@gftchris said:

More sarcasm I'm guessing....

@jafbf said:

Could be, but the more I think and read about it the more I wonder.

Maybe the reason we've been calling nearly a 4:1 Pass/Run ratio is because our RB wasn't hitting the (correct) hole?

This would also explain why we gave up on the Run game so easily.

3.5 ypc is reason enough...

XxDaBuckeyexX said:

Could be, but the more I think and read about it the more I wonder.

Maybe the reason we've been calling nearly a 4:1 Pass/Run ratio is because our RB wasn't hitting the (correct) hole?

This would also explain why we gave up on the Run game so easily.

McGahee truly has had an amazing NFL career. He suffered a devastating injury in his last college game – the 2003 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State that served as the season’s national championship – when his left knee was hyperextended on a direct helmet shot by OSU safety Will Allen.

Nevertheless, McGahee was drafted 23^rd overall by Buffalo. He missed that whole season and rebounded for back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Bills. He was traded to Baltimore in 2007 and produced an immediate 1,000-yard season. In 2011, he moved on to Denver as a free agent and produced yet another 1,000-yard season.

At age 31, expectations realistically are lower for McGahee in Cleveland. But Chudzinski, for one, is not selling him short.

.

.

.

Twenty-three running backs were selected in the 2003 draft. McGahee was the first one off the board. He’s also the only one still active in the NFL.

Man on a mission ?

http://espncleveland.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=22531

@jrb12711 said:

It is all there.

Dude's wife might want a re-write to that ending though.

@ithika said:

I was thinking the same thing- but I'll let Hoyer stink for a couple of games before I'd let the slow on the Draw Weedster back in as the starter.

@jrb12711 said:

The only shred of hope I have left is that there's been a few examples of guys who have bounced around the league and wound up being viable starters. I mean honestly, this storyline would be perfect for that new Kevin Costner movie about the Browns. Think about it man:

A beaten down, seemingly bad team trades its star running back and benches their QB. Here comes a 3rd string, unknown guy that several teams deemed not good enough. A local kid who loves the Browns and always dreamed of taking them to a championship. The first half starts out rough, then it clicks. Cue 8 months later and Hoyer is holding the Lombardi and climbing the stands to kiss the girl he's had an on and off relationship with.

It's all there.

We can only hope though it's unlikely.

@bammer said:

Pretty young bunch there... so I sure hope you are wrong.

@tour2ma said:

Well we've got that now, but will it stay together until the rest of our needs are met? My guess = NO !

@hx214 said:

Were already underutilizing Rainey? LMAO...

McGahee will spell Rainey.. be our 3rd down back. It's really not a new concept.

@tim-couch-pulls-out said:

THE OCHO

Not as in Ocho Cinco I hope-o....

And good point on McGahee and Chud having crossed paths before. As much as Willis has bounced around I can't remember hearing anything negative about him, and this would seem to confirm that.

@ballpeen said:

It is game 3 and he is starting. Seeing how we picked him up late, I am not sure he could have been on a faster pace.

It's evident Hoyer has overtaken Campbell, so that means he has made up ground on Weeden as well. Let's say Weeden didn't get hurt and the team kept losing....at what point would the staff start to look in a different direction if for no other reason than to skake things up?

My hope is Hoyer takes his shot and plays like a wildman...

As far as McGahee.....he brings a veteran mentality to a position where we don't have any veteran leadership unless you want to count on Ogie....I don't.

No doubt, it's a 1 season marriage. I don't see any negatives in bringing him to the fold.

Agree with Hoyer learning and overtaking Campbell and therefor gaining on Wheezy. We know Campbell is not a long-term answer... we're pretty sure it aint Wheezy... time to find out about Hoyer.

But last thing we need is for Hoyer to "play like a wildman". With strong D (see below) a game manager at QB is all that is needed. I watched KC last night do just that with Alex Smith and dreamed a little dream...

As for McGahee... if he performs there's no reason to not resign him. We eeked a couple years out of the end of Calvin Hill's career, and his leadership earned him more years in a staff position.

@bammer said:

How many years has the team been "building" ? Yet the foundation is never laid, we pop up a few tents, only to fold up at seasons end and start again. The team that I love just confuses the hell out of me......

The "foundation" is on the Defensive side of the ball... I've no doubt the FO both knows this and knows to not fuck it up...

@hoorta said:

The only shred of hope I have left is that there's been a few examples of guys who have bounced around the league and wound up being viable starters. I mean honestly, this storyline would be perfect for that new Kevin Costner movie about the Browns. Think about it man:

A beaten down, seemingly bad team trades its star running back and benches their QB. Here comes a 3rd string, unknown guy that several teams deemed not good enough. A local kid who loves the Browns and always dreamed of taking them to a championship. The first half starts out rough, then it clicks. Cue 8 months later and Hoyer is holding the Lombardi and climbing the stands to kiss the girl he's had an on and off relationship with.

It's all there.

