SportsStreet Ohio

Draft day typically provides cause for optimism — unless you’re the Detroit Lions. But this year, both the Browns and Bengals managed to perform admirably on Draft Day. Phil Savage, in his first draft as GM of the Browns, did nothing to suggest his Baltimore habits won’t continue in Cleveland. The Bengals began the draft looking to establish the Dawg Pound South (or is it North) with the first two selections from Georgia. Fans of both teams seem to think highly of the draft, so, perhaps, this year must be measured a success.

Round 1
Cleveland (3): WR Braylon Edwards - Michigan. Many say the Browns grabbed the best player on the board — but does the name David Terrell ring a bell? Still, Edwards provides another threat for quarterback Trent Dilfer. It doesn’t sound like much, but with Winslow, Droughns, and Edwards in the mix on offense, the Browns should be able to put some points on the board. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel love Edwards’ athleticism. Both had him as the top player in the draft.

Cincinnati (17): DE David Pollack - Georgia. Place him on the edge and turn him loose. So goes the plan with Pollack, as the Bengals drafted a high-energy pass rusher who routinely made big plays for the Bulldogs. Marvin Lewis and Bengals brass claim to have gotten their man — and if their objective is to toughen up a defense that will wreak havoc against the AFC North’s pass-deficient offenses — mission accomplished.

Round 2
Cleveland (34) S Brodney Pool - Oklahoma. Draftniks say Pool was the best safety in the Big 12 since Roy Williams roamed the secondary. Pool has the coverage and playmaking ability the Browns need on defense and the speed to make plays anywhere on the field. Size seems to be an issue with Pool, but expect Pool to push Butch Davis selection Sean Jones for playing time in the secondary.

Cincinnati (48) LB Odell Thurman - Georgia. It appears the Browns aren’t the only one with Dawgs, as the Bengals selected two Georgia defense standouts. Thurman certainly doesn’t lack confidence, declaring the Bengals defense the best in the NFL after his selection. Certainly the selection addresses a pressing need, but the Thurman pick starts a questionable trend in the coming rounds for the Bengals.

Round 3
Cleveland (67) QB Charlie Frye - Akron. Since the Bernie Kosar, Browns fans haven’t felt much of a connection to many players. Frye’s “local kid makes it big, feel-good story” could change that. But this will take time. Frye could play himself into the role as the future qaurterback of the Cleveland Browns, but that will be a few years down the road at least.

Cincinnati (83) WR Chris Hnery - West Virginia. Seeing the Bengals had no real need at wide reciever, and given Henry’s character issues (suspensions, ejections), this pick seems puzzling. However, the Bengals could also have another Chad Johnson on their hands. His attitude and big play possibilities intrigue.

Round 4
Cleveland (103) CB Antonio Perkins - Oklahoma. A kick return specialist that may be able to contribute in nickel and dime sets, Perkins could impact a game or two this season. The Patriots seemed to have an endless supply of DBs while Crennel was there, so the Browns building depth in the secondary with capable athletes comes as no surprise.

Cincinnati (119) C Eric Ghiaciuc - Central Michigan. Ghiaciuc stunned many with his great combine workouts, establishing himself as a legitimate NFL prospect. He won’t have to step in and play right away, but the Bengals might have found a steal toward the middle of the draft.

Round 5
Cleveland (139) DE David McMillian - Kansas. Waiting this long to address the front seven seemed a little surprising, but with so many other needs to fill, the Browns picked their poison. McMillian brings speed to the outside and should help with rushing the passer.

Cincinnati (153) OT Adam Kieft - Central Michigan. Following up Ghiaciuc, the Bengals selected another Chippewa for the future offensive line. Kieft, at 6-7 and 337 pounds, has more than enough size to play tackle in the NFL. Again, another possible steal late in the draft as the Bengals assemble some depth on the offensive line.

Round 6
Cleveland (176) LB Nick Speegle - New Mexico. Word on Speegle says he’s a smart guy who did a great job replacing Brian Urlacher at New Mexico. Picks this low are a crap shoot, but the Browns’ late-round drafting sets up some training camp battles for remaining roster spots that could pay dividends down the line.

Cincinnati (190) WR Tab Perry - UCLA. Cincinnati certianly didn’t need another wideout from this draft, but perhaps was selected for his speed. Not sure where he fits in to the scheme down the road, but could see time if another receiver goes down or Henry doesn’t work out.

