The lockout negotiations and how the Browns roster will be shaped when camp opens dominates this week's mailbag.
Jacquelyn Martin, Associated PressTony Pashos was a participant in the players association meetings during the lockout, but Browns fans are considerably more interested in his ability to stay on the field at right tackle this fall. Hey, Tony: Are you at all satisfied with the right side of the O-line and if not (and I am not) are there any FAs out there that could be had at a reasonable price to shore it up? -- Big Gus, Washington Court House
Hey, Big Gus: I've said before that some people won't be satisfied until the Browns have a No. 1 pick at every position on the offensive line. I don't think you need that. I think concerns about the right side were valid when John St. Clair was playing right tackle. He's gone now. The big "if" is Tony Pashos' health. The Browns say he'll be fine. If not, they need to bolster the position. The best free-agent pickup would be Pittsburgh's Willie Colon, but I don't see the Browns throwing more money at right tackle until they get a good read on Pashos in training camp. I also think the line will perform better in a more logically structured offensive system, such as the one they are installing under Pat Shurmur.
Hey, Tony: During the lockout there have been four Camp Colts. I've heard a bit about other teams' organizing activities, but has any other group met as many times as the Browns? -- Jack Bacevice, Cleveland
Hey, Jack: The Browns only had one "camp" with defensive players present. Several teams had more than one full-team camp.
Hey, Tony: I have currently withheld my season-ticket renewals in protest of the owners locking out the players. Do you know what the season-ticket renewal percentage is thus far? At this point, I would only reconsider renewing if they drop the preseason games from the package. Any chance of that happening in your opinion? -- John Moore, Waukegan, Ill.
Hey, John: The last time the Browns spoke of season-ticket renewals they said the percentage was up from the year before. That was just at the onset of the lockout, however. Selling the preseason games has always been a problem, but it's more so now because Commissioner Roger Goodell spent the past two years blasting the quality of the product during his campaign to extend the regular season to 18 games. Owners could solve the problem and gain immeasurable goodwill with their fans if they would just lower the price of preseason tickets. But they refuse.
Hey, Tony: How are the Browns positioned with the salary floor vs. other teams in our division? -- David Schickler, Powell
Hey, David: They and Cincinnati have plenty of room to spend; whereas the Steelers and Ravens will have to do some salary slashing to get beneath the salary cap. The Bengals' cap space could be swallowed up, though, by roster decisions on Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco. It's safe to say the Browns are in the best salary cap/floor situation in their division.
Hey, Tony: What is your opinion of the Browns taking a chance on a low-risk/high-reward player like Victor Abiamiri? I think this guy can play, but he has been labeled a career backup mostly because he is buried on a talented defensive front in Philly. It would be a good move to bring him in for a shot to start. -- Greg Peters, Mansfield
Hey, Greg: I would not dismiss any Eagle, for the simple reason that Tom Heckert probably had a big hand in drafting him. I've got to believe Heckert has a few Philadelphia free agents in his sights. Abiamiri may be one.
Hey, Tony: With the new salary cap rumored to be around $120 million, do you have any idea where the Browns stand today on their salaries? -- Steve Bohnenkamp, Geneva, Ill.
Hey, Steve: They are comfortably below the cap and the projected floor (about $108 million).
Hey, Tony: I just read an ESPN article and comments by James Walker saying that the Browns are not going to look for a right tackle and that Pashos is a good fit. How do they know? He was hardly on the field and that has been a running trend during his career. Do you see them maybe kicking the tires on another guy? -- Chris Zanon, Canton
Hey, Chris: I do not. Pashos has a lot of experience and Tom Heckert liked him a lot in the 2010 free agent market. If he comes back healthy -- yes, it's a big if -- Heckert sees him as the starting right tackle.
Hey, Tony: For the sake of the argument, let's assume that there is a salary cap of 120 million this year. Last year's No. 1 overall pick (no rookie wage scale) will consume roughly 11 percent of his team's total payroll this year. If there is a rookie wage scale, this year's No. 1 overall pick will consume approximately 41/2 percent of his team's total payroll. The players may or may not bust, but the financial risk is reduced by almost 250 percent. If I am a GM, I am significantly more inclined to trade up and significantly less inclined to trade down. Do you still maintain that, "any change to the rookie salary pool (will have) no impact on what a team might do in the draft?" -- Steve Davies-Tight, Cleveland
Hey, Steve: Let me clarify my point: If you're afraid to take a blue-chip player in the top 10 of the draft because of potential salary issues, then you are not doing your job as GM. You may have the luxury of trading out if you already have a franchise quarterback in place. The good teams usually don't have to confront the issue because they normally are drafting low in the round. But the good teams still move up when they can to select a high-ranked player they believe in (see: the Jets and Mark Sanchez, and the Falcons and Julio Jones) regardless of potential cap issues.
