July 01, 2008
So Kevin Jones reversed course at the last minute and worked out in front of four NFL teams Saturday: Detroit, Miami, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh. Cleveland reportedly asked for a tape of the proceedings. Now it appears Tampa is in the mix or at least Jones is interested in them. I touched on the topic in my minicamp notes some, but here is what we know about Jones.
Continue reading "The latest in Kevin Jones" »
June 13, 2008
1. Kellen Winslow's recovery is going just fine, thank you. He'll be ready for camp.
2. Joe Jurevicius may not be ready for the season. If that helps anyone, it could be Winslow and Donte Stallworth, who figure to see more targets.
3. Brady Quinn has some wheels. He reportedly out-ran linebacker Leon Williams for 40 yards down the field.
4. Browns line has great depth, but they won't have the upside of LeCharles Bentley's return. Something tells me he's not going to make them regret releasing him.
May 22, 2008
Let's start this Thursday morning with a check on our last reader decision: Kellen Winslow vs. Jason Witten.
Witten won in a landslide. While I agree, it's worth keeping in mind that Winslow topped 1,100 yards in a season that often would be the best among tight ends. Throw in Antonio Gates, and I think there is a big gap this year between the top-three tight ends and the rest of the pack. While I will be happy to take someone like Owen Daniels or Todd Heap at the right spot, I think the "big three" will be a better value in the middle rounds than players like Tony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark, who may only go a round later.
Winslow has missed OTA work this offseason, but Drew Rosenhaus says he'll be there for the mandatory work.
May 16, 2008
Okay, we've got the results from the last two player matchups. In a surprise (to me), Heath Miller edged out Jeremy Shockey, with Vernon Davis finishing a relatively close third. Wes Welker also trashed Roy Williams in their head-to-head matchup.
Today's battle will go back to tight ends one more time. I'm going to take Antonio Gates out of the discussion because of his foot surgery. If he's ready to play Week 1, he's number one in my rankings. We'll see how that plays out.
Continue reading "Winslow vs. Witten" »
May 06, 2008
Another great job with the Grant vs. Barber debate. With some precincts still hanging, Grant holds a one vote lead. Let's stick with running backs, moving into the RB2 territory.
Fantasy owners have been waiting for Michael Turner to become a primary back for years; then he got stuck in Atlanta. He's good, but he's never topped 100 carries before and he's going to have to carry a bad offense. Lewis turned around a severe decline last year, and he certainly plays on a great offense. But the schedule gets harder this year and he will be ranked higher than any back with more than 2,000 career carries except LT2. So let me know your pick: Do you hope for one more good year from Lewis or chase the upside of Turner?
May 02, 2008
If it seems like I'm leaning on you guys more than ever while preparing this magazine, well, it's because I believe in the wisdom of the Pancake Blocks crowd. I love getting informed opinion to consider when making tough choices. It doesn't mean I go along with it all of course, but I do value it highly.
One of the toughest decisions I'm wrestling with currently is near the top of my receiver rankings. I won't say exactly where, but the battle is between Braylon Edwards and Andre Johnson. My gut says one thing, my numbers say another. They are both true game-breakers who have put themselves firmly among the receiver elite. But if you're on the clock today, who are you taking?
April 07, 2008
Derek Anderson is not going to lose his starting job in training camp, but the presence of Brady Quinn makes him a difficult 2008 projection. Without Quinn, and with Donte Stallworth added to an impressive receiver mix, Anderson would likely project as a top-7 quarterback.
With Quinn and such a short track record, Anderson becomes a riskier QB1 than most think. The schedule, for one, gets a lot more difficult.
So where would you rank Anderson? He's certainly after the top-five, but does he go below guys like Matt Hasselbeck, Donovan McNabb, Jay Cutler, and Marc Bulger outside the top ten?
March 02, 2008
It's amazing how much a 697-yard season and some Rosenhaus magic can rehab your value. No one wanted Donte Stallworth last offseason, but that was largely due to some concerns about a positive drug test.
After fitting in to the Patriots system, but hardly shining, Stallworth was rewarded by the Browns with a seven-year, $35 million deal. That gives Rosenhaus a nice talking point with future clients, but the key number is $17 million for Stallworth over the first four years - much more reasonable.
Continue reading "Nikko finds a home" »
March 01, 2008
With my wife out of town, Pancake Blocks is back to the working weekend. The action has slowed on Day two of free agency, but not by that much. Let's take a look at what's transpired since I last checked in here.
While Randy Moss might be frustrated, no other teams have stepped up to the plate. I can't think of many fits to be honest. Jacksonville made the most sense, but they are out of it following the Jerry Porter signing. Philadelphia, Denver, and Washington sound like fits but no contact has been reported. Which is possibly what is frustrating Moss. It reminds me of when Adam Vinatieri had no takers for a while because everyone assumed he'd return to New England.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Moss hanging around" »
February 22, 2008
If peeing in your pants was cool, this guy's Miles Davis.
