Why the dearth of legitimate No. 2 centers? Hey, Tony!

Tony Grossi answers all your questions about the Browns and more.

Got a Browns question? Send it in. Submit your question and Plain Dealer Browns beat writer Tony Grossi will choose some to answer each Sunday here in the Sports section. All of Tony's answers are archived online.

Hey, Tony: I'm a lifelong Browns fan born and raised in Canton stuck in Cowboys country. I am curious as to why the Browns are going into the season without a legitimate No. 2 center. Interestingly, here in Cowboys country, the same question is being asked about the Cowboys (I'm a certified Cowboy hater). Is this a trend? -- Mike Maloney, San Antonio

Hey, Mike: The Browns are trying to groom somebody to be able to relieve Alex Mack in a game situation, if needed. Billy Yates, Shawn Lauvao and Pat Murray have been tried there. Also, Eric Steinbach did it for Cincinnati one year. Remarkably, Mack played every snap as a rookie. If he went down during a game for a series, or two, or more, they could compensate. But if he was lost for more than one game, they would be in trouble. The backup center could arrive after final cuts.

Hey, Tony: Was that a look of satisfaction I saw on your face after the first preseason contest? How long will it take a rookie like Montario Hardesty to adjust to NFL play if he doesn't see much time in the next couple of games? -- Bruce Hoover, Delaware, Ohio

Hey, Bruce: A look of satisfaction? You must have heard about the pre-game meal in the Lambeau Field press box. Listen, I'd much rather have something positive to write about than the slop we've seen the past 11 seasons. I think Hardesty should be fine if he can get in two preseason games.

Hey, Tony: Do you think that the Browns need to pass the ball down the field to keep defenses from crowding the line of scrimmage to take away the run and the short passes? If so, do you think that [Mohamed] Massaquoi and [Brian] Robiskie are adequate downfield threats or are the Browns going to need someone else step up in this role, perhaps Carlton Mitchell? -- Paul Thiel, Crescent Springs, Ky.

Hey, Paul: Until the Green Bay game, the Browns seemed hesitant to throw down the field. Massaquoi and Robiskie looked fine when thrown to.

Hey, Tony: Have you seen enough of Colt McCoy yet to give us an assessment of his potential? Does he have an NFL arm? Is he a leader? -- Jonathan Kirk, St. Louis

Hey, Jonathan: I think McCoy has a lot of the qualities needed to be a winning quarterback. NFL arm? That's something I'm not sure of at this point.

Hey, Tony: I've not heard the extent of his foot injury, so this may be the answer to my question, which is, were you surprised by the release of Johnathan Haggerty? And, is it a good sign that his replacement, Taurus Johnson, has been on three practice squads last year? Is the glass half full with three teams thinking enough of him to sign to the squad? Or the glass half empty with three teams letting him get away? -- Greg Dineen, Middletown, Ohio

Hey, Greg: Haggerty was a rookie minicamp star. I never put much stock in that time of year. As for Johnson, it's never a good sign when multiple teams let a player go.

Hey, Tony: While it's still early, the offense seems to be struggling again. How long do you think [team President] Mike Holmgren will stick with [offensive coordinator] Brian Daboll when he has his own guy on [the] payroll? -- Ralph Reis, Fort Mitchell, Ky.

Hey, Ralph: Your question arrived after the Browns' good showing in Green Bay. I think Daboll bought a few months with that performance, but the heat will remain on all year, I suspect.

Hey, Tony: Help me out here. I see the "Training Camp Daily" on STO, and I see some of the coaches with a T-shirt that has What's up Bud on the back. What's up with that? -- Rod Sauer, Athens, Ohio

Hey, Rod: "What's up, Bud?" is the catchphrase of strength coach Kent Johnston. Assistant strength coach Rick Lyle had the shirts made up to honor him.

Hey, Tony: Here's a break from training camp questions for you. Is it true Browns Hall of Fame RB Marion Motley broke the "color barrier" of professional sports before Jackie Robinson did in baseball? If so, why do you suppose Motley's accomplishment seems to be forgotten (at least outside of Cleveland and its fan base), while Robinson's seems to be celebrated on a national scale each year? Motley is more than deserving of the same recognition but appears to be lost in the conversation. Why? -- Tim, Winter Haven, Fla.

