Cam Erving - Soooo you're tellin me there's a chance....

sdballis

http://espn.go.com/blog/cleveland-browns/post/_/id/19182/cam-erving-getting-there-in-replacing-c-alex-mack

BEREA, Ohio -- The verdict on Cam Erving as he attempts to step into the center role for the Cleveland Browns?

Not there yet, said offensive line coach Hal Hunter, who quickly added that Erving can get there and be a successful NFL center.

"Is he a finished product? Far from it. Is he moving in that direction? Yeah, he's moving in that direction," Hunter said as the Browns minicamp ended last week. "Usually after a couple weeks you can say, 'No this guy doesn't have a chance.'

"This guy has a promising future there and he understands he's not close to where he needs to be, which is really good."

Whether that's a half-full or half-empty assessment probably depends on the individual. What it is, is honest.

Several factors led to a rough rookie season for Erving. The previous coaching staff saw Erving as a versatile backup. Instead of letting him focus on one spot, Erving had to learn tackle, guard and center. That's tough -- especially for a rookie.

"That's doing it all, man," Hunter said. "At this level, you better hunker down at one position."

But Erving also battled conditioning and technique, as he sometimes was overpowered by active defensive linemen. He struggled so much that he was benched after a bad game late in the season.

"When you play the offensive guard position in this league against a really quality guy, that's tough now," Hunter said. "Some of the these defensive tackles, these three-techniques in this league, they are men."

It all led to a tough rookie season for the Browns' second first-round pick in the 2015 draft.

But with Alex Mack having departed via free agency, Erving has a chance to re-establish himself. He was drafted after moving from left tackle to center in his final season at Florida State, a move that Hunter said impressed him.

He was also drafted with the knowledge that Mack likely would opt of his contract to be a free agent. Erving was the obvious heir apparent, until he erred on the field, which clouded his future.

Under a new coach, Erving was able to start over. But he also had to re-assert himself.

One of the things Erving did was reflect on the way he approached his first year.

"I kind of got out of doing the things that made me, you know, me," he said.

That meant getting more involved in community activities this offseason. In a busy offseason for the Browns in terms of community activity, Erving was among the busiest. In one case, he volunteered to take Elna Wright, 17, to her senior prom. Wright is nonverbal and in a wheelchair due to a progressive disorder known as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Wright's boyfriend passed away last fall, which left Elna without a date. Erving said he jumped at the opportunity -- just like he jumped at many other opportunities.

"In college I did a lot of things, and outreach," he said. "Last year, I was kind of just so focused on football I didn’t really get a change to give back. I didn’t really put myself in a position to help the community as much as I have lately. It’s very rewarding. It also gives you a different level of focus, and it gives you a perspective on life.

"It’s helped me, and I feel more like I am more of myself since I have been here”

That helped get his mind right.

Work with Hunter helped get his football approach right.

Hunter said that for much of the offseason Erving would arrive at 6:30 or 6:45 a.m. for one-on-one time, to go over schemes, assignments and calls -- which are now Erving's responsibility.

On the field, the one thing Erving can do is what Hunter calls "bend," which is bend at the knees to get low for leverage. Mack was not a tall center, but Erving, at 6-foot-5, has to work to gain leverage.

Erving, Hunter said, "can bend like I've never seen a 6-5 guy bend before."

Erving seems to have done all he can this offseason on and off the field, which is significant for a guy who was so maligned late in his rookie year.

Come training camp, he has to build on the foundation he's set.

"He still has a ways to go, and he still has a ways to go physically," Hunter said. "Until we put those pads on and we see what's happening at camp and we go full bore and then get into the preseason games … then we'll get a better feel.

"But he's pleasantly moving in the right direction."

Tour2ma

Hard for me to see Erving being one of our "best 5" come the 2016 opener, but you never know...

Clevfan4life

Sounds totally promising

tiamat63

I have no hope of Erving being a positive contributor. His issues last year were multiple in technique, strength, mental preparation and finally intensity.

I didn't see that nasty steak of just wanting to fire off the ball and bully someone from Cam at any point. If you see that then you have something to work with IMHO.

Thank god for Greco's versatility, I'd say by week 3-4 I'd expect our lineup to be JT, Bito, Greco, Pasztor and Coleman.

Clevfan4life

Actuslly in run blocking when he could fire out and hit someone he looked pretty good a fewvtimes

calfoxwc

for not being a starter, I wonder how long he would still have been

available in the draft?

I think this coaching staff would have graded his talent accurately.

I do think he will eventually become a solid starter....

he didn't work out that much in college with the weights?

Tour2ma

@calfoxwc said:
I think this coaching staff would have graded his talent accurately.

So now the drafts are on Petine as well? Where did you read that, cal?

Tour2ma

@tiamat63 said:
Thank god for Greco's versatility, I'd say by week 3-4 I'd expect our lineup to be JT, Bito, Greco, Pasztor and Coleman.

