Hardesty was coming back from a 27 day layoff for a bone bruise he had in his right knee. In order to get back into playing shape head coach Eric Mangini started Hardesty to knock some rust off. Unfortunately he was also starting offensive linemen who will be looking for gainful employment outside the NFL come Sunday morning. All teams must cut down to 53 players on Saturday afternoon.

So there are two questions that come out of this injury. Is Hardesty fragile? He struggled with injuries while in college at Tennessee and some thought he was a risk coming out and even bigger risk since the Browns traded up to get him. The second question is why in the world would head coach Eric Mangini have Hardesty, a Ferrari in the mind of many, playing with scrub linemen knowing the Bears would be loading the box to stop the run.  A Ferrari in a demolition derby doesn’t make much sense does it?

For a refresher, the first digit of the package is the number of running backs, the second digit is the number of tight ends, and you can subtract those from 5 to get the number of receivers in the package. So 12 personnel is one RB, 2 TE’s, and 2 WR’s.

The first thing that sticks out for me on this chart is that 21 personnel is clearly our best rushing package with 2 RB’s (one of them Vickers at FB), one TE, and two WR’s on the field. Look at the average running yards per attempt compared to other packages. At 7.3 yards per rushing attempt we got more than twice as many yards every time we ran the ball out of the 21 package than we did any other package. Also, passing out of this formation was not bad at 6 yards per attempt. With an RB and Vickers on the field, the SS often cheated up into the box which left at least one of our WR’s single covered.

The next package that should grab your attention is 11 personnel. That’s a 3 WR package with a running back and a TE. They often used the trips formation in this package with 2 WR’s and a TE on one side and a lone WR on the other. It was an effective passing formation but was surprisingly good to run out of.

10 Personnel was also a favorite of our offense. It’s an obvious passing formation (4 receivers on the field) but we were able to pass at will gaining 11 yards per attempt. I noticed that we often ran this formation balanced (2 WR’s on each side) with the QB in shotgun and the RB beside the QB. In this formation the RB has to read the defense and pick up the blitz if there is one or run a route into the flat.

The last two columns tell you what we did on 3^rd and 4^th down. Even when we only needed a couple yards we still lined up in 10 and 11 personnel, obvious passing formations. We didn’t line up in any other formation on 3^rd or 4^th. The results in both formations were good. The two times we used 10 personnel we gained an average of 5 yards, and the seven times we used 11 personnel we gained an average of 3 yards. I’m surprised we didn’t go to 21 personnel at all on these critical downs.

My last observation; what happened to 23 personnel? This is ‘heavy’ personnel with 2 RB’s, 3 TE’s, and no receivers. We only got 1 yard when we ran it. I think our line is good and we know we can pound it, so I would expect at least a couple yards. Well it turns out that 1 yard run was a touchdown!

One of my goals this season is to become a more knowledgeable football fan. I want to get past just watching the football and dive more into the X’s and O’s. Part of my research was to get the book “Take your eye off the ball” by Pat Kirwan. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to up their football IQ. One of the first topics that he covers is how to chart a game, and use that chart to analyze a team’s tendencies and figure out what adjustments they’re likely to make. It’s really very simple.

First you have to pay attention to which offensive players are on the field. If you play Madden you’ve seen formation names like “Kings” or “Aces”. Instead of using playing cards though, NFL teams have a much simpler numbering system.  Of the 11 players on offense, only 5 of them swap out in different packages. The other 6 (the offensive linemen and the quarterback) are always part of the offense so we don’t need to count them in the package numbering system. The first digit is the number of running backs on the field (including fullbacks). The second digit is the number of tight ends on the field. That’s it! So 12 personnel means 1 runningback and 2 TE’s. We have 5 skill players to account for and the rest are WR’s so in this package there are 2 WR’s. If we’re in 10 personnel, that means we have 1 RB, 0 TE’s, and 4 WR’s.

