CLEVELAND, Ohio — The upcoming NFL draft has plenty of people talking to themselves, including me. The Browns have the fourth, 22nd and 37th picks in the first two rounds.

Question: Can the Browns mess up the No. 4 pick?

Answer: Here the No. 4 picks in the last five years:

2011: A.J. Green. An emerging star receiver with the Bengals;

2010: Trent Williams. An offense tackle with Washington who has talent, but also flunked a drug test;

2009: Aaron Curry. Drafted by Seattle, traded to Oakland. Considered a disappointment;

2008: Darren McFadden. A good running back for Oakland, but has battled injuries and has had only one big season (1,157 rushing yards in 2010). He played only seven games in 2011; and

2007: Gaines Adams, a defensive end drafted by Tampa Bay, traded to Chicago and then died of a heart condition in 2010.

Q: Well, aren’t you Mr. Sunshine?

A: Just reporting the facts.

Q: So the Browns can mess up the pick?

A: I don’t think they will. If they stay at No. 4, they will have a crack at three of these four players: Mo Claiborne, Matt Kalil, Trent Richardson and Justin Blackmon.

Q: Don’t most fans want Richardson?

A: The Alabama running back is considered the favorite according to our Cleveland.com poll.

Q: Isn’t No. 4 too high for a running back?

A: Here’s the list of the rushers who gained more than 1,200 yards in 2011, along with where they were drafted.

1. Maurice Jones-Drew (No. 60, 2006), 1,606 yards; 2. Ray Rice (No. 55, 2008), 1,364; 3. Michael Turner (No. 154, 2004), 1,340; 4. LeSean McCoy (No. 53, 2009), 1,309; 5. Arian Foster (undrafted, 2009), 1,224; 6. Frank Gore (No. 65, 2005), 1,211; 7. Marshawn Lynch (No. 12, 2007), 1,204.

Q: So No. 4 is too high for a running back?

A: I will argue this: If Richardson can run for 1,200 yards, he’s worth the No. 4 pick. In 2007, former Browns General Manager Phil Savage was debating between Joe Thomas and Adrian Peterson for the No. 3 pick. He went with Thomas, the All-Pro tackle who is the franchise’s best selection since the return in 1999. Peterson went No. 7 to Minnesota, where he became a superstar.

Q: What will the Browns do about Richardson?

A: On my Facebook page, Greg Gotti posted an argument that Richardson is right for the Browns because you must be able to run the ball in the AFC North with all the rugged defenses. Tyler Bates countered with the AFC North defenses beating up Richardson in a few years. I would not be surprised if this same discussion is taking place in Berea.

Q: What is Tom Heckert’s recent draft history when it comes to running backs?

A: He picked LeSean McCoy in 2009′s second round for the Eagles. He also traded up and took Montario Hardesty in the second round of 2010 for the Browns. So he may look for a back in the second round.

Q: What if they take Matt Kalil at No. 4?

A: I have been whining about not signing a right tackle. Kalil is supposed to be the Joe Thomas of this draft. So he’d put the Browns in a great position up front with Thomas at left tackle, Kalil at right tackle and Alex Mack at center.

Q: Do you think they will take him if he’s available?

A: No. They may trade the pick to a team that wants a left tackle.

Q: Trading down?

A: I’m OK if it’s a few picks … but not down into the 20s. They need impact players.

Q: Don’t you think fans will go crazy if they trade way down?

A: That’s putting it mildly.

Q: Why would they take Mo Claiborne at No. 4? Don’t they need offense?

A: They need offense, but my hunch since January has been Claiborne. I still think he’s a serious candidate. The Browns love good cornerbacks, it’s why they took Joe Haden in the first round in 2010. I can imagine them saying, “With Haden and Claiborne, our secondary can be set for years. These guys can cover and we can then bring heat on the cornerback.”

Q: What about Claiborne’s low score on the Wonderlic test?

A: Most teams knew for months that Claiborne had a learning disability and would not test well. I believe the Browns and several other teams at the top of the draft will not reject Claiborne because of the test.

Q: What about Blackmon?

A: Evan Shanley posted this on my Facebook page: “We HAVE to take Blackmon. We haven’t had a premier wide receiver since we came back. … Running backs are a dime a dozen IF you have a quality offensive line. We’ve just been without a quality wide receiver for too long … we have to try to fill that need.”

Q: Do you agree?

A: I have to think about him, but as Dave Metsch posted, I wish Blackmon were closer to 6-5 than his height of 6-1.

Q: How about Ryan Tannehill?

A: I don’t want the No. 3 quarterback in the draft at the No. 4 pick — especially since even Tannehill’s strong supporters admit that he’s not immediately NFL ready.

Q: What will they do at No. 22?

