The crack of the bat and the pop of ball hitting leather is filling the air in Goodyear, Arizona, and the exhibition games will start in about a week.  The Cleveland Indians have a new manager and thus far the report from the southwest is that Manny Acta is a breath of fresh air.

 

Some players will benefit from a new man being in charge.  My guess is that Andy Marte, Jordan Brown, and Matt LaPorta are all thrilled there was a change at the top. 

 

Hopefully, new hitting coach Jon Nunnally will bring a change to the all or nothing offense, although he could be hindered in doing that with yesterday’s long awaited signing of whiff machine Russell Branyan. 

 

First off, in a surprising move, Acta named Branyan as the starting first baseman.  Apparently, that means Matt La Porta is in the mix in left field with Michael Brantley, Trevor Crowe, Austin Kearns, and Shelley Duncan. 

 

La Porta has to be the frontrunner, and that really isn’t a huge problem because Brantley could use some extra time in the minor leagues.  Brantley still needs to be able to drive the ball to keep defenses honest.  Otherwise they will play shallow and take away the bloops he benefited from in his September call up.

 

Still, on a team that is said to be rebuilding, why bring in a 34 year old veteran like Branyan and take away much needed playing time from young guys like La Porta, Brantley, Marte, and Brown?  They are the future of this team, and with Branyan’s option for 2011 being a reported $5 million, the only way the Indians pick that up is if the slugger hits 40 HR’s this season.

 

What will the Tribe lineup look like on Opening Day in US Cellular Field in Chicago on April 5^th against the White Sox Mark Buehrle?  Here’s a decent guess.

 

Sizemore                  CF

Cabrera                    SS

Choo                         RF

La Porta                    LF

Hafner                      DH

Peralta                      3B

Branyan/Marte         1B

Valbuena/platoon   2B

Marson                      C

 

Grady Sizemore will return to the leadoff spot, and now that he is over his nagging injuries of a year ago, he should go back to the Sizemore that was thought to be an MVP type of player if he was playing on a winning team.  He will not turn 28 until August, meaning he should be in the prime of his career.

 

Cabrera may just be the second best SS in the American League behind Derek Jeter.  Think about it.  He’s just 24 years old and last season had an OPS of 799.  Plus, he’s a better than average gloveman.  He had 42 doubles last season, and it would not be surprising to see some of those hits turn into home runs this season.

 

Choo had a breakout season a year ago, and in his last 250 games has hit 34 HR’s, knocked in 152 runs, and batted .303 in a span of 900 at bats.  He’s another Indians in his prime as he will turn 28 in July.  His lifetime OPS is 877.

 

Acta will likely put a right-handed bat between Choo and Hafner, and the choice here is La Porta, despite his inexperience.  It’s more of a vote against putting Peralta in the clean up spot.  La Porta is now 25 years old and showed enough last season to at least get a shot in this spot in the lineup.

 

Hafner, 33, didn’t have a horrible year last season, he had an OPS of 826, but his power numbers were down.  He played just 94 games last season and the Tribe needs him available for 140-150 games this season.  He’ll probably never again be the beast that slugged over or close to .600 from 2004-2006, but he still can be an effective middle of the order threat.

 

Peralta will be 28 this season, and it looks like he will never reach the promise he showed in 2005, when at 23 he hit .292 with 24 home runs.  He had a below average offensive season in two of the last four years, although he did have a good 2008 with a .276 batting average and 23 dingers.  The front office hopes he has some sort of bounce back season so his trade value will increase.

 

Branyan and Marte will likely platoon at first unless someone forces their way into the mix in LF by hammering southpaws.  In that case, La Porta will play first with the other; probably Kearns or Duncan plays left.

 

The Indians are looking for someone to platoon with Valbuena because they believe after just 39 at bats, that the second year man can’t hit lefties.  However, he’s only 24 years old, and showed a lot of pop in his bat.  He could be a sleeper if given the chance.

