Spring 2014 OBR Column

Come check out the new and improved OBR magazine and website. Go to www.obr.com for more information. I had the lead article in the spring issue which was the draft preview, check it out below.

From a Coach’s Point of View: Did Seattle Change the Blueprint for the Browns?

When the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl, they won with a team blueprint different then the one the Browns have been presenting to their fans during the Haslem era. Seattle won with a solid ground game; a great defense; and a functional quarterback. I am not putting down Russell Wilson, in fact I think he is quite good, but he had to do nothing super for his team to win. He just had to do his job and let the team take care of everything else. In contrast, the Broncos were counting on Peyton Manning to be Superman, which the Seattle defense had something to say about, and the rest is history.

The Browns have been telling fans they need a franchise quarterback. Maybe that will change with the end of the Banner/Lombardi regime. Instead of looking for the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning it might be better to find another Russell Wilson, instead of dreaming about Superman showing up and saving the day. The Browns need to be more like Seattle by building up the rest of the team, starting with the defense; give whomever is quarterback some more weapons; and draft a solid running back or two so the team has a ground game.

How many young franchise quarterbacks are out there? Andrew Luck is going to be a very good quarterback, and Jameis Winston is going to be the number one pick in next year’s draft. However, the rest of the good young quarterbacks of this era, whether in the pro’s or still in college, are going to be Russell Wilsons, good quarterbacks who will depend greatly on the quality of their teams to get them to championships. Because too many of them spent too much time being running spread option quarterbacks in high school and college and missed out on the learning process of reading pass defenses, the chances of  any ofthem being superstar pro style quarterbacks is not what it once was.

The list of those who have crashed and burned is endless, including Vince Young, Pat White, and RGIII. Cam Newton is in his fourth season in Carolina and his team is finally showing signs of success, because he has made the transition from running college quarterback to pocket pro quarterback. His statistics have been solid for four years, but it wasn’t until this year with Newton playing more like a traditional pro quarterback and less like a running college quarterback that the Panthers made the playoffs. The team has gotten stronger around him, and he didn’t have to be Superman for them to make the playoffs.

Seattle’s championship run last season is not the first time this blueprint has been used to win an NFL championship. The New York Giants won with both Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler at quarterback in 1987 and 1991; the Baltimore Ravens did it with both Trent Dilfer and Joe Flacco as quarterbacks; the 2002 Tampa Bay Bucs did it with Doug Johnson as quarterback.

The Seahawks won the Super Bowl with a great defense lead by cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas, and an offensive ground game lead by Marshawn Lynch. Those are the types of players the Browns need to find.

The search for the next Tom Brady or Peyton Manning is almost a lost cause. Yes, it would be nice if the Browns did draft the next big thing, or at least the next Drew Brease or Ben Rothlingsberger, but it is a more solid game plan to build of the rest of the team and being happy with a good but not great quarterback. The final four teams this past season featured only one first round draft pick (Peyton Manning) at quarterback: Tom Brady was a sixth round pick; Russell Wilson a third round pick; and Colin Kaepernick was a second round pick.

The Browns are unsure at quarterback as ever. I’m a big fan of Brian Hoyer, but he does not have the arm strength to lead a team to a championship. He would be great to be a back up and mentor to whomever is the quarterback.  Jason Campbell and Brandon Weedon are gone. As I’m writing this I hear rumors of the Browns going after free agent Matt Schaub.

As the Browns head into this free agent period and upcoming draft, with their abundant cap room and extra picks, hopefully the front office will realize that most championships are made with strong defenses, solid running games, and good, but not great, quarterbacks. Go find a good quarterback.

Some closing thoughts…Is it just me, or does it seem like many colleges are drifting away from the spread option offense and back to a traditional pro look? This past bowl season I saw Alabama, Stanford, and Vanderbilt amongst others with a quarterback under center and two backs in the backfield. I have a hunch that the defensive coordinators on the college level have found too many ways to stop the spread option. This will be something I’m going to keep an eye on this fall.

And finally…One of the story lines for the 2014 NFL draft and the upcoming season will be Michael Sam as the first openly gay player in the league. I have been asked several times what would happen if he ended up in Cleveland. I have responded each time ‘nothing.’ In the tradition of Louis Sockalexis (first native American in major league baseball), Lenny Ford and Marion Motley (first African American pro football stars), Jesse Owens (1936 Olympic champion), Frank Robinson (first major league African American manager), Lennie Wilkens (African American NBA coach), Hank Greenburg (Jewish American General Manager of 1948 championship Indians), Martina Navratilova (1975 teenager member of Cleveland Nets), John McLendon (first black college coach at a predominately white university Cleveland State in 1966), Cleveland and its sports fans have a history of accepting any athlete or coach, as long as they gave it their best and represented the city well. I think Michael Sam would benefit greatly by becoming a Cleveland Brown.