An easy way to figure out what kind of play they’re going to run is to chart all the packages and how many times they run and pass out of each package. Your chart would look like this:

Just put a tick in either the Run or Pass column every time they run a play. You’ll quickly find out that you can predict whether they are going to run or pass the ball based just on the players on the field. For example let’s say we’re playing the Patriots and they lined up in 11 personnel which looks like a passing formation. But after the first half of football we figure out that 80% of the time they lined up like that they ran the ball. So now it’s 3^rd and 2 and you see them line up in 11 personnel…. You know that it is very likely they will try to run the ball. That’s how teams make halftime adjustments too. They have someone who makes a chart exactly like the one above and during halftime they share those results with the coaches.

Now if you want to go a little more in depth with your charting, you can make a chart that looks like this:

Each row in that chart is a play. Here you can capture information not only on how often they run or pass out of a certain formation, but how effective they are at running and passing out of a formation. Here is a chart I did for the first possession of our 2^nd preseason game against the Rams.

As you can see by the notes, that was a really crappy possession. In the Run/pass column I used a 1 to represent a run, and a 0 to represent a pass. There are only 4 plays there, but right away you see that we had a tendency to run out of 21 personnel and to pass out of 00 personnel (duh).

My hope for this season is to chart every offensive play the Browns run and share the data with Dawgbones every week so we can all discuss it. If I get enough time, I may even chart the team we’re going to play in the upcoming week so we know what we’re going to see before we play them. It would be cool to talk about formations in the flash chat while the game is underway too, so we could have a bunch of people charting to make sure we get it right. It’s not always easy to see the formation because the TV will cut away to replays, pictures of the sportscasters, etc. Then during halftime we could talk about what worked, and guess what kind of changes we’re going to see going into the 2^nd half. Instead of saying “We need to run more”, we could say “We need to run more out of 12 personnel because we’re averaging 5 YPC out of that formation”. Talk about raising our football IQ!!!

The weather in Cleveland Saturday for the Browns second pre-season game was downright awful. Rain soaked the field, fans and players from the start of the game, just past 7:30 P.M., until it’s uneventful end. After all was said and done the Browns dropped the game 19-17 to the visiting St. Louis Rams and their pre-season record to 1-1.

The weather wasn’t the only thing that was sloppy as the Browns committed 5 turnovers on the night and failed to force any of their own.  The Browns also gave up 4 sacks on the night, but were unable to record one of their own.

The defense was solid yielding only 172 total yards, allowing a meager 1.7 yards per carry to the Rams. Cornerback Eric Wright was a standout on the night continually coming up and stopping the run. Wright finished with a team high 5 tackles and 1 pass defended.

Browns veteran QB Jake Delhomme looked shaky too start the game, but settled in nicely leading the Browns to their 1st TD of the game when he hit TE Ben Watson in the back of the end-zone. Delhomme finished 12-16 for 127 yards and a TD, playing the entire 1st half.

The Browns starters will get their most extensive work of the pre-season this Saturday as they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. Look for both teams too play their starters into the 3rd quarter.

The Cleveland Browns franchise has been back in the NFL since 1999, but the team has only made the playoffs once and has yet to win the AFC North title. So why now, why 11 years later are we talking about the team finally rising from the ashes? In a word, leadership!

The Browns made three huge moves this off-season to insure the teams rise. They first got retired NFL coach and front office man Mike Holmgren to agree to be the teams President. This is a position the Browns have not had competent leadership in since their return in 1999. The closest thing to an experienced NFL front office the team had was back in 1999-2000. That was when Carmen Policy was in control. Unfortunately he hired Dwight Clark, who had no experience as an NFL G.M. and they were both dealing with an expansion team. Perhaps if dropped into today’s club the two would have had better success.

As for Holmgren, everywhere he has gone he has won. First resurrecting the Green Bay Packers from NFL laughing stock into Super Bowl Champions. Then Holmgren turned his attention to the Seattle Seahawks, who had never been to a Super Bowl, but made it there in 2004. Many would argue if not for the officiating Holmgren would indeed have gotten the Seahawks their first Lombardi Trophy.

Holmgren quickly found a guy he could trust to evaluate talent in former Philadelphia Eagles G.M. Tom Heckert. This was the second key move the Browns made this off-season. Like Holmgren, Heckert came to the Eagles when they were the NFC East weaklings. Along with head coach Andy Reid, Heckert helped build a perennial playoff contender in the Eagles.

