I knew something was up. I'm telling you, it's a setup for him to leave Cleveland on a good note. I don't want to spend that much money on a coach that doesn't do much.
The following is the first in a series of position-by-position season recaps by ClevelandBrowns.com.
Overview: Heading into the 2007 season the big questions along the Browns' running back corps were simple: 1) Did newly signed free agent Jamal Lewis have anything left in the tank, and 2) Would there be anyone available to step up if Lewis missed any significant time due to injury?
Luckily for the Browns, question No. 2 never really needed to be answered. Lewis played in and started 15 of 16 games. As for question No. 1, Lewis forcefully proved he has plenty left, rushing for 1,304 yards -- the most rushing yards in team history by someone besides Jim Brown -- and 9 touchdowns for a 4.4-yard average.
Lewis came up especially big during the second half of the season, when the passing game slowed and the Browns rode their veteran running back to several victories in inclement weather.
Bulldozing the way for Lewis was breakout star Lawrence Vickers, who was voted a Pro Bowl second alternate for his effort blocking. Vickers also proved to be a solid pass catcher and running back on short yardage situations, catching 13 passes for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns and rushing 15 times for 43 yards.
On the backup front, Jason Wright had his most productive season to date as the team's No. 2 back, rushing for 277 yards on 60 carries for a 4.6-yard average, while Jerome Harrison looked good in spot duty, averaging 6.2 yards per carry on 23 attempts throughout the season.
Rookie fullback Charles Ali appeared in 13 games on special teams and in limited scrimmage situations after making the team as an undrafted free agent.
MVP: The MVP was unquestionably Lewis, who was big early (he had a season-high 216 yards on 27 carries against the Bengals on Sept. 16) and late (he had four 100-yard games in the team's final six contests) and scored the most touchdowns by a Browns running back since Kevin Mack in 1986.
Key Stat: Lewis turned it on late in the season and averaged 116.2 yards per game during the team's final six games. The club was 5-0 when he rushed for 100 yards and 6-0 when he scored a touchdown.
High point: While Lewis' 216 yards against the Bengals and 4 touchdowns against the Seahawks were nothing less than spectacular, Lewis peeked in the latter portions of the season and proved his worth most with a bruising 163 yards on 33 carries during an 8-0 win over the Bills in a blizzard on Dec. 16.
Areas of concern: A big question mark heading into the offseason will be if the team can get a deal done to bring Lewis back to the Browns. The 28-year-old back will be a free agent come March. Meanwhile, the club is still in need of a young back to groom under the veteran.
What's ahead: What's ahead depends largely if not entirely on whether or not Lewis returns. If so, then the club can feel comfortable with their running back situation and try to find a young player to begin nurturing behind him. If not, then there'll be a scramble to find a back to take Lewis' place.
My take:
Jamal Lewis - re-sign to 3/4 year deal as starting RB
Jason Wright - retain as #2 RB and special teamer
Jerome Harrison - keep as 3rd down back and use more in special situations as a slot back
Lawrence Vickers - use Vickers exactly as we did this year
Charles Ali - keep around as a blocking specialist and special teamer as backup to Vickers
Running back and tight end are the two offensive positions I am positive that we are good at. I liked our core of running backs this year and see no reason why we need to draft a young back. Harrison has proven himself in short work as an explosive, quick runner who can find the hole and Jason Wright is a dependable fill-in. The best thing is that Wright is a good special teamer! I say use Wright to spell Lewis and on STs and use Harrison more frequently as our every-3rd and medium to 3rd and long back.
Posts: 13196 | Location: Erie, PA | Registered: January 19, 2005
I agree with your take on our tailbacks. But the question is flight, can we afford to keep 5 Running Back's on our roster? I'm not so sure.
Jamal is obviously a no-brainer. Then there's Wright, Harrison and Vickers - and I think we should keep them all.
I think it wouldn't hurt to let Ali go. He's no good to us as an actual RB, and so I don't think it's worth it to have him on the roster just as a blocking specialist and a second-string on special teams.
My question since I have not watched as much of the Browns as I wish I could over the years does Harrison have any chance of being more then a put him in every now and again type of guy?