I didn't nail Jamal Lewis' contract exactly, but it sounds about right if he only plays the first two years.
Continue reading "Skinny Posts: Combine" »
February 21, 2008
The running backs continue to stay put. On the heels of Justin Fargas and Travis Henry staying with their teams, Jamal Lewis has decided to re-up with the Browns.
In a deep year for backs in the draft, it made sense for Lewis to re-sign. Cleveland's offensive line will make Lewis look like a better player than he really is, just like Derek Anderson. He wasn't going to get a huge deal elsewhere.
Continue reading "Jamal Lewis shows good vision" »
February 20, 2008
I was set to post my free agency primer for quarterbacks later today, but I'll need to do some serious editing. That's because the top name on the market isn't going to make it there. Derek Anderson and the Browns are focusing on negotiating a three-year contract and GM Phil Savage is confident a deal will be reached. This concession from Anderson, who originally wanted a longer deal, should keep him in Cleveland through 2008 and possibly beyond.
Continue reading "Anderson should keep Quinn on bench" »
February 08, 2008
The Pro Bowl means very little to the general public, but it means a lot to the players. Take Kellen Winslow, who is participating in the game despite impending knee surgery.
At the time I interviewed Winslow last week, his camp was very upset because he still wasn't on the roster. Antonio Gates was supposed to bow out, but said he would play despite his toe injury. Winslow's camp was convinced that Gates was going to play just to block Winslow's appearance. It seemed like there was some bad blood there.
Continue reading "Pro Bowl drama! (sort of)" »
December 03, 2007
With a little help from the officials, Braylon Edwards set a career high in yards on a day when he was a game-time decision. It's a reminder that we should play our very best players if they are in the lineup, regardless of midweek scuttlebutt.
This has happened a few times this year with Brian Westbrook barely practicing during the week, and then going off. Many Adrian Peterson owners considered benching the Purple one Sunday because he was splitting carries.
I'm not going to pretend this is a hard-and-fast rule without exceptions. Javon Walker is clearly not Javon Walker right now. But there is an elite level of fantasy option that must be played if they are active. Edwards' emergence to that status has been one of the most enjoyable storylines of the season.
November 29, 2007
There will be a lot of talk concerning what the Browns should do with Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn, but the final outcome is easy to predict: The Browns have to keep them both heading into 2008. Luckily for Browns fans, GM Phil Savage seems to recognize how important it is to maintain the position.
After searching for a decent quarterback for nearly a decade, the Browns can't possibly let Anderson go without knowing what they have in Quinn. And they shouldn't deal Quinn until Anderson backs up his breakout performance after defenses get more tape on him.
It's not like Quinn is an expensive backup. He is set to make $1.43 million in base salary next year, which is very affordable. The real question is how the Browns choose to keep Anderson.
Continue reading "Browns have to keep both quarterbacks" »
August 21, 2007
Two quarterback battles we've been tracking all offseason appear to be winding up. This article sure makes it sound like Brodie Croyle is the man in Kansas City, barring a complete collapse this weekend. Which I wouldn't totally discount.
Charlie Frye, meanwhile, is closing in on the Browns job. In yet another odd presser, Romeo Crennel said the quarterback battle was between Frye and, well, a mystery man. While Crennel said Monday that Derek Anderson would play second in the game, it appears that Brady Quinn is going to get his shot. And logically, Quinn is the unnamed quarterback, even if Frye is the heavy favorite.
Continue reading "QB Decisions in Cleveland, Kansas City?" »
August 20, 2007
There were a few interesting stories I couldn't tackle in today's Daily Dose, so let's go over them here.
Starting with Brady Quinn. A few readers and friends have the idea that I don't like Brady Quinn, and were quick to notify me about his performance Saturday. One, I like Quinn just fine. I thought Russell was a fine pick ahead of him is all. Two, Saturday's effort means slightly more than nothing.
Continue reading "Did Quinn's game matter?" »
August 15, 2007
Croyle losing starting job?
It's a quiet news day, so let's empty out the notebook before the second week of the preseason starts. I was looking forward to this game because these teams have true quarterback battles. It's mid-August, and it's legitimately a 50-50 call for both teams. This game didn't help.
Chiefs vs. Browns
* This game was Charlie Frye in a nutshell. He played better than Derek Anderson, but made two crushing mental errors that erased his progress. A poor pass he threw to Jerome Harrison was actually a lateral and returned for a touchdown. He tried to run for a touchdown at the end of the first half and time ran out, costing his team three points.
He made some nice scrambles and throws, but he makes a lot of errors for a quarterback once compared to Bernie Kosar, the king of managing the game.
