Browns Team Report
Posted: July 23, 2006
Steve Doerschuk
Canton Repository
No issue on defense is more important than finding a nose tackle who can relieve aging behemoth Ted Washington, but opinions are mixed on one leading candidate, rookie Babatunde Oshinowo. One veteran NFL personnel man said Oshinowo doesn't impress him as even a candidate for 10 snaps a game. The Browns, though, viewed Oshinowo has a sixth-round steal. They'll use camp to gauge whether he must play at 300 pounds and can handle the 310 to 315 pounds that would make him a more effective run plugger. They liked his stoutness against the run at Stanford and think he can become a good fit for their 3-4 scheme. . . .
Joe Jurevicius has average speed, is getting older and has never had a 1,000-yard receiving season in the NFL, but he is likely to be the No. 1 receiver when the season opens. One of the league1s taller wideouts, Jurevicius has the savvy to create big matchup problems with crisp route running and body positioning. His ability to reel in badly thrown balls is perfect for a team breaking in young QB Charlie Frye, who needs time to hone touch and timing. Eventually, Braylon Edwards will be force fed into the No. 1 receiving role, but he is unlikely to be ready until mid-September or later. Edwards' recovery from knee surgery is going well, but he still needs time to get ease his way back into cutting. Plus, Edwards is a long way from acquiring the polish that made Jurevicius a key man for the NFC North champion Seahawks in 2005. Early on, Jurevicius and TE Kellen Winslow will be the focal points of a passing game relying on short and mid-range throws.
SCOUTING REPORT: It's arguably a reach anytime a center is drafted in a first round. When Butch Davis' 2003 Browns invested a No. 21 overall pick in Jeff Faine, it was understood he needed to become a Pro Bowl pivot. LeCharles Bentley, though, has emerged as a better NFL player, which is why the Browns went after him hard in free agency and swapped Faine to Bentley's old team, New Orleans. Drafted a year earlier and a round later than Faine, Bentley is bigger than Faine, and less likely to get pushed around the way Faine was by Steelers nose man Casey Hampton. He focused in the offseason on questions about his lower-body strength and overall durability. QB Charlie Frye seems convinced Bentley has a better grip on recognizing defenses than Faine did. Frye was lost against some blitzes last year and is relying on Bentley for help. Bentley plays alertly, quickly and with strong explosion. His leverage and technique are excellent, and his knack for working in the second level against linebackers could translate into more long runs. He also is an upgrade over Faine as a pass protector.
SOMETHING TO PROVE: Lee Suggs is still young, but the clock is ticking on his window to launch a substantial NFL career. Suggs showed brilliant flashes as a 2003 rookie and again in 2004, but injuries nagged him then and finally ruined his entire 2005 campaign. Healthy now, Suggs is the most talented all-around back on the team, and he is itching for a long-term chance to prove it. He opens camp as the No. 2 back behind Reuben Droughns, who is coming off a 1,232-yard year as a strong but limited feature back. Droughns is a tough inside runner, but Suggs can offer more breakaway runs both inside and outside. Suggs has average size, but he was a splendid inside runner at Virginia Tech, and in the NFL has shown the sixth-sense ability to pause for just the right split second until the crease is there. Suggs has bulked up to around 215 pounds, costing him just a shade of his good natural elusiveness. If he stays healthy, he could be the surprise player of 2006. If not, he might have trouble finding an NFL employer going forward.
INSIDE DISH: The Browns think they are going from one pole to the better, opposite one in replacing 1,000-yard WR Antonio Bryant with Jurevicius. They liked Bryant as an effort guy but weren't thrilled about another year of managing his ego. Jurevicius is less an all-around threat, but he's a red-zone force, and more importantly, he brings the kind of intense professionalism the team needs. He probably won't be named a captain, but he'll subtly function like a very good one.
RUNNING BACKS ANALYSIS: Grade: B. Reuben Droughns is still emerging as he pushes into his late 20s. Lee Suggs is an untapped talent with feature back potential.