 

Marson will get the nod as the starting catcher with Mike Redmond backing him up.  If rookie Carlos Santana has a great spring training, there will be pressure on management to let him open with the big club.  His hitting potential is that good.

 

As you can see, there is the potential to score a lot of runs.  Several key players are in their prime (Sizemore and Choo) or are young with the pedigree to be good offensive performers (Cabrera, La Porta, and Valbuena).

 

It makes you wonder why they didn’t improve the starting pitching…

 

KM

 

While no one should be concerned with the three game losing streak for the Cavaliers, there should be worry about how soon Mike Brown will adjust to the trade.  Since getting Antawn Jamison a little less than a week ago, the coaching staff has lost track of Jamario Moon.

 

Moon has picked up a DNP-CD (did not play-coaches decision) in two of the last three contests.  Coincidentally, the Cavs have lost all three games.  Its difficult to figure out why the former Harlem Globetrotter is the odd man out.

 

Moon is a plus defender, can shoot the ball when left open, and can get up and down the floor.  He is a more complete player than two of the guys who are in the rotation ahead of him in the last three games, Daniel Gibson and Jawad Williams.  And that’s not to be critical of either of those players.

 

Gibson is a good shooter, but he doesn’t handle the ball particularly well, and although he’s a better defender than he was as a rookie, he’s still not a shutdown guy.  Williams had some moments when he moved into the rotation after the injury to Mo Williams, but he’s leveled off as the league has adjusted to his game. 

 

Both players are legitimate NBA players, but the Cavaliers are an elite team. 

 

It appears that Jamison will move into the starting lineup tonight, with J. J. Hickson likely to go to the bench.  However, Brown could move Anthony Parker to the second unit while starting James in the backcourt with Mo Williams, and using Jamison in the small forward spot. 

 

Parker has been struggling lately, although not as much as some fans would indicate.  He has played well on the defensive end. 

 

Remember though, that he was essentially signed to come off the bench.  Replacing him in the starting lineup would leave the Cavs a shooter short, but it would make the wine and gold long and athletic.  They would be able to be more of a fast breaking unit. 

 

Brown also has to watch the minutes being played by LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal.  James has been getting more than 40 minutes per night on a regular basis lately, and O’Neal must be kept fresh for the playoffs and should be limited to around 25 minutes per night, even with the loss of Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

 

It’s not a time to panic, but it is time to nip a three game losing streak in the bud tonight against New Orleans.  It could be the first step in another long streak of good play if Mike Brown can make his adjustments.

 

JK

 

 

 

Danny Ferry got his man.

 

With all the talk surrounding Amare Stoudemire coming to the Cavaliers, some questioned whether or not he was a good fit for the wine and gold.  Ultimately, the front office and coaching staff must have had the same concerns, so they decided to get Antawn Jamison from the Washington Wizards instead.

 

The cost was Zydrunas Ilgauskas and the 2010 first round draft pick, which will likely be in the bottom two of the first round because of the Cavs great record.  If the rumors are true about Z being bought out and rejoining the team in 30 days, this is an outstanding trade. 

 

If Ilgauskas does not come back this season, it’s a good trade, but it will leave Cleveland one big man short in combating teams like the Celtics, Magic, and Lakers.

 

The other big factor for the Cavs is they did not give up J.J. Hickson, who the Suns coveted in a possible Stoudemire deal, but who Ferry didn’t want to give up.

 

There are several reasons the team really preferred Jamison to Stoudemire.

 

First, Jamison is a better fit on offense because he has the ability to be effective both on the perimeter and near the basket.  Also, Jamison is a solid rebounder, averaging almost nine per night.  That’s about the same total as Stoudemire, despite the latter being perceived as physically superior.

 

Jamison is also signed for two more years, meaning there is no fear of him playing through the season and walking at the end of the year.  The veteran will be here for the next two seasons.  He’s also hungry.  He wants to win a championship, where Stoudemire might be more interested in getting a maximum contract. 

