The Browns have a multitude of needs after finishing the season 4-12. They are a combined 18-46 in the last four seasons.

John Kuntz, The Plain DealerBrowns fans at Cleveland's season-ending 13-9 loss to Pittsburgh probably don't know where to begin when assessing the team's needs.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns fans have been here before.

Their team has completed another failed season. The Browns finished the 2011 campaign with a 4-12 record. What's new? The Browns were 4-12 in 2008 and 5-11 in both 2009 and 2010.

Since re-joining the NFL as a franchise in 1999, Cleveland has won 68 regular season games and lost 140. The Browns lost their lone playoff game, 36-33, to the Steelers in Pittsburgh, ending the 2002 season.

The Browns are, to understate fact, lacking in talent. They need upgrades at almost every position group.

Which position, though, do the Browns most need to improve? Whether it be through the draft, free agency or via trade, where do the Browns most need to improve?

We are excluding a narrow group of positions from consideration: center, where Alex Mack seems to be set; middle linebacker, where D'Qwell Jackson has made a strong comeback from injuries -- and assuming he and the Browns work out a new contract; defensive tackle, where Ahtyba Rubin and 2011 rookie Phillip Taylor are locked in; special teams, which have been erratic overall, but include numerous players and can't realistically be considered the greatest area of need.

Two of the Browns' best players are left offensive tackle Joe Thomas and cornerback Joe Haden. We include for your consideration the need for a right offensive tackle and the other cornerback position. Also, defensive end Jabaal Sheard had an impressive 2011 rookie season, but you can consider the need for help at the other DE.

Gilbert -- who said he voted to ratify the deal -- believes there are some provisions which will help small-market teams from losing their free agents.

View full sizePD fileCavaliers owner Dan Gilbert said he was satisfied with the recent labor agreement with players. "Did we get everything we wanted in that area? Probably not," he said. "But in the spirit of compromise, both sides could probably say they didn't get everything they wanted."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's nothing in the new collective bargaining agreement that will prevent Kyrie Irving from leaving Cleveland just the way LeBron James did a season ago.

There's no franchise tag, no hard salary cap.

But Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert -- who said he voted to ratify the deal -- believes there are some provisions which will help small-market teams from losing their free agents.

Speaking to the media prior to Sunday's game, Gilbert said he hopes the rash of star players trying to force their way to larger teams is "a blip" rather than a trend. He also thinks the fact the Cavs ownership group was in place when Irving arrived as opposed to coming in after James had played two years in Cleveland could make a difference.

"People forget we were not here from the beginning of the previous era, we came in [near the end of season two]," said Gilbert, who purchased the Cavs in 2005. "There were two years without us. We weren't able to establish a foundation and a relationship at the beginning. It's a whole different thing now and I really think it will be very different when this core of guys comes up for a contract.

"Who knows exactly who will be here and who won't based on what happens in the NBA. If we keep doing the right things in the organization, we keep making the arena and the franchise a great place for players to play and we start winning, things will take care of themselves."

Some might have a hard time believing ownership's presence at the start of James' time in Cleveland could have altered the course of history. The superstar's departure -- along with Carmelo Anthony's push to leave Denver for New York – certainly emboldened small-market owners during the five-month lockout.

Gilbert said he wasn't "jumping up and down" about the CBA, but thought it was fair and voted in favor of it. Five teams voted against it. He said the portrayal of him as a "hard-line owner" during negotiations was inaccurate as was the characterization of a lot of owners.

"There was one thing where [a media outlet was] going owner by owner and their positions," Gilbert said. "You could've taken darts and done a better job. I think sometimes the way the Cavs and our position was portrayed is definitely inaccurate and wrong. I'm glad it's over now and we're moving forward."

Gilbert said a "franchise tag," which in the NFL allows teams to keep one player from free agency, was discussed in the negotiations. It obviously never gained enough traction. The ability to provide free agents more financial incentive to remain with existing teams – they can now pay about $28 million more over the life of a contract than a competitor -- was a victory for the small and middle markets, Gilbert said.

"Did we get everything we wanted in that area? Probably not," Gilbert said in regards to the much-debated competitive-balance issue. "But in the spirit of compromise, both sides could probably say they didn't get everything they wanted."

Gilbert made national news as the lockout ended with his "Washington Generals" e-mail to NBA Commissioner David Stern. The letter, leaked to media outlets, stated his objection to the proposed Chris Paul trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavs owner was on a plane and made the mistake of sending the email before he checked the Internet to see the deal alreadyhad been nixed.

"The lesson will be when you get off an airplane, check the Internet first before you go send off an e-mail," he said. "It's a little disappointing someone would leak a personal e-mail. Owners are always making statements and having opinions between them and always sending things back and forth. It was unusual and I was shocked to see that in the media."

Gilbert conceded the Cavs are "rebuilding" and asked for the fans' patience during the process. The team's season-ticket renewal rate from last season is believed to be somewhere between 30 and 40 percent.

"You never know how fast it's going to go, but you have to love watching these kids develop," Gilbert said of first-round picks Irving and Tristan Thompson. "We'll see what happens this summer as far as free agency and the draft. It's step by step, game by game. ... Realistically, we're building this thing for the future. We have some good pieces, we'll get some more good pieces.

"We understand we have to earn the respect and earn the commitment from our fans and supporters and we'll keep going until we do."

