The Browns defense has been making the offense look bad in practice. Will that change once the games begin?
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Talking about the Browns defense dominating the offense, the quarterbacks, Francisco Lindor, Josh Willingham, Danny Salazar and Cavs new coach David Blatt.
ABOUT THE BROWNS DEFENSE
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These are good times for Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil.John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer In the book Collision Low Crossers, author Nicholas Dawidoff had total access to the New York Jets for the 2012 season.
The author spent a lot of time with Browns Coach Mike Pettine, who was the Jets defensive coordinator that season. In some ways, the Jets were like the Browns. The big money on the team was spent on defense, and the defense clearly had more talent than the offense.
Because he was in charge of the defense, Pettine looked at the game through "Stop the offense" glasses.
The Jets had Mark Sanchez at quarterback and a passing game that had many problems. In training camp, the Jets defense dominated the offense.
Well, that's been the case in the Browns camp -- the defense owns nearly every practice when the two units are matched up.
Dawidoff wrote how, "In film meetings ... the defensive coaches took pleasure when the cameras caught the offensive coaches wincing during that day's beat-down."
He also wrote, "The concerning issue for the offense was that day after day, the defense was manhandling them."
That helped Pettine and his staff be in a very good mood during that 2012 Jets training camp.
But as head coach of the Browns, Pettine is usually very stoic during training camp. His defense looks quick and tough, his offense doesn't have nearly the playmakers or speed that you find on defense.
So there are times after practice when you can see that Pettine is trying not to sound concerned about his offense -- but you know that must be the case.
That's because regardless of who is the quarterback, the Josh Gordon pending suspension hangs over the team. As a group, the receivers have been pedestrian ... and that's being kind.
What you see in practice is an experienced defense that played at least some form of a 3-4 system last year and are still in a 3-4 this season. The change is not dramatic. They are comfortable.
"We're ahead at this point where we thought we would be installation wise and I love the mentality that we're bringing on defense," Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil said after Friday's practice. "The guys are doing a good job buying into the philosophy of practicing and playing like a Brown."
The offense is Kyle Shanahan's version of the West Coast, along with some read-option. None of this was what they ran last season with Norv Turner. They did use the West Coast under former head coach Pat Shurmur (2011-12), but this is very different from that.
The lopsided difference between the two units can be very hard to watch ... for the fans, and the coaches who are in charge of the offense.
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Jamaal Westerman is one of five members of the Browns defense who previously played for Mike Pettine. John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer ABOUT BROWNS ROSTER
Mike Pettine has brought in five players who were with him in New York and/or Buffalo.
The reason is obvious -- they can help teach the other players the defensive system, and they also can help the Browns players understand the new coaching staff. Pettine obviously believes these guys also can help the team.
1. Isaiah Trufant was signed a as free agent. He will be a backup in the secondary and a key member of the special teams.
2. Pettine absolutely loves safety Jim Leonard, who spent three seasons (2009-11) as a starting safety for the Jets with Pettine. He also started seven games and played in all 16 games for Buffalo last season.
3. Aaron Berry is another defensive back who was with Pettine in 2012 with the Jets. He's a backup.
4. Backup linebacker Jamaal Westerman was with the Jets from 2009-11, and with the Bills last season. He played 54 percent of the snaps in Detroit last weekend. The only defensive player who saw more action was Jordan Poyer (59 percent). Poyer and Westerman also were used a lot on special teams.
5. Linebacker Keith Pough was in training camp with the Bills last season. He played 23 percent of snaps in Detroit, and also was a core special teams player. Pettine is intrigued by him. But Pough is battling an ankle injury.
On offense, only two players were with Kyle Shanahan in Washington:
1. Rex Grossman, who spent the last five years as a quarterback with Shanahan -- four in Washington, one in Houston. He was signed on Wednesday, replacing Tyler Thigpen as the No. 3 quarterback.
2. Wide receiver Anthony Armstrong, who was with Washington in 2010-11. He needs a strong game in Washington because he has been up-and-down in veterans camp after a strong showing in the spring practices.
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That's Brandon Weeden at the bottom of the pile. A year ago at this time, he was playing well. Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer ABOUT THE QUARTERBACKS
1. The problem with the modern NFL is that teams don't want their key players on the field very long during preseason games -- for fear of injuries. So you try to judge a quarterback, and there are no real opportunities to see the quarterbacks against starters. And furthermore, even when the starters play -- the defense is not using its best formations, etc.
