MoMass bullish on receivers
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Cleveland Browns' Mohamed Massaquoi bullish on team's young receivers in 2010
By Tony Grossi, The Plain Dealer
May 08, 2010, 8:48PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The company line from the Browns is that the team's wide receiver situation is just fine.
On separate occasions, President Mike Holmgren, General Manager Tom Heckert and coach Eric Mangini have expressed little or no concern with a returning group of receivers that combined last year for 80 catches, 1,063 yards and six touchdowns. That's the equivalent of a good season for one player, not four.
Not surprisingly, Mohamed Massaquoi, the leading receiver of the quartet that also includes Josh Cribbs, Chansi Stuckey and Brian Robiskie, maintains the club's confidence in the position is warranted.
"If you just came and saw us work, seen how much we've grown, I think that question would be answered by itself," Massaquoi said. "[Robiskie's] primed for a good year. I'm primed for a breakout year. Stuckey's been working hard. Josh is still going to be the dynamic player that he is."
To this group, the Browns added Carlton Mitchell, a sixth-round draft choice who had 40 catches his last season at South Florida. Also on the roster is Jake Allen, a late-season waiver pickup from Green Bay who was active for two games but didn't catch a pass.
There is no apparent urgency on the club's part to pick up a veteran receiver to join this group for training camp.
"I don't [see the need]," Massaquoi said. "Like I said, the guys that are here now are capable of getting the job done at a high level."
Massaquoi believes a number of factors will elevate the play of the receivers. One is the natural growth from being in the system together for a full off-season. This is the first time Massaquoi, Robiskie and Stuckey are participating in the Browns' conditioning program. Massaquoi and Robiskie were wide-eyed rookie draft picks at this time a year ago and Stuckey didn't join the Browns until Oct. 7 in the trade of Braylon Edwards.
Also, there is the unspoken belief that the addition of Holmgren and top aide Gil Haskell, Holmgren's longtime offensive coordinator in Green Bay and Seattle, will somehow bring out the best in the receivers.
Plus, the complete overhaul of the quarterback depth chart will have a major impact. Massaquoi is careful not to blame Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson for the inept passing game last season.
"In defense of those two guys, it's hard to get in a rhythm when you're rotating," he said. "Ultimately, the quarterback position is the face of the franchise. Without having that one guy week to week who is 'The guy,' it's sometimes hard for the whole team to get into a rhythm."
Massaquoi expects a higher level of play from new veteran arrivals Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace.
"We all know how the passing game went last year," Massaquoi said. "It can only get better.
"You plug in a guy like Jake Delhomme ... he's a Super Bowl quarterback. I was a huge fan of his growing up in Charlotte. He's very capable. He brings in a lot of knowledge where he and [offensive coordinator Brian Daboll] and Mangini and Holmgren can bounce stuff off each other. He's going to tell us what he expects out of us. We're going to be able to learn from him and grow more."
Massaquoi agrees with Holmgren's previous statements that the team needed a veteran leader at quarterback.
"You look at our skill positions, we're young," he said. "You don't see any 10-year vets. You need an older guy in there sometimes just so you learn what it means to be in the NFL, so you're not just playing. You know what responsibilities you have, you know how to prepare. It helps you along in that transition."
Massaquoi may be a little biased in his high praise of Delhomme. When Delhomme was in his prime with the Panthers, Massaquoi was starring for Charlotte Independence High School, the prep powerhouse in North Carolina. The school won 77 consecutive games and four successive state championships. They were so good, Delhomme and other Panthers, notably Julius Peppers, were frequent visitors to their games.
As for Wallace, Massaquoi said: "Seneca's another good dude. I didn't realize he had been in the league as long as he has [seven NFL seasons]. He's much like Jake. Been around winning much of his career, good offenses. He's another guy who's going to shape us, just help us anyway that he can."
Massaquoi, who was drafted 14 notches after Robiskie in the second round in 2009, had the better first season, by far. Massaquoi tied for the team lead with 34 catches, and led the Browns with 624 yards (18.4-yard average) and three touchdowns. He had 100-plus yard games against Cincinnati and Detroit.
"It was definitely a learning curve, filled with some ups and downs," he said of his first year. "I'd have a good game, be quiet for a little bit, have another good game, be quite for a little bit. I want to make sure the good games are just the norm now.
"I was fortunate to get a lot of playing experience and I kind of understand the game a little bit better than I did last year. So going into this year I'll be able to approach it a little bit different.
"I want to have a great year ... be a guy that's very reliable and making plays, not just a play here and there. Just make plays consistently on a high level."
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I like what MoMass is saying here and the way he has said it, shows maturity and commitment, not saying I agree with what he is saying though. I think of the bunch, MoMass shows most promise. We need to see more value from Robiskie - I need to see more confidence from him, I'm not sure why we didn't see him so much on the field til week 11 onwards. I know nothing of Stuckey, only that he made some and dropped some and was on the end of some pretty horrible throws - is he a potential standout? Hmmm If we don't add a Vet then I think we see a struggling passing game again.
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I think MoMas said volumnes when he alluded to the fact that we had no stability at the QB position... To the receiving corps this mean everything...
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out..
As of right now, we dont have a receiver on the team that a defensive coordinator would game plan around...
On the bright side, we now have experience at the QB position and enough time for the receivers and the QB to find the cemistry that is needed to be successful.....
I'm still not satisfied with Cribbs as a receiver... He's still the best playmaker on the team and we need the ball in his hands as much as possible but so far, receiver isn't the position that he's best at...
Hopefully,Mitchell is the steal of the draft as far as being a player drafted into a position that he can become an immediate inpact.. Thats a lot of pressure to put on a 5th round selection (or was it a 6th round??)...
The development of our receiving corps could define our season....
Peace
T.Dawg
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^ buuuuuuuuut we have a running game that D coordinators will game plan around , setting the MoMass and Co. free to roam.
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Since our return every year at this time we've heard that next year we're gonna pound the ball, run it down their throats...
Other than the last 4 games of last year, all it's been is talk...
Eventually you have to pass on passing downs and thats where the receivers and QB have to act in concert...
Even when you're running the ball 60% of the time, you still have to have a passing game 40% of the time....
One dimensional teams don't make it in the NFL.......
Peacer
T.Dawg
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^ no kidding.
But a real QB may have been what we needed.
Lets see what they can do this year before we rush to judgement.
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buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut no kidding ???? halfsane where the hell you comin from man...
When my 15 year old grandson can predict a play by the down and distance and the offensive set then I think most D coordinators can do the same...
rush to judgement my ass... when you see the same crap game after game and year after year thats no a rush to judgement in my book......
Peace
T.Dawg
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YOoooooo daddy!
Last year , we actually did run the ball down peoples throats down the last stretch of the season. Were you watching that?
Our receivers were a totally new set of players, with 2 inept quarterbacks throwing them the ball.
Lets see what they can do with a guy like Jake back there and a running game from the get-go. This is not a hard concept. The Mangini era has ushered in something new, this is not the last 10 years any longer so stop bitching about it.
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