Kirwan and Carucci on Moving the Chains, Siruis XM with a great take on this.

http://bit.ly/15YRWjI

I'd rather see what Chud can do with Vince Young. I'm not saying that I WANT that, just that it would be interesting to see what he could do.

I've got to think Lombardi's good buddy Tommy D. will be calling to see what kind of deal he can make for Gordon.

Billy Cundiff

@runyon27 said:

Err you are thinking Eric Winston, not Winston Justice.

Yes exactly. Reading back, I should've distinguished the Winston I was referring to. E. Winston is a RT and was recently quoted as saying "Moving from tackle to guard is not as easy as you think".

@clevelandbigdawg said:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/29/steelers-browns-meeting-with-winston-justice/

Steelers, Browns meeting with Winston Justice

Posted by Darin Gantt on April 29, 2013, 2:16 PM EDT

AP

With the draft over, teams which werent able to fill specific needs are starting to reach out to free agents.

And according to Adam Schefter of ESPN, former Colts and Eagles tackle Winston Justice is making a quick tour. Hes scheduled to meet the Steelers today and the Browns on Wednesday.

Justice is an acceptable player, starting 12 games for the Colts last year, but was displaced in Indianapolis when they backed the truck up for Gosder Cherilus. He played his first six years in the league for the Eagles.

The Browns barely drafted anyone, and didnt add any offensive line help until the seventh round. Thats more than Pittsburgh did, however, and they need some depth there.

------------------------

Wonder if we are looking into Eric Winston as well then at all? I don't think Justice is a G. I think this is solely as a backup, but Eric Winston would be a lot more expensive. I also wonder if we will take a look at Kerry Rhodes or Quinton Jammer.

I like the depth moves being considered here. I was high on Winston when the Texans cut him, but when the Chiefs cut him... There's something we don't know going on with him.

Skeptical2013 said:

Nonsense. This is where a good scouting effort comes into play. What's shocking to me is that despite all the press about the Browns bringing in a bunch of players and spending a lot of time with them, they don't even bring in or spend a lot of time with their their critical #3 draft choice (at least that's what McFadden said)? If this happened in the professional world of business, the manager, Lombardi, would get fired.

Not a relative... not even a fan of Lombardi. Fire him for all I care. If you think he's running this draft, you should be fired with him. If you have an issue, it's with Banner. Let's be clear about that...

Nonsense? Nonsense is the constant negativity with EVERYTHING this team does. They're damned if they do, damned if they don't. Tell me who exactly you would have taken in the 4th and 5th rounds. Clearly, you've done all the scouting and have talked to all of the college coaches and have ran an entire draft before. Let's go GM... You're on the clock.

Skeptical2013 said:

No talent in this draft? Most of the experts have been saying this draft is unusually deep, and I agree. Browns passed today on some fine cornerbacks and safeties that would have helped complete the journey toward development of a very competitive defense. Horrible decision by Lombardi not to engage in the draft today and fill out the defense. But this is why no teams were interested in Lombardi as a GM and why he has compiled such a bad track record. And there is Joe Banner, who thinks he knows all but has blind spots he is not aware of as manifested in the embarrassing showing today .

Sure there's depth, but you don't find immediate starters in the 4th and 5th rounds of a "depth" draft. Like I said, I think they had a few players in mind that were all picked before them. The question that should be asked is "Is this player I'm about to draft any better than the (1) players I have on my roster, or (2) a veteran UFA that is available at this position?".

@dab7291993 said:

What the hell did we get in the trade?

We got the Colts' 2014 4th round pick for the 5th this year.

Thoughts on the recent trades... So smart. There isn't much talent out there today. At least not more than what they get in the 2nd wave of FA coming in a few weeks. Why not add some middle round picks for next year when the evaluation process of the team is more complete? I do think that if Simon weren't picked by the Seahawks, the Browns would've taken him. Since he was gone, so were they (with good value too). I've been really impressed by the way they've handled this off-season.

When I first heard the Browns were considering going back to the 34, I cringed. It got a little better when I heard Chud say "hybrid". When you think about it, how many teams are running a true 34? Not many. Even NE isn't running the true 34 anymore. In today's NFL, a majority of defenses are in some form of nickel most of the time and are running out of an even front. I don't think they will be transitioning to a true 34 any time soon, if ever. If aggressive, it will take at least 2 drafts and a couple FA periods and >$40M. That's assuming there are 3 of the front 7 already on the team, which I don't think is the case. In a hybrid however, you could get some pieces in place over the next few years and be able to run any defense you want. To be thorough, it's probably important to understand the roles and prototypical player attributes to fit the 34. You can decide for yourself if the Browns have any of the personel on their roster. I got some of this from "Take Your Eye Off the Ball" by Pat Kirwan, a must read for football fans.

