A little football, a little baseball, a little basketball ... it's just a typical week of ponderings from the Plain Dealer columnist.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's summertime, and Terry's talkin' ...
About the Browns...
Whether or not defensive backs Joe Haden (left) and T.J. Ward are immediate starters for the Browns this fall, their presence reflects a determination by the team to dramatically buttress the last line of the team's defense, says Terry Pluto.1. Coaches believe depth is the key to this season. They look at cornerback, where Eric Wright, Sheldon Brown and rookie Joe Haden are battling for two spots. They also have used Michael Adams at corner, and Brandon McDonald has received praise for his off-season work. McDonald looks good in these drills because there is no tackling, the accent is on speed. Brown and Haden are more physical cornerbacks, and they will be noticed more once tackling begins.
2. But the key is the options at cornerback. They don't have to rely on McDonald and his soft tackling. They don't have to have Wright on the field for every play. If a cornerback is not fully engaged in practice or film work, he can lose playing time to someone else. They believed Wright and McDonald had developed a sense of entitlement because no one was there to take their jobs. That all has changed.
3. While the Browns believe they have upgraded at safety with rookies Larry Asante and T.J. Ward, they know it remains one of the team's weak spots. That's true even if restricted free agent Abe Elam signs. Asante and Ward have not been disasters in pass coverage, but it's obvious that they are best against the run. Michael Adams is the best cover safety, but they like him as a cornerback and covering slot receivers.
4. Someone needs to remind Elam that he made it from Kent State to the NFL by being a smart guy who fit into the team. He also needs to remember the main reason he has become a starter is this coaching staff believes in him and gave him that chance, first with the Jets and now with the Browns. He has started 33 games as a pro with one interception, three sacks and only seven passes broken up. He is not an impact player, and no one is going to give a restricted free agent in his position a multi-year contract.
5. Linebacker is another area where the Browns seem loaded. They have two respected, legitimate leaders in Scott Fujita and David Bowens. Veteran Eric Barton is back from neck surgery, but the team won't know for certain about his recovery until the tackling begins. Chris Gocong seems made for 3-4 defense. Jason Trusnik has been starting at outside linebacker in place of Matt Roth, the restricted free agent who has not signed. Marcus Benard can rush the quarterback from OLB. The coaches say David Veikune is making progress at inside linebacker.
6. The point is Roth needs to realize that playing six solid games (28 tackles, four sacks) after being claimed on waivers doesn't turn him into Jim Houston or Clay Matthews. Like Elam, he's a restricted free agent and needs to sign the one-year deal and truly establish himself. In five years, Roth has only 29 starts, never more than five sacks in a season.
7. Restricted free agent D'Qwell Jackson simply needs to wake up. The Browns have Fujita, Barton, Bowens and Gocong as legitimate inside linebackers. Yes, they also can play outside. But Jackson is another who needs to sign, because he may not even start on this team. Just like what happened at cornerback to Wright and McDonald, Jackson's world has changed with all the new players who can take his job.
8. On the theme of restricted free agents and depth, given Jerome Harrison credit for being the first unsigned RFA to show up for voluntary workouts. He knows the Browns really do like rookie Montario Hardesty. He knows he had only three big games at the end of last season. He knows big money will come if he can have a strong season. And the coaches love what they see from Harrison, Hardesty and Peyton Hillis in the backfield. Then there's Wildcats Joshua Cribbs and Seneca Wallace, even more power for the running game.
9. One coach said, "I know people don't believe this, but Cribbs keeps working hard at being a receiver, and he'll help us there this season. Never underestimate this guy." The new contract just seems to have inspired Cribbs to work even harder.
10. I mentioned Jonathan Haggerty (6-1, 195 pounds) last week as someone who impressed the coaches. That remains true. The undrafted receiver from Southwestern Oklahoma State (Division II) has been getting a lot of work. ... They also are using third-rounder Shawn Lauvao at center and guard, the idea being to turn him into a lineman such as Rex Hadnot, who could play both spots.
11. The Browns keep stressing to veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme that he doesn't have to make big plays to establish himself. The job is his, just keep the team organized. Stay out of damaging plays and turnovers. Delhomme is a relentless worker, a natural leader. He knows that some people have written the end of his career at the age of 35. So far, the Browns have been pleased with him.
12. In my blog from Thursday's OTA, new tight end Ben Watson was praised for his pass catching. Some fans said, "What's the big deal, he had only 29 catches for New England." Let's look deeper. Five of those catches were for touchdowns. Twenty were for first downs. He caught 29 of 41 passes thrown in his direction. He had two drops.
About the Tribe...
David Huff's quick recovery from being struck by an Alex Rodriguez line drive buoyed his teammates in the Indians dugout, but the team would appreciate some improved pitching nearly as much.1. The good news is lefty David Huff (2-6, 6.08) is remarkably healthy after being struck in the head with a line drive. The bad news is he isn't pitching well, period. In his last six starts, he's been shelled for 43 hits (6 HR) and 25 earned runs in 27 innings. Lefties are batting .320, righties .311. He probably has one more start before serious consideration is given to sending him back to Class AAA Columbus, where Aaron Laffey is being prepared as a starter.