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Posts: 3263 | Location: Straight out of the AK to BG | Registered: July 28, 2005
Originally posted by FFBC: My question since I have not watched as much of the Browns as I wish I could over the years does Harrison have any chance of being more then a put him in every now and again type of guy?
Harrison always seems to nearly break one every time he gets some carries. He is very quick, but just soooo tiny. I can't see him ever being a go to player.
Originally posted by FFBC: My question since I have not watched as much of the Browns as I wish I could over the years does Harrison have any chance of being more then a put him in every now and again type of guy?
Harrison always seems to nearly break one every time he gets some carries. He is very quick, but just soooo tiny. I can't see him ever being a go to player.
Not sure he needs to be
3rd down backs (look at Verron Haynes was with Pittsburgh, Leon Washington in New York, etc.) can be an important part of an offense
Hey, he was a late round pick anyway. Anything we can get out of him is unexpected.
Posts: 13196 | Location: Erie, PA | Registered: January 19, 2005
Originally posted by FFBC: My question since I have not watched as much of the Browns as I wish I could over the years does Harrison have any chance of being more then a put him in every now and again type of guy?
Harrison always seems to nearly break one every time he gets some carries. He is very quick, but just soooo tiny. I can't see him ever being a go to player.
Ho do you know until he gets a chance. They haven't given him many opportunities so far but when he gets a chance he produces. He needs chances to prove his worth. I would prefer him getting carries over Wright.
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Posts: 3263 | Location: Straight out of the AK to BG | Registered: July 28, 2005
Originally posted by DrPicklz: How do you know until he gets a chance. They haven't given him many opportunities so far but when he gets a chance he produces. He needs chances to prove his worth. I would prefer him getting carries over Wright.
For the most part, I've liked what I see of the guy, but Wright does a fine job as the "change-of-pace" back for the Browns.
Honestly, I didn't want to like Wright when he first started getting carries because he's nothing spectacular. However, he does well with his limited touches, I recall him doing a pretty decent job filling in for Reuben Droughns a couple years ago when he was injured, and this past season he averaged a very productive 4.6 yards per carry.
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Originally posted by FFBC: When would your propose we give him the chance? The only way is if Lewis or whoever is a feature back gets hurt.
I would prefer he gets carries over Wright. But it seems Wright is the 3rd down back, he probably catches better than Harrison, so he won't get much of a shot.
I like Harrison because he seemed to be a more north-south runner and hit the hole fast. IMO Wright is more of an edge runner so I go with the guy who gets yards straight up the gut.
DrPicklz you are right Wright (hahahahaha 2 rights) is an edge runner who catches the ball well and that is why he is a good 3rd down back. It is called "change-of-pace-back" for a reason. Lewis runs over people then we change it up and spread of the D on 3rd down. I really like what Wright does even if he is not the most gifted....neither was Bernie Kosar.
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Posts: 3263 | Location: Straight out of the AK to BG | Registered: July 28, 2005
Position Recap: Defensive line Jeff Walcoff, Staff Writer 01.11.2008
The following is the second in a series of features recapping the Browns' 2007 season position by position.
Overview: The way things went for the Browns defensive line in '07 were in many ways a microcosm of the defense as a whole: It started out pretty dismally but by the end of the season it looked a lot more promising.
Against the running game, the Browns struggled throughout the bulk of the season but significantly improved towards the latter parts of the campaign. Much of that was due to an improved, solidified defensive line starring a pair of guys named Smith. In the sack department, sometimes the pass rush was there and sometimes it simply wasn't.
Unlike the rest of the defense, however, the defensive line was one spot where the team struggled with injuries.
Starting nose tackle Ted Washington played only 5 games before being placed on injured-reserve with a knee injury. Backup Ethan Kelley got through 13 games with 5 starts before he too was placed on IR. Meanwhile, defensive end Orpheus Roye played 13 games, missing 3 with knee and foot problems. Even when they weren't missing games, Roye, Kelley, Robaire Smith and Shaun Smith were frequent sightings on the Browns' injury report.
Taking the place of both Roye and the pair of nose tackles throughout the year was Shaun Smith, who went from a newly signed free agent with no experience in a 3-4 to the team's most versatile linemen all because of injuries.
Smith started 8 games at end and 3 at nose tackle, making 63 tackles with 2 sacks, 4 pressures, 2 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Meanwhile, Robaire Smith held down the right end slot, starting all 16 games amidst the *******d unit.
