Lerner, Most of Browns Staff, Watch Quinn

Savage told this week's SI that Quinn is probably the safer of the top two QBs, but that JR has more upside and that it's a tough call. What a bunch of pre-draft smoke.

Crennel said Quinn clearly had zip on his passes at today's pre-draft workout in South Bend for NFL Scouts.

"The fact he could make all his throws, both right and left, he's a polished quarterback," Crennel said. "He's smart. When you watch him on tape you can see he knows where to go with the ball. He will, at times, throw it away when he has to, so we think he's a good, young prospect."

"He's a quarterback, he doesn't have to run a 40. He showed he has good feet on the movement drills that he did because he did some rollouts, he did some play-actions. You can see his feet move," Crennel said. "And hopefully he doesn't have to run a 40, and if he's running a 40, they'll be chasing him."

Oklahoma Ruined Adrian Peterson

Does Cleveland risk their #3 pick on a workhorse back who looks anything but durable?

The kid was 18 years old, and he carried the ball 339 times in the Big 12. That is brutal. I think this explains why Adrian Peterson has been injury prone in his college career, and it probably will help explain an injury prone NFL career. That is the fourth most carries in one season for a DI running back in the last 5 years, and the kid wasn't even fully grown. Looking at his stats from Oklahoma, it looks like a pattern to me.






Not unlike a stud pitcher who suffers through a disappointing pro career due to being overused in high school or college, I think Peterson may be tainted goods. The guy looks like a stud in every other way, but any progress this team has made since Savage took over will be lost if the guy we take at #3 is injury prone.

Sunday Notes

The man known as the "Master" half of Bartertown's famous duo Master-Blaster announces a couple of Brown's tidbits including the contract numbers in Antwan Peek's new deal. Well done Trip and Phil... now that's the way you do it.

Browns Add Cornerback Depth

Former Redskin Kenny Wright signed to 3-year deal

No offense to the man, but this finally allows me to utter the words I've been dreaming about since last season: Goodbye Ralph Brown.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... that feels better.

Though Wright is no Deion Sanders, he will provide some veteran depth to the Browns defensive backfield that they were so sorely missing last season. With DeMario Minter back from the knee injury that stole his rookie season, the Browns should have enough depth for 2007.

Wright has been in the league 9 years, and played under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham in Texas.

Agendas in Football's Cyberspace

Profootballtalk.com glazes over what might be the biggest story of the NFL this year

Mike Florio, the self-described "Grand Poobah" of profootballtalk.com, spent about 20 words on what could be a pretty interesting story in the near future. Apparently, a doctor affiliated with Florio's dear Pittsburgh Steelers (and don't let him fool you, folks... he's about as objective as an advertisement for Verizon Wireless) is being investigated for his involvement in an Internet steroids ring.

From the Albany-Times Union: Last month, a New York investigator who has been tracking suspicious purchases from Signature Pharmacy flew to Pittsburgh to interview a top physician for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers about why he allegedly used a personal credit card to purchase roughly $150,000 in testosterone and human growth hormone in 2006.

There are no allegations Rydze violated any laws. Many doctors are allowed under Pennsylvania rules to order and dispense prescription drugs. But investigators in New York said his orders of testosterone piqued their interest because of the large volume, his position with an NFL team and because he allegedly used a personal credit card.

But Catizone, who has served as an expert witness for the DEA and other law enforcement agencies in criminal trials, said the credit card purchases raised questions.

"I've never seen a doctor pull out his or her own credit card ... it just doesn't make sense," Catizone said. "Unless you are trying to build frequent-flier miles on a credit card, I'm not sure why they'd be using a personal credit card."

Rydze and two spokesmen for the Steelers organization declined repeated requests for comment over the past two weeks. Pennsylvania state medical board officials also declined to comment. NFL officials were taken by surprise as news of the case swept through the sports world on the Internet.

"We just became aware of this, and we will look into it," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Wow. $150,000 of steroids on his own credit card? I wonder if that was all for himself?

Anyway, the informative, yet blatantly hypocritical Mike Florio spent much less effort on reporting this rather important bit of information than he did reporting, saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, his latest display of man-love for former ESPN anal-yst and Hall of Fame WR Michael Irvin.

