Browns beat writer answers readers' questions about the team and the rest of the NFL.
Q: Hey, Tony: With the proposed schedule going to 18 games, how would the NFL decide which team plays which? In recent years, each division played all divisional opponents twice and then faced another conference division and an opposite conference division, plus two games against similarly matched conference opponents. Would the NFL make say the AFC North face two conference divisions and one NFC division? Your thoughts? -- John Madigan, Silver Lake, Ohio
A: Hey, John: Four games against two AFC divisions, plus four games against one NFC division, plus six games within your division equals 18. I haven't heard if this would be the formula, but it makes sense.
Q: Hey, Tony: If Shaun Rogers is placed on the physically unable to perform list (PUP), does any amount of suspension handed down by the NFL (if he is), start with his return to active duty, or can it be served while on PUP? Also, is his inability to get back to playing status any reflection that he might be gravitating toward some sort of prima donna attitude. As I recall, he had somewhat of that type of hype coming out of Detroit. -- Rich Markovich, Schaumburg, Ill.
A: Hey, Rich: Since your question arrived we've learned that Rogers will not be suspended but will be fined one game check. He will pay that after his appeal is denied. As far as his status, it is my understanding the team doctors have not OK'd his return because he hasn't passed his physical. It's not Rogers' decision to stay out.
Q: Hey, Tony: I realize he's not a Hall of Famer, but shouldn't Bernie Kosar be in the Ring of Honor? Not only was he extremely successful, he is arguably the most beloved former Brown, aside from Jim Brown. And one who seems to love the franchise more so than any other alum. -- Joshua Jones, Fullerton, Calif.
View full sizeBernie Kosar in the Browns' Ring of Honor? Not just yet. A: Hey, Joshua: The Browns wisely decided to inaugurate their Ring of Honor with the 16 members of the franchise in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Future Ring of Honor classes will be decided internally by the organization at a later date. My suggestion for the first honoree after the Hall of Famers would be Blanton Collier.
Q: Hey, Tony: What does the Browns' won-loss record in 2010 have to be in order to possibly land Georgia wideout A.J. Green, or Washington QB Jake Locker? Would either player even be on the Browns' radar? -- Barbershop J, Euclid
A: Hey, Barbershop J: Talking draft already? Locker will be one of the first three players chosen. Green, I don't know. Lots of water has to flow under the bridge to determine the Browns' draft strategy. Yikes.
Q: Hey, Tony: Who will have the final say on the roster cutdowns to 53 -- coach Mangini, team President Mike Holmgren or General Manager Tom Heckert? -- Paul Thiel, Crescent Springs, Ky.
A: Hey, Paul: Heckert has the contractual authority for final say. I'm sure the others will weigh in, but Heckert will make the final call.
Q: Hey, Tony: Please ask Mike Holmgren to consider my nominee for the new Ring of Honor. His name is Arthur B. (Mickey) McBride, who as you know was the original owner and was smart enough to hire a guy by the name of Paul Brown. Without Mickey, there might never have been a Cleveland Browns team. Thank you. By the way, I live in Ontario and have been a fan since Otto Graham, Dante Lavelli and Ray Renfro played. -- Neil Savoy, Thorold, N.Y.
A: Hey, Neil: I'm sure the McBride family seconds your motion. He would be a deserving candidate but the criteria for the Ring of Honor has not been established.
Q: Hey, Tony: Have you any word on Don Carey's progress in camp this summer with the Jaguars? I know I shouldn't care, but losing him last year was frustrating. -- Kyle Chormanski, Los Angeles
A: Hey, Kyle: I've heard the Jags are pleased with Carey. Jacksonville has a good tandem of starting cornerbacks and Carey is competing for the third (nickel back) spot. If he were here, I'm sure he would press somebody for the No. 4 cornerback role.