A: Here’s the last five players picked at No. 22:

2011: Anthony Costanzo, tackle;

2010: Demaryius Thomas, a wide receiver with only 54 catches over two seasons for Denver;

2009: Percy Harvin, a wide receiver who has caught 218 passes in the last three years for Minnesota. I’d love to see the Browns find a player with his speed;

2008: Felix Jones, a running back for Dallas who has gained 2,060 yards over the last three years, nothing special;

2007: Brady Quinn, a quarterback and you know that story.

Q: Your point?

A: The reason that so many people keep talking about the draft is that there is so much to talk about.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns President Mike Holmgren told his Seattle radio buddy Monday that he thinks Colt McCoy will rise to the challenge after the Browns went hard after Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

“I know Colt as a person,” Holmgren told Dave Mahler on KJR in Seattle. “He’ll respond as well as anyone in the world to this. I think he’s a competitive guy,”

“He understands this business. He and I had a really good talk before he left in the off-season. And he knew there was going to be competition coming into this next off-season and next training camp.

“I think if you’re just honest with him, then they’ll be able to handle most things. Is there a little side to any of the players that gets touched by something like that? In all honesty, there probably is. But, you know what? It’s a business and you gotta bounce back. And how you bounce back determines what kind of a guy you are.”

Holmgren re-iterated what the Browns have been saying since the end of the season: that they think McCoy can be a winning NFL quarterback.

“I like Colt McCoy as a player,” said Holmgren. “I think he’s a fine player and has a chance to be a fine player in this league. Last year I thought one, he got beat up pretty good. We didn’t protect him quite as well. I thought our running game after Peyton Hillis got hurt wasn’t helping him enough in my opinion. And then we had the lockout.

“So you had a new coach, new system, new quarterbacks. You put all that together and I think it was a little bit of a short deck. So, I’m not down on Colt McCoy at all. But I will always – and as long as I’m in a position like this – we are always going to look for quarterbacks. Make that pile a little bit bigger. Try to create some competition. To try and bring the best out of the people you already have.”

Holmgren said the Browns checked out a dozen quarterbacks this off-season — including former Green Bay backup Matt Flynn — before they decided not to pursue Flynn in free agency. Flynn signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks on Sunday.

Mahler opened his interview by telling Holmgren that he read articles about him being “ticked off, angry and mad” about the Redskins winning the RG3 sweepstakes because of their close ties with the Rams. Holmgren said last week this his offer was “every bit as good” as the Redskins and that he’s not sure anything the Browns offered would’ve been good enough because of the relationships between those teams.

“That, as happens on occasion with the media, was overstated just a little bit,” Holmgren said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Peyton Manning’s landing spot could profoundly affect the Browns’ quarterback plans and their expected pursuit of Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Several of the teams interested in Manning — including the Redskins — were also reportedly ready to make offers to the Rams to trade up to No. 2 to draft Griffin III. The Browns, who have the No. 4 pick in the draft, and the Redskins, who draft sixth, have been widely regarded as the front-runners in the RG3 sweepstakes.

If the Redskins land Manning, and the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that they’ll make “an aggressive effort” to do so, the Browns will gain considerable leverage with the Rams.

Other teams reportedly interested in Manning include the Dolphins (drafting eighth), Seahawks (12), Cardinals (13), Jets (16) and Broncos (25). Of those teams, the Dolphins and Seahawks have also been thought to have some interest in Griffin. In the hours after the 11-time Pro Bowler was released by the Colts, a number of teams reportedly contacted Manning’s agent Tom Condon, including the Jets, Broncos and Seahawks.

Manning is expected to choose a contender with plenty of weapons, his former coach Tony Dungy told NFL Network on Wednesday. If the Dolphins land Manning, it opens more possibilities for Green Bay backup quarterback Matt Flynn, who will become an unrestricted free agent Tuesday at 4 p.m. If the Dolphins don’t sign Manning, they’ll be the likely front-runner for Flynn, whose new head coach, Joe Philbin, was his offensive coordinator in Green Bay.

The Browns are not expected to make a big pitch for Flynn despite the fact he’s well-versed in the West Coast offense. That’s in part because he’ll command a $40 million to $50 million contract. Griffin, on the other hand, will receive about $22 million over four years because of the new rookie wage scale.

If the Redskins sign Manning and the Dolphins sign Flynn, the Browns would most likely have the edge in trade talks with the Rams by virtue of their high draft pick. The next teams interested in trading up would likely be Kansas City at No. 11 and Seattle at No. 12. It would also increase the possibility that the Browns pull off the trade without surrendering their No. 22 overall pick. The Browns don’t want to give up that pick, a league source told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Rams have said they’d like to have a deal in place by the time free agency begins Tuesday.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

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Berea — As he makes plans for his second season, Pat Shurmur’s next decision might shape his future as Browns coach.