 

The newest Cav can also play small forward with LeBron James moving to the backcourt if Mike Brown wants to go with his big lineup.  The coach hinted he might do that in certain circumstances at today’s press conference.

 

The Cavs also picked up Sebastian Telfair in the deal, although it seems remote that he will help the club much.  He does give the team another ball handler, of which they were short when Mo Williams and Delonte West were injured.  Telfair is coming off an injury, so it’s not known when he will be ready to play.

 

The downside of the deal is losing Ilgauskas, robbing the team of its depth in the frontcourt, particularly at the center position.  Unless he is bought out by Washington and returns to the team in 30 days, the wine and gold could have a problem.

 

The critics of the Cavs felt the team needed a reliable second scorer to go along with LeBron James.  Antawn Jamison is that man.  GM Danny Ferry got him without having to give up a promising young player.  That’s a good deal. 

 

It becomes highway robbery if Zydrunas Ilgauskas is back wearing the wine and gold in a month as many have speculated.

 

JK

 

Sometimes, life imitates art.  Last week, flipping through the television on a Sunday, I came across the movie “Major League”, which is held near and dear by fans of the Cleveland Indians.  The sad thing about seeing the movie again was the thought that we are seeing a sequel in real life this off-season.

 

The Tribe, notably the Dolan family with GM Mark Shapiro manning the controls, continues to make moves that baffle its fan base.  The latest is the offer of a major league contract to free agent slugger/whiff machine Russell Branyan. 

 

First, offering a big league deal to Russell the Muscle means that someone has to be removed from the 40-man roster if Branyan accepts the deal.  It may be an inconsequential player in the long term, but it will be someone with more upside than the 34-year-old slugger.

 

Second, the Tribe is talking about Branyan providing depth at 1B, 3B, LF, RF, and DH.  That’s highly unlikely. 

 

The reason Branyan is still on the market is he has a bad back.  That would make playing the hot corner very unlikely.  He hasn’t played there since 2008 with Milwaukee, but even when he was young, he wasn’t known as a good glove man.

 

He hasn’t patrolled the outfield since 2007 with Philadelphia. 

 

Most likely, Branyan would play 1B and DH when Travis Hafner takes a day off.  However, the Indians claim Hafner’s shoulder is stronger and the plan of playing him a maximum of three days in a row is out the window.  So how many at bats would the well traveled slugger get?

 

Yes, Branyan had a career year in 2009, hitting .251 with 31 HR and 78 RBI.  The ribbie number isn’t impressive because of the strikeouts.  However, after a great start, he batted .184 with a 701 OPS in July and August.  He was having back problems at that point, but he is also prone to these types of slumps.

 

His previous career high in dingers was 24, done during the 2002 season.  So what do you think the likelihood of him hitting 25-30 in 2010 is?

 

Look, because of the length of his career, you pretty much know what you a going to get out of Branyan.  He’s going to hit around .230, smash 20 homers and knock in about 50 runs.  Oh yeah, he’s also going to whiff.  A lot. 

 

Not exactly a great fit for a team that finished in the top five in striking out in the American League last season. 

 

And this isn’t about Mark Shapiro doing Branyan a favor and giving him a place to show he is healthy.  They are offering him a big league contract, not a minor league invite. 

 

This whole off-season for the Indians has got to be a bad dream, right?  Signing a collection of marginal players doesn’t really get the fans thinking about baseball. 

 

It almost seems as if the management is trying to drive fans away.  The best hope is Branyan turns down the Indians’ offer and goes somewhere else. 

 

They have to be kidding us, right?

 

MW

 

The trade rumors started over the weekend while the NBA celebrated its All-Star weekend in Dallas.  The trade deadline takes place this Thursday, and the Cavaliers are certainly in the mix. 

 

The latest scuttlebutt has Cleveland talking to Phoenix about C/F Amare Stoudemire, who started for the West in the all-star clash.  In return, the Cavs would give the Suns F J.J. Hickson and C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who by all accounts would be released by Phoenix, and would re-sign with the wine and gold in 30 days.