Vanderbilt Graduation, Spring 2014

My niece Allyson graduated from Vanderbilt in Nashville. She had a great run there, and so did her family. We all fell in love with Vandy and Nashville. Special shout out to my parents Joe and Marlene. They were both children of the Great Depression, had four children all graduate from college (three have Masters degrees), and now they are three for three with the grandchildren. Too bad the old man isn't around anymore, he would have really enjoyed it.

21 May 2014 Mass for St. John Paul at St. Barbara's

2014 Annual Spring Golf Trip

Vandy Basketball Weekend February 2014

December 2013 Browns Column

I still write for the Orange and Brown Report, a publication of Scout.com. Here is a 

column a wrote at the end of the 2013, as well as a email I got from a fan.

I Thought I’ve Seen Everything

At least I thought that when the game was over with so would be the suffering. No more Browns games until next August, and hopefully with a new quarterback, a rebuilt running game, and another threat or two at the receiver position. Some time away from the Browns would be good for all of us, from the fans to the press. But no, like a bad case of poison ivy that won’t go away, the Browns just couldn’t give us that well deserved break, could they?

The fans will once again go through another season of change. A new head coach, new coordinators, new philosophies on offense and defense, new position coaches, etc., etc., etc. The way it went down common sense told you they must have someone waiting in the wings that is a proven winner on the head coaching level either in the NFL or a major college. A coaching retread, someone who has already failed as a head coach, an unproven offensive genius, just won’t do. But who is going to come here? An owner in serious legal problems; a front office that just left the last head coach out to dry; a general manager and team president who have less than stellar reputations. A first time head coach or a retread rebounding from disaster will be what we settle for. Here we go again.

The Browns disappointing 2013 season was the fault of many, not just the head coach. They traded their leading rusher from last year; they added very little in the draft, especially a part time player with the sixth pick in the draft; when they were 4-5 and still in the thick of things no major personnel moves were made to strengthen the team. None of that was the coaching staff’s fault. The Browns have five Pro Bowl picks, but had nothing but journeymen playing at quarterback, running back, and most of the receiver positions. That lack of talent was not the fault of the coaching staff.

Who ever is the next Browns coach will immediately look better than the last several because of the additional talent on the team. He will have the benefit of the team’s ten draft picks, several high priced free agents, plus the core of the team that will be returning. So wins and losses will not be the fairest way to compare next year’s Browns Head Coach to Rob Chudzinski or Pat Shurmer.

The bigger job this off-season is upgrading the talent, not selecting the head coach. Too many fans think the solution is hiring the right coach or drafting the right quarterback. They are both important parts of the picture, don’t get me wrong, but this off-season is about upgrading the talent. Between the extra draft picks and room under the salary cap this is a once in a long time moment.

The team does not have to be turned over. The core is solid, the problem was this year the talent added over the course of the off-season and in season was very limited. I would keep most of the offensive and defensive line, that means signing Alex Mack immediately.  I’d keep Haden, Gipson, and Ward in the defensive backfield. I’d keep Jackson and Richardson, Krueger, and Sheer at linebacker. The only outside receivers whose jobs would be safe are Josh Gordon and Travis Benjamin.  Keep the punter and the kicker.

The priorities in the draft and free agency are many. First, get the running game in order. It was too easy to game plan against the Browns without a rushing threat. Next, draft whomever they consider the quarterback of the future. As I have said before, the best of the bunch Jameis Winston is still a year away, there are no for sure quarterbacks this year. Yes, a lot of good college quarterbacks, but being a good college quarterback and being a good pro quarterback are two different things. Then find at least two offensive threats to go with Josh Gordon, as well as another quality tight end.  After that add depth to both sides of the ball.

There are other offseason priorities, especially for the owner to settle all of his legal problems. This is huge; there is a lack of respect from fans, the media, and people in the football world that won’t go away until this is resolved. There are top tier coaches who won’t come to Cleveland until this is resolved. Turf the field so the stadium can be used more often, like hosting high school state playoff games. The fact the building is only used ten times a year is sad. The last thing I would do this offseason is get rid of all the game day gimmicks, like the cheerleading announcer and the open flames during introductions.  I would think the Browns and their fans are above all these things they do at every other stadium.

The Browns front office needs to get its house in order. The firing of Rob Chudzinski was not the defining moment of the season. Brian Hoyer getting hurt was not the defining moment. The moment that defined the season happened the day Trent Richardson was traded. Not the trade itself, but the fact that Richardson heard about it from a friend who had heard it on the radio. That is not how top tier programs do things.

Where was the front office and owner the last seven weeks of this miserable season? Nowhere to be found. And each week they threw Chud out there in front of the press. To talk about a team that Ray Charles could have game planned against, with no running game, a carousel of players at quarterback, and a defense that spent way too much time in the field.

