Can somebody please tell me what Evan Moore has done wrong to this front office. I am all for Jordan Cameron getting his shot, but for the love of all things holy don't just play the guy because you want to prove yourself some great procurer of talent. Just because they laid their reputation on Cameron doesn't mean he shoudl start as a second-year guy. Moore is beyond capable of doing what it takes in the Cleveland Browns' system. Ben Watson IMO shouldn't be much longer for this team after this season. There is time to bring Cameron up to speed if he is indeed as good as they think he is. I may very well be wrong and Cameron's training camp will tell the tale, as Moore has experience and good experience at that. I am for Jordan getting better and living up tohis billing, but not at the sake of the franchise or season.ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi expects TE Jordan Cameron to have an expanded role this season.
Ben Watson is in the final year of his contract, and the Browns envision Cameron, not Evan Moore, as his eventual replacement. Cameron managed just six catches in eight appearances last season. Moore is returning as the part-time, "move" tight end.
Drugs, violence and poverty, Richardson said, permeate the Warrington neighborhood of Pensacola, Fla., where he grew up. He had two daughters when he was a teenager, life was hard and the wrong crowd presented itself at virtually every turn. Richardson, though, credits his mother, Katrina, and the coaches he had as a youngster for helping him emerge from difficult circumstances to become a star running back at the University of Alabama and a first-round draft pick.
This week, Richardson and the other 252 members of this year’s draft class received reminders about how to stay on the right path during the 15th NFL Rookie Symposium, which is being held in Northeast Ohio for the first time. The AFC rookies will wrap up the symposium today with a visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, and Richardson expects to receive a valuable history lesson.
“I want to be in the hall of fame, and I want to be one of the most talked-about running backs in the NFL,” Richardson said Friday during the symposium’s PLAY 60 Youth Football Clinic at the Browns’ headquarters. “I want my name to always be remembered in a good way, not in a dumb way or in a crazy way. For me, I’m always gonna work hard and make sure that my standards are set high.”
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens, both of whom have encountered their fair share of off-the-field drama, spoke to the AFC rookies Thursday during orientation at the Bertram Inn & Conference Center in Aurora.
“To me, [the most important lesson] was what Adam Jones said — ‘Make sure you look at that bank statement, make sure you do background checks on your financial adviser, your agent, your broker, all that stuff,’ ” Richardson said. “I had never thought about that stuff. That’s something I’m going to go back and double check on.
“I have kept my circle small. I have friends back home, but they know their spot. They know their place, and when I get with them, I get with them and I talk to them. But they know when I’m working it is straight business. I’m not going to let anyone interfere with my business.”
Like Richardson, fellow Browns rookie Mitchell Schwartz heard the warnings loud and clear during the symposium.
“Don’t make the same mistakes other people have made already,” said Schwartz, an offensive tackle from the University of California whom the Browns picked 37th overall. “They bring a lot of guys in who have kind of already done the wrong things that you shouldn’t be doing. You just try to learn from their mistakes, so you don’t do it yourself. I think that’s kind of the big takeaway. It’s all stuff you know — not to drink and drive. Other players who have been through it can tell you the situation you can get caught up in and how easily things can turn for you.”
Much of the advice sounds familiar to Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden, who’s different than a typical rookie because he spent five years in minor-league baseball before playing football at Oklahoma State University and will turn 29 in October. Still, Weeden knows one particular message is worth hearing again.
“T.O. said it — everybody really said it — but you’ve got a lot of free time on your hands, and there’s a lot of people out there that want to open up their hand and have you help them by loaning them money or whatever it may be,” said Weeden, the 22nd overall pick. “I don’t care what anyone says. If you’re financially stable, it makes things a lot easier, and 78 percent of the people that leave the league after three or four years aren’t. To me, that hits home. I like my money. I want to keep my money. I think hearing guys that have been through the actual situation, to hear it come out of their mouth, that hits home a little bit.”
