Eye is a crowd favorite during a 10-fight card Friday night at the International Exposition Center.

Jessica Eye clearly was the crowd favorite, and while she was unable to put away her opponent, Anita Rodriguez of Texas, Eye did put together a solid if unspectacular win. Rodriguez, shorter by two inches and stockier than the lithe Eye, could have made it a little tougher by taking the fight to the ground, but she wasn't able to do so.

Eddie Alvarez managed to avenge his 2008 loss to submission specialist Shinya Aoki with a stunning first-round knockout. Aoki, who's been known to spend most of a fight on his back, crawling like a crab, couldn't entice Alvarez in . . . until Alvarez landed that right that put him down . . . and eventually out, a victim of a furious flurry of punches.

Aoki's corner realized their man was hurt and threw in the towel . . . a fact missed by referee Jerry Kryzys for several seconds worth of punches.

Kent's Brian Rogers was supposed to get a fairly easy run into the middleweight finals, but Andreas Spang, a last-minute replacement after Bruno Santos suffered a shoulder injury and had to withdraw, had different ideas.

Rogers, whose nickname is the Predator, was stalking his prey but a little too carelessly. Spang landed a solid left hook that put the Team StrongStyle's favorite son on his back and out of the tournament. Referee Jerry Poe stopped the fight, despite the protests of Rogers.

After the fight, Rogers noted that few fighters at his level have full-time jobs and pursue fight careers.

"Maybe it's time" to devote himself to fighting full time, said Rogers, a special education teacher in Kent.

Rogers, who continued to protest the stoppage of the fight at the time, said he wasn't aware that he'd been clipped a second time while on the crown.

"I felt it was an early stoppage at the time," but his coaches pointed out the extra shot.

"Maybe my eyes rolled and maybe they didn't, but I signed the waiver," Rogers said, meaning he accepted the referee's decision.

Spang was greeted by a chorus of boos as he entered the ring, and as he stood taking his bows, thanked the crowd for giving him the motivation to beat Rogers, complete with an "I love you, Cleveland."

Spang's sportsmanship came into question Thursday during weigh-ins when he shoved Rogers on the stage. It continued Friday night as he attempted to throw down with Maiquel Falcao, who beat Vyacheslav Vasilevsky to win the other spot in the middleweight finals.

The move cost him a $500 fine and the threat of a suspension from Ohio Athletic Commission Executive Director Bernie Profato, who accosted Spang as he left the cage. At the post-fight press conference, Spang apologized for both moves.

Falcao secured his spot in the finals with a unanimous three-round decision over the Russian. A deathly quiet crowd watched the two trade takedowns and escapes. But in the end, it was solid knees to the chest that gave Falco the win.

Brent Weedman won his way into the Bellator lightweight tournament finals with a split decision of Brazilian Thiago Michel.

Michel's kickboxing prowess was evident early on, as he landed blow after blow to the Kentuckian's thighs, chest and head. But it was a series of vicious knees to the back once Weedman managed to get Michel to the ground that had to prove the difference.

It wasn't easy, either, as Weedman finished the fight essentially with one eye. Michel put a mouse the size of the Goodyear blimp under Weedman's right eye, which seemed to force him to alternate between a left- and right-handed stance.

Weedman will face Rick Hawn of Massachusetts, who scored a sudden knockout over Loyd "Cupcake" Woodard in the opening seconds of the second round. Woodard walked into a solid right hand that put him down, and Hawn leapt on him with a flurry of punches before referee Jerry Krzys stopped it.

The loss ended a storybook run for the mustachioed Woodard, who entered Bellator's lightweight tournament as the eighth and final seed.

Clevelander Frank Caraballo won the unified NAAFS featherweight title after a crushing knee that knocked out defending champ Donny Walker 2:25 minutes into the fourth round. In the end, it might have been a mercy killing. Caraballo took the entire fight to Walker, who was cut and bloodied by sharp rights and lefts, as well as knees and a pretty spinning backhand left their mark on Walker, who fights out of GriffenBrawl in Mentor.

Big John Hawk, fighting out of Independence's StrongStyle Martial Arts & Fitness, earned a split decision over Finland's Marcus Vanttinen in their three-round light-heavyweight fight.

Hawk, surrendering two inches to the 6-foot-5 Finn, wasn't nearly as cut as Vanttinen, with a muffintop waist spilling over his black trunks. But he was the schoolyard bully, taking the fight to Vanttinen from the opening bell.

Vanttinen's attempts to take down the Team StrongStyle fighter, one of four on the card from trainer Marcus Marinelli's Independence gym, were ineffective. He did manage to get the big fighter -- who came into the night sans his trademark Mohawk -- on the ground a couple of times, but couldn't put him away.

When the third and final round drew to a close, neither fighter had enough gas to start a lawnmower. The only real surprise was how on earth Judge Andrew Atkins saw it at 30-27 Vanttinen, when the other two judges, Kevin Armstrong and Dan Moss, scored it 29-28 Hawk.

Attila Vegh took a controversial split decision of Cincinnati light heavyweight Dan Spohn. Vegh, a Slovakia resident, pursued Spohn for all three rounds, and clearly puzzled him by constantly shifting between a left- and right-handed stance.

Judge Atkins again was the dissenting judge, awarding the fight to Vegh, 29-28, while Armstrong saw it 30-27 Vegh and Moss scored it a tighter 29-28.

Joe Heiland got things off to a bad start for Team StrongStyle. Julian "Night Train" Lane came at him hard and fast and ended up with a first-round submission.

There are 23 bouts scheduled tonight at the Brook Park Recreation Center.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The North team gathered in a circle on the turf at Ohio Stadium on Friday evening, led in chant that included "Our house" and "Our state." Every player in the Ohio North-South Classic, by definition, still claimed state residency, but for the first time since the state's in-state high school football all-star game was moved to...

Aurora's Anthony Melchiori. - (PD file photo)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The North team gathered in a circle on the turf at Ohio Stadium on Friday evening, led in chant that included "Our house" and "Our state." Every player in the Ohio North-South Classic, by definition, still claimed state residency, but for the first time since the state's in-state high school football all-star game was moved to the spring in 2010, the North had reason to chant.

"To me, it's all about bragging rights," Mentor defensive lineman Tom Strobel, a Michigan recruit, said after the North's 21-16 win. "The north side of the state is the better side of the state, and I'll say that 100 percent."

With a defensive line that included Strobel and Glenville's Willie Henry, both soon-to-be Wolverines, and Hoban's Greg McMullen (Nebraska) and LaTroy Lewis (Tennessee), head coach Rex Lingruen of Liberty Center told his team afterward the North had won because it was more physical.

"We wanted to be the best out there and hit them to the whistle every play," said Glenville receiver Justin Hardee, an Illinois recruit. "Coach got us in the right mind-set, and we got the job done."

Aurora receiver Anthony Melchiori (Kent State) was named the game's MVP after catching three passes for 33 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown from Berlin Center Western Reserve's Jeff Clegg (Youngstown State) that cut the South's lead to 7-6 in the second quarter after the extra point was blocked.

"To score in the Horseshoe, that's like a little kid's dream," Melchiori said. "Maybe not for the Buckeyes, but just to be able to do it in general, it's a great feeling. I'm so thankful."

McMullen, who had a big sack on third down that forced the South into a third-quarter field goal, was named the North's defensive player of the game, while Ravenna running back D.J. Jones (Akron) was named the North's offensive player of the game after carrying 18 times for 77 yards.

The North was helped by the absence of South quarterback Maty Mauk of Kenton -- Ohio's Mr. Football and a Missouri recruit, who missed the game with a hamstring injury. And it took an 88-yard touchdown run from Boardman's Devin Campbell (Buffalo) to bring the North to its feet while taking its first lead at 13-10 early in the fourth quarter.

"I saw the hole, it opened right away and our fullback, [Wadsworth's] Jack Snowball [Miami of Ohio], laid into the defensive end, and I got into the open field, and I saw two defenders, and I cut back and took off," Campbell said. "I make big plays when it counts, that's what I try to do. When I was running, I was like, 'This ain't real. I'm about to score a touchdown, this ain't real.' "

St. Edward receiver Quincy Jones (Eastern Michigan) extended the lead, catching a 21-yard pass from St. Vincent-St. Mary's Kevin Besser (Walsh).

"The corner all day had been pressing me, and the coach called a double move, a hitch-and-go," Jones said. "He played the hitch, and I went right past him, and the quarterback threw it up, and I came down with it. It's a beautiful feeling. I'm ecstatic."

After breaking the South's two-game winning streak, everyone on the North was.

