A BLOG POST

Browns still suck. Can we please throw the ball downfield. I'm sick of this 5 yard passing crap. I've seen Quinn throw downfield. He does it nicely. Why isn't he? Perhaps the receivers aren't getting open? That certainly wouldn't stop shit-for-brains DA from throwing downfield.

Certainly I don't want Quinn to force passes. But, seriously, this inability to throw downfield has to change. Now. Read the rest of this article

Power Rankings: Make Way For Intangibles

As the Cavs continue their throat slitting tour through the Eastern Conference and the Indians continue to "fade into Bolivian," it seems like an appropriate time to reshuffle the Power Rankings a bit. My first inclination, and one that has been supported by a few members of the CMRC faithful, is to automatically ban all Indians from this list for trying to ruin summer in Cleveland.

As much as I would've liked to act on this impulse out of spite and pettiness, in all fairness, I couldn't do it. Is Sizemore off to a pathetic start hitting .227? Yes. But the power rankings are supposed to be a reflection of the comprehensive feelings that fans have on a daily basis about the players in this city. Cleveland fans might be upset with Grady right now because he strikes out every time he comes to bat, but they still love him, they still haven't forgotten how good he can be, and he's still the second most famous athlete in Cleveland. Similarly, Victor Martinez may be on the verge of irrelevance (at least until we hear his name start popping up in trade rumors), but he's still beloved in this town and he's still hitting at an absurd .374 clip. The fact that he was moved down in the power rankings is more a reflection of the fact that fans will begin to forget about him with the Indians being so terrible, because unlike Sizemore (and rather inexplicably since Victor has twice the personality that Grady has), he doesn't have the star power to keep himself in the Cleveland conscience with the team out of it.

In addition, I had to move Varejao up right now. He's beloved, he's playing insanely good basketball, and this team is starting to build a lasting legacy for itself in this town. The same is true for Delonte who, after months of not being the same guy he was at the beginning of the season, finally appears to be back at full strength. He's playing inspired defense, picking up the scoring load when needed, and endearing himself to the Cavalier faithful. He deserves a spot in these rankings.

Falling off the list is Shaun Rogers, not because of anything he did, but because with Browns fans resigned to the fact that the Browns are going to be bad again this year, nobody is going to give a damn about the veteran players. All of the focus will be on Quinn and our sexy high-octane young rookies like Brian Robiskie and Alex Mack (shaking head).

Just missing this list: Dave Dellucci, Rafael Perez, Lorenzen Wright

That's it for now. GO CELTICS! (and if you don't get why I'm saying that, you don't know the NBA)

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Winslow Trade Thoughts

From my recent trip across the internet message boards it looks like Browns fans are split on the Kellen Winslow trade. Now that the previously undisclosed draft picks have been disclosed to be a 2009 second rounder and a 2010 5th rounder, I'll give my take on the first big move of the new era. And that take is overwhelming support of the move.

Honestly, I think anyone who is against this trade is letting there emotions get in the way of reason. There are two main concerns about this trade. One is that people feel Winslow is our best player and trading him is a sure sign of rebuilding. Two is that Brady Quinn is a young "dink and dunk" passer who needs a great tight end like Winslow to be effective. Let me explain why both of these opinions are incorrect.

First, trading Winslow does NOT mean we are rebuilding. Sure he is the best receiving tight end on the planet. Yet he still managed to drop Quinn's 4th down, game ending pass versus Denver just as if he was any other Browns receiver. Come to think of it, he also dropped a touchdown pass from Quinn against San Francisco in 2007. Winslow's one great ability, to catch passes, is therefore not perfect. And for every drive that Winslow does extend with a great grab, he repeatedly stalls another one with mental errors. I can't count the number of times I lost my voice screaming at the television following a personal foul or false start on Winslow. Not to mention his little problems blocking and staying healthy.

Then there is the depth at tight end on this roster. Steve Heiden could be starting almost anywhere in the league. He seemed more than adequate against the New York Football Giants last season when Winslow was in the hospital. Also, last season we drafted arguably the top receiving tight end in college, Martin Rucker. The drop in talent at tight end will not be noticed in the win-loss column next year.

And for those who think Quinn can only dink and dunk, I say to you that you only think that because you watch DA play, and the only thing he could do was heave it long. If the deep ball is there, Quinn will throw it up and give our guy a chance to make the play. But a qb has to be able to move the chains with long drives to give a defense the chance to rest. Just because Quinn can do something DA couldn't, throw with touch and accuracy to a receiver, doesn't mean it's a bad thing. But I digress. The point of this paragraph was supposed to be that Quinn doesn't need Winslow. As stated above, Heiden is a very gifted tight end and I am fully confident that he will be more than able to fill Winslow's shoes.

This team has too many holes. To trade from a position of strength to acquire assets to fill the weaknesses is exactly what a good GM should do. Winslow's trade value is higher than it will ever be. Obviously ManKok learned from the mistake of the Savage regime when it failed to get value for DA when it had the chance.  On the Tampa Bay message boards, many posts indicated there would be hell to pay if the Bucs gave up more than a 3rd or a 4th rounder.  To get a second and a fifth rounder for this injury prone, penalty prone, malcontent is a steal. The move does not represent a complete rebuild. It is a way to fill the holes on this roster by getting rid of a guy who is injured half his career and is replaceable on the roster.

