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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 25, 2012 6:46pm
Haden poised for Pro Bowl season?
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82a1d088/article/joe-haden-poised-for-pro-bowl-season-with-browns-
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82a1d088/article/joe-haden-poised-for-pro-bowl-season-with-browns-
hoops23
Posts: 15,696
Jun 25, 2012 8:15pm
Of course not! He was a "bust" according to some on here..BR1986FB;1211456 wrote:Haden poised for Pro Bowl season?
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82a1d088/article/joe-haden-poised-for-pro-bowl-season-with-browns-
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 25, 2012 8:16pm
Who said he was a bust? I know I thought his play regressed a bit in 2011 but who said "bust?"hoops23;1211552 wrote:Of course not! He was a "bust" according to some on here..
hoops23
Posts: 15,696
Jun 25, 2012 8:19pm
I don't remember off the top of my head, but somebody said he was a "bust" and a "reach" at 7... I remember a few of us arguing with said poster about how Haden wasn't completely healthy last year, but was still a top CB.BR1986FB;1211554 wrote:Who said he was a bust? I know I thought his play regressed a bit in 2011 but who said "bust?"
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 25, 2012 8:22pm
At the time, Haden was considered a bit of a reach as I saw quite a few mocks where he slid to the teens. In hindsight, it was definitely the right pick at 7 now that we know what he is.hoops23;1211556 wrote:I don't remember off the top of my head, but somebody said he was a "bust" and a "reach" at 7... I remember a few of us arguing with said poster about how Haden wasn't completely healthy last year, but was still a top CB.
hoops23
Posts: 15,696
Jun 25, 2012 8:26pm
This just happened maybe a month or two ago... Maybe a little longer.BR1986FB;1211559 wrote:At the time, Haden was considered a bit of a reach as I saw quite a few mocks where he slid to the teens. In hindsight, it was definitely the right pick at 7 now that we know what he is.
SportsAndLady
Posts: 35,632
Jun 25, 2012 8:53pm
It was skyhook...lulzhoops23;1211556 wrote:I don't remember off the top of my head, but somebody said he was a "bust" and a "reach" at 7... I remember a few of us arguing with said poster about how Haden wasn't completely healthy last year, but was still a top CB.
SportsAndLady
Posts: 35,632
Jun 25, 2012 8:54pm
Everyone knows my dislike for the Weeden pick..but the most frustrating part of this offseason to me has been lack of moves at the WR position. Sorry H&H, but they're not good and they're not going to magically improve to where the offense looks good. If you don't have good WRs, and you don't have a Tom Brady/Drew Brees/Aaron Rodgers, you're not going to have a good offense.
hoops23
Posts: 15,696
Jun 25, 2012 9:02pm
Yep that was it! Should have guessed..SportsAndLady;1211589 wrote:It was skyhook...lulz
Dr. KnOiTaLL
Posts: 2,682
Jun 25, 2012 9:03pm
haha... failhook...
shook_17
Posts: 3,023
Jun 25, 2012 10:26pm
For sure s&l. I think they go wide out next year in the draft and target ray wood? The one from usc. Big boy and im pretty sure he is quick and 6'4ishSportsAndLady;1211592 wrote:Everyone knows my dislike for the Weeden pick..but the most frustrating part of this offseason to me has been lack of moves at the WR position. Sorry H&H, but they're not good and they're not going to magically improve to where the offense looks good. If you don't have good WRs, and you don't have a Tom Brady/Drew Brees/Aaron Rodgers, you're not going to have a good offense.