Of course, lessons from the symposium only pay off if they’re applied. Each player must make his own decisions, and Richardson believes his foundation will help him remain disciplined.
“My mom kept me humble with church and my faith,” Richardson said. “Football can mold you into a man and mold you into a different person and a respectful person when you have coaches like I had.
“I’m gonna always be that guy that didn’t have that much, and I’m gonna always work hard. I’ll make sure I remember where I came from.”
Who would have thunk 90 MPH winds would be touching down in Ohio? Just think it could be worse though those funnel cakes have been known to form in parts of the state. Good to know your electric company was on top of things. Goodness knows you never know when you'll be put back on the grid sometimes.
Mary Kay Cabot and the rest of the PD writers just seems hell bent on running Colt out of town don't they?The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot thinks Colt McCoy's popularity in the locker room makes a trade out of Cleveland more likely.
Cabot feels that the fan and player support McCoy enjoys could become a distraction, especially if rookie Brandon Weeden struggles early on. A McCoy trade has seems inevitable since draft day. The team figures to make the move later this summer.
anybody else get hammered Fri afternoon ? the three county area here took a beating and then some .Had some good damage around Cow-lumbus Bluez. Storm ripped off the ridge vent off my roof. Had to climb up right after the storm to slap some plastic down over the hole. And I gotta get up there shortly to put it back on. At least my repair job will only cost me an hour or two of my time and a $3 tube of caulk and bit of roll shingles I already have out in the garage.
more storms for Sunday afternoon ..but not like this or so say they say . at least there is a warning for this one .
stay safe all !
As the Browns prepare to embark their second season under Pat Shurmur there are many questions that remain. With training camp opening Sat. July 28, we’re going to take a position-by-position analysis of the current roster as the team heads to camp over the next few weeks.
Part two is the running back and fullback positions.
Candidates: RB --Trent Richardson, Montario Hardesty, Brandon Jackson, Chris Ogbonnaya and Adonis Thomas FB -- Eddie Williams, Owen Marecic and Brad Smelley.
When the Browns chose to let Peyton Hillis walk during free agency, they created a hole in the backfield as neither Hardesty or Jackson have shown they can be reliable featured backs. Not only did the Browns feel a need to address the quarterback position, they had to find a starting running back.
And by all indications they did.
Not wanting to be left at the altar and taking no chances they traded to move up from the fourth spot to number three to get the premier running back in this year’s draft.
Richardson (5-9, 230, first year, Alabama) – Taken with the third overall pick, the Browns are expected to make Richardson the focal point of the offense. He could be plugged in and used the way Hillis was in 2010 as Richardson can pass block, as well as be an effective receiver coming out of the backfield. Some draft experts said Richardson is the best back to come out of college since Adrian Peterson. Richardson can make things a lot easier for Brandon Weeden or Colt McCoy or whoever is the quarterback as the running game has to be better than last year and cause teams to have to game plan against someone.
Jackson (5-10, 216, 6th year, Nebraska) -- Jackson was penciled in to be the third down back after signing as an unrestricted free agent from the Packers in 2011. However, he suffered a toe injury and was on injured reserve before he got out of the starting blocks. He is being counted on to take that role over again in 2012.
Hardesty (6-0, 225, 3rd year, Tennessee) – Hardesty was hampered in 2011 by a calf injury after missing his rookie season with a torn ACL. He had 266 yards (3.0 avg.) with no touchdowns. His best game was a 95-yard performance on 33 rushes against the Seahawks. He also caught 14 passes on the season. This is a put up or shut up year for Hardesty after Tom Heckert made a bold move in 2010 by trading up to get Hardesty in the second-round after Hardesty had an injury-prone college career.
Ogbonnaya (6-0, 225, 3rd year, Texas) – Ogbonnaya was pressed into service after the top three backs went down with injury. He responded with a 121-yard rushing game against Jacksonville and finished second on the team with 334 yards (4.6 avg.) and one touchdown. He also caught 23 passes. However, he could be the odd man out if the projected top three are healthy.
