Griff
April-1st-2005, 12:25 PM
Crennel has Pats answers for Browns' needs
War Room scouts / The Sporting News
Posted: 21 hours ago
New coach Romeo Crennel is asserting his influence in Cleveland, and the front office is following his lead. Crennel wants to build the Browns using the New England formula -- defense, defense, defense.
New GM Phil Savage wouldn't mind drafting a quarterback at No. 3 overall, but neither Aaron Rodgers nor Alex Smith is good enough to warrant a deviation from Crennel's defense-first plan.
Barring a change of heart, the Browns will select Texas outside linebacker Derrick Johnson at No. 3. Throughout Crennel's career, his great defenses were anchored by a dominating, versatile defender like Lawrence Taylor with the Giants and Willie McGinest with the Patriots. Johnson is Crennel's guy, and Cleveland will build a defense around him.
At the top of Round 2, though, the Browns probably will select their quarterback of the future. The youngster will have at least one season to sit and learn the pro game behind veteran Trent Dilfer. At pick No. 34, Savage figures to have his choice between Auburn's Jason Campbell and Purdue's Kyle Orton. The team appears to prefer Campbell, who has great athleticism and mobility. Campbell improved every year and now shows great intangibles and leadership skills after guiding Auburn from a disappointing five-loss season in 2003 to an undefeated season in '04.
The Browns also are collecting solid veterans via trades and free agency to enable the draft picks to ease into the league -- a sure sign of Bill Parcells' and Bill Belichick's influence. The acquisition of a seasoned quarterback (Dilfer) was similar to Parcells' decisions to add Vinny Testaverde first with the Jets and then in Dallas.
Dilfer has been through the NFL ringer. He was the sixth overall pick in 1994 by Tampa Bay but was run out of town after the 1999 season. He landed in Baltimore as a backup and then was thrust into action and ended up leading the defense-dominated Ravens to a Super Bowl title. He then moved on to Seattle to mentor Matt Hasselbeck.
Our sources say Dilfer is in great shape, a la fitness buff Testaverde. Browns officials say he was a steal for a late fourth-round pick. He could be the perfect bridge for the rebuilding franchise.
The Browns also made a move at running back that made us think of Belichick. Cleveland needed a tough running back to pound the ball between the tackles, especially when the weather gets cold in late season. Belichick won three Super Bowls in New England with such a cold-weather plan, first with Antowain Smith and then with Corey Dillon. Savage, after striking out on restricted free agent Chester Taylor, traded for Denver's Reuben Droughns. The price only was Ebenezer Ekuban, an average defensive end at best.
49ERS' NOLAN MAKES FIRST MISTAKE
In an unusual move, new 49ers coach Mike Nolan publicly said Cal's Rodgers is ahead of Utah's Smith because of his college offense. Such commentary set up Nolan for a wide variety of scrutiny and cannot possibly benefit the 49ers in any way.
Regardless of any explanation, such comments will be construed as a preference of Rodgers over Smith. You know the agents for both quarterbacks have scribbled that statement on top of their notepads.
After Nolan's announcement, the front office now can't use Smith as possible leverage to get a better contract with Rodgers. And if another NFL team wanted Smith, that team doesn't have to worry about San Francisco taking their guy. That possible team now won't hold any trade talks with San Francisco and instead would change its focus to Miami or Cleveland. And if Rodgers' price is too high, now it's tougher to go back to Smith.
A rookie mistake by a rookie head coach. And a costly one at that. Either this mistake will cost the team a quality trade or it will cost it money in the Rodgers contract.
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
The Dolphins are trying to hide their desperate desire to trade down from the No. 2 pick. Because of the great depth at the top of this class and the lack of a marquee player or two, the team is having no luck finding an interested trade partners.
The Dolphins' only hope of a trade is to get the Browns worried that Miami would draft Johnson, the outside linebacker, at No. 2. With that in mind, the Dolphins are bringing Johnson to Miami for a pre-draft interview. If the Browns are convinced that Miami would take Johnson, Savage might give up a much-needed third- or fourth-round pick to swap spots in the first round. ...
Broncos coach/GM Mike Shanahan has given his opinion of the '05 class of defensive linemen without opening his mouth. With the Broncos stockpiling underachieving ex-Browns linemen through trades and free agency, Shanahan obviously thinks this class has few (no?) impact players.
We're not sure, but it seems as if new defensive line coach Andre Patterson must have been given a new title -- pro personnel director. How else to explain the acquisitions of Gerard Warren, Courtney Brown, Ekuban and Mike Myers -- a quartet of underachievers Patterson coached in Cleveland. Generally, GMs acquire underachievers in the hope that a new coach could succeed where an old coach failed. But under the same coach, shouldn't we expect the same results? ...
There are rumblings that Arizona is trying to entice Houston to trade up the Cardinals' No. 8 spot to ensure that the Texans get their man, Florida State offensive tackle Alex Barron. Arizona wouldn't mind Houston's No. 13 pick (and the later-round bonus picks that would accompany any first-round swap) because Washington, Detroit, Dallas and San Diego, with picks 9-12, have no interest in a running back. Thus, Arizona could add a third- or fourth-round pick and still get its man, Cedric Benson. ...
Washington offensive tackle Khalif Barnes is the fastest rising player on draft boards around the league. At the beginning of his senior year, he was a mid-Day 2 pick. He now is projected to be a late-first-round pick.
