I’d been thinking about writing this post for the past week or so.

And after reading this on PFT this morning, I decided the time was right to at least try throwing a bone to embattled Browns coach Eric Mangini.

I figure if I don’t point out the positives now, before the rare glow of the team’s first victory fades into what I assume will be the overall blackness of our experience in Heinz Field this weekend, I might never get around to it. 

Here is a quick excerpt of the PFT post referenced above:

And there’s less of an edge to Mangini, making the overall player experience more enjoyable in a city where agents have privately said they would never send their clients.

It’s unclear why or how it has happened, but maybe Mangini has seen the light.

Now, there aren’t really a whole lot of specifics given here, and trying to ascertain the validity of anything coming out of Berea is quite a chore these days.

But…despite my original misgivings about Mangini’s hire in the first place, and my disappointment at how the first month of this season has gone, there are at least some positive signs for Browns fans to grasp onto.

First, say what you will, but Eric Mangini at least has a clear vision in his own mind for how he wants to build an organization and the types of characters he believes it requires to build a solid locker room. (And as a bonus, it was influenced by Bill Belichick, one of the all-time greats.)

Mangini’s initial and most important steps have revolved around changing the culture of the locker room, which has included the jettisoning of the oft-injured Kellen Winslow and the oft-inept Braylon Edwards. 

Both of these guys are clearly talented, but both are proven front-runners. When things are going well and they’re getting their numbers, all is right with the world. If the team is struggling a bit, or they are not glorifying themselves on Sundays, they aren’t exactly the kind of team-first players you batten the hatches down around during tough times.

We know this season is a lost cause in terms of the playoffs; having Kellen and Braylon around was not going to be a positive. I think it showed great foresight by Mangini and Kokinis to trade Kellen and his wobbly knees and then get rid of Braylon while they could still get some value for him, rather than see one or both walk away in the offseason with nothing coming in return.

What’s funny is that the biggest argument against getting rid of K2 and Braylon was that it would hurt us in the immediate term. Yet, in our first game without both, we won for the first time in forever.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But a mighty encouraging one if you ask me.

I also like the fact that Eric Mangini switched from Brady Quinn to Derek Anderson, even though it was a tacit admission that he made the wrong decision on his QB in the preseason.

The truth is that neither Brady nor Derek is good enough to be a starting QB in the NFL right now. And to use a South Park metaphor, Mangini was essentially choosing between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

However, right now, the Browns need Anderson’s ability to stretch the field. If Quinn is going to be inaccurate and indecisive on the short and intermediate throws, he provides no value because we know he isn’t stretching the field with any level of competence.

Going to D.A. was the right move to at least give this offense a fighting chance. Mangini didn’t realize it initially, but had the intestinal fortitude to swallow his pride and overturn himself for the good of the team.

I also like what Mangini and Kokinis are doing with the draft. They has already lined up double-digit picks for 2010 and appear poised to follow the Patriots’ draft model. It’s not perfect, but certainly a strategy valuing quantity has its merits in the long-term.

So, despite the putrid 1-4 start to the season, there are a few positives for Browns fans to cling to and a few reasons to not give up yet on the troubled Mangini era in Cleveland. Obviously the only thing that will matter in the long-run is Ws and Ls, but at least we’ve already notched one in the W column.

Think about it: aren’t you a little more encouraged right now than if you were a Bucs fan, a Raiders fan, a Chiefs fan, a Titans fan, a Bills fan, a Rams fan, and maybe even a Redskins fan?

I am. And while it’s not much, it’s something.

It’s going to be a long year. As always, the onus is on us as Browns fans to grasp onto whatever positives we can find.

What do you think? Are you taking any positives from the first five games of the 2009 season?

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* – Eric Mangini photo credit: AP via The Pigskin Press

Update: The Week 3 Start Em, Sit Em lineup advice and projections post is up.

Welcome to the first edition of what will be a weekly post here at MSF throughout the NFL season: start ‘em – sit ‘em lineup advice for your fantasy football rosters.

We all know how important overall position rankings are for valuing players on draft day. Typically there are pretty clear tiers of players at each position. Making sure that you get players in certain tiers at appropriate draft positions is a key to maximizing value.

But — and it’s an important but — as you go through the season, weekly values can fluctuate based on a player’s injury, a teammate’s injury, and the opponent for that week.

For a guy like Drew Brees, or most guys picked in the first two or three rounds, it will rarely matter. You lock these guys into your starting lineups and count on them to anchor your team.

For mid- and late-round guys, however, the players who may fill out your #2 RB / WR positions or your flex spot, keeping an eye on fluctuations in expected value on a week-by-week basis is important.

That’s the goal of this post and will be the goal every week.

Follow the links to StubHub for great deals on all NFL tickets or College Football tickets.

I won’t tell you to start Drew Brees; you know that. And if you don’t know that, there is a good chance that you are wasting your time doing research because your team is doomed with your Kotite-level leadership.

On the other hand, maybe you waited to get a QB and your choices are Joe Flacco and Eli Manning. Neither is a clear-cut weekly starter, but will have particular matchups throughout the year that you will want to leverage or avoid.

Please take note: Just because a guy is a “start ‘em” doesn’t mean he should necessarily start for your team. If I say that David Garrard is worthy of a start, it does not mean he should play over Tom Brady or Philip Rivers. And just because I say that Matt Schaub may struggle, it doesn’t mean you should start Shaun Hill over him. Everything is relative and dependent on your roster. 

We’re all looking for an edge that can help us on weekly basis. I have eight teams this year and obviously want to win with every one of them every single week. This post is my way of using the research I’ve done to help you out as well.

So without further adieu, let’s get right to it: a start ‘em – sit ‘em highlight at each position other than kicker. And obviously we can’t get to every player in this post, so feel free to ask follow-up questions in the comments. I’ll respond as quickly as I’m able all the way up until Sunday morning.

Week 1 Start ‘Em – Sit ‘Em: Quarterbacks

Start ‘em: David Garrard, Jacksonville (@ Indianapolis)

David Garrard was a major disappointment last year. He threw for only 15 TDs against 13 INTs coming off of his breakout 2007 season during which his QB rating was the third best in the NFL (102.2). I think we may have seen Garrard’s ceiling in 2007, but that does not mean he is not a capable starter in certain spots.

This week is a great matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, primarily because the most important component of the Colts’ D, Bob Sanders, will be unavailable.

I am not a big believer in the Jacksonville receivers, although I do think that Torry Holt will have sneaky good rebound season as the #1 option. Still, despite the Jags’ deficiencies on the outside, Garrard completed 64% of his pass attempts in the preseason and has rumbling bowling ball Maurice Jones-Drew ready to catch 5-6 passes out of the backfield.

I think the Colts will score a lot of points on Sunday and I think the Jags, led by Garrard, will score a bunch too. I don’t think Jacksonville goes into Indianapolis and wins the game, but I do think Garrard is capable of 2 TDs (rushing or passing) and 200+ passing yards. Indy’s D just isn’t that good and Garrard should be able to take advantage and get off to a good start in 2009.

Other guys I like: Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle (vs. St. Louis); Joe Flacco, Baltimore (vs Kansas City); Shaun Hill, San Francisco (@ Arizona)

Sit ‘em: Matt Schaub, Houston (vs New York Jets)

I really like Matt Schaub this year, if he stays healthy. (It is required by law that anyone writing about liking Matt Schaub include the health caveat.) However, I’m not a huge fan of his for this week.

Why? I think the New York Jets’ defense has a chance to be among the top handful of defenses in the NFL with Rex Ryan at the helm.

Certainly we know that the Jets’ D will attack Schaub with a variety of blitzes all game long. This will be a good test as to whether Houston’s offensive line will be up to the task of keeping Schaub upright consistently. If they can, Schaub has a strong enough rapport with Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter to make any defense pay. I am honestly a little worried though that Schaub will get banged around by the Jets and that this could turn into a lower scoring game.