Notes: The game will be broadcast at 5 p.m. today on SportsTime Ohio. . . . Strobel and Henry got a chance to work together on the defensive line for the first time this week, something they should be doing for the next four years in Ann Arbor, Mich. "We bonded well during this whole week," Henry said. And they should be back at Ohio Stadium in November as Wolverines. "It won't be different except I'll have a blue jersey on," Henry said with a smile. "I'll still come out of here with a victory." . . . Henry took a handoff and scored on a two-point conversion to extend the North lead to 21-10. He had carried the ball at Glenville before but said he never scored. "Being a defensive lineman, getting into the end zone feels great," Henry said. . . . Ohio State had three recruits in the game in Glenville defensive back De'Van Bogard on the North and running back Warren Ball and defensive back Najee Murray on the South. Ball carried three times for 7 yards and caught five passes for 46 yards. Bogard had a diving interception. "I was checking my receiver, but I saw the ball, and I just went over and used my leaping ability and got the ball," Bogard said. . . . Michigan State recruit Tyler O'Connor of Lima Central Catholic threw two touchdowns for the South.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Rowlands and J.D. Bergman are among the top contenders at 211 pounds.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Winning two NCAA championships at Ohio State and, if his dream is realized this summer, an Olympic gold medal would be a sensational legacy for Columbus native Tommy Rowlands, who plans to retire this year.

He'll also leave behind something more concrete and tangible for his sport and his state.

Rowlands has helped nurture the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus into arguably the best senior regional training hub in the country. Rowlands is the ORTC's director, public face, primary cheerleader and among its best wrestlers.

The ORTC is considered USA Wrestling's reigning club champion based on its 2011 U.S. Open team title won in Cleveland, and Rowlands is one of the club's nine qualifiers for the Olympic Trials, which begin today at the University of Iowa.

"I take a tremendous amount of pride in it," said Rowlands, 30. "If you combine my three greatest personal interests, which is the sport of wrestling, Ohio State and the Olympic dream -- that's what the training center is about."

The ORTC is a nonprofit that rents Ohio State's wrestling facility. While it does not receive funding from OSU, the two have shared donors. The ORTC is able to pay as much as $22,000 in stipends to its noncollegiate wrestlers.

The ORTC's best Olympic medal hope is freestyle heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev, a Bulgaria native who grew up in Texas.

Rowlands and J.D. Bergman are among the top contenders at 211 pounds, and Reece Humphrey and Shawn Bunch are ranked 1-2 at 132 pounds, a weight that also features the center's brightest young star, Ohio State freshman national champ Logan Stieber of Monroeville.

Also representing the training center this weekend are former NCAA champ Angel Escobedo (121 pounds), recent addition Keith Gavin (185 pounds) of Pennsylvania, and Greco-Roman 121-pounder Nikko Triggas, an Ohio State All-American.

Gardner pulls out: Two-time Olympian Rulon Gardner's comeback is over. Gardner, a 2000 Greco-Roman gold medalist, decided not to weigh in Friday, apparently because he would not have made the 264.5-pound heavyweight limit.

Gardner has waged a public battle with his weight and appeared on the television weight-loss reality show "Biggest Loser."

"I'm disappointed I didn't make the weigh-in," he said in a statement. "I worked hard. I was within five pounds. I'm glad I did this and have my health back."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

Kilgore is in the midst of a sensational rookie freestyle campaign in which he has wrestled all over the world with considerable success. Today, he finds himself in Iowa for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials with a legitimate chance to make the team.

View full sizeDustin Kilgore

To be accurate, Berea's Dustin Kilgore is 22. In freestyle wrestling, 22 is barely adolescent.

This sport, which differs from "folkstyle" wrestling used in high school and college, is the favored form of wrestling among European and Asian men. Picture burly dudes with more hair on their arms than on their head who have been wrestling since they could walk.

Kilgore is in the midst of a sensational rookie freestyle campaign in which he has wrestled all over the world with considerable success. Today, he finds himself in Iowa for the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials with a legitimate chance to make the team.

He clearly is the babe in the woods of a talented and intriguing weight class, 211.5 pounds. It features two-time Ohio State national champ Tommy Rowlands, 30; three-time OSU All-American J.D. Bergman, 27; two-time NCAA champ Chris Pendleton, 30, and reigning world silver medalist Jake Varner, 26, also a two-time NCAA champ.

"I'm stoked and I'm completely ready to go out and win this event," Kilgore said. "This is what you look forward to."

"''"National team coach Zeke Jones loves Kilgore's eagerness.

"He's hungry, he's young, he doesn't know any better and believes he can beat everybody. You've got to love that attitude," Jones said. "He's extremely coachable and happy-go-lucky.

"I sent him overseas for a month last year, and we're not talking Paris. It's hard travel -- Russia and Azerbaijan, and he soaked it up. He knew to be the best in the world, he had to do that."

Making the Olympic team will require an additional step for Kilgore if he wins his weight class today in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

As a world medalist, however, Varner receives a bye to the final. If Varner loses the final, he'll get a second chance. He and the trials champ would head to a European tournament, and the higher placer there would receive the Olympic berth.

After winning an NCAA title as a Kent State junior in 2011 (he took an Olympic redshirt this year), Kilgore made news in his first international senior event last June. He defeated 2009 World bronze medalist Serhat Balci of Turkey. He was shut out in his next match, though, and finished fifth.

Kilgore wrestles a fairly typical American style. He's aggressive on his feet, constantly shooting at the opponent's legs.

"You can't play checkers against chess players, and there's chess players in Russia," Jones said. "That's the next learning curve for him."

This year, Kilgore won a tournament in Cuba, where he beat Rowlands, and Kilgore won the Pan-Am Games.

"Kilgore is a stud. He's proven himself internationally," said Bergman, a former national team member."I wrestled him in training camp over a year ago. He surprised me. He was very good, and since then has gotten a lot better. He's definitely someone to be prepared for at the trials."

It has been a whirlwind year, and Kilgore suddenly talks like someone at the end, not the beginning, of his career.

"This is my 16th year of wrestling. I started when I was 7," he said. "It's amazing how much time and hard work I've put into making all my dreams come true. It really has gone by fast, but I'm going to keep doing what I love."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: twarsinskey@plaind.com, 216-999-4661

On Twitter: @TimsTakePD

UPDATED: Ubaldo Jimenez pitches six innings and Jack Hannahan drives in three runs as the Indians win their sixth game on this nine-game trip with a 4-3 victory over Oakland.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Ubaldo Jimenez and the walking Indians just might decide to stay on the road for a long time.

Jimenez won his second straight start and the Indians drew nine more walks Friday night in a 4-3 victory over Oakland at the Coliseum.

The Indians are 6-1 on this nine-game trip through Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland.

"The locker room has a good vibe to it," said second baseman Jason Kipnis, who scored what proved to be the deciding run. "We're getting used to winning. That's what you need to do. You need to have a winning environment around here so when you lose you know it was a mistake or something went wrong."

What Indians victory of late would be complete without a contribution from Jack Hannahan? He drove in their first three runs with a sacrifice fly and two-run double against yet another of his former clubs. On Thursday, Hannahan's two-run single in the ninth beat his former club in Seattle, 2-1.

"Jack is a very confident hitter right now," said manager Manny Acta. "Lefty, righty, it doesn't matter who's out there."

Jimenez (2-0, 4.00) made it through six innings and had his usual best-of-three falls with the strike zone.

"Tonight I didn't have anything," Jimenez said. "I threw my split, they hit a home run off a hanging split. The change-up was my best pitch. I threw it two times for a strike. I didn't have my slider. I didn't have my curve. I didn't have anything."

How did he make it through six innings?

"I wasn't pitching good, but I was able to fight," Jimenez said. "The guys made it real easy for me. They scored some runs and played really good defense.

"I definitely have to find a way to get better."

Jimenez allowed two runs on six hits in six innings. He walked five and struck out three in 107 pitches.

The Indians, who lead the American League with 66 walks, drew five against rookie right-hander Graham Godfrey (0-3, 5.06), but could only turn two of them into runs. The extra pitches Godfrey threw, however, limited him to five innings.

For the game the Indians put 18 runners on base, but only four scored.

"We had a lot of traffic on the bases, a lot of quality bats," Acta said. "We just couldn't find the big hit to do more damage."

Oakland, the lowest-scoring team in the American League, pushed the Tribe in the late innings. A triple by Jemile Weeks -- left fielder Shelley Duncan saved it from being a home run -- and Yoenis Cespedes' single made it 4-3 in the seventh. That's when the Indians bullpen took over.

Joe Smith, with the bases loaded, retired Kila Ka'aihue on a grounder to third to end the seventh. Vinnie Pestano gave up a two-out double to Weeks in the eighth, but left him stranded. Chris Perez followed in the ninth, retiring the heart of the order, for his fifth save.

