BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM{Bleacher drummer}
Although he wouldn’t commit to the pecking order, Shurmur admitted that there is room for Brandon Weeden, Seneca Wallace and Colt McCoy.
unless John Adams trucked his drum to Cincy - don't think they will hear him at the games.
why not boogy on down I71 South . looks like there is room in the outfield seats .plenty of room . then again set up behind home plate and annoy the hell out of the Reds / Bungel fans 
Thought I heard a report today that Wallace wasn't interested in being the #3 QB. Add that to his stance about not mentoring a younger QB last year and I say cut his arse and his $3,000,000 contract
Where the Browns need to improve is their overall defensive play. They play in a division with two pretty old teams in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, both of whom have some injury concerns going into training camp.How many consecutive years are we going to hear the pat argument of these teams getting older? Has that done us any good in that same time frame? While their overall team is aging they have more than enough experience to compensate. And let's not disregarding the fact that bothteams conduct drafts as well in April. Last I checked they had almost as many picks as we did and they were already in the playoffs. You only get penalized by draft position, not number of choices. They have forgotten more about the game than the Browns players have learned combined. I'm not trying to knock people's expectations but please can we keep them in perspective and be realistic. As soft as our schedule was last year we still only squeaked out 4 or 5 wins. This schedule is BRU-TAL when placed side-by-side. I'll just be happy if they are in games coming down to the wire in the fourth quarter as opposed to last year when they were often done in the third. Then opposing defenses would relax and we would score "points" to make it competitive. If they are competitive all game through and win some they shouldn't, then I would consider that a win in my book.
Translation: The minute Brandon Weeden walked into the door I was impressed and knew immediately I was in trouble. After he took snaps and I saw his delivery, accuracy, and arm strength, starting was a pipe dream. And as for Colt there was nothing I saw from him last year that made me think there was anything special about him for him to be starting ahead of me. Given our somewhat equal ability and all my years of experience in the league, I should have started with Colt coming off the bench. I could have done at least just as poorly and probably a hell of a lot better had I gotten all the starts and reps in practice. But hey don't let me go putting words into the guy's mouth, and no those weren't actual quotes for the record.“I’m a realist,” Wallace said. “(Weeden) was drafted in the first round for a reason and at some point, he’s going to play.
“This is my 10<sup> th</sup> year,” Wallace said. “I know the ropes. I’m not naïve. We all know there might be competition, but at the end of the day we all know who will play.
“Last year was a different situation,” Wallace said. “Me and Colt were competing (to start).”
Translation: My quarterback in college last year had an arm like Colt McCoy and now I have to adjust to an NFL caliber gun. I have to learn to be where the ball is supposed to be instead of having time to sit down in zones and wait. Acrobatic catches should be compensatory not mandatory routines, like us wide receivers are Olympic gymnasts.Benjamin admitted catching passes from QB Brandon Weeden is different from what he’s used to.
“(Weeden) has a little more touch than what I’m used to.”
When asked to elaborate he said,
“He has a strong arm and puts zip on the ball.”
Translation: I can't believe some of these guys have been here for going on three or four years and they're my competition. Outside of Greg Little given a year no one on this roster should be able to hold my jock. Sorry for being crass but this guy is from THE U and that is how most of them think even if not verbalized. They are bred winners from the time they are in grade school and know nothing different. Had Benjamin had a better offense around him including his quarterback I think he would be a bit more polished than he is now. Hopefully this coaching staff's assistants know what they are doing as the Browns could have a huge untapped resource in their backyard. I just wish he has some veteran guidance on this team as I think he is a bright guy and a quick learner. If he can get his routes down and learn defensive coverages, I don't see much of anything holding him back being an effective receiver on this team. He might not be a big-time number one but he should help make this team go. What more can you ask for a guy taken later than the fifth round?Benjamin says he hopes to compete to break into the lineup as a rookie, either as a starter or on third down.
“I’m ready to come in and if the coaches call my number, I’ll be ready.”