I think Schaub will get a TD somewhere along the line to Andre Johnson, but that might be it. If you have an alternative, this might be a good week to do a little wait-and-see with Houston and Schaub.

Other guys I don’t like: Whoever is starting for Kansas City (@ Baltimore); Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh (vs Tennessee)

Week 1 Start ‘Em – Sit ‘Em: Running Backs

Start ‘em: Willie Parker, Pittsburgh (vs Tennessee)

I chronicled in my Titans-Steelers preview the success that Willie Parker has had coming off of long layoffs either due to the offseason or injury. Parker did not have a good year overall last season, but did start out strong and also played well for a few games after coming back from a midseason injury.

Tennessee has a very good defense, but the Titans are now without Albert Haynesworth. This is a guy who dominated the middle last year while playing for a new contract and it may take the Titans a little while to shore up their front line without him. The Titans are, however, very good against the pass, forcing two INTs of Ben Roethlisberger in their meeting last year. 

I think Pittsburgh and coach Mike Tomlin will want to establish their running game early in the 2009 season and will take advantage of Parker’s fresh legs to do so. You may want to think about trading Fast Willie after Week 3 or 4, because he tends to wind down, but this is a week to take advantage of having him on your roster.

Others I like: Julius Jones, Seattle (@ St. Louis Rams); Felix Jones, Dallas (@ Tampa Bay); Beanie Wells, Arizona (@ San Francisco)

Sit ‘em: Chris Johnson and LenDale White, Tennessee (@ Pittsburgh)

I like both of these guys a lot for the season, just not playing at the NFL’s #1 run defense in their home field on the first night of their title defense.

I touched on the Steelers-Titans game yesterday and discussed the game these two teams played in Week 16 last year. Johnson actually scored a TD and the two combined for a 3.8 yard per carry average, which was 0.5 better than Pittsburgh allowed on the season. That game, however, was in Tennessee. Thursday night’s game is at Heinz Field.

Johnson was probably an early round pick for you, and if so, you may have no choice but to start him. For comparison purposes however, I would seriously consider starting a guy like Felix Jones this week because of the matchup. If you can’t stomach sitting such a high draft pick, I understand. But at least take a look at your options.

Chris Johnson and LenDale White will have 15 weeks to offer value against teams other than the Steelers. They might get a TD between them, but who will get it? There won’t be much to go around Thursday night and it will probably be split between them. Stay away if you can.

Others I don’t like: Pierre Thomas, New Orleans (vs Detroit…check his injury status leading up to the game and remember that the Saints have lots of options on offense, so they won’t force it to him if he’s not ready); Steve Slaton, Houston (vs New York Jets); All Cleveland running backs (vs Minnesota)

Week 1 Start ‘Em – Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Start ‘em: Braylon Edwards, Cleveland (vs Minnesota)

I know that I am often harsh of Braylon on this site, mainly because he killed the Browns and numerous fantasy teams on so many occasions last year. However, while I don’t think Braylon will equal his sterling 2007 stats, I do expect him to rebound in 2009.

This week’s matchup is a good one for Braylon in particular because the Browns are going to struggle mightily to run the ball against the Vikings’ Williams Wall (both are playing) and will obviously have trouble keeping Adrian Peterson in check. The Vikings just are not a good matchup for Cleveland as a team because they are proficient in the areas where Cleveland is weak: running and stopping the run.

I expect the Vikings to get up early and force the Browns, who will most likely have Brady Quinn at the helm, to throw a lot. Braylon Edwards is clearly the #1 option in the Browns passing game, and may be the 1st and 2nd option until another WR or a TE steps up.

He may not catch a high percentage of the balls thrown his way, but I think Braylon will lead the league in targets on Sunday and might even pick up a TD. Braylon will be up and down this season, but the big play capability is always there. In games where the Browns cannot run it he is going to see passes early and often.

Others I like: Desean Jackson, Philadelphia (@ Carolina); Torry Holt, Jacksonville (@ Indianapolis); Derrick Mason, Baltimore (vs Kansas City); Ted Ginn Jr, Miami (@ Atlanta)

Sit ‘em: Roy Williams, Dallas (@ Tampa Bay)

I guess you could call this a case of wanting to see it before I believe it.

As the season goes along, I do think that Tony Romo and Roy Williams will develop a rapport and that Williams can become a decent #2 WR or flex play, but I see Week 1 being much more about Dallas trying to establish an identity as a running team. Plus, with all of the 2-TE sets we’ve heard talked about for this season, I think Jason Witten and Martellus Bennett get their fair share of balls.

Williams has dealt with some injuries this preseason that have hindered his ability to work with Romo. Add to that his extreme struggles last year once he got to Dallas, and I’m just not buying in until I see it. 

Williams is the Cowboys’ #1 option outside, so he will get targets and could have a decent to solid day. But if you have guys like Braylon Edwards, Chad Ochocinco, Hines Ward, Santana Moss, or others at or right below their class, I would start them and wait for Romo and Williams to prove that they will be the connection everyone thinks they can be.

Others I don’t like: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City (@ Baltimore); Lee Evans, Buffalo (@ New England); Bernard Berrian, Minnesota (@ Cleveland)

Week 1 Start ‘Em – Sit ‘Em: Tight Ends

Start ‘em: Vernon Davis, San Francisco (@ Arizona)

I am really high on Vernon Davis this year, for a number of reasons:

1. Not unlike myself, he is freakishly athletic.
2. He seems to have bought into what Mike Singletary is selling.
3. The 49ers new offensive coordinator has pledged to get Davis more involved in the offense after Davis never saw eye-to-eye with previous OC Mike Martz, for whom he never became a prominent part of the gameplan.

Additionally, I am not a real big fan of Arizona’s defense.  Remember, the Cardinals did not have that great of a defense in the regular season last year. They are also primed to become the NFL’s annual victim of the Super Bowl loss hangover.

I think the 49ers will run the ball a lot and try to establish a short, ball-control passing game with the underrated Shaun Hill at QB. With Michael Crabtree still being a douchy holdout, and Josh Morgan / Isaac Bruce barely being decent, I think the 49ers have to get the ball into the hands of their most talented, game-breaking receiver. That is Vernon Davis, and I would honestly not be surprised to see him sneak into the top 5 tight ends this year.

Others I like: Kevin Boss, New York Giants (vs Washington); Anthony Fasano, Miami (@ Atlanta); John Carlson, Seattle (vs St. Louis); Jeremy Shockey, New Orelans (vs Detroit)

Sit ‘em: Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay (vs Dallas)

Call it a hunch, or even call it sour grapes after how Winslow’s tenure in Cleveland ended. Either way, I call it a bad matchup against the Cowboys on Sunday.

Byron Leftwich will be starting at QB, and he scares no one. The Buccaneers brought in Derrick Ward in the offseason, have Cadillac Williams back from injury, and still have incumbent RB Earnest Graham on the roster. I think the Bucs try to run early and often, and when they don’t run I think Leftwich looks to Antonio Bryant much more than he looks to Winslow.

The weakness in the Cowboys’ defense is at the corner spot opposite Terrence Newman and the safeties. If Leftwich is going to have success throwing, I think it will be to the outside. Bradie James leads a decent LB corps that should be able to contain Kellen.

Again, I’d make sure you have a solid replacement before benching Winslow. Just don’t be surprised if he struggles.

Others I don’t like: Zack Miller, Oakland (vs San Diego); Visanthe Shiancoe, Minnesota (@ Cleveland)

Week 1 Start ‘Em – Sit ‘Em: Defenses

Start ‘em: New England (vs Buffalo)

Much has been made about the demise of the impending Patriots defense with the losses of stalwarts Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison, and Tedy Bruschi. Certainly this amount of veteran leadership will be missed, but the Patriots have done a good job of bringing in young guys like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather whose time to step up is nigh.

