it cant get any worse but until they shore up pass protection & open holes for T Rich it wont matter who is behind center or taking the handoffs . the offense is A OFFENSIVE MESS *HELP*
Using the words of John McKay in 1976 when asked what he thought about the execution of his offense .... "I'm all for it!" I agree 100%
Just announced Hoyers the QB this wk. I was real impressed with his 2nd qtr work last pre-season game. Hope it can carry over to a game that counts
This just in - Trent Richardson traded to Colts for 1st round pick & Willis McGahee? Just heard it briefly on Fox 8 right now No idea what else is going on
In my own defense I was watching the Tribe til maybe halfway through the 3rd. So I had no clue Hoyer played the whole game *SCRATCH*
T Rich to Indy for a bag of footballs. Excellent work Dumbardi! Are we flying the white flags at First Enema Stadium? Joe's Banner............ Kick Me ! Can't wait to hear the sales pitch on this one.
I was highly critical of Richardson on this very thread this past Monday. Not saying I expected this deal with Indy, but.... it is what it is....I'm just pissed that I splurged for yet another massive jersey fail. lol! Guess I'll put it with my ever expanding collection.
Was listening to the Browns radio show off the website today and they mentioned some stats that weren't exactly flattering about TR. It had something to do with how few long runs TR had since he came since coming into the league. Makes me wonder if they were prepping us for this.
OK, new group playing the game. I love TRich and are growing sour on Weeden especially now out with the thumb :| At first I though what the f***, bailing on a season after two games? Then I thought about it more and this is the way I think of it. It is unfortunate for a season ticket holder first and foremost, the fix is in. The 2 #1s, a 2nd, 2 3rds and 2 4ths is a clear sign Weeden is not in the future. The Browns did not jump hard on the RGIII gig and I think that was smart at the time and clearly the Browns are diving into a QB in April. I just wonder how bad they need to be to get one of the two QBs talked about. I just don't think it is fair to ask the loyal Browns fans to rebuild again without a great plan. Banner says they will use each pick to get the best possible to help the franchise, but the draft is a crap shoot anyway. From my view, the Jaguars and Raiders are already worse then the Browns and that leaves #3 again. That might be enough with Clowney in the mix. McGahee will be the starter and he is a horse so I hope the Browns still goes for wins, but that might not be in their best interest or game plan.
BEREA: We have witnessed the end of the Trent Richardson era after 17 games. We might have witnessed the end of the Brandon Weeden era after the same number of starts. In a franchise-rocking move Wednesday evening, surprising on all levels except for Richardson?s 3.5 yards-per-carry career average, the Browns sent last year?s third overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts for a first-round pick next year. Earlier in the day, in choosing Brian Hoyer over backup Jason Campbell to replace the injured Weeden and start Sunday at the Minnesota Vikings, the Browns stuck to the plan evident since April. They are building for the 2014 draft, when barring a miraculous performance by Hoyer, they will select the quarterback of the future on May 8. Trading Richardson accentuated that with a shot to the heart for fans and perhaps even for coach Rob Chudzinski, who looked shellshocked during a hastily called news conference. Apparently he never thought ?Tanking for Teddy? was a possibility when he accepted the job in January. But waiting for next year really started on the final day of the draft, April 27, when the Browns traded fourth- and fifth-round selections for third- and fourth-round picks next year that should provide valuable leverage. The philosophy continued on Aug. 31, when veterans like wide receiver David Nelson, tight end Kellen Davis and running back Brandon Jackson were cut as the Browns kept five undrafted rookies and a second-year player, Bobby Rainey, who had never seen regular-season duty. The low-budget roster will enhance salary cap space, which CEO Joe Banner also mentioned in reference to the Richardson deal. The Colts? draft pick, likely in the 20s at best as Richardson teams with Andrew Luck, won?t net the quarterback of the future. But the Browns should be able to couple it with theirs in trade to move up as high as necessary to get their man. That?s presuming they will have to move up. The Browns? Dec. 1 home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars might become the Bridgewater Bowl, especially if Browns players are angry about the Richardson trade. The 2014 draft will be loaded with quarterbacks, even if Ohio State?s Braxton Miller and Oregon?s Marcus Mariota don?t declare. Possibilities for that pick, like Louisville?s Teddy Bridgewater, UCLA?s Brett Hundley and Texas A&M?s Johnny Manziel, have already become household names in Northeast Ohio. As the Browns scour the college ranks, there is nothing wrong with seeing what they have in Hoyer, who tutored with the New England Patriots under Tom Brady for three seasons. A favorite of Browns General Manager Mike Lombardi, Hoyer was rumored to