You find ways to fit the blue-chip player into your cap. Do you think St. Louis regrets taking Sam Bradford because of his big salary and guarantees? Of course not. He resurrected the franchise in one year, spurred ticket sales and played well. Under the old rookie pay system, teams frequently whined about being stuck in the high-salary atmosphere, but the only team that actually traded out in recent years was the Browns, and they did it twice in three years.
Tracy Boulian, The Plain DealerAt least one fan isn't too worried about the potential departure of Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers. Hey, Tony: Enough already about Lawrence Vickers. Just forgetting he can't catch anything short of a cold, let's take a look at his blocking ability. We are going to a West Coast offense. One that requires the FB to do three things -- catch short passes, block for the TB, and run for short yardage. Vickers' rushing totals have to be miniscule, at best. I watched last season on a tape delay. Can't count the number of times he ran through the "2" hole that Hillis instead used the 4 or 6. Too many times Hillis was stuffed when he actually followed Vickers. [A blocker has] to move someone out of the way, Vickers seemed OK with just hitting someone. And, to go back a little further: When Jerome Harrison set the single game rushing total, his longest run -- the 60-plus TD run -- he broke right and leapt a fallen defender rather than follow Vickers and another lineman, who cut to the left. I'm tired of the excuses and rooting for fan favorites. Vince Lombardi was right: if winning wasn't important, why do we keep score? -- Rich Markovich, Schaumburg, Ill.
Hey, Rich: I respectfully disagree with your opinion of Vickers' blocking but agree he's not the best fit for the West Coast offense.
Hey, Tony: Last year I loved the Joe Haden pick but was scratching my head about the T.J. Ward, Montario Hardesty and Colt McCoy picks. I was more than satisfied with what I saw from T.J. Ward (my new favorite Brownie), and Colt played better then I thought he would as well. I was scratching my head about most of the picks this year (except the Jabaal Sheard pick, he will be more than solid for the Browns this year). My question is, who is going to surprise me from the rookies this year? -- Doug B., San Diego via Canton
Hey, Doug: My initial reaction is to lower your expectations. The owners' lockout robbed this year's rookies of the off-season practices and meetings that help them catch up mentally to the systems employed by their new teams. Because of the lockout, most everyone believes the 2011 rookie draft class league-wide will be challenged to make a big impact in its first season. Saying that, I think Jabaal Sheard is the rookie to watch.
Hey, Tony: You have mentioned the Browns wished LG Eric Steinbach had a little more weight and is getting a little older, plus they need a young backup tackle. Several evaluations of draftee Jason Pinkston mention he has college experience at left tackle but lacks the height of a typical pro tackle. Is he the potential backup tackle or could he be the LG backup and future replacement for Steinbach? -- Alan Fojt, Manassas, Va.
Hey, Alan: On the day Pinkston was drafted, coach Pat Shurmur said he would initially be tried at guard. The idea is that's the position best suited for him to contribute sooner. Eventually, Pinkston might develop into a tackle candidate, or at least a lineman capable of swinging to both positions when needed.
Hey, Tony: One of the problems I see with Colt McCoy is that he appears to be a serviceable-to-decent NFL quarterback who lacks the physical tools to develop into the leader of a championship-caliber NFL team. It ends up being fool's gold as the team gets better and progress is made but ultimately the franchise moves further away from a Super Bowl appearance as draft picks get worse and the team ages. Knowing that Holmgren and Heckert are aware of this potential scenario, what is the blueprint for handling McCoy in light of the quarterback prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft? -- Leslie Marchak, Sagamore Hills
Hey, Leslie: They're all-in with McCoy as "the man" for 2011. They feel he's a natural fit for the West Coast offense and will develop into a winning QB. The difference between a winning QB and a franchise QB though, is big and I'm not sure if even they feel McCoy is the one to take them to the Super Bowl. He is being given first crack to show his stuff in 2011.
Hey, Tony: Would a new rookie wage scale have an impact on the draft class of 2011 since they are all unsigned? If that's the case, then weren't all those people that said Andrew Luck was potentially costing himself millions by staying at Stanford another year incorrect? If the new rookie cap impacts the draft class of 2011, then Luck didn't lose any money (potentially) by staying in college an additional season. -- Doug Shaffer, Orange, Calif.
Hey, Doug: You are half-correct. Luck wasn't going to cash in on the old rookie pay system, as Sam Bradford did in 2010. He would have to abide by the new restrictions in the upcoming CBA, same as Cam Newton will. But Luck did lose a full year's salary by electing to stay at Stanford for 2011 instead of playing in the NFL.
