The QBs of the 2007 NFL Draft: The Worst Single Position of Any NFL Draft Class Ever?

We are now more than 2 1/2 years into the NFL careers of the players who were drafted in 2007.

If you scroll down the list of first round draftees, several names will jump out at you of players who have already carved out solid beginnings to their careers.

In a few cases, some of the first round draftees from 2007 have proven to be franchise cornerstones worthy of high picks: Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Darrelle Revis, Ted Ginn Jr, to name a few.

In other cases, however, the players drafted in 2007 have proven to be worth far less than what their draft position might suggest. This is no more evident than with respect to the two QBs drafted in the first round in 2007: JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn.

My goodness, what wasted first round picks those two are proving to be.

And amazingly, Russell and Quinn are not alone. Several other QBs were taken in 2007, none of whom have amounted to much of anything. Let’s review the carnage.

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Seriously, How the Hell Could Things Get Any Worse in Cleveland?

A couple of things struck me recently regarding how bad things are in 2009 for the Cleveland Browns and their fans.

Anyone who has watched a game this season knows just how bad the team is, but a few things have happened this week that go beyond the offensive offensive numbers (repetition intended) and the record to truly illustrate what a putrid season this has become.

First off, there may be no bigger indictment of the sorry state of the Browns than this: the Detroit Lions, a team that went 0-16 a year ago and has won only one game this year, is a 3.5 point favorite over the Browns this weekend.

But wait…there’s more.

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Cribbs Down and Quinn Accused of Cheap Shot

There is no joy in Cleveland, the mighty Quinn has gone three and out; kick return man and wildcat Cribbs has gone down.

A fan at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the Monday Night debacle against the Ravens, held up a sign that said it all: “Hey, Baltimore, can you take this team, too?”

After suffering through another day of depression and frustration over the state of these Cleveland Browns’ pretenders, (remember, the Browns did not “come back” in 1999; late owner Al Lerner accepted a nameless, nearly talent-less expansion team and named it the Browns), Browns fans’ hope the end of the nine-game Coach Eric Mangini Era is near.

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Josh Cribbs Injury Update: Possible Concussion, Released from Hospital

The Browns got their asses handed to them again last night in another embarrassing offensive performance that culminated in a 16-0 shutout.

But nothing the offense did (or didn’t do) could match the collective fear and frustration felt when Josh Cribbs needlessly went down on the last play of the game and then had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.

Let’s forget for a moment how asinine it was for the team to run a “hook and ladder” play with the game out of reach and get to the important stuff: this morning’s Josh Cribbs injury update.

The latest Cribbs injury update, according to the Plain-Dealer, is that Cribbs was taken to the hospital immediately after last night’s game and is being evaluated for a concussion.

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More Reaction to Jamal Lewis’ Theory For Browns Croppy Play in 2009

No folks, that’s not a type there in title. Croppy is the intended word.

And the beautiful photoshop work featured in this post is the fruit on our own Ryan Russell’s labor of Browns love, in response to the most colorful and nonsensical figurative part of Jamal Lewis’ pre-practice rant about Eric Mangini earlier today.

Via the OBR:

“If you look at this like it’s a farm, we (the players) are just the crops. We’re just the crops. We’re just the crops. You’ve got to take care of your crops. You’ve got to nurture them. And if you don’t, when it comes harvest time, your crop isn’t going to be any good.”

Full size picture (Eric Mangini included!) after the jump.

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Cleveland Browns Look to Rebound From Crushing Loss to BYE

Entering this Sunday’s home matchup with BYE, the Cleveland Browns were sitting at 1-7 and in 5th place in the AFC North behind Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Notre Dame.

Despite the team’s poor start to the season, plus the turmoil caused by the firing of George Kokinis and threats of a Monday night protest next week, hopes were high that a second victory would be forthcoming.

“We don’t want to take anything for granted,” former starting quarterback Derek Anderson said. “I once got intercepted by the JUGS machine in practice. I thought it was Steve Heiden. So humility will not be an issue for this week.”

How right he was.

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Chiefs Fans Join Activism Trend: Demand Season-Long Deactivation of Larry Johnson

Who knows what will come it, but Browns and Chiefs fans are fed up, pissed off, not taking it anymore, and letting the management of their beloved teams know about it.

Two Browns fans recently announced their plans to lead a protest during the 1st quarter of next week’s Monday nighter between the Browns and Ravens in Cleveland. The plan has received plenty of national pub and even merited a meeting with Browns owner Randy Lerner yesterday.

In Kansas City, fans are petitioning Chiefs GM Scott Pioli to not allow Larry Johnson back on the field.

Their reasoning?

He is close to becoming the franchise’s all-time rushing leader, needing 80 yards to pass Priest Holmes, and they do not believe that Johnson is worthy of sitting atop that esteemed list.

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Browns ’soul searching’ continues; GM Kokinis escorted out, Kosar could be in

Just hours after “soul-searching” about the fate of his Cleveland Browns, team owner Randy Lerner put his frustration to action with the removal of Browns General Manager George Kokinis, who was reportedly seen being escorted out of the Browns practice facility in Berea on Monday morning.

The Browns were not saying whether Kokinis resigned or was fired. However, late speculation from various media sources is, Kokinis was dismissed “with cause.”