2. That's why teams consider preseason games only as part of the equation when judging quarterbacks. They also count practice, how the players perform in the classroom and other areas not seen by the public. But the preseason games dominate the discussion in the media and public, because that's what we see on TV.
3. Last preseason, Brandon Weeden was 18-of-25 passing for 229 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games. The starters outscored the opposition, 27-3. In the third game, Weeden played into the third quarter. He was 12-of-25 passing, 105 yards and they managed one field goal. He played slightly more than four total quarters in the preseason, as he sat out the final exhibition game. Yes, fear of injury was the reason. Weeden opened the 2013 season as the starter.
4. So last year at this time, there was a sense that Weeden might be figuring it out and perhaps be a decent quarterback in Norv Turner's offense. That became a mirage, as Weeden was terrible in the first two regular season games, and then was injured. Brian Hoyer took over.
5. The point? Suppose Brian Hoyer does open the year as the starter. Does anyone really believe that won't change over 16 games? Or Johnny Manziel starts? Will either quarterback stay healthy and effective for all 16 games? My hope is they have both of these guys ready to play in the regular season, because they will probably need both.
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Prospects Zach Walters and Jose Ramirez are why the Tribe is in no rush to bring up Francisco Lindor. Friday, Walters hit his second homer with the Tribe. Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer ABOUT FRANCISCO LINDOR
It's doubtful the Tribe will recall their prize prospect in September. Here's why:
1. The Indians have been very pleased with the play of Jose Ramirez, who won't turn 22 until September 17. He has been a defensive upgrade over Asdrubal Cabrera at short. Ramirez is batting only .215 (.528 OPS) heading into the weekend. But he started 2-of-25 and then was sent back to the minors. Since his return, Ramirez is 15-of-54 (.278). He has a career .307 average in the minors.
2. The best position for Ramirez may be second base. He also can play third. At the very least, the Indians view him as an excellent utility prospect. He is so young, that he also may develop into a good hitter.
3. Trading Cabrera for Zach Walters has created another shortstop candidate. Short was the main position for Walters during much of his minor league career. The Indians are playing him in the outfield. The want Walters to play every day, so he may receive some time at short when Ramirez is rested.
4. Walters and Ramirez are both switch hitters. Both are intriguing prospects. Walters has big league power. The Indians want both to play, and that would not leave much opportunity for Lindor.
5. At Class AAA Columbus, Lindor is hitting .229 (96 at bats) with three homers and nine RBI. He has only one error in 19 games at short. The rise of Ramirez and the addition of Walters has given the Tribe fewer reasons to rush Lindor.
6. Lindor has shown some life at bat lately (6-of-19), but the Indians believe he could use more time in Class AAA. They also don't want to have him just sit on the bench in September.
7. A player who may be promoted in September is Giovanny Urshela, the smooth-fielding third baseman at Columbus. He is hitting .279 (.833 OPS) with 11 homers and 56 RBI in 88 games. He's only 22.
8. The Indians want to upgrade their defense for next season. Urshela at third and Ramirez at second would be a improvement over Jason Kipnis (second base) and Lonnie Chisenhall (third). Kipnis played the outfield earlier in his minor league career. The Tribe believes Chisenhall can switch from third to the outfield, much like Alex Gordon did with the Royals.
9. It's doubtful the Tribe would put both Kipnis and Chisenhall in the outfield in 2015. But they will look at various possibilities after the season. It is possible that one of those guys will work out in the outfield during spring training. Nothing is being determined now. Chisenhall is hitting only .163 since the All-Star break.
10. In his minor league career, Walters has played 361 games at short, 69 at third and 41 at second base. But he made 16 errors in those 69 games at third, so that may not be the best permanent spot for him. The Indians like Walters in the outfield.
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After a 35-homer season with the Twins in 2012, Josh Willingham has struggled. He is now with Kansas City.AP ABOUT JOSH WILLINGHAM
1. I would have been OK with it if the Tribe had picked up Josh Willingham for the waiver price. But the fact is that he looks to be right at the end of his career. He never was a good outfielder, and now he's mostly a DH. I doubt he will help Kansas City very much.
