Browns LB corps.

[BrownsBacker85]

By: Aaron Ziraks

From: NoLogoNeeded.com

 

2009 Roster

Eric Barton - C-

I was not impressed with Barton this year, but only because I think he is playing out of position. Barton is a fine weak side linebacker, but the problem is the Browns already have a weak side linebacker named D'Qwell. Barton makes tackles, but he doesn't make plays. He is just fine at wrapping someone up seven yards downfield, but never the guy that makes plays behind the line of scrimmage.

 

Marcus Benard - C

From what I saw of Benard he played well when he got the chance. I will give him a C because he got a couple sacks, which will look good for another team when he gets cut next year.

 

David Bowens - C

Bowens was awful and slow at outside linebacker this year, but when he moved to the middle he actually played half way decent. I don't share our good friend Terry Pluto's affinity for Bowens, but I think he can be a useful member of the Browns in a limited role.

 

Blake Costanzo - D

As a linebacker he is a D, as a special teams guy he is an A.

 

Alex Hall - F

He is either the laziest practice player or he slept with Mangini's wife. Either way, he got no playing time.

 

D'Qwell Jackson - C

He is the exact same guy as Barton, except he is younger. I can't help but wonder if our defense came together because the team came together or if it was the addition by subtraction phenomena that happens so often in sports.

 

Kaluka Maiava - D

Maiava is going to be a serviceable reserve for this team for years to come, but I don't think he is the guy that will be patrolling the middle next year.

 

Matt Roth - A

He is was one of the few bright spots for this defense. He was consistently aggressive and the type of versatile linebacker you need to make multiple looks work. This was a great pick up and I will be looking for good things from Roth in 2010.

 

Jason Trusnick - D

Trusnick should be playing special teams, but with all the injuries he was in the starting lineup. He was bad but not as bad as ...

 

David Veikune - F

If Mangini could take anything back from last year I think it would be picking Veikune. He was a healthy scratch more often than not. He's not going to make the team next year. At least the Browns didn't draft Shonn Greene or Phil Loadholt, two players who would have actually contributed for the next 10 years.

 

Kamerion Wimbley - C

Wimbley is never going to be the guy that was worth the 13th overall pick in 2006. He has talent, but just has never seemed to put it together. We know what we have in Wimbley and he is a serviceable linebacker, but not a game changer.

 

2009 Summary

 

The name of the game in 2009 was injuries, but those injuries also got the Browns looking for help and netted Matt Roth. This group is below average and it showed in 2009. They make very few plays behind the line of scrimmage and simply need to be more talented. The Browns brass need to focus on linebackers early in the draft.

 

Off-Season Goal

 

I would say to get better, but that is just like telling someone to run faster. You can say it, but if it isn't in their DNA, it isn't going to happen. This group needs a strong side linebacker in the worst way and it has to happen this year. Free agents are slim this year so this will have to addressed in the draft. Also getting a play making outside linebacker would be a nice addition.

 

Best Case Scenario

 

Berry and Haden are gone by pick seven. The Browns step up and take Alabama's Rolando McClain. Then, they trade Wimbley and a couple of draft picks to San Diego for restricted free agent and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman. That would give the Browns an opening day linebacking corps of Merrimen, Jackson, McClain, and Roth. I would take that any day of the week.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

lets see....The grades I do not agree on are as follows: Benard, Hall, and Wimbley. How can Benard get a C when he did pretty well in the little playing time he actually got? I'm gonna say B+ in my grade book. Again, with Hall, how can someone get an F with so little to grade on? My grade...C. And then theres Wimbley. After looking dead in the water the new coaches seemed to put at least a little spark in him. I do believe Wimbly can be a game changer. And with the improvement he made from 08 to 09 Im gonna give him a B. The rest of the grades are decent. Roth was the brightest spot at LB this year. Im pretty stoked to see him for a full year.

 

About the "Best" Case Scenario...ummmmmm......NO! No McClain. Haden all the way. A better secondary will immediatly help out our LB corps. And, in my opinion, our secondary is the most pathetic aspect of our defense. So, I say Haden.

 

 

Thoghts? Opinions?

[cambridgeho]

Th grades are really not that great. We had high expectations on the guys EM brought in. The all were a bit on the older side. He brought them in because they knew his way of life and he knew that they could get the rest of the team to buy into it, and they did. The only thing I agree on is Alex Hall, he looked as if he was going to tear some shit up this year, but it never happened. Bernard and Roth were some good bright spots. Veikune will be ready for next year, he needed a year to develop, kinda like James Harrison of the Steelers. All in All we have an OK D so far, it will be exciting to see if they put Rogers at DE because Rubyin did so well. I think Hayden would be a great addition, but I also love McClain at the inside with Jackson. Who knows what will happen, I just hope we can keep Ryan for a couple more years, he seems to get his guys really motivated.

[K-TownBrown]

What's the basis for some of these grades? Are we judging by relative to other Browns players, or the NFL as a whole?

 

There is no way Matt Roth is an "A" by any standard of measure. Did he fill in and play well, yes. Is he an A level player, NO.

 

This is why we MUST draft Renaldo McClain if we can't land Berry. He is a super intelligent player who was the quarterback for the Alabama defense last year.

[Alo]

Best Case Scenario

 

Berry and Haden are gone by pick seven. The Browns step up and take Alabama's Rolando McClain. Then, they trade Wimbley and a couple of draft picks to San Diego for restricted free agent and outside linebacker Shawne Merriman. That would give the Browns an opening day linebacking corps of Merrimen, Jackson, McClain, and Roth. I would take that any day of the week.

This is an awful idea. McClain is fine, though I'm not his biggest fan. But the Merriman for Wimbley & picks idea is ridiculous:

 

Merriman's got personal drama, chronic knee issues, and wasn't nearly as productive as Wimbley last year (69 tackles, 6.5 sacks for Wimbley; 36 tackles, 4.0 sacks for Merriman).

 

Sure, Merriman was great a couple years ago, but there's no guarantee that he'll ever return to his steroid pre-knee injury form.

 

 

[7moses7]

This is an awful idea. McClain is fine, though I'm not his biggest fan. But the Merriman for Wimbley & picks idea is ridiculous:

 

Merriman's got personal drama, chronic knee issues, and wasn't nearly as productive as Wimbley last year (69 tackles, 6.5 sacks for Wimbley; 36 tackles, 4.0 sacks for Merriman).

 

Sure, Merriman was great a couple years ago, but there's no guarantee that he'll ever return to his steroid pre-knee injury form.

Merriman no way.Lets face it we won 9 games the last 2 years combined.That means we aren't very good.We need to build with draft picks,not trade them for a stop gap LB.

[KardiacKid26]

I'd be comfortable with Matt Roth and Kamerion Wimbley starting at OLB with D'Qwell at MLB. If we can get that stud linebacker we've been itchin for (McClain) I think we'd be set for the next coming years.

[Alendor]

not any mention of trusnik. i thought he did rather well this year when he had to step in.