Lastly the Browns, Holmgren really, decided to keep head coach Eric Mangini as the teams head coach. Holmgren and Heckert took the evaluation of players away from Mangini, allowing him to focus solely on coaching the team. The fact that Mangini got the team to play hard and win it’s last 4 games of the year, when there was nothing to play for and it was believed he was a lame duck, also convinced Holmgren that Mangini could succeed.

Though we know there are no guarantees in this life and that holds true for the NFL, we can look at the past and get a good idea what the future holds. Browns fans should be excited because a once proud franchise is rising again and this time they are poised for success for a long time to come.

Author: Bill Wunkle – Senior Draft Analyst

Yes, draftniks, it’s time to get your crayons out and make the final adjustments to your big boards because the NFL draft is almost practically upon us. for some fans, this is effectively their Super Bowl.

Some notes before we get going:

1 – It’s so hard to figure out where the trades will happen, so I didn’t show any regardless of how much I may want certain scenarios to come to fruition.

2 – The picks shaded in light purple are compensatory picks and cannot be traded away. So Even if I had listed some trades, those picks couldn’t be toughed.

3 – Trying to figure out what the Oakland Raiders will do and where is almost as hard as predicting when the second coming of Jesus Christ will happen. Your guess is probably as good as mine – and maybe even better.

4 – These are called mock drafts for a reason – they’re not the real thing, so we might as well have some fun with it, right?

5 – I know that the NFL draft is seven rounds, but I only did five. I’m not going through 255 picks because 169 took me long enough.

With all that said, sit down and strap in because dawgbones.com reluctantly presents:

BILL WUNKLE’S 2010 NFL MOCK DRAFT EXTRAVAGANZA

ROUND ONE

ROUND TWO

ROUND THREE

ROUND FOUR

ROUND FIVE

]]> http://dawgbones.com/?feed=rss2&p=108 3 http://dawgbones.com/?p=95 http://dawgbones.com/?p=95#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:18:50 +0000 dune http://dawgbones.com/?p=95

Sine returning to the league in 1999 the Cleveland Browns have had a slew of QB’s. Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Doug Pedersen, Spergon Wynn, Trent Dilfer, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. In fact 3 wide receiver’s have even played QB for the Browns, Kevin Johnson, Dennis Northcutt and Josh Cribbs. Only one of those QB’s, Kelly Holcomb, has played in a playoff game for the Browns in those 10+ years. So when the Browns signed veteran QB Jake Delhomme emotions were mixed, are they getting another Dilfer or Garcia? In a word, no!

Delhomme led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl and nearly an upset of the New England Patriots in 2004. It was not a story like when Dilfer was QB for the Baltimore Ravens during their Super Bowl run in 2000. Dilfer had the help of one of the greatest defenses in NFL history, he was asked not to mess things up. Delhomme led the Panthers in 2003 and was the primary reason, along with WR Steve Smith, as to why the Panthers got as far as they did.

Delhomme has won 58 of the 98 games he has started in the NFL. He has thrown 123 TD’s to only 94 interceptions and has a career passer rating just over 82. He has completed over 59% of his passes and will benefit greatly from a quick passing game that Mike Holmgren’s West Coast offense brings. Know this as well, when the time comes to throw the ball deep, Delhomme won’t hesitate to pull the trigger. If nothing else the Browns finally have a QB that defenses will have to account for and that will help the entire team.

2010 NFL Draft Name Association

Author: Bill Wunkle – Senior Draft Analyst

It seems that nearly everyone interested in the NFL draft wants to play name association in an effort to compare this year’s draft crop of players to established players. Okay, I’ll play along with some of the names that people are tossing around; but just keep in mind that we’re talking about style of play and talent level and not any off the field behavior. . .