Q: Hey, Tony: What is the real reason Jim Brown is ticked at the Browns? Is it because they don't listen to him anymore? Is it because they don't financially support his charity anymore? It would be crazy to alienate the best Browns player in history. -- Steve Bohnenkamp, Geneva, Ill.
A: Hey, Steve: According to his personal letter to Mike Holmgren, Brown feels disrespected because Holmgren wanted to reduce his role without even discussing what contributions he made to the organization. I don't know who's wrong or who's right, but it is never a good thing when the most prominent player in a franchise's rich tradition is cross with his team.
Q: Hey, Tony: I know that preseason games are "practice" but, in your opinion, why do some very successful teams have terrible preseason records (Colts, for example) and a team like the '08 Lions went 4-0 and lost every regular-season game. Seems like there is absolutely no correlation between preseason and regular season. Your thoughts? -- Mike Mahne, Lake Zurich, Ill.
A: Hey, Mike: Each coach and organization may have different goals in preseason. To some, winning is important to break a recent habit of losing. To others protecting superstars from unnecessary injury is Priority One. Still others try to use the games to make decisions on young untested players. It will be interesting how the preseason is managed by teams when the practice schedule is cut to two games.
Q: Hey, Tony: I noticed that, in the St. Louis game in which the Browns' offense had so many fumbles, that Jerome Harrison and Josh Cribbs were not wearing gloves. Having played with receiver's gloves in wet conditions, I found that they improve grip over that of playing barehanded. Do you know if Cribbs and Harrison plan to continue going without gloves in rainy conditions? -- Chris Michlik, Toronto, Ontario
View full sizeLook. It's Jerome Harrison. With gloves on. A: Hey, Chris: I do not. Way to sneak in a uniform question.
Q: Hey, Tony: Do you really think the Browns' defense will be much better than it was last year? This preseason the defense has been blitzing and going all out to try to stop the other team with little success. Has Rex Ryan's or Eric Mangini's defenses ever been any good? (They always seem to be at the bottom.) Ryan seems to get too much credit, maybe it's the family name. Your thoughts. -- Ralph Reis, Fort Mitchell, Ky.
A: Hey, Ralph: Mangini and Ryan are good defensive coaches. The one thing I'm confident about entering this season is they will field a much better defense than a year ago. Mangini has mastered the art of deception and I believe the defense you see in the regular season will be different from the one you've seen in preseason.
Q: Hey, Tony: Why do NFL coaches cover their mouths with play cards as they radio the call in to the QB or defense? Do they really fear someone on the other team with binoculars will be reading their lips and then somehow relay the call to their own team? And is it possible for fans (or the other team) to 'monitor' the other teams' frequency? It's done in NASCAR. What's to prevent a sneak like Bill Belichick from listening in on the opposition? -- George Amer, Gallatin, Tenn.
A: Hey, George: Yes, they do fear they would lose their advantage to an advanced lip reader. As for the radio helmet frequency, I believe the NFL has some built-in firewalls to prevent it. However, I've heard stories of music and other "programming" filtering in through a player's earphones.
Q: Hey, Tony: Did Mike Holmgren buy a house in Cleveland or is he just squatting? If he did buy one, what city? -- Dan Cochran, Ashtabula
A: Hey, Dan: I believe Holmgren bought a condo in Bratenahl.
Q: Hey, Tony: I thought helmet-on-helmet hits were illegal. Yet, Nick Sorenson received not one, but two such hits simultaneously, and there was no flag to be seen! What gives? -- Mike Ristau, Sylvania, Ohio
A: Hey, Mike: Those special teams collisions are not as vigilantly enforced. I think they are regarded as incidental contact, unless a player leads with his helmet. Even though the players weren't penalized, they could be fined when the NFL hit police review the play in New York.