Four of Perez's saves have come on this trip.

"Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez slammed the door," Acta said.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in second on Hannahan's sacrifice fly after Godfrey loaded the bases on walks to Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner and Casey Kotchman.

Hannahan made it 3-1 with a two-run double in the fourth following a single by Hafner and a walk by Duncan.

The biggest run of the game came in the fifth and involved a head-first slide into the plate by Kipnis. It was the kind of slide that gives manager's nightmares.

Godfrey hit Kipnis with one out. Kipnis, hitting just .167, couldn't believe he was actually on base.

"I had a lot of adrenaline going," he said. "I didn't even feel it. I was so happy to be going to first base than back to the dugout."

Kipnis stole second, beating Godrey's pickoff attempt to first. When Shin-Soo Choo singled to right, Kipnis put his head down and headed home.

Right fielder Josh Reddick made a strong throw home, but Kipnis dove around catcher Anthony Recker's legs and slapped the plate with his hand as he skidded past for what proved to be the inning run.

"We don't encourage anyone to do that," Acta said. "It's not something we teach because it's very dangerous.

"It's just something that happens in the heat of the moment because guys just want to score. That was a very nice slide. A great throw by Reddick, but the slide was fantastic."

Said Kipnis, "It was closer than I thought."

Reddick hit a two-out homer off Jimenez's hanging split-finger fastball in the third to make it 3-1. The A's made it 4-2 in the fifth on Cespedes single.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Meyer is looking for his elite Buckeyes, but first there's a spring game to play.

View full sizeJay LaPrete, Associated PressOhio State head coach Urban Meyer

At the Ohio high school coaches clinic Friday morning, Meyer unveiled the plan while talking to coaches about how he absolutely does treat players differently.

Asked later if there are coaches who treat all their players the same, Meyer said, "Whoever says they treat them all the same, if I did research and did a three-month investigation I imagine I could find they don't," Meyer said.

It was another reference -- Meyer made a similar reference in front of the coaches -- to a recent Sporting News story that, after a three-month investigation, questioned Meyer's coaching tactics at Florida, including his differing treatment of players.

With the Buckeyes, Meyer is employing a reward system that sees players graduating from the blue (lowest) level to red and then, for the best of the best, to gold. At the moment, senior defensive lineman John Simon is the only confirmed golden Buckeye mentioned by Meyer. But next week, coaches will do three-page reviews on every player on how they perform in every aspect of their lives. From that, Meyer and his coaches will pick the leadership committee they'll call the "Elite Eight."

Meyer said they won't necessarily be the fastest or strongest guys on the team, but they will be "the most committed guys in the program that we want the entire team to watch exactly how we treat the elite."

Meyer talked to the coaches about how most teams have an elite 10 percent of players, a middle group of 80 percent of the team and a bottom 10 percent that he called "disinterested." He said he treats the elite and dissatisfied very differently.

The goal is to make the middle group want to reach elite status, and to motivate the bottom 10 percent to move up as well. If they don't, Meyer said you sometimes have to cut them loose.

And that brings us to today's spring game. The "Elite Eight" won't be selected by how they play today, but the performances will provide a lot of information for the two-deep depth chart Meyer plans to set after spring.

So here are eight things to keep an eye on, with the Buckeyes drafted onto a Scarlet squad coached by offensive coordinator Tom Herman and a Gray squad led by defensive coordinator Luke Fickell.

• Simon is the defensive star of the Gray, but there may be some question as to how much he'll play. Meyer already knows what he has in Simon. And though the Scarlet does have four of the five starting offensive lineman, Simon is capable of being disruptive enough to keep the offense from getting much done.

• Meyer has confidence in the run game, so he wants to see quarterbacks Braxton Miller (Scarlet) and Kenny Guiton (Gray) throw it. He said Friday there may be three passes for every run.

• Playmakers, playmakers, playmakers. Meyer keeps looking for them, especially at receiver. On the Gray, watch Corey "Philly" Brown, the receiver who Meyer said Friday is the closest to being a playmaker. He also should carry the ball, coming in motion from the slot, at least a few times.

• On the Scarlet, watch freshman receiver Michael Thomas, who enrolled early for spring ball.

• The probable starting left tackle for the Gray is Taylor Decker, a freshman who also enrolled early from high school. Meyer loves him, but Decker will face a challenge from defensive linemen like Johnathan Hankins and Michael Bennett.

•The Scarlet has three of the four secondary starters, and the only backup is cornerback Doran Grant, the No. 3 corner. But cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs said he'd have no problem throwing Grant in as a starter. Watch to see how ready he looks.

• Senior Reid Fragel, making the transition from tight end, must be ready to start in the fall. See how he handles pass protection at right tackle for the Scarlet against linemen like Steve Miller.

• During the week, Meyer said of the expected large crowd: "I hope we fill [the stadium]. Wouldn't that be fun?"

With a forecast of around 50 degrees, that's not likely. But more than 60,000 tickets were sold by Friday. Watch Ohio State fans experience their first game with Meyer as their coach.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden senses the Browns like him, and would love to come in and compete with Colt McCoy for the starting job.

Brody Schmidt, Associated PressOklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden says the Browns have shown a lot of interest in him leading up to next week's NFL Draft.

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden gets the vibe the Browns like him and relishes the thought of competing for the starting job with Colt McCoy.

"I know Colt had a good year last year, and he's a good football player," Weeden said during a phone interview this week. "But I'm a competitor, and I want to play as soon as possible. I'd be excited about the opportunity to come in and compete with him and see how things pan out."

Weeden, 28, might get the opportunity to do just that. He's one of the players the Browns are considering with their second first-round pick (No. 22 overall) or their second-round choice (No. 37) in next week's NFL Draft, and they've shown plenty of interest.

"Yeah, they have," said Weeden. "You never how it's going to go, but I feel really good about how everything's gone with the Browns throughout this whole process. It would be exciting if I ended up there."

The Browns sent a contingent of eight to watch Weeden (6-3 1/2, 220) and his top receiver, Justin Blackmon, work out at their pro day last month.

They also brought both in for predraft visits.

"They've got a good thing going on there, and they're headed in the right direction," Weeden said. "I had a nice dinner with Mr. [Tom] Heckert [Browns general manager] and other staff members, and then I went to the facility the next morning and met Mr. [Mike] Holmgren [Browns president] and coach [Pat] Shurmur and everybody else. It was a great visit."

Weeden was especially impressed with Holmgren, who's coached great quarterbacks such as Joe Montana, Steve Young and Brett Favre.

"His track record in this league is incredible," said Weeden, widely regarded as the fourth-best quarterback in this draft. "He's worked with a lot of great quarterbacks and won so many games as a head coach. But he was also a straight shooter and very honest. I can see why he's had so much success."

Heckert declined to evaluate Weeden during his predraft news conference Thursday. He acknowledged Weeden's age is a factor but not a deal-breaker. He also raised the question of whether or not he's a starter.

"I have my opinion on that, but I can't tell you that," Heckert said.

Weeden not only fancies himself a starter, but an immediate one.

"Fortunately, I got a taste of the [West Coast] terminology at the Senior Bowl," he said. "That's the biggest adjustment. If I get an opportunity, I'll do everything in my power to come in and be the guy."

Weeden also has fantasized about playing in the NFL with his go-to guy, Blackmon, who's under consideration by the Browns at No. 4. The duo connected for 38 touchdowns over the past two seasons and led the Cowboys to a 23-3 mark.

"I understand Justin like the back of my hand," said Weeden. "We've got a pretty good little repertoire going between the two of us, so that'd be fun. He's one of the guys that can come in easily and change a franchise, he's that good. If the Browns take him at [No. 4], you never know."

Weeden, who was drafted by the Yankees in the second round of the 2002 Major League Baseball draft, spent five seasons pitching in the minor leagues before a torn labrum and tendinitis in his throwing shoulder derailed his career. He sat for most of his first two seasons at Oklahoma State and then lit it up his last two in a spread offense. Last season, he threw for 4,727 yards with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

"He has unbelievable arm talent," said Todd Monken, his college offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, who coached receivers for the Jacksonville Jaguars for four years. "He's the most accurate guy I've ever been around, and I've been around some good ones at every level. When he gets his feet set, there's nobody like him. He's got great arm strength, and he got better with his anticipation."

Monken acknowledged he's not certain how Weeden's game will translate to the NFL, especially because he'll have to play under center and throw under duress. It's also uncertain how he'll play without Blackmon.

"I don't know that," said Monken. "Was Joe Montana the same without Jerry Rice? I think they're great players on their own, and they made each other a lot better together."