2. Willingham is 35. He has battled several injuries the last two seasons in Minnesota. In 2013, he hit .208 (.709 OPS) with 14 homers and 48 RBI.
3. In 2014, Willingham is batting .210 (.747 OPS) with 12 homers and 37 RBI. Since July 1, he's been a .170 hitter with four homers. The Royals picked him up and he's 3-of-14 with Kansas City.
4. In 2012, the Tribe had a chance to sign Willingham but he wanted three guaranteed years on a $21 million contract. The Indians offered two. Willingham signed that three-year deal with Minnesota, and was outstanding in 2012: .260 (.890 OPS) with 35 homers and 110 RBI.
5. The Tribe feared that Willingham's body was breaking down, and that seems to be the case in the last two seasons. When discussing Willingham (and adding $1.8 million to the payroll), the Indians decided they'd rather look at Zach Walters and some of their other prospects.
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The Indians are counting on Danny Salazar to be on of the big three in their rotation.Chuck Crow / The Plain Dealer ABOUT THE TRIBE
1. The rise of Kyle Crockett (1.19 ERA), Nick Hagadone (1.72 ERA) and C.C. Lee (3.78 ERA) made it easy for the Tribe to put John Axford on waivers. The closer experiment failed, and the veteran was so-so in other roles (2-3, 3.92 ERA). Rather than pay him about $1 million for the rest of the season, Pittsburgh will do that after claiming him on waivers. The Pirates bullpen ranks No. 9 in the National League. The Tribe's ranks No. 3 in the A.L.
2. The Tribe has cut about $4.5 million from its payroll in the deals for Justin Masterson and Axford. They agreed to pay the rest of Asdrubal Cabrera's contract (about $3.5 million) in order to receive prospect Zach Walters in return. I don't have a problem with the Tribe dealing Masterson, Cabrera or Axford. None were performing well. All are in the final season of their contracts. And the Indians did add two prospects in return.
3. In his first two starts for the Cardinals, Masterson was shelled for 10 runs in eight innings. He threw seven scoreless innings against Miami in his last start. Did he finally figure it out, or was this just a good game?
4. Picked up from St. Louis in the Masterson deal, outfielder James Ramsey is off to a fast start at Class AAA Columbus. He's 16-of-51 (.314) with two homers and seven RBI. This is his first exposure to Class AAA, as he was in Class AA for the Cardinals. He's only 24 and it's his third pro season. It's doubtful the Tribe will bring him up in September. They prefer to look at young players such as Walters and Tyler Holt in the outfield.
5. The Indians are encouraged by Danny Salazar, who allowed one run in seven innings (no walks, nine strikeouts) in a spot start for Columbus last week. Salazar is 3-1 with a 3.68 ERA for the Tribe since the All-Star break. He is scheduled to pitch Sunday, and the Indians want a strong finish from him.
6. If Salazar pitches well for the rest of the season, they want to view him as one of three key starters for next year. Corey Kluber leads the staff. The Indians have seen enough from Trevor Bauer (4-7, 4.35) to have his name written in ink as a member of the 2015 rotation. Bauer has allowed a team-high 18 stolen bases this season -- six runners have been thrown out. The Indians want him to do a better job keeping base runners close.
7. So if you start with Kluber, Bauer and Salazar in the 2015 rotation, that leaves Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco, T.J. House and Zach McAllister competing for the final two spots. House and Carrasco can do a lot to be favorites heading into 2015 if they pitch well in the final six weeks of this season.
8. After being cut by the Tribe at the end of spring training, Aaron Harang is 9-7 with a 3.53 ERA for Atlanta. The Indians kept McAllister and Carrasco in the rotation over Harang.
9. I wondered how Mark Reynolds was performing for Milwaukee. Heading into the weekend, the former Indian was batting .210 (.726 OPS) with 21 homers, 42 RBI and 109 strikeouts in 324 at bats.
10. The Indians are thrilled with third-rounder Bobby Bradley, who is batting .372 (1.083 OPS) with five homers and 37 RBI in 126 at bats for the Tribe's Rookie Arizona League team. This is lowest rung of the minors, but Bradley was drafted in June and the first baseman is only 18. They love the power potential.
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David Blatt's experience coaching the Russian Olympic team may help him with the Cavs. AP ABOUT DAVID BLATT
I've had an informal talk with David Blatt recently, and the new Cavs coach mentioned something that is important.
