Blawg Pound

Zac Jackson
Staff Writer
Zac Jackson has been writing for ClevelandBrowns.com since 2000. He grew up in Akron wanting to be Eric Metcalf, but after years of being the smallest, slowest player on a small and slow team, he gave up that dream and decided to pursue journalism. He graduated from Manchester High School before attending Ohio University and the University of Akron.

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April 25, 2009

Five reasons Cleveland will love Alex Mack

Five reasons I think Cleveland is going to love Alex Mack...

1. He has brains and brawn. Any time a guy graduates from Cal, he's probably going to be smart enough to make the O-line calls. That's not to mention the fancy awards he's picked up for his smarts and community service. He's polished, too, and he's worked to make himself the player he's become.

2. He'll mix it up. A former high school wrestler, he learned leverage there and showed his toughness last fall when he broke his right (snapping) hand. He didn't miss a game; he just started snapping with his left hand.

3. There are/were lots of good centers in this draft. That the Browns targeted Mack as the one for them says he fits everything they're looking for. Solid player, solid citizen, lots of upside.

4. If you're going to win in the AFC North, you're going to have to win in the trenches. He blocked for Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett at Cal in 2006 and 2007, and he blew open holes for Jahvid Best last year. Mr. Best is headed to the NFL, as well. He can fly, and Mack was credited with eight downfield blocks last fall for getting out and helping him.

5. He's versatile. He said he "enjoyed" his trial run at guard at the Senior Bowl. Considering the Browns have veterans with experience at both positions on the roster, that helps him immediately and in the long term. It gives the team flexibility, too. Eric Mangini said Mack will get a chance to carve himself a position, and the things he'll bring to that battle -- brains, work ethic, willingness to improve and play anywhere -- seem to the things that are going to be contagious around here.

That's good news for the Browns.

April 25, 2009

Zac's reaction: The first 90 minutes

The Browns are now in position to do two things...

1. Be a major player in this draft.

2. Add some major players in this draft.

I came in believing it was adraft with quality players from 15-60 (give or take) and now the Browns have four picks in that range. The Browns came into the day with three of the top 50 picks and now have four of the top 52, plus three players.

If they have a specific target, they can get him. If they have a specific target position (or two, or three), they can now narrow the board.

The trade down immediately makes the Browns better. They added another pick and three players, all of whom have played for Eric Mangini before. The defense just got two experienced players better in Abram Elam and Kenyon Coleman, and the added pick should make them better for the future.

Quantity and quality? Browns fans, you should be excited. And this thing is just getting started.

April 22, 2009

Akron trio's friendship has deep roots

AKRON -- Three guys who grew up within miles of each other and just four years ago were star running backs at Akron high schools are hoping to get drafted this weekend.

It's a rare, special occurrence -- and all three are having fun with it.

Two of them are still running backs. The first is Chris "Beanie" Wells of Ohio State, who just might be the first back taken come Saturday. The other is Tyrell Sutton of Northwestern, who fits the prototype for an NFL third-down back and will likely hear his name called sometime Sunday afternoon.

Sutton is Ohio's all-time leading high school rusher. His career at Northwestern falls somewhere between good and great; injuries kept it from being outstanding, though he still leaves as NU's second-most productive back ever. He has the smarts, skills and work ethic to carve out a successful NFL career.

He has a pretty good sense of humor, too. Sutton has known both Wells and Bryan Williams, a safety/cornerback/special teams prospect from the University of Akron, since all three were very young.

Sutton and Williams were best friends at a young age, when they played pee-wee football for the South Rangers alongside a couple other guys you've probably heard of: St. Louis Rams running back Antonio Pittman and soon-to-be NBA MVP LeBron James. Wells lived across town -- in Firestone Park -- and went on to be named Parade Magazine's National Running Back of the Year in 2005 at Garfield High School.

Garfield has produced a bunch of NFL players through the years, many of them dating back before my time. The only one currently playing is a pretty good one: Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield went to his first Pro Bowl last season.