1. Ndamukong Suh – DT – Nebraska: Reggie White (Eagles/Packers)
2. Eric Berry – S – Tennessee: Troy Polamalu (Steelers)
3. Gerald McCoy – DT – Oklahoma: Warren Sapp (Buccaneers/Raiders)
4. Russell Okung – OT – Oklahoma State: Chris Samuels (Redskins)
5. Joe Haden – CB – Florida: Darrelle Revis (Jets)
6. Sam Bradford – QB – Oklahoma: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
7. Jimmy Clausen – QB – Notre Dame: Rick Mirer (Seahawks)
8. Dez Bryant – WR – Oklahoma State: Chad Johnson/Ochocinco (Bengals)
9. Rolando McClain – ILB – Alabama: A taller version of Patrick Willis (49ers)
10. Derrick Morgan – DE – Georgia Tech: Dwight Freeney (Colts)
11. Taylor Mays – S – USC: Bobby Kemp (Bengals)
12. Carlos Dunlap – DE – Florida: Courtney Brown (Browns/Broncos)
13. Trent Williams – OT – Oklahoma: Cory Stringer (Vikings)
14. CJ Spiller – RB – Clemson: Chris Johnson (Titans)
15. Anthony Davis – OT – Rutgers: An under-motivated Jason Peters (Bills/Eagles)
16. Earl Thomas – CB – Texas: Mike Haynes (Raiders)
17. Bryan Bulaga – OT – Iowa: Joe Thomas (Browns)
18. Golden Tate – WR – Notre Dame: A faster version of Hines Ward (Steelers)
19. Mike Iupati – OG – Idaho: Toniu Fonoti (Chargers, et al) but with more mobility
20. Jason Pierre-Paul – DE – South Florida: Robert Mathis (Colts)
21. Jonathan Dwyer – RB – Georgia Tech: Marion Barber (Cowboys)
22. Jermaine Gresham – TE – Oklahoma: Jeremy Shockey (Giants/Saints)
23. Sergio Kindle – OLB – Texas: Chip Banks (Browns, Chargers, Colts)
24. Patrick Robinson – CB – Florida State: Quentin Jammer (Chargers)
25. Brandon Graham – DE – TSUN: Alan Page (Vikings)
26. Brian Price – DT – UCLA: Mean Joe Greene (Steelers)
27. Jahvid Best – RB – California: Darren Sproles (Chargers)
28. Everson Griffen – DE – USC: Jim Marshall (Browns, Vikings)
29. Ricky Sapp – DE – Clemson: Leroy Selmon (Buccaneers)
30. Brandon LaFell – WR – LSU: Braylon Edwards (Browns, Jets)

I could go on, but what’s the use? Besides, I could write another article about the next thirty or so.

ASK WUNKLE: 2009 POST-SEASON EDITION
Author: Bill Wunkle – Senior Draft Analyst for dawgbones.com

Even though the Cleveland Browns 2009 season is officially official in terms of what happens on the field, there’s still a plethora of questions surrounding the future of the organization. Thus, I felt obligated to submit another edition of Ask Wunkle; where my fellow site members can feel free to ask me any football related question.

For those of you who are relatively new to the site or may not be familiar with my work, allow me to give you a little bit of background information about me. I’ve been an active contributing member of dawgbones.com since June of 2005 and have been glossed by owner/operator Jim Giles as the site’s “resident draft expert extraordinaire”. While I’m honored by the title, what I really am is a football fan with a real passion for the NFL draft. My mock drafts are typically a combination of what players I think will be drafted by which NFL teams and what players I think should be drafted by those teams (obviously, those two don’t always coincide). Before joining dawgbones.com I was a regular contributor on the now defunct website profootballdraft.com as their team correspondent for the Cleveland Browns as well as chief writer for the AFC North.

Now, let’s get on with the questions!

DawsonsTouchbacks leads off this edition with the following: What is a fair contract offer to Cribbs?

This is why I like and respect you, Dawson, because you’re not afraid to get up in my grill and ask the tough questions. First off, Josh is one of the very few players on the current roster that opposing teams have to find a way to stop, and he still gets the job done. As a kickoff/punt return specialist, Cribbs is the best in the business, with more career touchdowns in NFL history. He’s also an elite gunner on kickoff/punt coverage. Also to Josh’s credit, he’s a dangerous wildcat formation quarterback. Is he a legitimate NFL receiver? No, but once the ball gets into his hands, he’s potentially lethal. So, what salary would his skill level command on the open market? The 1.4 million dollar offer from the Browns is definitely a lowball offer. I’m of the opinion that his worth to the team is more on the lines of somewhere around 2 million dollars a year. I wish him well getting more than that from the Browns because he is still primarily a special teams player and not a finished product as a receiver. You see, Josh signed a six-year deal three years ago, so he’s already halfway through his current contract and NFL teams typically don’t renegotiate contracts with three years remaining on their contract regardless of whether they’ve outperformed that contract. It was a bad contract, and Josh has only himself to blame for signing it.

