Shaquille O’Neal (Shaq-a-Claus) Gives Back
November 23, 2009Could the Browns Update Their Uniforms?
November 23, 2009
I wanted to talk more about the Browns’ inactives today because it is one of the things that really bugs me. The choices for inactive players really flies in the face of the idea that this team is a couple years away. Make no mistake. The Browns thought they might be playing a bit for the present this year when they decided not to trade Braylon Edwards before the draft. Instead, they jumped into the season with a guy who was never going to be here next year before finally trading him to the Jets. At that point, I fully expected to see all those young guys filling the field in order to take their lumps early and often rather than wait it out. Then, yesterday the decisions went against that. The inactives for yesterday’s game included Jerome Harrison, Brian Robiskie, David Veikune, and Coye Francies. Let’s take them one by one.
Brian Robiskie has been slow to develop to be sure. But the reason that I am OK with him sitting is because of who played instead. Chansi Stuckey was healthy and is also a young player with potential. The Browns’ wide receiving corps was Mohamed Massoquai, Chansi Stuckey, Josh Cribbs, and Mike Furrey. Of all those players, maybe you could argue that the Browns don’t really need to bother playing the 32 year-old Furrey over getting experience for Brian Robiskie. That is a big maybe, though. Furrey has struggled to help the team catching the ball with the consistency we might have hoped for, but he has been a good soldier filling on defense and doing everything asked of him. It is frustrating that Robiskie isn’t playing as we thought he could, but I am actually OK with him sitting.
David Veikune is like Robiskie, except you really have to look at the coaching staff that decided it was a good idea to convert Veikune from a down lineman to a linebacker. Terry Pluto was on record saying how difficult and sometimes problematic that change can be. Mangini’s experiences with Vernon Gholston should be enough warning. Yesterday, Veikune sat so that Kaluka Maiava, David Bowens and Blake Costanzo could play. Again it is frustrating to know that this draft pick is having a tough time with the conversion, but then again it is nice to see Maiava getting reps. It can be argued with Maiava getting playing time that the team is focusing on the future, so I am ok with Veikune sitting.
Coye Francies has been sitting practically the whole season and I can’t figure out why. Brandon McDonald has struggled with giving up the big play. On occasion Hank Poteat has given us his best Terry Cousin impression. The interference call on Poteat at the end of the game was icing on the cake for me. Poteat is an 8 year journeyman trying to hold on at 32 years of age. To think that the Browns are wasting reps on a guy like that instead of playing Francies and Gerard Lawson (who I believe was active on special teams yesterday) is a breakdown in philosophy, I think. I don’t mean to pick on Poteat, but there is honestly no reason that he should play a down for the Browns at this point. He isn’t good and he isn’t going to get better. The same should not be said of Francies.
Jerome Harrison is still bad at picking up the blitz. He also had some kind of run-in with the coaching staff last week when he said he better be quiet rather than get into trouble. Well, apparently he got into trouble anyway as he was inactive against the Lions. I wrote last week that the Browns should never give another carry to Jamal Lewis because it was pointless and proved nothing. I knew that it would never happen, but the Browns really screwed up this week by leaving Harrison out of their plans. Harrison might not be good at picking up the blitz, but he sure could have been effective getting outside the tackles on the turf in Detroit. He could have been effective getting into space to be Quinn’s underneath option. Jamal Lewis gave it his all yesterday including laying out with one of his big hurdles. I like the guy, but he is done.
44 Comments
I don’t understand the Robiskie situation. We all knew he wasn’t the fastest or most athletic guy to ever play the position (and I always questioned his hands). His upside was supposed to be his football IQ. So is this a question of him not being intelligent and the Browns misreading it or is it a matter of the Browns being the only people that were completely unaware of his limitations when drafting him in the 2nd round? Either way, that pretty much sums up the Mangini Era to this point.
Regardless of blitz pickup issues, Harrison should have played yesterday. He would have easily caught that pass that Jennings dropped.
Harrison not being on the field and active is simply mind-boggling. I am with you Craig; I appreciate what Jamal has done for us but he is done.
JUST ANOTHER ONE OF MANGENIUS’ MISUNDERSTOOD MOVES THAT CANNOT BE COMPREHENDED BY YOU COMMONFOLK. NEXT YEAR WHEN HE IS WINNING GAMES AND MOVING THIS TEAM TO THE PLAYOFFS IT WILL BECOME CLEAR TO ALL OF YOU INFIDELS.
THIS WAS ALL KOKINIS’ FAULT! MANGINI WAS OVERRULED!
You have got to be kidding, seriously-you try and justify and suggest it’s “ok” that two (2), count em’ second round picks SIT INACTIVE on this team? You have got to be freaking kidding.
And, what took you so long to finally comment on this stuff, it’s been going on since game ONE. OBSERVE, don’t REACT.
@ #1 – Mangini isn’t interested in smart people, just character guys.