2. At Columbus, Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 4.68) has allowed 12 runs in his last 13 innings, covering two starts. The Indians are working on his motion from the stretch, as he was so slow last season -- making it easy for runners to steal. The best starter has been John Tomlin (5-1, 2.45 ERA). He has allowed 38 hits and 12 walks in 51 innings, which is excellent. He has struck out 32, and generally throws in the high 80s. A problem is lefties (.302), while the right-hander has held righties to a .158 average. He is not overpowering and has never been considered a hot prospect by the Tribe.
3. When Grady Sizemore signed a 6-year, $23.5 million deal in 2007, some agents were critical because the Tribe outfielder delayed free agency by two years. Well, after his season-ending microfracture knee surgery, that contract now looks wise. Consider that Sizemore was paid $4.6 million in 2009 when he batted .248 in 106 injury-marred games. This season, it's .211 in 33 games and knee surgery. He is guaranteed $5.6 million in 2010, $7.5 million in 2011 and the team has an $8.5 million option in 2012.
4. The same was said of Fausto Carmona when he signed a lon-term deal. But when he lost his stuff last season and ended up in the minors, he was paid $2.8 million. He's back this year, making $4.9 million and guaranteed $6 million in 2011. The Indians also have three more club options from 2012-14. Sometimes, it makes sense to take those mega-million dollar contracts early in a career, because players do get hurt or suddenly lose their edge.
5. I recently was critical -- for good reason -- of the Tribe's drafting, especially their No. 1 picks. But there is hope. Brad Grant has run the last two drafts, and his top two picks are already at Class AA Akron. Alex White is 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA, 11 hits, 11 Ks and 4 walks in 19 2/3 innings. Not bad for a guy in his first pro season. The 2008 top pick, Lonnie Chisenhall, batted .325 in April. He developed a sore shoulder, dropped to .193 in May, then rested a few weeks. Since returning, the third baseman is 10-of-25 with two homers.
About three baseball books...
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner will probably never be a sympathetic character in baseball, but a new book has given Terry Pluto some food for thought about the longtime Yankees owner.1. Never was a Reds fan and didn't care much about the Big Red Machine, but Joe Posnanski's account of the 1975 Reds (The Machine) is just a great story to read. Posnanski is a native Clevelander, a terrific writer and makes the most of a big-name cast including Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Sparky Anderson.
2. Nor did I think I'd enjoy a book on George Steinbrenner, but Bill Madden's The Last Lion Of Baseball has so much good stuff and incredible stories, it really is hard to put down. Recently voted into the Hall of Fame, Madden (a New York Daily News writer) covered Steinbrenner for decades. He has all the inside stuff on the Cleveland native who wanted to buy the Indians and ended up with the Yankees.
3. Kent State product Dirk Hayhurst has written a minor-league version of Jim Bouton's Ball Four, called The Baseball Gospels. I just started reading it, but it's a painfully honest look at a pitcher trying to make the majors -- and all the frustrations that come when you're not a high draft pick or hot prospect.
About the Cavaliers ...
1. While the big news is the resignation of General Manager Danny Ferry, the fact remains that the Cavs still need a coach. Assistant general manager Chris Grant -- expected to take over for Ferry -- has been doing most of the work on the coach search. He joined the Cavs with Ferry back in 2005, and was with the Hawks for nine years before that. He tends to see the basketball world much like Ferry, so he would probably prefer a coach who has a strong defensive mindset.
2. Which brings us to Jeff Van Gundy. He doesn't seem to be interested in coaching again, but it's possible he could emerge as a candidate -- especially if owner Dan Gilbert throws a lot of money in his direction. Van Gundy is known for his willingness to challenge his star players, and for stressing defense. Not sure where he stands with LeBron James, other than James seemed to think that the Cavs needed a different personality from Mike Brown. Van Gundy would be that.
3. In his last coaching stop, Van Gundy had some strong regular seasons with Houston, but never made it past the first round in four years. He has turned down several jobs in the last three years, preferring to work for ESPN.
4. Also on the radar screen is Byron Scott, who tends to give teams what is called "a Byron bounce" in the short term. Then the players tend to battle with him. He has a huge supporter in Hornets point guard Chris Paul, whose buddy is James. A former Lakers star, Scott supposedly would prefer that job (and be in line for it) if Phil Jackson quits or leaves after the playoffs. But no one is sure what Jackson will do.
5. Scott has his critics, some mentioning his lack of preparation. There also has been some battles with players and the media. But he did find a way to take the Nets to the Finals (2002, 2003). He won 56 and 49 games in his last two full seasons with the Hornets before being fired after a 3-6 start this season.
6. It doesn't appear Avery Johnson will be a candidate, but he is near the top of the list in New Jersey. In addition to Kelvin Sampson, the Cavs are looking at assistants Elston Turner and Tyrone Corbin. Turner has been trained by Houston coach Rick Adelman. He worked for Adelman for nine years. A former Cavalier role player, Corbin has been an assistant for Utah's Jerry Sloan, and he was interviewed for the New Orleans job.