Hooray!  The Cleveland Indians actually won a series this week, taking two out of three at home against the Chicago White Sox.  The bullpen is actually taking a little bit of a form, and while the starting pitching hasn’t been spectacular, it has generally gotten the ballclub into the sixth or seventh inning, Jeremy Sowers notwithstanding.

 

However, this team is still in panic mode.  With a 13-22 record, there is no need to be happy with the direction of the team, and there is no doubt that changes should be made, but are they the correct changes?

 

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Eric Wedge said they are considering giving Jhonny Peralta some time at both corner positions.  Both?  Peralta may be joining the increasing number of players who may play 1B for the Tribe?  Pretty soon, the team will run a promotion where random fans will get a chance to play the position for an inning.

 

Perhaps the Tribe’s defensive issues are due to the fact that they are constantly changing positions for the players.  On Tuesday night, the White Sox got two insurance runs from a Matt LaPorta error.  LaPorta was playing first for the first time this season, while Ryan Garko, a first baseman for the last three years, was the DH.  Can anyone explain why the rookie wasn’t DH’ing while Garko played first?  I feel pretty confident that Garko would have made the play.

 

That is not to denigrate LaPorta, who definitely should be in the lineup more often.  It is just to point out the team isn’t putting its best defensive team on the field.  Switching guys all over the place does not generally lead to good defense.

 

Of course, this blog pointed out in the off-season that the Indians’ best defensive infield would be Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, Mark DeRosa at 2B, and Jhonny Peralta at 3B.  This wasn’t done because Peralta and DeRosa are more “comfortable” at their current positions.  Versatility is good for reserve players.  Your starters should play the same spot everyday.

 

The panic is starting to seep to the minor league level.  The organization moved top pitching prospect, Hector Rondon, from the starting rotation where he was 5-0, to the bullpen at Akron.  After his start to the season, I would have moved him as well, but to Class AAA as a starter in place of guys like Jack Cassel or Kirk Saarloos.  The bullpen is indeed a concern for the Tribe, but it’s not like the starting rotation doesn’t have any holes either.  Anthony Reyes or recently sent down Jeremy Sowers aren’t exactly lighting up the world. 

 

Let Rondon pitch five or six games at Columbus, and if he still is lights out, bring him up to the big club. 

 

The problem with the Indians is they seem to be unwilling to make decisions; they seem to be afraid to make a mistake, or at least admit one.  They still have Masa Kobayashi on the roster even though the manager has no plans to ever use him, nor should he based on performance.  David Dellucci continues to be on the team, and keeps showing up in the starting lineup.  Jeremy Sowers keeps getting opportunities. 

 

There is a fine line between patience and stubbornness and the Cleveland Indians are straddling that line.  If you want to improve the defense, make the change in the infield alignment.  Play Luis Valbuena at 2B more often.  If Matt LaPorta is on the roster, he should be playing at least five games per week.  Bring Zach Jackson back up and let him start, he did a decent job during the last two months of 2008, certainly better than Sowers. 

 

Despite all of this trouble, the Cleveland Indians are just 5-1/2 games out of first place.  Taking a bold step now might just salvage the season.  However, the decisions must be made based on past performance and without regard to the payroll.  I don’t know if the front office is capable of not worrying about making mistakes.

 

KM

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have played eight playoff games this season, and they have won them all.  They’ve played very well at times, and gutted games out at others.  The bottom line is that they have advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in the last three years, and will open that series against the winner of the Orlando-Boston series either Sunday or Tuesday (likely) at Quicken Loans Arena.

 

The Cavs won both games in Atlanta in different ways.  In Game 3, they rode the brilliance of LeBron James, who scored 47 points, to victory, and Monday night, the defeated the Hawks in a defensive struggle getting a big game out of both James, as usual, and Delonte West, who scored 21 points.  In both games, the wine and gold were tested, but they stuck to their game plan, winning at the defensive end, and picked up victories. 

 

They earned the rest they will get, as they will have either five or seven days without a game before starting the conference finals, which they will be favored to win.  

 

There was no real excitement over the series win by the players, because they understand what the goal is, and that is a title.  This is just another step toward that goal. 

 

Don’t think for a moment that this was as easy as the first round sweep of the Pistons.  Detroit didn’t show much fight outside of the third game of the series.  When the Hawks went home, they did turn up the intensity.  Don’t forget that they were 31-10 at Philips Arena this season.  It took a vintage performance from #23 in game three to win that one, and Monday night’s series finale was a tough defensive battle.

