Massaquoi must step up!
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WR Mohamed Massaquoi Needs to Come Up Big for the Browns in 2010
AUTHOR: Steve DiMatteo | IN: Browns | COMMENTS: None Yet
Obviously, much of the focus regarding the Browns offense has been centered on the quarterback position. It underwent a complete overhaul this off-season, as the team dumped both Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn for Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace. Acquiring quarterback Colt McCoy in the draft certainly added an entirely new level of intrigue to the position as well.
The running back position was also addressed in the off-season, as the Browns acquired running back Peyton Hillis from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Quinn. Cleveland also traded back into the second round of the draft in order to select Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty. With Jerome Harrison, Chris Jennings, and James Davis already vying for time at the position, the Browns backfield has suddenly become very crowded. It is obvious that the Browns are looking to make this a big strength, which is a great idea in the AFC North.
However, one area of the offense was not addressed over the course of the off-season and it was arguably the position with the most glaring needs: wide receiver. With Mohamed Massaquoi presumably starting the season as the team’s #1 receiver, the strength of the position is of great concern. After Massaquoi, the Browns are looking at Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey, Josh Cribbs, and Syndric Steptoe. Let’s just throw Evan Moore in there for the fun of it as well, as he is a tight end that can also play wide receiver.
The Browns sort of addressed the position in the draft by selecting Carlton Mitchell out of South Florida, but it came in the sixth round. One wouldn’t expect Mitchell to make much of an impact right away, but with this receiving corps, he might at least get a chance.
Mohamed Massaquoi will only be entering his second season in the league, but he is going to have to have a huge season for the Browns to have any success on offense. I understand that the Browns are going to be a run-first, short-pass kind of team, but there needs to be at least one receiver that scares defenses. Last season, Massaquoi had 34 receptions for 624 yards, and 3 TDs. No other actual wide receiver even touched 150 yards receiving or more than 1 TD.
This is why Massaquoi needs to come up big in 2010. Simply put, there just isn’t anyone else at this point. He has shown glimpses of the player he can become (his 8 catches for 148 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 4th was his coming-out party), but he must be more consistent this season. Part of the blame is on the quarterback position, as it once again was in a constant state of flux in 2009, but there will now be a strong veteran presence in Delhomme.
Mike Holmgren has made the right move by saying Colt McCoy won’t be playing in 2010, though head coach Eric Mangini didn’t necessarily rule it out, but this at least sets the roles of these quarterbacks right away. Training camp can at least be spent on developing timing with the receivers rather than figuring out who is going to step out on the field when the season starts. This will help Massaquoi, but there is no doubt that this season is going to be an uphill battle for this young offense. The running game looks to be strong, but without Massaquoi producing – and the supporting cast bringing something to the table – it could be a tough season offensively
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This will all change when the browns sign a veteran wide-out this offseason.
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I agree Choco....I think Delomme is good enough to lob it up in a place where MoMass has a shot at catching it.
I don't think receiver is going to be a big negative on this team.
It may not be a positive, but i don't think it is going to hurt us.
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not gonna happen....signing a vet, that is.
I think it works opposite. Teams will stack the box, we'll go over the top. They'll back off eventually. Now that we have a qb that can actually throw.
not gonna happen....signing a vet, that is.
I think it works opposite. Teams will stack the box, we'll go over the top. They'll back off eventually. Now that we have a qb that can actually throw.
Coming from a team that had two good backs and Steve Smith who is always at least double covered, Delhomme had a terrible season. The only thing that is better on this offense is the line. Now I know that the line is very important. But if we are going to be successful on offense we need at least two receiving threats. And here is why I say that.
First we only won 5 games last year.
and in 8 games we ran for over 100 yards, and in 5 games we ran for over 150. Only 2 two of these defenses were ranked in the top 10 against the run. Pittsburgh (but we did this when they were tanking at the end of the season) and Cincinnati.
The others were:
Jags 19th
Raiders 29th
Chiefs 31st
Chargers 20th
Detroit 25th
Bills 30th
So when you look closely you see that in the 5 games that we won we ran for over 150 yards in each one. We lost every game in which we failed to reach 150 yards rushing.
Every team will realize this and they will indeed stack the box. So if you assume that delhomme will be accurate and not throwing picks, who will he be throwing to? We better hope that cribbs learns how to run routes, or that Massoqiu(sp) learns how to catch. Or our draft pick is the next Percy Harvin. Because without the receiving threats the box will remained stacked and we will again only win when we play weak rushing defenses and go for over 150 yards.
Don't take this the wrong way I want the Browns to win every game. But I see this as a big problem that wasn't fixed in the off season when the Browns failed to land any good FA WR, or trade for one.
And please don't any of you Buckeye homers even try to tell me that Robiske will somehow be great this year. He completely sucked last year.
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There were a crap load of drops last year, the Buffalo game was the worst I think. I think our WR's will surprise this year. Robo will come around, Im sure he got an earful from his dad this past offseason. The wr from South Fl is going to be a great addition to this core, he is tall and strong and can fly, he has great football speed. Also the good thing this year we have some better TE's that can catch. We will be a lot better than last year. The only thing that really sucks is that Cincy and Baltimore got really good at WR and TE, so if the D dont hold up to well we will have to score 30 a game like in 2007-2008
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Receiver was a huge problem last year. As much as I was happy to see Edwards go, it sure made it rough for Mass having to become the #1 his rookie year. He'll be better, but I bet he'll still struggle at times, especially if the offense is changing as much as we suspect. I look at receiver to be a 2-3 year work in progress.
I agree that bringing in an established vet would be a good idea, if it doesn't happen they're be days that people here are shaking their heads at the receiver play.