 

The question is does this deal make the Cavaliers significantly better?  That’s up for debate.

 

Stoudemire does not come here with the thirst for a title that an Antawn Jamison would show up with.  Stoudemire is a free agent at the end of this season, and he wants to be paid.  That alone may ruin the chemistry the Cavs have built up. 

 

Understand that the pressure would be on LeBron James to make this work. However, the big man from Phoenix is not the “stretch” forward most critics of the wine and gold have said they needed. 

 

He’s also not a plus defender, and that’s the hallmark of this organization.  He’s weak against the pick and roll, something that still plagues the Cavs defensively, especially when Shaquille O’Neal is on the floor. 

 

It’s also likely that the new man wouldn’t be on the floor at the end of games.  Mike Brown likes Anderson Varajao on the court for his defensive prowess in the fourth quarter, and it is doubtful that will change.  Varajao is an excellent defender, and once again, that’s what the Cavaliers hang their hat on at the end of the day.

 

On the other hand, Stoudemire and James would become a devastating pick and roll combination offensively.  Also, the former would provide the team with another low post threat when they have the ball.

 

But it’s likely that he would be the third or fourth option on offense with Cleveland behind James, Shaq, and perhaps even Mo Williams, when he returns from his shoulder injury.  Could Stoudemire handle being that low in the pecking order? 

 

Stoudemire has also had injury problems, missing a season because of a microfracture in his knee, and he also missed time with a detached retina after getting poked in the eye.

 

It just seems he isn’t as good a fit as possible on first glance.

 

There’s no question he doesn’t fit in as well as Jamison, who lends an outside shooting touch from the power forward spot, and isn’t playing for a new contract because he’s signed for next season. 

 

That’s why Danny Ferry gets the big cash.  He has to make the ultimate decision on this deal. 

 

Amare Stoudemire has the biggest name involved in deals the Cavaliers are attached to.  However, that doesn’t mean he’s the best fit. 

 

JK

 

The Cavaliers ran their winning streak to 13 games, a club record, by knocking off the defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic, 115-106, last night at The "Q".  The wine and gold continue to have the league’s best record at 43-11, and lead the conference standings by eight games. 

 

The may not lose eight contests the rest of the season, so last night’s victory could have clinched home court advantage within the East for the Cavs. 

 

However, since we live in Cleveland, and we need something to worry about, there still is concern about the Cavaliers underachieving in the playoffs.  Some of the angst is directed at Mo Williams, who didn’t play well in the post-season last season.  It was Williams first foray deep into the playoffs, and he should be better prepared the second time around.

 

The other concern is directed at Mike Brown, who had problems making adjustments against the Magic last season.  This too is probably an unfounded concern, since until that series against Orlando, Brown has proven to be a pretty good playoff coach.

 

In Brown’s first year (2005-06), the Cavs won 50 games, finishing second in the Central Division to the Detroit Pistons, who won 64 games that season.  The two teams met in the conference semi-finals, where despite winning 14 less games during the regular season, the wine and gold forced the Pistons to seven games.  Most people felt the Cavs gave the Pistons a tougher series than expected.

 

The next season, Brown guided Cleveland to another 50 win season, had the second best record in the East to Detroit, who won 53 games, and then upset the Pistons in the conference finals behind LeBron James’ virtuoso performance in Game 5, and Boobie Gibson’s shooting in the deciding Game 6.  The Cavs were swept by the Spurs in The Finals, but most observers agreed the wine and gold’s appearance in the championship round was an upset.

 

Remember that team started Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, and Drew Gooden.  That’s a good coaching job.

 

In 2007-08, Brown took a team that finished with the fourth best record in the conference into a seventh game in the Eastern semi-finals against the Boston Celtics who won 21 more games than the Cavs.  Granted, Chicago did that last season, but the ’07-’08 Celtics emerged as World Champions after beating the Pistons in the conference finals, and then the Lakers for the NBA Championship.