* Anderson was hurt by a key drop, but he made a couple of ugly throws. He's had a big opportunity this month, and hasn't grabbed it. Big game for him this weekend.
Continue reading "Chiefs-Browns Notes" »
August 10, 2007
I don't blame Browns fans for thinking they have bad luck. This franchise absolutely has had terrible luck since re-starting the franchise, especially since Romeo Crennel took over.
You almost have to expect Willie McGinest to have injury problems, but losing key backup linebacker Matt Stewart for the season is a big blow. Their depth will be tested. Couple those injuries with prized free agent recruit Eric Steinbach's knee strain, and using a coin flip to decide the starting quarterback, and it's beginning to feel like more of the same surrounding the Browns.
July 25, 2007
Mr. Anderson
#17. Browns QB: Derek Anderson vs. Charle Frye vs. Brady Quinn
One could argue that the winner of this battle doesn’t matter because Quinn will get the job at mid-season, canceling out all their value. In fact, I just did. Any chance Quinn has to win the job for Week 1 will probably go out the window following a holdout.
In leagues where teams start two quarterbacks, Anderson could be a sleeper for the first part of the year. I own Braylon Edwards in one league and absolutely am rooting for Anderson because he has a better chance to stretch the field and showed real potential late last season. If you want to know which fantasy magazines weren't paying attention this summer, find the ones that boil this battle down to Quinn and Frye. We've probably written about it too much.
Note: I'm on the news this morning, so will be back in the early afternoon with our final position battle on the blog (the remaining 15 will be for a Friday column). After that, it's camp coverage for the six weeks. Thankfully.
July 20, 2007
# 30. Browns backup RB: Jerome Harrison vs. Jason Wright
The Browns must really think their offensive line was the problem last year, because the only change they made to their backfield was replacing Reuben Droughns with Jamal Lewis. That’s like firing Michael Irvin to hire Keyshawn Johnson.
The Cleveland backups remain uninspiring, although Harrison’s third-down skills give him some upside in deeper leagues. Its clear from offseason comments that the front office believes Harrison is a player. Watch to see if the coaching staff agrees.
July 16, 2007
I love Tom Kowalski's Scouting Reports on Mlive.com, but sections of his Mike Martz writeup are odd. Martz hardly looks like a guy who is going to be choosy about what head coaching job he takes if he gets an offer. If anything, he gives off the impression through his media leaks that he wants out of his coordinator status a little too much. He tries to cultivate a certain desireability through the media, but NFL owners don't seem to share it.
As a Kitna owner, I can only hope his stay in Detroit is a long one. After the way Martz's tenure ended in St. Louis, he's more likely to remain a great coordinator than become a good head coach again.
* Mike Reiss had a good look Sunday at the strategy of re-signing veterans early to anticipate the free agent market. It's hard to criticize anything the Patriots front office has done in the last seven years, but I think they were one of many teams that took time to adjust to the new salary cap increases. It's a lot easier to stay under the cap these days.
* The unbridled optimism about Jamal Lewis continues in Cleveland. They are clearly a team that is going to be built around running the football. In the same mailbag, Tony Grossi notes that GM Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel don't appear fired up about LeCharles Bentley's decision to attempt playing this year. He may simply be delaying further surgery.
July 10, 2007
# 49. Browns third receiver: Tim Carter vs. Travis Wilson
When you make a top-50 list of position battles, the bottom isn't going to be pretty. And the bottom is exactly where Cleveland's passing game has been since Kelly Holcomb helped them achieve mediocrity in 2002. The Browns quarterback situation remains up in the air (will come later in the countdown), but the strides made on the offensive line look promising.
Cleveland has a thin wideout group, with Braylon Edwards and Joe Jurevicius starting. Jurevicius is a player annually overrated in fantasy leagues, someone who has never topped 750 yards and is often hurt. He's missed 20 games in the last four years and has recurring back problems. With Dennis Northcutt gone, odds are that Tim Carter or Travis Wilson will start at some point this season.
Carter had chance after chance in New York, but never made a real impact in five years with the Giants. He was often hurt, but did manage to start eight games last season. He caught 22 balls for a decent passing offense. The Browns traded Reuben Droughns for him, but there's little reason to think he'll succeed.
Travis Wilson was a third-round pick in 2006, but only played enough to catch two passes. He had a tremendous junior season at Oklahoma and may have been a first-round pick before a senior year ended by injuries. We were very high on him coming into the draft because of his size and speed, but he didn't crack a weak Browns group.
GM Phil Savage's inactivity at receiver tells me they still have high hopes for Wilson. This battle is too close to call, but I suspect the Browns are pulling for the guy they drafted. In deeeep dynasty leagues like the one I play in, Wilson is a guy to keep an eye on.