In reality though, I don’t consider the Patriots a top 10 D anymore. They are a spot-start this season based on matchups, with a great matchup coming in Week 1. 

Buffalo is without Marshawn Lynch, T.O. has been dealing with an injured toe all preseason, and the Bills fired their offensive coordinator less than two weeks before the start of the regular season. Add all of that up, plus mix in the brilliance of Bill Belichick, and the Patriots make for a solid start on Sunday.

Others I like: Dallas (@ Tampa Bay); San Diego (@ Oakland); New Orleans (vs Detroit…because playing against rookie QBs making their first start is often a recipe for turnovers and TDs); Houston (vs New York Jets…same reason as New Orleans)

Sit ‘em: Miami Dolphins (@ Atlanta) & Atlanta Falcons (vs Miami)

Yes, I know that the Fins have Jason Taylor back, but I am worried about the Dolphins being able to stop Michael Turner and Matt Ryan at the same time. I think this game turns into a shootout on the fast track of the Georgia Dome and I would want no part of either defense.

For the record, I am also worried about the Bears D playing at Green Bay, which appears to be developing an offensive juggernaut. The only thing that kept me from listing them here is the ubiquitous threat of Devin Hester in the return game. We know that the early weeks in a football season are replete with big plays on special teams. If you aren’t confident in Hester taking one to the house though, I’d sit Chicago too.

Others I don’t like: Tampa Bay (vs Dallas)

So there you have it, the Week 1 Start ‘em – Sit ‘em. Hopefully this has assisted you with some of your lineup decisions, and remember to chime in with a question below if you have a specific decision you need help with.

Best of luck in Week 1 everybody!

**********

* – David Garrard photo credit: Reuters / Mark Wallheister via the San Francisco Chronicle

* – James Harrison / Chris Johnson photo credit: Getty images via ESPN.com

* – Braylon Edwards v Cincy photo credit: SortsOfSports.com

The former Lake Catholic High School (Mentor, Ohio) star returned to Cleveland in 2006 to play out his career near family and friends following the tragic death of his infant son, Michael Joseph. Jurevicius pointed his finger to the sky whenever he scored a touchdown in honor of his son.

Jurevicius, 34, was one of the most prolific third down receivers in the NFL during the Browns 10-6 season of dreams in 2007, but a knee injury that year led to an infection and seven surgeries later, the wound finally healed. Jurevicius told the media his goal was to retire a Brown. He described ending his career by walking off of the field at Cleveland Browns Stadium, orange helmet in hand, his two young daughters by his side.

That is no longer possible thanks to the Mangini-Kokinis regime of stomping out anything orange and brown that is good.

As late as Dec. 18, Joe Jurevicius said, “I want to play here in Cleveland. If that doesn’t happen, then the show goes on the road. But I’m going to play football next year,” according to Tony Grossi of The Plain Dealer in today’s story about the Browns releasing Joe Jurevicius.

I will be rooting for Joe, a true team leader and class act, on whatever team lands him.

In announcing the fate of Jurevicius, George Kokinis used the usual managerial line that the two sides tried, but could not agree on terms of a new contract. But this was no multi-million dollar San Diego Chargers vs. L.T. deal.

Before Jurevicius’ contract was terminated on Wednesday, he was due to make $2.4 million in the final season of a four-year contract he signed in 2006. The Browns may have tried to bring him back at the NFL minimum salary of $845,000 for veterans of 10 or more years—the same concession made by offensive lineman Ryan Tucker, Grossi reported.

But of course this fact was neither confirmed nor denied by the Browns. If true, that kind of “offer” had to be an insult to a proud man who wanted to go out with style on his own terms.

Kokinis stated, “Joe’s done a lot. I know what he means to this team.”

Apparently not, A-hole.

In a statement issued by agent Mark Humenik, there was more than money involved in the Browns’ decision. Jurevicius’ statement said, “As a Cleveland native and lifelong Browns fan, I always hoped to finish my career in brown and orange with my family and friends in the stands, and was even willing to take a steep pay cut to keep that dream alive, which is why I have such a heavy heart today.”

Jurevicius, a Chardon native, said he will “forever cherish the three seasons that I spent here and will never forget the chills that I got whenever I stepped foot on the field on the shores of Lake Erie.”
He thanked Browns owner Randy Lerner, the coaching staff, the Browns organization and their fans “for the overwhelming support … especially the past 14 months.” Joe Jurevicius caught six touchdown passes during his time with the Browns. He says his knee now feels well enough that he hopes to play somewhere next season.

“I know there is still plenty of good football left in me, so please don’t throw any dog biscuits my way when I return to Cleveland Stadium,” he said.

My guess is, when Jurevicius plays for an opposing team at the stadium, loyal Browns fans will give Joe a standing O – and deservedly so. Jurevicius missed all of last season after a staph infection set in following a routine knee procedure in January. Complications required a total of seven surgical procedures, ravaging the knee. But after the last one, which he had done by the prestigious Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., Jurevicius was heartened that he would be able to play another season.

The Browns have tried to underplay the team’s staph infection problems. Apparently, the new treatment plan under Mangini consists of ridding the team of staph by getting rid of the infected players. Yeah, that will work. Get rid of the patients and the problem disappears.

Browns tight-end Kellen Winslow was recently dealt to Tampa Bay for a second and fifth draft picks. Winslow was hospitalized in 2008, missing several games, purportedly after his third staph infection.
He was suspended for one game after calling out former General Manager Phil Savage for trying to cover-up the problem by telling Winslow to keep silent about what was reported an “undisclosed illness.”

But it was Jurevicius’ support for the Savage-Romeo Crennel regime in December that may have sealed the wide receiver’s fate under the Mangini regime. Jurevicius blamed the Browns 4-12 season in 2008 to injuries and player immaturity, appealing to Browns owner Randy Lerner to stay the course.

A fan favorite, Joe Jurevicius played in three Super Bowls with three different teams in his career before signing with the Browns in 2006. In that off-season, he joined local products LeCharles Bentley and Bob Hallen, both centers, and punter Dave Zastudil, in using free agency to return home to play.
Three years later, only Zastudil remains. Bentley left Cleveland a bitter man after a staph infection contracted while with the Browns destroyed his football playing days.

More bad news: The Browns intend to pay a $5 million roster bonus owed quarterback Derek Anderson. The bonus is guaranteed so the Browns had no choice. Rumors have swirled around the league that the Browns were trying to trade Anderson, but no one took the bait.

If the 2009 season turns out to be another quarterback competition between Anderson and Brady Quinn, the Browns will have taken a giant step backward, further into NFL mediocrity and deeper into oblivion.

The only upside of this Nomangenius regime’s latest move is Jurevicius winds up on a team that respects his talent.

Go, Joe! Godspeed.

———-

Top picture of Joe Jurevicius photo credit: John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer

Second picture of Joe Jurevicius photo credit: Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer

However, the Winslow era has ended today with the announcement of the high-profile player’s trade to Tampa Bay for undisclosed draft picks. I will miss Winslow’s intensity, his passion for the game, his toughness to play through injuries, and his ability to catch passes amidst defenders ready to lay him out. I will also miss his leadership qualities, his calm in the midst of storms, and his tears of joy while describing sweet wins in Cleveland. Number 80, a fan favorite, will be missed.

However, Winslow is probably more than satisfied with the trade. He will not only get to practice and play in the warm climates of Florida, but he won’t have to suffer through the aches and pains of being tackled on the frozen tundra of Cleveland Browns Stadium, or fight off frost bite from the whipping winds coming off of Lake Erie.