 

It’s funny how this team wins, too.  Mo Williams didn’t play particularly well in Game 4, but there he was sticking two daggers into Atlanta with three pointers late in the fourth quarter.  Williams has the prototypical shooters’ mentality:  The next shot is going in.  He has done this a number of times in the regular season, and did it again to vanquish Atlanta.

 

What is funny to me is the reaction of some people in Cleveland, who are discounting the eight game post-season winning streak because the competition is not of the highest caliber.  Would they prefer the Cavs to lose to teams they shouldn’t lose to?  What would happen here if the wine and gold had lost to a Yao Ming-less Houston team by 20 points? 

 

The Cavaliers were the better team and they took care of business.  Look around at the other series.  Every other team, including the Lakers have had a poor game and lost in the playoffs.  Cleveland didn’t play well in Game 3 against the Pistons, and didn’t play particularly well in Atlanta.  But you know what?  They won anyway, and remember how difficult it is to win on the road in the NBA. 

 

Fans should be amazed and happy that the Cavs swept both series.  Of course, this is Cleveland and we are always worried about something when it comes to our sports teams.

 

JK

 

As the Cleveland Indians’ season slides into the abyss, the management has tried meetings, changing players, and changing the roles of players.  None have seemed to work.  It’s now time for a more drastic action, one I never would have imagined suggesting at the beginning of the year.  It’s time to replace the manager, Eric Wedge.

 

The Tribe is now 11-20 for the season, but because of the weakness of the AL Central Division, they are only seven games out of first place.  So, there is a lot time to get back into the race, but first the Indians need to get back to the .500 mark. 

 

Wedge’s stubbornness will prevent that from happening.  GM Mark Shapiro has to be chapped when he sees David Dellucci (1 for his last 18) and Ben Francisco (a fourth outfielder) in the lineup while the team’s best prospect sits on the bench.  Matt LaPorta has been on the roster for eight days, and has played only half the games.  He would be better served playing everyday in Columbus, but I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the plan when he was called up.  The same is true for INF Luis Valbuena. 

 

Mark DeRosa continues to bat fifth even though he is struggling, and Grady Sizemore probably won’t be moved out of the lead off spot until either Congress or the Pope agrees to it.  Sizemore is a very good player, but right now he is killing the team with his .300 on base percentage and constant strikeouts.  Why not try Asdrubal Cabrera in the #1 hole with Shin-Soo Choo batting second.  Both players are in the top 15 in the American League in on base percentage.

 

The point is why not try something different?  Yes, the bullpen has been a major cause for the losing, but the offense has taken on the personality of Kelly Shoppach, it is all or nothing.  Perhaps Derek Shelton is preaching proper situational hitting, but if he is, the message is not getting through.  The fact that Dellucci came up in a situation with the Tribe trailing 2-0, and with runners on first and second with nobody out and first failed to get a bunt down, and then lined into a double play, is a microcosm of the season. 

 

This is not to pick on Dellucci, as he is hardly the only Indian to fail in this regard this season.

 

The bullpen failure is also a by-product of Wedge’s stubborness.  Jensen Lewis was being brought in the key situations well past the time he was pitching effectively, and last night the skipper brought n Rafael Betancourt, even though he pitched the night before, and two of the next three hitters were left-handed hitters.  Why move Aaron Laffey to the bullpen if you aren’t going to use him.

 

The players aren’t producing, but they really aren’t trying to save Wedge’s job either.  Francisco was thrown out trying to stretch a single with the Tribe trailing 13-2 the other night.  Cabrera was out doing the same thing against Detroit on Friday.  These boneheaded plays do not reflect well on the manager.

 

Also, you can’t fire 25 players.  So, if a team is struggling, it’s the manager that goes.  Buck Showalter, who worked in the front office a couple of years ago, would be a good choice.  He would make the players accountable.  It’s time for a little fire and brimstone for the Cleveland Indians.

 

A national writer a couple of weeks ago, I believe it was ESPN’s Rob Neyer, but I’m not sure, said that Wedge may not be the problem, but he may not be the solution either.  The Cleveland Indians need to find someone who is the solution.  This team shouldn’t be 11-20, they need a new leader to get them out of the doldrums.

 

MW

 

 

 

It’s been a busy week in Cleveland sports with the Cavaliers starting their second round series and the Indians’ season teetering on the brink.  Here are some of my thoughts on both teams—

 

·          The Cavaliers have certainly been impressive winning each of the six playoff games by 10 points or more.  However, neither the Pistons nor the Hawks are among the elite teams in the NBA, something many national experts are pointing out.  I agree with them, but isn’t that the advantage you get by being the conference’s top seed?  You get to play the lowest qualifier in round one, and you avoid a division winner in round two.  You can’t fault the Cavs for beating up on these teams.