mucalum49
Posts: 1,639
Jun 25, 2012 11:05pm
Robert Woods is 6'1" 180. Not even Blackmon's size who was considered small in this thread when compared to the elites like Fitzgerald and Megatron.shook_17;1211748 wrote:For sure s&l. I think they go wide out next year in the draft and target ray wood? The one from usc. Big boy and im pretty sure he is quick and 6'4ish
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 26, 2012 5:01am
SportsAndLady;1211589 wrote:It was skyhook...lulz
SMH...and not at you.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 26, 2012 5:04am
I still have my doubts that Heckert has the nads to use a high(er) pick on a WR. Yeah, he used one on Maclin but he's got a hard on for DE's, DT's & CB's. Way too early to talk about it but, depending on how this season pans out, I could see him grabbing a bookend pass rushing DE to pair with Sheard.shook_17;1211748 wrote:For sure s&l. I think they go wide out next year in the draft and target ray wood? The one from usc. Big boy and im pretty sure he is quick and 6'4ish
shook_17
Posts: 3,023
Jun 26, 2012 11:34am
Oups my bad. Hmm. Well hopefully we aren't drafting til the late 20s next year.:thumbup:mucalum49;1211787 wrote:Robert Woods is 6'1" 180. Not even Blackmon's size who was considered small in this thread when compared to the elites like Fitzgerald and Megatron.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 26, 2012 12:56pm
[h=2]Browns DT Phil Taylor hopes to play in 2012 but willl not rush back from torn pectoral muscle injury[/h]Jun 26, 2012 -- 11:42am By Tony Grossi
Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor said his rehabilitation from torn pectoral muscle surgery is going great and he expects to play at some point this season.
But he intends to heed the words of wisdom from linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who missed 22 games in two years with pectoral tears
“Don’t come back too soon,” Jackson told Taylor.
Taylor dropped by the NFL Play 60 youth clinic at the Browns’ practice fields to visit with former Baylor teammate Robert Griffin III, who was among the NFC draft class of 2012 participating in the clinic. AFC draft picks hold a similar clinic on Friday.
Taylor tore his left pectoral (chest) muscle while lifting weights in the team’s offseason conditioning program on May 10.
Taylor said he was bench-pressing “300-something” pounds when he felt something, but “it didn’t hurt. I didn’t know what it was.” An MRI the next day revealed the muscle was torn. Surgery was performed on May 16.
Taylor said his current rehab consists of “range and motion stuff” and he has not been cleared yet to lift weights. The Browns will place Taylor on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp. He could be eligible to return to practice in October and conceivably could be back on the field in November – if all goes well.
“I’m itching to get back, but I’m not going to rush it,” Taylor said.
Although the Browns will audition rookie draft picks John Hughes and Billy Winn at Taylor’s defensive tackle spot next to Ahtyba Rubin, Taylor mentioned veteran backup Scott Paxson as the likeliest player to take his place.
“We won’t miss a beat,” Taylor said. “
axson’s right behind me. He’s a great guy. He’s gonna be good.” Taylor added that Hughes and Winn “are gonna play a lot this year.”
Taylor said he was looking forward to his second NFL season because he felt he ended his rookie year a lot better than it started.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t playing so well,” he said. “Towards the end, I got better. I still have a long ways to go. I wanted to start off the way I ended last year.”
Taylor said the one lesson he learned as a rookie was “The NFL is really mental. If you don’t have that mental toughness, it’ll get you. Luckily, guys had prepared me for that.”
http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=1349
Browns defensive tackle Phil Taylor said his rehabilitation from torn pectoral muscle surgery is going great and he expects to play at some point this season.
But he intends to heed the words of wisdom from linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, who missed 22 games in two years with pectoral tears
“Don’t come back too soon,” Jackson told Taylor.
Taylor dropped by the NFL Play 60 youth clinic at the Browns’ practice fields to visit with former Baylor teammate Robert Griffin III, who was among the NFC draft class of 2012 participating in the clinic. AFC draft picks hold a similar clinic on Friday.
Taylor tore his left pectoral (chest) muscle while lifting weights in the team’s offseason conditioning program on May 10.
Taylor said he was bench-pressing “300-something” pounds when he felt something, but “it didn’t hurt. I didn’t know what it was.” An MRI the next day revealed the muscle was torn. Surgery was performed on May 16.
Taylor said his current rehab consists of “range and motion stuff” and he has not been cleared yet to lift weights. The Browns will place Taylor on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp. He could be eligible to return to practice in October and conceivably could be back on the field in November – if all goes well.
“I’m itching to get back, but I’m not going to rush it,” Taylor said.
Although the Browns will audition rookie draft picks John Hughes and Billy Winn at Taylor’s defensive tackle spot next to Ahtyba Rubin, Taylor mentioned veteran backup Scott Paxson as the likeliest player to take his place.
“We won’t miss a beat,” Taylor said. “
axson’s right behind me. He’s a great guy. He’s gonna be good.” Taylor added that Hughes and Winn “are gonna play a lot this year.”Taylor said he was looking forward to his second NFL season because he felt he ended his rookie year a lot better than it started.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t playing so well,” he said. “Towards the end, I got better. I still have a long ways to go. I wanted to start off the way I ended last year.”