In one way, it is not surprising Browns Head Coach Eric Mangini pulled the trigger on the trade. After the Shaun Rogers fiasco, Mangini is probably ridding the team of another outspoken leader. Winslow has proven his fearlessness in taking on a general manager – much less a new head coach. Mangini knows that with Winslow gone, there is one less malcontent in the locker room. The Winslow trade takes Mangini closer to controlling the team, to making the Browns march in lockstep with him. General Manager George Kokinis said in a prepared statement, “…the draft picks we obtained through this deal will give us greater flexibility as we look to infuse more talent and create competition and depth on this football team.”

Before the trade, the Browns were without picks in the third, fifth and seventh rounds, reported Tony Gross of The Plain Dealer. Winslow and the Browns had numerous differences in their five seasons together. In only his second game as a pro, Winslow broke his leg and dislocated an ankle while trying to recover an onside kick. He missed the remainder of his rookie season. The following May, Winslow was practicing tricks on a high-powered motorcycle and suffered severe injuries to his right knee. Later, a staph infection set in after one surgery and resulted in complications that plague him to this day.

Winslow has had a surgical procedure on the knee every year since. Last season, Winslow sparred with Savage over issues related to an “undisclosed illness” that caused Winslow to be hospitalized. Winslow later said he was hospitalized for another staph infection and blasted the club for trying to keep it secret. The Browns initially suspended Winslow for one game, but then rescinded the suspension after lawyers got involved and Winslow’s PR representative disclosed emails from a club employee, reminding Winslow not to talk to the press. Savage was fired after the season. The club employee left recently after receiving a 30-day notice of a layoff.

And now Winslow is gone.

Who will be next?

The Cleveland Browns have traded tight end Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for undisclosed draft picks. As of yet, I have not been able to track down what the draft picks were. I’m about to run into meetings at work, so please leave any further information in the comment section if you have it.

Update: Our very own Midnight Writer posted a solid analysis of the Kellen Winslow trade from the perspective of both Kellen and the new guys in charge of the Browns, Eric Mangini and George Kokinis.

Here is the statement about the Browns trading Kellen Winslow from new Browns GM George Kokinis, per ESPN.com:

“We appreciate his passion for the game and wish him success in Tampa Bay,” Browns general manager George Kokinis said in announcing the move. “The draft picks we have obtained through this deal will give us greater flexibility as we look to infuse more talent and create competition and depth on this football team.”

Kellen Winslow play four star-crossed seasons with the Browns. Over those four seasons he only played 44 games because of injuries and last year’s suspension. He totaled 219 catches, 2,459 yards, 11 TDs, and made the Pro Bowl in 2007. Winslow was the Browns’ 1st round pick in the 2004 draft, after trading up one spot with the Lions to get him.

What do you think? Good move for the Browns? On its face, this seems somewhat curious to me. I realize the Kellen has been something of a headcase and created his share of problems while developing a me-first reputation, but he is one of two legit play-makers on a Browns offense (with Braylon Edwards) that lacked play-making ability last season. We’ll see if the Browns have any plans to add receiving help in free agency, or if this move now compels them to go offense with the #5 pick in the 2009 draft.

Either way, the loss of Kellen Winslow (assuming he would be healthy and play well in 2009) leaves a gaping hole that will somehow need to be filled.

Coach Romeo Crennel made the announcement after the Browns morning practice in the team’s Berea facility.

Apparently, Quinn said his finger was still sore after Wednesday’s practice, according to Cleveland.com. The fracture was discovered in an X-ray. Quinn was then examined by a hand specialist who cleared Quinn to play.

Crennel described the injury as a “small fracture” and said Quinn would wear a splint on the finger when he is not practicing or playing.

Comments to this news, also reported on WKNR 850 ranged from “I’d rather see Brady with a fractured finger play, than Derek Anderson” to a “fan” wondering if this fracture could be used as an excuse for Quinn throwing interceptions against the Texans, not being able to throw long, etc. to “I’d rather see (Ken) Dorsey play, than Anderson.”

My take is, I wonder if Quinn will actually be able to play.

The Browns are notorious for underplaying and minimizing injuries. Ryan Tucker’s “knee” for instance, only allowed him to play in the Browns vs. Giants game which turned into Cleveland’s first win of the season – and the Giants’ only loss. Go figure.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage found himself on the hot seat, recently, for trying to keep under wraps the fact that tight end Kellen Winslow’s “undisclosed illness” and a three-day stay at The Cleveland Clinic was actually due to a staph infection. Winslow was suspended one game with pay for blowing the whistle on his actual illness to the media, but this was actually overturned after the Browns backed down.

By the way, Winslow has a “sprained shoulder”, which occurred when Winslow caught a crucial Quinn pass in the second last Browns play in Monday night’s Buffalo game right before Phil Dawson’s 56-yard field goal.

I am sick about this latest injury report – as are all Browns fans – and also wonder how this “small fracture” will affect Quinn in just his third start in the NFL.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo was out of action (on the football field) for several weeks.

My advice: Wear a splint and bandage on the finger at practice and the game, too.

I once had a tiny fracture in my right pinkie finger that not only hurt like heck, but when I finally did go to the hospital emergency room, I ended up with a splint surrounded by a gigantic wraparound bandage, 10 times the size of my finger. It took six weeks before getting the bandage off – and the finger is still crooked.

Not that it matters to anyone but myself, but fortunately, since I am left-handed, I can still throw a football like before. More information than you wanted?

OK, Midnight Writer will keep the updates to Quinn’s condition.

Go, Browns!

Anyway, after the catch, the Cleveland Browns’ notorious solider Winslow got up wincing in pain with his arm dangling gingerly from an ostensible shoulder injury. The Browns announced today that Kellen Winslow will have an MRI on the shoulder to determine if he suffered any serious damage. There was no further word on how serious the Browns expected the injury to be.

For the season, Kellen has 39 catches for 402 yards and 3 TDs. Like most of the Browns offensive players, his numbers are way off from his spectacular Pro Bowl season in 2007. Additionally, some blogging clowns (like this one) had brought up on numerous occasions that the Browns are 2-0 without Kellen Winslow in the lineup and 2-6 with him in the lineup.

One thing is for sure: if Kellen Winslow does not make that catch last night, the Browns most likely do not win the game. It was a clutch play from a player who has proven to be clutch during his career (his second half brain farts against Denver notwithstanding.)

In other Browns injury news, Best Player Ever Jerome Harrison injured his hamstring according to NFL.com. No word on how serious the injury is, or if it contributed to Harrison getting only 4 touches. Seeing as how the Browns coaches give the ball to Jerome Harrison about as much as Keith Olbermann compliments Republicans, I’m going to say it had nothing to do with it. Either way, Harrison made the most of his touches and averaged over 25 yards per.

Jason Wright hurt his neck, Sean Jones hurt an ankle, Shaun Rogers hurt his shoulder, and Shawn Kemp wonders why none of the Browns players with his name spell it normally.

For continuous live updates of Cleveland Browns news, including injuries, hop on over to the Cleveland Browns news page, bookmark it, and then visit it once every five minutes.

I am still giddy from last night. And yes, it has come to that. A squeaker win against a subpar team in which they choked on a missed field goal has me giddy. I don’t care. My preseason prediction was 9-7 and it’s still possible. Hope lives!

[tags]cleveland browns, kellen winslow, nfl, nfl injuries[/tags]

Rumors within the NFL and sports talk stations and blogs are that Cleveland Browns Head Coach Romeo Crennel will get the axe unless the Browns somehow salvage their 2008 season.

And what is more, Romeo Crennel probably knows it.