Monken stressed that Weeden won showdowns against Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill, Baylor's Robert Griffin III and Stanford's Andrew Luck last season.

"I know he's older, and he may not turn out to be anything anybody wants in the NFL -- I'm done trying to predict that," said Monken. "All I know is, he never lost to any of those guys, and they're all probably going to go before him, so we'll see how it all turns out."

He said if Weeden were 22, he'd be right up there with the others.

"For what we did this year, and I know our offense is a little different, I wouldn't trade him for Tannehill or Luck or RG3," Monken said.

Former Browns offensive coordinator and current Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman, who worked with Weeden on the field and in the film room for three days before the Senior Bowl, compared him to Matthew Stafford, who went No. 1 overall to the Lions in 2009.

"He's kind of that size, he throws the ball and I don't think he'll have any trouble transitioning from being a [shotgun] quarterback to being under center," said Trestman. "He's got a great understanding of the game and great maturity. I'm excited to see how he lands in all of this."

He thinks Weeden could excel in the Browns' West Coast offense, which Trestman ran as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the 49ers in 1995 and '96.

"I think he can roll out and do some of the movement things that need to be done," he said. "He can be a rhythm passer and be efficient and productive."

Trestman pointed out that Young was 30 when he succeeded and that Weeden can play eight to 10 years if he starts right away.

"I do think he has the skills besides throwing the football that you need to come in and play," said Trestman. "He's mature, he's a leader and he's very intuitive."

And he spared his body five years of getting sacked by huge linemen while he was playing baseball.

"I know I'm 28, but I feel 20," Weeden said. "My body's extremely fresh. I know some teams aren't bothered by it, and I'll get a good opportunity."

Will it be here?

UPDATED: Kyrie Irving has 21 points and Manny Harris adds 19 points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland beats the Knicks, 98-90.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Manny Harris was a tad surprised when he banked in a 42-foot jumper as the shot clock expired early in the fourth quarter of the Cavaliers' 98-90 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday at The Q.

He was trying to swish it.

"Believe or not, I threw it up as high as I could because I wanted it to drop straight in, but it wound up hitting the glass," said Harris, who finished with 19 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, all on the defensive end, while playing more than 40 minutes.

"I felt we had the game in hand when he throws up the bank shot," Cavs coach Byron Scott said.

Almost as improbable as that shot is the fact the victory was the 10th straight for the Cavs over the Knicks at The Q.

"I can't explain it whatsoever, I really can't," said Scott, whose team is 21-41 but 2-2 against New York. "I thought tonight we really came ready to play and I thought they were not into it for whatever reason, and we took full advantage of it."

Harris, always a fan favorite, took full advantage of the extra minutes available when Lester Hudson opted to sign with his hometown Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday. Harris has started the past two games for forward Alonzo Gee, who has missed three straight games with a sprained left ankle.

"I've had opportunities since I've been here, off and on," Harris said. "Whether Lester was here or not, I think I still would have had the opportunity whether it was 40 minutes or 20 minutes or 15. There's always opportunities.

"Every game is important for me to continue to show not only this team but everyone around the league that I belong here. I'll just take these last four games one game at a time."

Scott has been preaching to his players about the importance of these last games for their futures, and so he was glad Harris got the message.

"I thought he played great," Scott said. "Defensively he was doing a good job and obviously on the offensive end he made some shots that really helped us, got to the basket, got to the free-throw line. But I really thought it was on the defensive end that he kind of perked us up."

Guard Kyrie Irving had 21 points for the Cavs, who held the Knicks to 42 percent shooting, including 31 percent in the first half, and outrebounded them, 52-32.

Knicks forward-center Amar'e Stoudemire had 15 points in his first game back after missing 13 with a bulging disc in his lower back, and forward Steve Novak, the league's best 3-point shooter, added 15 on five 3-pointers.

New York (33-30) clinched a playoff spot Thursday when Milwaukee lost at Indiana'.

"Since I've been here, we always played (the Knicks) real aggressive and that continued today," Harris said.

"Needless to say, it was a great win," Scott said. "It was one of our best defensive efforts in a while. For the first time in a while I saw guys compete for 48 minutes."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

With the 22nd pick in the first round, the Cleveland Browns select....Who do you say? This is another pick -- by voting in a poll -- made by you in Cleveland.com's fans' mock draft.

Associated PressStephen Hill, a 6-5 wide receiver from Georgia Tech, improved his draft prospects with a superb performance at the NFL scouting combine.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, who do you say the league's teams should pick in the first round of the draft on April 26?

So far, you have made 21 picks. Following this poll for pick No. 22, we'll ask you to make first-round picks for each of two teams on both Saturday and Sunday. We list 10 prospects for you to pick from in each poll.

On Monday and Tuesday, you'll be asked to make the picks for each of three teams both days, completing the 32-pick first round.

Here's who the fans have selected so far:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3: Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, Southern Cal

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State

6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

13. Arizona Cardinals: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, LB-DE, Alabama

17: Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus, DE-LB, Illinois

19. Chicago Bears: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

20. Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OT-G, Georgia

The 22nd pick in the first round of the draft belongs to, of course, the Cleveland Browns. The pick was obtained in a major draft day trade with the Atlanta Falcons last April. The Browns finished the 2011 season with a 4-12 record.

The Browns' primary needs include running back, wide receiver, an offensive lineman or two, outside linebacker, the secondary and, some say, quarterback. In our fans' mock draft, we consider the running back situation solved, since you had the Browns select Alabama's Trent Richardson with the fourth overall pick.

Continue to check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage.

Highlights include Indians at Oakland and Ohio State spring football game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

ARENA FOOTBALL

7:30 p.m. GLADIATORS vs. Jacksonville, FM/92.3

AUTO RACING

7 a.m. Bahrain Grand Prix qualifying, Speed

10:30 a.m. SFP 250 qualifying, Speed

Noon STP 400 qualifying, Speed

2 p.m. SFP 250, Speed

BASEBALL

1 p.m. Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, WGN

3:30 p.m. N.Y. Yankees at Boston, WJW; AM/970

6:05 p.m. AEROS at Reading, AM/1350

7 p.m. CAPTAINS at Clinton, AM/1330

9 p.m. Baltimore at L.A. Angels, MLBN

9:05 p.m. INDIANS at Oakland, STO; AM/1100

BOXING

9 p.m. Anselmo Moreno vs. David de la Mora;

Abner Mares vs. Eric Morel, Showtime

COLLEGE BASEBALL

1 p.m. Memphis at Southern Miss, FSO

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

1:30 p.m. Notre Dame spring game, NBCSN

1:30 p.m. OHIO STATE spring game, BTN

3 p.m. AKRON spring game, AM/1350

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

10 a.m. Alabama at Georgia, ESPNU

4:30 p.m. Houston at Tulsa, FSO

8 p.m. Kentucky at Mississippi State, ESPNU

GOLF

9 a.m. China Open (tape), Golf Channel

1 p.m. Legends of Golf, WOIO

3 p.m. Texas Open, WOIO

6:30 p.m. Lotte Championship, Golf Channel

LACROSSE

7:30 p.m. Rochester at Buffalo, CBSSN

MEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE

Noon Johns Hopkins at Navy, CBSSN

3 p.m. Georgetown at Syracuse, ESPNU

5:30 p.m. Notre Dame at Villanova, ESPNU

MOTORSPORTS

8:30 p.m. AMA Pro Racing (tape), Speed

10:30 p.m. Supercross, Speed

NBA

5:30 p.m. Denver at Phoenix, ESPN

8 p.m. Dallas at Chicago, ESPN

10:30 p.m. Orlando at Utah, ESPN

NHL PLAYOFFS

3 p.m. Washington at Boston, WKYC

7 p.m. Ottawa at N.Y. Rangers, NBCSN

7:30 p.m. San Jose at St. Louis, CNBC

10 p.m. Chicago at Phoenix, NBCSN

SOCCER

7:30 a.m. Premier League, Arsenal vs. Chelsea, ESPN2

3:30 p.m. MLS, Chicago at Toronto, NBCSN

7 p.m. MLS, Houston at COLUMBUS, FSO

WOMEN’S COLLEGE LACROSSE

2:30 p.m. Notre Dame at Georgetown, CBSSN

Get updates from the spring game in Columbus from Doug Lesmerises.

View full sizeAP Photo | Jay LaPreteUrban Meyer will oversee his first spring game today.

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

• College football scoreboard

With the 23rd pick in the first round, the Detroit Lions select....Who do you say? This is another pick -- by voting in a poll -- made by you in Cleveland.com's fans' mock draft.

Associated PressClemson defensive end Andre Branch, here running a drill at the NFL scouting combine, is a strong pass rusher with his quickness and a variety of moves.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns and NFL fans, who do you say the league's teams should pick in the first round of the draft on April 26?