Gilbert is a big fan of Irving, the franchise's latest No. 1 pick.

"It's hard to believe he's a teenager. I think of my kids being 14, 15 years old," Gilbert said of Irving. "I look at them and watch him and say 'that kid is only four or five years older than you guys.' It's hard to imagine. Not only his play, but his maturity level. Just even talking to him.

"The whole thing is very exciting and I think he'll be a big part of our franchise going forward."

Nets fan no longer: Irving, a New Jersey native, said he grew up a Nets fan, but lost interest after the organization fired coach Byron Scott in 2004 and traded point guard Jason Kidd in 2008. The rookie said he sat in the "nose bleed" seats with his father and his sister during the Nets' appearances in the NBA Finals.

"I stopped being a Nets fans probably after Jason Kidd left and after Coach Scott left," Irving said. "It's kind of ironic because I am playing for Coach Scott now."

Scott laughed as reporters relayed the Irving tales to him, sticking his finger down his throat at one point.

"Do you [believe that]? Seriously?" the coach said. "I don't know if I believe that. He's a great kid. He don't need brownie points. He's all right."

Sore, but still a starter: Anderson Varejao played Sunday night despite injuring his back in Friday's game at Indiana. He was a victim of a flagrant foul from the Pacers' David West. Varejao left the game for several minutes but returned.

He said the power forward caught him around the neck, but he didn't deem it a dirty play. The Brazilian received treatment on his back over the weekend.

"[I'm a] little beat up but I'm OK," Varejao said.

Dawson, who came back as the team's franchised player in 2011, admitted after Sunday's loss to the Steelers that he's not sure if he'll return for a 14th season. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the second straight year, Phil Dawson has walked out of Cleveland Browns Stadium thinking it might be for the last time.

Dawson, who came back as the team's franchised player in 2011, admitted after Sunday's loss to the Steelers that he's not sure if he'll return to Cleveland for a 14th season. The Browns have said recently they'd love to have him back.

But Dawson lived here all season while his wife, Shannon, and their three children lived in Austin, Texas, and he might not want to do that again.

"It's the same song, a different verse," said Dawson. "I'll go home [to Austin] catch up with my family and get rested, regroup and make the decision when I need to."

Would he like to return?

"I just need to go home and talk to my wife, kind of like what I said last year," he said. "I'm kind of at that point, the kids are getting older and I've got other issues I've got to consider, not just football.

"I certainly gave my heart and soul to this team this year. I feel pretty good about how I kicked the ball. I really missed one kick all year. I feel pretty good about that. I'll let it all sink in and make that decision when the time comes."

Dawson provided all the Browns' scoring Sunday, kicking field goals of 26, 45 and 49 yards in the damp and windy conditions. Pittsburgh's Shaun Suisham was wide left on a 45-yarder at the Dawg Pound end, and Dawson certainly understands.

"It was a really tough day," he said. "It was wet, cold, snowy and windy. It was especially tough down at that end."

Dawson converted 24 of 29 field-goal attempts and all 20 extra points. He hit seven field goals of 50 yards or longer, tied for most in the NFL.

Productive finale: Josh Cribbs recorded career highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (91). On the season, his 41 receptions produced 518 yards and four touchdowns, all of which are career bests. For the fourth time in his seven-year career, he led the club in special-team tackles.

"Seneca [Wallace] did a good job of getting the ball to me today," said Cribbs. "I tried to catch the ball when it was thrown to me. I've been saying I'm a complete wide receiver now and other things. But we've still got to come away with the victory."

Cribbs played hard, regardless of what ended as a 4-12 season.

"I know how important it is to the fans, snowy and rainy at the same time, the conditions are excellent for football," he said. "I love it, our fans love it. We've just got to figure out a way to win. We beat this team up today, but they came up with the victory."

Cribbs can't understand why the Browns can't win close games.

"I have to look and see exactly where we lost the game at," he said. "We could've made the playoffs this season," said Cribbs. "We're not that far away. The hard work is going to turn into results. The way we battle and fight, it's going to turn into something special."

A quiet day: The Browns didn't retaliate against Steelers linebacker James Harrison, and he had no questionable hits.

Did he hear anything from Browns players or fans?

"I don't pay no attention," he said. "It's not my concern. The fans are not on the field and they're not going to play snaps against me, so I'm not worried about it."

Strong finish for Sheard: Rookie defensive end Jabaal Sheard had another outstanding game, finishing with six tackles and a sack for a season total of 8.5 sacks -- the most by a Browns rookie since Kamerion Wimbley's 11 in 2006.

"It's been okay," Sheard said. "I had some ups and downs and I thought I could've done better. I just look to come out next year and get better."

As for his sacks, he said, "Everybody I talked to told me I better have double digits," he said. "Ever since college I always wanted double digits and I never quite got there. ... It's New Year's and I wrote down my goals and I plan on beating 8.5 next year."

Said linebacker D'Qwell Jackson of Sheard: "He's played well beyond his years. Eight and a half sacks as a rookie, that's impressive. You can only build off of that and there's going to be a lot expected when he comes back. I'm sure he knows that."

Roethlisberger critical of fans: Ben Roethlisberger was disappointed to hear Browns fans cheering when running back Rashard Mendenhall went down with a right knee injury at the end of the first quarter.