Dawson also asks: Who is going to give the Browns the best bang for their buck at RT?

To draft or not to draft, that is the question. Of all the unrestricted free agents, (UFA’s) Michael Roos of Tennessee is the best of the class. Unfortunately, he’s a left tackle and wants to be paid accordingly. Other possibilities might include Eric Winston (Houston) and Winston Justice (Philadelphia). Only one restricted free agent (RFA) would make sense from a talent perspective, and that’s Baltimore’s Jared Gaither. The only problem is that the Ravens will probably give Gaither an offer sheet that would require giving up a first and a third in the 2010 draft. Now, as far as the draft goes, it depends on when you want to draft an OT. The best OT in the draft is Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung, but he’ll be off the board long before the Browns draft at seventh. Oklahoma’s Trent Williams or Rutgers underclassman Anthony Davis might be there, but seventh is still early in terms of drafting a RT. Idaho’s Mike Iupati can play either OG or RT, but will be off the board long before the Browns come back in round two. So, here are my candidates: Charles Brown (USC), Tony Washington (Abilene Christian), Jason Fox (the U), Kyle Calloway and underclassman Bryan Bulaga (Iowa). Players to avoid at the position include Ciron Black (LSU) and Selvish Capers (West Virginia).

BrownsFan4Life has a similar question by asking: Who should the Browns draft or sign to be RT and RG?

I think I’ve already covered the RT position, so we’ll look at RG. As for free agents, I might want to look at Arizona’s Deuce Lutui, Baltimore’s Chris Chester or Seattle’s Rob Sims. As for the draft, many consider the aforementioned Mike Iupati the best guard in the draft. Others to consider might include Vladimir Ducasse (UMass), Jon Asamoah (Illinois) and Mike Johnson (Alabama) if you’re looking for one in the top three rounds.

BF4L also expressed his concerns with Josh Cribbs: Is there precedent to rip up a special teams players contract after 3 years into a 6-year deal (or half way through or less)? Cribbs has complained every season of the contract extension. If they do decide to trade him, what can we realistically expect to get for him?

I cannot think of any precedent. Then again, I can’t think of any special teams player getting a six-year deal before Josh Cribbs; so, we’re in unexplored territory here. I’m all for keeping Josh here if it’s at all possible. However, if I absolutely have to trade him, I’m going to squeeze that orange for all the juice that I can get. Depending on what teams may come calling, I’m asking for a first and a third and I’m demanding no less than a second and a fourth – at least at first. If someone wants to take Josh Cribbs off my hands, they’ll have to make it worth my while.

Ice chimes in with this three-part question: In your opinion, should we add a QB to the roster? If so, then how (high draft pick, mid-level draft pick, low draft pick, free agency, trade)? And if we add one, which QB should we let go of and what could we get for them?

I definitely think that the Browns should add a QB to their roster. I cannot see Mike Holmgren or Eric Mangini wanting to spend a high draft pick on a QB this year. I understand that I’ll receive some criticism for this one; but if the Browns are looking to add a QB late in the draft, I’d like to see Matt Robinson (Oklahoma State) wearing brown and orange in 2010. Now as for the free agents this year, maybe Chad Pennington (Miami) isn’t such a bad idea for one to two years after all; but nobody else at the position really pushes my hot button. There is one QB the Browns would have to trade for that intrigues me, and that’s Green Bay’s Matt Flynn. So, with any of these possible additions, who’s the odd man out? I think it’s clear that Derek Anderson has played his last game as a Cleveland Brown. While we’re at it, what exactly has Brett Ratliff done this year to secure himself a roster spot in 2010?

Bowman chimes in with: If the Browns do switch to a 4-3, do we have the depth at DE to be successful? Whom should we target in FA/draft?