The player rep for OG Eric Steinbach says three teams have been in contact about the free agent.
Steinbach was cleared April 1 to begin full work in his recovery from a bone fragment on his spinal cord nerves. The 32-year-old is down to his playing weight of 295 pounds and estimates that he's "85 percent" recovered. Steinbach will be ready to work out for teams in mid-July.BEREA, Ohio -- When Josh Cooper returns for Browns training camp next month, the rookie receiver will be staying with quarterback Brandon Weeden and his wife, Melanie.
The arrangement between old Oklahoma State teammates is temporary, but Cooper admits to feeling a bit like the Owen Wilson character in "You, Me and Dupree."
"I'm definitely the Dupree in the equation," Cooper said in reference to lodging with a married couple. The undrafted free agent isn't worried about crashing on somebody's basement futon. He's just trying to find a home on the Browns' roster.
The slot receiver from Mustang, Okla., lacks the size and NFL experience other competitors enjoy. Cooper does, however, hold one advantage: a familiarity with the Browns' presumptive starting quarterback. He was Weeden's second-favorite target at Oklahoma State behind Justin Blackmon, making 161 catches for 1,696 yards and 11 touchdowns.
The duo's chemistry, as well as Cooper's ability to catch the ball, have been evident during the minicamp and organized team activities. The coaching staff will get a more accurate evaluation of the 5-foot-10, 190-pound receiver when the Browns don pads and the defense can begin applying punishing hits.
Cooper is used to having to prove his durability and nerve while running routes in high-traffic areas infested with linebackers.
"You have to be tough in the slot," Cooper said. "I've always prided myself on being a hard-nosed player and that's what I will try to do here."
Every NFL organization trolls the late rounds and free agency looking for the next Wes Welker, the undersized, undrafted possession receiver who has flourished in New England. Cooper, who grew up near Welker's hometown of Oklahoma City, doesn't pattern his game after any specific player, he said.
Browns coach Pat Shurmur seems to appreciate Cooper's football acumen, route running and ability to maximize his talents. The 23-year-old has seldom dropped a pass in drills.
"I'm very impressed with what I've seen from him," Shurmur said. "I think he generally gets it. He understands how to uncover in the slot area. There is something to that because you are surrounded by lots of guys, and to understand leverage and how to get open is a skill."
During the draft's final round, the Browns asked Cooper's future landlord to help recruit him should the receiver not get selected. Cooper said he didn't need much convincing.
The Browns aren't the only team outfitting their rookie quarterback with a pass-catching security blanket from college. The Indianapolis Colts, who selected Andrew Luck with the first pick, drafted Stanford tight end Coby Fleener and signed receiver Griff Whalen.
Even in drills, observers can see Weeden knows where to find Cooper and where to place passes. But the receiver knows his friendship and association with Weeden means little as the club whittles its roster.
"It's a business," Cooper said. "I am not here because of him. I have to come out here and prove myself every day."
How many consecutive years are we going to hear the pat argument of these teams getting older? Has that done us any good in that same time frame?
The only division team that doesn't have space is the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are a projected $10 million over the 2013 cap. Their focus next offseason will be their wide receivers. The Steelers will need room to put the franchise tag on Mike Wallace if they can't sign him to a long-term deal and a first-round tender on Antonio Brown, who will be a restricted free agent next year.
In a parallel universe, the Chiefs had the sense to know that Jake Delhomme’s game was gone and that Colt McCoy might never have enough of one for the fast lane.
In joining the Browns before the 2010 season, Seneca Wallace and Boss Holmgren agreed he would be groomed to run the offense for the new head coach, Mr. NonMangini.
With the first preseason commitment to him in his NFL career, Wallace stayed healthy, became a competitive starting quarterback, and never stopped thinking he could run a railroad as well or better than most other No. 1 QBs.
That will never be reality, but I don’t necessarily think the contemplation thereof is pure fantasy land, and I’m 99 percent sure Wallace doesn’t.
Here’s the current reality:
• The 2012 Browns’ QB job is Brandon Weeden’s to lose.