@ballpeen said:

Hoyer is Kelly Holcomb with less arm strength. Not sure why so many people believe that Hoyer is going to come out and light up the NFL, because he was Bradys back up for 3 yrs? The guy did absolutely nothing in college and has done nothing in the pros! If you watch the footage on NFL.com of the games he has played in you can see for yourself that his arm just isn't fit for this offense. So he's smart right? So was Ken Dorsey and Trent Dilfer where'd that get them with the Browns? Seriously you guys that think Hoyer is gonna play better than Jason Campbell has already played in his career are abosolutley crazy and need to put down the crack pipe. I'd bet my pay check that this move is being forced by Dumbtardi because he, Bellyache and Hoyer are all butt buddies. Why else would Campbell be # 2 on the depth chart and get leap frogged to start the game?

When Hoyer plays a mediocre brand of football in the next few games then maybe you'll realize he sucks! He's also shown a propensity to throw alot of Int's in the few regular season and preseason games he's played in. Campbell however is the latter throwing 76 TD's to 52 Ints in his 7 yr career. Neither of these guys is the long term answer but Campbell fits this offensive scheme much better and throws a great deep ball to keep defenses honest.

@hx214 said:

Calm down man. They signed him to a one-year deal b/c we only have 1 RB on our roster. Our FO already poached other squads for 2 decent RBs in Rainey and Johnson, but it could do more damage than good to throw those guys to the wolves when they're both rookies. Coach them up, get them a few reps over the course of the year, and keep the tread nice... Signing McGahee does NO damage long-term, but actually helps short-term and long-term by keeping the rookies on out of harms way until they are ready...

@richiswhere said:

Yes, thank you for explaining the sarcasm, hadn't picked up on that...

the point is, if the 3rd rounder we get turns out to give us the same production as we've had from Richardson - which, let's be honest, hasn't been all that much - then we're better off. In theory. Of course, it all hinges on having a FO who can draft talented players; have as much confidence in that as you want.

@gftchris said:

Hey man I am sorry I used the word genius ( I was being sarcastic). Moron was more like it.

You still have the same crap running backs in your scenario and another back who has yet to be even drafted.

@richiswhere said:

No, that's not what I said, GENIUS

First, Hardesty is probably gone, Lewis isn't exactly injury prone, he broke his leg. That's not like a knee ligament like RG3 or someone, it heals up and you move on. He's young enough that he won't even notice it. Second, the point I was making is that we'll be drafting a second RB sometime on the upper middle rounds of the draft next year, and we'll be using him, along with at least one of Lewis and Hardesty in a RB committee. We've then gone from:

Richardson, Lewis, Hardesty/Other, Plus 3rd round pick

to

3rd round RB, Lewis, Hardesty/Other, Plus 1st round pick.

The third rounder just needs to be a serviceable, 3.5-4YPC guy, and the 1st rounder then (hopefully) becomes a top WR or something.

I hope that's clearer

It is also a good opportunity to see what Rainey can do, you never know with running backs until they get a real opportunity, preseason is bullshit.

Zombo

@gftchris said:

Wait a minute you want to depend on Hardesty who has a major injury ever year and Lewis a 5'7" 190 guy who well already fell apart in the 2nd pre season game as you main running backs? GENIUS

@hoorta said:

McGahee doesn't need to be better, he needs to be serviceable for a year until we get Lewis and/or Hardesty back and draft another RB. Hell, he doesn't even need to be as good as Richardson - we need the guy we draft, 2nd or 3rd round, to do that job. Then we've basically turned that 2nd/3rd rounder in to a first.

@hoorta said:

It is game 3 and he is starting. Seeing how we picked him up late, I am not sure he could have been on a faster pace.

It's evident Hoyer has overtaken Campbell, so that means he has made up ground on Weeden as well. Let's say Weeden didn't get hurt and the team kept losing....at what point would the staff start to look in a different direction if for no other reason than to skake things up?

Personally I didn't think Weeden was playing all that poorly, but as we both know, winning games means a lot and fair or unfair, a large burden of that falls on the QB.

My hope is Hoyer takes his shot and plays like a wildman, is our QB of the future and we don't need to spend any of our future picks on a QB other than maybe a 5th round project guy to groom as Hoyers back-up.

Go Hoyer!

As far as McGahee.....he brings a veteran mentality to a position where we don't have any veteran leadership unless you want to count on Ogie....I don't.

No doubt, it's a 1 season marriage. I don't see any negatives in bringing him to the fold.

@the-cysko-kid said:

If Hoyer was better than Weeden, he would already be starting. The Patriots, Cardinals and Steelers all let him walk. Is there something in this hidden Jewel Dumbtardi sees that 3 other teams have missed, up close and personal?

Richardson was over rated, but you want to tell me Willis Freaking McGahee is better right now? I agree with one of the other posters- Beanie Wells is out there on the street, waiting for a phone call.

So if you're so cocksure of your drafting acumen, you shouldn't just stop at Richardson- dump the whole damn team- Thomas, Haden - the whole ball of wax- why go half-ass if you're in a rebuilding mode. That's 4 first round picks, not 2.

Nope as far as right now is concerned, we've hit rock bottom, and started to dig.

That's the only reason I can think of.