P.M. Cleveland Browns links: Mangini Mania and a little DB talk

Is that seat hot or are you just glad to see training camp start, coach Mangini?

Cleveland, Ohio -- Attention Mr. and Mrs. America and all ships at sea! Flash! Important news bulletin! Eric Mangini is on the hot seat.

Well, DUH! It's no secret that the Cleveland Browns coach is under more scrutiny than any other coach in the NFL as this season dawns. Trying to coach with the legendary Mike Holmgren in the boss' office has got to be like doing one of those paint-by-numbers pictures for a class taught by Da Vinci.

James Walker of espn.com put it this way in what actually is an outstanding preview of the AFC North as the teams get ready to open their training camps:

Perhaps no person in the entire AFC North is on a hotter seat than Mangini. He must be successful this year to keep his job, and it's not going to be an easy task getting Cleveland out of the basement in the division. As a former head coach, Browns president Mike Holmgren believed Mangini deserved more than one year to implement his program. Cleveland won five games last season under Mangini and will have to do better in 2010 to impress "The Big Show."

That part of Walker's preview is good, but what Starting Blocks likes -- and what few have reported -- is about the potential of one of the unheralded rookies, receiver Carlton Mitchell, the 6-foot-3 wideout from the South Florida.

Rookie receiver Carlton Mitchell will be a pleasant surprise this summer for Cleveland. Mitchell, a sixth-round pick, comes to the Browns with few expectations. However, he has a nice combination of speed and size and will get plenty of opportunities at a thin position for the Browns.

Man, what a happy accident: Someone from South Florida taking his talents to Cleveland.

Safety net
Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal, as part of the paper's preseason look at the Browns, cast his practiced eye on the team's defensive backfield and tries to predict who'll start the regular season out there. Here's how he sees the lineup come opening day:

Earlier this summer, coach Eric Mangini said he wouldn't rule out starting two rookie safeties together. However, it would be surprising if (T.J.) Ward and (Larry) Asante force Mangini to turn that hypothetical scenario into reality. They can deliver punishing hits, but can they quickly adjust to NFL coverages? In part because of the learning curve Ward and Asante will encounter, (Abram) Elam and (Mike) Adams are favored to line up at strong safety and free safety, respectively. If a rookie does break through, though, it will probably be Ward. And if one of the veterans is surpassed, it will likely be Adams. Ward, a strong safety in college, thinks he can play either safety spot, and he'll need to be versatile if he's on the field opposite Elam. Therefore, Ward needs to prove he can learn the intricacies of multiple spots.

SB tends to agree, but really, after all these years of a suspect defensive backfield, isn't it nice to have guys like Ward and Asante as a, um, safety net?

From The Plain Dealer
Beat writer Tony Grossi takes a look at five key issues facing the Browns when training camp opens in Berea on Saturday. Among them: Mangini's future, why at least some rookies are likely to start, Holmgren's once (and future?) coaching status, the quarterback situation, and the battle between Montario Hardesty and Jerome Harrison.