Q: Hey, Tony: This question is about team communication. I know that one player on offense and one on defense can wear a radio-containing helmet. These are designated by the green dot on the back of the helmet. Logically the quarterback has one. How will they handle this when two quarterbacks are on the field, Wallace and Delhomme, if such a formation exists? Also, we use a lot of linebacker formations and I saw Jason Trusnik and either Eric Barton or David Bowens wearing the dot last Saturday. Do they have two helmets for each of these possibilities? How do they work it? How long between plays is the microphone open? Must it still be only from one coach who must be on the field and is it cut off automatically or by officials upstairs? -- Ed Hall, Fairview Park
A: Hey, Ed: If the Browns put two quarterbacks on the field, only one can wear the radio helmet. Same on defense. I believe the transmission is cut off with 10 seconds remaining on the play clock. Only one coach can speak into the helmet speakers.
Q: Hey, Tony: Can you explain Eric Mangini's feelings toward Colt McCoy? It looked like both offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and Mangini were upset with Colt at the end of the game in Detroit after the last play. -- Dave, Dallas
A: Hey, Dave: Mangini and Daboll both reamed into McCoy for his "management" of the last couple of plays. Your question implies that McCoy was not Mangini's draft choice and the coach wouldn't have treated his own guy the same way. I'm not sure. I go back to Mike Holmgren's statement regarding Brady Quinn, "This is the big boys' league." In other words, there's no babysitting and mollycoddling in the NFL.
Q: Hey, Tony: I know the Browns gave up a lot to get Montario Hardesty and they are anxious to see what he can do in a real game, but after watching Peyton Hillis in the preseason, how can the Browns sit this guy on the bench? I've been impressed with all of the running backs and was wondering if you think Eric Mangini will rotate several of them in and out during games? -- Greg Dineen, Middletown, Ohio
A: Hey, Greg: The Hardesty season-ending injury should boost the workload of Hillis and perhaps James Davis, too. Until further notice, I see a running back-by-committee approach.
Q: Hey, Tony: Is there a broader league perspective to the current Browns/Jim Brown issue? I remember reading a few years ago that "league sources" felt that the situation in Cleveland was undesirable due to fan/other influence on ownership. Was that accurate and are the recent moves regarding Paul Warfield, Brown and Bernie Kosar Holmgren's response to professionalize the organization? -- Steve Cornelius
A: Hey, Steve: I believe there is something to that. In the case of Warfield, however, the Browns wanted him to continue and Warfield felt it was time to retire.
Q: Hey, Tony: You did not hide the fact from Day 1 you were not a fan of the Eric Mangini hiring. You were harder on him than any of the other three coaches since we have been back. Leaving Mike Holmgren/Tom Heckert out of the equation, are you feeling better about Mangini now as both a coach as well as someone you deal with daily in the media? -- Michael Spitale, Galena, Ohio
A: Hey, Michael: I always said I felt Mangini could coach but I didn't know if he could win. In the NFL, organizations win -- not coaches. I did not feel confident Mangini could build a winning organization. Now, if the organization is rebuilt around him, to support him, there is a chance Mangini can win. We will see this year. I think Mangini will be a better coach not having to deal with outside issues. Bill Belichick learned this lesson in Cleveland in the 1990s.
Q: Hey, Tony: Why does everyone in Cleveland, media included, seem to have this infatuation with Rob Ryan? Sure he talks a good game, but look at the rankings of the defenses he has coordinated. Perhaps his opinion of himself is rubbing off on everyone else, but I'm not sure why I'm supposed to be so impressed. Please enlighten. -- Jeff, Bay Village
A: Hey, Jeff: Ryan is quite a character and I'm sure his affability helps his relations with the media. I happen to think he is a good coach who gets his players to play for him. I think you'll see an improvement in the unit's rankings this season.
