The plan is for the Browns to slowly work the rookies in the secondary into the lineup this season, Terry Pluto writes.
ABOUT THE BROWNS . . .
Here are some things I don't know will happen, but what I think will happen:
1. First-rounder Joe Haden will not be one of the starting cornerbacks. The Browns will work him in gradually in nickel and dime coverages. They'll go with veterans Eric Wright and Sheldon Brown at cornerback, with Haden the main backup.
The Browns plan to ease No. 1 pick Joe Haden and the other rookies in the secondary into the lineup this season.2. The Browns say they love Michael Adams on special teams, and every year he plays more in the defensive backfield than planned. That won't change this season. In fact, he could play a lot of safety.
3. Rookie safeties T.J. Ward and Larry Asante will deliver huge hits, but both will worry the coaches when it comes to pass coverage. That's why Adams will be important.
4. At some point, coach Eric Mangini will have to sit down with Jerome Harrison and assure the running back that he remains in the plans -- especially if rookie Montario Hardesty continues to play well. Mangini should talk to Harrison at the start of camp and explain how he likes to use two running backs, pulling out stats from his seasons coaching the Jets.
5. Ben Watson will look like Ozzie Newsome compared with what Browns fans watched at tight end last season. Not that he's a Hall of Famer, but the tight ends (other than Evan Moore) were so bad trying to catch the ball.
6. Last year's starting tight end, Robert Royal, had 11 catches and six drops! Ouch! No wonder he was open so often. Watson had 29 catches for New England, only three drops. He also caught five TD passes. The Browns have added veteran Alex Smith, but he had only three catches for the Eagles last season.
7. Speaking of drops, the Browns' leaders were Mohamed Massaquoi (seven), Chansi Stuckey (seven total, five with Browns), Harrison (seven) and Royal. They simply must do a better job hanging on to the ball, because Stats Inc. is very forgiving when it comes to counting drops. It has to be a very, very bad drop!
8. Veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme will need a reliable tight end as a receiver, so Watson and Moore will be valuable. Delhomme will have an early-season game where he throws a couple of interceptions. How he reacts to that the next week will determine his season, because he had trouble bouncing back from a poor performance in 2009.
9. Shaun Rogers will be unhappy about something, be it moving to end or something else. If the Browns handle the situation correctly, Rogers will then have a good season.
10. D'Qwell Jackson will either have a career year, or he will fade. With all the competition at linebacker, a normal Jackson season will not be enough for him to consistently start. Chris Gocong could take Jackson's spot at inside linebacker.
11. Despite adding Tony Pashos and rookie Shawn Lauvao, there still will be concerns about the right side of the offensive line where Porkchop Womack and John St. Clair are the returning starters.
12. Brian Robiskie's strong play in the spring will carry over to the fall. He will be a viable, possession receiver. Massaquoi averaged 18.4 yards per catch, and has the capacity to be a big-play receiver. He will get his chance, because the Browns have no one else.
13. There will be some nice training camp stories about low-round draft picks Clifton Geathers and Carlton Mitchell, but you won't hear much about them during the regular season.
14. Fans will want the Browns to run the wildcat more with Joshua Cribbs, and for good reason. He will be productive again.
15. Seneca Wallace will fill in for Delhomme at some point, play well, and the fans will want him to start.
About the Tribe ...
1. The Indians have been encouraged by the recent play of Michael Brantley, who hit .353 (.893 OPS) in June with the Columbus Clippers. In 102 at-bats, he had five doubles, a triple and a homer as he started to show more power. His on-base percentage was .415, and he was 7-of-9 in steals. That's the kind of performance the Indians want from their future leadoff man.
2. The 23-year-old Brantley is close to being promoted. Heading into the weekend, he's hitting .316 (.797 OPS) with three HRs and 26 RBI, 11-of-15 in steals. Brantley is hitting .351 vs. right-handers, but the lefty hitter is at .227 (15-of-66) vs. lefties. It's time to put him in center and let him lead off. The Indians believe Trevor Crowe can help as an extra outfielder and pinch runner, but he's not a starter.