So far, going into this poll for the Detroit Lions' selection, you have made 22 picks. Tonight, another poll will go up on Cleveland.com, followed by two on Sunday and three on both Monday and Tuesday, completing the 32-pick first round.

Here's who the fans have selected so far:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3: Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, Southern Cal

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State

6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

13. Arizona Cardinals: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, LB-DE, Alabama

17: Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus, DE-LB, Illinois

19. Chicago Bears: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

20. Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OT-G, Georgia

22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

The 23rd pick in the first round of the draft belongs to the Detroit Lions. The Lions finished the 2011 season with a 10-6 record.

The Lions' primary needs include the offensive line, running back, defensive end, outside linebacker and the secondary.

Continue to check The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com for Browns and NFL coverage.

Two days after not being able to reach a deal with guard Lester Hudson, the Cavaliers signed guard/forward D.J. Kennedy from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League for the final four games of the season.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Two days after not being able to reach a deal with guard Lester Hudson, the Cavaliers signed guard/forward D.J. Kennedy from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League for the final four games of the season. He will wear No. 12.

In 44 regular season games (all starts) with the BayHawks, Kennedy averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 37.4 minutes per game while shooting 44.7 percent. He shot 37.8 percent (51-135) from 3-point range and 81.6 percent from the free-throw line (168-206). The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder also played in all three of Erie’s post-season games, averaging 14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 42 minutes.

The 22-year-old played four seasons at St. John’s, topping the 1,000-point plateau and averaging 11.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.4 minutes in 129 career games (125 starts).

The Thunder needed three straight years of top-5 picks to become a title contender. Could the Cavs endure one more playoff-less April?

View full sizeGus Chan, The Plain DealerThe Cavaliers got exactly what they wanted in No. 1 draft pick Kyrie Irving (driving against New York's Iman Shumpert on Friday) after the misery of the 2010-11 season. But after enduring another loss-filled season in 2012, is the team willing to go through more of the same next season?

SAN ANTONIO -- The Cavaliers have been fasting for two seasons. They have trimmed the fat from the roster after LeBron James' agonizing departure, resisted temptations for quick fixes and watched the wins -- er, pounds -- melt away.

The franchise is about to reap its reward with two more first-round draft picks, including one that could be in the top five, depending on the luck of the lottery. Now, comes the hard part.

Does the organization and fan base have the stomach for one more non-playoff season? Another round of protracted losing streaks? Another April spent out of the post-season hunt, sampling the best the Development League can offer?

If the Cavaliers follow the Oklahoma City model, it calls for one more lousy year to ensure top-5 picks (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden) in three straight drafts, while hitting on one late first-round selection (Serge Ibaka). To be clear, OKC architect Sam Presti arrived between the first and second seasons in time to draft Durant.

This is where the discipline to remain out of free agency despite $20-plus million of salary cap space and the patience to build through the draft and trades gets severely tested for the Cavs.

What people tend to forget about the Thunder model -- the one several smaller markets are attempting to emulate -- is it wasn't achieved in just one city. It was the poor folks of Seattle who had to watch their SuperSonics dismantled and ultimately shipped to The Plains. Oklahoma City was so busy rejoicing over the addition of something more than college sports and rodeo that it excused one bad season (2008-09) to get to the winning.

But can Cleveland tolerate more of the same? How about Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, coach Byron Scott and franchise cornerstone Kyrie Irving?

The guess here is if General Manager Chris Grant and his staff hit with their first pick the way they did with Irving, it's going to be tough to miss the playoffs again next season. The Thunder rebuilt in the rugged Western Conference. The mediocre Milwaukee Bucks have remained in the Eastern Conference playoff race until the final week.

Let's be honest, the fractured wrist Anderson Varejao suffered on Feb. 10 might be one of the most fortuitous things that happened to the franchise this season. The Cavaliers were sniffing around a seventh or eight seed and certain first-round playoff elimination at the hands of LeBron James or Cleveland director of tourism Joakim Noah. It's an achievement that wouldn't have produced cracks at Bradley Beal, Harrsion Barnes, Andre Drummond or -- dare we say -- Anthony Davis.

Cavaliers fans deserve recognition for showing up at The Q for a second straight ugly season. While attendance dipped, it didn't resemble Milwaukee on a Monday against Toronto or Auburn Hills, Mich., on any day, take your pick of opponent.

The Cavs' run of five straight playoff seasons (2006-10) established a reservoir of faith with some fans. But a third consecutive April with no playoff basketball could dry it up.

Thunder fans are poised for a deep playoff push, maybe concluding with a title. Cavs fans are wondering what happened to Lester Hudson.

Cleveland is hungry for a winner. Can it suppress those pangs for one more year?

Fields, who hit .295 in 1,391 minor-league games, took over as the Tribe's hitting coach during the 2011 season.

View full sizeAP photoBruce Fields replaced Jon Nunnally as the Indians' hitting coach last June.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Five questions with Bruce Fields, starting his first full year as Indians hitting coach.

1. What is the key to coaching hitters?

A: "There are several keys ... timing, balance, barrel awareness. You have to know where the barrel of your bat is during your swing, but especially during your workout routines. I do a lot of barrel awareness stuff so guys know where their barrel is and their path and angle to the ball. We work on trying to maintain short, compact swings and centering the ball."

2. This is the 40th year that the designated hitter has been used. As a hitting coach, how do you feel about the DH?

A: "People from the National League will tell you that that's a better game because there is more strategy. But I like to see hitting. I like to see guys drive the ball. ... I'm a proponent of the DH."

3. You played 14 years, including 58 games in the big leagues with Detroit and Seattle. What kind of hitter were you?

A: "Typically I was a middle of the field, line drive-type hitter. ... I sprayed the ball around and used the other field. (Fields had a .295 average in 1,381 minor-league games.)

4. How are your sons, Aaron and Daniel, doing in pro ball?

A: "My oldest son, Aaron, is in extended spring training with the Indians waiting for an opportunity. He's a utility infielder who made it to [Class A] Lake County last year. Daniel is playing for Detroit in the Florida State League at [Class A] Lakeland. He was a shortstop coming out of high school. Now he's a center fielder."

5. How difficult was it to replace Jon Nunnally, who was dismissed by the Indians in June, 2011?

A: "That first day was tough. It was a change and, to be honest, people don't like change. But the guys were really professional. The thing that really helped is that the guys knew me because I was in the organization. (Fields was the Indians minor league hitting coordinator from 2007 until his promotion.)

UPDATED: The Indians' Magical Mystery Tour continues as they beat Oakland, 5-1, to improve to 7-1 on this nine-game trip through Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland.

View full sizeBen Margot, Associated PressThe Indians' Jason Kipnis is congratulated after scoring on a wild pitch by the Athletics' Brian Fuentes during the eighth inning Saturday in Oakland, Calif.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jeanmar Gomez walked into the gray area of a five-game suspension Saturday night a winner as the Indians kept rolling on a trip they never want to end.

Jason Kipnis, with his fourth and final hit of the night, shattered a tight game with a two-run triple in the eighth inning as the Indians beat Oakland, 5-1, at the Coliseum. The victory made the Indians 7-1 on this nine-game trip that ends Sunday afternoon.

It's the Indians first seven-win trip since 2007 and the first time they've opened a season 7-1 on the road since 1998.

"You can't plan on having anything much better than this," said manager Manny Acta. "I was envisioning playing over .500 since we didn't have a good homestand (1-4), but the way we've played these three series has been fantastic."

Kipnis, with two out and the Tribe leading, 2-1, tripled against the right-field fence off lefty Brian Fuentes. Jason Donald and Michael Brantley scored before Kipnis finished the scoring by racing home on a wild pitch.

The two-out magic that Orlando Cabrera brought to the Indians last year is apparently still alive and well even though Cabrera is long gone. The Indians scored four of their five runs with two out Saturday. For the season, they've scored 51 percent of their runs (37-for-73) with two out.

"Good teams score with two out," Kipnis said. "This team is rolling right now. We feel we have a good order one-through-nine and our pitching staff usually puts us in a great spot to win every day."

This is the first time the Indians have won their first three road series of a season since 1988 when the beat Texas, Baltimore and Minnesota.

Gomez (1-0, 1.93 ERA) will drop his appeal and start his five-game suspension Sunday for his part in the Indians' spat with Kansas City on April 14. Gomez's next start will be Saturday against the Angels at Progressive Field.

"Nice job by Gomez," Acta said. "We were worried about his stamina and pitch count. He hasn't thrown more than two innings since the third week of March. He got better the longer he pitched. They had a left-handed hitting lineup they went 2-for-15 against him."