"It's never good to see a guy go down," said Roethlisberger. "I know these Browns fans are passionate about their Browns, but when you hear fans cheer when a guy goes down, that's really disappointing. I don't care who it is or if you really hate that team. To be a fan of the sport, you never like to see that. So that was disappointing to hear that."

Young limping: Safety Usama Young suffered a knee injury in the fourth quarter and will undergo an MRI Monday. "I hope it's okay," he said. "I don't want to end the season like that."

Rookie fever: The Browns were the only NFL team to have three rookies start all 16 games. Sheard and Phil Taylor opened all 16 contests on the defensive line, while rookie Jason Pinkston started every game at left guard.

The Browns became the first team to have two rookie defensive line starters all season since Tampa Bay in 1992 (Santana Dotson and Mark Wheeler). It's also the first time in franchise history. Five rookies started Sunday for the Browns. Browns rookies had a combined 66 starts, which led the NFL.

2012 opponents: The Browns will have home games against Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Washington and Buffalo. They will have road games at Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, New York Giants, Oakland, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis.

By the numbers: Jackson tied a season-high with 13 tackles. He led the team in tackles 13 times and accounted for double digit tackle totals on eight occasions. He led with 158 stops, which was the second-most in the NFL (London Fletcher 166). ... Defensive linemen Ahtyba Rubin tied a season-high with nine tackles and notched his fifth sack, his career-best. Rubin finished second on the club with 83 tackles, which led all defensive linemen heading into the Giants-Cowboys game Sunday night (Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul had 81). ...

Punter Brad Maynard recorded two punts inside the 20. On the season, he placed 32 of his 81 punts inside the 20 (a team record) and had just one touchback. ... Defensive backs Eric Hagg and Joe Haden each recorded their first career fumble recoveries. Defensive back Mike Adams notched his first career forced fumble, while linebacker Chris Gocong registered his fifth forced fumble. ...

The Browns' 19 giveaways were the second-fewest in the AFC and tied for the fourth-lowest in the NFL. It was the team's lowest total since 1991 (18). The team's six fumbles lost tied for the second-fewest in team history (five in 1959, six in 2008).

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

"All I want is a legit opportunity," says the veteran backup. "That's all you can ask for at the end of the day."

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerSeneca Wallace twice scrambled for good yardage Sunday against the Steelers, but he couldn't get the Browns into the end zone -- completing a season-long inability for the team. Still, he believes he deserves a chance at being the starter in 2012.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seneca Wallace intends to ask coach Pat Shurmur for a chance to compete for the starting QB job next season during his exit interview on Monday.

"I think we all know at the end of the day, we don't want to sit here and keep trying to grind with bringing in a young quarterback and having to go through those growing pains," said Wallace, who took the Steelers down to the wire in a 13-9 loss Sunday.

"You guys have been hard on us all season long, and what we need is to win and win now, and that's one of the biggest things is, whoever gives us that opportunity to do that, I think that should be the decision."

Wallace, under contract for two more seasons, made it clear that despite going 0-3 in his three starts, he had a chance to win each game and wants an opportunity to prove he can be the guy. The Browns have made it clear that they're undecided about Colt McCoy's future.

They also have the No. 4 pick in the draft and might consider taking Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

"At this point, going into next year will be my 10th year," Wallace said. "There are always people that doubt me and say you can't play this, you can't play quarterback, you're too short, this and that. You guys saw the last three games. All I want is a legit opportunity. That's all you can ask for at the end of the day."

He said he's often envisioned what he could with this offense given a full off-season and the starting job right from the beginning.

"There was a time [in 2008] when I got eight games under my belt in a row and each game there was a big improvement and we won some games (3-5) and it was during difficult times," he said. "We had a lot of injuries, things like that, guys in and out of the rotation. But we still moved the ball and scored points on teams.

"So I could imagine if I got the right opportunity and a good off-season and tried to push the guys in the right direction, what could happen."

Wallace said he's not sure why he doesn't receive consideration for the starting job when Browns President Mike Holmgren knows him so well from their Seattle days.

"When I came here, he made some things clear that he was going to bring in a Jake Delhomme and we were going to compete," said Wallace. "He lets the guy run the show and the call the shots on who's playing, and that's Pat. Whoever's out there, he's going to expect us to go out there and compete.

"But I think Mike is trying to make sure he doesn't step on people's toes ... I think he knows what I can do. That's one reason why I'm here. I can't worry about those decisions that are made on who's playing."

Wallace knows his performance Sunday and his stats don't scream starter. He completed only 16 of 41 attempts for 177 yards with one interception -- an ill-advised throw to Evan Moore picked off by Troy Polamalu -- and no touchdowns. He was handed the ball twice in good field position on fumble recoveries in the fourth quarter and couldn't muster a point.

What's more, he couldn't connect with top receivers Greg Little (0-for-5) and Mohamed Massaquoi (2-for-9) and threw behind a wide-open Massaquoi at the Steelers 19 in the fourth quarter.

But when the game was on the line with 1:46 remaining, he moved them from their 24 to the Steelers' 24, only to see it end on a Hail Mary pass that Little got a hand on in heavy traffic.

"For us to come out here and go toe-to-toe with a team that could end up in the Super Bowl [is good]," said Wallace. "The last two games that we played, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers -- for all the stuff that we've been through this season, to go toe-to-toe with those two teams and come up a little short, the guys are still battling and I respect that."