• The expansion-era Browns have hardly ever made it through a season without needing an injury-replacement QB.
• If Weeden gets hurt early on, either McCoy or Wallace would need to be serious players if the team is to avoid another franchise-numbing 4-12 year.
• • •
All of that said, Wallace was the best quarterback I saw at practice today, and second place wasn’t close.
Wallace has made himself comfortable with the latest incarnation of a Holmgren-influenced offense.
“It’s very similar to Seattle,” Wallace says.
For him, similar to Seattle is good. Most of what he knows about playing in the NFL was learned under Holmgren in Seattle.
• • •
We bring this up partly because Wallace made it crystal clear today he doesn’t wish to live with being the No. 3 quarterback.
After Wallace said so, Colt McCoy did not say he can’t live with being the third-stringer, but Wallace took the issue far enough to convince us it will be next to impossible for the Browns not to get rid of one of them.
Current No. 4 quarterback Thaddeus Lewis gets next to zero reps in team drills, but if he emerges as the No. 3 guy, the team will want him to have a little bit of a clue.
Lewis gets some extra work in spring practice when special teams drills are going on.
In one such instance today, he was making all the throws under supervision from QBs coach Mark Whipple. Lewis’ receivers for these throws were Weeden, McCoy and Wallace.
• • •
Nolan Cromwell is more than just the loud new coach. He’s a serious player, a serious component on board with the new coordinator, Brad Childress.
“(Cromwell) does a good job coaching it up when we’re in meeting rooms,” Wallace said.
Cromwell gets around. I have noticed him taking rookie wideout Travis Benjamin under his wing.
“You’ve got to do that every time,” is one of his refrains.
Speed isn’t enough, although Benjamin has more than enough. Cromwell is preaching knowledge and consistency to the kid.
• • •
Cromwell was a hard-nosed defensive back in LaLa Land for more than a decade. He made the last of his 37 career interceptions with the L.A. Rams in 1987.
He played at old Municipal Stadium that year. Remind us to ask him about the Rams’ 30-17 loss to the Browns.
• • •
Rookie wideout Travis Benjamin says he hasn’t had a haircut since he was in seventh grade.
That was about the last time his new team was in the playoffs.
• • •
Benjamin on fellow rookie Weeden:
“I know I have to get my head around fast on breaks, because the ball is going to be there.”
• • •
Benjamin is the fastest man on the offense, Buster Skrine the fastest man on defense.
In case Skrine wants to dispute the belief it is Benjamin who is the fastest man on the team ... in case Skrine wants to ask for a match race?
“If he calls me out,” Benjamin said, “I’m gonna give it to him.”
• • •
We don’t know whether coaches want to see the QBs in pads before making the final call.
McCoy tells us there is only so much one can see in spring practice.
“Everything is smooth now,” he said. “We’re not in shoulder pads. We’re not getting blitzed. We’re not getting touched.
• • •
Might McCoy ask for a trade?
“That’s out of my control,” he said.
How so?
The player rep for OG Eric Steinbach says three teams have been in contact about the free agent.
Steinbach was cleared April 1 to begin full work in his recovery from a bone fragment on his spinal cord nerves. The 32-year-old is down to his playing weight of 295 pounds and estimates that he's "85 percent" recovered. Steinbach will be ready to work out for teams in mid-July.
He didn’t have a chance.
Pat Shurmur entered last summer with his foot on the gas and sparks flying in his face with the NFL’s brakes slammed on by a lockout.
He was a first-time head coach facing 14 games against experienced coaches whose teams didn’t need an offseason half as much as him.
The stage was set for a miserable year, and that’s what played out.
Now Shurmur has experience, important new coaches and vibrant new players in key positions.
He has a smile on his face, and it’s there as much as anything because now he has an offseason.
Not that he ever seemed panicky last year, even when the season went flat. But there was never much reason to argue his 2011 Browns should have won more. Now, maybe, there is.
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
BEREA: Browns fullback Owen Marecic looked in the mirror last year, and he wasn’t satisfied with what he saw.
