There are some signs the Browns might finally have a chance to improve their running defense, says Terry Pluto.
View full sizeAhtyba Rubin, above, played well at nose tackle last season, which might let the Browns move Shaun Rogers to an end and could strengthen the defensive line overall.ABOUT THE BROWNS . . .
1. Desperately needing a break from All LeBron, All the Time, I was wondering if the Browns actually could stop the run this season. Since they returned in 1999, their average rank against the run is . . . 29! That's also what they ranked last season. They have never ranked higher than 23rd (2003), the next best being 27th. In the past six years, the rankings are 29-28-27-29-30-32. How's that for consistency?
2. Can this change? Hey, why not? Hey, D'Qwell Jackson forced the first fumble of his four-year pro career in 2009, so anything is possible. (That note comes from dawgsbynature.com.) The possibility that Jackson won't be doing heavy duty is a reason to believe the run defense could improve.
3. It starts on the line, where Ahtyba Rubin made an impact at nose tackle after Shaun Rogers was injured. If Rogers can adapt to playing one of the ends in the 3-4 defense -- with Rubin in the middle and Robaire Smith at the other end -- that has to be positive. It's especially true as the Browns have some depth on the line with veterans Kenyon Coleman and C.J. Mosley. While some fans are high on seventh-rounder Cliff Geathers, free agent Brian Schaefering is more likely to help on the line.
4. In Eric Mangini's three years with the Jets, they ranked 7-29-24 against the run. So he and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan need to find a way to make the mass of linebackers effective. Last season, they started Eric Barton, David Bowens, Kamerion Wimbley and Jackson at linebacker. This season, Bowens may be the only starter in that group. They added veterans Scott Fujita, Chris Gocong and Matt Roth (who played only six games in 2009). They have Jason Trusnik, Marcus Benard and David Veikune, who the Browns say is progressing.
5. I know none of the linebackers is Clay Matthews or even Galen Fiss. But when the Browns started Bowens at inside linebacker with Rubin at nose tackle last season, the run defense improved. In the final five games with those two in the lineup, the Browns allowed 44 fewer yards on the ground than they did in the first 11 games. Even more important, they gave up 13 rushing touchdowns in the first 11 games -- but only two in the final five.
6. Yes, you can say the vast improvement of the Browns' running game with Jerome Harrison in the final weeks helped the defense by keeping it off the field. But the Browns' defense still had to keep the opposition out of the end zone.
7. Another reason the run defense should be better is that Sheldon Brown, a solid tackler, will start at cornerback instead of Brandon McDonald, a terrible tackler. First-rounder Joe Haden is supposed to be a strong tackler at cornerback. Rookie safeties Larry Asante and T.J. Ward are supposed to be run-stoppers.
8. Yes, there are a lot of "supposed to be's" in this analysis, but the Browns at least have more players on defense for coaches to employ. As last season progressed, Ryan used more variety on defense with as many as six linebackers on the field. All of this has to add up to a better ranking than 29th against the run, doesn't it? Please?
ABOUT MEL TURPIN . . .
1. Former Cavalier Melvin Turpin died last week of what the Fayette County (Ky.) corner's office described as a "self-inflicted gunshot wound." It's a sad ending for Turpin, who played with the Cavs from 1984 to '87. His NBA career lasted five years, ending with Washington in 1990. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and shot 52 percent. Turpin was 49.
View full sizeFormer Cavalier Melvin Turpin, shown in 1986. 2. Ralph Brislin e-mailed about Turpin. They worked for the same security company: "Mel came to Cleveland [about three years ago]. We drove out to the cornfield where the Richfield Coliseum used to be. Mel regaled us with stories of sneaking out of the Holiday Inn in Richfield during training camp and going to the Dairy Queen for footlong hot dogs. We met his new wife, who had taught him in school. She is very ill. . . . He was a gentle giant, a kind man who battled demons in his life."
3. Turpin was drafted by Washington with the sixth overall pick of the 1984 draft. The Bullets, as they were known then, traded him to the Cavs on draft day for Tim McCormick and Cliff Robinson. They knew the 7-footer had weight problems. He was fined nearly $100,000 one season because he failed to make the weight clauses in his contract. I covered the Cavs during that time for the Akron Beacon Journal, and Turpin was a nice man who was very insecure and turned to food to deal with his fears.
4. Cavs broadcaster Joe Tait said he recalls seeing Turpin and Dirk Minniefield "eating cold chili dogs left over from the night before when we'd get to the airport at 5 a.m. That was back when we would fly commercial, and those guys would wander around the airport, looking for leftovers."