Two of the best plays Wallace made were with his feet, a 27-yard scramble to the Steelers 4 in the second quarter and a 20-yarder in the third. Both led to field goals.

"I felt like I could've [scored on the first run]," said Wallace. "The guy must've tripped me up. My legs got tangled up. I saw the end zone and thought I had an opportunity, but came up a little short."

He acknowledged the interception was a bad decision. He was pressured on the play by linebacker Jason Worilds, who got past fullback Owen Marecic.

"Troy made a good play," said Wallace. "I probably shouldn't have thrown it. He made a hell of a play and came up with the interception."

Wallace did have success with receiver Josh Cribbs, who caught seven passes for 91 yards. But it wasn't enough.

"We're a young team," said Wallace. "No excuses. We didn't have an off-season and like I said before, and with a team like this and the things that happened this season, we can't afford to throw interceptions, we can't give them easy field goals, easy points, whatever the case may be. We're not at that point yet where we can dig ourselves out of the hole.

"But with a good off-season, we can work hard throughout that. We need to be able to beat the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers regardless of whatever else happens."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Cavaliers shot 60.9 percent from behind the arc and got another big night from their bench

View full sizeDaniel Gibson led the Cavaliers 3-point onslaught by converting 5-of-7 chances on a night the team was 16-of-26

Browns will also have a later first-round pick, the one that would belong to Atlanta. Since the Falcons are in the playoffs, Cleveland will have to wait and see where that pick will land.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerDefensive tackle Phil Taylor of Baylor at a press conference after the Browns picked him in the first round of the 2011 draft.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns' 4-12 record has earned them the fourth pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

With the league's regular season complete, the order of the top 20 picks, involving teams not in the playoffs, has been determined, as shown on an ESPN.com report.

The Browns will have another first-round pick, the one that would belong to the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta, though, is in the playoffs, so the Browns will have to wait and see where that pick will land in the first round.

Cleveland and Atlanta swung a trade during the first round of last April's draft. The Browns sent their first-rounder, the sixth pick overall, to Atlanta for the Falcons' first- (27th overall), second- (59th) and fourth-round (124th) picks in 2011, and Atlanta's first- and fourth-round picks in 2012.

The Browns then traded the 2011 first-round pick acquired from Atlanta and their own third-rounder (70th overall) to Kansas City for the Chiefs' first-round (21st overall) pick.

Cleveland used Kansas City's first-rounder to draft defensive tackle Phil Taylor from Baylor; Atlanta's second-rounder to draft wide receiver Greg Little from North Carolina; Atlanta's fourth-rounder to draft fullback Owen Marecic from Stanford.

Atlanta used the first-rounder acquired from the Browns -- the sixth overall pick -- to select wide receiver Julio Jones from Alabama.

Sports Nation often gets its shorts all bunched up about everything, which strikes Norman Chad as a springboard to insanity.

View full sizeDavid Goldman | Associated PressAh, the Falcons and running back Jason Snelling, above, are in the playoffs, and Tampa Bay linebacker Mason Foster, attempting the tackle, is out. Millions of us fret and anguish over this stuff.Why? Beats me, the Slouch might say.

This unrelenting devotion to all matters sporting strikes me as a springboard to insanity.

Think about this:

We have been at war somewhere in the world since 2001 — at war —and that gets less scrutiny than an average NFL game. For real. Buccaneers-Falcons is dissected in detail much more than U.S.-Afghanistan; that’s an NFC divisional game weighed against an international armed conflict.

(I often am told that I’m just an old man out of touch. Guess what? I once was a young man out of touch. So, trust me, age has nothing to do with this. What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong, and America’s continued obsession with sport at the expense of substance remains the Achilles’ heel of our culture.)

What concerns me about our ongoing fight against terrorism is this:

So, yes, I worry.

We spend more money on stadiums than schools.

At our institutions of higher learning, we care more about basketball than biology.

“Crossfire” has been replaced by “Pardon the Interruption”; actually, that’s probably a good thing.

Sometimes I stumble upon Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith on ESPN2’s “First Take” and wonder, “Is this a ‘Saturday Night Live’ sketch?” I half-expect one of their heads will explode one morning while shouting, and if that happens, I fully expect the other guy will keep on shouting.

They never stop screaming, because they believe it’s entertaining or because they’re really serious; it’s either disingenuous or distressing. Heck, these fellows have convictions about EVERYTHING; I mean, how much conviction can you have about an offensive coordinator’s third-down play selection?

(How out of whack are our priorities and sensibilities? Just look at the “Call of Duty” video-game series. In November 2009, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” set a first-day sales record with 4.7 million copies to reap $310 million. In November 2010, “Call of Duty: Black Ops” topped that with 5.6 million and $360 million in sales in its first 24 hours. Then, in November 2011, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” hit 6.4 million and $400 million on opening day. It’s a battlefield out there, and while we ignore real war, we love to shoot ’em up on our PlayStations.)

I used to think I loved sports as much as the next guy — well, unless the next guy walks in wearing a Yankees baseball cap, Lawrence Taylor football jersey and New York Rangers wristwatch — but I now realize I only liked sports in spurts. Which, frankly, might be healthier.