The 3-4 is based on the DL taking up 2 gaps each. It starts with the NT. he should be 6'2"-6'4', 350+lbs and long arms (Shaun Rogers). He needs to occupy th A gaps on either side of the center and should demand a double team on every play. The DE should be taller , but doesn't need to be as thick (Richard Seymour). Their job is to take care of the B and C gaps between the T and G on each side. The DL's responsibility is primarily to occupy as much of the OL as possible and keep blockers off the LBs. The ends are not pass rushers like in the 43. That's the job of the OLB. A solid mix of speed, power, and agility is the name of the game for the OLB (James Harrison, LT, etc). He needs to be able to rush the passer, cover the flat or hook zone, and seal the edge or persue in the run game. Undersized 43 DEs usually make the transition pretty easily to the 34. The ILBs should consist of two different types of LB. The strong ILB is a 6'3"-250lb thumper that can take on the guard with power (NYJ's Davis Harris). The weak side ILB doesn't need to be as big, because the weak side G will rarely get out on him. He'll be free to roam the line of scrimmage and make place in space (Ray Lewis).

The DBs role in the 34 vs the 43 isn't as defined, but from what I see, corners in the 34 are usually asked to play man and need to have solid cover skills. It's nice having a ball hawking FS roaming the middle of the field. Of course this is all in base defense, which as I stated off the top, teams aren't in nearly as much.

The other benefit that most don't think about, is the improvement you have on STs. Instead of having a plethora of DL, you have a stock-pile at LB that fill the coverage teams with speed and improved tackling ability.

I hope this helps.

I just got back from the Marriott in Chicago. I got to meet and shake the hands of Mr. Haslem, Vic Caruicci, Jim Donovan, Tony Grossi, and several others that came by, shocked to see a fan at the Fall League Meetings, most curoious how I got passed security. All were incredibly nice guys. Jimmy Haslem shook my hand and patted me on the back, happy to see my #32 Jim Brown jersey as he walked by towards the podium before he addressed the media.

I'm so excited about this guy taking over. I just had to go and be a part if it in person. I truly believe today is the day we get our team back. It's gonna be bumpy still, but winning doesn't come easy. And after shaking his hand, I know Jimmy's got the work ethic to make this happen.

@browns149 said:

Exactlly. I'm not happy they are hurt, I'm just happy they won't be playing against us again this year.

I hear you. The original post read like you were excited they were done for the year. Sometimes we forget that these guys have lives and families off the field.

Anyone?...

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/15/report-scott-fujita-has-neck-injury-that-may-be-career-ending/

Hope not...

@hunt-daddy said:

Happy a team I hate will have a harder path to victory, but not happy it comes at the expense of players. Especially a hall of famer like Lewis (even though that guy is accessorizing with crimes).

No Lewis, Suggs, or Webb. Wow. That is brutal.

Well said.

Again, I'll say it... I'd rather the Browns beat the Ravens with Lewis, Webb, and Suggs ON the field. It gives it more credence. I'll celebrate the win, but will hold off on saying they've arrived if they do it against the best.

@mddawg said:

Shurmur actually looking and acting like a head coach. Much improved playcalling in the second half and adjusting to the opposition in the second half.

I agree with all the previous commenters on the other impressive players.

Not in agreement on this one... It may have been his best performance, but there is so much more to be desired.

The play-calling and execution in the 3rd quarter was terrible, luckily for both teams. If not for the Cribbs punt return that flipped the field, I don't know if we win that game.

Then, if not for a forced fumble, we likely go to OT because of a time management mistake on 3rd down with 4 mins left in the game.

The PLAYERS won the game. Like Marty Schottenheimer says, "When you're in trouble, think players, not plays".

For real... That's sad. Injuries are a part of the game, but never something you cheer for.

As a Browns fan, I want the team to beat the best with their best on the field. That's how you know if you're legit or not.

@the-gipper said:

I guess I wonder how/why Jacksonville got a team. I know they are hustling hard to try to keep it from moving to LA.

Of course, not shown on this list is either Buffalo or Green Bay, which don't even make the top 50.

I also wonder if it should not have been appropriate to combine Washington and Baltimore.

Those two are as close as are San Fran/Oak/SJ, or Cleveland/Akron, or Miami/Ft. Lauderdale or Seattle/Tacoma etc.

Green Bay falls in the Milwaukee area.

Jacksonville is right in the middle of the best CFB conference. Perhaps trying to piggy-back on some of those numbers?

My main issue with Shurmer has to do with his duties on the sideline each Sunday. He has put way too much on his plate each week. He doesn't have the experience to be able to handle play calling and typical head coaching duties. To me, it seems like he losses grasp of what's happening in the flow of the game. This is certainly something a coach can see from the press box.

Last year he had Dick Juran on the sideline with him to help him a bit. Now all the "experience" is in a press box. I know Childress doesn't like calling plays Sunday, but in my opinion, one of two things needs to happen for him to succeed in Cleveland.

1. Transfer play calling to someone else

Or...

2. Bring Juran or Childress to the sideline on Sundays.

To Bacon's point, I think the talent has been a bit lacking, but there are other teams in the league in a similar situation as the Browns, but have shown success (Dolphins, Titans). This has to go on Shurmer. My point is that it isn't due to his inability as coach, but rather his self-imposed burden on the sidelines.