Shurmur said he will launch a search for an offensive coordinator, a position he chose not to fill in his first season.

Doubling as his own coordinator in his rookie season as a head coach, Shurmur’s offense finished 29th in yards and 30th in scoring, and suffered some in-game brownouts that were explained as “communication” problems.

These included a fumbled handoff to tight end Alex Smith, who was rushed into the huddle as a replacement for fullback Owen Marecic at a critical point in a 6-3 loss to St. Louis, and botched clock management that cost the Browns at least a short field goal try at the end of the first half in a 20-14 loss in Baltimore.

Shurmur said he intended all along to hire a coordinator in his second season when he failed to find “the right guy” a year ago.

“We’re going to work quickly, but I’m not going to be hasty,” he said of the search. “I want to get the right guy. That’s a relationship that’s very, very important.”

Shurmur seems more inclined to give the right candidate play-calling responsibilities — something he would not do last year. He said, “That’s one of the details we’ll get worked out as we go through the process.”

A year ago, Shurmur interviewed at least three candidates for coordinator. Two took jobs elsewhere — Bill Musgrave with the Vikings and Mike McCoy re-signed with Denver under new coach John Fox. The third reported interviewee was Mark Whipple, who joined Shurmur’s staff as quarterbacks coach.

Shurmur said Tuesday the new coordinator “may come from the staff,” which points to Whipple as a contender.

Whipple was offensive coordinator at the University of Miami in 2009 and ’10. He previously worked one season in Philadelphia with Shurmur on Andy Reid’s staff and was quarterbacks coach for the Steelers from 2004 to ’06.

Other potential candidates could include Brad Childress, who worked with Shurmur in Philadelphia for six years, the last four as Reid’s offensive coordinator; and Mike Sherman, who was a Mike Holmgren assistant coach in Green Bay and his offensive coordinator one year in Seattle before returning to Green Bay as head coach. Sherman was fired as Texas A&M head coach last month and reportedly will receive NFL head coach interviews.

Shurmur said he would not identify candidates for the job. He said of Childress: “I know Brad very well. He and I worked together for a long time. I think he’s a terrific coach.”

Asked if the candidate has to have experience in the West Coast offense, Shurmur said: “I’m trying to find the best guy, so a guy who speaks our language . . . I think might have a little bit of a leg up.

“The coordinator role is like having another decision-maker amongst your staff that has the title of being able to say we’re going to do this or do that. I think it’s important that I get the right guy. His final role . . . there’s a lot of different models. There’s eight or nine teams where the head coach calls the plays, and they have a coordinator. And then there’s other teams that have a different [setup].

“The offensive coordinator is responsible for the offensive coaches. He’s mainly responsible for putting the plan together, directing the offense and doing a lot of things that I did as a head coach.

“The game-day thing, calling plays, that’s a fun thing for all of us to do. I want the best guy I can get. If he’s outstanding at calling plays . . . listen, I want to win games, so I’m going to get the guy that helps us win.”

The hire comes at a critical time in the franchise’s endless search for respectability. In their expansion era, the Browns have ranked 23rd or worst in offense in 12 of 13 seasons. They were eighth in 2007 under coordinator Rob Chudzinski, who is being mentioned as a head coach candidate in Jacksonville.

The Browns are contemplating a thorough upgrade on offense, which could include a new quarterback, new receivers and possibly a new running back.

Shurmur declined Tuesday to speculate on the future of quarterback Colt McCoy and again refused to say he wanted potential free agent Peyton Hillis to return as the feature running back.

As for any other changes to his coaching staff, Shurmur said he didn’t plan any “at this point.” He left open the door, pending coaches being made available by other teams.

The Browns had several breakdowns on special teams — yielding two kick returns for touchdowns and a touchdown on a fake punt, having two field goals blocked and having two critical long snaps go awry. But Shurmur defended special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.

“I think as players and coaches, we all need to improve. And I did see some improvement in areas that make me think we’re going to get better,” Shurmur said of the special teams.

Every year, NFL Films puts together a season recap for each team in the league. Even if a team had a terrible year, they attempt to put a positive spin on things. They’ll certainly have a challenge on their hands when they piece together a highlight reel for the 2011 Cleveland Browns.

What’s funny is that even in seasons when the Browns had a terrible record, and there have been many of those types of seasons lately, they still have a signature win or two against far superior teams. In 2008, a year when the Browns finished 4-12, they did manage a victory over the defending Super Bowl champs – the New York Giants – on Monday Night Football. It wasn’t much, but at least fans could hang their hats on one great win.

In 2009, Eric Mangini’s first season as head coach, the Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in six years. It jumpstarted the team to four straight wins to end the season.