Sure, as a kid, nothing beats the anticipation of going to the ballpark or watching a big game on TV. But as an adult? Sports is still a great release; beyond that, there has to be more to a fine day than getting World Series home-field advantage by winning the All-Star Game. There has to be a greater sense of accomplishment than seeing your alma mater’s biggest rival go on probation, no?

I’m not a religious man, but something tells me that just walking by a church on any given Sunday is a better idea than slouching on a couch on any given Sunday.

I’m not just talking here about a New Year’s resolution, I’m talking about a New Year’s revolution. Let’s put the games on pause and pick up our lives. If nothing else, we need to downsize Big Monday.

By the way, how can Alabama be playing for the national championship? The Crimson Tide already lost to LSU and didn’t even win its own conference. Who’s minding the BCS store, Howdy Doody?

Join us for a live Browns chat today at noon with The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi. Another Browns season is in the books. Will the Browns have another new quarterback next season? What will the team's strategy be on draft day? We'll answer those questions and more.

View full sizeChat live with Tony Grossi every Monday at noon.

Join us for a live Browns chat today at noon with The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi.

Another Browns season is in the books. Will the Browns have another new quarterback next season? What will the team's strategy be on draft day?

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Tony's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

Note: To turn off audio alerts, click on round button on bottom left of chat room and click on preferences.

"I don't know how you can say RG III is a can't-miss player. He has never played under center, played in a spread offense and his speed will be minimized in the NFL where everyone is fast. In a college spread offense with a little time, there is always someone open. Not so in the NFL. I imagine they would trade the pick before they would select RG III." - brownieforlife

View full sizeG.J. McCarthy | Dallas Morning News | MCTIs Robert Griffin III a fit for the Browns at quarterback.

"I don't know how you can say RG III is a can't-miss player. He has never played under center, played in a spread offense and his speed will be minimized in the NFL where everyone is fast. In a college spread offense with a little time, there is always someone open. Not so in the NFL. I imagine they would trade the pick before they would select RGIII."

"An owner that communicates positively and honestly with the media and citizens of Cleveland? Lerner and Dolan should take a lesson from Gilbert. I have no doubt that the Cavs will be a solid team in a couple seasons with Gilbert at the helm." - Independent Voter 22

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerDan Gilbert.

"An owner that communicates positively and honestly with the media and citizens of Cleveland? Lerner and Dolan should take a lesson from Gilbert. I have no doubt that the Cavs will be a solid team in a couple seasons with Gilbert at the helm."

Get updates on Twitter from Doug Lesmerises @PDBuckeyes and Bill Livinigston @LivyPD as Ohio State takes on Florida.

View full sizeAP Photo | Stephen MortonOhio State wide receiver DeVier Posey (8) stiff arms Florida linebacker Jonathan Bostic (52) during the first half of the Gator Bowl.

Get updates on Twitter from Doug Lesmerises @PDBuckeyes and Bill Livinigston @LivyPD in the box below. Kickoff is at noon.

• College football scoreboard

In a video interview with Dennis Manoloff, Jackson and Miller talked about the rivalry with the Steelers, memories of the Kardiac Kids team of 1980, their career highlights and how the game has changed since their playing days. Click to watch. Watch video

Former Browns offensive lineman Robert E. Jackson and running back Cleo Miller served as honorary captains for the team's game against the Steelers on Sunday.

In an interview with Dennis Manoloff, the pair talked about the rivalry with Pittsburgh, memories of the Kardiac Kids team of 1980, their career highlights and how the game has changed since their playing days.

Jackson played guard with the Browns from 1975-85, including 84 starts blocking for the likes of Miller, Mike Pruitt, Greg Pruitt and Earnest Byner. He currently operates Jackson, Dieken & Associates, an insurance services company with former teammate Doug Dieken.

Miller played running back and full back for the Browns from 1975-82. His best season came in 1977 when he gained 1047 yards from scrimmage with 5 touchdowns. Miller currently stands at No. 10 on the Browns' all-time career rushing list with 2,286 yards. He finished his career in 1984 by playing two years with the Michigan Panthers in the USFL.

Who will start at quarterback for the Browns next season? How else might this team address the offense? Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter | The Plain DealerWill Colt McCoy start the 2012 season as the Browns' starting quarterback?

Who will start at quarterback for the Browns next season? How else might this team address the offense?

Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi answered those questions and more in his weekly podcast.

Among other topics discussed:

• What will happen with the running back position this offseason - and will Peyton Hillis be back?

• Could the Browns trade down out of the No. 4 spot?

• If you were making the pick, who would you take at No. 4?

• Just how much will adding an offensive coordinator help Pat Shurmur?

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

Center Semih Erden took part in his first practice with the Cavaliers today after reporting to training camp with a broken right thumb suffered while playing for Turkey this summer.

View full sizeAPSemih Erden.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Center Semih Erden took part in his first practice with the Cavaliers today after reporting to training camp with a broken right thumb suffered while playing for Turkey this summer.

Cavs coach Byron Scott said there was no timetable for him to play, although it's possible he may see some time on the upcoming West Coast trip. Much of that will depend on whether the team gets in another full practice.

"He did the whole practice,'' Scott said. "He looked OK, a little winded. Obviously he doesn't have the offense down pat, but for the first time out he looked pretty good. He's still got a ways to go.''

Erden did not speak to the media today.

