NFL 2006: Cleveland Browns
Romeo Crennel begins his second season at the helm of the Cleveland franchise. The former Patriot defensive coordinator feels confident heading into the season after signing some high priced free agents and drafting young talent he feels will come in right away and contribute. The Browns have nowhere to go but up. Last season Cleveland had the worst scoring offense in the NFL at 14.5 per game, en route to a 6-10 record. The offense must improve if the Browns hope to get out of last place in the AFC North. Offense: To say the Browns offense last year was anemic isn't doing the anemics any justice. The offense was terrible. Cleveland scored a whopping 232 points, dead last in the NFL. They managed only four, yes it's true, four rushing touchdowns all season! Trent Dilfer has moved on and the reigns have been handed over to second-year signal caller Charlie Frye. The youngster started the last five games of 2005 and showed signs that he could be a real good NFL quarterback. There's a learning curve though. All of the greats had to go through it and Frye will to. He'll have games were he looks like Superman and some were he plays like that stupid Wonder Twin that only morphs into some kind of useless water thingy. Cleveland fans must be patient and let him grow. The serious concern is with his backups. If Frye would go down, there isn't much left in the cupboard. Former 49er Ken Dorsey and Derek Anderson are the current backups for Frye. How confident is Crennel in his reserves? Well, last report is he's desperate enough to try and talk Vinny Testaverde out of retirement. Yeah, he's really comfortable. Reuben Droughns (1,232 yards) returns to the backfield after a solid 2005 campaign, but he was arrested earlier in the year for domestic battery and could have other things besides football on his mind. William Green and Lee Suggs, two stars in college, have never made the transition to the pros. Suggs because of injury and Green because of personal issues. Rookie Jerome Harrison will be given every opportunity to move up the depth chart. Terrelle Smith is a solid, blocking fullback. Wide receiver is one area where the Browns look to be in good shape offensively. Leading receiver Antonio Bryant is gone, but Joe Jurevicius was brought in from Seattle to take his place. Jurevicius is a high character guy who brings a winning attitude and a strong work ethic to the table. He caught 55 passes last year for 694 yards and 10 touchdowns. Dennis Northcutt (42-441-2) returns as does 2005 top pick Braylon Edwards (32-512-3). Edwards hopes to bounce back from a knee injury that cut short his season. Rookie Travis Wilson will be the fourth receiver. Also returning from injury is Kellen Winslow Jr. The Browns hope that his talent can finally be shown on the field after missing two years due to injuries. If Winslow's matured just a little and stays healthy - Cleveland could have a superstar on their hands. Steve Heiden (43-401-3) is a solid tight end who can be counted on if Winslow falters. The biggest changes for the Browns are on the offensive line. LeCharles Bentley, arguably the best center in the game right now, was brought in from New Orleans and left tackle Kevin Shaffer was pulled out of Atlanta. Both will start immediately and make a big impact on the Cleveland offense. Cosey Coleman and Joe Andruzzi return at guard as does Ryan Tucker at right tackle. Defense: The defense was solid if unspectacular last season and Crennel set out to make it even better this year. He signed Willie McGinest after the Patriots released him in a cap cutting move and three of his top four picks in the 2006 draft were on defense. The defensive line is the weak part of this unit and got even weaker after Jason Fisk departed to the Rams. Orpheus Roye was the unquestioned leader of the line as his 88 tackles and three sacks proved. Alvin McKinley returns at the other end spot and grizzled veteran Ted Washington was brought in from Oakland to replace Fisk. Simon Fraser, Ethan Kelly and rookie Babatunde Oshinowo will be counted on for depth. McGinest is a huge addition to the Browns roster. Despite being a little long in the tooth, McGinest brings leadership, hard work and three Super Bowl rings to Cleveland. He knows Crennel's system and will teach the young guys how to excel in it. His 56 tackles and six sacks proves he can still play. Andra Davis (149 tackles) and Matt Stewart will occupy the inside spots, while McGinest and top draft pick Kamerion Wimbley will be outside. Chaun Thompson, Mason Unck and David McMillan will see action as well. The secondary features Daylon McCutcheon (76-2) and Leigh Bodden (56-3) at the corners with rookie Demario Minter used in the nickel. Brian Russell (70-3) returns at free safety, while Sean Jones, Brodney Pool and veteran Gary Baxter fight it out at strong safety. Baxter also will see action at corner. Special Teams: Special teams are a strength of the Browns and will be even stronger with the addition of punter Dave Zastudil (43.5) from Baltimore. Phil Dawson scored 100 points last year and missed only two field goals (27-29). Josh Cribbs (24.3) is back returning kickoffs and Northcutt (10.5) will handle punt return duties. Outlook: Crennel is slowly but surely building a solid foundation in Cleveland. Unfortunately for Browns fans, the rebuilding process isn't done yet. A young quarterback has a learning curve and will take his lumps, not everyone can be a Dan Marino or a Ben Roethlisberger out of the shoot. The running game is inconsistent, the defensive line is shaky and there's some holes in the secondary. The biggest problem of all is the Browns are in a division with the Steelers, Bengals and Ravens. No fun at all. Prediction: Crennel is bringing in the type of players he wants to learn his system and good things are starting to happen. In any rebuilding process, it takes time and the same thing can be said with the Browns. Crennel is definitely the man to change the fortunes of the Cleveland Browns. Just not this season. The Browns will finish 6-10 or 7-9.