Clownbaby, cmon-which of your proposed choices do you think it is? If you followed the NFL draft, you’d have OBSERVED. Robiskie was not projected anywhere near that high on anyone else’s draft board, and the same goes for Veikune. Cmon dude-has nothing to do with intelligence, smarts, or character-it has ALL to do with his inability to get off the line and get open. All was known by NFL scouts. As an OSU alumni, I saw and said same BEFORE the draft.
Observe and free yourself.
@ #6 – I’m no English major, but the verb ‘react’ truly seems more active than the verb ‘observe’. One might go so far as to think that ‘reacting’ logically follows ‘observing’. Are we supposed to sit idly by and be passive about this whole thing, whilst somehow writing articles about it? Methinks you make little sense, sir.
Also, “Observe and free yourself” sounds like hippie LSD talk to me. ARE YOU ALBERT HOFMANN?! Since he’s passed, the Ghost of Timothy Leary mayhaps?!
@6 – Aren’t you reacting to this post, not observing? OBSERVE my observation!
Craig, I agree that playing Furrey is nonsensical at this point, but nothing about this season makes sense. And in that way, everything Mangini does makes sense.
Chris Jennings was directly a Kokinis find and signee-Manscum has already tried to skurt that issue. Keep an eye on that one…..not that Jennings is Beanie Wells, but he’s playing and has some talent. Manscum is just that, scum.
let’s get to happier subjects….
T-Shirt Idea:
Front:
Roses are Red
Not Maize and Blue
Back:
Buckeyes to Pasadena
Not Even Detroit for You
Oh, the front should have the text in a circle with a Buckeye in the middle….not sure what to put on the back…maybe just the text or perhaps an upside down wolverine with x’s in the eyes (like the dead armadillo pictures on many t-shirts)
I’m sad to share my alma mater with Isis. OBSERVE our collective boot in your behind.
Holy cow, blissfully ignorant may have just been passed by mgbode in this week’s Comment of the Week standings. THROW THE HAMMER DOWN MGBODE!
Isis-
What I like about you is your ability to agree with somebody and also attempt to insult them at the same time. You are basically saying, “You’re an idiot for thinking that, but here is why I agree (go on to restate the idiots original comment)….”
Manscum. So you took the first syllable of his name…added scum… ok, I see. Then you proceeded to say that he was scum, as you so cleverly out after you changed his name.
WELL PLAYED, SIR.
#12. PRINT IT.
I am tired of being painted into a corner that I never once stood in. The lack of reading comprehension is mind-boggling sometimes.
I agree with Bob. You hate to look at plays and wonder what if but when Jennings dropped that great ball in the end zone I thought right away that Harrison does not mess that up if he was in the game. I was also pissed when Bowens went down and we have Trusnick or Costanzo fill in. Veikune should have been out there learning the game. The Browns are not going anywhere this year let the young guys develop on the field.
Did Coye ever play after his little tantrum after the hazing incident?
THEY SHOULD HAVE DRAFTED MALALUGA!!! By the way “Observe and free yourself” made me laugh.
Back to the Robo thing because I still get incensed every time I think of the Browns drafting him so high…..at some point, isn’t Mangini bound to quit drafting OSU players? I’m an OSU fan and all but Gholston (and to a much smaller degree) Nugent were draft busts for him weren’t they? I mean Gholston was an epic fail. Mangold worked out I guess.
JM-
In the eyes of ISIS, we are still plugged into the Cleveland Matrix.
Gentlemen, gentlemen, can we redirect our focus of anger to where it properly belongs — on that petty, power-mad, game-playing ignoramus Mangini. Alas, he wasn’t fired today as some had speculated and most had hoped, but that’s understandable seeing as we didn’t get blown out as usual.
BTW, we lost that game because we had NO PASS RUSH at the end. Stafford had all the time in the world to move the Lions. You have GOT TO pressure the passer, otherwise you’re done. If you’re going to rush only 3 defenders, you are effectively wasting 3 players and you’re playing 8 on 11. There is no point whatsoever in rushing 3. You might as well drop 11 into pass coverage.
Also, when our receiver (Stuckey?) ran out of bounds late in the game after catching that sideline pass, I thought, “uh-oh,” he just did Detroit a huge favor. This could bite us later.
Chris Jennings was directly a Kokinis find …
Wasn’t he just a month ago attempting to tell us to OBSERVE that Kokinis didn’t exsist nor did he actually do anything for this team, yet now we can attribute Chris Jennings to Kokinis? Talk about an adverse reaction…
Uh, hey guys?
Isis has two comments and like half of the other comments are about him.
THANK YOU GEORGE KOKINIS FOR JENNINGS AND HIS 3.4 YPC!
/must….resist….anger….by…using….sarcasm
If you can’t get on the field against a team that’s 1-8, what chance do you have against the Bengals and Steelers? With all the success Quinn had with the other WR’s, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing Robiske at all this season, barring injury. Hey 1 out of 2 ain’t bad (Massaquoi).
I read this blog less because of Isis….or should i say, I READ this blog LESS because of Isis.
