Bluez, I want to believe in Weeds, but the truth is he hasn't yet shown it in real games. I went with Cutler as my #2 in our league, am going to watch closely and am rooting for him to start clicking, and make a move then. Like nearly everyone I put RBs as top priority, and particularly this year, the QB tiers didn't seem to require a lot of thought. Being a homer, I did take the Cleveland D, and Cameron. I buy all the points you make about the Browns. There are reasons to believe and you lay them out perfectly. Outside Berea, our rivals I'm sure believe they get 2 wins vs us, but the defending champs aren't the same team, they argue they got better, but......., Pittsburgh is holding on and hoping probably as much as we are, and Cincinnati on paper looks like the favorite, and maybe they are, but kinda like the Browns, I can't help feeling like "wait, we're talking Cincinnati... the Jekyl & Hyde team aren't we? ". "Same old Browns" applies until they prove otherwise, but the landscape they play in has changed. The new digs in Browntown notwithstanding, the surrounding teams no longer are mortal locks to win anything, so let the games begin. While the rivals will still thump their chests and poke fun at the "pumpkinheads", I suspect they feel it coming too, and are leaning on the "same, lame old Browns" more than anything having to do with this year's teams.
I snagged Cameron in 3 of my 4 leagues. TE is my last position drafted normally and he should be great if he doesn't get injured. Should be a steal as late as I got him
JOSH COOPER RIDES ON Traumatic separations are a way of life for buddies and brothers in the NFL. Kendrick Adams and Barkevious Mingo were defensive ends at LSU in 2011. ?He?s like a brother to me,? Adams said not long before the Browns cut him. Paul Kruger?s brother Dave got cut earlier. You could tell Dave had been having the time of his life hanging out with big bro before the cuts started rolling in. Along these lines, Brandon Weeden and Josh Gordon spent ?final cut day? hanging out, watching their alma mater, Oklahoma State, take on Mississippi State. Weeden is the Browns No. 1 wideout. Cooper spent the spring and summer hoping he could be at least the Browns? No. 5 wideout. NERVOUS WEEKEND The team plane got back from the final preseason road trip, to Chicago. The bubble guys sweated it out. ?I didn?t know,? Cooper said. ?Friday and Saturday were pretty stressful days.? The ?final cuts? got the roster to 53. Then six guys who made the roster at first were suddenly gone after six waiver claims. Then a kicker was signed. Another cut. Cooper made it all the way through. He is on the team, waiting to see if he will be on the 47-man game-day roster against Miami. ?Once that panned out, I was pretty happy,? Cooper said. ?It was a tough camp. There was good competition at the receiver spot. I feel like I proved myself.? Weeden and Cooper worked very well together in college. Oklahoma State had a super talent, Justin Blackmon. Cooper was Weeden?s security blanket. The Cowboys went 12-1 in 2011. Cooper did all he could to stave off the ?1,? catching 13 passes for 128 yards. But the Cowboys lost at Iowa State. They routed Oklahoma State in their next game, but it wasn?t enough to get them into the BCS title game. Cooper wound up with 71 catches for 715 yards. He joined the Browns as an undrafted rookie. It was obvious he ha an on-field chemistry with Weeden. The Heckert regime thought it a good idea to let that play out with the Browns. The Lombardi regime sees it the same way. GOOD ENOUGH TO MATTER Aside from the chemistry with Weeden, it has been concluded, Cooper is a good little receiver, the type that has helped other NFL teams. There is still lots of Cowboy in Cooper, an Oklahoman through and through. ?We won,? he said of the Saturday game he watched with Weeden. ?Beat Mississippi State. It was a big win.? Cooper caught eight passes for 106 yards last year. He made a couple of mistakes in limited chances. He knew he had to get better to survive and poured himself into the offseason. ?I just feel like if you?re not getting better, you?re getting worse,? he said. ?I prided myself this summer on getting better on certain things. I think it showed.? Read more: http://www.cantonrep.com/browns/x18...the-Cowboy-rides-on-with-Weeden#ixzz2dxBXDSqt
A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She reduced altitude and spotted a man below. She descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am." The man below replied "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximatel...y 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude." "You must be an engineer," said the balloonist. "I am", replied the man. "How did you know?" "Well, answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip even more." The man below responded, "You must be in management." "I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?" "Well," said the man, "You don't know where you are or where you're going.You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems?!!"