Taylor said the one lesson he learned as a rookie was “The NFL is really mental. If you don’t have that mental toughness, it’ll get you. Luckily, guys had prepared me for that.”
http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=1349
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 27, 2012 5:11am
| All About The Benjamin |
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The Cleveland Browns selected Travis Benjamin, the speedy wide receiver with the fifth pick of the fourth round. 0 Comments |
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If you can’t teach speed then Travis Benjamin has earned his honorary master’s degree. 4.36 seconds. That was his time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine last February. Benjamin’s time tied Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill and Stanford’s Chris Owusu for the fastest among receivers. The trio finished tops among all offensive players. Benjamin can flat fly. Well, I’ll let new Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden describe Benjamin in his own words. “Yeah, he can fly,” Weeden said on June 5. “We were joking about that, the wind coming this way so when we’re going toward the facility you have to let it go a few steps early because he can go. Downwind it’s not so bad, but if you’re trying to throw into any kind of breeze, you have to let it go and keep it pretty tight.” At a rookie minicamp practice last May, Shurmur asked Weeden to “let one rip on a vertical and see if (Benjamin) can go get it.” Weeden oblighed. Although the pass fell incomplete, a good first impression was made. “That guy has another gear,” Weeden said. “Knowing my speed, I know I could mostly run past anybody so I just work on the little things like coming in and out of my breaks and focusing more on the ball,” Benjamin said on June 12. After his senior season at Miami, Benjamin finished as one of only six Hurricanes players with more than 2,000 receiving yards and his 3,874 all-purpose yards was good for third-best in program history. The Cleveland Browns selected Travis Benjamin with the fifth pick of the fourth round. Much has been made about the team’s lack of talent at the wide receiver position. Yet if Benjamin is that fast and that talented, why was he selected in the fourth round? Benjamin comes in a 5-feet, 10-inches and 172 pounds. According to his prospect profile on NFL.com, “His game is based entirely on speed and quickness. He has a hard time getting off the line of scrimmage if not given a free release, lacking the strength to recover if jammed by a more physical defender.” Still, Benjamin has that speed and explosiveness this Browns team — especially the offense — so desperately lacks. In the weeks leading into the 2012 season, eyes will be on Benjamin to see if he can contribute right away. The Browns think he could. Not only will he see a lot of reps at training camp, but based on his size, quickness and the man who drafted him, he will also see plenty of DeSean Jackson comparisons. Browns general manager Tom Heckert was with the Philadelphia Eagles when the team selected Jackson in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Jackson’s pre-draft measurables were eerily similar to Benjamin’s: 5-9, 169 pounds and a 4.35 40-yard dash. Let the comparisons begin. Jackson has flourished in the NFL. In four seasons, Jackson caught 229 balls for 4,085 yards with 21 touchdowns in a West Coast Offense. He is also dynamic in the return game. He’s fast and proves a difficult matchup for defensive backs, wherever the Eagles line him up. The Browns need that kind of production from a wide receiver — any wide receiver, at this point — as well as a return man. Last season, Josh Cribbs did not put up the type of return game numbers everyone has come to expect. At wide out and in the return game, Benjamin adds another (very fast) option. “I think we’ve seen where he can catch the ball in the deep part of the field,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said on June 12. “It’s nice to be able to run fast but as you’re far away from the quarterback, being able to track the ball is something that you need to be able to do, and I think he can do that. He is a good route runner.” So far, in essentially helmets and shorts, Benjamin looks good. Is he the Browns’ version of DeSean Jackson. The stars are lining up to answer, yes, he can, but there is still a long way to go before Sept. 9. “We can’t bump and run in these camps,” Shurmur said. “So I can’t see him against press coverage, but from what I can tell he has the quickness to separate. We’ll know more about all that once we get into training camp.” http://cle.scout.com/2/1198253.html |
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 27, 2012 9:21am
As strange as this may sound, driving in to work I was thinking about this post getting more & more pissed off (not at you) as I drove. To me, the fact that they haven't gone out and got a legit WR says to me that they STILL have no confidence that this team can make some noise in the AFC North so "why waste the money when we're not gonna win?"SportsAndLady;1211592 wrote:Everyone knows my dislike for the Weeden pick..but the most frustrating part of this offseason to me has been lack of moves at the WR position. Sorry H&H, but they're not good and they're not going to magically improve to where the offense looks good. If you don't have good WRs, and you don't have a Tom Brady/Drew Brees/Aaron Rodgers, you're not going to have a good offense.
