WR/TE: One of the points of contention the Colt McCoy supporters trot out is that the Browns never gave McCoy any legit receiving weapons to work with and help him. It is not that the Browns have not tried, but there is still a decided lack of play-making talent despite using three recent second round picks at the position.
The best of those three is Greg Little, who quickly assumed the mantle of #1 receiver in his rookie year. His 61 receptions for just over 700 yards are decent numbers for a rookie, but far from what a top-notch wideout can produce. Considering the Browns could have had Julio Jones and his 959 yards and eight TDs (Little had just two), the context of his output tells you a great deal about the moribund state of the passing game. Little has decent size and good physical strength, a tough wideout to push off line. He is feisty and confident but lacks elite speed and tends to gear down to change direction. The hope is that Weeden and his stronger arm and better protection will allow him to run deeper routes and improve upon his 11.2 yards per catch average, a reasonable expectation. A full offseason in the system and improvement around him should allow little to hit the 75 catch, 925 yard, 6 TD marks with upside for more if the rest of the offense clicks. But he will need better play from his WR mates to make that happen.
The most likely improvement will come from fourth round rookie Travis Benjamin, who really opened eyes in OTAs with his explosion off the line and ability to catch anything near him. He was neither consistent nor prolific at Miami, though he certainly showed great speed and open field shiftiness despite being slight. At worst he will be the primary slot receiver, and his skills are not that divergent from Randall Cobb or Jordan Shipley, two other recent middle-round draftees that have performed well in the NFL. Learning to keep his focus and mastering the offense, both of which were major problems for Benjamin at The U, are legitimate detriments to early success, but maturity and responsibility could make him an unexpected rookie blossom. He will be given every opportunity to do so.
Mohammad Massaquoi, one of the other second round picks (from 2009) gets one more chance to prove he can stay healthy and contribute. His last two seasons have both been marred with concussions, though his three seasons have produced fairly consistent results: about 35 catches, 450 yards, 2 TDs with the vast majority of the work done between 8 and 12 yards with little threat after the catch. That is simply not good enough for a No. 2 receiver and he will have to show more very quickly if he wishes to stay in that role. Jordan Norwood lacks the size of Massaquoi, but plays much faster and finished last season impressively. If he can build on that finish, the latter's days could be numbered. Josh Cribbs is still far more important on special teams than the base offense, though he did catch 41 passes and his versatility makes him the only Browns receiver that can dictate defensive adjustments. He could easily supplant Massaquoi on the depth chart. Carlton Mitchell has one last shot to prove he is a NFL talent, something he has yet to demonstrate in his two seasons. He has the size and speed to make it, but thus far has not shown it translates. Undrafted rookie Josh Cooper, a teammate of Weeden at Oklahoma State, looked great in early activities and could wind up seeing game action.
*Just before submitting this preview, the Browns used their 2013 second round pick in the supplemental draft on former Baylor wideout Josh Gordon. It is at least two rounds higher than I would have selected him, but Gordon has an intriguing package of size, speed, and strength. It is an extremely raw package, however, and one that has not played since 2010.
The Browns look better than that at tight end, where they have three legit weapons. None of them are premier players but all can be solid contributors as receivers. Evan Moore started strong but quickly tailed off. He is a safety valve type of receiver with great length and strong hands, and he has enough awareness and agility to be a good red zone threat. Moore is not noted for being much of a blocker. Ben Watson is the veteran of the group, and his status is clouded by numerous concussions that he suffered in the last couple of years. Watson can line up in line or flexed out and is the best blocker of the group, but again he must demonstrate he is physically right before being counted on for much production. Jordan Cameron remains a work in progress, a converted basketball player with tremendous athletic ability but little football experience. He did show tangible progress late in the year, and a full offseason and a stronger-armed QB could allow him to blossom. Consider him a deep sleeper, though I suspect he will have his breakout campaign in 2013. Veteran Alex Smith is also still around, giving the Browns four legit NFL tight ends. Smith would be the best blocking specialist of the bunch should they elect to keep four tight ends.
OL: The starting five are set, with three youngsters filling in around two excellent veterans. Left tackle Joe Thomas is the best in the game, a devastating force as both a run blocker and in pass protection. He will occasionally get beat with a good outside-in move, but Thomas is an absolute bedrock performer. Center Alex Mack is one of the best at his position as well, an exceptional athlete with very good awareness. His quickness in going from snapping to power run blocking is rare, and he plays with a menace the Dawg Pound cherishes. Mack is in the final year of his contract, which typically portends a strong outing to try and lure a fat new contract, something the Browns will certainly take care of in time.
The three youngsters are Jason Pinkston at left guard, Shawn Lauvao at right guard, and Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle. Lauvao is entering his third season, Pinkston his second, and Schwartz was the secod round pick this past April. All three projected best as right tackles when coming out of college, but both Lauvao and Pinkston have made the transition with reasonable amounts of success. Lauvao was solid in pass protection but showed little range in run blocking, which is not uncommon for a player converting from tackle; expect him to take a step forward this year, particularly if right tackle is less of an issue than a year ago, when Tony Pashos was overmatched. Lauvao might be one of the strongest players in the league, and when he gets his shoulders squared to the defender, the defender is done. Pinkston steadily improved and was really pushing people around in the run game late in his rookie season. He has suckled at the teat of former stud Lecharles Bentley and with Thomas as well, and it shows, but he must improve his footwork. Schwartz has solid lineage (his brother Geoff plays for the Vikings and is a good Twitter follow) and displayed excellent technique during his days at Cal. He more than held his own against a very strong group of pass rushers during Senior Bowl week, and he exudes a high football IQ. This starting five could be very good, very quickly.
O-Neil Cousins figures to be the third tackle once again, a role he held last year reasonably well. He was better than Pashos at RT when given the chance, but is best used in small doses. John Greco also returns as the top inside depth guy, able to play guard or center. Rookie sixth rounder Ryan Miller is the best bet to be the eighth lineman. The alleged plan is to the college tackle at guard, though he is awfully tall and angular to play inside. Local product Dominic Alford received praise for his early work and factors in the depth mix as well.
Defense:
2011 Ranks
Rushing: 30th
Passing: 2nd
3rd Down: 24th
Scoring: 5th
Commander of Awesome
Senior Pwner
23,151
posts
Commander of Awesome
Senior Pwner
23,151
posts
Tue, Aug 14, 2012 10:47 PM
Aug 14, 2012 10:47 PM
Aug 14, 2012 10:47pm