We gots football tonight . so get your picks in and get those rosters set lets get this party started off , still have a little room in my NFL Survivor league .66 signed up so far wonder who will be the last person standing this season ? on Yahoo as there the only ones who do this . league ID # 195 League PW - woof get in on Bayby & Blitz pick em contest that one is fun . *WRITE*
By Fred Greetham OBR Senior Browns Reporter Posted Sep 5, 2013 One of the big factors whether the Browns will not only win the first game, but have a successful season will be the play of Weeden. 0 Comments BEREA, Ohio -- It's no secret the Browns records in season opening games has been abysmal. They have been 1-13 since the team returned in 1999, including losses in their last eight seasons. The last win in the first game was a 20-3 win over the Ravens under Butch Davis. Rob Chudzinski said his approach is simple. "Every game in this league is important," Chudzinski said. "We approach this game just like we do every other game. That's how we'll go about it this week. It will be the most important game we play this week and once we're past that, we'll approach every week the same way Chudzinski was on the staff with Davis when the Browns put a lot of focus on the season opener in 2004. It resulted in a win, but the Browns went on to have a 4-12 season. "That's the danger in putting all your eggs in one basket," Chudzinkski said. "As I recall, we won that game, but we didn't win a lot. I've been on teams that might have lost the first game and went on and won 13 games after losing the first one. The key is the approach that we're talking about and that is this game is the most important game we're playing this week. It's the approach we're taking and we've talked all along with our guys that what we're doing is the most important thing at that particular time whether it's OTAs, minicamp, training camp, whatever the practice is, whatever the meeting is, that's the most important thing and that's the focus." In 2007, the Browns lost the opening game 34-7 to the Steelers and ended up finishing 10-6. Brandon Weeden thinks the first game can set the tone for the season. "Obviously, I'm very aware of he opener situation," Weeden said. "I know it's been a while and D'Qwell (Jackson) and Joe (Thomas) are the longest tenured guys here and they haven't won one. As a player, you always want to start off on the right foot. You want to get momentum going into week two and propel you in the right direction. For these fans, we'd love to win the opener at home and just give them something to be excited about moving forward." However, Weeden agrees with Chudzinski's assessment that too much emphasis on the first game can be detrimental. "You can't because it's a long season," he said. "As a player, this is a very long season. You can't put all your eggs into one basket, but you give it all you have. Win, lose or draw, you have to move on because it's such a long season. You can't take weeks off because these football teams are too good. We're going to prepare and spend as much time as we can and go out and play and plays as well as we can and hope to give ourselves a chance to win." Joe Haden is looking for his first win on opening day with the Browns. "It's really not a must win, but good stuff really starts happening when you win the season opener," Haden said. "We're going out here and trying to win the first one and like coach said, if we can win the first one and if we can get it started like that, momentum is such a big thing to win the first game. "It's not a kill shot (if we lose), but we still have to get over that hump and start to win games," he said. "We always talk about it but everybody is ready and wants to win this game. The last thing you're going to see is lack of effort." One of the big factors whether the Browns will not only win the first game, but have a successful season will be the play of Weeden. Chudzinski said his second-year quarterback is right where he should be as he enters the season. "I think he's right on track," Chudzinski said. "He needs to continue to progress as any player would with the experience level of where he's at. Guys tend to get better with the more experience they have. "I'm looking forward to seeing him," he said. "I think he's come a long way as a player and has grabbed a hold of the offense and I'm looking forward to seeing him out there on Sunday." Chudzinski was asked what is the biggest jump before the first and second years for a quarterback. "I think just the familiarity with the game, what it takes to play in the NFL because there's a huge difference between playing in college and the NFL," he said. "What it takes to be better at this level and being in the system and knowing what it takes to be better." Weeden feels the experience of playing last season has helped him. "I think it is experience," he said. "You can't