Other Football Tips Articles
Pinnacle Offers Fantasy Football Match-ups Fantasy football is very popular these days, and it can be fun. Sitting in a room with your buddies on draft day deciding which quarterback is going to have a better season, or which running back will gain more yards and score more touchdowns can be a challenging and exciting process. Chicago or Carolina on defense? Rackers or Janikowski? What w ...Ness Notes (Heisman Update / College Hoops Begin) As I've been saying for weeks now, this year's Heisman winner will be won by one of two QBs, Ohio State's Troy Smith or Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. Quinn has the much better numbers lately but it shouldn't go unnoticed that the Irish haven't exactly faced "Murderers Row." Since Notre Dame was beaten badly by Michigan back on September 16 (47-21), ...Munich Germany -- 10 Insider Tips Munich Germany is a city in the state Bavaria. Would you like to know what the real interesting sights in Munich Germany are? I will tell you 10 of my good ones.If you would like to know something about the city and its history, visit my website for information about that. In this article I will let you know of 10 insider tips of this Ger ...Using Ego In Closing The Sale In persuasion, we are faced with the difficult task of building the egos of our listeners while placing our own egos on hold. In order to effectively persuade, you have to let go of your ego and focus on your objective. You don't have time to mend a bruised ego. Check your ego in at the door and remember your overriding purpose. Focus on pers ...Building Bigger And Stronger Rugby Players - The Sydney University Experiment It is widely acknowledged that the average body weight of rugby players has increased considerably over recent years. Less recognised is the extent to which modern defensive alignments and strategies have transformed rugby matches into contests of attrition where bigger and stronger teams tend to wear down their smaller and physically weaker opp ...Fantasy Football Information: Grab a Jones and Run to a Fantasy Football Title Here’s fantasy football information that may provide a strategy few people will consider. Use this simple rule on fantasy football draft day, and you’re sure to be in the playoff hunt: get yourself a Jones.In most fantasy football leagues, running backs are the most valuable players. A running back that catches a lot of passes and runs ...Cool Wrestling Shirts - You Gotta Have 'Em Practically every boy in the world dreams of being a professional wrestler someday. Professional wrestlers have gone from the ring into every home throughout the country. Wrestlers like Hulk Hogan and The Rock have become household names and have even gone on to make action movies in Hollywood. The popularity of wrestlers has spawned a lucrative ...NFL 2006: Miami Dolphins Nick Saban begins year number two with fresh faces and a new offensive coordinator in Mike Mularkey. The former Bills coach takes over for the departed Scott Linehan, the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Optimism reigns supreme in Miami as Saban turned a 3-13 team the year before into a 9-7 one last season. With a veteran cast returning, al ...5 Ways To Become a Better Competitor (No Matter What the Sport) There are no true secrets to becoming a better competitor. The principles are the same, no matter what sport you participate in. What follows are five very specific ways in which you can immediately become a better competitor and athlete. Whether you are a weekend warrior, or an Olympian-to-be, implement these strategies and see for yourself. ...Driving Tips To Help You To Pollute Less We've all been told to drive defensively and watch out for the "other guy" on the road, but what exactly should we be doing? What should we be watching out for? Here are some good driving tips to help you better understand defensive driving and how to avoid having an accident.What If?While driving on the highway, or in the city, al ...Fishing Alaska: Just for the Halibut...The Alaskan Sampler Plate... Part IV For many fishermen, fishing in Alaska means one thing....Halibut.I love Halibut.Especially steamed and grilled, with a tasty baked potato and an ice cold beverage!As far as fishing for Halibut, well, that is a different story, mainly because I had never done it.Now, most people I had talked to that had ventured out to ...Tips On How To Lose Weight Are you overweight? Do you want to gain confidence by feeling happier about your appearance? If these answers are yes, read on. These free weight loss tips could solve all of your problems.I had major problems when I was growing up, I liked all of the wrong types of food and drinks. I especially liked fast food, especially pizza, curry an ...NFL Week Two Part Four In part four of our NFL week two preview, we will look at two NFL games. I'll review the following games: the Patriots and the Jets and the Titans at the Chargers. Both of these games have potential playoff implications. The Patriots possibly get their second easy