Cleveland (203) DT Andrew Hoffman - Virginia. Forever to be remembered as the guy the Browns received for Luke McCown (well, OK, not really), Hoffman’s selection again underscores the Browns’ need to address the front seven, particularly the 3-4 scheme. Hoffman may be able to clog the middle and spell starter Jason Fisk, but don’t expect huge production.

Round 7
Cleveland (217) OT Jon Dunn - Virginia Tech. The Browns final pick accounts for their greatest weakness, offensive lineman. Dunn carries an NFL-sized body, but his girth and lack of speed put him the seventh round. Perhaps an NFL training camp will do him some good.

Cincinnati (233) DE Johnathan Fanene - Utah. Fanene, a big guy that can move, will battle to make the team in training camp. But any ability shown to shut down the run could earn a roster spot.

Recap
Seeing the picks unfold reveals something about where the two teams are in the NFL pecking order. The Browns seemed satisfied in selecting the best available player, regardless of position. With so many holes to fill, it just seemed to be a sound strategy for starting over. The Bengals, on the other hand, went after specific needs, looking for players to make an immediate impact on the upcoming season. All told, drafts are seen closest in a rear-view mirror.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Dear Mr. Dolan and Mr. Shapiro:

Please acknowledge receipt of this letter as a request for a $169 refund for my purchase of Major League Baseball’s Extra Innings Baseball package. The purchase was made with the expectation that I would be viewing a contending ballclub, and the product simply failed to live up to my expectations. Specific defects found with the product follow:

Given the current state of the organization and judging by the few number of fans attending last night’s ballgame, I don’t anticipate a response to this letter. Similar to many Indians fans, my interest will decrease if they poor play continues, but hope the season’s prospects will climb with the temperature outside.

Respecting your commitment to medicority,
Matt Booher
Cincinnati, OH

Popularity: 9% [?]

Just about everything fell apart for Cleveland in yesterday’s 9-1 thumping at the hands of the Mariners. Now seven games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox, the Indians are on pace to slip double-digit games out of first place in the first month of the season.

This isn’t exactly how teams contend for division titles — playing lousy defense, hitting .232 as a team, walking five guys in a row, slipping seven games out of first place only 18 games into the season. And manager Eric Wedge, almost always blindly optimistic, needs to dial into why this team, coming into 2005 with modest expectations, continues to underperform. Take off the rosey glasses, Wedgie…

“In Jason’s first inning he was great,” said Wedge to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “He was as good as I’ve seen him. Then it got away from him. My focus is going to be on how he pitched to the first four hitters.”

Most fans turned off the game long before Davis’ implosion, but to not focus on how a guy walks five in a row must be beyond the unsophisticated knowledge us baseball laymen. I guess for Wedge there isn’t a need to focus on the lack of clutch hitting, sloppy defense, and all-around anemic play three weeks into season.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Things have sunk far enough early in this season for the Indians that copywriters think five runs, coupled with eight consecutive scoreless innings, constitutes a strong offensive performance. So says the Indians.com article describing Thursday night’s excruciating 6-5 loss to Los Angeles.

The Tribe offense did push across five runs in the first two innings. But for the next eight, the Indians offense returned to its typical April form, failing to score the rest of night. Meanwhile, manager Eric Wedge paraded seven pitchers out to the mound, desperately clinging to the feeble lead, showing everyone he was convinced the offense packed it in for the evening. In the end, it was all for naught as Wickman coughed up a double and bloop single, setting the stage for Jason Davis to do his best Chad Durbin impression.

Popularity: 5% [?]

The needs couldn’t be more different, and yet, so similar. Both the Browns and Bengals aim to use the 2005 NFL Draft to improve ailing defenses — the Bengals eyeing a playoff-caliber unit to complement its high-scoring offense. The Browns, on the contrary, seek to establish a defense capable of winning a few games. But the Browns also need so much more — at just about every position other than kicker. New Browns GM Phil Savage helped build the dominant defenses Marvin Lewis coached in Baltimore. Now as division rivals, Savage looks to repeat his success, starting with the draft.