When Jimmy Haslem was introduced to the fans of Cleveland he told us he ran his business like he hoped to run his football team, by hiring the best people possible and let them do their jobs. Since he told us that wonderful news, he has spent the last year dodging lawsuits, and pleading that he didn’t know what was going on as his company ripped off their best customers. He either has been lying or he didn’t hire the best people possible to run his business. Let us hope that is not the case with the Browns.

Who should be the next coach of the Browns? I would go with the guy who I think should have gotten the job the last time around, San Francisco Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman. But I doubt anyone is listening.

Greg,

 

I just finished reading the Orange and Brown, March 2014 edition, and I was so moved by your article that I needed to write to you.

 

You hit the nail on the head with this article.  Thank you for expressing what I also experienced the evening of the last Brown’s game against Pittsburgh.  Talk about a hit in the gut with Chud’s firing.  Whether it was the right or wrong thing to do, the timing was horrendous.

 

I, too, was hoping that the new owner and front office could turn things around for the Browns, however, it doesn’t look that way at this point, which is deeply saddening as a lifelong Browns fan.  It’s looking more and more of the same as this fiasco continues.

 

When I think of the worst thing that happened to the Browns organization, I always go back to 1995, when the team was taken away from Cleveland.  However, with this latest mess in the front office, I dare to say that this is competing with that awful time.  After 15 years of hoping they could pull out a winning team, it seems that they will never be able to make it happen again.  There are so many reasons why, and we all know what they are, so there’s no point in dredging them up, once again.

 

So, this evening I am going to a Super Bowl party.  I’m rooting for Seattle for the simple fact that I still do not care for the Denver Broncos and Elway.

 

Every time I’ve been invited to a Super Bowl party I take the same thing.  Brownies.  It’s a symbolic thing for me in that the “Brownies” will be there.  It’s a subtle thing, but it does make me feel better.  A few of my friends here in Florida are Browns fans, and I let them know why I brought the brownies.  They love it.

 

Thank you again for your article.  It was right on the money, and I’m looking forward to reading more of your articles in the future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Ellen Corsi Tutko

View From the Dawg Pound, Week 16

At least I thought that when the game was over with so would be the suffering. No more Browns games until next August, and hopefully with a new quarterback, a rebuilt running game, and another threat or two at the receiver position. Some time away from the Browns would be good for all of us, from the fans to the press. But no, like a bad case of poison ivy that won’t go away, the Browns just couldn’t give us that well deserved break, could they?

The firing of Rob Chudzinski was not the defining moment of the season. Brian Hoyer getting hurt was not the defining moment. The moment that defined the season happened the day Trent Richardson was traded. Not the trade itself, but the fact that Richardson heard about it from a friend who had heard it on the radio. That should have told all of us how the latest front office regime was going to handle things.

Where was the front office and owner the last seven weeks of misery? Nowhere to be found. And each week they threw Chud out there in front of the press. To talk about a team that Ray Charles could have game planned against, with no running game, a carousel of players at quarterback, and a defense that spent way too much time in the field.

When Jimmy Haslem was introduced to the fans of Cleveland he told us he ran his business like he hoped to run his football team, by hiring the best people possible and let them do their jobs. Since he told us that wonderful news, he has spent the last year dodging lawsuits and pleading that he didn’t know what was going on as his company ripped off their best customers. He either has been lying or he didn’t hire the best people possible to run his business.

The fans will once again go through another season of change. A new head coach, new coordinators, new philosophies on offense and defense, new position coaches, etc., etc., etc. You better have someone waiting in the wings that is a proven winner on the head coaching level either in the NFL or a major college. A coaching retread, someone who has already failed as a head coach, an unproven offensive genius, just won’t do. But who is going to come here? An owner in serious legal problems; a front office that just left the last head coach out to dry; a general manager and team president who have less than stellar reputations. A first time head coach or a retread rebounding from disaster will be what we settle for. Here we go again.

The Browns disappointing 2013 season was the fault of many people, not just the head coach. They traded their leading rusher from last year; they added very little in the draft, especially a part time player with the sixth pick in the draft; when they were 4-5 and still in the thick of things no personnel moves were made to strengthen the team. None of that was the coaching staff’s fault. The Browns have five Pro Bowl picks, but had nothing but journeymen playing at quarterback, running back, and most of the receiver positions. That lack of talent was not the fault of the coaching staff.

I want to thank Lane Adkins and Brian McBride for letting me do this blog this year. I really enjoyed it and hope to do it again in the future. I’ll soon have all sixteen weeks filed on my website, as well as all the columns I’ve written over the years for the Orange and Brown Report. Check it out at www.gregcielec.com.

Greg Cielec

Section 120, Row B, Seats 3&4