 

·          Remember, last year’s number one seed, the Celtics were pushed to seven games in both their first round and second round series.  They had the same advantage and didn’t dominate the same way the Cavs have.

 

·          Atlanta will be tougher on their home court, but if Joe Johnson is out tomorrow night, it may not matter.  If the wine and gold take game three, this series will be over Monday night, and the Cavaliers will have another long layoff before the conference finals.

 

·          Danny Ferry has put together a wonderful team.  Of course, LeBron James was here to start with, but Ferry has brought in a great mix of veteran experience off the bench and has made this team very, very deep.  This team gets a significant contribution each night from someone off the bench.  Last night, it was Wally Szczerbiak, but Joe Smith, Ben Wallace, and even Sasha Pavlovic have stepped up.  It is truly a joy to watch.

 

·          Now for the Indians.  I’m happy that GM Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge are thinking outside the box in moving Aaron Laffey to the bullpen, but it shouldn’t stop there.  I’ve heard rumors that veteran reliever Luis Vizcaino may be headed to Cleveland from the Cubs, and I would bring up Jon Meloan as well.  Masa Kobayashi and Jensen Lewis shouldn’t be too comfortable.

 

·          Eric Wedge is managing like a desperate man, making several strange decisions.  He used Aaron Laffey for three innings Wednesday night, thus making him unavailable for the following night’s game, and his non-use of Luis Valbuena has to be driving Shapiro crazy.  Since being called up on Friday night, the young infielder has played two games.  There is no reason to bring him up if he’s not going to play.

 

·          I also chuckled at Wedge’s irritation with Jhonny Peralta’s defense in Toronto.  He’s the guy who plays him there.  Most baseball experts feel the Tribe’s best defensive infield would be having Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, Mark DeRosa at 2B, and Peralta at third.  We know Peralta isn’t a great defensive shortstop, so why complain when he doesn’t make a play.

 

·          Meanwhile, the strikeouts continue to pile up.  However, one guy who does make consistent contact is Ryan Garko, but he seemingly can’t get off the bench.  Shin-Soo Choo DH’d against a lefty in Toronto, while Garko sat out.  Garko is the closest thing on the roster to a professional hitter like Victor Martinez.  Sure, I’d like to see him hit with a little more pop, but his lack of use in puzzling.

 

MW

 

The Cavaliers rolled to a Game 1 victory Tuesday night, 99-72 against the Atlanta Hawks, but I will caution once again that tonight’s game will be a tougher contest.  After shooting very well in the first half, the wine and gold defense tightened up, and stifled the Atlanta attack.  The result was another double-digit playoff win, Cleveland’s fifth in a row this post-season.

 

After the almost inevitable slow start due to having not played a game in nine days, the Cavs got it going in the second quarter, building a lead of between 8-12 points before settling for a five point advantage at halftime.  The new MVP, LeBron James made sure the wine and gold shook off the cobwebs early, scoring 22 points, even though TNT’s Charles Barkley said he wasn’t playing well.

 

By the way, is there any group of guys bitterer than the three ex-players on the TNT set?  Barkley was a great player and a colorful analyst, but doesn’t he realize the Hawks best chance of winning is to make it a running game, and the Cavaliers want to make it a more structured contest?  Also, the Cavaliers are a pretty good defensive team, and that’s what they hang their hat on, not fast break points.

 

LeBron James has more knowledge about winning in his pinkie than Chris Webber has in his entire body, and Kenny Smith continues to talk about how great he was (he wasn’t) during his playing career.  Dudes, the Cavaliers are a darn good NBA team!  They won 66 games this year!  Mike Brown has won 50 or more games in three of his four years as a head coach.  You would think he doesn’t have a club about the game listening to these guys.

 

In the second half, Brown told reminded his team that Josh Smith wants to go to the basket, and they must make him shoot jumpers.  The players followed the instructions and the Hawks chief offensive player in the first half was nullified.  Joe Johnson didn’t play well as he is capable either, Delonte West’s defense was a factor here, and the game turned into a blowout from the middle of the third quarter on, with James starting it by scoring nine straight points.