Hey, Tim: Actually, Bill Willis was Paul Brown's first choice to break the pro football color barrier in 1946 when he started up the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference. The story, reported in my book, "Tales From the Browns Sideline," is that Brown brought along Motley almost as an afterthought to serve as Willis' roommate. Motley, of course, became a Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback, and some think he would have been equally good at linebacker. Robinson's story probably has been more magnified, in my opinion, because baseball, at the time, was infinitely more popular than pro football. Robinson's place in history is just, but Willis and Motley deserve more notoriety for their role in breaking the color barrier, too.

Hey, Tony: I heard you on WKNR, and when asked about how bad Jake Delhomme looks, you deflected the question and blamed it on the system and not throwing to the outside. Are you that jaded against [coach Eric] Mangini that you can't admit that Mike Holmgren made a horrible move bringing in Delhomme and he looks bad so far? Also, the heart of West Coast [offense] is short throws underneath to backs, and TEs, not long out passes, Jerry Rice was the King of YAC [yards after catch]. Gil Haskell is not here by accident; he is working in Holmgren's stuff regardless of what Holmgren says. -- Michael Spitale, Galena, Ohio

Hey, Michael: I think you have to be careful about over-reacting to performance at practice. Delhomme looked very good in the first preseason game. Holmgren has made it clear that his offensive system is not being used by the current coaches.

Hey, Tony: With Dave Zastudil ailing, I can't say I've been enamored with the job Reggie Hodges has done filling in. Do you think the Browns would be interested in looking at former Buckeye punter A.J. Trapasso? I believe he is currently a free agent, he is a former Ray Guy Award finalist, he should be used to the "big stage" (having played at Ohio State). He looked pretty good with the Titans; with a suspect offense, the Browns will need to institute a [Jim] Tressel-like "field position game" if we're to have any success. Is there anyone else they could turn to? -- Benny Todd, Strongsville

Hey, Benny: I don't believe Eric Mangini or [GM] Tom Heckert are dissatisfied with Hodges.

Hey, Tony: You think the DBs will be much improved more than last year? -- Johnny D'ambrosia, Garfield Heights

Hey, Johnny: I think the two most improved positions on the team are quarterback and defensive secondary. The tackling in the secondary should be a thousand percent better.

Hey, Tony: I thought Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield would have at least been in the discussion for best Cleveland Sport Duo. From what you've seen, what are the chances that Haden and Ward will anchor this secondary for the next 5-7 years? -- Chad Thomas, Charleston, S.C.

Hey, Chad: I think they are two fine prospects. I won't commit to anything beyond that.

Hey, Tony: Why did Tom Heckert leave a solid organization like the Eagles for a similar position with the Browns, and why were the Eagles so willing to let him leave? -- Tom Barker, Wadsworth

Hey, Tom: The power broker with the Eagles is coach Andy Reid. Heckert was never going to have final authority in Philadelphia. Reid believes Heckert deserved the chance to have final authority with another team. Heckert grew up with the Browns while his father served as a team scout. When Mike Holmgren called him, he found the opportunity irresistible. He has more authority with the Browns than he did with the Eagles.

Hey, Tony: I have the NFL audio package on my computer. Who is the new Browns play-by-play radio announcer with Doug Dieken? -- Michael Morrison, Sugarloaf, Pa.

Hey, Michael: While regular play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan does the preseason games on TV, Mike Snyder fills in on the radio broadcasts.

Hey, Tony: I don't get you. You refuse to answer questions about uniforms but you start an article about the team not wearing brown pants. There is an update on The PD as to what pants the team is wearing before the game. I get the whole uniforms don't determine the outcome of the game. But, it is very important to fans as to what colors the team wear. Cleveland would not support a purple and green team. I want to know a real reason why you refuse to talk about this (other than it doesn't change the outcome of the game). If you just gave your opinion as to what you prefer, people might let it go. -- Brian W, Erie, Pa.

Hey, Brian: When I answer one question about uniforms, dozens come in asking about the width of a stripe on the socks or the tint of the facemasks or the length of the sleeves. It gets ridiculous. At the same time, I know the brown pants are a hot-button issue, and I couldn't resist basing my game story around the welcome return to the white-on-whites.