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its slim pickins out there folks, hence my comments. We've shown no interest in any of them. None...
Age has hampered every single one. Let's say for arguments sake that we bring in the vet....no a single one out tjere is a burner...so we're only getting a posession receiver wr ar best. I have flashbacks of donte..
either injuries would creep up or production will be no better than 40 catches.
So what does that buy us? Anyone think defensesfear those dinosaurs still available? On the year when wr's start to come into their own, we're advocating taking away experience...catches...which will only delay our young receiving corps devrlopment.
We've always done thus...feeling young guys can't get it done. And we've been gettingvour asses handed to us the past ten years. Many of you severely overrate the need of vets at every single position on the field. Its not necessary. Let momass, biske, and Mitchell get on the field, take their lumps, and gain the tome they need to become the threat uou tjink we'll get from the highly coveted vet.
This is why we suck every year....even when we make a decent pick, coaches as well as fans have no patience to develope the young guys. Good teams in this league win by drafting and developing those picks....advocating this win now move is even dumber since we're not really a contender. If anyone thinks we're a wr away from winning, get your head checked. Mangini is gonna develop our youth...not waste time and money on players that should've retired 2 years ago.
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Not to mention the #1 doesn't have to be a wide out....it can be a TE.
Both Watson and Moore have the ability to work the seam and occupy a safety.
Teams may be able to stack the box some, but the TE's will be able to keep them honest by working routes 20 years down field.
Some around here are acting like the safeties will be able to play run only and not worry about covering players....add in the fact we have backs that can catch the ball and do something with it and we will be able to move the ball in the air.
By seasons end, Delomme will have around 3000 passing yards.
Does it really matter who is catching the ball???
I say no, it doesn't.
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Currently IMHO there is no free agent WRs worth their price vs skill, We have momass and robo who should both turn it up this year we have stuckey plus cribbs if needed and now mitchell not to mention 6 TEs so im quite comfortable with what we have its more a matter of if they develop and flourish under dabolls plan, In my mind daboll and his playbook will be the determining factor in the equation more than the starting QB and WRs..
Mangini has all the moving parts he thinks he needs to truly get the ball moving forward so lets watch it all unfold and while i dont yet fully know what dabolls battleplan is..i tend to believe we are going to be a real force on the ground and will pass the ball fairly successfully when needed because of it,regardless of who starts at QB or catches the ball as long as they catch it...
I believe MH will play a larger part than most fans would be able to comprehend in developing both mangini and daboll these guys seem to have a real trust and patience problem with developing/trrusting certain positions/players and that could be detrimental to the club if not corrected and MH should be an incredible asset to them both in resolving/enhancing many of their coaching abilities and improving their shortcomings to make the whole club better for it ...
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Currently IMHO there is no free agent WRs worth their price vs skill, We have momass and robo who should both turn it up this year we have stuckey plus cribbs if needed and now mitchell not to mention 6 TEs so im quite comfortable with what we have its more a matter of if they develop and flourish under dabolls plan, In my mind daboll and his playbook will be the determining factor in the equation more than the starting QB and WRs..
Mangini has all the moving parts he thinks he needs to truly get the ball moving forward so lets watch it all unfold and while i dont yet fully know what dabolls battleplan is..i tend to believe we are going to be a real force on the ground and will pass the ball fairly successfully when needed because of it,regardless of who starts at QB or catches the ball as long as they catch it...
I believe MH will play a larger part than most fans would be able to comprehend in developing both mangini and daboll these guys seem to have a real trust and patience problem with developing/trrusting certain positions/players and that could be detrimental to the club if not corrected and MH should be an incredible asset to them both in resolving/enhancing many of their coaching abilities and improving their shortcomings to make the whole club better for it ...
Currently IMHO there is no free agent WRs worth their price vs skill, We have momass and robo who should both turn it up this year we have stuckey plus cribbs if needed and now mitchell not to mention 6 TEs so im quite comfortable with what we have its more a matter of if they develop and flourish under dabolls plan, In my mind daboll and his playbook will be the determining factor in the equation more than the starting QB and WRs..
Mangini has all the moving parts he thinks he needs to truly get the ball moving forward so lets watch it all unfold and while i dont yet fully know what dabolls battleplan is..i tend to believe we are going to be a real force on the ground and will pass the ball fairly successfully when needed because of it,regardless of who starts at QB or catches the ball as long as they catch it...
Daboll is certainly another question mark. Let's hope that his second season is better than his first with us. But the fact remains that we do not have one proven receiver. Even Watson was shipped out of New England because he didn't live up to expectations. Although he is certainly the best receiver that we have right now. I still say that if last years stats are an indicater then we better plan on putting at least 150 yards rushing up every week if we are going to win games. And Massoqoui needs to step up to a number one threat, and better than he was a season ago.
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I think we will be able to churn out 150 yards most weeks.
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If we were one player away from the Super Bowl, I'd be all for going out and over paying TO (Andre Rison comes to mind)...
However, good receivers come in all rounds of the draft and in undrafted free agents...
I'm sure our receiving staff will be upgraded from last year but in all honesty thats the unit I worry about the most....
Hopefully MoMas and Robo will grow into their roles and someone will come upon the scene to help us out...
Peace
T.Dawg
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I agree that we should stand pat with our current WRs. There's nobody worth signing in the current market and it'll give us a chance to let our young guys get another year under their belts.
Another reason why we may stand still is because of the loaded WR class coming out next year. There's atleast 4 guys that have #1 WR potential that could come out next season and HMH may be hoping to snag one of those guys. I dunno about you, but I would be very happy with AJ Green, Michael Floyd, Julio Jones or Johnathan Baldwin as our #1
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