 

Tonight, you have to figure the Hawks will not continue their ridiculous plan to play #23 one on one.  They will start trapping and doubling James, and so as usual, his teammates must step up.  Mo Williams and West played well on Tuesday, but out of the big men, only Ben Wallace played real well.  Therefore, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varajao, and Joe Smith must play better than they did in Game 1. 

 

Also, tonight’s game will likely be a little more physical, and I would also expect Johnson to play much better for Atlanta.  Thus, I would not expect another 27-point blowout in Game 2.  However, another victory would give Cleveland a commanding 2-0 lead, and would force the Hawks to win four out of five against the Cavs to win the series.  It is a very important game.

 

The Cavs know this as well.  They have shaken off the rust and will get off to a better start than they did in the first game.  My guess is Atlanta goes home this evening with their backs firmly against the wall.

 

JK

 

There were a couple of news items coming out of the Cleveland Cavaliers camp yesterday.  First, LeBron James was named the NBA MVP, his first such award, and the first by a Cleveland athlete since Brian Sipe took the NFL honor in 1980.  Second, it seems the team will actually play a game tonight.  Game 1 of the conference semifinals will start tonight at Quicken Loans Arena against the Atlanta Hawks.

 

There is no question that James deserved the MVP.  In my opinion, he is now the best player in the world, and he most certainly was the best player on the best team in the league’s regular season.  He set the tone with the wine and gold from the beginning of training camp, and never let up.  With the Cavaliers getting to 66 wins this season, there is no question that the award goes to the right man.

 

As for the Hawks, the do not have one of the game’s top five players like Miami did in Dewayne Wade, but make no mistake, this is a good, young squad that continues to improve.  They are taking the next step in their evolution by getting past the first round after losing to the eventual champion Celtics in seven games last season.

 

The Hawks have a tremendous all around player in Joe Johnson, an all-star, an experienced point guard in Mike Bibby, and a freak type athlete in Josh Smith, so this is not the over the hill Pistons team.  They can run the floor, but they aren’t the consistent defensive team the Cavs are.  They also have a very good power forward in Al Horford and an Anderson Varajao wannabe in Zaza Pachulia.

 

This will definitely be a much tougher series than round one.  In fact, tonight’s game has the potential to be very difficult because of the nine-day layoff for Cleveland.  The Hawks have the momentum of a game seven win at home, so they are feeling pretty good about themselves. 

 

The quicker the wine and gold can get back in the swing of things, the better off they will be.  It would be great if the Cavs came out tonight with a dominate performance to get Atlanta thinking that their victory over Miami doesn’t count for much because the Cavaliers are a much better team.

 

The next step for the Cavs starts tonight, and if we can learn anything from both Orlando and Houston winning on the road last night, the real playoffs start in round two.

 

JK

 

 

The Cleveland Indians’ front office decided it had enough during Thursday’s off day. With Travis Hafner going on the disabled list Wednesday, the team did activate David Dellucci for Friday night’s game in Detroit.  However, it was after the 6-5 win that night that the fireworks really began.

 

For the Indians’ conservative management, it was akin to a massacre of the 25 man roster.  Tony Graffanino was put on waivers, Trevor Crowe was optioned back to Columbus, and reliever Joe Smith was put on the disabled list.  In return, the Tribe called up Matt LaPorta, the featured guy in the C.C. Sabathia deal, INF Luis Valbuena, and Josh Barfield returned to the big league roster.  If the Tribe made this many moves on one day in the Mark Shapiro regime, I cannot remember it.  It shows just how concerned the front office is about the disappointing start.

 

The Indians are 2-10 in games where they have not hit a home run, which points to their all or nothing offense.  In addition, in the 12 games where they haven’t hit a dinger, they have scored 30 runs, and seven of those came Saturday afternoon.  Scoring less than three runs a contest makes winning very difficult.

 

Now, the next shakeup must come in the bullpen, which continues to be awful.  Jensen Lewis surrendered yet another home run Friday night, his sixth in 12-2/3 innings, and he must be part of the overhaul.  It’s hard to imagine anyone coming up from the minors could be worse.  Masa Kobayashi finally pitched in his first game in over a week, and if the skipper has no confidence in him, he should be let go as well.

 

The only reliable alternatives for Eric Wedge are closer Kerry Wood and Tony Sipp, who has only been on the team for a week.  The lack of a viable alternative is causing the manager to make questionable judgments.  Such as Friday night, when Wedge brought in Lewis in the 8th inning instead of Rafael Betancourt, or Saturday when Sipp was removed after a walk for Betancourt, instead of seeing what he could do with Brandon Inge.

