In the footsteps of Parcells??

[ballpeen]

Waiting by the Lake: New Browns brass following the Parcells plan

 

By JASON A. KLINE • News Journal • March 15, 2009

 

 

The new Browns regime signed two more under-the-radar free agents when linebacker Eric Barton (New York Jets) and offensive lineman Floyd Womack (Seattle) agreed to terms Friday and joined a growing list of steady, serviceable veterans who have already bolstered the team's depth.

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So far, the biggest moves by new coach Eric Mangini and the general manager he helped pick, George Kokinis, have been of the don't-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-way-out variety. They let starting safety Sean Jones sign elsewhere as a free agent, quickly dealt disgruntled tight end Kellen Winslow II and, last week, dumped veteran right tackle Kevin Shaffer, who was still getting paid like a left tackle, in a key cost-cutting move.

 

But while nobody seems to be able to agree on how much money the team actually has under the salary cap these days, there's been no shortage of critics of the low-key approach to remaking the roster. That's unfair to Mangini and Kokinis and downright laughable for anybody with much of a memory or a dusty stack of 2008 preview annuals nearby.

 

It's a worthy exercise to take a quick look back at how last season's most improved teams, first the Falcons and Ravens and then Mangini's real blueprint, the Dolphins, turned things around. And if you really need a boost of optimism, recall where those teams were expected to finish.

 

# Atlanta (4-12 in 2007, 11-5 in 2008): After big-name college coach Bobby Petrino flamed out in the pros and Bill Parcells backed out of an agreement to take over the franchise's football operations, owner Arthur Blank made the lead Patriots college scout, Thomas Dimitroff, his general manager and quickly gave a defensive coach, Mike Smith, the top job on the sidelines. Dimitroff, an Ohio native, had the college version of the job Kokinis left with the Ravens and was born just a year earlier. His first moves were pretty similar to those of the new Browns brass.

 

Four-time Pro Bowl tight end Alge Crumpler was cut and replaced with Ben Hartsock, who had started a few games in four seasons with the Titans and Colts but as part of two-tight end offenses, and Justin Peelle, who had fashioned a similar resume in stints with the Chargers and Dolphins. Flashy, overrated cornerback DeAngelo Hall was dealt to the Raiders for draft picks and veteran running back Warrick Dunn was let go at a position where the Falcons were blessed with depth before signing the costliest free agent of any of the three teams on this short list. Michael Turner got paid like a big name, but outside of fantasy football circles he was known largely as a guy with just one career start as LaDainian Tomlinson's caddy in San Diego. Their biggest-name free agent signing probably was longtime Broncos kicker Jason Elam, who left the mile-high air for a kicker-friendly dome. They also added veteran Erik Coleman to replace safety Chris Crocker, who had left for a one-year free agent deal with the Dolphins that he never played out, another reminder of just how interchangeable that position has become.

 

The team soon turned to the draft and found three starters on Day 1. They used their top pick to take quarterback Matt Ryan and gave him every chance to succeed by slightly overpaying to make sure he was in camp from Day 1. Besides Ryan, the Falcons would start the season with two other rookie starters. Curtis Lofton, considered the top middle linebacker in the draft, would finish fourth on the team in tackles after he was chosen with a second-round pick (No. 37 overall, the same slot where the 'backer-deprived Browns will make their second pick this year) last spring. Rookie left tackle Sam Baker, who the team dealt up to nab in the late first round, got hurt in Week 1 and was adequately replaced by unlikely 11-year veteran Todd Weiner. Most of his career starts had been at right tackle.

 

# Baltimore (5-11 in 2007, 11-5 in 2008): Like the Falcons, the Ravens used their No. 1 draft pick on a quarterback, Joe Flacco, but made him earn the starting job. But beyond that, their lineup in Week 1 of last season didn't include many newcomers. Low-key acquisitions like Fabian Washington, a young cornerback the Raiders gave up on, helped provide the depth and stability that made a difference. Kokinis was then part of a front office, as pro personnel director, that clearly valued depth above all else. But youth wasn't all that far behind. Hall of Fame-bound Jonathan Ogden retired and was replaced by in-house second-year player Jared Gaither at left tackle, a risky proposition in front of a rookie quarterback. While it hardly seemed like a recipe for success, a team that carried over the bulk of its roster sure looked different on the scoreboard.