I think it's bullshit and I DO think they can be a pain in the ass for their division rivals. Do I think they'll win the division this year? No...but I do think they can beat a few division opponents.
They did their "evaluating" of these WR's last year. I think Weeden WILL make them look better but I'm just not confident in guys like MoMass to get it done.
Commander of Awesome
Posts: 23,151
Jun 27, 2012 10:31am
[video=youtube;5itxSuctqs0][/video]
I would like to point out something I saw in that video that both Wallace and McCoy do.
On the "quick" out against Baltimore.
As SOON as Mitchell turned, the ball should of been there.
But both Wallace and McCoy always waited that split second on those plays, and then neither had the arm to get it in there, allowing guys like Smith on that plays to almost break it up...
That's something I like about getting Weeden. He's got the arm.
I would like to point out something I saw in that video that both Wallace and McCoy do.
On the "quick" out against Baltimore.
As SOON as Mitchell turned, the ball should of been there.
But both Wallace and McCoy always waited that split second on those plays, and then neither had the arm to get it in there, allowing guys like Smith on that plays to almost break it up...
That's something I like about getting Weeden. He's got the arm.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 27, 2012 10:39am
Wallace just sucks and should know better by now.Commander of Awesome;1212799 wrote:[video=youtube;5itxSuctqs0][/video]
I would like to point out something I saw in that video that both Wallace and McCoy do.
On the "quick" out against Baltimore.
As SOON as Mitchell turned, the ball should of been there.
But both Wallace and McCoy always waited that split second on those plays, and then neither had the arm to get it in there, allowing guys like Smith on that plays to almost break it up...
That's something I like about getting Weeden. He's got the arm.
My issue with the previous QB's was no "anticipation." I keep going back to the term "window." The QB has to throw the ball to an area in anticipation, ESPECIALLY in the WCO which is predicated on timing & precision. It's the job of the receiver to be there and react.
The receivers weren't very good but the QB's had no balls. They had that "college ball" mentality where they would want to wait for that guy to be open BEFORE throwing it. Think that's a MAJOR reason we saw a shit ton of checkdowns.
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 27, 2012 10:54am
like_that
Posts: 26,625
Jun 27, 2012 2:38pm
[h=3]Browns' hidden treasure: Secondary[/h]June, 26, 2012 Jun 26
10:00
AM ET
By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com » AFC hidden treasures: West | North | South | East » NFC: West | North | South | East
Examining a position group that could exceed its preseason expectations:
The Cleveland Browns finished with the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL last season. The Browns will be even stronger in the secondary this year, even though there could be as many as three different starters from last season.
The one starter who will remain is Joe Haden, the most talented cornerback in the division, who broke up 37 passes in his first two seasons. He held his own against some of the best receivers in the NFL, from Larry Fitzgerald to Brandon Marshall. The cornerback who will start opposite Haden is up in the air right now. Sheldon Brown, last season's starter, ran with the first team this spring, but Dimitri Patterson is ready to take over the starting job. He excelled in the nickelback role, breaking up 12 passes and making 26 tackles.
Strong safety T.J. Ward is primed to have a breakout season. He was among the top 10 safeties in the NFL before a foot injury sidelined him for the final eight games of the season. Ward's physical presence should make an impact on Cleveland's porous run defense. The free safety spot is open after Mike Adams signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency. Eric Hagg is the leading contender after his strong showing this spring. A seventh-round pick from a year ago, Hagg looks like he's the most improved player on the Browns this season.
10:00
AM ET
By Jamison Hensley | ESPN.com » AFC hidden treasures: West | North | South | East » NFC: West | North | South | East
Examining a position group that could exceed its preseason expectations:
The Cleveland Browns finished with the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL last season. The Browns will be even stronger in the secondary this year, even though there could be as many as three different starters from last season. The one starter who will remain is Joe Haden, the most talented cornerback in the division, who broke up 37 passes in his first two seasons. He held his own against some of the best receivers in the NFL, from Larry Fitzgerald to Brandon Marshall. The cornerback who will start opposite Haden is up in the air right now. Sheldon Brown, last season's starter, ran with the first team this spring, but Dimitri Patterson is ready to take over the starting job. He excelled in the nickelback role, breaking up 12 passes and making 26 tackles.