 

It is also leading to leaving starting pitchers in for longer stints, such as Cliff Lee’s 120 pitch outing against Kansas City last month.

 

Since I’m a proponent of the "can’t do any worse" theory, I would be in favor of calling up veteran Matt Herges and perhaps Jon Meloan from Columbus to replace Lewis and Kobayashi, and the emphasis would be on bringing in guys who throw strikes.  The only Tribe relievers who have strikeout to walk ratios of 2:1 are Wood, Sipp, and amazingly Lewis, who probably should not be laying it in there, judging by the amount of homers he has allowed.

 

At 9-16 on the season, and now five games behind in a closely contested division, now is the time to make bold moves.  Doing something about the bullpen may have no effect, but it could turn the season around.  The way the team is playing, Mark Shapiro has nothing to lose.  The season is slipping away, and something, anything has to be done.

 

KM

 

 

 

The Cleveland Indians have played one-eighth of their schedule and the results haven’t been pretty.  The front office or the fans didn’t expect a 7-13 start after 20 games.  When they get good pitching, the hitting doesn’t produce, and when they score runs, they get no pitching.  It’s a classic sign of mediocrity.

 

The Indians will point out that they are currently 5^th in the American League in runs scored, but if you eliminate the 22-4 beat down of the Yankees, they rank near the bottom (10^th in the league).  They do walk a lot, but if you watched the Twins series over the weekend, if you throw strikes to this bunch, they have a hard time scoring. 

 

And of course, they strike out way too much, currently leading the league in not making contact.  It’s not just a couple of guys whiffing either; it’s the entire team.  Only Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko are on pace to strike out less than 100 times this season.  In addition to those two, the only hitters with strikeout to walk ratios of less than 2:1 are Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera. 

 

Jhonny Peralta (25K’s/8 walks), Kelly Shoppach (16 K’s/ 1 walk), and Ben Francisco (16K’s/6 walks) are huge offenders.  Especially since Shoppach and Francisco have just 39 and 58 at bats, respectively.

 

The Indians have played 22 games this season and have five sacrifice flies, but three of them have come the last two nights against the Red Sox.  Their previous total of two ranked last in the AL.  Of course, it’s hard to hit fly balls with a man on third when you are striking out all the time.  Both Martinez and Garko have two run scoring fly balls.  Why?  They put the bat on the ball.

 

Not putting the ball in play is not a recipe for success.

 

Last weekend against Minnesota emphasized how putting the ball in play and doing the fundamental things can lead to victories.  Saturday night, they got hits on several seeing eye ground balls, and wound up taking a 5-1 lead.  The Indians offense is too dependent on banging the ball out of the park, and when they aren’t hitting homers, they struggle to score.

 

That philosophy has to change, not only among the players, but among the management as well.

 

Add in the lack of pitching, and it’s even worse.

 

The Indians rank 11^th in the junior circuit in ERA, and the poor performance is based on both the starters (13^th in ERA) and the bullpen (10^th in ERA) both stinking equally.  Tribe pitchers lead the league in walks allowed, with the relief corps allowing bases on balls at a stunning rate. 

 

I can’t blame this on pitching coach Carl Willis because he has instructed back-to-back Cy Young Award winners.  However, there is nothing wrong with lighting a fire under some of these guys.

 

Something has to change, but will the always patient Mark Shapiro make any moves soon?

 

The best thing the Indians have going for them is the AL Central Division, where in spite of their bad start, they are still just 3-1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers.  They could be six or seven out in a better division.

 

With Travis Hafner going on the disabled list with a recurrence of his shoulder problems, David Dellucci will be back for this weekend’s series with the Tigers.  Rich Rundles will be sent back to make room for him.  I also believe Masa Kobayashi will be released or designated for assignment and another position player will be activated.  Luis Valbuena should be a candidate, but it will probably be Josh Barfield.

 

The Tribe needs a shock, not a tweak.  This team did not play well in spring training, so they have been struggling and losing since they took the field in mid February.  It’s still early enough to make an impact, but waiting another couple of weeks could be too late.

 

MW

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business quickly and coldly in the first round of the NBA playoffs, dismissing the Detroit Pistons in four straight, with only one game really in doubt going into the fourth quarter.  It was simply a case of a very good team beating one that has seen better days.  Don’t read anything more into the sweep than that.

 

The next round should and will be a little tougher as the wine and gold will take on either the Miami Heat or the Atlanta Hawks.  The Heat has Dwayne Wade, so you know it will be a more difficult series because he’s as competitive as LeBron James.  The Hawks gained a lot of experience last season when they took the Celtics to seven games in an opening round series.  Both these teams are hungry, unlike the Pistons.