3. It seems Brantley should be in Cleveland by July 15, the All-Star break. Carlos Carrasco also might receive a promotion, although if Aaron Laffey continues to pitch well, that might not be at the All-Star break. If the Indians keep Austin Kearns in left field, they'll create room for Brantley by returning Shelley Duncan or Andy Marte to the minors. Right now, it could be Marte, because the Tribe has Jayson Nix, who can be a backup at third. They have been happy with Duncan as a backup.
4. While some teams have asked about Jake Westbrook in a trade, the Indians have said "it has to be a compelling trade" to move him. They are sending out messages that they don't simply intend to dump Westbrook's salary (about $6 million left on his contract).
5. It's amazing the Indians were able to trade Russell Branyan for anything of value, given Branyan's age (35), bad back, strikeouts and horrible fielding (ranked last in zone rating) at first base. But they received two decent prospects from Seattle. In terms of money, they might have to pay his $500,000 buyout for 2011, but that's it.
6. Seattle sent Ezequiel Carrera, a 23-year-old outfielder to the Tribe. He won the Class AA Southern League batting title in 2009 by hitting .337. He doesn't have much power, and was hitting .268 (.654 OPS) at Class AAA Tacoma. After the trade, Baseball America wrote: "Carrera can really run and defend all three outfield spots. . . . His pesky, slap-and-dash approach has contributed to a career .297/.388/.388 batting line (including 86 stolen bases at a 72-percent success rate) over 1,221 at-bats in the U.S. minors. . . . He best profiles as a capable reserve outfielder on a good team."
7. The other player is 21-year-old shortstop Juan Diaz, batting .295 at Class A High Desert. Baseball America wrote: "The switch-hitter . . . [is] a capable defender at shortstop . . . a bit of a sleeper prospect. . . . Diaz makes the routine plays and sports above-average arm strength. He's still growing into his 6-3 frame, so it's an open question as to whether he can remain at the position. . . . The Mariners had singled him out for his enhanced ability to drive the ball."
8. There have been no trade talks about Kerry Wood. Surprisingly, there hasn't been much interest in Kearns, who seems like a solid outfielder for a contender.
ABOUT THE BROWNS AND FAN SERVICE . . .
1. Once upon a time, the Browns had a waiting list for season tickets. No more. And once upon a time, it may have seemed the Browns were taking their fans for granted. They say that no longer is the case, as Bryan Wiedmeier, the new executive vice president of business operations, is making a major effort to not only sell more tickets, but increase fan satisfaction.
2. When the Browns returned in 1999, it was a civic movement to sell tickets and luxury suites to support the expansion franchise. Many of those deals were for 10 years. They have expired. In the meantime, the Browns have the NFL's second-worst record (after Detroit) since 1999. LeBron James came to the Cavs in 2003, and lots of corporate dollars flowed in that direction. James also grabbed the attention of the casual Cleveland sports fan.
3. At their peak following the return, the Browns sold more than 61,000 season tickets. That was a few years ago. They dropped below 55,000 last year. While the Browns are confident they will sell enough tickets for every home game to avoid a TV blackout, it's obvious they are working hard for new customers.
4. The Browns have kept their ticket prices down, by NFL standards. They rank between 28th and 30th, depending on which survey you use. They have raised their ticket prices only once (2008) in the past four years. They have increased their ticket sales force from about six to 24. They have added eight people to their guest-service department, their main job being to help season-ticket holders. Each season-ticket holder should soon be receiving the name and contact number of an agent the team has assigned to help them.
5. The Browns want to hear from fans about what they can do better on game days, with tickets, etc. Please, don't write, "Win more games." Don't send suggestions about coaching, quarterbacks, etc. This is an attempt to connect with fans about how the Browns can improve on the business side. E-mail: suggestions@clevelandbrowns.com
6. On the subject of fans, I will be speaking at Brook Park Public Library on Engle Road, Thursday at 7 p.m. Admission is free.