Thomas (5-9, 185, rookie, Toledo) – Thomas came out of nowhere as a tryout invitee at the rookie minicamp and was signed to the roster. The Browns thought enough of him to let speedster Armond Smith go. With a good preseason, Thomas will be a candidate for the practice squad.
Marecic (6-0, 245, 2nd year, Stanford) – Marecic was the starter for the 2011 season after being drafted in the fourth-round out of Stanford, but suffered two concussions as a rookie. He had just four carries for 8 yards and caught five passes. He should be better, but the head injuries are worrisome.
Williams (6-1, 242, 2nd year, Idaho) – Williams was on the practice squad and was called up to the active roster when Marecic was injured. He could be a dark horse candidate to replace Marecic, but didn’t help his cause missing the spring practices due to an injury.
Smelley (6-2, 235, rookie, Alabama) – The Browns selected him in the seventh-round and the former lead blocker for Richardson could have the same role in the NFL. Smelley has the versatility to play both fullback and tight end.
Better than 2011? Last season, the Browns used their fourth and fifth running backs after injuries to Jackson, Hillis and Hardesty. Thomas Clayton was used and Ogbonnaya came in off the Texans’ practice squad and started with two days practice. Thus, the Browns should be much stronger at running back this year with Richardson being the workhorse. Hillis was the leading rusher in 2011 with just 587 yards and three touchdowns, so it should be easy for a healthy Richardson to exceed those numbers.
Marecic was a rookie and struggled besides suffering concussions. He should be much better in his second season. Smelley could be a very interesting addition. He was impressive in the OTAs and the minicamp
If your heading out for the 4th Holliday please be safe & enjoy yourselves .
Training camp is right around the corner .
First pitch is at 7:05 tonight .
..but as the Walrus stated ..we have a very compentent HC 
he was totaly lost and in over his head last season .
NFL teams looking for a way to fill up a few hours during this lull in the schedule can start breaking down the prospects eligible to be drafted in the Supplemental Draft.
NFL V.P. of Football Communications Michael Signora said that the league informed teams Monday that the draft will be held electronically on July 12. The draft will follow the same procedure as the regular draft with a team forfeiting their pick in the 2013 Draft to select a player in the supplemental process. Terrelle Pryor, selected in the third round by Oakland, was the only player selected in the 2011 Supplemental Draft.
The league has also revealed the eight players who can be taken next Thursday. They are: Boise State defensive back Quaylon Ewing, Baylor wide receiver Josh Gordon, Syracuse running back Adam Harris, Iowa State tackle Adrian Haughton, Carson-Newman linebacker Larry Lumpkin, Georgia defensive end Montez Robinson, McMurray wide receiver Houston Tuminello and TCU running back Ed Wesley.
Gordon and Wesley are the likeliest players from that group to get picked. Gordon left Baylor before the 2011 season after he was suspended for a drug arrest and transferred to Utah, where he would have to sit out the 2011 season under NCAA transfer rules. He decided to go pro instead and the 6’4″, 220-pound wideout has drawn some good notices from scouts. Gordon’s former Baylor offensive teammates Robert Griffin III and Kendall Wright both went in the first round in April.
Wesley left TCU for family reasons after an injury-filled junior season. He ran for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010 and some scouts considered him to be a late-round pick even after his less productive 2011 campaign. If Wesley and any of the other players aren’t picked, they are eligible to sign as free agents with any team.
Happy Tuesday Lounge Houndz
It may be a bit much to call it a “game changer,” but a recent decision by the NFL does raise the eyebrows ever so slightly.
The league has decided that a sellout now means 85 percent of tickets sold -- at least as it relates to a television blackout.
Instead of requiring all tickets be sold 72 hours prior to kickoff for a game to be televised locally, the league’s ownership has decided that 15 percent of the seats can be unsold. That is good for the guy sitting home who can’t afford a ticket, but might be concerning for the NFL as it assesses getting people out of recliners to watch games.