Now the daunting task of convincing Mr. Rogers to shut up and play ball lies ahead...



PS: I am stunned by the results of the current CMCR poll. The results should have been 100% for trading LeBron for Kobe, Gasol, and Bynum. These are two legit all-star centers and the man LeBron refers to as the best player on the planet. Please, loyal readers, explain to me how you could vote for anything else.

Until next time this is Barry Lakin sayin all the world is schlach.

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Knowing When to Cash In

Earlier this week on Mike and Mike, there was a discussion about knowing when to "cash in" on a player - trading him when his value was highest in the eyes of other teams, but right before his performance falls off the proverbial cliff. The discussion focused on the San Diego Chargers' decision to allow RB Michael Turner to leave as a free agent and sign with the Atlanta Falcons this season, in light of his superior performance to LaDainian Tomlinson. Also addressed was the New England Patriot's upcoming decision with super-sub Matt Cassel and the pending return of All-American dreamboat, Tom Brady.

While I detest the concept of dealing in hypotheticals, what-ifs and revisionary history, in light of the Browns Derek Anderson/Brady Quinn decision last year (rinse and repeat this offseason) and the Kellen Winslow/Martin Rucker situation brewing, I felt that this was something worth examining.


Initially, any argument that could have been made in keeping Turner and moving LT seems laughable at best. LaDainian had over 1900 total yds last season, averaged more than a touchdown per game, and was the consensus number one fantasy pick in almost every neighborhood draft. Turner, on the other hand, rushed for only a little more than 300 yds and 1 Td last year, mostly against defenses in the 4th quarter worn out from missing tackles against Tomlinson earlier in the game. To guess that Turner would do well this season wouldn't have been a stretch, but to predict that Turner would out-LT LT this season would have required Marty McFly's Gray's Sports Almanac from Back to the Future II. Not to mention that had Chargers GM A.J. Smith even entertained an idea of trading LaDainian prior to the season, he would have been torn to shreds by both the fans and the media. Though it has now become the trend, rather than the exception, for star running backs to start breaking down as soon as they hit 30, keeping LT and letting Turner walk was the right decision.

The Brady/Cassel situation is not so clear cut. The Patriots mantra to this point has been that no one player is bigger than the team. Gone are Deion Branch, Asante Samuel and Ty Law, all replaced with cheaper alternatives. But now that Tom Brady, face and leader of the Patriots, has been forced to the sidelines for the season with his knee injury, Matt Cassel has emerged from the shadows in a Bradyesque fashion. In fact, Cassel in his first season starting (3,615 yds, 21 tds and 11 ints through 15 games) has outperformed Brady in his first season (2,843 yds, 18 tds and 12 ints in 15 games). Granted, Brady did not have the benefit of throwing to Randy Moss and was taking over a vastly different team. But the question remains, would it make sense to try to move Brady for "hypothetically" two number first round draft picks, while signing Cassel to a contract at a much reduced rate than what Brady is currently getting?

Knowing that the same people who would chastise a GM for trading LT would be about ten times more upset for trading Brady, the idea of clearing cap space and filling several holes at once has
to appeal to a coach like Bill Belichick (who seems to believe he put any player into any role and have it succeed). While it's just as likely that Cassel is a product of the Patriots system (a la any Denver Broncos running back), and is more likely to turn out to be the next Scott Mitchell than Brady - GMs are paid to pull the trigger and make decisions in the best interest of the team winning both presently and in the future, even when potentially unpopular. Mark Shapiro knew this when he made the widely hated move to trade Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips - now considered to be the pinnacle acquisition of his career.

Phil Savage had the opportunity to make such a splash and cash in on Derek Anderson's success last season - trading him after his surprising performance and handing over the reigns to Brady Quinn. While the difference between Anderson and Quinn is not nearly as big as the difference between Brady and Cassel - Savage had the chance to move Anderson when his value was as high as it ever was going to be - filing several holes at once. Instead, Savage made the decision to keep Anderson (which I agreed with at the time - and still do to some extent - perhaps why I'm not the GM) forcing the Browns into uncomfortable situation of having gone from a team with two potential solid quarterbacks, to a team unaware of the full capabilities of either at the position.

Even worse, it has become almost impossible to move Anderson during this offseason unless the team is willing to receive 50 cents on the dollar, accepting a far inferior pick than what they would have received for Anderson last year. Essentially, Savage has taken his giant stack of chips, cut it an half and now has to decide if he's willing to go all-in and pick up Anderson's pricey $5 million dollar option in March.

Ironically, Savage has the opportunity to learn from his past mistake and move Kellen Winslow during the offseason (assuming Savage remains as GM). Despite playing below his Pro Bowl level of last season, Kellen remains an attractive option to other teams looking for a play maker at tight end. His value remains nearly as high as it ever has been. When healthy, Kellen has shown that he is among the leagues elite at the tight end position. Teams see the strife that has arisen between Winslow and the Browns and know that they have the potential to "steal" a quality player from us.