The whole Bill-Cowher-for-Browns-Coach buzz has been gaining momentum with each Cleveland loss, botched clock, player discipline problems, (i.e. Kellen Winslow outing Phil Savage in Staphgate, Braylon Edwards’ refusal to speak to the media about uncomfortable, uncool things like dropping the football) — and the latest split in team unity voiced by running back Jamal Lewis after the Browns lost 14-point and 13-point leads against Baltimore and Denver.

“This is a man’s game,” Lewis told reporters following the Denver debacle at Cleveland Browns Stadium. “Some people have to check their egos at the door.”

The insinuation by Jamal Lewis that his teammates were quitting on him — and Romeo Crennel — could have been blamed on Jamal’s frustration and embarrasment after the Thursday night Browns-Bronocs game.

But when Joshua Cribbs chimed in with the same allegations of team members packing it in early, and deep, deep sources close to the locker room report that some of the players openly talk back to Crennel, the story of a divisive locker room and that appearance that Crennel could have lost control of his players could mean that the jobs of the entire Browns coaching staff may be in jeopardy next year.

Enter the movement to bring in Bill Cowher, former coach of the Superbow Pittsburgh Steelers — Cleveland’s longtime rival. Cowher’s mug is smiling now, behind a desk at CBS, making a go at being a broadcaster and commentator, but lacking the presence of pacing the sidelines.

Questions as to why Cowher would want to return to 100-hour work weeks to field a new team — and if so, why the Cleveland Browns — will be addressed in my column later this week.

By the way, rumors really began flying about Cowher coming to Cleveland after anonymous sources began phoning radio talk show hosts claiming Cowher bought a house in Strongsville, an upper middle class suburb southwest of Downtown Cleveland.

But Kenny Roda, sports talk jock for ESPN 850AM, WKNR, tried to shed light on the subject a couple of weeks ago when he claimed Cowher was simly investing in Greater Cleveland property to build a llama or alpaca farm. (Can you picture “the Face” in blue jean overalls chasing down a stubborn llama?)

We shall see.

Regardless, General Manager Phil Savage may have sealed his fate with more than just his poor performance in handling the Kellen Winslow and staph infection fiasco; that would just be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

While Phil Savage earned his salary and more in drafting Joe Thomas and finagling for Brady Quinn, first round draft pick Braylon Edwards’ inconsistent play, giant ego and 12 dropped passes in the past nine games has reduced this player’s value.

Another first reound draft pick, Kamerion Wimbley is not getting to quarterbacks, making him a bust.

But perhaps it was the handling of the quarterbacks in 2007 that may have cost the Browns a playoff berth last year and a winning season this year.

Because Brady Quinn held out for more money (his agent is Tom Condon), he arrived late at the 2007 pre-season training camp and was not allowed to compete for the quarterback job that Charlie Frye ultimately won.

We all know how that turned out. And when Derek Anderson began losing his touch when the games began to count, Brady Quinn still stood on the sidelines with his clipboard, getting only eight snaps in one game the entire season.

It became evident from the first snap against Dallas in the home opener that Anderson did not perform well under pressure. Yet, Quinn was stuck with that stupid clipboard to hold until Anderson fell to his knees, then his ass, in disgust after being intercepted multiple times on the road against the Ravens in a game that now looks like a microcosm of the 2008 Browns season.

(Bookmark our Cleveland Browns news page and check back often to stay up-to-date on the latest Cleveland Browns news from around the web.)

[tags]cleveland browns, bill cowher, brady quinn, phil savage, nfl[/tags]

K2 has returned from his suspension, he has practiced this week, and by all accounts he seems to be toeing the line now that Staphgate has blown over. He is slated to start this week, although the Ravens present a tough matchup.

From a fantasy perspective, I would think you would have to be a little nervous is Kellen Winslow is your only option at tight end. Kellen has not gained more than 80 yards in a game this season, and has only 21 catches and 1 TD. Plus, Derek Anderson has developed a rapport with Steve Heiden in Kellen’s absence, and I would think the team would spread a few of Winslow’s usual targets Heiden’s way. Hopefully Fraschetti will chime in with a more in-depth Kellen Winslow analysis in the comments section.

Plus, one troubling fact remains: The Browns are 2-0 without Kellen Winslow, and 1-4 in games that Kellen Winslow has played. With the Browns sitting at 3-4, and the 4-3 Baltimore Ravens visiting Sunday, the margin for error is razor thin if the Browns was to compete for a playoff spot.

Well, we decided to find out what Browns nation (and any other interested parties) thinks about this issue. Please chime in with answers to the two questions below, and feel free to leave comments if you’d like to explain your votes.

Without any further rambling by yours truly, here are the Kellen Winslow poll questions:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Thank you for participating. And be sure to check out the Week 9 Fantasy Football analysis available here at Midwest Sports Fans:

Week 9 Fire and Ice Fantasy Football Forum
Week 9 Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus
Week 9 Wide Receiver Fantasy Analysis

Also, hop on over to the Week 9 NFL Pick Em and join the fun.

[tags]cleveland browns, kellen winslow, poll[/tags]

In taking in all week 8 had to offer, there were a few glaring issues or situations that stood out above the rest. Here’s who and what they were.

Matt Ryan, QB-Falcons. ON FIRE.

Yes, the Falcons lost, so why is he on fire. Have you seen him play? Do you remember he is only a Rookie? I cannot remember a rookie QB making this kind of an impact this fast. The Falcons were supposed to the worst team in football this year. Ryan has given the Falcons a 4-3 record, which is 4 more wins than most predicted they would have. Mike who? Yes, he has eased the pain of the loss of the Falcons entire offense going to Federal prison.

The Falcons coaches displayed their obvious comfort with Ryan throwing, as two out of every three plays were a pass against the Eagles. Ryan has had impressive outings against two defenses that are savages when it comes to applying pressure to quarterbacks, especially rookies, those being the Bears and the Eagles. Even though Matt Forte and Chris Johnson have been impressive, if Ryan continues, here is your 2008 NFL Rookie of the year!

The New Orleans Saints Offense. ON FIRE.

They flew to London and offensively dominated what was largely considered to be a championship team and a top five defense in the San Diego Chargers, and, this was done without one of the games most electrifying players, Reggie Bush.

Initial reports of Bush had him out two to four weeks after his surgery last week. The Saints are on a bye this week and will face the Falcons in week 10.

Without Bush, the Saints posted 451 yards of total offense in their 37-32 win over the Chargers with Drew Brees leading the way on a three touchdown 339 yard passing performance. This offense should only become more explosive after the bye week and in a few weeks the return of Reggie Bush to the line up.

Kellen Winslow, TE-Browns, ON ICE.

What a cancer this guy has to be! He missed two games this year. What happened in those games he missed, nothing much, only two of the biggest wins I can remember in most recent Browns history. Without “The Warrior”, the Browns managed to blow out the defending, and unbeaten at that point, Super Bowl Champions on Monday night, and had another huge win, in Jacksonville, against a dominating defense. Where does this leave Kellen? I am guessing in a new uniform in 2009. It is unfortunate that Browns players have to encounter staph infections, and believe that this issue should be addressed, but Winslow has never learned since his days at Miami how to express himself in a manner which is not destructive.

The Tennessee Titans Backfield. ON FIRE.

Under normal circumstances would I ever give advise to start two running backs on the same team at the same time, but I found myself giving that advise last week. These two, Lendale White and Chris Johnson are fantasy gods, and if I had both of them on my roster, without question would I start both of them at the same time. They are scoring machines and Coach Fisher is committed to the run. Props to Kerry Collins who showed that he can pass when needed in their impressive win over the Colts last night.

Lastly,

The Cincinnati Bengals. ON ICE.