I don’t get it. Just skip over Isis’s comments. The guy has already had to change his screen name here because of how ridiculous he is. Just don’t pay attention and comment on the post itself
# # 19 WFNYCraig on Twitter Says:
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I am tired of being painted into a corner that I never once stood in. The lack of reading comprehension is mind-boggling sometimes.
I agree, Craig. The idiocy on the MB makes me wonder if the Brown’s coaching staff is posting….
The crazy thing is that if you go back and look at WFNY’s draft grades, EVERY WRITER TO A MAN said Robiskie was a bad pick. But somehow we’re not OBSERVING that now, and we’re Johnny-Come-Lately’s to Isis’s prognostication rodeo.
Isis remains the [self-aggrandizing, cherry picking] voice of [hindsight is 20/20, selective] reason.
Can someone send me a link to that Erin Andrews hotel video? Don’t pretend like nobody has it either.
Last time I freed myself, I got arrested.
Speaking of inactives, I had no idea Marcus Benard was Active until he almost sacked Stafford on that last drive. I must say I’m surprised to see a waiver wire LB get on the field ahead of Veikune.
Like so many others I am baffled by Francies inability to find the field. I will be disappointed if the Browns go into this next draft with question marks about the young talent that may or may not be on this team because they didn’t get any playing time. There are so many holes to fill, the focus needs to be on the areas where no young guys are developing and right now it is hard to tell.
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Side note: I’m with Tom63. The excellent articles followed up by civil discussions were/are one of the best parts of this site. It’s one thing to ignore one blowhard. It’s another thing to take part in a discussion when half of the replies are about/focused on that blowhard. That’s why the “just ignore him” are difficult to accept.
“Observe and free yourself”
Damn, do I need to change my handle again now?
Isis, you need to learn to understand the sarcasm font, because you clearly aren’t doing it right.
These guys being inactive is a waste when we could’ve had other guys on the board. BUT, there are only a few guys who have actually yet to do anything notable.
Maualuga (I guess, but not really), Jarius Byrd and Max Unger went after Robo. I would argue that Maualuga has hurt the Bengals just as much as he’s helped. The things about him before the draft are still true. He’s too aggressive, over pursues, and can’t cover. Byrd has been great and from what I found Unger has been solid and playing guard.
LeSean McCoy and Phil Loadholt were drafted after Veikune and MoMass. I would argue that MoMass and McCoy cancel each other out as far as production are concerned. Obviously, Loadholt is performing better than Veikune but he is also starting on the best O-Line in the league with by far the best RB in the league.
These guys are going to take time. Veikune definitely could’ve been drafted later, but if he turns out to be a great player in a year or 2 then he is worth it. I would rather have Jarius Byrd at safety right now instead of Abe Elam and Robo being inactive. But, Robo has potential to develop into a poor man’s Issac Bruce. If that happens, then he was well worth the wait during this miserable season.
Please feel free to add in any other players who are making an impact with their teams that may have been drafted in later rounds.
The issue I have with the inactives are that two of them are 2nd round draft picks. In the NFL today your 1st and to a lesser extent 2nd round draft picks need to be impact players or in the case of the 2nd rounders, players that will see the field starting week 1. If Robiskie or Veikune are considered “projects” then you do not draft them in the 2nd round. Those projects are best suited for rounds 5-7.
The one thing we can take out of this is that hopefully now Lerner will realize that Mangina is inept at making personnel decisions and will hire Holmgren away from Seattle who is also courting him (in my opinion I feel Holmgren is using Cleveland as a bargaining chip with Seattle and will stay in the pacific northwest).
This has been bugging me. You can’t just say that you are mad about who was inactive without saying a word about who was active in their place. Who took the roster spots away from them? Now, it may very well be that these were still bad decisions, but shouldn’t we at least know the other side of the story? There are limits to how many dress, it’s not like they were just arbitrarily left off the roster this week.
@42 Rick,
That is an excellent point about the limited roster spots. I can’t find a complete list of active players for the Detroit game so excuse me if I make an error. Here’s a list of some players that could make way for a few young guys.
1) Robert Royal – He looks ok at blocking but can’t catch. Gaines has outperformed him and even Estandia to an extent. I think 3 active tight ends is too many. Royal doesn’t have a long-term future here and has not performed.
2) Jamal Lewis – As others have mentioned, he’s done and gone. Inactive or waive him.
3) Hank Poteat – Similar argument, he’s not a part of the future and isn’t good now.
4) Nick Sorensen – I see him out there on ST’s every week. Neither Francies, Robiskie, Veikune nor Harrison can do his job and get on the field?
5) Brett Ratliff – This might be a stretch but do the Browns really need 3 QB’s active for every game? If Quinn and then Anderson both go down the reality is the game is probably done. Put Cribbs behind center and save the roster spot.
That’s five guys off the top of my head that are taking roster spots away. The theme here is that these guys will not be a part of the Brown’s future nor are they excelling at their positions now. We are 1-9. Free up the roster spots, let the young guys develop on the field and learn what we have moving forward.
the 3rd QB is considered the emergency QB and does not count towards the regular number of active players in a game.
that is why if you insert your 3rd QB, you cannot re-insert QB1 or QB2 without an injury