Third-year man Simon Fraser played in all 16 games (he has yet to miss an NFL game) with 1 start and made 17 tackles, also playing on special teams, while midseason pickup rookie Louis Leonard appeared in 4 games and made a pair of tackles.
The team also finished the season with rookie sixth-round pick Melila Purcell and veteran Bobby Hamilton on the roster. Hamilton was signed before the final game of the season to help fill the void when Kelley was placed on injured-reserve.
MVP: While Shaun Smith had a breakout season, it was Robaire Smith who was the team's most consistent player throughout the campaign. He finished the year with 64 tackles, 4 sacks and 7 pressures.
Key Stat: The defense allowed 136.8 rushing yards per game during the first 10 games of the season but then improved to allow only 116.8 yards per game in the final six contests.
High point: The defense allowed a season-low 77 yards rushing against the Houston Texans during a 27-17 win over Thanksgiving weekend. Meanwhile, Shaun Smith notched the defensive line's fifth full sack in three games during the contest.
Areas of concern: With Washington turning 40 in April, Roye to be 35 on Jan. 21, and Robaire Smith 30, the Browns defensive line isn't a young group. And despite the clear improvement towards the latter portions of the season, the unit is still in need of some young talent as well as a dominating presence that the team might need to scour free agency or the first few rounds of the draft to find.
What's ahead: With the age of the group and the need for a star on the unit, the defensive line could be the No. 1 priority for the Browns come free agency and the draft.
I agree that the DL is the #1 area of concern for our Browns, although I saw a lot of good things from Shaun and Robaire Smith as well as Ethan Kelly.
My Scenario:
Simon Fraser is an RFA and after a major regression in performance (4.5 sacks in 06, 0 in 07) and some boneheaded moments (15 yard penalty at end of the Atlanta game) as well as an inability to play special teams, I think we say goodbye to him.
Bobby Hamilton is up around 37-38 years old and was only brought in before Week 17 as a warm body. He'll be gone if he doesn't retire.
Louis Leonard was an interesting player this year for us and I see him taking on a backup role fighting for a spot on the 53 man roster in training camp. A young, big player.
Melila Purcell, our 6th round pick this year, will be back next year fighting for a spot. With some more bulk added on, he could be a good DE for us down the road.
Orpheus Roye has had a great career as a Brown, but is getting up there in age. If he doesn't retire due to age and injuries, he will probably not start next year, but rotate in on the end.
Robaire will be the only returning starter who is guaranteed his position into 08. He was great this year and still has a few years left at 30.
Shaun Smith will also be back in the mix at both DE and NT. He is a great young player and will start somewhere most likely being on the inside, his natural position.
Chase Pittman, another 6th round pick this year, spent the entire season on the practice squad. He missed some time due to unspecified reasons and was not chosen over fellow rookie Melila Purcell for the open DL spot into Week 17. He most likely will be cut from the team after training camp.
Zach West is an interesting rookie from UTEP that we signed before the last game to our practice squad. He is significantly larger than Purcell and Pittman and that could help him fight with those guys to make a name for himself in camp.
Alvin Smith has been an NFLE allocation of the team for a couple seasons not and was placed on the reserved-NFI list after training camp. That shrewd move allowed us to keep Smith if he cleared waivers, which he did. He'll be around in camp next year, fighting for a spot somwhere in the league.
Injured for most of the year, Ted Washington's contract is up and he is a UFA. He will NOT be a Brown next season and I hope he will retire with some respectability left. He was a dominating player in his day, but had nothing left this season.
Also ending up on the injured reserve, Ethan Kelly did a great job for the team filling in for Washington starting Week 6 against the Pats. He will be a RFA and I hope the Browns lock him up for next season. He will be in the mix at NT and a reliable backup if not a starter.
Starters (with the players we have now):
DE: Robaire NT: Kelly DE: Shaun
Hopefully we add: a 2nd or 3rd round DL, a free agent DL (Albert Haynesworth would be the pip dream but Corey Williams, Ian Scott and Antwan Odom are also options)
Posts: 13196 | Location: Erie, PA | Registered: January 19, 2005
Or are you saying we've got our tails between our legs?