What team ever had more talent then the Bengals on paper and could suck this bad. Who is to blame for the Bengals demise. Marvin Lewis. Lewis was a great defensive coordinator who led the Bengals to one playoff appearance, SINCE 2003. Look at the cycle that has taken place in their backfield alone and you can see the confusion that is taking place with the Bungles. Releasing your leading rusher, notice I said releasing, not trading, releasing your leading rusher to leave your running attack up to Kenny Watson and Chris Perry. After this genius move backfired, the powers that be picked up Cedric Benson, who averages 44.4 yards per game over his NFL career.

I know the loss of Carson Palmer is a good excuse, but the Patriots are 5-2 minus the best quarterback ever, which was done with a quarterback who’s last start prior to this year was in high school! This is the most talented 0-8 team ever!

Look for my Week 9 Fantasy Football Sleeper Focus which will post Thursday morning.

Kurt Fraschetti

profootballinsight@live.com

As predicted earlier this week on Midwest Sports Fans, Joshua Cribbs and the Cleveland Browns pulled out a hard-fought win over the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-17. Browns fans are still waiting for Joshua Cribbs to bust out a long kick return for a touchdown, but he came up with several key special teams plays today; the most crucial being a fumble recovery after a Beau Bell strip on a kickoff after the Browns had gone up 20-17. The offense stalled and only could muster another field goal, but the six point difference forced the Jaguars to go for a touchdown on their final drive — which they just missed off the finger tips of Cocaine Jones.

This was not a “pretty” victory for the Browns, as the offense stalled pretty much the entire final 45 minutes. But it was beautiful in the sense that it pulled the team to one game within .500 with a very winnable home game against Baltimore on the horizon next week.

And let’s not ignore the 800-pound elephant in the room: the team moved to 2-0 without previously suspended tight end Kellen Winslow.

But we can deal with the Kellen Winslow stuff a little later. First, some game balls:

Game Ball 1: Shuan Rogers

The big man was a beast today. Statistically, he had 9 tackles, one sack, and blocked a Jacksonville field goal. But anyone who watched the game knows that he was even more monstrous than those impressive statistics might suggest. In the middle of the 4th quarter, a very informed Browns fan turned to me and said “I guess he was worth a 3rd round pick, huh?” I would say so. Shaun Rogers has been a primary reason why the Browns defense has made such a marked improvement this year, and today was the day where his star shone the brightest. Easily the MVP of the game.

Game Ball 2: Joshua Cribbs

No, he has not been the game-breaking return man that he was last year. But he has become the heart and soul of this team. He can alter games without making big returns, as he did today recovering the afore mentioned 4th quarter fumble. He consistently beat double teams as the gunner on the punts and leaves every ounce of himself on the field. You have to watch Browns games to truly appreciate the contributions of Joshua Cribbs, as he is not showing up in the stat sheet much this year; but make no mistake, he is one of the ten most valuable players on the roster.

Game Ball 3: The coaching staff

The Browns coaches have been a much maligned group this year. And by no means did I agree with every call they made. The play-calling in the redzone leaves much to be desired, and the call to run on 3rd and 5 late in the 4th quarter was without question a “playing not to lose” mentality shining through.

But…and this is a big but…they had the Browns players emotionally ready to play today, during a week in which it seemed on the outside like a difficult thing to do. With so much controversy swirling around Kellen Winslow and staph infections and suspensions and a 2-4 record, the Browns came out and simply refused to lose against a very good team. Derek Anderson was not spectacular, but he was solid. He made some throws early and, most importantly, he did not make any bad ones late. The offensive line helped pave the way to a 4.0+ yard per carry average on the ground and allowed only one sack. The defense gave up 380 yards, but continued their trend of being extremely focused in their own territory and not giving the opponent any easy points.

Romeo Crennel and his coaching staff have been an easy target this year because of the underachieving record and periodic brain farts with respect to clock and game management; but credit must be given where it is due. Say what you want about specific calls in today’s game, but admit what is obvious: the Browns coaches had their team ready to play in a must-win game and pulled out a HUGE victory.

Game Ball 4: Steve Heiden

Steven Heiden led the Browns in receptions with 3 and in yards with 73. He helped lead the running game with his blocking. Most importantly though, he continued to not be Kellen Winslow. The Cleveland Browns are now 2-0 when Steve Heiden starts at tight end and 1-4 with “superstar” Kellen Winslow in the lineup. The two wins are against The New York Giants (who just beat Pittsburgh as I type this!) and the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. No one who watches the games can say that the offense has not looked better without Kellen Winslow in the lineup.

I scoffed at notions earlier this year that the Cleveland Browns in 2008 might resemble in the New York Giants in 2007 in that we could be better with our “star” tight end out of the lineup. I have now seen enough to emphatically call myself out for being wrong. Later this week we will analyze what the Browns can do with Kellen Winslow moving forward, but right now it is hard to argue that Kellen Winslow playing gives the Browns a better chance to win next week against Baltimore.

Game Ball 5: Jamal Lewis

He got 20 carries, and the Browns got the win. This is not an accident or an anomaly. The Browns are now 11-1 when Jamal Lewis gets 20 carries. He churned out 80 tough yards and a TD with his carries, and once again carried the offense with Derek Anderson struggling to find his receivers consistently. Jamal Lewis often gets overshadowed by the big name receivers and quarterback issues that are typically the big stories of the Browns offense, but he continues to prove Browns management right in resigning him. Jamal Lewis is a beast, and bring consistent effort and heart and tough running every single week.

This was a tremendous victory for the Cleveland Browns, and should give the team a great deal of confidence as they head home next week for Baltimore. Sure, none of us expected the Browns to be 3-4 at this juncture in the season, but we are 2-1 in our last three games and starting to resemble the team that many people picked to make the playoffs in the preseason. I still think this is a team that goes 9-7 and plays in January, a road win over another potential AFC playoff team is a big step in the right direction.

Congratulations Browns. Now hopefully we can focus more on football and the players who are on the field rather than the players who are not.

[tags]cleveland browns, jacksonville jaguars, nfl, football[/tags]

This morning, Mary-Kay Cabot of the Plain-Dealer is reporting that the Cleveland Browns have decided to rescind Kellen Winslow’s one-game suspension after it came to light that a Browns PR employee had text messaged Winslow and told him to keep quiet about his staph infection. Browns management apparently had not been previously made aware of these text messages. According to the Plain-Dealer:

The text messages urged Winslow not to reveal his staph infection and said General Manager Phil Savage would get involved if he did. Winslow was also told in the texts that revealing staph would touch off a firestorm.

On Saturday, Browns owner Randy Lerner called Kellen Winslow to apologize to the tight end for how the situation had unfolded. Despite the lifting of the suspension, Kellen Winslow will still be required to pay a $25,000 fine for his comments regarding the Cleveland Browns not protection players from staph infections; however, he will not lose his game check for today’s game, nor will he be required to officially apologize to the team.

As to the most important component of all of this for the Browns and the team’s fans, Kellen Winslow still will not play today in the Cleveland Browns game against the Jaguars. He was not allowed to participate in team functions this week and had traveled back home to San Diego on Thursday. The following is a statement from Kellen Winslow in the wake of the Browns lifting his suspension:

“This past week has been trying for all parties involved. As you know, I contracted staph for the second time in my career and was hospitalized for four days. I spoke out on this because I felt it was the right thing to do. This had nothing to do with football. This was and remains a serious health concern.

“I do realize that I am a public person and my words, whether constructively articulated or expressed emotionally, carry a lot of weight in the public arena. My intentions were never meant to be disruptive or distracting to the Browns organization, but rather to voice my concerns about my medical condition. I am confident that the Browns organization has taken the necessary steps to make our facility a healthy working environment.

“I formally reiterate my respect for the Browns organization, my teammates and the city of Cleveland. I look forward to getting back to playing football and being a productive member of this team. It’s now time to focus on winning.”