Now that the President Holmgren has decided to retain Eric Mangini and his coaching staff, I think it’s kind of a moot point. As far as whom the Browns should target, I think they should pretty much take the PBA regardless of position (with the possible exception of QB early) because this team is so void of talent.

Bowman adds: Also, why do we drive on a parkway, and park on a driveway?
That, my friend, seems to be one of the greatest mysteries of the English language since the early twentieth century. Frankly, I don’t have a clue.

Dillinger asks the following question: Why do Cleveland Browns fans have absolutely no patience?

I think it’s partly due to the microwave instant gratification mindset that’s so prevalent in today’s society and partly due to the root of what it means to be a fanatic. However, I think it’s mostly from them having to eat crap sandwiches (metaphorically) year after year in hopes that the ownership of this once proud franchise finally gets a clue and gets it right.

The Chosen One brings us back to the draft with: Would you be opposed to adding Jonathan Dwyer in the 2nd if he were to fall there?

Jonathan Dwyer would be the thunder to Jerome Harrison’s (if re-signed) lightning, so I would have to give that very serious consideration. However, we really don’t know what James Davis has to offer the Browns. Depending upon who’s still on the board, I would be open to taking Dwyer. It also depends on what positions the Browns address in free agency.

Connbrownfan comes to the table with: How do we fix our secondary? Wright seems to be the only bona fide starter back there as B-Mac was too prone to getting burned all the time. Plus, at Safety, Brodney Pool may be gone due to concussions and Elam seems to be a mediocre Safety at best.

Brandon McDonald would be okay if he were a nickel or dime back, but the problem is that he’s one of our starters. The Browns could use their first round pick on Florida’s Joe Haden to lock down that position, but I suspect they’ll address the defensive front seven with that pick. Brodney Pool’s concussion history greatly concerns me, as does Abram Elam’s mediocre play, so your concerns are well founded. Suffice to say that, between the draft and free agency, there are players available to fill those voids.

He also asks: What is the purpose of Braille on drive-up ATM’s?

My guess is that it has to do with the manufacturers complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act passed by our government some time ago. So, what is a blind person doing behind the wheel of any motorized vehicle? That part I don’t get either.

And thirdly: What is with the “Beware of Blind Curve” signs? I don’t know any curve that can see.

They can’t see, which is why you have to watch out for them.

Nyeguy wants to know: Why is Baloney spelled with a G?

Because Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A. Come on, get with the program.

Brownsmopar wants to know: Why ask why?

Why not?

UGAbrown78 presents the following scenario: Lets say Josh Cribbs’ temper tantrum is not a bluff, what could the Browns get for Cribbs? I’m thinking two first round picks. I would trade him in a second, but for no less than some team’s first round picks in consecutive years.

Good luck getting that much for a return specialist and gunner, my friend. I understand that Cribbs is a difference maker, but you’ve got to be more realistic with your expectations. Heck, I thought I was going out on a limb asking for a first and a third, but you’re really way out there, my friend. Should we try to get as much as possible if we have to trade him? Absolutely, but the demands have to at least appear reasonable.

Big Bubba Brown comes in with this tri-fecta: A – What is the most glaring need on the offensive side of the ball? B – What is the most glaring need on the defensive side of the ball? C – Which side of the ball should the Browns first round pick be used to address?

A – the right side of the O-line
B – it’s a tie between impact LB and a pair of safeties
C – whatever player will have the greatest immediate impact for the team

Stray_Dawg wants to know: What are the Browns most pressing players that they need to re-sign that are to become free agents. Which ones should walk? Does free agency on the Browns own roster significantly affect their draft strategy?

As I understand it, these are the Browns UFA’s for 2010:

Jerome Harrison
D’Qwell Jackson
Brodney Pool
Matt Roth
Ryan Tucker
Lawrence Vickers

That said, Ryan Tucker needs to just hang up his cleats and ride off into the sunset before he injures himself beyond repair. I love Tuck’s mean streak when he plays, but he’s just too injury prone at this point of his career. Maybe he can get into coaching. Brodney Pool may have to retire because of all the concussions he’s suffered. He really needs to start thinking about life outside of football while he can still have one. Jerome Harrison and Lawrence Vickers may be the only two “must re-signs” on the list, even though I really like what Matt Roth has brought to the Browns. I’m really torn about D’Qwell Jackson. He makes a lot of tackles, but how many of them are behind the line of scrimmage and how many of them are ten yards downfield? I think that the Browns can do better at the position, and maybe with the seventh overall pick (hint, hint). As to your third question: free agency always has an impact on a team’s draft – some by signing and others by walking.

