There are three winning teams in the AFC North and...the Browns. Info about Evan Moore, Joe Haden, Matt Roth, Colt McCoy, the depth chart, etc.
Browns linebacker Kaluka Maiava brings down Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger during the Browns' 13-6 home win over the Steelers last Dec. 10.Cleveland, Ohio -- Two problems for the Cleveland Browns are quite apparent.
One, the other teams in the AFC North are winning teams: the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
Two, compounding the caliber of the opposition, the Browns themselves have largely been one of the NFL's doormats since returning as a franchise in 1999, and are striving for respectability with a revamped front office, second-year coaching staff and a roster stocked with young players and ordinary veterans.
James Walker covers the division for ESPN.com, and the Browns' outlook is the latest subject for his Camp Confidential.
Among Walker's points and observations:
- Another sleeper on this team could be second-year tight end Evan Moore. Although his run blocking needs work, Moore is probably the best receiving tight end on the roster. With starting tight end Ben Watson and Robert Royal able to do the dirty work, Moore could be a nice change of pace to give the tight-end position some big-play ability.
A weakness in Cleveland's defense could be its outside linebackers dropping in pass coverage. Matt Roth and Marcus Benard, in particular, do not look comfortable shadowing running backs. (Peyton) Hillis and (Jerome) Harrison beat Cleveland's outside linebackers repeatedly on passing routes in camp this week.
Browns beat
Plain Dealer Browns coverage includes beat writer Mary Kay Cabot's update on linebacker D'Qwell Jackson's injury, which might sideline him for four to eight weeks; Cabot's Browns Insider; beat writer Tony Grossi's story on rookie quarterback Colt McCoy; earlier Browns links.
Plain Dealer daily coverage of the Browns is on cleveland.com/browns. An interesting coverage feature is the Browns History Database, which includes the Plain Dealer game stories for every Browns regular season and playoff game since 1946, the team's first season.
Cleveland plays its first preseason game on Saturday night in Green Bay against the Packers.
Delhomme to Cribbs?
The Browns have released their first depth chart. Steve Doerschuk of the Canton Repository writes what he thinks about it, including at wide receiver (* designates rookie):
1, Mohamed Massaquoi; 2, Chansi Stuckey; 3, Jake Allen; 4, Bobby Engram; 5, Syndric Steptoe
1, Brian Robiskie; 2, Joshua Cribbs; 3, Carlton Mitchell*; 4, Johnathan Haggerty*
Projection Cribbs and Seneca Wallace are clicking as a dynamic second-string duo, but Cribbs is getting antsy about working with Delhomme and the “ones.”
Delhomme admits that most of his work has come with Robiskie, Massaquoi and Stuckey. While he says it would be “stupid” not to get the ball to Cribbs, there’s only one football. At this point, Delhomme seems most comfortable with Robiskie as his favorite all-purpose target, and with Stuckey and Watson as possession receivers.
Joe Haden's studies
The Orange and Brown Report on Scout.com features rookie cornerback Joe Haden, followed by some Browns notes. About Haden:
Haden looked sharper during the first week of training camp while working with the second team defense.
"When we were off I was studying the playbook and trying to figure out what exactly was going on," Haden said. "As long as I know what to do, I can play to full speed. If you're a step behind you're going to be beaten. If you know what to do you can start anticipating and studying the offense instead of just studying what you're doing. I feel I did a whole lot better than when we were on the field in minicamp. I feel a lot faster."
Matt Roth in spotlight
The game, of course, won't count in the standings, but will count a lot, especially, for players trying to win starting and/or roster spots. Matt Florjancic of ClevelandBrowns.com writes about some of the things to look for in Saturday night's Browns-Packers game, including:
Linebacker Matt Roth. He is in the midst of his first Training Camp with Coach Eric Mangini, but was an impact player for the Browns at the end of the 2009 season. After being awarded to the Browns from waivers late last November, Roth totaled 4.0 quarterback sacks for 29 lost yards in 6 games. It was the second-best single-season sack total of his career.
Any quarterback drafted in the third round has been a college standout. There's quite a lot, though, to learn in the player's transition to the NFL. Jeff Schudel writes for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal about the first training camp for a Browns third-round pick, quarterback Colt McCoy from Texas.
Schudel writes:
At this point, it isn't how hard or how far he throws a football. It's about getting his players lined up correctly and sniffing out what the defense is plotting.
"What I like about Colt is he really understands the importance of getting with Jake (Delhomme) and Seneca (Wallace)," Mangini said. "He'll get one element of understanding from the coaching staff, but a guy like Jake with so much game experience can really help a young guy like that. They have a great relationship. (McCoy) has been like a sponge, which is what he should be at this point."