and his family remains, as he said, in Seattle.

What do you think of Mike Holmgren’s comments?

Gotta run!.

Mike Holmgren, Cleveland Browns president, talks…

Mardycync — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:23:32 +0000

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns host the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup of 2-3 teams on Sunday at Browns Stadium.

The game is certain to stir memories for Browns president Mike Holmgren. He coached Seattle to an 86-74 record, and 4-6 in playoff games, from 1999-2008. Holmgren and the Seahawks reached the 2005 Super Bowl, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-10.

Holmgren was interviewed today on Seattle radio station KJR 950/AM, on the Mitch in the Morning Show.

Click here to hear Holmgren’s interview on KJR’s Mitch in the Morning.

A couple highlights of what Holmgren had to say, from the Waiting For Next Year blog:

Mitch: How long you going to do this? In 10 years are you going to be the President of the Cleveland Browns?

Holmgren: Well, you know it’s hard to tell for sure. I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be 10 years. We still have our home in Seattle. The kids are there. The grandkids are there. I don’t think they’re going to be moving anytime soon. Our vision is to get back into that area at some point. Exactly when that is? I’d like to see improvement here and lay the foundation here so that they can feel good about the team again before I make any changes.

Mitch: What kind of team are the Seahawks going to face this week on Sunday? Is it a good football team? Is it an O.K. football team? What’s your honest assessment of what kind of Browns squad you’ve got over there?

Holmgren: You’ll watch us play, and you know we’re a young football team. You combine the youth we have on the team and a new coach and at times we kind of look young out there. And then at other times we actually play pretty well. I think we play pretty good defense. Dick Jauron, who’s the defensive coordinator, is doing a heck of a job. Ray Rhodes is on the staff who you know. They’re doing a great job.

Offensively, we’re inconsistent. That comes with having a young quarterback, young receivers, rookie starting at left guard and all those things. But, when we can eliminate our own mistakes we aren’t bad. So, you know. We’ll see.

About no longer being on the field as a coach, Holmgren said:

After being on the field for so long and feeling like you have some control over the outcome or what’s happening out there, now I’m upstairs and I have no control over anything. I’m working through that. I’m better this year than I was last year. That’s a tough thing because that’s the chess game of calling plays and outfoxing the defense and the emotions of what’s happening on the field. That’s why you get into coaching in the first place….

What do you guys think about this.

Cleveland Browns front office in a rush to extend…

LMRandy — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 10:52:58 +0000

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Browns President Mike Holmgren says the Browns are “trying like crazy” to extend Peyton Hillis’ contract.

There is the quick update of the day.

Browns, RB Hillis working on new contract

Fumnunole — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:56:01 +0000

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren says the club is “trying like crazy” to extend running back Peyton Hillis’ contract.

In an ESPN radio interview Friday, Holmgren said the club wants to wrap up Hillis “for a long time.” The 25-year-old Hillis rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, his first with Cleveland after coming over in a trade from Denver. A battering ram with the ball, Hillis has become a fan favorite in Cleveland, and last week, he said the city “represents who I am.”

Hillis is in the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $555,000 this season.

Hillis’ popularity soared this season, when he won a fan vote to be on the cover of Madden 12, the wildly popular video game.

The Browns have already given contract extensions to Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas and tight end Evan Moore.

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Joe Thomas signs contract, excited about the…

rellNacle — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 22:52:13 +0000

Cleveland Browns’ four-time pro bowl left tackle Joe Thomas said one of the reasons he signed a seven-year contract worth $84 million is the direction the team is heading. The hiring of Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert, Pat Shurmur and the young talent the team is acquiring has him excited about the future.

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P.M. Cleveland Browns links: Joe Thomas called…

Frassable — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:33:53 +0000

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Most of the constants for the Cleveland Browns in recent seasons have been negatives.

Such as losing games.

Talent experts, though, have constantly referred to Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, as one of the NFL’s premier offfensive linemen.

In fact, USA Today — as have some other publications — has picked Thomas as the best offensive tackle in the NFL.

Scott Zucker writes about Thomas for USAToday.com (the Tucker referred to is former NFL — and Browns — offensive lineman Ross Tucker):

He’s more than surpassed his own hype (even if it was relatively muted four years ago), collecting four Pro Bowl invitations and twice being named first-team all-pro. Despite being surrounded by fairly mediocre offensive talent, Thomas, 26, has helped lead aging Jamal Lewis (twice) and formerly unheralded Peyton Hillis (acquired in the Quinn trade) to 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Such accomplishments helped Thomas emerge as USA TODAY’s top vote-getter at the tackle position.

Jamie Dukes played offensive line in the league for a decade before joining the NFL Network. He calls Thomas “smooth as silk.” He also praises his “great footwork and functional strength.”

Tucker agrees with Dukes mostly: “I like that (Thomas is) so consistent and so smooth. But I’d liked to see him be more physical. There used to be a lot of guys that wanted to physically dominate their opponent. We don’t see that much anymore.”

Thomas leads off the USAToday.com photo gallery of the top 10 offensive tackles.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes a Starting Blocks report, citing ESPN.com, that the NFL and the NFL Players Association have — according to sources — agreed to a new labor deal that will end the lockout; Tony Grossi’s report that Browns president Mike Holmgren is optimistic about a new labor contract; Grossi’s “Hey, Tony,!” answering readers’ questions; also, “Terry Pluto’s Talkin;’ ” and much more.

Post patterns

Once free agency begins, the Browns might pursue a wide receiver. Re-visiting an SI.com photo gallery of wide receivers who might be available as free agents.

Fullback Lawrence Vickers could still return to the Browns, writes Samuel Ingro for the National Football Authority.