Hey, Tony: I have seen what I need to and believe just like I told you when they went 10-6 and missed the playoffs. They will do it again in the same fashion with the element of surprise, but with one exception. They are going to do it with both offense and defense. Also, the media will be reversing their roles after Week 5. Our front seven will be a group to reckon with. Can you see it? -- James Williams, Cleveland

Hey, James: I think it will be an entertaining season with much more excitement than last year. The team is still deficient, however, in some key areas to have realistic expectations of playoffs. The best they can hope for this year, in my opinion, is to close the gap on their rivals and then overtake them in 2011.

Hey, Tony: More of an observation than a question. I think by the quarterback play [last] Saturday, we can rule out our problems were the result of a poor O-line, inexperienced receivers and poor play-calling. Quinn's line 6-for-16, 68 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, passer rating of 25; Anderson's line 13-for-22, 88 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, passer rating of 45.3. Sound familiar? At least with Delhomme and [Seneca] Wallace, there is hope. -- Dave Atkinson, Niagara Falls

Hey, Dave: I never bought the excuse of poor line play last season. I've seen quarterbacks do better with worse protection.

Hey, Tony: The Cleveland Browns have a very unusual schedule this year with them playing every one of their games on Sundays at 1 p.m. Eastern. There are no 4 p.m. games and no games on days other than Sundays. Is this uniformity of schedule a first for the Browns? -- Larry Bresler, Cleveland

Hey, Larry: I don't know how far back you go, but it wasn't long ago when all games were played at 1 p.m. One difference this year is the Browns have no games in the western time zone. It is kind of odd but a welcome change from 2008, when they were prematurely put on prime-time five times.

Hey, Tony: When did it become the fad for players (primarily WR and DB) to wear pants that are well above their knees with no pads? Is there that much of an advantage to risk a serious injury? -- Brian, Hudson, Ind.

Hey, Brian: Uniform moratorium in effect.

Hey, Tony: I'm concerned that the Browns gave Jake just one series in the Packer game. It concerns me because 1) He needs more time on the field in real game action to get in sync with the rest of the offense, and 2) I think it shows that the coaches are more concerned about his confidence than they let on. He went out with one drive, and it was successful. Do you think they might have been afraid to let him fail with a second opportunity? -- Seren Hrachian, Athens, N.Y.

Hey, Seren: I don't think they were afraid of letting him fail. Mangini's point was that he got 11 snaps -- close to what was planned. The coach also wanted to see Seneca Wallace play with the first-team offensive line. The second unit was a little shorthanded because of injuries. The plan was for Delhomme to play through the first half Saturday night against St. Louis.

Hey, Tony: Any chance the Browns are just holding Shaun Rogers out of Training Camp because they know what he brings to the table already and there is no reason to get him injured? -- Justin Z, Mariemont, Ohio

Hey, Justin: Yes, there's a very good chance that's what is happening.

Hey, Tony: Not a question . . . just a correction. In your recent article on Colt McCoy, you said that he and Sam Bradford split their two meetings. Actually, they met three times and Colt won the last two. -- Rick Smothermon, Houston, Texas

Hey, Rick: Thanks. Your question prompted me to re-check and avoid a similar error in a subsequent story. I didn't realize initially that Bradford suffered his second shoulder injury in the Texas game last year. Good catch, Longhorn.

Hey, Tony: Why do you keep voting against Art Modell being elected into the Football Hall of Fame? This generous man left you with your team's name. We in Baltimore lost that. If the city of Cleveland had built a new stadium as he requested, he would still be there. You and the politicians really screwed up. This man and Pat are the most charitable people that I have met. My daughter Jackie works for Art and Pat, and she loves them both. Get a life and vote this gentleman in the Hall of Fame. -- Skip Bevans, Nottingham, Md.

Hey, Skip: Here's the perfect solution: Induct Modell into the Baltimore sports hall of fame and honor him for his generosity to his new city.

Hey, Tony: Why are people jumping on the Browns' bandwagon after one preseason game? I love the Browns, but come on. All of a sudden, haters are loving us. Sheesh. -- Kevin Sandy, Navarre, Ohio

Hey, Kevin: I know you're being facetious, but I think you make a good point. Cleveland teams always perform better when expectations are low. Don't raise them too high.

-- Tony