And while 2010 was another disappointing year, it did have some great moments, including wins over the Patriots and Saints. Plus, fans were treated to the emergence of running back Peyton Hillis, who bowled over opposing defenses and leapfrogged his way into fans’ hearts and onto the cover of Madden 2012.

This year, the Browns have managed just four wins. Those opponents have been less than stellar – their combined record is just 14-38. A win over the hapless Colts, a forgettable 6-3 win over Seattle, and narrow victories over the struggling Jaguars and Dolphins are all NFL Films will have to work with. The wins have been ugly and the losses even worse.

It’s doubtful they’ll show the Browns defense getting caught with their pants down in the season opener against Cincinnati. They’ll probably avoid the lowlight of handing the ball off to a tight end down at the goal line against St. Louis and then missing a go-ahead field goal due to a bad snap. The season has been filled with these types of miscues.

Off the field, things aren’t much better. The Peyton Hillis controversy was bad enough early in the season. But now the Colt McCoy concussion storm has grown into a full-blown hurricane, so much so that Browns President Mike Holmgren had to address the media on Wednesday.

Browns fans should be asking themselves, “Is this rock-bottom?” Can it get even worse for this team? Short of losing Josh Cribbs or Joe Haden to career-ending injuries, the answer is no. The team has shown little improvement in 2011 and needs a talent infusion during the off season.

Theoretically, the Browns could win one of these last few games against the Steelers or Ravens but probably would be better served to lose. That way, they improve their draft position. And to the editors at NFL Films tasked to piece together the 2011 Browns highlights, good luck to you all. Nobody blames you if you skip the job altogether.

BEREA, Ohio — Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (concussion) returned to practice Wednesday and will decide later in the week if he’s healthy enough to play against the Jaguars on Sunday.

“We’re going to progress,” he said. “Each day I’m going to do a little bit more. And whenever I feel great to get back out there, I’ll get back out there.”

Massaquoi, who because of the concussion has missed two games and left another early, said he’s not too worried about another concussion because the Browns have been so careful with him.

“I feel confident the symptoms won’t come back,” he said. “I feel confident that concussions aren’t going to happen in the future, so I feel real good. Whenever you talk about concussions and the head, yeah, [it's a little scary] because you only have one brain, but we have great doctors and I feel great right now.”

Massaquoi suffered the concussion Oct. 23 against Seattle and sat out the following week in San Francisco. He returned Nov. 6 in Houston, but came out after feeling ill in the first half. He spent most of last week at home resting and sat out the Rams game.

“People say their head’s ringing or something like that, but it wasn’t that,” he said. “You just feel off. And until you feel like yourself, you put yourself at risk for another concussion or great danger just for future injury, so whenever you feel something, you’ve just got to shut it down.”

He said coming out of the Houston game was a combination of him not feeling right and those around him noticing he was off.

“When you’re in the moment, sometimes your adrenaline takes over so you really don’t know when something’s really triggering it,” he said. “But I think we have the best medical staff, training staff in the league and we handled it great.”

Massaquoi said he’s not sure why it’s taking him longer to recover from this concussion than it did for him to recover from James Harrison‘s knockout shot last season in Pittsburgh.

“Each case is different,” he said. “You address each one individually.”

Hardesty jogging: Running back Montario Hardesty (calf) sat out Wednesday’s practice but jogged outside and worked with a trainer. He ran at a good speed, but might sit out Sunday.

“I want to play, but I’m not gonna come back till I’m good and ready to play,” he said. “The steps that we’re taking right now, the progress has been good, so we’re gonna keep doing the same things.”

Ward to be back: Browns coach Pat Shurmur said the news was good on safety T.J. Ward when he had his sprained foot examined Monday.

“What we found when we took the cast off is he’ll be back,” Shurmur said. Ward had another cast put on will soon progress to a walking boot.

Got away with one: The Browns’ double-reverse that resulted in a 21-yard pass to Seneca Wallace should have been ruled illegal because there were two forward passes. The first exchange was supposed to be a handoff but Josh Cribbs took the snap and flipped the ball forward to Wallace, who then pitched it to Colt McCoy. McCoy then threw the pass to Wallace.

“We knew it when we watched it,” said Shurmur. “We practiced the play. The first exchange between Josh and Seneca was practiced as a handoff. Three times last week we handed it off and in the game it got flipped. That’s a rule, we know the rule.”

On Robiskie: Former Browns receiver Brian Robiskie was limited in practice for the Jaguars on Wednesday with a pulled hamstring. He was inactive for the one game the Jaguars have played since they acquired him Nov. 2.

Extra points: Rams defensive end James Hall told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Wednesday that got a piece of Phil Dawson‘s missed field goal. The Rams said they haven’t yet heard from Elias Sports Bureau on whether it will be changed to a blocked kick in the official stats.

The 2011 Cleveland Browns just aren’t very good.