Look, the rumor-mongering is something that we can all rejoice in, but when the guy postulates that he has no agenda, then basically turns a blind eye to an issue this huge, we call shenanigans. The guy just brutalizes ESPN.com NFL scribe Len Pasquerelli for the blatant conflict of interest he shows in his fluff pieces on certain NFL players... certain NFL players who happen to be represented by agents who provide Lenny P. most of his scoops. This is obviously pretty despicable (don't get us started on DisneySPN), but it's the exact same thing Florio does.

Florio gets most of his scoops from NFL insiders, too, and it doesn't take Woodward and Bernstein to see that Florio spends plenty of time scratching backs. Methinks one of his informants works with his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, because the guy has spent more time writing witty quips about the Browns' struggles with staph infections than he has about what could be the first troubling winds of the NFL's struggles with the steroid issue that has been plaguing Major League Baseball.

And for that, Mike Florio, you're an asshole.

In other news, according to Wikipedia, Florio "sports a toupee and has a penchant for backless sandals and Michael Jackson". Sounds like Joey Porter's homophobia may have been sparked by one of his biggest admirers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profootballtalk.com

Full disclosure: We have an agenda, too. We think Mike Florio is a complete dick.

AFCN Exec Critiques Thomas

Anonymous Source Tells Boston Globe: Thomas Too Old, Expensive. BS ALERT: Was it Savage? Probably not, but I guess we'll never know.

So what would the doubts be about such a player? Three things, according one NFL personnel man: His age, his price tag, and the history of defensive players after they leave Baltimore.

"In free agency, the negatives are usually evident, but if you need something bad enough, you minimize them," said an AFC North executive Friday night, before it became clear the Patriots would make Thomas the richest free agent signing in team history. "We've all done it. That may be happening with this guy.

"Thomas is a good athlete, and he was productive in their scheme in Baltimore, but he's not good setting the edge against the run and he's not a traditional 'Sam' [strong-side] linebacker because he has trouble getting off a tight end's block. I saw [Daniel] Graham bury him against the Ravens a couple years ago. They ran right over him the whole game.

Steinbach just the Start

PD: New Offensive Line Coach Promies More Change

"There are going to be some new parts to the puzzle," Marshall said Saturday. "We're still in the process of putting the pieces together. And the draft is part of that.
"When we start [organized practices] in May, we want as cohesive a group [as possible], and hopefully they'll get to play one position and be set."

Hines Ward: What the Hell are we Doing?!"

Trouble in Shitsburgh

"(Alan) Faneca called me, some of the veteran guys, my phone has been blowing up like, 'What the hell are we doing?' " said Ward, a nine-year veteran. "A lot of guys are questioning what's going on, kind of worried about the makeup of this team, where we are actually going to go."
Ward said he has talked to Tomlin, liked what the new coach had to say and is excited to play for him.
But Porter's release was, if not unsettling to Ward, at least the equivalent of cold water thrown in the face.
Ward is one of the highest-paid Steelers, and his salary will count $5.9 million against the salary cap this season.
"As a veteran guy, you look at (what happened to Porter) and you worry a little bit because you lay it out on the line to try to do what's best for the team and then you see players get cut," Ward said. "You sit there and say, 'Uh oh. Am I next in line?' "

Dielman Staying for Less Cash

Cleveland Offered Him MORE!

I guess living in San Diego, blocking for a future HOF'er and being on next year's potential Super Bowl team must be cooler.

From Adam Clayton:

The Chargers aren't going to be players in free agency, but they already are one of the biggest winners of the offseason. They re-signed guard Kris Dielman, a Pro Bowl alternate who turned down more money from Seattle and Cleveland to take a six-year, $39 million deal from the Chargers. Dielman's return keeps together one of the best offensive lines in the game. - espn

Tucker Talks: I'll be Back

"I feel great, man," Tucker said during a public appearance at the new Gold's Gym in Westlake. "It's a whole new chapter in my life and I'm ready to get on with it. I absolutely plan on coming back and starting for the Browns this season."

Tucker, who left the team twice because of an undisclosed mental illness, declined to be specific about his disorder, but said everything has been rectified.

"A lot of things have changed as far as medications and things like that, and I haven't had any problems," he said. "Everything's been fixed. My family's doing really well, my health is excellent and I feel as good as I ever have."

Tucker said he'll tell his story someday and hopes he can help others who suffer from similar issues, "but right now I'd rather not get into the details. I'm just thankful."