Blog #14: Cleveland Browns Training Camp Countdown: 14 Days

Jeff Schwartz

Blog #14: Cleveland Browns Training Camp Countdown: 14 Days

July 18, 2010

I was looking at my calendar for the next week (which should provide a hectic and stressful week), and I noticed that in fourteen days The Mighty, Mighty Cleveland Browns begin the 2010-2011 season. Eric Mangini’s Cleveland Browns currently sit at a four-game win streak having defeated Ben the Sexual Predator and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City, Oakland, and Jacksonville to end the campaign last year. There’s a lot to be excited about if you’re a Browns fan. Over the course of the next month, I plan on previewing each position as we head into a season that will be a vast improvement on the years previous.

With 14 days until Training Camp is scheduled to begin for the Orange and Brown, here’s 14 Cleveland Browns related issues and topics to look forward to. These are in no specific order. It’s going to be an exciting season to be a Browns fan.

1. Can we beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in back to back games? Is it possible to defeat those weirdo’s three times in a row? There are many Pittsburgh area children who have been born since December 10, 2010 who have never seen their team beat the Browns.

2. Can Josh Cribbs make an impact at Wide Receiver? Second year players Mo Massaquoi and Buckeye Brother Brian Robiskie are solid starters, but Cribbs needs to play the role of star until Massaquoi and Robiskie can step up to the plate and take the brass ring.

3. Can Eric Mangini’s shadow AKA Mike Holmgren resist the urge to take over the coaching duties at any point in the season? Holmgren and Mangini seem to be vibing with one another right now, but will it last?

4. Can Joe Thomas finally get the national love that he gets from Cleveland for being the best Left Tackle in the NFL? Three seasons, three Pro Bowls. The All-Pro from Wisconsin deserves the respect of the entire country.

5. Can Jerome Harrison firmly establish himself as the number one Running Back or will rookie Montario Hardesty step in and become his idol Jamal Lewis? This is a really strong combo; I see many good things from the backs if they stay healthy. Don’t forget about Lawrence Vickers, an All-Pro talent at Full Back.

6. Can Shaun Rogers bounce back? The biggest man I’ve ever seen is a complete beast when healthy and more importantly happy. Ahtyba Rubin in limited action played much better than Rogers did last season, he also did not see the inside of a court room.

7. Can the Line Backing corps be as strong as I think it can be? Eric Barton, Marcus Benard, David Bowens, Titus Brown, Scott Fujita, Chris Gocong, D'Qwell Jackson, Matt Roth, and Jason Trusnik on paper sound like a scary bunch. I really hope they can hurt some Quarterbacks this year.

8. Can the Browns find a safety or two out of rookies Larry Asante and T.J. Ward? I badly wanted USC’s Taylor Mays when Ward was selected, but the Browns went with Ward. I am greatly looking forward to seeing Ward in action.

9. Can the right side of the Offensive Line actually be half as good as the left side? Free agent acquisition Tony Pashos is a monster of a man being paid a lot of money. He seems like he’ll be a big body who can stop Defensive Linemen from getting to Jake Delhomme.

10. Can the Quarterbacks of Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, and rookie Colt McCoy be any better than Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Brett Ratliff? They certainly can’t be any worse than last year’s trio of buffoons. I expect a lot of positives out of Delhomme before McCoy gets his chance in 2011-2012.

11. Can the Defensive Line actually have some depth to it? Rookie Clifton Geathers who is 6’7 and 300lbs looks like he could be a great body to put up front with Rogers, Smith, and Rubin. If the D-Line can be strong, there’s a good chance the Line Backers will have an easier go at making tackles.

12. Can Evan Moore continue to grow as a Tight End? Moore came out of nowhere last season and put up decent numbers to end the year. I expect to see Moore use his big hands to catch balls very quickly in Training Camp and follow that up with a big Pre-Season.

13. Can Eric Steinbach find himself? The last two years Left Guard Steinbach has had some problems. If it wasn’t for Thomas, Steinbach probably would have been cut by now. Joe Thomas makes him look like a stud. I think Big Stein can step his game up and head back to the Pro Bowl if things fall right.

14. Can the Cleveland Browns find an identity? Are they a team that runs the West Coast Offense? Do they run the ball? Can they stop the run? Do you not want to pass the ball against their strong secondary? The Browns MUST establish a definition to their team if they want to be taken seriously as playoff contenders.

The answer to all of these questions is YES WE CAN. This is the season things begin to turn around for us. I can’t wait until Saturday August 14, when I can walk into Cleveland Browns Stadium and see my team on the field for the first Pre-Season game. Here we go Brownies, here we go!