Author: Staff (Page 7 of 12)

Corner or receiver . . .

University of Alabama quarterback TC McCarney (8) runs for a first down past Louisiana State University cornerback Patrick Peterson (7) during their NCAA football game in Baton Rouge, Louisiana November 6, 2010. LSU won the game 24-21. REUTERS/Sean Gardner (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

Patrick Peterson is getting stiff-armed above, but many consider him to be one of the best players in the 2011 NFL Draft next week. He’s big for a corner, has tremendous ball skills and runs a 4.3.

I think Tom Heckert will take him if he’s there at #3, barring some other big surprises. I suspect the have Marcell Dareus at the top of their board, and he wold be the easy pick if he slid to #6, but that’s not happening. The other big wild card involves the receivers. I suspect both A.J. Green and Julio Jones are high on the Browns’ draft board. If Green and Peterson are both there at #6 (highly unlikely), then the Browns will have a tough decision. Von Miller also has to be high on their board, but he’s expected to be gone as well.

All of the defensive linemen after Dareus seem to have question marks. Robert Quinn seems to be on their radar and Terry Pluto thinks he might be the pick, but I suspect the Browns think they can pick up linemen later and they can’t pass on stud talents like Peterson, Green or Jones.

That said, they might have a chance to trade down depending on what happens with the quarterbacks in the first five picks.

Should the Browns connsider Vernon Gholston?

Everyone is calling Vernon Gholston a bust, and it’s hard to argue with this given that the #6 pick in the draft several years ago was just released by the Jets and he’s yet to record a sack in the NFL.

Yet Gholston deserves another chance as he never got a change to play his natural position of a defensive end in a 4-3.

Ryan and Tannenbaum have consistently praised the efforts of Gholston — who might have been miscast in New York after playing defensive end in Ohio State’s 4-3 alignment — saying he has done everything the coaching staff asked.

Some are ripping the Jets for drafting a “workout warrior,” but every 3-4 takes a risk when they select a college lineman and try to turn him into a linebacker in the NFL, even if he’s primarily going to be a pass rusher.

The Jets tried last year to move Gholston to defensive end, but that’s an end in a 3-4, which is nothing like playing defensive end in a 4-3.

The kid has a good attitude by all accounts, and the Browns are in need of linemen who can fit the 4-3, so it appears that they ought to consider Gholston as a free agent.

LeBron proves again he’s a spoiled child

Miami Heat forward LeBron James watches the action from the bench in the first half against the Charlotte Bobcats in an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 4, 2011. UPI/Nell Redmond

LeBron’s latest, pathetic display of stupidity involves a Twitter war he had with Daniel Gibson. Gibson made some silly comments after his birthday party, and of course the petulant LeBron had to respond.

This guy is so immature it’s mind-boggling. Meanwhile, he managed to choke again down the stretch as the Heat lost to Carmelo and the Knicks. Things don’t look very good for LeBron and his Heat teammates.

Browns release Shaun Rogers and other veterans

New head coach Pat Shurmer is starting to clean house, releases a group of veterans over the age the 30 in an effort to make the team younger. GM Tom Heckert had indicated that the Browns needed to get younger, particularly on defense, even if they stuck with the 3-4 defense. With the move to the 4-3, it probable made it easier to part ways with many in this group.

The Browns’ housecleaning under new coach Pat Shurmur began Wednesday when the team cut six players, including three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and three of Eric Mangini’s former Jets.

In addition to Rogers, the contracts of linebackers Eric Barton and David Bowens, defensive end Kenyon Coleman, right tackle John St. Clair and tight end Robert Royal were terminated. All six were over 30 and Barton, Bowens, and Coleman all played for Mangini in New York.

These guys were mostly good players in their time, but they’re all getting old. Royal was a disaster as a receiver, but he was a good blocker. It wasn’t his fault that Mangini and Daboll kept using him in the passing game.

With this decision, I’m thinking the Browns might be planning on taking advantage of all the quality defensive linemen in the draft this year.

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