The Cleveland Browns ended the 2011 season with a 4-12 record under first year head coach Pat Shurmur. The players talked about the year after the game on Sunday and as they cleaned their lockers out on Monday. Watch video

What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo gallery is featured on cleveland.com.

What's going on at your high school? Go to cleveland.com/yourspace
to send your pictures of varsity teams from your school. We'll publish
the best picture each Tuesday in The Plain Dealer, and the entire photo
gallery is featured on cleveland.com.

The Buckeyes never led while giving up two special teams touchdowns.

View full sizeGary W. Green, Orlando SentinelFlorida's Ronald Powell (7) sacks Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller during the first half of Monday's Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Ohio State's season came to a merciful end Monday with a 24-17 loss to Florida in the Gator Bowl, the Buckeyes sliding into the Urban Meyer era on a four-game losing streak and with their first losing record since 1988.

Ohio State (6-7) was tied with Florida (7-6) early in the second quarter, but never led, undone by two gigantic special teams breakdowns and fumbles from seniors Dan Herron and DeVier Posey.

The special teams problems, seen previously this season, led to a 99-yard kickoff return by Florida's Andre Debose that gave Florida a 14-7 lead right after the Buckeyes had tied the game, and a blocked punt by Chris Rainey in the third quarter that was returned by Graham Stewart for a 14-yard score.

It turns out that the game drew little interest as well, with an announced attendance of 61,312 that was the second-lowest in the last 12 years of the Gator Bowl.

Jordan Hall broke several tackles with his 11-yard TD catch and run in the final minute, but the Gators recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

Ohio State had more first downs, 21-14, and total yards, 296-265, but couldn't sustain drives on offense besides their special-team disasters.

The Buckeyes are flying back to Columbus right after the game and Meyer, officially taking over all duties as the new coach, has a meeting planned for 7 a.m. Tuesday. So the Buckeyes won't have long to think about this. And there's not much worth remembering.

Brown stressed that one or two rookies aren't going to change the fortunes of this rebuilding team, at least not overnight. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown, who's seen a lot in his 10 years in the NFL, held court on a getaway day Monday and said he's not waiting for a college star such as Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III to come in and be the savior of this 4-12 team.

"I'm definitely not, and if you are, you're crazy," he said.

Brown stressed that one or two rookies -- the Browns will have the fourth overall pick in the April draft and the Falcons' first-round pick in the 20s, aren't going to change the fortunes of this rebuilding team, at least not overnight.

"My thing is, if you're dependent on a draft pick to come in here and change your life, then you're kidding yourself," he said. "This game is too hard. There's too big of a jump to come from college and think that he's going to come in ... who does it? Maybe Randy Moss did it. So you already know the pattern. It's not that."

So what will it take for the Browns to compete in the AFC North, where their three foes are skipping off to the playoffs?

"The guys here have to step their game up to another level because they're experienced," said Brown. "When you lose close games, you can go back and maybe point to one or two drops, or one or two miscues. When things like that happen, I bet you go back and you say 'ah, [it was] a young player [who] hadn't been in that situation. Hadn't experienced it.' Well now he's experienced it and he won't do it again.

View full sizeDarren Abate, Associated Press"If you're dependent on a draft pick (like Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III) to come in here and change your life," says Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown, "then you're kidding yourself."

"Most rookies, anyway, they get hurt because they get tired and they don't understand the speed and the strength of this game at the professional level. So I'm never sold on high draft picks."

Brown said he's not spewing lip service when he says the Browns are close to being a good team. They lost six games by seven points or less, and went down to the wire most games with their division rivals, although they finished 0-6 in the division for only the second time since 1999.

"We're very close," said Brown, who went to the playoffs with the Eagles six times, including one Super Bowl. "It's one or two plays each game. You just have to find the playmakers and they just have to understand the sense of urgency and make the play."

But don't Browns fans hear the same thing every year?

"I didn't tell you this last year," he said. "I thought we were way off last year, from a lot of other things we were having to deal with. You can say whatever you want to say, but I do believe that and I came from an organization where we'd start 0-4 -- sometimes 0-3 -- and we were one or two plays out, and we found a way to start making those plays. Then we'd run off eight in a row, and then the people that were laughing, they don't seem to laugh any more."

Brown is convinced coach Pat Shurmur -- who took a critical beating by some fans and media this season -- is the right man for the job.

"I think he did a tremendous job, dealing with being a head coach for the first time," said Brown. "Everybody thinks it's an easy job, everybody wants to sit in a room and say, 'I can do this better, I can do that better.' He dealt with the situations the best he could, and he kept this football team fighting. For me, that's how I judge a head coach.

"If a football team goes out there and competes week in and week out, through thick and through thin -- and it was very thick this year -- but we didn't quit. So that tells me that the leader is in place and the guys believe in him and they will fight. If you put a football team out there that's giving up 40 points, scoring nothing and they're quitting, that tells me that the leader in place is not the guy."

Can he make the jump in year two?

"He can definitely make a jump," said Brown. "But the most important thing is that the players have to make the jump. And the players have to make the plays.

"I think this coaching staff is in place for a while. The worst thing that I've known of the history of the Browns is, one or two years and they want to blow it up. People want to think that it changes in one or two years. There's a process that you have to go through in this league and you have to be patient to do it.