War Room scouts analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams for the Sporting News.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3505318?print=true
War Room scouts / The Sporting News
Posted: 21 hours ago
New coach Romeo Crennel is asserting his influence in Cleveland, and the front office is following his lead. Crennel wants to build the Browns using the New England formula -- defense, defense, defense.
New GM Phil Savage wouldn't mind drafting a quarterback at No. 3 overall, but neither Aaron Rodgers nor Alex Smith is good enough to warrant a deviation from Crennel's defense-first plan.
Barring a change of heart, the Browns will select Texas outside linebacker Derrick Johnson at No. 3. Throughout Crennel's career, his great defenses were anchored by a dominating, versatile defender like Lawrence Taylor with the Giants and Willie McGinest with the Patriots. Johnson is Crennel's guy, and Cleveland will build a defense around him.
At the top of Round 2, though, the Browns probably will select their quarterback of the future. The youngster will have at least one season to sit and learn the pro game behind veteran Trent Dilfer. At pick No. 34, Savage figures to have his choice between Auburn's Jason Campbell and Purdue's Kyle Orton. The team appears to prefer Campbell, who has great athleticism and mobility. Campbell improved every year and now shows great intangibles and leadership skills after guiding Auburn from a disappointing five-loss season in 2003 to an undefeated season in '04.
The Browns also are collecting solid veterans via trades and free agency to enable the draft picks to ease into the league -- a sure sign of Bill Parcells' and Bill Belichick's influence. The acquisition of a seasoned quarterback (Dilfer) was similar to Parcells' decisions to add Vinny Testaverde first with the Jets and then in Dallas.
Dilfer has been through the NFL ringer. He was the sixth overall pick in 1994 by Tampa Bay but was run out of town after the 1999 season. He landed in Baltimore as a backup and then was thrust into action and ended up leading the defense-dominated Ravens to a Super Bowl title. He then moved on to Seattle to mentor Matt Hasselbeck.
Our sources say Dilfer is in great shape, a la fitness buff Testaverde. Browns officials say he was a steal for a late fourth-round pick. He could be the perfect bridge for the rebuilding franchise.
The Browns also made a move at running back that made us think of Belichick. Cleveland needed a tough running back to pound the ball between the tackles, especially when the weather gets cold in late season. Belichick won three Super Bowls in New England with such a cold-weather plan, first with Antowain Smith and then with Corey Dillon. Savage, after striking out on restricted free agent Chester Taylor, traded for Denver's Reuben Droughns. The price only was Ebenezer Ekuban, an average defensive end at best.
49ERS' NOLAN MAKES FIRST MISTAKE
In an unusual move, new 49ers coach Mike Nolan publicly said Cal's Rodgers is ahead of Utah's Smith because of his college offense. Such commentary set up Nolan for a wide variety of scrutiny and cannot possibly benefit the 49ers in any way.
Regardless of any explanation, such comments will be construed as a preference of Rodgers over Smith. You know the agents for both quarterbacks have scribbled that statement on top of their notepads.
After Nolan's announcement, the front office now can't use Smith as possible leverage to get a better contract with Rodgers. And if another NFL team wanted Smith, that team doesn't have to worry about San Francisco taking their guy. That possible team now won't hold any trade talks with San Francisco and instead would change its focus to Miami or Cleveland. And if Rodgers' price is too high, now it's tougher to go back to Smith.
A rookie mistake by a rookie head coach. And a costly one at that. Either this mistake will cost the team a quality trade or it will cost it money in the Rodgers contract.
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
The Dolphins are trying to hide their desperate desire to trade down from the No. 2 pick. Because of the great depth at the top of this class and the lack of a marquee player or two, the team is having no luck finding an interested trade partners.
The Dolphins' only hope of a trade is to get the Browns worried that Miami would draft Johnson, the outside linebacker, at No. 2. With that in mind, the Dolphins are bringing Johnson to Miami for a pre-draft interview. If the Browns are convinced that Miami would take Johnson, Savage might give up a much-needed third- or fourth-round pick to swap spots in the first round. ...
Broncos coach/GM Mike Shanahan has given his opinion of the '05 class of defensive linemen without opening his mouth. With the Broncos stockpiling underachieving ex-Browns linemen through trades and free agency, Shanahan obviously thinks this class has few (no?) impact players.
We're not sure, but it seems as if new defensive line coach Andre Patterson must have been given a new title -- pro personnel director. How else to explain the acquisitions of Gerard Warren, Courtney Brown, Ekuban and Mike Myers -- a quartet of underachievers Patterson coached in Cleveland. Generally, GMs acquire underachievers in the hope that a new coach could succeed where an old coach failed. But under the same coach, shouldn't we expect the same results? ...
There are rumblings that Arizona is trying to entice Houston to trade up the Cardinals' No. 8 spot to ensure that the Texans get their man, Florida State offensive tackle Alex Barron. Arizona wouldn't mind Houston's No. 13 pick (and the later-round bonus picks that would accompany any first-round swap) because Washington, Detroit, Dallas and San Diego, with picks 9-12, have no interest in a running back. Thus, Arizona could add a third- or fourth-round pick and still get its man, Cedric Benson. ...
Washington offensive tackle Khalif Barnes is the fastest rising player on draft boards around the league. At the beginning of his senior year, he was a mid-Day 2 pick. He now is projected to be a late-first-round pick.
War Room scouts analyze NFL and college players, coaches and teams for the Sporting News.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3505318?print=true