 

In all three of those seasons, the Cavs did better in the playoffs than they were expected to going into the post-season.  Mike Brown has to get some credit for that.

 

Based on these results, last year seems to be the aberration.  And perhaps the biggest factor for the loss to the Magic was the long layoff following the four game sweep of the Atlanta Hawks.  The Cavs were rusty in the first game against Orlando, and perhaps that win in Game 1 gave Stan Van Gundy’s crew the confidence it needed to beat Cleveland.  That and the fact the Cavaliers not got back the momentum it had coming out of the Atlanta series.

 

This is not to say Brown coached his best in that series.  He was slow to make adjustments, especially the decision to have James guard Rafer Alston so he could roam to help others on defense.  Perhaps Brown was unaccustomed to being the favorite this late in the playoffs, but he should be given the benefit of the doubt based on his past success.

 

You can criticize Brown’s offensive theories and substitution patterns, but you cannot deny his success.  Since the beginning of last season, his team has a record of 109-27.  That’s collegiate type of success, not something that occurs in the NBA. 

 

You also cannot deny that he has had success in the post-season, although he has often had the less talented team in a series.  You have to give him credit for taking the 2006-07 Cavs to the NBA Finals when they probably had no business being there. 

 

If the coaching of Mike Brown is your biggest concern about the wine and gold’s championship possibilities, then you shouldn’t worry at all.

 

JK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The clock is counting down on the beginning of spring training.  The equipment truck has left for Goodyear, Arizona, no doubt taking as many downhill routes as possible in an effort to save fuel. 

 

Sadly, no one is looking forward to the crack of the bats and thumping of catchers’ mitt.  The anticipation for this baseball season is very low.

 

Part of it is the fault of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are pursuing the first major sports championship for this city since 1964, and has the best player on the planet on its roster in LeBron James. 

 

The other part of the equation is the lack of any move by the ownership and front office to make the 2010 Indians any better.  In a division in which there is no dominant team, GM Mark Shapiro, probably under the restraints of the Dolan family, has decided to take a course of signing low cost minor league free agents and other players trying to rehabilitate their careers.

 

The latest signing in this category was veteran right-hander Jamey Wright, who chief accomplishment in his career is durability.  It certainly isn’t effective pitching. 

 

Wright, 35, has been in the major leagues since 1996, a total of 14 seasons in the bigs.  His lifetime record is 82-115 with an ERA of 5.03.  He also carries the ghastly strikeout to walk ratio of 940:843 in 1702 innings. 

 

Well there you go, our pitching problems are solved. 

 

Wright is in on a minor league contract, and is likely a better candidate for the Columbus Clippers bullpen than the one in Progressive Field, but isn’t his presence in camp keeping the team from looking at younger arms?

 

He had a decent season for the Royals last season, going 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 65 games.  That ranks as one of the better seasons in a pretty mediocre stay in the majors.  In his 14 seasons, he has had an ERA under 4.00 for a campaign exactly once, in 2007 with Texas.

 

And that was a season in which he walked more (41) than he struck out (39) in 77 innings. 

 

Why even bring him into camp? 

 

One of the story lines of this spring is how the young pitchers perform, and if they do well, will the Tribe bring them north to start the season.  For example, let’s say Hector Rondon is very impressive in Arizona.  If he is, he should open the season in the majors.  In the past, the Indians have sent a guy like him back to AAA for more experience.

 

Who knows?  Perhaps Rondon can become this year’s Rick Porcello?

 

This organization is too worried about these guys failing instead of looking at what might happen if they succeed.   Granted, it’s a fine line, but not everybody is fragile mentally.  And if a Rondon can help the club in 2010, he should be here right from the get go.