Possible, tia, but not liking Pasz' and Coleman's inexperience on the same side.

gumby73

Guys, this may get ugly. We go from one of the best in A.Mack to probably the worst in the league at Center. The news has always been that Big Irv was Farmers pick to replace Mack when he moved on. This will be worse than Bowe was to be our Gordon. How coach Hunter could not bark for the need of a C during draft is beyond me. (DeValve & 4 WR's) Now is not the time to honestly say "not there yet" nor finished product "far from it." Greco all day is the best to balance our line at C & call line adjustment (way out of Cam's league). TB got it right, last season got RT Donovan Smith at #34 & next pick G Ali Marpet at #61. J. Winston played well behind both that became starters all season. Can Drango & M. Matthews be our Smith & Marpet? I see PS for both now but S. Coleman/Bailey might find our RT for now. Only other C on roster i seen play C is G. Gerhart & he's no better than 3 C's on the street now. But later cuts may get us a VK Goullie fat ass center..Big Irv. is 6'5."(Rg3 will be a small child under center) give me a nfl DT that can't get under that at C & drive. Prove me wrong Cam but i don't see it.

One Post

Doesn't matter anyway who needs an offensive line? *rolls eyes*

gumby73

@tiamat63 said:
I didn't see that nasty steak of just wanting to fire off the ball and bully someone from Cam at any point. If you see that then you have something to work with IMHO.

Got a friend at work that always would tell me after a loss last season. "Your OL has all To nice Guys & not enough Nasty's". When we sat & watched JT apologize to a Bengal on mic'd. I started to believe him. Finally, he is excited to see what Bailey, S. Coleman, Drango & M. Matthews might bring with some edge & nasty on line. He owns the only Browns Pasztor jersey in NC, for your reason.

miktoxic

thank god the browns strength in the FO has and still is in drafting talent. no wonder we're lining up for the playoffs again this year.

hx214

Still don't buy that the Browns Oline last year was even in the top half of the league, so might as well revamp it anyway along with everything else. If Irving sucks you address it next year, already spent a 1st rounder on him, might as well see what he's got. There were times last year that a piece of OSB board would have offered more protection than Mack did anyway. Dude never came back after his broken leg

tiamat63

@tour2ma said:

Possible, tia, but not liking Pasz' and Coleman's inexperience on the same side.

After I posted I thought to myself about having Bito play RG and Pasz LG. Strong player next to an intermediate player. At this to give this line some balance.

jiggins7919

I'm as optimistic as anyone, and I ESPECIALLY guard my FSU guys with passion, but even I have to admit there was a lot to be concerned about with Cam's performance last year. He appeared to be completely underpowered, and physically inferior to many linemen. In short, Cam Erving got his entire ass blown apart by some very nasty defensive big boys, and he was also the source for at least two blocked FG's (the easiest task for an OL...I've been told).

We've all read that he's gained muscle, lost fat, and he looks athletic. That's all fine and dandy, but will any of that translate to playing better? Did learning all those OL positions stunt his growth and prevent him from having success? Is there THAT much of a physical difference at center?

The good news is that Cam is a worker. He's not some malcontent who is going to just collect a paycheck and blame his poor play on somebody. Cam needs to understand leverage, and also to learn how to deal with the shorter, stronger DL's. If he can figure out his technique, I believe we will see a different player. I don't see him as being an allstar or anything, but I think he can be a "Mitchell Schwartz" type guy. Someone we can count on for years to come, and I'll take that.

Something tells me we're going to know VERY quickly in training camp.

calfoxwc

Well, Ghoulish, in his defense, hasn't said ya don't NEED an offensive line...

he's often made it clear that you could just get offensive linemen from the teenage

girl gymnasts on "America's Got Talent"...................

Tour2ma

@gumby73 said:

TB got it right, last season got RT Donovan Smith at #34 & next pick G Ali Marpet at #61. J. Winston played well behind both that became starters all season.

Big Irv. is 6'5."(Rg3 will be a small child under center) give me a nfl DT that can't get under that at C & drive. Prove me wrong Cam but i don't see it.

Why did you have to remind me about Ali?

As for Erving's height... certainly works against him, but 6'5 is not without precedent for Centers, e.g. the Fins' Mike Pouncey. Difference is Pouncey plays low.

Found this chart from 2014 on player height/weight: http://imgur.com/FBFKSdB

tiamat63

@tour2ma said:

Why did you have to remind me about Ali?

Yeah, that hurt.

gumby73

@tour2ma said:

Why did you have to remind me about Ali?

@tiamat63 said:

Yeah, that hurt.

Sometimes just being a Browns Fan hurts. What is funny the Browns used pick #51 to get Tia's guy Nate Orchard, so you two battle it out . Just a thought. Think LG Joel B. is ready to flip to RG to stable right side while we slide Greco to C & put our weakest link between JT & Greco at LG? (Cam, Bailey or Pasztor) or asking to much from shuffle? Maybe Joel can help the unsure-ability at RT? Thanks, again just a blind opinion.

gumby73

@calfoxwc said:

Well, Ghoulish, in his defense, hasn't said ya don't NEED an offensive line...

he's often made it clear that you could just get offensive linemen from the teenage

girl gymnasts on "America's Got Talent"...................

With the response I got from VK this AM from your "Browns turning the corner" topic. I thought the Topic was changed to VK was turning the corner on BB..Got no "Told you so" nor any "Browns Hating" I Left feeling like my Ghoulish glass was half empty . Keep up the good work. We will make him a rebuilt Browns Fan yet..