Brandon McCarthy (0-3, 3.38) took the loss. He pitched seven innings and held the Indians to two runs. It was only after he left that the Tribe's two-out magic took hold of the game.

After Gomez left, the Tribe bullpen made the scene.

"The pen was nails," Acta said.

Dan Wheeler, Tony Sipp, Vinnie Pestano, Jairo Asencio and Chris Perez combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings. Perez needed one pitch to earn his sixth save. Five of them have come on this trip.

In the last five games, Indians relievers have allowed one earned run 16 2/3 innings.

"I trust those guys," Acta said.

The A's ended Gomez's night in the sixth. Cliff Pennington doubled just inside the right-field foul line to start the inning. Josh Reddick flied out to deep center as Pennington moved to third. Wheeler relieved to face center fielder Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes hit a sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-1. Seth Smith singled, but Wheeler retired Jonny Gomes for the third out.

Gomez allowed one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three, walked one and threw 88 pitches.

"I felt good," Gomez said. "I know I haven't pitched a lot of innings, but the work I did in the bullpen helped me."

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first on Travis Hafner's bases-loaded dribbler to first.

The Tribe made it 2-0 in the sixth when Kipnis singled home Donald with two out. Donald made the run possible with a steal of second.

Kipnis is still hitting only .226 after his second biggest night in the big leagues.

"Tonight he showed how important he can be to our offense and why we feel we have a better offense than last year," said Acta. "Kipnis has never been intimidated up here. He's never pressed. We've told him, "You're not here on a tryout basis. You're our second baseman.

Gomez had thrown only 4 1/3 innings before Saturday. He threw two scoreless innings in relief on April 11. His first start was April 14 against Kansas City and it's well documented how that went.

He had a no-hitter through 2 1/3 innings before being ejected in the third for hitting Mike Moustakas in response to Shin-Soo Choo getting hit by Jonathan Sanchez in the top of the inning. A couple days later MLB suspended him for five games.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

On Twitter: @hoynsie

South Carolina's Melvin Ingram leads the pass rushers, and Boston College's Luke Kuechly shines inside among top linebackers. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is the fourth in a series assessing the draft talent at various NFL positions. Previously: Running back, defensive back, wide receiver and tight ends.

Starting the analysis are observations from Plain Dealer reporters Mary Kay Cabot and Dennis Manoloff (right).

All players' names are linked to their official NFL combine analysis on NFL.com, while the videos selected are from various sources from YouTube draftniks who edit an entire game's worth of plays by the specific player to analysis provided by various print and online experts.

Scouting Report / Linebackers

Best of the best

Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina

6-1 1/2, 264, 4.79

Comment: Top-15 talent. First-team All-American. Big skills, big personality, small arms (31 1/2 inches). The gator arms, combined with lack of height, likely will force move from defensive end to 3-4 linebacker. Dazzled at combine and at Senior Bowl, proving he can put hand on ground or drop into coverage. Team will need to maximize his versatility, because if he stays in one place, he loses value. Non-stop motor. Intense. Exceptional body control for a 264-pounder. 2011: 48 tackles, 10 sacks, 2 ints. Career: 21.5 sacks.

Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

6-3 1/4, 242, 4.58

Comment: Top-15 talent. Won 2011 Butkus and Nagurski awards as nation's best linebacker and defensive player. Two-time All-American. High production, high character, off-the-charts football IQ. Anticipates as well as any defender in draft. Great at zone drops. Relatively clean health sheet. At ESPN's Sport Science lab, Kuechly clocked 20.4 mph in 10 yards, a speed on par with Browns CB Joe Haden in college. In another test, Kuechly hit a dummy with 3,280 pounds of force -- better than Colts DE Dwight Freeney. 2011: 191 tackles.

Best of the rest

Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

6-2, 265, 4.68

Comment: First-round talent. Can rush passer or drop into coverage, although he is better coming forward than moving back. Physical at point of attack. Scheme diverse. Can help on special teams. Played in elite program under NFL-experienced coaches. Has drawn comparisons to Brandon Spikes.

Andre Branch, OLB, Clemson

6-4 1/4, 259, 4.70

Comment: First team All-ACC. Played defensive end in college but projects as 3-4 rush linebacker. Natural pass-rush skills helped by quick feet and 34-inch arms. Key question Branch must answer: Can he drop and cover? 2011: 10.5 sacks, 17 TFL.

Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois

6-3 5/8, 261, 4.68

Comment: First team AP All-American. Won 2011 Ted Hendricks Award as nation's top defensive end -- in his first as a starter. Profiles similar to Branch in many areas; projects as 3-4 rush linebacker. Relentless. Needs to get stronger at point of attack and play the run better. Northeast Ohio product. 2011: 16 sacks, nine forced fumbles.

Mychal Kendricks, ILB, California

5-11 1/8, 239, 4.47

Comment: What Kendricks lacks in height, he makes up for in almost everything else. Performance at combine included 39 1/2-inch vertical and 10-7 broad jump. His 40 was faster than Morris Claiborne's. Versatile and smart. NFL's emphasis on speed increases his value.

Others to watch

Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma

6-1 3/4, 253, 4.68

Comment: First-team All-Big 12. Excellent athlete who combines speed and strength (36 reps of 225 pounds). Looked comfortable as 4-3 OLB at East-West Shrine after having had limited experience there.

Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

6-1 1/4, 244, 4.50

Comment: Arguably biggest skill set of any linebacker in draft. Fast and agile, with seamless acceleration. Plus cover skills. Stumbled at starting line of 40 and still ran well. Former indoor-track standout at North Carolina. His play on field does not match his measurables. Questions abound about his work ethic and toughness.

Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska

6-1, 233, 4.65

Comment: Terrific instincts, adherence to fundamentals and work ethic help compensate for lack of size. Coach's dream. Amassed 285 tackles, 28 TFL, 11.5 sacks in 2010-11.

Bobby Wagner, LB, Utah State

6-0, 241, 4.69

Comment: Spectacular pro day vaulted him up the boards. Needs more strength to translate better on the field.

Sean Spence, ILB, Miami (Fla.)

5-11 3/8, 231, 4.71

Comment: Good tackler and cover man. Versatile. Disappointing strength showing at combine. Amassed 318 tackles and 47 TFL in 47 career games.

Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State

6-3, 260, 4.60

Comment: Speed on outside move, quickness on inside move. Concussion history is a potential red flag.

Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia

6-3, 245, 4.50

Comment: Tremendous physical skills. NFL Network's Charley Casserly said Irvin is most explosive player off the ball in the draft. Excelled at combine. Finding a fit for Irvin will be a challenge: He is too small to play end, probably not instinctive enough to play linebacker. Character issues will make teams nervous.

On the Browns

Starters: Scott Fujita (OLB), D'Qwell Jackson (MLB), Chris Gocong (OLB).

Backups: Kaluka Maiava (OLB), Brian Smith (MLB), Quinton Spears (OLB),Benjamin Jacobs (OLB), Craig Robertson (LB).

Level of need (1-10): 6 (Depends on Fujita's availability).

Comment: How much more does Fujita, who turns 33 on April 28, have left? How long, if at all, will he be suspended for his role in "Bountygate" while with New Orleans? If Fujita is out of the starting mix, the Browns need to determine whether Gocong is best suited for the weak side or strong side. Gocong slid to strong to replace the injured Fujita at the end of last season, with Maiava taking over the weak.

Browns need more impact plays. Sacks get the most publicity, but because the Browns play a 4-3, most of that responsibility falls on the line. Linebackers in this scheme must stuff the run, tackle and cover. Because the Browns have so many needs offensively, and a need at corner, they probably won't think of drafting a linebacker in the first or second round. Any combination of Brown, Lewis or David could be available in the third.

Reading between the lines as the Browns count down to Thursday's first round of the NFL draft.

View full sizeMark Duncan, Associated PressTom Heckert's comments last week seem to lessen the chances of the Browns taking a leap of faith with Ryan Tannehill in the first round, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- So, are you constantly looking at your NFL Draft countdown clock? You are? Well, then you'll be glad that we're talkin' ...

About the Tom Heckert news conference ...

1. The Browns GM again and again talked about building through the draft. He said, "If you draft a player in the first three rounds, you are saying the guy is going to start for us at some point." First and second rounders should start right away, at least on this team. Only Montario Hardesty (ever-injured) has not made an impact of that group of five first- and second-round picks during Heckert's two seasons here. As he added, "If you draft a kid early, you are probably going to play him ... whatever first round ... you are probably going to want him to start."

2. That's why I would be stunned if they take Ryan Tannehill in the first round, because even the quarterback's backers admit he's not ready for NFL prime time as a rookie. Heckert did praise Tannehill as an athlete and said Tannehill would know the Browns offense because he played in a version of the West Coast at Texas A&M.