Strong safety T.J. Ward is primed to have a breakout season. He was among the top 10 safeties in the NFL before a foot injury sidelined him for the final eight games of the season. Ward's physical presence should make an impact on Cleveland's porous run defense. The free safety spot is open after Mike Adams signed with the Denver Broncos in free agency. Eric Hagg is the leading contender after his strong showing this spring. A seventh-round pick from a year ago, Hagg looks like he's the most improved player on the Browns this season.
Commander of Awesome
Posts: 23,151
Jun 27, 2012 3:23pm
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 27, 2012 3:44pm
He's going to be the real deal.Commander of Awesome;1213176 wrote:http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/27/rg3-thought-hed-end-up-with-the-browns-on-draft-day/
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BR1986FB
Posts: 24,104
Jun 28, 2012 5:04am
[h=3][/h][h=1]Strong safety T.J. Ward says Browns fans haven’t seen his best, ‘not by a long shot’[/h]By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 27, 2012 - 08:03 PM | Updated: June 27, 2012 - 11:34 PM
In this Nov. 2010 file photo, Cleveland defensive back T.J. Ward (left) stops Carolina running back Mike Goodsen for no gain in the first quarter at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. (Ed Suba Jr./Akron Beacon Journal/MCT) View Larger Version >>
RELATED STORIES Strong safety T.J. Ward says Browns fans haven’t seen his best, ‘not by a long shot’June 28,2012 03:34 AM GMTNate UlrichBeacon Journal Publishing Co. Copyright � 2012 Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Inc and Black Press. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of the Akron Beacon Journal is expressly prohibited.
“T.J. Ward. T.J. Ward. T.J. Ward,” they yelled in unison.
Ward jogged onto the field Wednesday afternoon at Malone University, gave the group a pep talk and then proceeded to catch, pass and chase for the next couple of hours, albeit with spontaneous breaks for signing autographs and posing for photographs sprinkled in. Although Ward might have cemented his status as an idol in the minds of those who attended his first youth football camp, he isn’t quite ready to praise himself.
Ward, who’s on the verge of entering his third NFL season, said Browns fans have yet to see him play his best football.
“Not by a long shot,” he said.
That must change if Ward wants to meet the expectations placed upon him as a second-round draft pick. And he has challenged himself to make it happen.
“So just get ready,” Ward said. “I came into my first year in the league just trying to have a good rookie season, and I prepared that way.
“Last year with the lockout and everything, the preparation wasn’t right. Then it was just a bad year for me, period. From the very start of camp until when I got hurt, it just didn’t go well for me.”
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Ward started the first 24 games of his professional career at strong safety, but the streak snapped last season after he sprained his right foot in Week 9 against the Houston Texans. Ward tried to return for Week 15, though his foot did not respond well, and he ended the season on injured reserve.
Other injuries, however, mounted before then. Ward said he suffered a strained hamstring in training camp that lingered, sprained his right wrist at some point during the regular season and got stitches at halftime against the Texans because a bone in his left index finger broke through the skin.
“My hamstring was messed up,” said Ward, who compiled a team-high 105 tackles in 2010 and 38 last season. “I had that and I missed all the preseason games except the first one. I never really bounced back. The first three games I was dealing with it, then when it finally kind of started going away — it was just a tough year for me — I hurt my wrist. No one knows about it, but I had a hurt wrist coming into the Texans game. In warm-ups, I had a cast on, but it was so [restrictive] I had to take it off. Then I got in the game and hurt my finger. I came back the second half of that game and hurt my foot.”
One of the main messages Ward said he delivered to the boys who participated in his camp Monday through Wednesday is “just don’t quit.” He hopes to become an example of perseverance during the upcoming season.
“I expect to have a big year,” Ward said. “I’ve been working really hard. I’m looking to bounce back from my injury from last year and just have a really good, productive, successful season.
“I’m so hungry. I’m more determined not only to be one of the best safeties in the NFL, but one of the best players at any position. That’s my mindset. So I’m very excited about this season. I’m very excited to test myself.”
http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/strong-safety-t-j-ward-says-browns-fans-haven-t-seen-his-best-not-by-a-long-shot-1.316890