be coming to the Browns long before he was signed on May 17. Although Chudzinski said the decision to start Hoyer was ?absolutely? his, it smacks of Lombardi?s involvement. As for Richardson, Banner was dazzled by the value the Browns received, which Banner said could not be passed up as the Browns rebuild. Campbell, 32, has a 31-40 record as a starter for the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears. Hoyer, a St. Ignatius High School graduate who turns 28 on Oct. 13, is 0-1, that coming on Dec. 30 for the Arizona Cardinals against the San Francisco 49ers. Like Campbell, the Browns are his fourth NFL team. Hoyer?s arm is not nearly as strong as Weeden?s. But Hoyer does not need to excel in the bombs-away category, just put touchdowns on the board. Even if he does that, Hoyer might be nothing more than a bridge to the future. Lombardi and Banner have never spoken in glowing terms about Weeden, the 22nd overall pick in 2012 who turns 30 on Oct. 14. They surely would have selected a quarterback in next year?s draft even before Weeden suffered a sprained right thumb Sunday as the Browns fell to 0-2 with a 14-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. It only seemed a matter of how high one would be taken. Now the sky is the limit. If Weeden?s thumb doesn?t sideline him long term and he still doesn?t play, it doesn?t seem fair that he wouldn?t get a chance to start with No. 1 receiver Josh Gordon, who returns this week from a two-game suspension for violating the league?s substance abuse policy. But the Browns? new regime wants its own quarterback and might have been looking for any excuse to try another. I?ve thought all along that Weeden?s leadership and ability to make others around him better might weigh just as heavily in determining his Browns? future. Banner, Lombardi and Chudzinksi might have seen enough in terms of his intangibles. I also wonder if they had questions about Richardson in that regard or if they were merely disgruntled with his performance. Above all, the Browns need a quarterback who can get in offensive linemen?s faces and demand better protection, get in receivers? faces and chastise them for their lack of concentration, get in teammates? faces and goad them to greatness. That doesn?t have to happen only in full public view on Sundays, but on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, too. Odds are that?s not Hoyer, although the Browns can?t be criticized for their curiosity. There are plenty of other needs to fill if the Hoyer experiment is a smashing success. Whether it is or not, Weeden?s sore thumb and the Browns? decisions Wednesday point in the same direction. It?s all about the 2014 draft.
Forget for one minute how bizarre it is that the Cleveland Browns just traded running back Trent Richardson, the third overall pick in the 2012 draft, to the Indianapolis Colts just two games into this season. Ignore the obnoxious celebratory tweets by Colts owner Jim Irsay, who responded to the news as if he'd won the Super Bowl with this deal. All you have to do with this stunning transaction is consider one obvious fact: The Browns weren't going anywhere with Richardson as their franchise back. That had to be the biggest factor in this trade, and it's the major reason why Browns fans should be happy when the 2014 draft arrives. Thanks to this deal, Cleveland now has two first-round selections to go with two each in the third and fourth rounds. That should be more than enough for this new regime, led by general manager Michael Lombardi and head coach Rob Chudzinski, to create the franchise it envisions. As long as the Browns don't waste their options, they should emerge with something resembling a solid foundation for the future. That's what this entire deal is about, by the way -- the future. It's about a dismal franchise recognizing that a huge gamble was necessary for it to actually become competitive down the road. This year's Browns weren't likely to win more than five or six games, and there wasn't much to be excited about on the roster. It was time to think outside the box, which meant their best offensive weapon had to be expendable. [+] Enlarge Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports Trent Richardson, the Browns' first-round pick in 2012, is out of Cleveland after 1,055 rushing yards in 17 games. For those who are lamenting the idea of a player selected that high being dealt so quickly, let's look at the hard facts of Richardson. He didn't fit into the wide-open offense Chudzinski wants to run. He also apparently didn't impress offensive coordinator Norv Turner -- the same Norv Turner who has maximized the talents of star runners such as Emmitt Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson and Ricky Williams during his career. Remember, Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown called Richardson "an ordinary talent" after Cleveland drafted the former Alabama star. That assessment looks spot on right now. It's not that Richardson can't be a productive back for the Colts. He's clearly their best option after starter Vick Ballard sustained a season-ending knee injury. It's just that Richardson isn't special. He averaged 3.6 yards per carry in his first season (granted, he didn't have much help) and he didn't have the explosive speed