5. Tait remembered Turpin "always smiling, always good natured." He also believed, "Melvin was dealing with some stuff inside that he didn't want people to see." Turpin was an easy target for those who wanted to make fun of him off the court or intimidate him on the floor. He had nicknames such as "Dinner Bell Mel," which he accepted with a smile. "The players called him 'Turp The Burp,' " Tait said.
6. Turpin had remarkably agile hands and a soft shooting touch on a midrange jumper, and could have been a very good pro had he remained in shape, which seldom was the case. He could have played in the NBA for a dozen years if that had been his real desire.
7. According to a Sports Illustrated story in 2004, Turpin was working for a Nissan dealership in Lexington, Ky. He "weighed 350 pounds." I also heard that he was a prison guard in Illinois for a few years in the 1990s. He had a painful divorce not long after leaving the NBA. According to news reports, Turpin's second wife, Kerry, had heart problems and three surgeries in recent years. Turpin was a diabetic, according to the story. His wife was still hospitalized, recovering from a stroke, at the time of his death.
8. Turpin's son, Kiel, is a 7-footer who played for Lincoln College in the National Junior College Division II title game. He played one season and is being recruited by Kentucky, Louisville and other majors schools. According to news reports, he grew 6 inches as a high school senior. He weighs only 205 pounds.
ABOUT LeBRON, THE BIG PICTURE . . .
1. Dave Georgevich e-mailed about his 12-year-old son who asked, "What should I do with my jersey?" after LeBron James signed with Miami. He finally told his son: "Keep it. If you want to wear it, then go wear it."
2. Then Brian Rosen e-mailed me with a great idea. The Winking Lizard, along with Rosen's website LandLoyalty.com, are starting a clothing drive called "As LeBron Goes, So Do Our Clothes." The Winking Lizard restaurants will be collecting LeBron James clothing to be donated to Northeast Ohio charities. They'll take other clothes, too. But make sure the items are clean and in excellent shape. The clothing drive runs through Aug. 1.
3. Tony Ciuprinskas e-mailed, "As parents, how do we explain to our children that a person they looked up to as a role model . . . now has defaced everything he said was important to him?" Tony surely knows parents are the real role models, not athletes. Those closest to children -- parents, siblings, relatives, friends -- have the most impact.
4. I loved sports as a kid and it was at the center of my relationship with my father. But it is the voice of Tom Pluto, who died in 1997 and last spoke in 1993 when he had a stroke, that still lives in my head -- not any athlete. It's also men such as former Benedictine High School coach Augie Bossu and teachers such as Susan Gorsky, Jim Muth, Phil Hodanbosi and the Rev. Dominic Mondzelewski who had far greater impact than any athlete. And no one could show me such unconditional love as my mother, Mary, and my grandparents.
5. This is a good time to talk to kids about who really matters in life. It's not what athletes say or how they act. It's the people who are closest to us, the people we really know. It's also a good time to talk about what matters most -- staying at home versus leaving for more money, fame, etc. And then talking about how there are times when we may have to move.
6. Larry Beers e-mailed about replacing the James mural downtown. He suggested the Browns, Indians and Cavs get together for a mural honoring the fans -- a sampling of regular Northeast Ohio people wearing the caps, shirts and jackets of the teams. I like that idea. I even would like something that says "CLEVELAND" and has nothing to do with sports. In this region, we are more than our teams and athletes. But Beers is moving this discussion in the right direction.
7. Georgevich opened this discussion with his 12-year-old son. He ended his e-mail by reporting that he asked his son, "Who's your favorite player?" The son quickly said, "Mo Williams."
THREE AND OUT . . .
1. David Rainer e-mailed to take issue with my story about the Lorain County Ironmen of the Prospect League. His main point is that the team was around in 2009 as the North Coast Knights. He was the co-owner. He added: "Josh Hayes, a young man of 24, did absolutely everything to bring wooden-bat baseball to the area, tried to get support from your paper to promote the Prospect League . . . I see your column, and as you can imagine, it upset me . . . Everything that is in place, I repeat, everything, is the tireless result of Josh Hayes' work prior to the 2009 North Coast Knights."
2. I have no doubt that what Rainer says is correct. The point of my story was simply that it seems like a fun league with two former Indians (Kevin Rhomberg and Joe Charboneau) in the front office. I also like the idea of wooden bats. It was not designed to put down Mr. Hayes or anyone else who came before this season.
3. I will be speaking at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Orange branch of the Cuyahoga County Library, 31300 Chagrin Blvd., Pepper Pike. Admission is free, and I'll be glad to sign books.