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Status of the RG3 sweepstakes

March 4, 2012 /
Robert Griffin III. UPI/John Angelillo

Rumors are all over the place when it comes to Robert Griffin III and possible trade partners for the St. Louis Rams for the #2 pick in the NFL Draft. Some of the speculation has gotten out of control, but everyone needs to keep in mind that free agency will have a huge impact on the RG3 market, and that the Rams might need to make this deal as soon as possible, as their leverage with teams like Cleveland and Washington might dry up as players like Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn hit the market.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a helpful update of the status of the trade talks.

So far, however, the quarterback-needy teams don’t seem to be in a hurry to get Griffin. They might be waiting to see what happens with Manning, Flynn and the others. They might be waiting to do their due diligence and watch Griffin throw at his pro day March 21.

In the meantime, the Rams are talking and will continue to talk with potential trade partners. According to league sources, this was the trade landscape entering the weekend:

• Cleveland (No. 4 pick): The Browns are unwilling at this point to include their second first-round pick, No. 22, as part of any trade package with the Rams.

• Washington (No. 6): The Redskins appear willing to trade their first-round pick next year, as well as their No. 6 overall pick this year. But they aren’t willing to include their second-rounder this year, which isn’t acceptable to the Rams.

• Miami (No. 8): This one appears to be dead in the water, somewhere off Florida’s Gold Coast. After losing the tug-of-war for coach Jeff Fisher, the Dolphins aren’t eager to do business with the Rams — or do the Rams any favors.

• Seattle (No. 12): No chance. The last thing the Rams want to do is send RG3 to a division rival and face him twice a year. The same applies for Arizona, which picks 13th.

I’ll be surprised if a team like the Browns is able to snag the #2 pick without including their extra first-round selection in this year’s draft (#22 overall), but anything is possible if the other suitors go with other options.

This column does throw cold water on some of the reports out there that the Redskins were making a ridiculous offer for the pick, and the Browns are clearly being cautious or coy here.

RG3 blew everyone away at the Combine, and there’s every reason to expect him to impress on his pro day as well, but it’s hard to imagine teams giving up the farm for the #2 pick without watching this kid throw in person. A pre-draft draft is still very possible, but the Rams may have to wait as Thomas explains in his article.

Hat tip: Hiram Boyd

Cleveland Browns

RG3 impresses at the combine

February 26, 2012 /
Baylor University quarterback Robert Griffin III. (UPI Photo/Ian Halperin)

The buzz keeps building. Robert Griffin III measured at 6′ and 2 and 3/8″ and then blew away the field with a 4.38 time in the 40. It’s not quite as fast as the rumored 40-imes for Micheal Vick, but it still confirms RG3’s amazing athletic ability. (Official time later reported to be 4.41 – still fast!)

He’s also impressing everyone in his interviews as well, which isn’t a surprise.

The key question now is what will it take for the Browns to get him.

Cleveland Browns

Bill Simmons puts Anderson Varejao on his NBA All-Star Team

February 10, 2012 /
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Anderson Varejao. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk/Files (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

Anderson Varejao was snubbed for the NBA All-Star Team this year despite his impressive season, but Bill Simmons argues that Varejao would be a starter on his team.

As for that fifth spot: I love the way Varejao is playing this season … and if you enjoy guys who put up 11 points and 12 rebounds every night, grab every big rebound in traffic, take monster charges again and again and shut down opposing big guys, you should, too. Isn’t the whole point of the All-Star Game to pick players who are playing as well as they can possibly play? I never watch Chris Bosh and say, “Whoa, Chris Bosh! He’s something! He’s really turned it on!” Why do I have to pick Bosh as a starter again? And also, why should THREE Miami Heat players be starting on the All-Star team? You don’t find this a little kooky? Are they the ’96 Bulls or something? Please. Besides, Varejao has been more of an impact player this year — he’s the best at what he does, and that’s saying something. You win with what he does.

Varejao is fourth in the league in rebounding.

Yet if you follow Cavs fans on Twitter, there’s still a vocal group who argues that Varejao is overrated. I remember one guy saying that Samardo Samuels and Ryan Hollins were better players.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Will the Browns consider Quinton Coples at #4?

January 28, 2012 /

Todd McShay has some observations from the Senior Bowl at ESPN.com in the Insider area (you need a password). He’s high on Quentin Couples and thinks the Browns might look at him at #4.

North Carolina DE Quinton Coples (Scouts Inc. grade: 95)
Coples (6-foot-5¾, 281 pounds) did not have his best season in 2011, failing to play with the consistent aggressiveness we saw on his junior tape from 2010. That’s not to say he was dogging it, just that his motor wasn’t running in its highest gear at all times. That has raised some concerns about the work ethic he’ll show at the next level, but if a team can get him to work hard, Coples can be an elite difference-maker along the defensive front.

He’s a versatile lineman who can be disruptive as an interior pass-rusher. Although Coples doesn’t have elite top-end speed, he showed the ability this week to set up offensive tackles with his hands, using his initial quickness to get into power moves and flashing quickness and fluidity on both inside and outside pass-rush moves.