to be a game-breaker. The reality is that Richardson wasn't going to be the next Adrian Peterson or Marshawn Lynch. Given that he played part of his rookie season with bruised ribs, the Browns likely saw more injuries coming his way. That's what happens when you're a hard-charging banger who happens to make a living at a time when workhorse running backs aren't nearly as valued as they once were. The people paying the bills have a harder time appreciating your strengths. The beauty of this trade is that Cleveland understood that talented runners aren't hard to find in the NFL anymore. The Houston Texans signed their Pro Bowler, Arian Foster, as an undrafted free agent. The Baltimore Ravens found Ray Rice in the second round, while Kansas City nabbed Jamaal Charles in the third. Add in the fact that Washington's Alfred Morris -- a player selected 170 picks after Richardson -- gained a team-record 1,613 yards in his rookie season, and you get the picture. The Browns will have plenty of opportunities to make up for what they lost today. The bigger question is what Cleveland is prepared to do with those picks. It says here that quarterback Brandon Weeden, the Browns' other first-round selection in last year's draft, must be feeling a little anxious about his job security. Given the certainty of another lousy season in Cleveland, Lombardi could have a legitimate shot at some promising passers in this upcoming class, including Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater (should he leave school after his junior season) and Clemson's Tajh Boyd. In an era where dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks are all the rage, the Browns see the need to add one to their own roster. Coach & Company ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody talks about the Colts' decision to trade with the Browns for Trent Richardson and discusses what Richardson will bring to Indianapolis' offensive attack. More Podcasts ? The nice thing about all this is that the Browns actually have options. They may not be the kind of choices that excite fans over the next four months, but there was going to be some pain associated with this process eventually. Dallas Cowboys fans were shell-shocked when Jerry Jones traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings during the 1989 season. That trade still ranks as the biggest steal ever, largely because Dallas turned a bevy of resulting draft picks into the foundation of a three-time Super Bowl champion in the 1990s. It's way too early to think of this trade in the same class as that. Jerry Jones had Jimmy Johnson identifying talent for him, and the Browns have struggled under every regime they've had in place since their return to Cleveland. It will be at least three to four years before we know how well the Browns really did on this day. The players who will change their organization have yet to step one foot into their headquarters. We do know this much, however: The Browns aren't afraid to chase excellence with Lombardi and Chudzinski in charge. This trade demanded serious courage and even more vision than they might get credit for at the moment. And in the end, this was about more than dumping a player whom a different general manager drafted. It was about deciding that the future looks brightest when you truly believe in the direction you're heading.
After the shock and cussing with my brother last night I realized something I've always now. Right now the Browns are not a good organization right now. Something I've stated 2 weeks ago the NFL is changing. Like it or not. Pocket passers are the thing of the past. Now in the NFL it is a mobile QB league. Yes there is the Mannings, Yes there is Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Brees, Luck and Flacco. But then you have Wilson, RG3, Kapernack , Vick and Cam Newton. I also stated that the Browns were last to get on board with this. So I made my QB list last week of QB's that are coming out. Bridgewater, Boyd, Manziel, Hundley and Mariota. Strong armed mobile QB's. With 2 #1 picks, 2nd, 2 #3 picks and 2 #4 picks that should help on another rebuild we are experiencing. On to the Richardson trade. Just like the QB position the RB position is changing. No more 3 yards and a cloud of dust. You can find a good running back anywhere in the draft. In this spread type offense you need a back with hands. A back that can break a long one so to speak. I don't think that was T- Rich. He is a move the pile guy. Maybe Jim Brown was right. Trent is ordinary. Not Charles, Not Foster, not Spiller, Sure as hell is not McCoy or Rice and is nowhere near Peterson. At the time the Browns needed a Rb. So there was Trent so they selected him. Last year he caught 51 passes. His longest reception was for 26 yards. Yes he is injury prone. Lets face it at Alabama we wasn't hit a lot. So now I have to start looking at QB, RB, G, WR, C, CB and FS. But at least we have a boat load of picks in the 1st 4 rds. Plus free agency. The thing that worries me is no matter who is in the front office have not drafted well. This draft we have to hit on half of these picks at least. I guess the only question now is....... Where is Mike Holmgren for my playoff tickets? LOL I bet he is enjoying his retirement off the money he stole from clueless Lerner.