 

The guess here is that the normal Indian thought process will be in play, and they will take the conservative route.  The wild card is new manager Manny Acta, however.  Acta may take the approach of wanting to win any game he is managing, and being less concerned with the developmental process.  That is to say, if a player needs to be developed, he should be in the minors, but if he can help us win, he should be on the major league club.

 

However, the ownership of the Indians is probably more concerned about how they didn’t think of the idea of taking water fountains out of Progressive Field.  Once again, the Dolan family is behind Dan Gilbert.

 

KM

 

 

The NBA trading deadline is coming soon.  The Cleveland Cavaliers right now have the association’s best record at 41-11, have beat the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers twice, and are currently on an 11 game winning streak, with a game against the lowly New Jersey Nets tonight.

 

Is there any reason for GM Danny Ferry to make a deal?  If it’s the right one, of course he should.

 

The biggest question is, what would be the right trade?

 

Most of the speculation involves getting Wizards’ forward Antawn Jamison in exchange for Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  While Jamison should top any wish list because he is a veteran who averages 20 points and 9 rebounds per game, and he hasn’t shown to be a problem for any team he has played for.

 

Giving up Ilgauskas is the sticking point, and not because Z has been a career long Cavalier, and is the team’s all time leader in games played. 

 

Many assume whatever team receives the big man in a trade will renounce his rights, making him a free agent so he can re-sign with the Cavs.  There is no guarantee that will be the case, and if it doesn’t happen, the wine and gold is one big man short. 

 

Much of the success the Cavs have had against the Lakers specifically, and the league in general is their presence defensively in the paint.  Suddenly, Cleveland is a very big team, especially with two seven footers manning the middle in Shaquille O’Neal and Ilgauskas roaming the paint and clogging the middle. 

 

Last year, the Cavs had a problem handling the Lakers size with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Andrew Bynum.  This year, not so much.  They also couldn’t handle Orlando’s Dwight Howard in the playoffs, and this season (although it has only been one game), Howard got in foul trouble trying to handle O’Neal in the post.

 

Losing Ilgauskas forces Anderson Varajao to be the primary back up center.  Varajao fills that role very well in small segments as well as when Mike Brown wants to go to a small lineup with LeBron James playing power forward.  But “The Wild Thing” isn’t as effective when he’s banging against bigger bodies for an extended period of time.

 

So adding a Jamison at the expense of Ilgauskas helps the Cavs offensively, but hurts the team defensively.  The head coach emphasizes defense at all costs.  What do you think Danny Ferry will do? 

 

Perhaps if he can get another big man somehow before the trading deadline, then Ferry might deal Ilgauskas, but if he can’t replace him, dealing Z would be too big of a risk to the Cavs’ title hopes.  It says here the team with the best record in the NBA will stand pat.

 

Remember that basketball is the ultimate team game.  The pieces of the puzzle have to fit together.  Right now, they do and adding an all-star type player may do more damage than good.  Ferry and Brown understand that, and most definitely will take that into consideration. 

 

Forget about sentimentality when it comes to Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  Yes, it would be a shame if he missed out on an NBA title in Cleveland after all these years, but the real reason not to deal him is it takes away a big man that the wine and gold can’t afford to lose.  The combination of Shaq and Z still gives the Cavs very good play in the middle. 

 

Unless you can replace Ilgauskas with another big man (read 7-footer), the Cavs are better off with him.

 

JK

 

The Cleveland Indians made their first appearance in the hot stove season this past week when they were involved in the Orlando Hudson sweepstakes.  Hudson wound up inking a one-year deal worth an estimated $5 million with Minnesota, but it was rumored that the Tribe offered a two-year deal worth an estimated $10 million. 

 

The question here is why were the Indians interested?

 

First of all, the Tribe’s bigger need is starting pitching.  If they are willing to spend that kind of money on a one or two year deal, why not offer it to southpaw Jarrod Washburn, a proven starter. 

 

Next, the Indians seem to have a good young player at 2B in Luis Valbuena, who is just 24 years old.  Certainly his development would be retarded by the signing of Hudson. 