Coples also has the long arms and upper-body strength to be effective against the run, and he’s one of the top three or four natural talents in this year’s class. Depending on how things shake out with the top quarterbacks on the board, Coples likely won’t last long past the Cleveland Browns at No. 4 or the Washington Redskins at No. 6, where he would find his best fit as a 4-3 defensive end.

Coples would be an amazing bookend opposite Jabaal Sheard on the defensive line for the Browns, so this has to be a consideration for Tom Heckert. If the Browns can land a another premiere defensive end in this draft or in free agency, then they’re on their way to having a New York Giants-type defense that can pressure the quarterback without relying on the blitz. The motor issue has to be the big question mark here, but this is where Heckert earns his money.

McShay goes on to describe two more DE prospects in South Carolina DE/OLB Melvin Ingram and Alabama DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw. McShay likes Ingram a little better but thinks both can be excellent pass rushers in the NFL. Both could easily be gone when the Browns draft at the #22 spot with their Atlanta pick, but McShay suggests that Upshaw might be there if he drops a little.

McShay also loves North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins used to play at Florida until he was kicked off the team, so there are some character issues. He stands out as an elite talent at corner, and we might see the Browns grab him if he lasts until the 2nd round if his former teammate Joe Haden supports him and he convinces the Browns that he’s matured.

Cleveland Browns

Browns hire Brad Childress

January 28, 2012 /
Brad Childress. REUTERS/Eric Miller (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

Other than a few angry people masquerading as “experts” on sports talk radio, most people seem satisfied with the decision by the Browns to bring in Brad Childress as the new offensive coordinator. The guy is clearly an expert in the West Coast Offense, and he’s been a part of very successful teams with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings over the years.

The perpetual critics will always be able to point to something in his record that supports their assertion that this hire is a “disaster.” He’s also known as “Chilly” for his sometimes tough demeanor. That, of course, misses the point. Pat Shurmur worked with him in Philly, so he obviously feels the two can work well together.

None of us know whether this will work out. Sometimes a young, innovative coach is the answer. Other times, an experienced guy like Childress who also has head coaching experience can be a great fit. Fans, writers and radio big-mouths will all have their opinions, but at some level it’s appropriate to give the organization the benefit of the doubt, even if they are coming off a bad season. Organizations take time to build, and I see Mike Holmgren putting together a good group of professionals who are all on the same page. Some might scream about irrelevant facts, like how these guys all share the same agent, but I don’t care about that at all if these guys can build an organization that is built to last.

Andy Reid is biased of course, but Mary Kay Cabot got some good quotes from him on this situation:

“Pat’s a heck of a play-caller, and Brad’s a heck of a play-caller, and I think that’s a heck of a combination,” Reid told The Plain Dealer. “Both of them can bounce things off of each other. That’s what Brad did here with me, and that’s what Pat did here with me. So, whether I was calling the plays or they were calling the plays, we had an open communication where we could talk and make the best of whatever situation there was.”

Childress, a former Minnesota Vikings head coach, was hired by the Browns on Friday to be the first offensive coordinator under Shurmur, who called his own plays last season. Shurmur and Childress spent seven years together under Reid in Philadelphia, going 70-42 in those years with four trips to the NFC Championship Game and one appearance in the Super Bowl, a loss to New England.

Shurmur will retain play-calling duties for now, but the two will have plenty of discussions about that, and nothing has been finalized yet, an NFL source said. Shurmur said during his season-ending news conference that he’d relinquish the play-calling duties if the right person came along.

“They were a great combo for me here, and we sure won a lot of games with those two at the helm of my offense here, and so I wouldn’t expect anything different,” said Reid, who ran the same West Coast offense the Browns have in place. “They work very well together, and it’s a great fit. The Cleveland Browns are getting a great person, No. 1, and a tremendous football coach. He’s got a great football mind, and he has a great relationship with Pat. It’s a win-win all the way around.”

Reid cited the tremendous job Childress and Shurmur did with quarterback Donovan McNabb, who went to three Pro Bowls with Childress as quarterbacks coach and three more with Shurmur in that capacity.

“They did a phenomenal job with Donovan,” said Reid. “Brad had Donovan when he was young, and Pat had him when he was a little older, and Brad never lost his relationship with Donovan when he became the coordinator. The two of them developed him very well. He was a great player, but they did a heck of a job with him.”

Reid is confident they’ll have the same impact on quarterback Colt McCoy, if the Browns decide to stick with him.
“Both of them understand it takes four years for a quarterback to fully mature or get close to full maturing in the NFL,” said Reid. “It’s not a bang-bang thing that happens overnight. They understand how to go through that process and how to teach quarterbacks and when to be a little tough on them and when you need to back off. They both have a great feel for that.”

Reid highlights many points that we all should understand. Coaching is about teamwork, and it’s critical that people can work together. Mike Holmgren stresses this all the time, and it’s also important that the coaches work well with the scouts and GM.

I want the Browns to build an organization that has continuity and that can rival the organizations in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. We’ll see how Childress works out, but he’s another expert in the system that this organization believes in. That’s a real positive to build on.

Cleveland Browns

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