When you coach an Olympic team (as he has done in Russia) or even a Euroleague team, you often have to quickly put together a team. That requires the ability to teach offenses and defenses that can be understood by players in a few months, if not sooner.
He also mentioned that when coaching in Russia or Tel Aviv, the fan base and media are not interested in being patient.
Coaching at Maccabi Tel Aviv last season, Blatt coached players from Israel (7), USA (4), Australia (1), Croatia (1), Greece (1). The team had a 54-18 record and won the Euroleague title.
He coached the 2012 Russian Olympic team to a bronze medal, the first medal for Russia since the breakup of the old Soviet Union. His star was Andrei Kirilenko, who has played for Utah, Minnesota and Brooklyn in the NBA.
That's why he has described himself as a "chameleon" as a coach when I did a long profile of him in June. He is not "a systems coach," because that doesn't work in the International game where rosters can change dramatically from year-to-year.
Blatt has had face-to-face meetings with all of the Cavs key players. He has talked to Kyrie Irving at least three times in person, and more on the phone.
Blatt had a long meeting with LeBron James in New York, where the Cavs star was filming a movie. Like everyone else who talks to James in the coaching world, Blatt came away impressed with James' knowledge of the game.
James also stressed to Blatt that he understands that turning the Cavs into a contender will require some patience -- that the team is young and inexperienced, at least when it comes to the playoffs.
Blatt is spending a few weeks in Israel with his family, before returning to Cleveland to prepare for the season. His family will continue to live in Tel Aviv this season as his son is entering his senior year of high school. Blatt doesn't want to move his family until Tamir Blatt graduates. Tamir also is considered one of the top young amateur basketball players in Europe.
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Can the Cavs find a way to work a deal for Shawn Marion? AP ABOUT THE CAVS
1. I keep hearing that Shawn Marion will eventually sign with the Cavs. Right now, the most money they can offer him is $1.4 million. He'd like more, after averaging 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds for Dallas last season. He met with Indiana, and the most the Pacers will give him is $1.7 million because they don't want to go into the luxury tax.
2. What can happen: The Cavs can work out a sign-and-trade deal for Marion. The Cavs have several non-guaranteed contracts that can be used in a deal -- and may be attractive to a team such as Dallas that deals with salary cap issues most years. That may allow the Cavs to offer as much as $3 million to Marion, depending how the deal is structured.
3. All of these things get complicated. Any sign-and-trade deal must be for three years. But only one year has to be guaranteed. The 6-foot-7 Marion is 36, so you would not want to give him three years guaranteed. He would be terrific for the Cavs.
4. I heard the Cavs checked on Denver center Timofey Mozgov, who played on the 2012 Russian Olympic team for David Blatt. The 7-foot-1 Russian averaged 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Nuggets last season. He finished strong. It's doubtful the Cavs can acquire him -- but the Cavs are looking in many directions to find some big men who can defend.
5. Did you see the contract signed by Dwyane Wade? It's two years for $31 million total. The second season ($16 million) is a player option. He followed the same structure that James did in his two-year, $41 million deal with the Cavs. Both players can opt-out after a year. Both are in position to be free agents in 2015, when the salary cap is supposed to take a big jump because of a new television contract.
6. Which brings us to Kevin Love. The Andrew Wiggins/Anthony Bennett to Minnesota deal for Love could be announced as soon as August 23. The assumption that Love will play out of the final year of his contract (2014-15) and then sign a five-year extension in the summer of 2015 may not be valid. Many in the NBA expect Love to sign a much shorter deal, as that's the new way of doing business.
7. Luol Deng (Miami) and Paul Pierce (Washington) are two other veteran free agents who signed two-year deals, with the second season being a player option. So do keep an eye on what Love might do, and don't assume he will go for a long-term contract with the Cavs or anyone else when he becomes a free agent in the summer of 2015.
8. The reason the Cavs had to sign Andrew Wiggins before trading him was for salary cap purposes. They needed to establish his salary cap numbers. Wiggins is at $5.5 million. Bennett is at $5.6 million in the second year of his contract. That adds up to $11.1 million. They needed to get within $5 million of Love's $15.7 million contract. The Cavs probably will have to add another marginal player to the deal to make it work. After signing Wiggins, NBA rules require a team wait 30 days before he can be traded.