 

The Indians will tell you that Valbuena struggles against lefties, but last year he had just 39 at bats against southpaws, hardly a representative sample to indicate he can’t handle them.  By the way, he hit two home runs in those 39 at bats.  Overall, Valbuena batted .250 for the season with 10 HR’s in 398 at bats.  Yes, he needs to cut down on strikeouts and improve his walk rate, but those things could improve with experience.  Plus, he was an extra base hit machine with 25 doubles and three triples in those 398 at bats.

 

Perhaps GM Mark Shapiro was thinking of moving Valbuena to third base in a platoon with Andy Marte, and thinking of dealing Jhonny Peralta?  Because there is no reason not to give Valbuena at least a share of a starting job in the infield. 

 

Once again, it says here the Indians biggest need is starting pitching, not position players. 

 

With Grady Sizemore healthy and likely to return to his old form, Shin Soo Choo in RF, perhaps the second best SS in the AL in Asdrubal Cabrera, and even Peralta, the Indians should be able to score runs.  The problem is stopping the other team from doing the same. 

 

The Tribe will tell you that Hudson helps their defense, which in turn will help the pitching staff.  Hudson is a plus defender, but probably has lost a little from where he was a couple of years ago. 

 

If the Tribe was going to spend some money, this is not the area they should spend.  Spend it on getting a reliable starting pitcher, someone who would ease the wishing and hoping that Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona will come back and be solid starters. 

 

That’s why it’s a curious move.

 

MW

 

 

 

The NFL Draft is over two months away, yet there are all sorts of mock drafts for fans to peruse.  Of course, the draft is the Cleveland Browns’ fan’s Super Bowl, as it is holds the promise of future success for the team.  It’s the one day they can look forward to how their team can become a winner.

 

There is no telling whom the team will draft because the Browns have needs at virtually every position except left tackle.  Most current mock drafts have them drafting Florida CB Joe Haden, which wouldn’t be a bad pick considering the state of the secondary.

 

Really though, any pick would help this football team.  Any pick except for a quarterback.

 

This is not to say the brown and orange don’t need a new signal caller, based on last year’s performance they most certainly do.  However, there doesn’t seem to be anyone available at the 7^th pick who could step right in and play a major role for the 2010 Browns.

 

Sam Bradford?  Injury problems.

 

Colt McCoy?  Questions about arm strength.

 

Tim Tebow?  Check out the Senior Bowl.

 

At this point, Mike Holmgren cannot take someone in the first round that will not contribute to the success of this football team immediately.  As previously stated, there are too many holes in other areas to fill for the Holmgren and new GM Tom Heckert to take a quarterback.

 

That’s not to say the Browns will not draft a quarterback sometime during the draft.  When Ron Wolf was running the Green Bay Packers, with Holmgren as the coach, he always drafted at least one QB per year.  It led to the Packers having Mark Brunell, Aaron Brooks, and Matt Hasselbeck as part of the organization. 

 

It’s likely Holmgren will take a quarterback later in the draft to groom as a possible starter down the road.

 

If you examine the young quarterbacks who have come into the NFL in recent years and been successful right away, such as Atlanta’s Matt Ryan, Baltimore’s Joe Flacco, and the Jets’ Mark Sanchez, they were all put in situations where the surrounding cast was pretty good to begin with, and the quarterback was the last piece of the puzzle.

 

Therefore, those guys weren’t expected to come in and carry a team right away.  And despite Cleveland’s success late in the season without decent quarterback play, that wouldn’t be the case here. 

 

If Holmgren and the coaching staff do not think either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson is the answer, and my guess is they don’t, they need to bring in an established veteran to take the controls, and then find a young passer in the draft, perhaps as early as next year’s draft. 

 

There is a trust in Holmgren and Heckert, and it says here they will make the right decision and concentrate on the other needs of this football team.  Drafting a quarterback can wait at least one more season, or until this team is ready to take the next step into a playoff contender.

 

JD