Hey, Tony: After giving into most of the players' salary, free agency and "number of games" demands, a lot of fans are scratching their heads as to why the owners would even lock the players out if they ended up giving them pretty much all they wanted anyway? All the owners got in return is a partial rookie wage scale. Much has been said that the loss of revenue from preseason games forced the owners to concede to the players.
I think that owners were willing to cancel games with the intent to starve the players into concessions as long as their huge TV revenue was secured. Once that went belly up with the court ruling, the lockout was a failure. Do you agree that this is the answer as to why this very same deal was not struck before the lockout? They did not know this would be the end result when they chose to shut the doors. -- Fernando Fernandez, Parma
Hey, Fernando: I think the owners' strategy has been questionable, to say the least, from the start. Whoever advised the "lockout insurance strategy" and whoever signed off on it should be removed. Judging from my early read of the potential CBA, though, the owners did accomplish two major goals: 1. They were able to slow down the share of revenue going to players in the future and 2. They were able to remove future CBA disputes from federal judicial review. Those were major gains for them.
Hey, Tony: I haven't heard much about staph infections since Uncle Phil [Phil Savage] was shown the door. Has this been cleaned up? Seems like a non-issue anymore. Have you heard any inside information on why is was so frequent under the Savage/Romeo Crennel regime? -- Baddawg, Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Hey, Baddawg: Well, locking players out of the facility will certainly prevent them from contracting staph infections there.
Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerThe passion of Cleveland Browns fans provides a never-ending source of motivation for beat writer Tony Grossi. Hey, Tony: What are your three favorite things about your job and the three things you dislike the most? --Paul Naudain, Portland, Ore.
Hey, Paul: Likes: 1. The games are big events filled with the anticipation of seeing something I've never seen before. 2. I get to spend a couple days in cities I might not ordinarily visit. 3. Fans of the Browns seem to hang on every word written. Dislikes: 1. Seeing so many fans be not rewarded for their undying allegiance. 2. Decreasing media access and erecting barriers to covering the team. 3. Disingenuous responses from team executives, coaches and players (league-wide).
Hey, Tony: Like you, I prefer to see Heckert build through the draft. But I also think that when you see a big-time difference-maker at a key position, you go for it. In reviewing the recent articles about free agency, I agree with several writers that the Browns should aggressively pursue Chargers receiver, and free agent to be, Malcolm Floyd. What do you think? -- Joshua Jones, Anaheim, Calif.
Hey, Joshua: I like him. Ascending player, good size, can stretch a defense, no apparent red flags. One minor quibble with me is he's a California native and played college ball at Wyoming. Not much experience in the Midwest winter climate. Perhaps just a quibble, but you never know how those receivers will react to the conditions here in December.
Hey, Tony: With the current drafting trend of this front office, can we assume the Browns will draft two linebackers with their top two picks in next year's NFL draft? -- Browns Fan, Toledo
Hey, Browns Fan: You mean: 1. defensive backs with first two picks in 2010, and 2. defensive linemen with first two picks in 2011. At this point, linebacker definitely will be a need in 2012. But Tom Heckert has a history of passing on that position in the first round.
Hey, Tony: While watching games last season, I noticed Evan Moore lined up in the slot as a wide receiver. I believe his height could prove a huge advantage for the offense. Would he fit in as a West Coast WR? -- Jason Blankenship, Medina
Hey, Jason: Sure, he could play that role and be very productive in it. Perhaps we'll see him more as a slot receiver than as a conventional tight end in this offense.
Hey, Tony: What do you think of the Browns going after Bears DT Tommie Harris in free agency? After a sub-par year he should come cheap, and if he bounced back we could really be on to something with a three-man DT rotation of Harris, Taylor, and Rubin. -- Jeff, Detroit
Hey, Jeff: We'll see if Harris, in fact, is on the unrestricted free agent list. I would assume the Browns will pursue a veteran defensive tackle and a veteran defensive end.
Hey, Tony: Time and time again you have stated that the Browns will not build through free agency. Do they believe they cannot draw FAs, or does the front office feel they are too expensive? As a fan, I would like to see them grab a big-name free agent at some position. I understand building through the draft, but building through FA is also important to winning a championship, is it not? -- Trevor Stiegemeier, Hudson
Hey, Trevor: "Building the team through free agency" and signing a few free agents are two different things. No, they will not build the team through free agency. No winner in the NFL ever has been built that way. It's a prescription for financial disaster as well as unmet expectations on the field.
The good teams use free agency to get over the top, to fill one position, perhaps two, that rounds out their championship-caliber squad. That's when free agency is a godsend. The Browns, however, are in the stage of still needing free agents to bridge the gap at positions of weakness. In that stage, they are in a position to sign free agents that might be decent players -- in their prime or descending slightly -- and not in the market for legitimate difference-makers.
-- Tony