Corey Williams sets personal goals for second Browns season

DTBH

http://www.cantonrep.com/sports/browns/x12...d-Browns-season

BEREA — Picture an arm-wrestling contest in which the clearly stronger brute not only wins in a flash but breaks the other guy’s hand as he smashes it to the table.
Shaun Rogers can embarrass a guy like that. In a Browns defensive line drill last week, Rogers and Shaun Smith engaged a two-man sled on wheels. When line coach Bryan Cox said go, Smith’s challenge was to drive the sled with force equal to Rogers, making the sled go straight back.

Instead, Rogers applied much greater pressure, basically making the sled do a donut.

“C’mon, Shaun,” Rogers said to the overpowered Smith.

Smith began to defend himself, but Cox stopped him.

“The sled doesn’t lie,” the coach scowled.

Corey Williams looked on. Maybe he could have given Rogers a better fight.

Williams and Rogers were supposed to form a one-two line punch that helped drive the Browns to last year’s playoffs. Instead, Rogers had a Pro Bowl year after jumping from the Lions, while Williams played hurt, struggled in the transition from Green Bay’s 4-3 to Cleveland’s 3-4, and was a disappointment.

It would be a big help if Williams — deemed worthy of a second-round draft pick by former General Manager Phil Savage — delivered the goods for new Head Coach Eric Mangini.

Maybe a new version of a 3-4 will help. As spring practice rolls along, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson raves about the freedom it gives linemen such as Williams, who had seven sacks two years in a row in Green Bay but a measly half-sack all last year.

“The defense we’re running now is great. I love it,” Williams said. “I liked the defense we ran last year, but this year we’re doing a lot more different things.

“I’m gonna have some one-on-ones. I’m gonna have some double-teams. When I got a one-on-one, I’ll just have to take advantage of it.”

Rogers is resting a shoulder that gave him trouble last year, although resting might not be the right word. In one recent practice, he didn’t sit out 11-on-11 drills. He ground through interval charges up “the hill,” a steep grassy incline at the corner of the practice fields.

“Shewwww,” Williams said, “we’re getting after it. (Mangini) has been on us pretty good. You know what I mean?

“That’s helping us out.”

The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Williams should be in his prime. He turns 28 on Aug. 17 and is entering his sixth NFL season.

Williams said Rogers’ trip to the Pro Bowl is “a motivator to everybody around him.” To do what?

“I have a goal I set for myself,” he said, “but I keep it to myself.”

Williams was on top of the world 16 months ago, playing for a Green Bay team on the verge of beating the Giants in the NFC championship game. That game slipped away, and Williams entered the fog of a Browns season that became a 4-12 shipwreck.

“We put what we did last year behind us,” Williams said. “Think about it. A lot of teams, like Miami, come from a losing season and turn it around. A lot of teams do that. That’s the plan we’ve got.”

Gotta like the part about Rogers embarressing Smith.

pl4tinum

Smith's tits were leaning on the sled too and Rogers still flipped that sh!t.

Gips

Smith is mediocre as a DE/DT at his very best i have no idea why he is still around any 300+ walk on could beat him out...

YtownBrownsBacker

@gips said:
Smith is mediocre as a DE/DT at his very best i have no idea why he is still around any 300+ walk on could beat him out...

I think he is here as insurance against injury and if everyone stays healthy he is the odd man out. His contract is non-guaranteed.

Sez.EJ

The goal is to eat 9 big macs before every practice and barf on mangini's shoes

PlaygroundLegend

Corey williams will start

Shaun smith is like, third string de

sisky fringo

i can't wait to watch Robaire play this year. he's one of my favorite current Browns to watch and i really missed him last year.

to me he seems to fit Manginis core characteristics and could give Williams some insight into playing the 3-4 as well. we have a legit rotation on the D-line, there's a lot to be excited about this year.

I think we'll keep more than six d-linemen; Mangini kept eight last year, seven the year before.

So there'll be room for another guy or two besides the six locks Shep mentioned. Louis Leonard and Shaun Smith have a shot, but it's also possible that we'll pick up a guy that the Pats or Jets cut - both teams are overloaded with d-line talent (especially the Pats).

We could also go after Kentucky DE Jeremy Jarmon, who might be available in the supplemental draft.

sisky fringo

@sisky-fringo said:
i can't wait to watch Robaire play this year. he's one of my favorite current Browns to watch and i really missed him last year.
to me he seems to fit Manginis core characteristics and could give Williams some insight into playing the 3-4 as well. we have a legit rotation on the D-line, there's a lot to be excited about this year.

Corey Williams was a double whammy of a disappointment last year. He wasn't strong at the point of attack, and he couldn't move laterally down the line. I guess the hope is that his bum shoulder healing up will boost his strength. And shedding some weight could improve his lateral movement.

One thing I noticed last year was that Williams played much better when he split reps with another d-lineman. The Tennessee game probably was his best performance, and Louis Leonard played about 40% of the snaps at LE that Sunday.

If Robaire's back & healthy, the two of them could form a pretty nice strongside DE rotation. Kenyon Coleman and C.J. Mosley already have a lot of experience playing as a run/pass rotation at RE, so our d-line would be set.

One thing I'd watch for: Mangini & Kokinis were interested in signing NT Howard Green, but he ended up landing with the Jets. He reportedly impressed people at the Jets' OTA's, which could mean that backup NT Sione Pouha won't make the roster. Ahtyba Rubin's got a lot of potential, but Pouha would be a nice short-term upgrade. As long as there's still a spot for Rubin on the roster, I'd be all for bringing Pouha in.