The beleaguered — and largely absent — Kokinis, hired at the suggestion of Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini, seems to have been made the sacrificial lamb for the Browns 1-7 season, its anemic so-called offense, and the general frustration, malaise, and chaos that has been the Cleveland Browns organization since Mangini took the helm early this year.

As of Tuesday, Cleveland NBC affiliate, WKYC Channel 3 and the Lake County News-Herald have reported that Lerner has been speaking with former Browns GM Ernie Acorsi about the idea of possibly becoming the Browns next general manager with the purpose of grooming former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar for that role.

However, The Plain Dealer is reporting that Acorsi, is in retirement with no desire to go back to work.

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Top 10 Most Likely Candidates to be the Next GM of the Cleveland Browns

In case you have not heard, George Kokinis was fired yesterday from his role as GM (General Mute) of the Cleveland Browns.

He had been on the job for less than a year and was reportedly at odds with head coach Eric Mangini as early as training camp. Rumors have since swirled that former Colts, Browns, and Giants GM Ernie Accorsi will be hired by Browns owner Randy Lerner soon.

We here at Midwest Sports Fans, however, are not so sure. Accorsi is a GM with a pretty successful track record and his hiring would almost seem to be too logical and sound a choice for the Browns.

So we put together top 10 list of candidates who – based on the Browns moribund history since being reinstated in 1999 -are probably more likely to be named General Manager than a former Super Bowl architect.

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George Kokinis Fired “With Cause” as Browns GM

Surprising news broke in Berea this evening. Browns GM George Kokinis, who has been on the job for less than a year, was fired on Monday.

Apparently a quick disintegration of his relationship with Eric Mangini helped spur his ouster.

ProFootballTalk was all over this story tonight. Here are the links to their coverage:

• Mangini, Kokinis marriage was doomed from the start
• Browns officially address firing of GM George Kokinis
• Report: Kokinis fired “with cause”

Also, there is this, from the News-Herald:

• Kokinis Out, Ernie Accorsi In

Browns owner Randy Lerner ’soul-searching’ for an answer to fix 1-7 Browns

Randy Lerner, owner of the Cleveland Browns, stood near the tunnel to the visiting team locker rooms at Soldier’s Field in Chicago Sunday — and by halftime appeared frustrated, angry and disheartened as the Browns fumbled and bumbled its way to a 30-6 embarrassing drubbing.

Lerner admitted to The Plain Dealer he was “sick” about the 1-7 Browns, the team which ranks at the bottom or very close in all aspects of play, including the offense, defense and special teams. And starting quarterback Derek Anderson had a quarterback rating of 0 at halftime, improving to 10 before the final whistle.

But “sick” as Lerner was, he also said he was not ready to fire head coach Eric Mangini — at least not during this Browns bye week.

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Monday Morning Masochism: Browns-Bears Reaction

The Browns are 1-7 and by all accounts are worse right now than they were eight games in their expansion season back in 1999.

Sunday’s loss at Chicago was a little better than last week’s home shellacking by the Packers, but not by much…and only because Chicago played a little more unevenly than the Packers did.

You may have noticed that I’ve been posting about the Browns less and less as this season has motored along. And there is a good reason for that: I don’t totally hate myself.

Obviously I hate myself enough to keep showing up at Browns Backers meetups on Sunday to watch the weekly dreck that is Browns football in 2009…but I try not to dwell on it as much throughout the week anymore.

Here are the thoughts and feelings of those Browns fans who are more committed than I am, if you can possibly stomach reading any more about this team:

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Bears Have Chance to Fix Problems This Sunday

Last Sunday for the Bears was nowhere near fun.

It wasn’t fun for the players, coaches, or the fans, and I was disgusted by the Bears just plain awful playing. Their weaknesses were heavily exposed by the Bengals in a game game that showed something needs to be fixed and fast.

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When It Comes to Sports, Cleveland Most Certainly Does Not Rock

I want you to play the song below while reading this post. Try, as best you can, to not be distracted by the vicious, piercing irony of the chorus as it relates to the sports teams of Cleveland.

I know, it’s not going to be easy…especially after the events of last night rubbed even more salt into the (eternally?) tragically open wounds of an entire city’s fan base.

On the same that night that the last two Cy Young Award winners — both of whom were Indians when they won it — faced off in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series, the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James dropped to 0-2.

You might think, well hey, at least Cleveland fans have the Browns game to look forward to this Sunday!

And this sentiment, of course, would be met either with hearty laughter or plaintive cries, all depending on one’s perspective, mood, and current level of sanity.

No, ladies and gentleman, sports in the city of Cleveland most certainly do not rock. Last night was simply further confirmation of this ever deepening and depressing truism.

But don’t take it from me. Scan the Cleveland sports blogosphere. It’s hard to wait for next year when you can barely make it from day to day this year.

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NFL Betting Week 8 Odds and Picks: Bears-Browns, Giants-Eagles, Vikings-Packers

Just like the World Series odds put pressure on the Yankees, the NFL is placing the heat on several teams this week. The Bears, Giants and Vikings all have plenty to prove; we focus on them for our Week 8 NFL picks.

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