Shocking news, I know. I was as upset as any fan when the Browns found a downright laughable way to lose last Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Rams. After having a few days to drink away the pain that comes from following Cleveland sports, I realized that there’s really no point in feeling such strong emotions about this particular team. This is just the way it’s going to be from now until January. The Browns are either going to get crushed by the Steelers and Ravens of the league, or they’re going to find an astonishing way to blow a game at the death. If they manage a win or two before the end of the regular season, great.

I won’t be holding my breath, though.

3 final thoughts on Rams at Browns: Question for McCoy critics

Anybody who consistently reads my pieces regarding teams I follow knows I try to be, dare I say, “fair and balanced” regarding any and all players. I praise those who deserve it and also rightfully criticize those who don’t get the job done. Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy(notes) has hardly been perfect during his brief NFL career. I’m more than willing to admit that. With that said, however, I must ask one question to all McCoy haters.

What is it you expect him to do with this particular lineup?

McCoy completed 20 of 27 passes for 218 yards against the Rams in the losing effort. Chris Ogbonnaya(notes) was the team’s leading rusher and rookie WR Greg Little(notes) Cleveland’s leading receiver with six grabs. To suggest that McCoy is “lacking playmakers” may be the understatement of the season when talking about the Browns. After watching Cleveland’s final drive of the game Sunday, it’s also not a stretch to suggest McCoy is a bit handcuffed by the play calls coming from the sideline. McCoy isn’t the problem with this team.

3 final thoughts on Rams at Browns: Final point on conservative play calling

Browns head coach Pat Shurmur made it very clear on Monday that he would repeat the conservative play calling that we saw during Cleveland’s final drive this past Sunday, a decision which ultimately resulted in the Browns losing the game. Shurmur stated that the idea was to run the clock down and force the Rams to use their timeouts. While I still very much so disagree with his decision, I can at least live with that reasoning.

So why not have Colt McCoy roll out of the pocket on a bootleg for at least one play?

Think about it. You know McCoy is smart enough to not go out of bounds and thus stop the clock. There’s no greater possibility of McCoy coughing up the ball than there is anybody currently in Cleveland’s makeshift backfield doing the same. The play may have caught the Rams off-guard, allowing McCoy to make use of his athleticism and will to win in order to potentially find the end zone. A pass play isn’t necessary in that scenario, but running the ball up the gut over and over again was obviously unwise.

3 final thoughts on Rams at Browns: Fun

Being a Browns fan isn’t fun right now, and it’s not because the team isn’t winning games. The expansion Browns didn’t win a whole lot of games, and I loved that team. That team played with a ton of heart, was in far more games than you might realize and also provided several memorable moments. The 2011 Browns have given us no such memories. Truth be told, the team really hasn’t been much fun to watch since beating the Dolphins back on September 25. Cleveland’s 6-3 victory over Seattle was arguably the most unwatchable sporting event of the year, and the team’s inability to sniff the end zone when it actually matters is becoming a punchline. Sports are supposed to be fun for fans, and there is no joy in being a Browns fan this mid-November.

Anybody think that will change in the next month and a half?

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CLEVELAND — Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi will miss his second game with symptoms from a concussion.

Massaquoi suffered a concussion against Seattle on Oct. 23. He missed one game, returned last week at Houston but didn’t finish after feeling “woozy.” Massaquoi did not practice this week. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by Joshua Cribbs.

Also, Browns safety T.J. Ward is out with a foot sustained last week. Ward is still in a cast and could miss several games. Usama Young will start in Ward’s spot at strong safety.

Chris Ogbonnaya will start at running back for Cleveland because Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty remain sidelined with injuries.

Rams starting right tackle Jason Smith is inactive with a head injury. Adam Goldberg will start in his spot.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

It must be tough to live being amazingly good at one thing and horrendously bad at another. Think Joe Paterno and his power to inspire blind loyalty countered by his inability to do anything to make him worthy of it.

The Cleveland Browns defense has this problem as a unit. It is ranked first in the NFL against the pass, giving up just 165.2 yards per game, but is 30th against the run, allowing opponents to rush for 144 yards a game.

This was driven home last week when the Texans finished with 261 rushing yards while downing the Browns, 30-12. As if that doesn’t look bad enough, Houston even had two 100-yard rushers as Arian Foster ran for 124 yards and Ben Tate went for 115.

That came a week after Frank Gore ripped Cleveland for 134. And know how awful Chris Johnson has been? You remember him, the guy who made his owners nervous as he held out for a better contract in the preseason, pushed them to jubilance when he signed in time to play the first game and since then has driven them wild by only rushing for 366 yards in eight games this year? Well he got 101 of them against the Browns.

On the whole, Cleveland has allowed its opponent’s leading rusher to go for at least 90 yards in six of its eight games this year, and has allowed its foes to go over 100 yards as a team seven times (see chart).

