{"id":12536,"date":"2007-03-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-03-08T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thehogs.net\/blogs\/?p=12536"},"modified":"2025-06-01T10:37:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-01T14:37:48","slug":"team-needs-cleveland-browns-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-hogs.net\/blogs\/2007\/03\/08\/team-needs-cleveland-browns-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Team Needs: Cleveland Browns"},"content":{"rendered":"

Courtesy of Staff Writer and Senior Draft Analyst Bill Wunkle of www.dawgbones.com.<\/p>\n

Between now and the 2007 NFL Draft, THN will be taking a look at all of the NFL teams\u2019 off-season needs. Up next is the team with the third overall pick in the draft, the Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n

2006 Results:<\/b> 4-12 (4th in the AFC North)<\/p>\n

2007 Projected Salary Cap Status:<\/b> $75,695,000 or 33.305 million under the Cap.<\/p>\n

2006 Season Recap:<\/b><\/p>\n

The Browns free agent portion of the 2006 season started with a wild and furious pace as Senior VP and GM Phil Savage signed the crowning jewel and class of all free agents, LeCharles Bentley. Savage then followed that move up by signing former Atlanta Falcons LT Kevin Shaffer, former Baltimore Ravens punter Dave Zastudil and seasoned veterans Willie McGinest, Ted Washington and Joe Jurevicius. Unfortunately for Browns fans the cheers soon turned into cries of anguish and choruses of \u201cOnly in Cleveland\u201d. <\/p>\n

Bentley tore the patellar tendon in one of his knees on the first play from scrimmage in training camp, sidelining the two-time Pro Bowler for at least the entire 2006 season, and maybe for 2007 as well. This shattering news seemed to be only a prelude of things to come, as the Browns final number of players placed on injured reserve tallied well into the teens. Combine the injuries with division in the locker room over the now departed offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon, Braylon Edwards openly lambasting the O-line for not keeping their starting QB\u2019s jersey clean, and then throwing starting safety Brian Russell under the bus, and what you\u2019ve got is one ugly mess. Oddly enough, out of the four seemingly insignificant wins the Browns managed to amass, two of them were against teams that made the playoffs (NY Jets and Kansas City). Go figure.<\/p>\n

Team Needs:<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Offensive Line:
\nTragically enough, Savage thought that he\u2019d fixed the O-line woes when he signed Bentley and Shaffer. Little did he realize that starting guard Joe Andruzzi would abysmally underachieve for most of the season. Some of this can be attributed to nagging injuries and the rest to getting old before his time. As if the O-line didn\u2019t have enough issues, starting RT Ryan Tucker is suffering from what\u2019s being called a \u201cmental illness\u201d by the Browns front office. Other circles are reporting that Tucker is suffering from a cocaine addiction. Either way, would you rely on a healthy Ryan Tucker for an entire season? I certainly wouldn\u2019t. To complicate matters, their 2006 starting center Hank Fraley and reserve lineman Lennie Friedman are free agents.<\/p>\n

2. Defensive Line:
\nStarting NT Ted Washington is showing signs of his age. Starting DE Orpheus Roye underwent surgery this off-season and is no spring chicken either and starting DE Alvin McKinley may test the free agent waters. Other than that, and a lack of overall quality depth, the D-line is just fine.<\/p>\n

3. Cornerback:
\nStarting cornerback Gary Baxter tore the patellar tendon in, not one, but both of his knees. Although he vowed to be back and ready to play in 2007, I wouldn\u2019t advise anyone to hold their breath on this one. In fact, many are looking for the Browns management to come to an injury settlement with Baxter. On the bright side, a healthy Leigh Bodden will secure one side.<\/p>\n

4. Quarterback:
\nEvery dynastic franchise in the history of the NFL has had a franchise caliber quarterback leading their offense. So who\u2019s atop the depth chart for the Browns? None other than Charlie Frye, followed by Derek Anderson and Forty Niners reject Ken Dorsey. Go out and get you Super Bowl XXLII tickets today folks. To say that the Browns may be lacking at this position would be on the same level as saying that you might want to think about packing your coat for that winter trip to Alaska.<\/p>\n

5. Running Back:
\nReuben Droughns had a sub-par season after becoming the first Browns RB to eclipse 1,000 yards in a season since the days of Kevin Mack and Ernest Byner. Most of Droughns\u2019 woes can be attributed to team need number one. He\u2019s a straight-ahead runner who lacks breakaway speed. Rookie Jerome Harrison is a speed back that saw very limited action mainly because of his inability to pass protect. Jason Wright is all right, but nothing worth writing home about. The Fullback position seems in adequate hands with Terrelle Smith and Rookie Lawrence Vickers, both of which can block and catch the ball out of the backfield.<\/p>\n

6. Coaching Staff:
\nWith head coach Romeo Crennel\u2019s job being on the line this season, it seems to the untrained eye that his supporting cast of assistant coaches might have been assembled for a quick exodus. When you hire an offensive line coach whose pupils gave up a record 68 sacks in his last NFL season, you can expect some eyebrows to rise suspiciously.<\/p>\n

2007 Draft Picks<\/a>:<\/b><\/p>\n

Rd. 1 (3RD)
\nRd. 2 (36TH)
\nRd. 3 (67TH)
\nRd. 4 (99TH)
\nRd. 5 (130TH)
\nRd. 6 (163RD)
\nRD. 7 (202ND) from San Francisco<\/p>\n

Free Agency Status:<\/b><\/p>\n

Exclusive Rights Free Agents:<\/i>
\nDE Simon Fraser
\nDB Mike Hawkins
\nOG Andrew Hoffman
\nDT Ethan Kelley<\/p>\n

Restricted Free Agents:<\/i>
\nOT Nat Dorsey
\nLB Mason Unck<\/p>\n

Unrestricted Free Agents:<\/i>
\nCB Ralph Brown: may re-sign
\nOG Cosey Coleman: may not be offered a contract
\nOC Hank Fraley: may re-sign
\nOC\/OG Lennie Friedman: may re-sign
\nDE Alvin McKinley: may re-sign
\nWR\/PR Dennis Northcutt: will not be offered a contract
\nS Brian Russell: may re-sign<\/p>\n

Potential Free Agent Signings From Other Teams:<\/i>
\nOG Eric Steinbach \u2013 Cincinnati (UFA)
\nOG Kris Dielman \u2013 San Diego (UFA)
\nOG Derrick Dockery \u2013 Washington (UFA)
\nOT Leonard Davis \u2013 Arizona (UFA)
\nCB Nate Clements \u2013 Buffalo (UFA)
\nRB Dominic Rhodes \u2013 Indianapolis (UFA) <\/p>\n

This article comes to THN courtesy of Bill Wunkle of Dawgbones.com.<\/p>\n

Edit: This blog was archived in May of 2016 from our original articles database.It was originally posted by Bill Wunkle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Courtesy of Staff Writer and Senior Draft Analyst Bill Wunkle of www.dawgbones.com. Between now and the 2007 NFL Draft, THN will be taking a look at all of the NFL teams\u2019 off-season needs. Up next is the team with the third overall pick in the draft, the Cleveland Browns. 2006 Results: 4-12 (4th in the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nfl-draft"],"yoast_head":"\nTeam Needs: Cleveland Browns | The-Hogs.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/the-hogs.net\/blogs\/2007\/03\/08\/team-needs-cleveland-browns-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Team Needs: Cleveland Browns | The-Hogs.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Courtesy of Staff Writer and Senior Draft Analyst Bill Wunkle of www.dawgbones.com. 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