Chicago John asks a series of questions:

1 – How much will it cost for us to re-sign Matt Roth?

2 – Assume the NFL goes to an uncapped salary structure for longer than next year. Do you think an owner like Randy Lerner would pay out whatever it took to win a Super Bowl? In other words, would we benefit (in the short run) from an uncapped salary structure?

3 – I heard you say in the chat room during the Jacksonville game that if the NFL went to an uncapped year next year, you felt the NFL may not return to a salary cap. Could you discuss why you feel that might be the case? (Hopefully I didn’t put words in your mouth through this question)

4 – Assuming we are sitting at #7, would you trade the pick? If no, who would be the top two players on the board defensively and offensively (realistically) at that point and which direction to do you think the Browns will go?

5 – Was a substantial part of BQ’s problem this year BQ’s talent level or the offensive talent (excuse the pun) that he had around him?

6 – What’s a Wunkle?

1 – My guess is three years at about 2.5-3 mil per year, but I’ve been wrong before.

2 – Randy Lerner wants to win almost as much as he wants his next breath, so I think he’ll do whatever it takes to win the Lombardi Trophy. Yes, we could very well benefit from an uncapped year or two (or maybe ten).

3 – You’re correct, John, I did say that and here’s why I believe it. The NFLPA is not interested in reverting to a salary cap once it’s removed because it’ll only make its best players richer. Never mind what’s in the best interest of the league, it’s all about the Benjamins for this generation – even if it means that its membership will drastically decrease in numbers because several teams could fold from the eventual removal of league-wide revenue sharing.

4 – This team has so many needs that, if the right package were presented to the Browns, I wouldn’t be opposed to trading down. It all depends upon what’s being offered in terms of picks/players, and what players I can expect to see available when those picks are on the clock. Mangini did the nearly impossible last year by trading down three times in the first round, so I wouldn’t expect that to happen for Cleveland two years in a row. Besides, I’m actually quite comfortable with us picking seventh overall. In short – yes, I’m open to it, but let the other team make it worth our while. Now if we keep the pick, I’m looking very Seriously at Alabama LB Rolando McClain, Tennessee S Eric Berry and Florida CB Joe Haden (depending on who’s already off the board). However, with the influx of so many quality underclassmen, I might have to look at something a bit unconventional – like OT. At that thought, DawgSoldier just spat out his morning coffee. Finally, part of it will depend upon how the final edition of my draft board looks – which is currently far from being a finished product.

5 – I think that part of it was the whole team having to learn another system with new terminology. Some players caught on more quickly than others, and it was one big mess. Brady also had to deal with the right side of the O-line not being able to effectively run block or pass block through the first twelve games. To top things off, he was dealing with a group of receivers that had trouble catching the football. Actually, I think the mix is about 50/50. Is Quinn a bad QB? No, but he may not end up being the right QB for this team. That said, perhaps a second year in the same system would help all parties involved.

6 – Wunkle is a very seldom-used Old English colloquial past tense derivative of the verb “to winkle”, which means “to pry something out of a place” or “to question or interrogate”. A modern day example would be a nosey neighbor trying to find out your business or what’s going on in your personal life.

And we’ll wrap up this edition of “Ask Wunkle” with this question from Choco: can Jerome Harrison take 300 carries a year?

If he re-signs with Cleveland, I most certainly hope so.

Thanks again to all my fellow contributors for submitting their questions. Dawgbones.com wouldn’t be what it is without you. Most importantly, my sincere thanks go out to the website’s owner/operator Jim Giles for making all this madness possible. Until we meet again, this is Bill Wunkle saying God bless and so long folks!

Heckert had worked with Eagles head coach Andy Reid since 2002. Reid was a former assistant coach to Holmgren. The truth is, in the NFL, it truly is a small world and what goes around often comes around.