Those two instances when a leading rusher hasn’t gone over 90 against the Browns might not even count, seeing as they came against Indianapolis and Seattle, teams that are a combined 2-15. Since I am one for piling on, the Colts’ Joseph Addai still put up his second-best total of the season as the team went for more than 100 and the Seahawks rushing game was giving a go of it without top back Marshawn Lynch.

So yes, this is something that I think should be taken advantage of.

First up for this is St. Louis’ Steven Jackson, who is already on a good personal streak, running up 289 yards over the last two weeks. Since the Rams’ passing game has had a tough time getting going this season (202.8 yards per game) and the Browns are good at shutting that down, Jackson should see a heavy workload this week.

Thing don’t ease up much from there for Cleveland, as it then faces Jacksonville’s Maurice Jones-Drew, Cincinnati’s Cedric Benson (who has already put up 121 years against the Browns this season) and Baltimore’s Ray Rice, so the weakness will continue to be exploited.

Exploited? Place your own Penn State joke here as a callback to complete this subject. That way, I won’t face a Mike McQueary banishment as punishment for trying it myself.

Random thoughts

Some random fantasy musings occupying my mind:

•Suddenly, Carson Palmer doesn’t seem like such a washed-up, has-been, former-star quarterback after throwing only one interception Thursday in a win over the Chargers. He had begun his triumphant return with two three-INT performances. He also had a pair of TDs and 299 yards Thursday, so maybe there is something to be said for trading one group of thugs for a new gang. And next up for him and the Raiders are the Vikings, who are ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass, allowing 273.6 yards per game. Dare I say he even seems like a good start next week?

•Speaking of taking advantage of the Vikings, the Packers get to do it today. Is there a place above elite status for Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings?

•The Giants’ Victor Cruz is making a run to join this season’s top fantasy sleeper club. After getting just two catches for 17 yards in the first two weeks, he has since gone over 90 receiving yards in five of six games. And now New York’s top two wide receivers, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks, are game-time decisions on whether they can go today against San Francisco. Cruz looks set to put up another 90-plus-yard outing.

•One of those moments that make you hate being a fantasy owner: I lost my matchup last week when the Bears kicked their last field goal on the final scoring play of the NFL week. As of yesterday morning, the tears on my pillow are finally dry. So bring on today.

Playing a running back against the Browns defense has proven a good fantasy strategy this season. Cleveland’s stats against the run this season and how many yards they have given up to their opponent’s leading rusher:

Josh Bousquet can be contacted at tgfantasy@gmail.com.

BEREA, Ohio – Coach Pat Shurmur said Monday that Peyton Hillis will not play in Cleveland’s upcoming game against St. Louis, the fourth straight game the beleaguered running back has missed since straining his left hamstring on Oct. 16.

Hillis was on track to play Sunday in Houston, but re-injured his hamstring during practice on Friday. Shurmur said Hillis will spend the week getting rehab on his nagging injury and there were no immediate plans to place the 25-year-old on injured reserve.

“Here’s where we’re at with Peyton,” Shurmur said. “We want him to get healthy. We talked about him this morning like we talked internally about the players that were injured yesterday. Our conversation about Peyton was, “How do we proceed to get him back as quickly as possible?’ That’s where we are.”

Hillis’ second season in Cleveland has been loaded with drama and controversy. In addition to missing five games — one with strep throat — he has squabbled with the Browns over a contract extension and some off-field actions have alienated him from some teammates.

Last week, a few of Hillis’ teammates confronted him during a meeting about his behaviour. Shurmur was asked if he was troubled that the nature of that conversation appeared in a news story.

“I talked to the players about making sure we keep family business family business,” Shurmur said. “How it came out and what got talked about, I’ve discussed it with the players.”

Also, Shurmur said running back Montario Hardesty “will likely miss” Sunday’s game against the Rams. Hardesty tore a calf muscle last week in San Francisco and could be out for several games.

Without his top three running backs — Brandon Jackson suffered a season-ending toe injury in August — the Browns were down Chris Ogbonnaya and Thomas Clayton, both added to the roster since Oct. 18, against the Texans. Ogbonnaya and Clayton rushed for a combined 38 yards on 18 carries.

Cleveland has the league’s second-worst running game, averaging 82.1 yards per game.

Also, starting wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi was sent home Monday, still feeling the effects of his second concussion in 13 months.

Massaquoi sustained a concussion in the Browns’ Oct. 23 game against Seattle and missed last week’s game at San Francisco. He sat out one day of practice last week, but started Sunday against the Texans before being taken out late in the third quarter when he felt “woozy.”

Shurmur said the Browns are closely monitoring Massaquoi and adhering to the league’s medical policies on head injuries.