“I was feeling a little sloppy,” Marecic said. “So I tried to restructure the body.”
Marecic said he weighed about 255 pounds when he reported to training camp last summer as a rookie. Since the end of last season, he has cut sweets and fried foods from his diet. Now his weight fluctuates between 240-245 pounds, his arms are ripped and he seems better equipped to hold off challengers for his starting spot than he would have been a year ago.
“I haven’t done anything different from a workout standpoint,” Marecic said. “It’s just eating right, eating healthy. That’s really made a big difference. I don’t eat whatever I want anymore. So sometimes it can be tough, but I really feel the gains out on the field, and it just helps with energy and getting stronger in the weight room.”
Browns coach Pat Shurmur has noticed.
The Weekly Ten is a new piece at the OBR and Scout.com. Each Wednesday – or close to it, I’ll take a look at the top Cleveland Browns stories of the past week.
1. Cleveland Browns Duct Tape Available at Festival This Weekend
You may be asking – what does the Avon Heritage Duct Tape Festival have to do with the Cleveland Browns? Easy. Perhaps someone from the team’s PR department should grab some duct tape and wrap it around Seneca Wallace’s mouth.
Once again, Wallace has been duped into becoming an offseason headline.
2. A Meta-QB Controversy
When asked about the Browns’ current QB situation, Wallace – a ten-year veteran and competitive professional athlete – admitted the following:
OBR.com – QB Competition Continues
Wallace was asked if he thought all three players could be on the team.
“Who knows? Probably not,” Wallace said.
He was asked if he would be content if he was the third quarterback, behind Weeden and McCoy.
“Not really,” Wallace said. “The third guy isn’t active on game day. Can you say if you see all three (of us) here?”
Pretty straightforward thoughts – and reporting, at least until you read the different variations that were spun Tuesday.
A pretty lame controversy, right?
And then, Wednesday morning, things took a turn for the dramatic.
Wednesday Morning – “Will Wallace Ask For a Trade?”
Astute readers will notice this is the exact same story – only repackaged under a new title – one designed to generate more page views.
3. Debating Seneca Wallace and Colt McCoy is so 2009 – or 2007 – or 2005….
In as few words as possible, it’s clear that Brandon Weeden was drafted to be a starter in 2012. Neither Wallace or McCoy were overly impressive in 2011 or are starting-caliber material. Wallace has more NFL experience, while McCoy has a relatively cheaper contract. Either could serve as an adequate backup.
End of controversy.
4. June: Where Josh Cooper Shines.
Weeden’s college teammate, undrafted free agent wide receiver Josh Cooper, has reportedly caught the attention of Browns’ Head Coach Pat Shurmur. On Tuesday, Shurmur said as much. “He has very impressive. He gets it. He understands how to get open in the slot and he catches the ball."
Considering his familiarity with Weeden and the Browns’ lack of talent at wide receiver, such comments make a lot of sense. However, it’s only the middle of June, which means that Cooper may not show the type of NFL-caliber skills the position demands. While most football analysts see a smaller-framed wide receiver and instantly think Wes Welker, it’s worth noting that Welker has impressive strength, amazing quickness and the ability to instantly diagnose defensive coverages and instantly adjust his routes accordingly.
If Cooper can eventually display similar traits – while receiving a helmet to helmet hit from James Harrison – then Shurmur’s words will truly hold some meaning.
5. How Many Slot Receivers Can One NFL Team Have?
Speaking of which, if Cooper can survive real game action and lock down a roster spot, then what happens to the other wide receiver candidates? Certainly, Greg Little and Josh Cribbs make the roster and probably become the team’s opening day starters. Travis Benjamin isn’t going anywhere and most likely Mohamed Massaquoi returns. If Cooper is truly a legitimate NFL talent, then he and Jordan Norwood would be fighting for the same position.
Of course, Little – who should emerge as the team’s primary receiving target – is probably best suited to play in the slot. And in Shurmur’s 1993-era offense, very little occurs down the field anyway.