By Greg Cielec OBR Contributing Writer Posted Sep 19, 2013 Eighty or so dislocated Browns fans watching the game together in a great establishment with a big outdoor deck and flat screens everywhere, rooting for the team they grew up loving. 0 Comments We couldn?t watch this week?s game from the Dawg Pound for obvious reasons, so we did the next best thing, and watched it at a joint called Kennedy?s in Charlotte, North Carolina, with the Carolina Browns Backers. Except, obviously, the outcome of the game, it was a very enjoyable afternoon. Eighty or so dislocated Browns fans watching the game together in a great establishment with a big outdoor deck and flat screens everywhere, rooting for the team they grew up loving. Another game and another loss. For the second time in two weeks no second half touchdowns, no second half scoring. My game notes from the game look very much like my notes from week #1. The Browns tried to get Trent Richardson going and they couldn?t. The right side of the line couldn?t get the job done. The defense, for the most part, looked good. And, for how many weeks in a row, no halftime adjustments. The biggest disappointment so far to me has been the offensive line. Oniel Cousins and Mitchell Schwartz, for the second week in a row, did not get the job done. But this week it wasn?t just them; the rest of the line did not exactly shine. This must stop immediately, or it is going to be a very long season. What has happened to the line? The right side of Cousins and Schwartz has gotten hammered, while the other side hasn?t exactly been outstanding. I thought this was going to be one of the strong points of the team. There were some highlights in the loss. Another solid effort was turned in by the defense. Joe Haden made some great coverage moves, and it was great to see Mingo Barkevious get a sack in his first play from scrimmage. When will third round pick Leon McFadden start contributing? When will seventh round pick Garrett Gilkey get a chance to replace Oniel Cousins? When will Shawn Lauvau come back? I know I?m in the minority on this amongst fans and media, but stick with Weedon if he is healthy. You can talk about quarterback ratings all you want, but if half of his dropped passes were caught the Browns would be at least 1-1 and we probably wouldn?t be having a conversation about this. Get the line playing better, get the receivers to catch the ball, get Trent Richardson up over 80 yards a game, and Brandon Weedon will be fine. Driving back to Ohio Monday morning, all we heard on talk radio was rumors about the Browns scouting Johnny Football down in Texas over the weekend, and listeners calling in about how the Browns should have gone after RGIII. As I have said over and over, running quarterbacks do not survive in the NFL. RGIII has a banged up knee, can?t run, and has the same record this year as a starter as Brandon Weedon. Don?t be enamored with the running, spread offense, flashy college quarterbacks that came out of college, or will be coming, to the NFL soon. I?m still not sure what will become of Brandon Weedon, but I do know he can be a good pro quarterback. What his upside is we won?t really know until other things are fixed. However, it is pro drop back quarterbacks that win Super Bowls. The Manning brothers, Drew Breese, Tom Brady, etc., have won Super Bowls. Vince Young, RGIII, Michael Vick, Tim Tebow, Etc., superstars running quarterbacks in college, have never won Super Bowls. It is not time to panic yet; it is time to fix things. Get Richardson thirty more yards a game. Eliminate the stupid penalties, this week it was delay of game. Hopefully Josh Gordon will bring his A game and rise up the rest of the receivers. Hopefully Shawn Lauvau will be back soon to help out on the offensive line. Besides another disappointing loss, I can?t say enough how much fun it was to be in the company of the Carolina Browns Backers. Here we were, almost 500 miles from Northern Ohio, over seventy dislocated Browns fans, together, cheering on our favorite team. There was something almost spiritual about the afternoon. All these groups get together every Sunday all across the country all to get a little bit of home. Too bad the team couldn?t come through with a win, it was a vey winnable game.
News flash T Rich is gone . what really sucks is the FO didnt tell him that he was traded .he heard it on the radio ??? thats cold & uncalled for .i call BS on that one . Screw you Banner i would love to just punch your face in repeatedly :-* *WASSUP* Lavaou sucks .i cant belive that he is the upgrade or that i would miss him *WALL* its going to be a loooong year ..if you let it .
there were rumours of the trade last week . i read that on another site . i think they saw the first two games and decided to blow it up . fair or not and it isn't fair as they gave Weeds no help . no adjustments no weapons . they totaly blew off this past draft ? how am i supposed to trust these nimrods ? i don't . i guess they just figure this fan base has 5 more years of paitience left in them as they rebuild a already young roster . Phuquing egos . so who is next to go ?