Q: Hey, Tony: I did my own research on the Browns' schedule going back to the beginning of the Browns in 1946 and came up with the following:
When the Browns formed and became part of the All-American Conference, they played each team twice, home and away. Since three of the teams were from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago (who played their games at 1 p.m. CST), this means that they played at least three games a year at times other than 1 p.m. EST. When the Browns joined the NFL they played in the Eastern Conference. Up until sometime in the 1980s, teams generally played all their games at 1 EST for eastern teams, 1 p.m. CST for Midwest teams, and 1 p.m. PST for West Coast teams. With only Detroit in the Western Conference playing their games in the eastern time zone (and St. Louis in the Eastern Conference playing in central time zone) this means that until the NFL expansion in 1967 the Browns had to play away games yearly at times other that 1 p.m. EST. I then looked at every year's Browns' schedule since 1967 and found that there had never been a year where all Browns games began at 1 p.m. EST. Not only were there no other years where all the games were at 1 p.m. EST, but in only three years, (1991, 1984 and strike-shortened 1982) were there as few as two games at times other than 1 p.m. EST. This does not even take into account that in many years they played games on Saturdays, Mondays or Thursdays. Consequently this year's schedule of the 16 games all starting on Sundays at 1 p.m. EST is a unique aberration that has not come close to happening before in the Brown' 64 year history. I think that this is an interesting piece of Browns' trivia that is worth sharing with your readers. -- Larry Bresler, Cleveland
A: Hey, Larry: We all owe you for your fantastic research work. Once again, I'm overjoyed the schedule calls for 16 consecutive 1 p.m. kickoffs.
Q: Hey, Tony: There has been a lot of criticism of Colt McCoy (he looks flustered, can't complete passes that are more than 5 yards). I'm not sure we should be expecting a lot from a rookie who is generally getting no protection and is not throwing to starting receivers. How much of this criticism is legitimate? I don't believe we can accurately asses McCoy's abilities and progress if he isn't on the field with the same caliber linemen and receivers as Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. -- Jared P, Elyria
A: Hey, Jared: The organization is basically designating this a redshirt year for McCoy. His practice reps were limited because they were breaking in Delhomme and Wallace at the same time. McCoy said there were plays in games that he had not even practiced on the field before. That was more damning than having to play with second- and third-teamers. So I'm sure the organization graded him on a curve.
Q: Hey, Tony: This defense still looks too porous against the run, from what we have seen in the first three preseason games. Shaun Rogers' absence has to be a factor, but what is going on? Is it preseason defensive schemes being used, or something else? -- Dennis Thompson, Akron
A: Hey, Dennis: Just wait for the real season. I wouldn't get overly concerned about the defense's performance in preseason.
Q: Hey, Tony: This year will mark the 15th anniversary of "The Move." Share with me what you experienced as the Browns' beat reporter during those dark days. Remember, the Browns were coming off a playoff berth and got off to a strong 3-1 start. Plus, Dan Dierdorf and others picked them to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. From high hopes to the unthinkable, please walk us through a little bit of your journey. -- Roddy Keel, Fayetteville, W.Va.
A: Hey, Roddy: Ah, the memories. I could write a book . . . forget it, it wouldn't sell. Nobody likes unhappy endings, publishers have said. It was the worst period of my time on the Browns beat. It was surreal, like a bad dream unfolding. Seeing Art Modell on that podium in the Baltimore parking lot with the Maryland governor . . . please, don't get me started. It was 100 times worse than "The Decision," I know that.
Q: Hey, Tony: How many games has D'Qwell Jackson played vs. how many he's missed, because it seems like he's always hurt? Maybe it only feels that way because his past two injuries are recent but I always associate durability concerns when thinking of him. I remember wondering when he was asking for a new contract why the Browns wouldn't bring up how many games he's missed and how anyone who misses so much time feels he deserves to be treated like Josh Cribbs (and wouldn't you know it . . . he's hurt again). Whatever happened with his contract dispute? -- Brian Pacetti, Raleigh, N.C.
A: Hey, Brian: Until last season, Jackson had missed five games in three years because of injuries. His injury last year played a role in the team's unwillingness to invest long-term in him. But other factors did, too, including the arrival of a new regime who was unfamiliar with him and the uncertainty of the labor situation. Jackson eventually signed his one-year tender for more than $1.5 million. That's not chump change.