simulate reps in practice. You can't simulate reps in games. It's just part of playing this position because you don't get hit in practice. It's just a little different feel in the pocket. It's just experience and confidence knowing you know how to approach it, you know how to prepare by watching tape and doing those things. There are several things and if we go backwards, that's not a good thing. As a player, you want to get better every year. Everybody says you're biggest jump is from year one to year two. I think that goes from the experiences you had the previous year." Weeden agreed with Chudzinski that he is on the right track. "I think so," he said. "It will be good to get out there when it means something. In the preseason, we did some good things and had a lot to learn from but, I'm on track. I'm definitely not pleased and satisfied, I want to continue to get better but that comes with playing and studying and keep continuing to learn this offense." Weeden is excited about the prospects of the offense in 2013. "We've come a long way," he said. "We've added some pieces to make us stronger. We have a great core of veteran guys that have set the foundation moving forward. I think I've gotten better. It comes with reps and it comes with experience. That Philly game, it comes so fast and that was my first time in the fire and you get better each time you get reps. I'm excited starting year two." EXTRA POINTS First Game: In addition to the 13 rookies preparing for their first NFL game for the Browns, Chudzinski will be coaching his first game as head coach. "I'm excited for this week because up until this point, it's been about the roster," Chudzinski said. "Now, this is our team and I'm excited about opening up in FirstEnergy Stadium. "I know it will be rocking and it will be great to see the fans again and get them out there," he said. "It will be an electric atmosphere." Mingo in Pads: LB Barkevious Mingo was in full pads at practice and was taking part in individual drills during the part of practice open to the media. Chudzinski was asked if he will play this week against the Dolphins. "We'll wait and see." Pinkston to IR: Chudzinski explained why OL Jason Pinkston was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return with his ankle injury. "From a rehab standpoint and a healing standpoint, it coincided a little bit more with the designation with the designated for return injured reserve," he said. "It made sense. He will be returning about that time and you're always looking for guys and need guys up front, from my experience, so it allowed us to have an extra (roster) spot." By rule, Pinkston would miss the first eight games and could return for the ninth game on Nov. 3 against the Ravens. OL Shawn Lauvao is on the 53-man roster and Chudzinski ruled him out for this week's game, but said he would be evaluated for next week. "I think he's still on schedule," he said. "He'll be out this week and we'll just re-evaluate him next week." Lauvao was the only player not on the practice field during the session open to the media. Old Friend: Former Browns CB Dimitri Patterson is starting for the Dolphins. He was released late last season by the Browns with no explanation after missing several games with an ankle sprain. He immediately signed with the Dolphins. The other starter is CB Brent Grimes, who the Browns pursued during free agency. "They picked up Grimes and Patterson and they're playing very good football," Chudzinski said. Kickoff Returns: Chudzinski wouldn't name the kick returner for the opening game, but said that they will take a look at newly acquired running backs Bobby Rainey and Dennis Johnson this week. Both are returners and Johnson holds the SEC record for returns in college at Arkansas. DB Johnson Bademosi is listed on the depth chart as the kickoff returner. "We''ll take a look at both Johnson and Rainey and see where they are," he said. Rainey and Johnson will back up RB Trent Richardson, but Chudzinski said that RB Chris Ogbonnaya gives the team flexibility at the position. "Rainey has been in a similar system, we still have a lot of flexibility with (Obognnaya)." Warfield to be Honored: Former Browns Hall of Fame wide receiver Paul Warfield will be honored with the "Paul Warfield Project: "A Hometown Tribute for a Hometown Icon" on Thursday Sept. 12 at 6 pm and Friday Sept. 13 at 7 pm at Warren G. Harding High School. Warfield played at Warren Harding before going to Ohio State and his Hall of Fame career with the Browns and Dolphins. "It's a long time coming," former Browns News/Illustrated Publisher and event organizer Ray Yannucci said. The bronze life size statue will strictly come from community donations. A community dinner will be held after the dedication ceremony and tickets can be purchased for $10 at the Warren G. Harding High School ticket office, Buena Vista and Franklin Pharmacy.