"The coaching staff did the best [they could] with their knowledge of the players, not having an off-season to really get to know the guys. They put them in the best positions that they knew how to make plays on the field, and I think it's heading in the right direction."

As for the defense, which finished 10th overall, Brown is certain it's on solid footing.

"Anytime you have a [middle] linebacker like D'Qwell Jackson, your foundation is in place," said Brown. "Anytime you have a starting defensive tackle -- and I've played with some good ones -- like Ahtyba Rubin, motor doesn't stop, intense guy, angry player, studies, and he brings the young guys like Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor along with him, it's in place. You've got Joe Haden, T.J. Ward, young players in the secondary, the foundation is in place.

"We had to go through the growing pains of being young, but the foundation is in place and I think it's going in the right direction."

While losing teams such as the Rams and Bucs fired their coaches Monday, other Browns agreed that this is a 4-12 team on the rise.

"My rookie year I played for Green Bay and we were 6-10 and there wasn't a whole lot of turnover on that roster," said tight end Evan Moore. "They had a lot of young guys that they let grow up in that system and look at them now. Granted, that team has a lot of talent and I believe we do, too. We have a lot of young guys I think are only going to get better.

"I think it goes without saying that a foundation needs time. Guys need time to mature and I think we have the makings here of something that could be pretty impressive if guys are given time to mature."

Said kicker Phil Dawson: "We were in a lot of games. It's death by inches, though. How are you going to look at that? Are we that close, or is that just the nature of the league? It depends on your personality, how you're going to view that.

"In my little world, if my plant foot misses the spot by a quarter-inch, I miss the kick. That will probably tell you how I look at it. Everybody looks at themselves critically and figures out how they can improve. If we do that, now these close games are coming out in our favor. Hopefully that's the way guys respond to it."

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

Phil Taylor expects big things from former Baylor teammate Robert Griffin III in the NFL. Where the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback winds up is anyone's guess. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Phil Taylor was a teammate of Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III for three years. The rookie defensive tackle said he won't campaign for the Browns to make the Heisman Trophy winner their first draft pick in April.

"I can't do that. I don't draft people," Taylor said with a big smile. But he has no doubt that Griffin will be successful at the NFL level.

"His freshman year, he was basically the fastest guy out there," Taylor said. "I knew he was going to be a good one the first time I saw him. I can't wait to see where he goes in the draft."

Baylor coach Art Briles ran the same shotgun spread offense that produced Kevin Kolb out of the University of Houston. Taylor said Griffin is smart enough to fit into any NFL offensive system. He also believes Griffin's smarts will help him survive physically in the NFL. Griffin's durability and size (6-2, 210 pounds) could be a concern for some NFL teams because he made a lot of plays at Baylor with his legs.

"He knows how to get away from the harder hits," Taylor said. "It's the NFL and lot of people hit harder than college, but it's nothing you can't overcome.

"[Griffin] can scramble, but he's one of those scrambling quarterbacks [who] doesn't really like to scramble. He likes to throw the ball first and then run later. He's going to be a good one."

Running back chatter: Peyton Hillis' future may be in question, but two backs looking forward to returning are Montario Hardesty and Chris Ogbonnaya.

Hardesty agrees that 2012 will be a big year for him to prove that he was the player the Browns saw at Tennessee.

"We all know it's a big year for me to be on the field and play football the way I know how," he said. "I'm taking that to heart. I'll be ready to come back and show that. I don't know about make or break, but it's definitely a big year for me."

Hardesty knows from past experience the second season after an ACL surgery is much better than the first.

"The knee felt pretty good," he said. "Going through it before, I know the next year around you can get all the mental things back -- the small things you usually do. You kind of lose instinct or get scared to do it.

"[The speed and quickness] are something you lose because you're scared to do it. Going to your left and making that plant and doing things like that -- those are the things you get back. I really couldn't work on speed and quickness last year because I was rehabbing."

Ogbonnaya, who came off the Houston practice squad and rescued the Browns' running back position for about a month, said he's under contract for another year and expects to be back.

"I think it was a great start to my career, a great opportunity here for me moving forward, so I'm very excited about being here," he said. "It's important for me to continue to learn [the West Coast offense], continue to grow in it and continue to do my best helping the team going forward."

Phil's upbeat: A year ago, kicker Phil Dawson was looking forward to moving on in free agency. When the Browns blocked him by making him their franchise player, he wasn't very happy.

But now he's encouraged about extending his stay here for at least a 14th season and being here when the franchise finally turns the corner. He can be a free agent if the Browns don't re-apply the tag or sign him to a new deal.

"I don't want to be Moses," Dawson said. "I don't want to lead the people right to the edge and not get to go in.

"There's going to be so many things [to consider], I can't prioritize them at this point. We just lost to the Steelers 20 hours ago and that still hurts. I need to get home and eat a burrito and take some time and I'll look at all that."

Dawson said he was encouraged by recent public comments by coach Pat Shurmur and General Manager Tom Heckert about wanting him back.

"The remarks by Tom in his press conference were obviously positive," he said. "I had good meetings with everybody today. We know how each other feels. So I'm excited to see what happens. There's a time for all that to take place."

Draft news: The Browns edged out Tampa Bay for the No. 4 spot in the draft order by having a weaker strength of schedule, .531 to .551.