 

Let’s face it; the fight is gone from the Piston veterans, particularly after a disappointing season for them.  Tayshaun Prince is hurting, Chauncey Billups is in Denver, and if the Cavs were interested in signing Rasheed Wallace as a free agent this summer, they may not be now after his disappearing act in the series. 

 

Don’t read much more into the Cavs’ sweep than this…The Pistons are a below .500 team, and a team with the best regular season in the league should sweep them.  Detroit got a lot of credit because of their past success, but really, the Detroit Pistons are not a real good basketball team.

 

The Cavs will have to continue to play better as the playoffs continue if they want to reach their ultimate goal, which is hoisting the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy.  Mo Williams has to do a better job in stopping the penetration of opposing point guards.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varajao have to be better on the defensive end, although to be fair, Detroit’s big men took a lot of perimeter jumpers.  There is room for improvement for the wine and gold.

 

The good news is that this team isn’t satisfied, and we know that because of their leader, LeBron James.  James has made a title his goal from the beginning of the season, and his teammates have all bought in.  He isn’t about to take his foot off of the pedal at this point.  I’m sure that the Cavs will have some tough practices to keep their edge in the week or so layoff before the next series.

 

By the way, the time off is a good thing.  Even if the Hawks-Heat series goes seven games, which seems like a good possibility, the NBA will start the next round probably with one day off for the winner.  Therefore, the fatigue and emotional factor of a seventh game will far outweigh the rustiness the Cavaliers will have.  Also, the time off for the Cavs will be an advantage as the playoffs continue.

 

My feeling is Game 1 will be next Tuesday night at the Q.

 

JK

 

The Browns draft figured to be full of surprises because they would be looking to make trades to get more choices, and from that standpoint it was.  GM George Kokinis engineered three deals on Saturday that netted the team three more draft picks, and they got out of the fifth pick which would have cost them a ton of cash. 

 

However, it was stunning that WR Braylon Edwards remains on the team, they still have two quarterbacks because they failed to deal either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, and they chose not to improve their porous defense through the draft, instead, they received two possible starters in the trade with the New York Jets (who else?) in DE Kenyon Coleman and S Abram Elam. 

 

The draft pick of California C Alex Mack isn’t all that surprising because the Browns were definitely interested in him, and Hank Fraley is not the center you want if you plan on running the ball.  However, WR Brian Robiskie might have been a little bit of a reach at #36.  Robiskie might have been there at #50 or #52.  I like the Ohio State product, he has good size and good hands, but I wish there would have been more of an emphasis on defense at that choice.

 

To follow that pick up with another WR in Mohammed Massaquoi from Georgia is really puzzling, unless a trade involving Edwards is still in the talking stage.  Massaquoi is a good blocker and another possession receiver, the same as Robiskie.  With their third pick in the second round, the Browns finally took a defensive player in David Veikune, a DE from Hawaii, who will be moved to OLB.  He didn’t start until his senior year, and is regarded as a project at best.

 

It appears that Eric Mangini is putting his defensive eggs in his former players’ basket, as the Browns now will have three new defensive starters from the Jets.  That would be great if the Jets led the NFL in total defense last season, but they didn’t, they ranked 16th in the NFL, right in the middle of the pack.  It’s not like the Browns’ holdovers will add to much, although NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D’Qwell Jackson could have started for the Jets and helped them.

 

The Browns did emphasize defense on the second day of the draft, choosing only one offensive player, Clemson RB James Davis, on Sunday.  The rest of their picks were to get help at cornerback and linebacker, most notably USC LB Kaluka Maiava.  However, all of the defensive players they drafted this weekend will likely only be special teams contributors in the 2009 season.

 

They also went for smart football players.  Mack won the Draddy Award for being college football’s best student athlete, and Robiskie was a finalist for the same award.  After seeing some of the dumb penalties and guys lining up in the wrong spot, I guess this is an upgrade.

 

The biggest problem with the Browns’ draft was that they had a chance to add a player who could become the leader of the defensive unit, and they didn’t do it.  Perhaps they thought the only player who could be that guy was Aaron Curry, so they decided to build the line and the receiving corps.  Alex Mack will help and will start from day one, so should Robiskie.  However, the defense needs an upgrade, and all they have added are serviceable players, no impact defenders. 

 

It looks like another year for the bend, but don’t break philosophy.

 

JD