6. And What About the Hybrid Tight Ends?
When asked this week about the prospects of his team’s wide receivers, Shurmur responded with the following:
"I think we got some guys that, No. 1, are some good players. I think they have all had a chance now to play a year in the system and then have an offseason to improve their game. Then, we have added some young players who I think are going to develop into good players. For all of those reasons I think they will be better and productive. Then I think as you get more efficient quarterback play."
Even the most optimistic of Browns’ fans could only dream that unless Little experiences a phenomenal second-year leap and/or if Benjamin becomes the next DeSean Jackson, the Browns’ receiving corps will again disappoint.
As such, the hope is that the Browns’ collection of tight ends can contribute to a dormant passing attack. Veteran Ben Watson is a steady presence some 7-8 yards from the line of scrimmage and Alex Smith is a solid run blocker. However, the contributions of Evan Moore and Jordan Cameron were slight in 2011 – primarily thanks to each player’s inability to block.
7. How Mitchell Schwartz Can Help the Passing Game.
Because of Moore and Cameron’s blocking liability, along with the presence of lumbering right tackle Tony Pashos, Alex Smith received an extraordinary amount of playing time in 2011. Smith – who is a solid but completely unspectacular tight end – was counted on to help Pashos, Oneil Cousins and Artis Hicks in blocking opposing defenders.
Thanks to this continued weakness last season, the Browns couldn’t employ many formations conducive to the passing game. Instead, Smith had to help save either McCoy or Wallace from getting crushed by left defensive ends and outside linebackers. Ideally in 2012, Schwartz is capable of handling solo blocking assignments – which means that either Moore or Cameron can use their height to take advantage of an opposing defender far away from the line of scrimmage.
8. Speaking of Blockers….
Among the OBR forums and in other places, Browns’ fans are still wondering why veteran Eric Steinbach has not signed with another team – or has returned to Berea. The answer is simple. First, Steinbach’s health is unknown. Second, his play declined in both 2009 and 2010 – before he suffered his 2011 injury.
Finally, Jason Pinkston wasn’t great in 2011 – but could have been a lot worse. Considering that opposing defenses didn’t have to worry about the Browns’ downfield game, Pinkston faced constant interior pressure from defensive linemen, linebackers and safeties. Absent a few near meltdowns, Pinkston survived and should improve in his second season.
9. A Young, Veteran Offensive Line in Cleveland is Cause for Celebration.
The hot topics in Cleveland always revolve around the quarterbacks and wide receivers, but it’s quietly remarkable what has happened along the offensive line in recent years. The Browns now feature two first-round picks in Joe Thomas and Alex Mack, a second-round choice in Mitchell Schwartz, third-rounder Shaun Lauvao and fifth-round selection Jason Pinkston.
It’s amazing that all five likely starters were selected by the Browns – albeit in a perfectly normal (for Cleveland) manner of three different GMs making the moves. Thomas, the perennial All-Pro, is the oldest of the homegrown talent at 27. While Schwartz, Pinkston and Lauvao are still evolving as NFL blockers, the current situation is far removed from the darker days of expansion, when broken down free agents were continually paraded as quick fixes.
10. Josh Cribbs Is the Ultimate Cleveland Icon.
As for something – or someone – to celebrate... Who else but Cribbs could attend the (fixed) NBA Draft Lottery one week and then charter a bus trip to Nebraska to support the Kent State Flashes baseball team?
Cribbs’ actions, along with Joe Haden and several others, makes someone like Jim Brown look even more irrelevant.
We will continue to predict the demise of the Steelers until in indeed becomes true. The Browns young team will mature and the cap will eventually catch up with the Steelers.Just numbers. All they mean is the Steelers already have a bunch of guys signed and the other AFC North teams have guys they need to lock up. As Mano likes to say, "The cap is a fluid number."
Looks it already has caught up to them
The Ravens are reported to be $15M under the cap but the only QB in that scenario is Tyrod Taylor. How much do you think Flacco is gonna cost?