“We’re very strict with that protocol when it involves concussion situations,” he said. “And there is no wiggle room. We follow the guidelines as to when a player can be back and so, he was able to compete, he practiced, he followed all the guidelines and standards.”

Shurmur had no update on starting safety T.J. Ward, who injured his right foot in the second half Sunday. Ward, who left the stadium in a walking boot, said he heard “a pop” in the arch of his foot.

It only took the Cleveland Browns two and a half years to realize that just because there is a local kid who excelled on the state’s most popular college football team, it does not always translate into professional success.

On Tuesday, November 1 the Browns cut ties with Brian Robiskie(notes) who had been a disappointment since he was drafted in the second round in the 2009 NFL draft. In 31 games with the Browns he caught 39 passes for a total of 441 yards. Far less than expected for a high second round draft pick.

While many Cleveland fans loved him due to his success with the Ohio State Buckeyes, it is hard to argue that he had more than enough time to adjust to the professional game. He often showed difficulty getting open and appeared soft when hit by opposing defenders. A young player should be given time to develop, but after two and a half years it is hard to argue he needed more time.

On the other side of the argument, what were the Browns thinking by cutting a wide receiver? The team already lacks so much depth at that position, could they really afford to let another one go? I suppose three receptions for 25 yards through six games was all the justification they needed.

Filling the roster spot cleared by Robiskie, the Browns signed free agent running back Thomas Clayton(notes). With injuries to Brandon Jackson(notes), Peyton Hillis(notes), and Montario Hardesty(notes), the Browns needed someone to back up the teams’ latest addition in Chris Ogbonnaya(notes).

Clayton is a player already familiar with the Browns. He played two games with the team in 2010 carrying the ball one time for no gain. He appeared in the New England Patriots’ 2010 season finale where he carried the ball six times for 17 yards.

He was with the Seattle Seahawks during the 2011 preseason but was released.

Clayton does not appear to have a lot of experience, but as fans we are led to believe he was the best option available. I will continue to support the Browns as always but some moves leave me scratching my head.

I agree with the release of Robiskie. He was never going to excel in Cleveland. He now has a chance to get a fresh start on another team. I wish him luck. As for Clayton, I hope he is able to do what he was hired to do. More than ever I would just like to see a healthy Hillis back in action and the Browns offense putting points on the board.

More NFL Commentary from this Contributor:

Hardesty to Miss Games for Cleveland Browns: A fan’s take

New England Patriots fall short in loss to Pittsburgh: A fan’s reaction

Browns lose in San Francisco: A fan’s reaction

Sources:

All data provided by NFL.com

Associated Press – Browns waive WR Robiskie, sign RB Clayton

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Browns fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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CLEVELAND — Wide receiver Brian Robiskie has been sent on his final down-and-out by the Browns.

A former second-round draft pick, Robiskie was waived Tuesday by Cleveland to make room for free agent running back Thomas Clayton, who played in two games for them last season and has been brought back because of injuries to Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty.

The Browns selected Robiskie with the No. 36 overall pick in 2009 out of Ohio State. A former ballboy for the Browns when his father, Terry, was a Cleveland assistant and later the team’s interim head coach, Robiskie caught seven passes as a rookie. Last year, he made 11 starts and finished with 29 catches for 310 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the 24-year-old’s role was reduced this season and he has steadily slipped down first-year coach Pat Shurmur’s depth chart.

With Hillis and Hardesty injured, the Browns were in dire need of a running back and signed Clayton, a player with whom they have some background. On Tuesday, the Browns had running backs in for workouts at their training facility in Berea before settling on and signing Clayton, who was active in two games for Cleveland in 2010.

Hardesty is expected to miss games after tearing a calf muscle during Sunday’s 20-10 loss in San Francisco. Hillis remains slowed by a hamstring injury that has kept him out of Cleveland’s past two games. On Monday, Shurmur said Hardesty would be sidelined for an indefinite period. Hillis’ status for this week’s game at Houston is uncertain.

Clayton was with Seattle during the preseason before he was released. He will join Chris Ogbonnaya in Cleveland’s backfield until Hardesty or Hillis gets healthy. Ogbonnaya has only been with the team since Oct. 18, when he was signed off the Texans’ practice squad.

The 5-foot-11, 220-pound Clayton was signed to the Browns’ practice squad last September. He bounced back and forth between Cleveland and New England. He played in the Patriots’ season finale.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Cleveland Browns became another victim of the surprisingly successful San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, October 30 losing by a score of 20-10. The Browns fell to 3-4 on the season while the 49ers improved to 6-1.

Quarterback Colt McCoy(notes) finished the day completing 22 of 34 pass attempts for a total of 241 yards. He threw one touchdown and was picked off once.

While McCoy’s numbers looked mostly positive he struggled maintaining control of the football fumbling four times during the game. Of the four only one was lost, which occurred on the opening drive, leading to a San Francisco touchdown.