Quarterbacks and Special Teams

Browns: Drafting a quarterback in the No. 3 slot remains a real possibility, despite the silence coming from GM Phil Savage on Alex Smith and/or Aaron Rogers. Regardless, the Browns need a long-term plan at quarterback so expect maybe local product Charlie Frye or Auburn’s Jason Campbell to be selected. Question marks linger with the next tier of quarterbacks in Andrew Walter or Kyle Orton. Luke McCown may go the way of Butch Davis without signs of progress in Training Camp, so expect a QB in the first three rounds from Cleveland. The Browns seem content at kicker despite Phil Dawson’s short kickoffs and late-season struggles. Need Ranking: Early Rounds

Bengals: The Bengals don’t have a need at quarterback, so be surprised if Cincinnati drafts a signal caller. Casey Bramlet, last year’s seventh-round selection, remains a project for Marvin Lewis’ staff. Some see NFL Europe seasoning a key to becoming Carson Palmer’s backup. A few draft picks will make their way to the special teams, but don’t expect a punter or kicker to come from the draft. Need Ranking: Next Year

Running Backs and Wide Receivers

Browns: Braylon Edwards in a Browns uniform sounds like a real possibility if you listen to Savage and all the draftniks. I’d believe it. The Browns need talent – and Edwards represents the top talent on the board. Take him. Reasonable alternatives exist at quarterback later in the draft. The Browns should bring back the power-I with Rueben Droughns plowing through holes created by Lee Suggs and William Green. But Browns quarterbacks spend time on their back because neither back can block. Not much will happen here as Crennel will like to see what kind of hand he’s been dealt. Need Ranking: Early Rounds

Bengals: Chris Perry’s injury problems require a security blanket. An early round running back selection isn’t out of the question, but Rudi Johnson’s long-term deal locks down that position for years to come. A draft thin on RBs outside of the top three delays this decision. On the outside, the Bengals have some of the most talented wideouts in the NFL – Chad Johnson can play and T.J. Houshmandzadeh established himself as a legitimate threat over the course of last season. If Peter Warrick pieces together a solid season, the Bengals can go after anyone with three top-flight threats. Need Ranking: Late Rounds.

Offensive Line and Defensive Line

Browns: Free-agent acquisitions Cosey Coleman and Joe Andruzzi shore up an atrocious offensive line. Phil Savage must use the draft to build depth, and so far, every indication given shows he will. Expect Savage to look for a deal that adds picks, and expect those picks to be used on lineman. The defensive line exodus from Cleveland to Denver represents the longest march between those two teams since The Drive. The Browns switch to the 3-4 places a premium on linebackers, but expect the Browns to pursue a potential startes in the early to middle rounds of the draft. Need Ranking: Early and Late Rounds.

Bengals: It’s like the adage about pitching in baseball, you can never have enough linemen. The Bengals front-men never receive their due credit, but year-in and year-out they help produce a 1,000-yard rusher. Look for the Bengals to build depth here. Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs about defense…and the Bengals would agree, defensive play keeps them from reaching the next level – the playoffs. Most mock drafts agree the Bengals should select Florida State’s Travis Johnson. All the noise out of Bengals camp about taking the best athlete on the board at No. 17 is just that, noise. Need Ranking: Early Rounds.

Linebackers and Defensive Backs

Browns: Back in 2002, Butch Davis selected Andra Davis, Ben Taylor, and Kevin Bentley in the fourth and fifth rounds. While Davis may have understood the importance of linebackers, it would be an understatement to say they’re needed in a 3-4 defense. With three DL plugging gaps, stopping the run becomes the responsibility of the linebackers. Expect an inside LB to selected. The departure of Anthony Henry should be offset by the acquisition of Gary Baxter, so the corners look fine. At safety, Sean Jones sat out last season with a knee injury and remains unproven. Expect another selection here. Need Ranking: Early and Late Rounds.

Bengals: The Bengals found two gems in the second and third rounds of last year’s draft. Madieu Williams and Landon Johnson, both possible starters in 2005, have another year under their belts. While this part of the defense takes quite a bit of heat every year, it gets burned mostly because of the team’s inability to stop the run, bringing guys up and out of position to support the run defense. Expect a pick here later in the draft. Need Ranking: Late Rounds.

GMs and Coaches

Browns: Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel would love nothing more than to acquire a pile of picks – perhaps by trading down out of the No. 3 slot or trading a veteran starter. Since neither seems a real possibility, the Browns staff must make do with what they have. Savage played a major role in the success of the Ravens past drafts, and Browns brass expect the same in Cleveland. While inexperienced as a head coach, Crennel knows the game. Both should be fine, passing their opening exam.

Bengals: Marvin Lewis has quietly built the Bengals organization into his own. Many expected a defense-first, offense-second club, but that has not been the case, as Lewis has adapted to the talent around him, producing on the best offensive football teams in the NFL. Expect the Bengals to focus on defense in 2005, but don’t be surprised if a few picks appear offensive – the draft is about building for the future, no the present.

Projected Draft
Calling the later rounds is almost impossible, but the player names should matter less than the position being addressed. Draft trades almost always occur unexpectedly, typically while one team is on the clock and another team covets a player still on the board. However, this list won’t take those into account, despite the rumors surrounding the draft’s early picks.