game in a row, while the Chargers will face an increased task this week. Let's tak ...Football Gloves - Helping Monday Night Pros And Pee Wees Perform Dog days of summer may point to cooler weather and weekend football games for fans. But, for players the pre-season training is going hot-and-heavy. Sweltering workouts, strength, agility and fitness drills, blocking and tackling, kicking, passing and catching.No matter what age, or size, football players all look for some "trick&quo ...Some Of The Key Points To Consider When Buying Cleats Cleats are sports shoes that help you maintain balance. They also improve your motion. Their designs are made according to the needs of the sport. This means that those that are great for soccer will be inadequate for a baseball game. It is, therefore, very important that you ensure the cleats you intend to buy are those made for the sport you i ...Sports - Finding Your Niche A lot of kids today want to get involved in sports for a number of reasons. Some want to just because they enjoy sports for the sake of participating in them, but then there are those who have ulterior motives. It is no secret that for a kid who wants to go to college, the best ticket is usually to specialize in a sport. That's all well and g ...Exercise Induced Asthma How can exercise induce asthma?At the same time as healthy exercise can be handled by patients, exercise can often be the cause of an asthma attack.Symptoms of exercise induced asthma…Wheezing, coughing and a tightening of the chest are all symptoms of exercise induced asthma. These symptoms will usually be felt after begin ...Florida Real Estate - The Sunshine State Florida real estate is definitely worth a look if sun and fun is your ticket. Florida real estate, even close to the beach, is a very good deal.FloridaFlorida is a well-known haven for people living through winter storms in the northeast. Sun and warm water are an obviously attraction, but there is much more to Florida. Orlando see ...Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys have often been referred to as "America's Team" and it's pretty easy to see why. They clearly have the most number of fans among all NFL teams, thanks to their storied history and their phalanx of great players.The Cowboys, who currently play in the suburb of Irving in Dallas, Texas, have the most Super Bowl appearances ...Football - Defensive Strategy Bill Belichick is said to be one of the greatest defensive strategists of the modern era. While we're not going to pick apart Bill's game plan to try to figure out why he's so good at what he does, we are going to take a very basic look at defensive strategy and how to make your defense as effective as possible.Unlike the offense, which ...Notre Dame Squeaks By Yellow Jackets Number 2 Notre Dame squeaked by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday 14-10. At one point in the game, the Fighting Irish were down 10-0. Scores in the 2nd and 3rd quarter helped Notre Dame take a 14-10 lead, which was the final score. Was this really the number two team in the country? This win over unranked Georgia Tech was very unimpres ...Gearing Up for Fitness with Online Sports Apparel Getting in shape is much easier when you have the appropriate sports apparel to wear. With so many online resources, you can now find almost any type of clothing for fitness and exercise, running, playing sports games, etc. Many of these items can be found online at a sports shopping mall in a variety of brand names such as NBA, NFL, N ...A Bit of Football History for Your Party Football historical facts are fun use at a Super Bowl or football themed party. Take notes and create fun trivia games from the following infomation.NFL Football is one of the most popular American sports, attracting thousands of participants and millions of spectators annually. The forerunner of American football may have been a game pl ...PhillySportsline Mock Draft With the NFL Draft just days away, executives and coaches from around the NFL are hunkered down in their respective bunkers making final preparations for what may be the most important weekend of the NFL season (outside of the Super Bowl, of course). Both a team’s immediate and long-term future can hinge on what they do during the draft. A s ...Seattle Seahawks On The Move This year has been one of turmoil for the Seattle Seahawks. It started with the Super Bowl—that was ripped from them thanks to poor officiating. When Shaun Alexander got the cover of the new Madden game, everyone knew it was going to be a rough season. Nothing happened at first, but then curse kicked in.Alexander broke his foot and the MV ...Can't Go to Germany? Experience World Cup Fever Close to Home Football sets pulses racing and all attention is focused on the games. Most fans change their whole lives to eat, breathe, and sleep the World Cup event. All over the world people are gearing up to participate whole and soul in the games.There are heroes and favorites for everyone. During World Cup Season life as we know it each day comes ...
|