Q: Hey, Tony: With the Browns so thin on the right side of the offensive line, in hindsight, don't you think it would have better served if the Browns had went with another lineman instead of Colt McCoy? Or another need? -- Russ Hayes, East Liverpool, Ohio
A: Hey, Russ: Mike Holmgren's philosophy about quarterbacks is you have to draft them every year, bring one in, to see if he can be developed. You really don't know about a guy until you have him for a year. He feels the risk-reward factor is in the team's favor. If you hit on one, you're golden. If not, so what do you lose -- a special teamer? The Browns would not have taken McCoy if Kentucky defensive tackle Corey Peters was still on the board. The Falcons took him two spots earlier.
Q: Hey, Tony: I remember that Jim Brown was in Kellen Winslow's ear quite a bit when he played here. I also remember hearing about him working with Braylon Edwards. And lets not forget the whole Maurice Clarett thing. It seemed like every time he got involved with a problem child and mentored/counseled him, the behavior got worse instead of better. With as much negativity, bitterness and confrontationalism displayed by Jim before his letter and then in his letter, it is very easy to conclude that his mentoring was mostly encouraging similar behavior in those players and that his presence in the locker room and organization was fanning the flames of player discontent instead of helping put them out. His open support of LeBron and how he handled his departure I believe was the final straw for Mike Holmgren. He wanted such a malignant force out of his locker room. With so much talk focusing on the clash of power between Holmgren and Brown and who Brown answered to, I think we are all missing the ship on the real reason his role was drastically cut. And that is that Jim repeatedly endorsed and encouraged some of the locker room headaches we have seen the past few years. All Holmgren did was proactively stop several future locker room cancers from happening and/or being made worse by getting him out of there. I think that is most of if not everything behind the decision to reduce the role he had with the team.
How poorly he handled it is all after the decision was already made. Unless I missed something, I have not heard this angle yet. What are your thoughts? -- Fernando Fernandez, Parma
A: Hey, Fernando: I know for sure the statements on LeBron James had no bearing. Brown was relieved of his duties two months before he made his statements about James and the Cleveland fans. I think it boils down to this: Holmgren wanted to surround himself with men he was comfortable with and he didn't understand the role Brown was given by Randy Lerner. I will say this: I don't know how Holmgren makes that move with Lerner's approval. So if Brown has a beef, it may be with the wrong person.
Q: Hey, Tony: I made this comment on the cleveland.com site (SEPT 1), but wanted to see if you have any thoughts. I appreciate your work . . . "Randy Lerner is the worst kind of manager . . . Incompetent, overwhelmed, ineffective. He has consistently failed to place his team of GMs, coaches, and players in positions to succeed. His lack of leadership has often resulted in unprofessional, he said/she said bickering up and down the organization (see: Butch Davis, Ron Wolf, George Kokinis, Bernie Kosar, etc.). Whether or not you support the Hall of Famer, Jim Brown, and his right to be a part of the team structure, the verbal agreement that added him to Cleveland's amorphous, makeshift chain of command is yet another example of Lerner's Poor Leadership 101. It is without debate that Lerner has presided over a historically bad decade of Browns football. While I do believe that the right pieces are finally in place, I fear that this invisible, ineffective owner will inevitably lead the Dawg Pound nation astray before too long." -- Brian Kling, Saint Augustine, Fla.
A: Hey, Brian: I've made the statement that the Brown fiasco is Holmgren's "welcome to the Cleveland Browns" moment. I just don't see these things happening to the Steelers, Patriots, Eagles, etc.
Q: Hey, Tony: I propose we throw a ticker-tape parade for the Browns in Public Square if they go 2-0 with wins over Tampa Bay and Kansas City. What do you think? -- AJ Johnson, Mayfield Heights
A: Hey, AJ: I'd reserve the parade for a 2-0 record over the Steelers.