As more details emerge about this story, it looks less and less favorable for the Browns organization and makes me feel a little sillier for siding mostly with the Browns and not at all with Winslow. As usual, the truth and fault still lies somewhere in the middle, but there is no question that this has been a huge PR nightmare for the team.

According to the Cabot story in the Plain-Dealer, Kellen Winslow had planned on clearing the air about his hospitalization even while in the Cleveland Clinic. Many websites, including Midwest Sports Fans, ran with the varied rumors that sprouted up regarding why Kellen Winslow had been in the hospital. Even if he had a staph infection, the rumors of testicular swelling could still be true — but obviously there was much more to the story than originally met the eye.

Reportedly, Winslow did not disclose the nature of his hospitalization because he and his representatives felt pressure from the public relations staff to keep quiet. This pressure came in the form of the afore mentioned text messages, that Winslow apparently believed had been directed from the organization. The confrontation between Kellen Winslow and Browns GM Phil Savage in the tunnel after the Redskins game, which Savage claimed was not heated, apparently occurred with Winslow under the impression that Savage was “on board” with the directive that Winslow not disclose that he had a staph infection.

In response to a question regarding whether he knew about the text messages, Savage said: “We have settled and are ready to move forward. In 3-plus years, the medical staff has always informed me of a player’s wishes in terms of maintaining confidentiality or releasing his records.”

Part of the settlement Kellen Winslow reached the Browns says that he will never be prevented from making public comments regarding health and safety concerns about the working conditions at the Browns facility.

Obviously, with this story still being hot off the presses, there will be more to come later. I am sure that the Browns would like to sweep this under the rug and not deal with it anymore — but questions still remain. Whether Phil Savage knew about the text messages or not, was there a general organizational directive to pressure players in any way about not revealing the nature of injuries/illnesses if they were staph-related? Was this just a rogue PR person making a misguided attempt to keep the “best interests” of the organization in mind? Can the Browns and Kellen Winslow repair an obviously fractured relationship and truly move forward?

Who knows. We’ll have to see how the next week, the rest of the season, and the offseason play out to get more clarity and closure on this situation. One thing seems certain: to a certain extent, Kellen Winslow has been vindicated in the court of public opinion; and the Cleveland Browns are not left to explain their side of the story and pick up the pieces of this mess. Because of the suspension, the Browns now go into a huge road game against an AFC opponent without one of their best offensive players, when he very easily could have (and should have) been on the field. But the fact that Kellen Winslow is not playing today does give us a chance to answer another pressing question that has been floating around Browns fandom:

Is the team better off without Kellen Winslow anyway?

Today’s game will give the Browns another chance to find out, but based on the reports surfacing this morning, it’s a chance that never should have occurred.

[tags]cleveland browns, kellen winslow, nfl, football, suspension, staph infection[/tags]

(Sunday morning update: The Browns have lifted the suspension of Kellen Winslow after text messages surfaced from a Browns PR employee that pressured Winslow to keep quiet about his staph infection.  Winslow will still not play against the Jaguars.)

Today during his weekly radio spot will Wills and Snyder on The Big One, WTAM 1100 in Cleveland, Browns GM Phil Savage commented publicly on the Kellen Winslow suspension for the first time. (Thanks to our own MidnightWriter and ProFootballTalk.com for the alerting us to the interview.)

You can listen to Phil Savage discuss Kellen Winslow on WTAM 1100 here.

I took a quick listen, and here are the highlights:

As to the reportedly “heated” conversation that Kellen Winslow and Phil Savage had in the tunnel following the Washington game, and prior to Kellen Winslow’s comments, Savage said that their conversation was, in fact, not heated. He said might have been awkward somewhat, with Winslow in a football uniform and Savage in a suit, but that both he and WInslow handled themselves with respect.

As to the suspension, Phil Savage explained that this was something he and Browns ownership and Romeo Crennel discussed all Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Savage felt that Kellen Winslow went public with remarks without giving team an opportunity to respond, and in doing so Winslow called into question the integrity of the organization — despite the fact that Browns had stood by Winslow in the aftermath of his motorcycle accident and subsequent rehab. In addition, he reasserted that Browns have done everything to combat staph problem

“It just showed a lack of professional restraint,” Savage said about the comments by Winslow.

Phil Savage then went on, at length, discussing his primary point: that the Cleveland Browns are bigger than one person.

“That’s the bottom line in this situation,” explained Savage. “We couldn’t and won’t allow one person to tear down the organization. So we had to do something.”

Savage also took exception to the notion that he does not care for his players, a response to Winslow’s charge that he felt like “a piece of meat.” Without refuting Winslow’s claim that Savage never called him while he was in the hospital, Savage went on at length about the extent of his duties as GM and how he still makes time to find personal connections and personal time for almost every player. I agree with Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, that Savage went overboard here, and sounded a little whiny and defensive. But his basic point was that any notion that he does not care about his players is falsely based.

Phil Savage then discussed the Browns organization as a whole, and how the organization’s commitment to winning and to the team (”T-E-A-M” as he spelled out) led to Winslow’s suspension:

“[The Browns] will never ever ever have a group of people who are more committed to winning, and doing things the right way, with character, with integrity, with dignity, from the group that’s over there right now,” explained Savage.

He continued, “I’m not going to sit here and allow for one second all those people and the many, many others in the organization who love this team, as well as lot of the players, almost every single man on that team, who gives everything they have on the field, and off the field for us to be embarrassed by some unnecessary remarks that occurred this week. So for us to be characterized in this way on a national stage is absolutely unacceptable, and that’s why we did what we did.

“The team is the most important thing in the entire structure of this, and we cannot allow one person to disrupt that.”

The conversation then turned to the nature of Winslow’s illness and hospitalization. Savage said that HIPA won’t allow them to reveal the nature of an illness without the individual’s approval. He said, to paraphrase, that It seemed that the people involved “wouldn’t want it out there.” It was all agreed upon that Winslow and the Browns would keep the nature of the illness under wraps, and that agreement was reached the weekend before the Giants game. Savage did say that it was a non-football illness that occurred during the bye week. After the game, Savage explained, the whole thing changed with regard to keeping the situation under wraps.

The question was then posed to Phil Savage, can you go forward with Kellen Winslow?

“Absolutely,” Savage responded. “You know, if he’s willing to do the things that he’s said publicly that he’s willing to do, which is that he wants to be Brown, he wants to be a productive member of the team….certainly we would welcome him back. We’ve gotta do what’s best for the team, and the people that are on this team have to do what’s best for the team and not always necessarily what’s best for themselves.”

Phil Savage did say one thing that seemed to refute other reports I have been hearing regarding the supposedly expedited appeal. He said that, as of late last night, the appeal hearing will be on Tuesday, which would obviously be after the Jacksonville game.

From my perspective, the last thing that Phil Savage said, regarding individuals doing what’s best for the team and not necessarily themselves, was the most interesting. I have had a sneaking suspicion since this situation cropped up that Winslow’s desire for a new contract, and the influence of Drew Rosenhaus, might have as much to do with his actions as anything. While Savage never even hinted in that direction specifically, the general assertion seems to be there that Kellen Winslow’s actions were selfish and in his own best interests, with little regard to the team. How much the contract issue plays into that obviously is not known for certain, my gut feeling remains that it has as much to do with it as anything.

Anyway, we wanted to hear from Phil Savage and now we have. He and the organization felt a suspension was necessary to preserve the integrity of the team. The more I hear about this story, the more I agree with him; but obviously I would like to see this get resolved as quickly as possible, see the Browns pull out a much needed W against Jacksonville this weekend, and then get Kellen Winslow back to being the dynamic, game-changing playmaker that he was last year.