All set in the survivor league Bluez. I'm with ya on the Browns in wk 1 too...Got the wife AND the boy in this year, and honestly, I'll be happy if I can outlast them. lol! I can't lose to my wife again, and I certainly don't want to lose to an 8 yr old!
Coop staying, excellent. Got a feeling we will be glad he is there. Anything that props up Weeds confidence is a positive as we enter this all new season. God let us not lose anyone to injury this week, and if it's not asking too much how about a W?
thats the beauty of a survivor league . a couple years back when Dvl was " camping " overseas MRS Gunny almost won it all . Mikeyfan ended up winning it but i must admit i was pulling hard for her to win it all .
Injury report for Sept. 5, 2013 Browns Did not participate in practice: Guard Shawn Lauvao (high ankle sprain). Limited participation: Defensive end Desmond Bryant (back), outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo (bruised lung) and cornerback Buster Skrine (shoulder). Full participation: Wide receiver Davone Bess (knee), tight end Jordan Cameron (groin), linebacker Eric Martin (foot), cornerback Chris Owens (foot) and outside linebacker Jabaal Sheard (illness). Dolphins Did not participate in practice: Cornerbacks Will Davis (toe) and Jamar Taylor (groin) and quarterback Pat Devlin (ankle). Limited participation: Tight end Dion Sims (groin). Full participation: Linebacker Jonathan Freeny (shoulder), defensive ends Dion Jordan (shoulder) and Vaughn Martin (ankle), cornerback Dimitri Patterson (ankle) and safety Jimmy Wilson (hamstring).
And, TD, I see your WIFE picked the Steelers! :! Divorce her ! (On a side note: NOBODY picked the Ravens. ??? Gonna be a tough group.)
lol! What can I say Lyman? I live in a house divided. I married a Steeler fan about 12 years ago, and it's been brutal as I'm sure you can imagine....Maybe I finally get the upper hand this year. That's my hope anyway. I'm actually going to the Browns/Steelers game in November with her and her brother and his wife. ALL STEELER FANS! :! If the Browns lose that game, I may just take a $300.00 cab ride home..It'll be unbearable.
Hopefully we can relish in it together TD, as I married a Bengals fan a little over 12 years ago. Cincy born, she just can't seem to get that they are the other teams in Ohio.
Yeah I can at least give my wife credit for the fact that she's not one of those annoying "bandwagon jumpin" Steeler fans....She's from Morgantown WV., and if you've ever been there you know that it's a big Steeler town. So I guess I can respect that...Nothing I hate worse than somebody born and raised in central Ohio that claims to be a Steeler fan or a Michigan fan....just grinds my gears.
top dawg wrote: Gotta one up Ya . . . I'm going to the Browns/Steelers game - - - at Heinz Field. I think I may have a few more Yinzers to deal with. *YES*
The Browns added LE Ahtyba Rubin to their injury report after he missed Friday's practice with a calf injury. He's listed as questionable. Rubin missed time with a calf injury last season, as well. A 6-foot-2, 330-pound run clogger, Rubin's absence could give Dolphins RB Lamar Miller a few more running lanes in Sunday's opener
Our season begins on a high note. Ravens go down hard. Can't just plug em in, I guess Some "big turn" plays: muffed punt by Welker, invisible drop by Welker, the pick six that wasn't (my brother had the pony D) made it fun to watch, but am I the only one who thought PMan wasn't particularly sharp? Yeah he got it going, but I thought I saw a lot of weak / under thrown balls. I hope our guys can get that kind of open when we play them. I like Manning a lot, and respect what he has done immensely but he won with his mind, not his arm IMO. Not to be diminished, but all the radio voices were talking like "he's back" and I just wasn't that impressed with his throwing overall. It struck me that any time he wasn't able to plant and throw, the pass looked weak.