3. Heckert tried to explain the pursuit of Robert Griffin III by obtaining Washington's No. 2 draft choice: "It's not like you're saying Colt [McCoy] is a bad quarterback by doing that. We like Colt. ... We didn't go after [free agent] Matt Flynn. ... We are talking about two guys [quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Griffin] ... those guys are really, really good Pro Bowl-type guys. That's not saying Colt isn't a good player."

4. Yes, Heckert is saying McCoy is not a franchise quarterback. But passing up Flynn and some other quarterbacks also says the Browns don't want to change quarterbacks just to change -- that they do realize they gave McCoy little support on offense.

5. Some of the biggest mistakes teams make is to let the hunger for a "franchise quarterback" force them to draft a quarterback up high -- even though they doubt he has that ability.

6. I still wouldn't mind if the Browns added Brandon Weeden in the second round, and allowed Seneca Wallace to leave. Wallace obviously doesn't want to be a backup to McCoy, and Wallace just as obviously isn't a starter. He will be 32 when the season opens.

7. The Browns obviously will draft a running back, despite Heckert saying, "Montario [Hardesty], we do think he's going to be a lot better this year. We think Brandon Jackson is going to be good." Both are coming off major injuries. Later, Heckert admitted that not keeping Peyton Hillis means they are adding "somebody [a back] in the draft somewhere."

8. After breaking 35 tackles in 2010, Hillis broke only four in 2011. That's according to Football Outsiders. Don't be surprised if Hillis has a productive year on that one-year deal with Kansas City.

9. Heckert said he was impressed with Trent Richardson not only as a runner, "but the main thing is you see him catch the ball" in Alabama's pro style offense. And yes, Richardson looks like a good receiver coming out of the backfield.

10. At his pre-draft press conference Minnesota GM Rick Spielman [picking in front of the Browns] talked about Matt Kalil, Justin Blackmon and Mo Claiborne: "What you're saying [to the staff] is, 'All these guys have equal ability,'" Spielman said. "What do you want? Do you want the receiver? Do you want the tackle? Do you want the corner?'"

11. That's just draft smoke. Players are not rated equal. Heckert talked about his rating this way: "When you talk about the top guys, it's not going to be a tie. There are definitely guys who are 1-2-3-4 for us. There is not a tie."

12. I was not happy to hear that Heckert thought the draft was weak in linebackers, because the Browns need one.

13. Heckert on the hole at right tackle: "Obviously, if you can get a really good one, it's great. Now, if you look in the league, there are a lot teams playing with guys that you've never heard of, to be honest with you. We think we have guys who can step in and play. Oniel [Cousins] played a little bit last year and we have [John] Greco who could play there. We do have guys who can play there, we are not saying we don't. But yes, we are looking for one."

14. I hope he looks real hard for a right tackle, because Greco and Cousins are not close to being the answer. The Browns can't rotate at right tackle, as they did with Artis Hicks and Cousins last year. I still don't understand why they didn't address right tackle in free agency.

15. I asked Heckert about saying the Browns were OK with their wide receivers before last year's draft, and what has changed. He said: "Greg Little wasn't here when we had this conversation. Greg Little is here, he led our team in receptions, he caught a ton of balls and we think he is going to be better. He looks great right now and Mo [Mohamed Massaquoi] has to come back healthy. The rest of it, we'll have to figure out what happens here in the draft." So yes, it does sound like they will grab a receiver.

About Mo Claiborne ...

View full sizeAssociated PressMorris Claiborne's elite status as the draft's top cornerback keeps him in the conversation for the Browns' top choice on Thursday.

1. While I'm in the "draft Trent Richardson" camp, I still sense Claiborne could be the choice. It's dangerous to read too much into a pre-draft press conference by any general manager, but I do believe Heckert was telling the truth when he said, "Defensive backs wise, it's not a great group. There are a couple guys that are really good and he is obviously a really, really good player. You have to have corners. You have to have three legit corners to survive in this league and that's why corners are such a big deal. [Claiborne] is a really, really good one."

2. Perhaps the defensive back will come at No. 22 or No. 37. Heckert talked about how people were surprised when the Browns took safety T.J. Ward in the second round. He was projected much lower by many experts, but Ward has become a solid starter.

3. The Browns did re-sign Dimitri Patterson. They love Joe Haden. But they want a third cornerback, and I believe they will take one in the first two rounds. They played three cornerbacks about 60 percent of the time last season. They do think Buster Skrine can play some cornerback.

4. Yes, they have veteran Sheldon Brown, but look for him to be moved to safety. Or at $3.7 million, it would not be a shock if Brown is cut or has his contract reworked.

5. The Browns need safeties, too. The starters are Ward and Usama Young. They have Eric Hagg, but he's very raw. That's why I do think they'll keep Brown as a veteran in the secondary.

About the Tribe ...

View full sizeElaine Thompson, Associated PressJosh Tomlin's bounce-back performance Thursday night in Seattle is just one of several encouraging signs that can be found on the Indians' successful West Coast trip.

1. Regardless of how the first trip of the season ends, winning five of six in Kansas City and Seattle was critical to keeping the fan base interested after the 1-4 start at home. That several victories have been dramatic is all the better, because it's hard to keep fans talking Tribe when the Browns and the draft seem to rule every April.

2. The season is 162 games. Teams can easily overcome poor April records. A good April can be fool's gold. The Indians opened last season at 30-15, and were 50-67 after that. But the strong spring made for a fun summer. It also kept the front office from trading away players who are approaching free agency -- or simply to cut payroll.

3. Johnny Damon will play the outfield Sunday for the first time in Arizona, against rookies who are waiting for their seasons to start. The Indians are thinking he will be ready in early May. They don't want to rush the 38-year-old Damon back into action (especially since he has to play left field) and suffer an injury such as a pulled hamstring.

4. The Tribe was thrilled to see Josh Tomlin use his curve and change-up more often in his last start. They thought he had been using his fastball and cutter (sort of a like a slider) too often, and there was not enough variance of velocity. Tomlin was superb in Seattle, allowing one run in eight innings.

5. I love it when Manny Acta calls Tomlin "my little cowboy."

6. Casey Kotchman batted .313 vs. righties and .289 vs. lefties last season. But he went into the weekend 2-of-19 vs. lefties and looking lost. Don't treat him like the second coming of Lou Gehrig or Jim Thome. Rest him against lefties and let Carlos Santana move to first base with Lou Marson (who hits lefties) behind the plate. Kotchman can play late for his defense, if needed. In 2010, Kotchman batted .179 vs. lefties.

7. The next Wahoo Club luncheon will feature Tribe pitcher Vinnie Pestano and former Brown Don Cockroft. It is May 5, at 11 a.m. at the Terrace Club. Call Bob Rosen at 440-724-8350 for information, or go to wahooclub.com.

8. There is real concern about Raffy Perez, who has shoulder problems and pitched little this spring. His fastball is down to 86 mph from his career average of 90. His slider is wild and not nearly as effective. The lefty is out of minor-league options, so the Indians may not risk trying to send him to Class AAA -- because another team may claim him.

9. Nick Hagadone deserves to stay. He was one of the most effective relievers in spring training. He threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings at Columbus before being promoted, and delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings in Seattle. When Asdrubal Cabrera returns from his grandfather's funeral, the plan was to demote Hagadone. They should consider seeing if they can slip Raffy Perez through waivers or releasing Dan Wheeler to make room for Hagadone.

10. At Columbus, Trevor Crowe entered the weekend hitting .405 (1.170 OPS) and is positioning himself to be promoted if the Indians need outfield help. You can say that seems like a long shot with Damon preparing to join the team, Shelley Duncan hitting and the need to find out if Michael Brantley can be a regular. But someone always gets hurt, or something else happens to create chances.

About the Cavaliers ...

View full sizeGus Chan, The Plain DealerIn posting a double double in Friday's victory over the Knicks, Manny Harris displayed the athleticism that intrigues the Cavaliers for next season.

1. The Cavs did offer Lester Hudson a contract for the rest of the season. But being on a 10-day contract, he had the right to shop elsewhere -- and always wanted to play in his hometown. When Memphis expressed an interest, he jumped at the chance -- especially because Memphis will be in the playoffs. He believes that gives him more exposure.

2. The Cavs liked Hudson, but saw him as a specialist -- a 6-1 streaky shooting guard. He averaged 12.7 points and shot 39 percent in 20 days with the team. But in his last five games, it was 9.0 points and 37 percent. His ball-handling and defense were spotty. At 27, Hudson often plays well enough to catch the attention of a team, but is unable to show enough to stay.

