A little rookie salary cap info mixed in at the bottom. Wow is Newton going to take a major paycut from Bradford's numbers...
Terry Pluto's Talkin' ... about the Browns' leaders, Cleveland State's revamped hoops roster and trade targets for the Tribe
Published: Saturday, July 16, 2011, 11:49 PM
The Plain Dealer By Terry Pluto
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's never a lockout in Northeast Ohio when it comes to weekend opinions about local teams.
About the Browns...
1. No one has talked about it, but the four "Camp Colts" could have been a disaster for quarterback Colt McCoy. After all, who is McCoy to try and organize and run practices? He's started eight games, been in the NFL for one season. But the young Browns quarterback pulled it off, and gained even more respect from his teammates. Rather than come across as bossy, he was quietly confident and communicated a lot with the players in between each camp so that they had a sense of working together.
2. Working in McCoy's favor are the ages of the receivers and running backs. Everyone is young. Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massaquoi were 2009 second-round picks. Greg Little was a second-rounder this season. Joshua Cribbs is a veteran, but he just wants to do the right thing and win games. He helped set up the camp at Kent State, his alma mater.
3. Also attending some of the camps were Carlton Mitchell and Jordan Norwood, two young receivers liked by General Manager Tom Heckert. Some in the Browns' front office think Mitchell could be a surprise contributor in the new offense because he runs very well after making the catch.
4. Am I thrilled to hear Little had 93 parking tickets on five different cars when he was at North Carolina? Or that some of the cars ticketed included a BMW, Acura and Nissan -- according to the Charlotte Observer? It does not mean Little is a bad guy. It does mean the Browns have to watch his sense of entitlement. He became a second-round pick despite being suspended (for taking gifts from an agent and supplying false information to the NCAA). The Browns need to make sure Little earns his playing time, because a lot has been handed to him in the past.
5. As for the running backs at Camp Colt, Peyton Hills was drafted in 2008, Montario Hardesty was drafted in 2010. Hillis and McCoy also have become close friends. The tight ends are Ben Watson, Evan Moore and rookie Jordan Cameron. This is Watson's eighth season, but like Cribbs, he's a good guy who wants to buy into the program. Cameron has made an impression with his leaping ability and athleticism.
6. While some offensive linemen have shown up for the various camps, not a lot can be done on the field with them. There is no blocking and tackling. Most of the work on offense is running pass patterns from the new West Coast playbook.
7. Seneca Wallace was at some camps, but not this one. The other quarterback was Jarret Brown, who started for West Virginia in 2009. He is known as a runner, but Brown did start 15 games as a senior in mostly a pro-style offense. The Mountaineers were 11-4 in those games, he completed 63 percent of his passes and became the school's first quarterback to throw for more than 2,000 yards since Marc Bulger in 1998. He backed up Patrick White until 2009.
8. Brown was not drafted in 2010. Part of the reason is he had only 11 TD passes, compared to nine interceptions. He also lost six fumbles. He is 6-3, so he has decent size -- but 20 of his passes were batted down. But the Browns were intrigued enough to sign him on Jan. 11. Brown did open the 2010 season on the 49ers, but was cut. Maybe he is the young quarterback that team president Mike Holmgren says he likes to bring in each season for a tryout.
9. There are more veterans on defense, which is why it was wise for Scott Fujita to be the point man in bringing those guys to camp. Fujita is respected because he's headed into his 10th season, played in a Super Bowl and also has been a key guy in the labor talks. He also received help from Sheldon Brown -- another key veteran. Brown said he had rotator cuff surgery at the end of the season, but is optimistic about his shoulder being healthy this year.
10. This is a big IF, but if Robaire Smith is correct when he says his back injuries are behind him, that could be a major boost to the defensive line. The 33-year-old Smith can play in either the 3-4 or 4-3 offense, and can play end. So the new Browns line would have Smith and rookie Jabaal Sheard at the ends, rookie Phil Taylor and veteran Ahtyba Rubin at the tackles. Marcus Benard can be a pass-rushing end, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Browns signed another veteran defensive linemen.
About the rookie salary cap...
1. The best thing about the coming NFL labor settlement is a rookie salary cap. Under the new agreement, No. 1 pick Cam Newton will receive $22 million over four years, with a player option for a fifth season. Last year's top pick -- Sam Bradford -- signed a 6-year, $78 million deal, with $50 million guaranteed.
2. It appears rookie salaries will be cut between 50-75 percent, which is not just good for the owners, but also the league. One of the toughest situations for coaches and veteran players is when a rookie walks into the dressing room as the team's highest-paid player -- before he played a single snap. That was the case on the Browns with Joe Haden (2010), Joe Thomas (2007), Braylon Edwards (2005), Kellen Winslow (2004), Gerard Warren (2001) and Tim Couch (1999). The only reason Courtney Brown didn't make the make the list in 2000 is Couch was paid so much in 1999.
3. The outrageous salaries given to rookies chewed up salary cap room that could have been given to veteran. Thankfully, the players figured that out and didn't turn this issue into a deal breaker.
4. The rookie salaries also made it hard to trade top draft picks. Many teams didn't want to trade picks or veteran players to move way up in the draft -- and into a messy contract situation.
5. This also should cut down on the rookie holdouts, which always are destructive to the team and player.
http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2011/07/terry_plutos_talkin_about_the_34.html
