@canton-mike said:

Mike

agreed!

holmgren's heroes>past regimes (since 99).

@dawgtracker said:

The sad part is that Romeo seemed to REFUSE to play some players he didn't want, even though some SHOULD have played a lot more. Those 2 (Romeo & Phil) seemed to work harder at screwing each other than doing the jobs they were hired to do. See what happens when SPITE overrides common sense?...You become unemployed (lucky for US!).

Mike

jmho

@neweradawg said:

it just goes to show us the kinds of morons that were running this team since 99. not that we didn't already know, but the new browns fo is showing us exactly how dysfunctional the browns were.

@hoorta said:

@hoorta said:

yeah, that sucked having DB's who kept everything in front of them and a DL that kept everything behind them.

The problem with that 10 yard pad was the DB's maintained that cushion for the duration of the play.

@sj_browns said:

Yeah- compared to Krispy Kreme having his corners play 10 yards of the LOS.

it's great to see the words "agressive schemes" when reading about the cleveland browns defense.

@rich4eagle said:

i havn't seen too much of him, but im always a big fan when coaches/gm's bring parts of their old franchise to their new one. mangini did it with a few guys to bring character as well as guys that know the system last year and it really payed off in the end. Brown and Gocong were both great pickups, and at such a low cost how can you not love it

@sj_browns said:

BEREA — Linebacker Chris Gocong isn't the only one at the Cleveland Browns' training camp on an advanced learning curve.

Head coach Eric Mangini quickly is discovering Gocong's versatility fits into the aggressive schemes devised by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Instead of being one of several linebackers rotated in a 3-4 scheme, the newcomer is using his speed and agility to establish himself with the starting unit.

"Throw me in there, fine with me," Gocong said Thursday after another good practice at inside linebacker.

"Coming over here to a 3-4 where you've got this great coordinator, and Mangini is such a defensive-minded coach, it's just fun."

Gocong enjoyed batting down a pass from Jake Delhomme early in drills. That set the tone for defensive pressure that often left the offense frustrated. Eric Wright and Abram Elam soon followed with interceptions. Lineman Robaire Smith picked off a tipped ball, too.

The offense resorted to trickery from Seneca Wallace and Josh Cribbs to gain some points with the coaching staff. Wallace, the backup to Delhomme, fired a pinpoint pass to Cribbs in the corner of the end zone. That came a few moments after Cribbs took the snap and made a lateral pass to Wallace, who ran it 20 yards to score.

Delhomme and Wallace are expected to lend a spark to Cleveland's offense. Gocong and eight-year defensive back Sheldon Brown were acquired from Philadelphia to improve a defense that ranked next-to-last in the NFL in 2009.

"He is a really smart person and player," Mangini said of Gocong, who missed only one game the past three years after sitting out the entire 2006 season because of a herniated disc.

Mangini sees no effects of that injury.

"He moves well," Mangini said. "He is understanding the concepts well."

While hoping to move into a starting role, Gocong is most excited about getting a chance to move in on opposing quarterbacks. He had 42 sacks in 41 games as a defensive end in college but has only four in 47 NFL games.

"I've always wanted to get to the quarterback more," Gocong said. "With the Eagles, it was more of a run-stopping thing, but I learned a lot and that has made me a better player overall."

In his final game for Philadelphia, Gocong sacked Dallas quarterback Tony Romo in the playoffs. The big play was no surprise to Brown, who with the Eagles predicted a Pro Bowl trip in Gocong's future.

Gocong is more interested in helping the Browns improve upon a 5-11 record and establish a defensive presence in the AFC North.

"We've got the big hogs in the middle, the linebackers flying around and the secondary to cover," he said.

Gocong thinks Ryan is just the man to assemble the parts into a dominating unit.

"Rob really is open to things," he said. "You can go over and say, 'I think we should do this,' and he'll be open-minded about it. That's a cool thing. It's like a breath of fresh air."

Cleveland fans enjoyed the Browns' attacking defense that produced 40 sacks in 2009, most by the team since 2001. Gocong and newcomer, Scott Fujita, hope to add to that total.

"The versatility of our linebacking corps is a huge asset," said Fujita, signed in March as an unrestricted free agent after helping New Orleans win the Super Bowl. "I saw the same thing play out in New Orleans, where there were so many guys desperate to contribute that they played really well."

Gocong just wants to play, and that includes work on special teams.

"I played on all four special units in Philadelphia," he said. "I love it. Whether it is getting a sack, stopping a run or preventing a return, it's my job."

I made comments about Gocong that it was a good move. Let's hope it turns exceptional. I suggested drafting him on another board when he got out of college in round three then I think