Browns
1 (3) WR Braylon Edwards
2 (34) QB Charlie Frye
3 (67) OT Nick Kaczur
4 (104) LB Jonathan Goddard
5 (140) DT
6 (177) CB
7 (218) S

Bengals
1 (17) DT Travis Johnson
2 (48) C Chris Spencer
3 (83) S Ernest Shazor
4 (120) RB Cedric Houston
5 (154) CB
6 (191) WR
7 (234) OT

Popularity: 5% [?]

Everyone around the Indians ballclub has asked for patience early in the season. Perhaps in last night’s last night’s 5-4 extra-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox, Indians hitters could have been a little more patient with White Sox starter Jose Contreras.

Contreras, erratic in his first three innings, settled down to shut down Indians hitters. Indians hitters, however, began to flail at Contreras’ offerings in the fourth inning. Suddenly, the struggling starter began disposing of Cleveland hitters, cruising into the seventh inning with a 4-3 lead.

Other than Sizemore’s game-tying HR in the seventh, the Wahoos did little to threaten until Hafner’s double in the 10th.

Whiffle Wahoos: The Tribe’s offensive stats: .211, 6 HR, and 29 RBI. The Phillies’ Pat Burrell: .405, 4 HR, and 17 RBI.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Some way, some how, the Reds need to find a way to win games against the Central Division’s better teams. As a result of last night’s 5-1 loss in St. Louis, the Reds have slipped to 0-4 against the Cardinals and Astros this sesaon. With a total of 32 games to play against Houston and St. Louis, the winless streak will disappear, but hopes of contention depend on beating higher caliber teams with some frequency.

Popularity: 9% [?]

As the season’s first week comes to a close, the pressing questions regarding the Reds and Indians remain unanswered. It’s not as if one week is enough time to consider the evidence, but signals remain mixed. The replay — inconclusive.

When the season opened, one had to wonder about the Reds: 1) Do they have enough pitching to contend? 2) Will they stay healthy?

In response to the first question, the answer, in short-from, is yes. Though Eric Milton struggled in a 5-2 loss to Houston on Sunday afternoon, Milton’s earlier strong outing, mixed with Ramon Ortiz and Aaron Harang’s solid first starts, leaves enough hope in the arms to think the Reds will be fine in this area throughout the season. In getting swept by Houston, the Reds only surrendered three, four, and five runs. The pitching performed as well as one could hope. The Reds needed to find a way to score more runs.

The verdict remains in question about the Reds health…but as long as Griffey’s hamstring stays together, it should be a good year for the Reds in the training room.

Up in Cleveland, the concerns remain similar: 1) Will the bullpen avoid a meltdown? 2) Can two key acquisitions, Juan Gonzalez and Kevin Millwood, stay healthy?

Despite Wednesday’s collapse, Bob Wickman secured two subsequent saves; however, neither were of the nail-em-down variety. Middle relief seemed fine — but haven’t been pressed into tough assignments. It’ll be hard to do worse than last season, so feel free to consider the demons of Jose Jiminez and Scott Stweart exorcised.

Juan Gonzalez started the season on the DL…expect him to never see the field if his hamstring doesn’t start feeling better. Eric Wedge expects him to play rightfield everyday. Kevin Millwood looks to have another outstanding outing at the Indians’ home opener.

Popularity: 21% [?]

It isn’t supposed to go this way. In Mark Shapiro’s declared Year of Contention, the new Indians aren’t supposed to take a three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth inning and give it away. But, that is exactly what happened in yesterday’s 4-3 loss to AL Central rival Chicago.

To discuss the ninth inning any further would be akin to beating a horse already on its way to the glue factory. Everyone associated with the Indians, from the fans to the front office, know what needs to happen with the bullpen. The responsibility lies with Mark Shapiro to find a way to get it done.

Not all was lost yesterday, however. Kevin Millwood put together an outstanding outing — throwing six scoreless innings. The Indians’ season hinges on two elbows — Millwood’s passed the first test. The jury is out on Wickman’s.

Popularity: 5% [?]

What a difference a day makes. One day after the Reds celebrated a storybook opening to the season, utility player Ryan Freel gets nailed for DUI. The Indians followed up a disappointing two-hit performance against the Chicago White Sox by securing All-Star catcher Vic Martinez through 2009 with an option for 2010 at just a shade over $3 million per season. The Boomerang Effect comes quickly these days.

Popularity: 5% [?]