However, these teams might be blinded to the fact the Winslow might have already fallen off the cliff. With the combined effects of the motorcycle accident, the broken leg and this year's staph scare, one has to wonder how much longer Kellen has in him. Added with Kellen's desire to get a new contract - moving Winslow now might be the best thing for the team for the long term. Even if Kellen has one or two more standout years in him - the tight end position remains among the deepest on the Browns, with Heiden, Rucker and Dinkins. Turning Winslow's perceived value into several other valuable players benefits in the Browns more so in the long run. Especially if Rucker turns out to be the pass catching tight end he is advertised to be. (I also don't think the drop between Heiden and Winslow would be as drastic as some might think).

While, trading Winslow would not be as unpopular move as trading LT or Brady would be, it obviously could result in fan backlash (like during the Colon trade). Winslow plays hard whenever he's actually out on the field and he makes big receptions. However, if a team were willing to give us a second and a fifth rounder for Winslow, like the Saints gave up to acquire Shockey, I'd have to think long and hard about making such a move. While it might not be Sizemore and Lee - the Browns need to think about filing some holes on the defensive side of the ball.

In a league like an NFL, when stars turn into veterans who cannot latch on to a team in the span of a season (Shaun Alexander) and nobodies step up to become MVPs (Kurt Warner) - pulling the trigger at the right point can be the difference between a 10 win season and a 4 win season. Savage, or whoever is the GM of the Browns next season needs to maximize our stack - multiply our chips and make the moves to get us to the top. Read the rest of this article

I Don't Mean to Alarm You But . . .

Well it appears that Berea has taken one more giant step toward becoming the Chernobyl of the NFL today and it has nothing to do with the team's inspired effort on the field.

Per profootballtalk.com:

We got a tip this morning from a reader about a possible altercation in Cleveland. And so we started contacting some of our sources, and the current indication is that something indeed happened.

One source said that the rumor in the locker room is that one player hit another player with a weight, and that the player who was on the receiving end of said weight might have been quarterback Brady Quinn.

So let me get this straight. In the last few weeks, our General Manager has told a fan to fuck off, our star receiver has told the entire city that they think they're entitled to too much, and now, apparently, our potential franchise quarterback (and one of the few guys not yet covered with the heinous stench of this organization) has been hit in the face by another player with a weight. Soak that all in for a moment. That's some operation they're running over there isn't it? I can't wait to see what they have in store for us next. Maybe Joe Thomas can burn down the Cleveland Clinic while Josh Cribbs is inside getting treatment for a staph infection. At this point, if that happened, I would be mildly surprised. I might react by saying something like "Wow, I didn't see that one coming but I guess anything is possible with this group."

Obviously, this story has not been verified (I'm talking about the locker room skirmish, not my imaginary arson/homicide), but, if there is any remote amount of truth to it, even if the player on the business end of the blunt object was someone other than Quinn, it raises serious questions about every single member of the organization.

I knew when the Browns decided that it was a good idea to play out the season with a 61 year old lame duck head coach, they might have some player discipline problems but this is just downright impressive. It's almost as if the Browns aren't even attempting to keep things respectable. Is anyone guarding the henhouse right now? Obviously Romeo isn't but what about Savage? I was under the impression that he still thinks he's entitled to continue running the organization. Quite a case he's making for himself right now.

A month and a half ago, the Browns were a nice little fixer-upper. They obviously had some problems but there was still some talent in place for someone to come in and turn things around. Now?... I would characterize them as more of a radioactive wasteland. Before laying the first brick in the rebuilding process, the new regime is now going to have to come in with hazmat suits and clean this disaster up.

Happy Holidays Browns fans...if there are any of you left out there.

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KenBot?

Introducing the starting quarterback for your Cleveland Browns-Ken Dorsey.

The man on the team to be more of an assistant qb coach than player is now under center for the remaining games of the regular season thanks to injuries to both Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. This is like the Cavs throwing Eric Snow into a ball game because Mo, Delonte, and Boobie all get hurt, only Snow was actually decent at one point in his career.

I guess Phil Savage may have been correct to keep two "starting caliber quarterbacks" on the roster this year instead of letting DA go for a 1 and a 3. Both quarterbacks are now out for the year. If we had been in playoff contention, as expected, it would have mattered. In fact, maybe we should keep both qbs again next year and draft Tim Tebow in the first round in case they both get injured again. We already know Tebow looks great in an orange helmet. Maybe Tebow can coach, too. He certainly brings more enthusiasm to each game than Romeo has brought in his entire career.

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Quinn's In

At first I was angered that the Browns throw Quinn into the fire on a short week, with the Broncos game on Thursday night. It's like Romeo is trying to make Quinn fail by giving him such little preparation time.

Then I began to see another side of the picture. The Broncos are a bad defensive team. If DA played Thursday and succeeded against this bad defense then we couldn't get Quinn in the next game. Also, the short week provides a built in excuse if Quinn does perform poorly this week. It is a way to protect both Quinn, and the decision of the franchise in making the switch, in case it doesn't work out right away.

After this early game Thursday, Quinn will have 10 days to prepare for his second game.

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