The pick they acquired from Atlanta last year can be no higher than No. 21. It depends how long the Falcons and other teams stay alive in the playoffs. The Falcons were 10-6. Denver (8-8), Cincinnati (9-7), the Giants (9-7) and Houston (10-6) would pick ahead of Atlanta's spot unless they survive longer in the playoffs.

Looking ahead: The Browns' home opponents in 2012 are Kansas City, San Diego, Buffalo, Philadelphia and Washington. Their road opponents are Denver, Oakland, Indianapolis, Dallas and New York Giants. Of course, they play Baltimore, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh home and away.

Stat bits: The Browns' offense finished 29th in yards, 28th in rushing, 24th in passing and 30th in scoring. The defense was 10th in yards, 30th in rushing, second in passing and fifth in scoring. ... The red zone defense was third in the NFL. ... Colt McCoy finished 27th with a 74.6 passer rating, one notch above Tim Tebow (72.9) and three ahead of Sam Bradford (70.5). ... Greg Little's 61 receptions ranked second among rookies to A.J. Green (65).

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

The Gators showed "block us if you can" to Ohio State. The Buckeyes couldn't.

View full sizeGary W. Green, Orlando SentinelBraxton Miller stepped out of the tackle attempt of Florida's William Green on this run, but the OSU quarterback struggled to keep the Buckeyes moving in Monday's Gator Bowl loss.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Braxton Miller stood under center, on the edge of the Florida red zone, in the last half-minute of the first half Monday. The Gators crept toward the line of scrimmage, moving within chomping range, showing blitz, showing "block us if you can" to Ohio State.

Time and again, the Buckeyes couldn't. That was how the curtain rang down on the dismal show that was a scandal-plagued 6-7 season. The Buckeyes lost, 24-17, in the Gator Bowl, and it wasn't that close.

The failing was partly because Miller, a true freshman, didn't audible out of the menace he saw coming. It was because the Ohio State pass protection was at times overmatched. It was also because Miller had no nuance in his snap count.

"He jumped the snap," Miller said of Florida nose tackle Jaye Howard, who also jumped Miller like the perpetrator of an ambush.

Miller took the snap from center Mike Brewster in the manner of a sprinter taking the baton in a relay race, scuttling lickety-split away from Brewster. Howard burst untouched between Brewster and left guard Andrew Norwell, closing so fast that Miller had no time to fake, no chance to gather speed, no option but eating the ball for an 11-yard loss.

It was the fifth sack Miller suffered in the first half. The Gators registered another after halftime. But the big one by Howard at the end of the first half seemed to sum up this game every bit as much as Troy Smith, going down with a thud after failing to fool Gator defensive end Derrick Harvey on a spin-and-sprint move in the opening minutes, summed up Florida's rout of the Buckeyes in the BCS Championship Game five years ago.

Speed at defensive end in the form of Harvey and Jarvis Moss ruined the Buckeyes then. Defensive athleticism pinched Miller in the pocket Monday, limiting him to only 20 net yards on 15 rushes, with only one feinting and bobbing big gain, an 18-yarder. He was 18-for-23 passing with two touchdowns and 162 yards, but the second TD was strictly a garbage score against a prevent defense in the last minute.

The Buckeyes salvaged a long field goal by Drew Basil out of the possession at the end of the first half, but it was not enough. The series could have resulted in a touchdown and a 14-14 tie at halftime, with the Buckeyes, who were to get the second-half kickoff, owning the momentum.

Miller, however, missed DeVier Posey, wide open in the end zone on first down from the Gators' 23. This happened far too much in the three games Posey played after returning from a 10-game suspension.

"I threw it too hard," said Miller.

"I had no chance," said Posey.

These are plot lines they have lived before. A chance to beat Michigan in the last minute and save the forlorn season sailed away in the afternoon shadows in Ann Arbor, with Posey wide open deep on a double move and Miller again too long.

Miller has been responsible for as many bad misses as Steve Bellisari, the Ohio State quarterback at the beginning of the century. Bellisari was one of those scatter-armed guys who should have been sent to lands with unpleasant political regimes, so he could overthrow them as emphatically as he did everyone else.

Sometimes, Miller held the ball too long and absorbed coverage sacks. Sometimes, the Gators mauled his blockers. At all times Miller had in his head the cautious mantra of Jim Bollman, the offensive coordinator who kept a tight rein on him most of the season.

"When he's not sure where it's going, it's a lot better taking a sack than throwing it up for grabs. Period," said Bollman.

The clearest reason for the loss was the superiority of Florida's special teams, which delivered touchdowns on a blocked punt and a kickoff return. But this Gator Bowl was judged on a different metric than simple victory or defeat. It was never really about ending this star-crossed season so much as it was beginning the next one.

This game was a serious decline from the promise Ohio State's offense had shown in a shootout loss against Michigan's porous secondary. At quarterback, it was a downgrade to the inconsistent, unsure Miller of early starts.

Offense is Meyer's specialty, so Miller could live up to Posey's forecast that "next year, you're going to be talking about how great he is."

Or he could be what the Browns' Josh Cribbs was as a quarterback at Kent State -- a tackle-breaking runner, dangerous in the open field, fearless, gifted at improvisation, with many startling skills, but lacking the touch and scheme recognition to play the game's most important position.

Meyer likes Miller. But Meyer might have liked him a lot more at the end of November than at the beginning of January.

On Twitter: @LivyPD