 

# Miami (1-15 in 2007, 11-5 in 2008): The Dolphins underwent the biggest makeover on this list, but there wasn't much of a splash in the Big Tuna's plan. Parcells found two Week 1 starters on the draft's second day (3-4 defensive end Kendall Langford and a guard, Donald Thomas, in the sixth) after safely making Jake Long the No. 1 overall pick to fill the team's biggest need and save a few bucks along the way. Guard Justin Smiley was the team's most notable free agent signing, and signing a guard isn't exactly notable.

 

Parcells did little else in free agency and spent most of the offseason accumulating familiar faces and dumping unhappy ones. For star Jason Taylor, Parcells got future second- and sixth-round draft picks (sound familiar?) from Washington. Soon after he took over the team's front office, Parcells helped broker deals with his old team, Dallas, for tight end Anthony Fasano, linebacker Akin Ayodele and nose tackle Jason Ferguson, hardly household names, but three solid starters nonetheless. He gave up nothing more than a few second-day draft picks in those trades, and all three became valuable, reliable members of the resurgent squad. The team's most valuable offseason acquisition, veteran quarterback Chad Pennington, did fall into the team's lap after Brett Favre changed his mind again and forced the trade to the Jets that led to Pennington's eventual ouster. But it was no surprise that Parcells, who is calling the shots as executive vice president of football operations, and General Manager Jeff Ireland acted quickly to acquire a player the Big Tuna drafted during his three-year stint as coach of the Jets.

 

#

 

LESSONS LEARNED: It's wishful thinking, but is it all that ridiculous now to imagine a similar list next year that starts like this:

 

# Cleveland (4-12 in 2008, back to 10-6 for 2009): Like Parcells, it's clear Mangini won't tolerate many locker room distractions. And like Parcells, he knows who can be replaced and who can't, and it's obvious he's reached out to the Browns best player, Shaun Rogers, to assure him how important he'll be. Parcells did the same thing with Joey Porter, a noted big mouth who bounced back with an AFC-leading 17 1/2 sacks and returned to the Pro Bowl last season.

 

I can't imagine the Browns will take a quarterback with their top pick in the April 25 and 26 NFL Draft like the Ravens or Falcons did last year, but they'll surely land an impact, Day 1 starter at the fifth overall spot. And a few more rookie starters aren't out of the question considering the depth in this year's draft, the way highly touted linebackers are dropping out of the first round and into the Browns hands at No. 37 and team needs at unglamorous positions like center and safety that can easily be filled with the late second-rounder acquired in the K2 trade. They aren't throwing big-time free agent dollars at a single player, choosing instead to accumulate trusty veterans who'll fit well in Mangini's system and ease the transition for their new teammates. The Browns could certainly use a running back with less mileage than Jamal Lewis, but there's talent at the key offensive spots that was good enough to win 10 games just a couple seasons back. There are plenty of serviceable veterans on the list of available free agents that accompanies today's column, and I'm not sure they're done bargain shopping yet.

 

#

 

AN END TO OPTIMISM: There's a clear plan and it's being followed by Mangini and Kokinis, but that doesn't mean deposed GM Phil Savage didn't leave more of a mess than we knew. And things got worse Saturday, when police say wideout Donte' Stallworth hit and killed a pedestrian between Miami and Miami Beach.

 

Like quarterback Derek Anderson, who might still be dealt, it's a surprise Stallworth was still with the team at the time of the accident. Roster bonuses due both in recent weeks were guaranteed, and in the case of Stallworth at least, that was news. Finding accurate salary information is almost impossible in the NFL, which doesn't release the data for mass consumption and has such a complicated system discrepancies are common in media reports. When Stallworth signed last year, the raw numbers in his deal were so outlandish it was wrongly assumed by many (or maybe just me, but play along) that he'd basically be here for one year and waived before a lot of the big bucks were due.

