Ace Davis' Weblog

March 2009 - Posts

• Sandwich Browns

  At the risk of treating a player like "a piece of meat," I bring you this list of "sandwich" Browns, those who have taken two tours in Cleveland, interrupted by a stint with at least one other team. Quality standards require sandwichers to have played in at least one regular season game at each stop, so incoming CB Corey Ivy, a 2000 training camp cut, doesn't make the grade. Nor does Gern Nagler, a 1953 Browns draftee who didn't take the field in brown and orange until 1960. Newly-signed David Patten, if he sticks on the '09 roster (a solid bet, given the current WR depth chart), would be the first player to return after leaving the "new" Browns. (Jereme Perry didn't quite cut it last summer.) So best as I can slice it, here's the all-time Browns sandwich board: Paul Warfield Ernest Byner "Turkey" Joe Jones Jim Ninowski Jack Gregory Mike Baab Jerry Ball Orlando "Zeus" Brown Antonio Langham. Posted Mar 24 2009, 07:25 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: transactions, history

• New regime churn rate

  The sole remaining Brown acquired in the PHD era (2001-04) was one of his most ridiculed choices, long snapper Ryan Pontbriand. The last pre-Butch player is kicker Phil Dawson. It's natural that a roster turns over as players age and as new regimes gain control of player selection. But how much churn is too much? I pored over the opening day rosters for the first games of the previous two regimes to see how many of those 53 men were brand new to the Browns. In Butch Davis' first game in 2001, the figure was 24 (45% of the roster). That included nine of the 22 starters, three of whom were rookies. In the Savage/Crennel debut in 2005, 27 Browns (51%) were new to the team if not the league. That included eight starters (no rookies). So it's fair to guesstimate that in September Mangini's first Browns club will be about half new. A third at the least. In this season of churn -- each vet cut to save his roster bonus, each comfortable little depth signing, each possible first-day draftee -- we can hope each sometimes strange move might trend again with more wins, as the '01 Browns went from 3 to 7 wins and the '05 bunch gained by two to win 6. Posted Mar 18 2009, 08:33 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today, stats, history

• King's treat

  Steve King, now writing for the OBR, types a tremendous piece, Deja Bill, among the best Browns articles I've ever read. Useful connections attach two generations and set the stage for Eric Mangini's turn as the Browns' head coach. Apt conclusion too: "And considering how similar Eric Mangini is to Bill Belichick, then and now, that’s a good thing. You just never know what else -- or who -- may fall off." Posted Mar 16 2009, 02:56 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today, history

• The fifth pick: Junkin territory

  I've made my pick in the updated version of the Interblog Mock Draft, featuring bloggers representing each team. Unlike last time, when I drafted Curry and Clay with the Browns' first two picks, I have my misgivings. Plus, I made my pick before the latest shenanigans, including Kevin Shaffer's release, so maybe I'd better brush up on those tackles after all. Anyway, here's my write-up: 5. Browns - Malcolm Jenkins (DB) Ohio State Cleveland has needs aplenty, and I would've taken Curry or Crabtree here in a heartbeat. I'm not thrilled about the remaining options for this high-stakes pick. This draft seems pretty deep but not front-loaded with difference-makers near the top. Maybe some team jonesing for a quarterback would trade up here, but I'm not banking on it. The past decade's Browns have been the first team to take a QB, DE, DT, RB, C, TE, WR, OT, and even long snapper in their respective drafts. This year, the linebacking needs are legion, but I'm not sold on Orapko, Brown, or the USC trio quite this high. Orapko, the Texas tweener, might help mount a pass rush, but his injury history scares me. So I'll settle for the nation's best defensive back (and no, I am not and have never been a Buckeye fan) and debate later whether he'll be a cornerstone cover guy or a slick safety. Truth is, the Browns need both. Posted Mar 15 2009, 06:23 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: draft

• You say Poteat, oh?

  Browns teams of recent years have featured certain repeated stock characters. These include the Illusory Rookie Rushing Phenom (Hill, Prentice, Gay, Green, Barclay, Thomas), the Receiver Who Used To Be A Quarterback (KJ, Frisman, Alston, Cribbs), the Special Teams "Demon" Who Lacked At Linebacker (Lenoy Jones, Brant Boyer, Mason Unck, Kris Griffin) and the Thirty-Something Fill-In Cornerback. Playing the part in the latter category -- following in the lost footsteps of Antonio Langham, Ray Mickens, Ralph Brown, Kenny Wright, and Terry Cousin -- will be Hank Poteat, formerly seen as the foremost victim of Kelly Holcomb's 429-yard aerial effort in the Browns' sole playoff game of the decade. The significance of this signing? On a roster without a single Bill, James, Tom, Dan, or Mark, (or Ty, for that matter) your 2009 Cleveland Browns will sport a spiffy pair of Hanks, born just three weeks apart. I'm being patient, but I can't help hankering for something more. Posted Mar 10 2009, 05:33 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today, transactions