The best interests of the team may be for Kellen Winslow to sit this week’s game out, as much to prove a point as anything else. But we all know that the best interests of the team’s long-term success in 2008 revolves around Kellen Winslow becoming a productive member of this offense once again.

[tags]kellen winslow, phil savage, cleveland browns, nfl, football[/tags]

(Sunday morning update: The Browns have lifted the suspension of Kellen Winslow after text messages surfaced from a Browns PR employee that pressured Winslow to keep quiet about his staph infection.  Winslow will still not play against the Jaguars.)

(Since the posting of this article, Phil Savage has discussed the Kellen Winslow suspension on his weekly Cleveland radio spot. We posted about Savage’s comments, which includes a link to the audio. Also, Savage said that the hearing for the suspension, as of late last night, was schedule for Tuesday — this is different than what was being reported earlier this morning.)

Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer is reporting that Kellen Winslow has predictably appealed his one-game suspension, and that the appeal will be expedited by the NFL so as to have a resolution by this weekend. Even if the suspension is overturned, it would not necessarily mean that Kellen Winslow would play on Sunday when the Browns take on the Jacksonville Jaguars; the Browns could still make Winslow inactive for the game. However, Kellen would recoup his $235,294 game check.

Kellen Winslow was suspended earlier this week for the comments he made Sunday regarding the nature of his hospitalization, comments that were deemed to be detrimental to the team by Phil Savage. Many people, including me, have thrown out the hypothesis that one of the factors influencing Winslow’s motivations in making his comments is the his relationship with notorious agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Browns players were pretty vanilla in their comments, trotting out the typical cliches of “it’s the organization’s decision” and “we have to just pull together” and so forth. You can read the reactions of team leaders like Jamal Lewis and player rep Darnell Dinkins in the Grossi column linked above.

The most interesting nugget in Grossi’s column is the following excerpt:

In his written statement after the suspension, Winslow said he spoke out because “there is a health issue that needs to be addressed further,” which speaks to seven player cases of staph since 2004.

But no player interviewed on Wednesday supported Winslow on that point.

“I’m not worried about staph. I’ve never had staph. I’m not worried about that,” said linebacker Andra Davis, another team captain.

“Guys have been made aware of how to help prevent [staph],” Dawson said. “We had a meeting in training camp where we went over everything we can do as individuals. The organization has done everything we could ask them to do. So I think the locker room’s good with it.”

Everyone who follows the Cleveland Browns realizes that the staph epidemic that has plagued the team and its players over the past few years is a serious problem that needs to be addressed and fixed with exigence. However, if Kellen Winslow’s comments were truly warranted and in the “whistle-blower” spirit that many people have claimed they were, I would expect more public support for the comments from his teammates.

Of course, perhaps they are all afraid of being suspended and docked game checks. If Winslow’s appeal gets overturned, we may very well see more players be candid about the issue if, in fact, others feel as strongly as Winslow. For right now though, Kellen Winslow appears to be a rogue voice in a locker room that seems content with the actions taken by the Cleveland Browns.

In fact, Joshua Cribbs had a great quote that seemed to chalk Winslow’s outburst up to the emotional nature of the Browns talented tight end:

“His head is in the right place now,” Cribbs said (as quoted in the Grossi column). “Kellen, he always says what he feels. He speaks his mind. He has a lot of emotion and he brings that same emotion to the game. So we can’t fault him for that. But we have advised him to keep it among the team. He understands that.”

For the Browns, this situation will get better and become less of a focus with each passing day. The best possible next step is a win over Jacksonville on Sunday, regardless of whether Kellen Winslow plays or not. It sounds like Winslow is forward, his teammates are moving forward, and the Browns have a chance to get to one game within .500 and defeat and another potential AFC playoff team.

It is unfortunate that this week has been marred by such an unnecessary distraction; but it is a good test of the leadership and mettle of the Browns locker room. If they can overcome all of this and beat a really good team on Sunday, there could be hope for 2008 yet. Such a win, in the face of such a distracting week, could provide a lot of confidence and momentum moving forward, especially if Kellen Winslow returns motivated to do his talking on the field. If the Browns come out flat though, and lay an egg, we’ll know all we need to know about a team that would then be 2-5 and pretty much in a destitute sitation.

I don’t think anyone is in a position to accurately predict right now what will happen Sunday. We’ll just have to watch the game and find out.

[tags]cleveland browns, nfl, football, kellen winslow[/tags]

As I’m sure you know by now, Kellen Winslow has been suspended by the Cleveland Browns for this Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. In a statement released today, Phil Savage basically said it was due to conduct detrimental to the team and that ever stone has been overturned trying to fix the staph infection problem plaguing the Browns.

Kellen Winslow issued his own statement backing up the validity of what he said that got him suspended, but also taking responsibility, professing his commitment to the Browns, claiming that he remains loyal and wants to be a Brown for a very long time, and saying that his statements Sunday night had nothing to do with football or his contract situation.

I really hope so Kellen. But here is the problem: Kellen’s agent is Drew Rosenhaus, who has proven time and again that he is a Machiavellian puppeteer when it comes to trying to squeeze every last dollar possible out of NFL teams.

Quick — when you think of Drew Rosenhaus’ clients, who are the first two who come to mind? If you said Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens, you are like a vast majority of people I would presume. And why are these two of the most well-known Rosenhaus clients? Because they made complete fools of themselves, damaged their teams, damaged their reputations; and all in the name of getting more money, more money, more money.

Is it possible that Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson are just loose cannons who did push-ups in their driveway and claimed they would never play for the Bengals again all on their own? I guess. I’m not a beat reporter or an NFL Insider, so I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. But I know what I hear and what I read, and it certainly seems like players’ priorities tend to change the minute Drew Rosenhaus gets ahold of them. He can’t make a dime off of their NFL contract until he negotiates it for them. Hence, when Kellen Winslow picked up Rosenhaus as his agent, many people figured it meant Kellen wanted a new deal sooner rather than later.

Here is what I hope: I hope that Kellen Winslow was sincere in saying that his recent insubordination is a result of his feelings being hurt and thinking that he had an altruistic responsibility to get the truth out. If so, I still think he was wrong because he brought all of this on his team; but I can at least respect his commitment to principle.

If, however, this is all part of a Rosenhausian plot to pave the way for Kellen’s ultimate departure from Cleveland, then I say shame on both of them. I have no reports to link out to that say this is the case, and I hope that my hypothesis is wrong. But the more I read about this situation, the more it smells like Drew Rosenhaus trying to be opportunistic and angle a way out of town for his client, while throwing the Browns under the bus in the process.

Although, make no mistake: the Browns deserve every piece of criticism they get here. I realize they have done everything possible to fix the issue; but until they do in fact solve the staph infection problem, the organization has to maintain accountability for the issue and should do it publicly. They would expect the same from their players.

I think that only time will tell whether Kellen Winslow is currently being manipulated by Niccolo Rosenhaus. If he returns from his suspension humbled, hard-working, and hungry to be somewhat selfless in helping the Browns turn their season around, then I will be gladly wrong. On the other hand, if this current issue is only the tip of the iceberg, then we will have even more circumstantial evidence that the sports agent/ventriloquist named Drew Rosenhaus is in control.

Either way, it’s time to look forward. The 2008 season hangs in the balance this Sunday when the Cleveland Browns take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Browns found some magic and rhythm the last time Kellen Winslow was out; perhaps they can find that same magic and rhythm with him out again.

(Since this post was published, Phil Savage has publicly addressed the suspension of Kellen Winslow. Read excerpts, our take, and follow a link to listen to the audio yourself.)

(Photo Art by Midwest Sports Fans — you may click the Photoshopped goodness above but it will not enlarge; the heads in the image are already big enough, don’t you think?)

[tags]kellen winslow, drew rosenhaus, cleveland browns, nfl, football, terrell owens, chad johnson[/tags]