 

Stallworth got a $4.75 million roster bonus Friday, and the likely reason, according to ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio, is that it wasn't a roster bonus at all but a fully guaranteed payment like the one Anderson received. Cutting either player won't save a dime this season. And signing a player with past off-the-field issues and on-the-field injury woes to anything more than a one-year deal looks even worse now, regardless the details of Saturday's accident.

 

And thanks to Savage, the team doesn't have a third-round selection this year, either, after it was dealt to the Cowboys for the pick he used to take tight end Martin Rucker.

 

In other news, Pittsburgh's City Council is considering a ban on porch sofas after furniture was burned celebrating the recent Super Bowl win. Don't know whether to bark or cry at that one.

 

#

 

NEW BROWNS: The Barton signing was overdue, and he'll join former Jets teammates in David Bowens, a bulky linebacker who is a good fit in the 3-4 defense, nickel back Hank Poteat and C.J. Mosley, a rotation defensive end who'll make the most of his snaps. Barton will either be an upgrade at inside linebacker over Andra Davis, who left as a free agent for Denver, or a heckuva veteran tutor for a rookie linebacker.

 

Womack's not agile, but he does stay put and isn't going to caught off guard on a bull-rush like Shaffer so often did. With Ryan Tucker's return to health and the addition of another versatile veteran like Adam Goldberg, who visited the team last week, the line won't be in bad shape. A good way to snag a third rookie starter would be picking a center to supplant veteran Hank Fraley with the team's second pick in the second-round, the one acquired in the Winslow deal. It would further be a sign of an offense built around the run, a likely reason the team signed free agent tight end Robert Royal to compete with holdover Steve Heiden for the starting job in the first place. Considering the 40 time Ohio State's Chris "Beanie" Wells (4.34!) ran at the Buckeyes' Pro Day on the fast track in Columbus on Friday, it might be a bit premature to expect the team to go defense with that first pick after all.

 

Waiting by the Lake columnist Jason A. Kline is long-suffering Browns, Indians and Cavaliers fan by day and the News Journal presentation editor by night. E-mail him at jkline@gannett.com or call 419-521-7226.

 

[Gips]

Thanks..twas a nice read!

[Guest Aloysius]

One important thing to note is that Parcells spent a lot more money than ManKok. He gave Justin Smiley a five year, $25 million deal with a $9 million signing bonus and gave Ernest Wilford a $6 million signing bonus. Those contract numbers eclipse anything we've given our group of signees.

 

In addition to that, Parcells didn't worry about redundant additions. He signed ILB Reggie Torbor, then traded for Akin Ayodele; he signed DE Randy Starks, then drafted Phillip Merling, Kendall Langford, and Lionel Dotson. Despite having just signed Justin Smiley to a big deal, he drafted two guards. And with an already crowded backfield, he still picked up two big backs.

 

All those redundant pickups were a luxury the Dolphins could afford because they had a ton of cap space and a lot of picks. However, it's something I hope our new regime doesn't completely stray from. Mangini might be too comfortable with having his old-new players man the DE, ILB, and SS spots and - as a result - miss out on some useful free agents or promising draft prospects. For that reason, I'd be happy if we end up signing a guy like Paris Lenon; even though I'm not particularly high on him as a 3-4 ILB, it'd be good to see that Mangini's bringing in guys who could play if one of his guys gets hurt or underperforms.

[glenby73]

It's all ready starting. I knew it was coming.

 

My disgruntled nature has begun to soften. My cold disdain for this team and organization has begun to thaw with the promise of the draft rising in the air. Every fiber of my being wanted to take a sledgehammer to everything Cleveland in December. And, right on time.... the seeds of hope are beginning to sprout.

 

I said I wouldn't go to a single game this year unless major changes were made. My wish has been granted.

 

Mangini isn't the flashy pick and maybe that's why it'll turn out to be the right one. I am very much OK with the cloak of secrecy. I don't want anyone else to have a bead on what it is we're going to do. Plus, it lends itself to such great speculation!

 

 

Great post peen.... Little bit much for simple minds such as myself so I'll read it a few times. But even if I don't learn anything from it, it waters those seeds of hope.

[Erie Dawg]

Thanks Ballpeen that was a good article and a much needed boost to the morale.