With running back Peyton Hillis(notes) missing his second straight game due to a hamstring injury, the bulk of the ground game was to go to Montario Hardesty(notes). Unfortunately for the Browns, Hardesty got injured early in the game. Recent addition Chris Ogbonnaya(notes) was forced into the role of the primary back carrying the ball 11 times for 37 yards. Ogbonnaya also recorded five receptions for 24 yards.

Ogbonnaya may have been a smart pickup after all. He surely has had an impact in the last two games he has appeared in.

Leading the way for Cleveland receivers was Benjamin Watson(notes) with three grabs for 64 yards. Joshua Cribs logged 56 yards on two receptions including a 45-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. Greg Little(notes), who had been making his presence known on the team in the prior weeks, netted four receptions for 28 yards. He is still in search of the elusive first professional touchdown.

On defense D’Qwell Jackson(notes) led the team with 10 solo tackles, while Ahtyba Ruben recorded eight of his own. Joe Haden(notes) netted 5 solo tackles, one assist, and a pass deflection.

Despite giving up 177 yards to 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and 134 yards to running back Frank Gore(notes), the Browns defense played a great game, especially in the second half, holding the 49ers to only three points.

It was definitely a tough loss for the Browns who are still struggling to learn an entirely new offense scheme. Their running game was limited to their third string running back that started the season on the practice squad for the Houston Texans. Their passing game still lacks a No. 1 receiver, yet they still managed to stay competitive with one of the better teams in the league.

The Browns may not become Super Bowl champions this season but they are gaining valuable experience that will surely enable them to be competitive starting next year. They will just need to fill in pieces to the puzzle through both the draft and free agency during the offseason to get them there.

More NFL Commentary from this Contributor:

Cleveland Browns’ future in the hands of McCoy, Little, and Hardesty: A fan’s look

Cleveland Browns squeak by a victory against Seattle Seahawks: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Browns’ season rests on performance against Seahawks: A fan’s look

Sources:

All stats provided by NFL.com

Paul Rados is an avid Detroit Red Wings fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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

This could be one ugly football game. I’m just fine with that if it results in a surprising Cleveland victory.

The San Francisco 49ers host the Cleveland Browns this Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:15 pm and the game will air on CBS.

The Browns will win…

because, in theory, this is actually a pretty decent match-up for Cleveland. The Browns currently have the best pass defense in the NFL, and the fact that San Francisco struggles to move the ball through the air means Cleveland can load the box and force QB Alex Smith to make plays. I absolutely expect Cleveland’s defense to keep the Browns in the game until the last minutes of the fourth quarter. From there, it will be up to either Smith or Colt McCoy to get the job done in the clutch moments of the contest.

The Peyton Hillis Saga could actually benefit the Browns this week. It seems as if the Cleveland coaching staff went into this week expecting Hillis to be sidelined (hamstring/perhaps attitude), and Montario Hardesty has been the number one running back on the team’s depth chart for the last couple of weeks. Truth be told, I’m fine with this. Hardesty is certainly still learning on the job, but he’s progressing nicely.

The “Bye Week Blues” could also help the Browns this weekend. The Niners were one of the hottest teams in football just two weeks ago, having won four straight. During that stretch, San Fran defeated Cincy, the Dream Team-gles, Tampa Bay and the then undefeated Detroit Lions. Week 7 was, on paper, the worst time for an off week for this team.

The 49ers will win…

because the Cleveland Browns have zero offense whatsoever unless an opposing defense goes into prevent. Last Sunday’s 6-3 win over Seattle was quite possibly the worst football game I’ve watched in years, and San Fran’s defense is rested and ready for McCoy and company. Heading into this weekend, San Fran has given up the second fewest points in the league, and the Niners get into the backfield often during games. Poor McCoy, who’s taken quite a bit of hits already this season, may be running for his life throughout Sunday’s game.

Cleveland’s pass defense has undeniably impressed. The Browns are giving up roughly 120 yards on the ground per game, however, and the Niners currently have a top-six rushing attack. This may not lead to the 49ers scoring 30 points, but I certainly wouldn’t expect Cleveland to hold the football for 40 minutes against San Fran. Time of possession could be the most important stat in Sunday’s game, and Cleveland’s inability to move the ball on the ground coupled with a rested Frank Gore taking the field make me very, very nervous.

Prediction

All things equal, the 49ers are simply better than the Browns right now. There’s no way Cleveland fans can spin that. The 9-10 point spreads I’ve been seeing throughout the week seem absolutely ridiculous considering Cleveland’s defense and the fact that San Fran lost a bit of momentum due to the bye week. Still, one touchdown isn’t going to cut it against this Niners team playing at home.

49ers 16

Browns 10

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