“Let’s face it, for years the NFL didn’t need a ticket sales department,” said Jim Kahler, executive director of the Center for Sports Administration at Ohio University. “They just picked up the phone and took orders.”
Any attendance study of the NFL is relative. The league drew more than 17 million fans last season and continues to be a television powerhouse.
But its stadiums are seeing more empty seats -- epitomized by the two Ohio teams in 2011. Cleveland Browns Stadium was barely half-filled for some home games, and in Cincinnati the Bengals offered a two-for-one ticket deal in the season finale as the team played for a playoff spot.
The Wall Street Journal reported that attendance at games is down 4.5 percent from five years ago, and teams now are offering new and unique deals.
This could be merely a sign of tough times, but for a league that wants to grow and squeeze every penny of revenue possible out of the consumers, it might be reason to pause.
In 2011, the Bengals filled Paul Brown Stadium to 75.2 percent capacity for their eight home games, down from 92.1 percent in 2010.
In Cleveland, the Browns were at 90 percent capacity, but that number was clearly the definition of “tickets sold” because actual people in seats was far lower.
It’s why teams are offering deals that in the past were unheard of -- like the Browns and Indians partnering for single-game suites and the Browns offering three-game ticket packages (starting at $99 and available on the website today). The Bengals' two-for-one offer sold out the finale, but the shaky reality was the team needed it.
“That’s a sport that’s been hit the hardest by what I call ‘Joe Six Pack’ folks,” Kahler said. “Those folks could afford the season tickets because it was just a multiplier of 10 (games). Because of the number of games in basketball and baseball, the cost was higher. When ‘Joe Six Pack’ starts losing his job, the NFL is going to get hit the hardest.”
It means he will watch his games in his family room.
“Look at what’s happened in the economy,” Kahler said. “The season ticket holder for many years loses his job. He and his wife say he’s not doing that (buy season tickets) anymore. The guy takes a year or two off, gets comfy with his man cave. Face it, man caves for guys in our age brackets are in. He’s got his recliner and big screen TV and the fridge is full and his friends are over.
“It probably is a better experience (than the stadium).”
Ohio attendance could be a reflection of the cities’ cultures -- the Reds draw in Cincinnati, but the Indians don’t in Cleveland.
But the NFL is paying attention.
In addition to lowering the “blackout” threshold, the league has loosened limits on instigating crowd noise, and will show the same replays at the stadium that fans at home see. In addition, the team wants wireless internet in every stadium.
Kahler said years ago the NFL “was selling every seat they could because the demand was there.”
It’s still selling a ton of seats -- 21 teams were at 95 percent of capacity or better, with nine at 100 percent or better and there were only 16 blackouts of 256 regular-season games in 2011 (in part due to teams and/or business buying tickets to avoid them). But seven were below 90 percent capacity -- an optimal figure for the league -- compared to three in 2008.
The league’s latest television deal is worth almost $28 billion through 2022 -- but Kahler said the fastest-growing employment area in professional sports is in ticket sales, and the Journal reported that full season-ticket packages are available on the websites of 20 of the league’s 32 teams.
The website teamworkonline.com shows that the Browns have an opening for a season ticket sales account executive; they are one of five teams advertising for a hire less than two months before training camps open.
“When the 50-plus age group exits with their season tickets,” Kahler said, “teams suddenly are selling to a new generation that consumes sports in a different manner than you and I and everyone of our generation consumed it.”
Pat McManamon appears courtesy of Fox Sports Ohio
Police say Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Kiante Tripp was arrested in College Park. The Atlanta native and two others are accused of threatening people inside an apartment on Herschel Road, and then ransacking the place.
Investigators say the three were looking for a man and the money that the man had supposedly stolen from them. Neighbors called police and told them that men with guns were inside the apartment.
Tripp and the other two people have been charged with burglary, and one was charged with possession of marijuana.
Tripp, 24, attended the University of Georgia, and also graduated from Westlake High School.
never heard of him ..hit the bricks ya moron