June 14, 2007
A day after I wrote about him, Derek Anderson fever is sweeping across Berea, Ohio.
Patrick McManamon writes that Charlie Frye may no longer be the favorite for the starting job. Even Frye isn't sure if the job is his.
"We'll find out,'' he said.
Thursday afternoon, Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Anderson took first-team snaps to wrap up the minicamp. Grossi says Anderson was "clearly the most impressive" of the three quarterbacks over the last month. I know it's hard to judge minicamp season, but I might try to watch NFL Network's Inside Minicamp on the Browns to see for myself.
Of course none of them have impressed too much in Rob Chudzinkski's complex new offense. Coach Crennel was so upset that he had the offense run four gassers before Anderson finished off minicamp with the first team. The chances are looking better that Anderson will be there again next month. I'm tempted to project some starts for Anderson in our next magazine. In deep keeper fantasy leagues where all starting quarterbacks have value, it's time to take a shot on him.
* I'm up at NBC in Stamford today and will try to post some links here before leaving if I can finish my magazine work. Stay tuned to the player news in the meantime and a pair of Fantasy Fix videos posting later today.
June 13, 2007
Frye on the run
Most of the focus on the Browns quarterback situation has focused on Brady Quinn, which isn't a surprise. The main question has been when he'll pass Charlie Frye on the depth chart rather than if. With Quinn struggling to adapt to a new offense and a holdout looming, Frye should be a lot more concerned with another quarterback on the roster. Not Ken Dorsey.
Derek Anderson played in four games last season. Three of them were unqualified successes for a first-time starter. He was hurt in the other one.
* In his first appearance, he came off the bench to lead the Browns to one of the best comeback victories in the league all season, a 31-28 win over Kansas City.
* In his second start, he threw for 276 yards with one score and a pick in a loss at Pittsburgh.
* His next start included 223 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions at Baltimore. He had the Browns in a tie game midway through the third quarter.
* Anderson's final start included four interceptions against the Bucs as he tried to play through a seperated shoulder.
I came away from those efforts shocked about how competent Anderson looked. He was known for his big arm, but he couldn't even stay on Baltimore's active roster as a rookie. He certainly outlplayed Charlie Frye last year and it's hard to fault Anderson for a game he played through a serious shoulder injury.
Continue reading "Why not Derek Anderson?" »
May 29, 2007
Braylon Edwards is practicing again with the Browns, but Romeo Crennel has temporarily demoted him to the third team offense.
Players like Travis Wilson and Tim Carter were likely slotted ahead of Edwards. Coach Romeo Crennel says it's because Edwards, "Missed one day and fell behind."
Edwards skipped the first day of OTAs last week for what he says was a family emergency, but it's clear Crennel doesn't buy it. Or that Edwards has used up all his excuses and this is a case of a coach finally making a stand. Edwards is going to be Cleveland's starter and best receiver before training camp. Crennel is spending the months before it trying to get his head screwed on tightly.
Edwards has been impressively productive as a pro considering the talent around him and the ACL tear he suffered as a rookie. That's why we projected Edwards to make a major leap in production in his third season. A sterner hand from Crennel can only help.
April 28, 2007
Romeo Crennel and Phil Savage's hot seat just went from scalding hot to warm.
That Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson will both be backups by midseason at the latest.
That Braylon Edwards is unlikely to see his stats soar while playing with another rookie quarterback.
I talked a lot this week that the Raiders had to take JaMarcus Russell because of the value of the quarterback position. Well, that's what makes the deal make sense for Cleveland despite giving up a likely top-ten pick in next year's draft to Dallas. It's a swindle of a trade for Dallas, but Cleveland won't care if Quinn solves their long-time quarterback question.
One other thing to consider: The Browns may have been in the market for a top-tier quarterback a year from now, possibly at the top of the draft. They now get to have Quinn for a year, and they won't have to pay him top-five money.
Which brings to my final rambling point. Brady Quinn is going to be difficult to sign. He won't want to be slotted in the 22 spot, and can argue he really cost two first-round picks.
February 21, 2007
It's hard to change a losing culture or a perception of a "cursed" franchise when all your big free agent signings suffer career-threatening injuries.
Last year, ESPN.com ranked C LeCharles Bentley as the top free agent on the market. The Browns got him to back out of a verbal deal with the Eagles to sign with them, which looked like a major coup. But Bentley's career may have ended on his first day of training camp last year. The Browns couldn't cut him even if they want to now, so they will see where his health is at next year at this time. He's definitely going to miss the 2007 season and the Browns don't have a center.
Meanwhile, their big free agent signing of 2005 may also be done as a pro. Gary Baxter, who received a $10 million signing bonus at the time, is recovering from two torn patella tendons. If he plays in 2007, it would be a surprise.
Continue reading "Are the Browns cursed? " »
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