General manager Tom Heckert says the Browns want to win now, writes Jeff Schudel for th News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

Mike Holmgren is hopeful that players will approve a new labor deal, writes Nate Ulrich for the Akron Beacon Journal.

Mike Holmgren talks about the Browns. By Matt Florjancic on clevelandbrowns.com.

Issues that Browns first-year coach Pat Shurmur will be facing, by Dave Kolonich for the Orange and Brown Report on Scout.com.

If anybody needs tickets to games, remember to click the tickets link at the top.

Cleveland Browns, Holmgren to host charity motorcycle rally in July

Bambovaleen — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:22:22 +0000

With the NFL lockout now stretching into a fourth month, things have been pretty quiet around Cleveland Browns headquarters in Berea and at Browns Stadium downtown. But that will soon change.

On Saturday, July 23, the team will host the inaugural Cleveland Browns Motorcycle Rally, bringing that unmistakable thunderous chopper sound through downtown Cleveland. The Browns have teamed up with South East Harley-Davidson in an effort to support and help local charities.

And Browns President Mike Holmgren will be leading the pack of riders on his own Harley.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Holmgren. “It’s for a good cause and it’s something I’ve enjoyed doing for a long time.”

Holmgren is no novice on a motorcycle. He learned to ride a while coaching in Green Bay and participated in similar charity events during his time there and in Seattle. One of his motorcycles, a 2009 Screamin’ Eagle, was presented to him by Seahawks players as a token of their appreciation after he left the team in 2008. The model is one of Harley-Davidson’s top-of-the-line motorcycles.

“This combines a true passion of mine along with the Browns’ commitment to the community,” Holmgren explained.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to support two different local causes. The Cleveland Browns Foundation, founded in 1999 to provide assistance to those in need, will benefit from the support of participating Cleveland riders.

Also supported is the Three-Deuce-Five Foundation, which is directly connected with the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, headquartered in Brook Park, Ohio. This worthy cause offers assistance to soldiers and their families as they recover from the hardships of service.

The ride begins at 11 a.m. on July 23 at the Harley-Davidson store and will wind its way through the streets of Cleveland through Shaker and University Heights before it ends at Cleveland Browns Stadium. A post-ride tailgate will begin around noon with food and beverages, live music, and opportunities for autographs.

Those interested can register at South East Harley-Davidson at 23105 Aurora Road in Cleveland. Cost is $35 per rider or $45 with a rider and passenger. According to the Browns, space is limited and spots are filling up quickly.

So, while this endless lockout drags on into the summer, the Browns are staying busy in the community. Hopefully, participating riders will be able to talk football with Holmgren after the players and owners reach an agreement. Even still, it should be a great event for those who like to ride their motorcycles in style.

For more stories in your area, check out Yahoo! Local Cleveland.

That’s all for today.

Colt McCoy Could Start As Cleveland Browns Quarterback, Mike Holmgren Says

kitesurftrips — Wed, 25 May 2011 05:11:37 +0000

Read More: Colt McCoy (QB – CLE), Cleveland Browns

Colt McCoy has been leading the Cleveland Browns through their unofficial team workouts, as reported here earlier. Not surprisingly, this has put him in the mix to lead the Browns during the regular season as the Browns starting quarterback according to team president Mike Holmgren.

McCoy, who started eight games for the Browns last season, seems to be the front-runner in Holmgren’s eyes whenever the NFL Lockout finishes.

“We have Seneca Wallace, too, and Jake Delhomme as well right now,” Holmgren told the NFL Network’s Albert Breer. “But (McCoy) got his feet wet last year. I didn’t necessarily want him to play that much last year, but we were injured, and so he had a chance to play. He showed us enough where he will go in, and we’re hopeful that — it’ll be competitive — but if he does what I think he can do, he’ll probably be the guy, yeah.”

The former Texas signal-caller has impressed Holmgren quite a bit, it seems.

“I’ve always been impressed with Colt and his leadership ability — that’s one of the reasons we drafted him (in the third round),” Holmgren said. “So I’m not surprised by this. They love to play the game, so he’s going to do what he has to now as he gets his chance to be the starting quarterback and the leader of the football team.

“He’s going to do what he has to do, what he thinks is best, in this time we’re going through right now. I’m not surprised by it. And yeah, it puts a little smile on my face.”

If Holmgren is smiling, all is good in the Dawg Pound, right?

Comment Below!.

Holmgren: Browns QB competition is open, with McCoy in mix

Aronvova — Tue, 24 May 2011 20:50:17 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Colt McCoy has acted like the quarterback and leader of the Cleveland Browns throughout this offseason.

Lombardi: Kolb would fit in Cleveland

But that doesn’t mean competition at the position is closed.

Browns president Mike Holmgren expressed satisfaction Tuesday in McCoy’s rookie-year performance and his standing on the team. Yet Holmgren stopped just short of saying the former University of Texas standout is the answer to a quarterback question the franchise has asked since re-entering the NFL in 1999.

“We have Seneca Wallace, too, and Jake Delhomme as well right now,” Holmgren said at the NFL Spring Meeting. “But (McCoy) got his feet wet last year. I didn’t necessarily want him to play that much last year, but we were injured, and so he had a chance to play. He showed us enough where he will go in, and we’re hopeful that — it’ll be competitive — but if he does what I think he can do, he’ll probably be the guy, yeah.”

Coming off a season in which he started eight games and threw for 1,576 yards and six touchdowns with nine interceptions, McCoy has taken a leadership role with the team in organizing workouts in Austin, Texas, for Cleveland’s offensive players.

“He’s going to do what he has to do, what he thinks is best, in this time we’re going through right now. I’m not surprised by it. And yeah, it puts a little smile on my face.”

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.