3. The Cavs have Manny Harris, Samardo Samuels and Donald Sloan on non-guaranteed contracts for next season. They believe Sloan can make the team because of his defense and steady ball-handling as a backup to Kyrie Irving. In 10 starts, Sloan is averaging 9.1 points, shooting 44 percent. The Cavs like his 57 assists versus 15 turnovers in games -- and doing it in an inexperienced backcourt playing mostly with Harris and Hudson.

4. The Cavs believe Harris can be a better prospect than Hudson because Harris is more athletic and a better defender. But in the end, they must do something at shooting guard. Anthony Parker's contract is up and it makes little sense to bring him back at age 37. That leaves the often-injured Daniel Gibson and Harris for next season.

5. The NBA is unforgiving to most rookies. Cleveland State product Norris Cole was averaging 8.7 points and shooting 42 percent at the All-Star break for Miami. Since then, it's 3.7 points and 30 percent. He has lost time to Terrel Harris after a 2-of-21 shooting slump to start April.

6. Irving leads all rookies in scoring at 18.6 per game. Next is Detroit's Brandon Knight (12.6) and only seven rookies are above 10 points. Kenneth Faried (7.6) is the leading rookie rebounder, followed by the Cavs' Tristan Thompson (6.3).

7. Since becoming a starter 20 games ago, Thompson is averaged 10.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and shooting 48 percent. He is at 64 percent from the foul line, a major improvement from being sub-50 percent early in the season.

The NFL Draft has grown up from humble beginnings and could become even bigger yet, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

View full sizeAP file"Psst, Joe ... what do you think of stretching this draft idea over a whole month? Great idea, right? Right?"

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Let's get this show on the road...

Where the NFL Draft has been, and where it's at, leave you wondering where it's headed.

As the league continues to look for ways to produce and market Thursday's draft as a premier American sports event where everyone except the Oakland Raiders can usually claim victory, one idea to grow even more grassroots support would be to take the show on the road.Cleveland one year. Kansas City the next. Or award it to bid cities as you would the Super Bowl.

(Confession: I'd credit where I heard this idea first mentioned if I could remember. But my mind is a crowded room these days, details on Ryan Tannehill's hand size and arm angle fighting for space with the value chart that ranks NFL running backs just ahead of phone booths and typewriters in modern society).

The draft could someday be stretched into a full week, bringing a Super Bowl-like event to NFL cities far and wide. One round per day, leaving hours for pre-round and post-round analysis. You might need team cheerleaders spelling out the name of the draft picks "Y-M-C-A" style by the sixth or seventh round to keep everyone's attention, but don't discount the possibility.

If it sounds crazy, remember that in its infancy the draft was held at a hotel in Philadelphia, where less than half of the 81 players picked declined the opportunity to play in the league. This was long before Mel Kiper Jr.'s parents put a stopwatch and a tube of hair gel in his crib and let nature take its course. Kiper's was a different childhood, the first of its kind to include a self-timed puberty.

Now that he and the draft are all grown up, the league continues to look ways to improve the product and generally make fans believe that what happens this week will decide the fate of football teams -- if not the nation they stand and salute on game days. At least until some top draft picks fail to win a starting job in camp and touchy GMs lecture everyone that you really can't judge a draft for three years. (By the way, Montario Hardesty, consider yourself on the clock.)

SI.com reports the league is looking to add suspense to the proceedings. As it stands, NFL Network and ESPN often tip off picks before the commissioner reaches the podium so viewers are pretty sure what they're going to hear.

My idea would be to have Roger Goodell dressed in aerodynamic Under Armour gear and launching himself out of sprinter's blocks to make his announcements. The league doesn't seem to want to go that far yet. The way it works now, cameras zoom in on draft picks taking calls from their new teams before the commissioner can muster the gravitas befitting the occasion.

I'm not sure how much the league can control in order to pump up the suspense, short of adding an element of surprise and shock by letting an Al Davis hologram pick for every team. You'd expect him to pick Andrew Luck for the Colts. But given the Raiders' penchant for stunning the crowd and the commentators by over-reaching on selections, Hologram Al might just hand deliver the Colts a kick returner from Bethune-Cookman.

This year, apparently the league wants to do away with showing prospects getting the calls just before the commissioner's announcement. That can add some drama, I guess. But it's a small measure compared to taking the draft prime-time on Thursday and stretching it over three days, as the league did in 2010.

The next bold move I've heard discussed is the one I mentioned -- taking it out of New York. Works for me.

Let's see. Maybe start with a city that has come -- in the absence of the real thing -- to treat the NFL Draft as its Super Bowl.

Every draft story about ESPN's coverage is mandated by law to have at least two Kiper Jr. references, so here's another...

Just some old-fashioned brotherhood betweek Kiper and Todd McShay

During an appearance on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption just before the 2010 draft, Kiper acknowledged that once draft coverage begins he doesn't go to the bathroom. No big deal now that the first round lasts just about four hours.

But in 2009 and previous years, remember, the first two rounds of the draft stretched nearly 10 hours. Kiper explained on PTI that he took a lavatory break one year but not again because, he said, he needed two or three picks to get his enthusiasm level back to where it needed to be.

I said it at the time and I'll say it again. For all he means to ESPN's coverage, couldn't they station a nurse outside the bathroom to give this guy a sugar cookie?

SPINOFFS

Former Indians pitcher Bartolo Colon threw 38 straight strikes in the Athletics' win over the Angels this past week. Not long after, Tribe right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez eclipsed that degree of difficulty by throwing 38 straight pitches from 38 different release points against the A's...

It's hard to say who pulled off the most convincing clandestine operation: the Colts in not admitting they will draft Luck No. 1 until just recently. Or the Secret Service in Colombia...

Trent Richardson had 614 touches at Alabama and fumbled once. That should make him the only one allowed to handle Alabama's replacement national championship trophy. Carleton Tinker, the father of an Alabama player, put the trophy back on its pedestal, turned away and heard the $30,000 trophy crash to a marble floor.

Lesson learned. Material things can be replaced.

Oh, yeah, and don't ever let the long snapper's father handle crystal...

Donovan McNabb says he would vote for himself for the Hall of Fame. I didn't think this was possible but the more he talks the better he makes Terrell Owens look...

Aggie Outfitters recalled some T-shirts that show the letters "SEC" over a map meant to represent the new conference alignment. Texas and Missouri, two states with new teams in the SEC, weren't on the map. North Carolina, which doesn't have a team in the SEC, was included.Four out of five American college students didn't notice the inaccuracies...

Anderson Varejao is shut down for the rest of the season, but says he's looking forward to the Olympics. Sounds like a foolproof plan...

HE SAID IT

"I was just trying to open up the inside corner of the plate." -- Indians' pitcher Jeanmar Gomez after MLB suspended him for hitting KC's Mike Moustakas with a pitch.

And by "plate" he means "ribcage."

HE SAID WHAT?

"When you throw that many pitches, I was just glad the position players stayed awake." -- Indians' pitcher Derek Lowe after throwing 113 pitches and allowing six walks in 4.1 innings against Seattle.

A relief, obviously, after his days with Manny Ramirez in Boston.

YOU SAID IT

"Bud:

"I'm hosting a draft party at my house and my friend suggested I have foam bricks to throw at the TV if the Browns draft Ryan Tannehill. I suggested plastic bottles because a Browns executive once suggested they don't pack much of a wallop. What do you suggest?" -- Tom, Parma

The usual beer helmet and straitjacket.

"Hey Bud:

"Have you seen LeBron James' beard lately? Is he planning on selling peach pies roadside and organizing a barn raising in South Beach?" -- Bob H., Medina

Yes. He has vowed to light up Miami like Holmes County.

"Bud:

"When you retire from the PD, will you spend your golden years calling sports talk radio stations about the Browns' draft?" -- Joe S

Only if they have a top 10 pick. So yes.

"Hey Bud:

"Don't you think it would be wise if some of the Browns' players would adopt Chris Perez's tweet message 'You hit us, we hit you'?" -- Doug, Westlake

Or at least, "You concuss us, we'd kindly like to ask you to stop. All due respect."

"Hey Bud:

"Since the Browns have not shown a great sense of urgency to improve this off-season in free agency, do they actually have a War Room for the draft, or do they call it a Conflict Room? Skirmish Room?" -- Josh, South Euclid

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"What are we going to do now without the Lingerie Football League draft?" -- J Kiska, Lorain

Repeat winners receive therapy.

"Bud:

"I see Grady Sizemore has been cleared for baseball related activities. Seeing as how he hurt his back fielding ground balls, I don't think that's a good idea." -- Mike Gardner, Ashtabula

Some repeat winners get second-hand "Grady's Ladies" T-shirts.

On Twitter: @budshaw