Winfield was one of those final scholarship guys at Ohio State, an undersized tough guy who's earned his way with big hits and big plays. Wells has always been big (he's now around 6-foot-2, 235) and has pretty much been labeled as a blue-chip prospect since early in high school.

According to Sutton, though, Wells was already huge when the two first met as 8-year olds on the basketball court.

"He was like 6-foot-4, even back then," Sutton said. "It wasn't even fair. It was like LeBron against Spud Webb."

Williams followed Pittman by two years at Buchtel High on the city's west side. Sutton followed his brother, Tony, as the feature back at Archbishop Hoban, which opened Tyrell's senior season (2004) against Garfield and Wells. Garfield and Buchtel usually played for the City title in the last game of the season.

Check out these eye-popping numbers: Sutton ran for 3,241 yards and 38 touchdowns, helping Hoban into the regional semifinals. Wells got 1,939 and 20 touchdowns, while Williams ran for 1,831 and 26 touchdowns.

But Williams has a secret. Though Sutton's Hoban team eliminated Buchtel in the first round of the playoffs, he won the individual rushing battle. He did the same in his head-to-head matchup with Wells eight days earlier.

"I'm the only guy who ever did that," Williams boasted this month.

"He's the only guy who ever outrushed both Beanie and me," Sutton said. "I'm sure he told you that. Of course he told you that.

"I'm sure he didn't tell you how hard I hit him in the playoff game. Knocked him flat on his back."

Williams laughed when asked about that. He said he remembers the play vividly.

"We were down at the goal line," Williams said. "I had just got done running over one of his guys. The next play he came in and blindsided me. He got me pretty good."

The talk is all in good fun. All three are rooting for each other this weekend and going forward.

"All I can say is Tyrell is a good dude and a great player," Williams said. "But it's a good thing he stuck with football. We used to play baseball when we were young, and every single game Tyrell would show up wearing about 100 rubber bands on his arm.

"I'd always ask him why he had to wear so many rubber bands, and he always told me they were for good luck. But I remember him striking out every single time he went to the plate, so I don't know how much luck they really brought him."

March 12, 2009

The Marco Polo Team

Because it's March and Dick Vitale is on nine ESPN stations at once, here's a tribute to one of Vitale's favorite labels: The Marco Polo team. Presenting, a list of NFL Draft prospects who needed a layover or a detour on their paths to football's highest level.

QB Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State - Perhaps you've heard of Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma? If not for Bomar's misstep back in 2006, perhaps Bradford would not have even been Oklahoma's starter last fall. When it was discovered Bomar and a teammate were being paid for a job they weren't actually doing, he left for Sam Houston State. He threw for more than 3,300 yards and 27 touchdown passes there last fall, then had a solid Senior Bowl week. He has a strong arm and enough gifts to play in the NFL, and if he proves his mistake is behind him, he'll almost certainly be drafted.

RB Rashad Jennings, Liberty - After a solid freshman season, Jennings was forced to transfer from Pitt closer to home due to family issues. He ran for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons at Liberty and earned a Senior Bowl invite. He's a power back in the Jamal Lewis mold - he enrolled at Pitt at 265 before losing 30 pounds - and he showed at the Senior Bowl and Combine he's fast enough. Certainly intriguing, especially with the trend in recent years of teams finding productive runners in every round of the draft.

WR Austin Collie, BYU - He was the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year way back in 2004, when some of this year's top draft prospects were juniors in high school. He's now a 24-year-old early entry to the draft. He served a two-year Mormon mission in Argentina and returned to school and football in 2007, picking up pretty much where he'd left off with 56 receptions and 7 touchdowns. He caught 106 passes last year for 1,538 yards and 15 touchdowns.

C Max Unger, Oregon - He doesn't fit the same travelling mold as the others, but he's had quite a journey. A native Hawaiian, he chose Oregon, redshirted his first year then started two years at left tackle. Over the next two years he became one of the nation's best centers, then he went to the Senior Bowl and gave playing guard a shot. The track record says versatile offensive linemen don't just make it in the NFL, they last.

TE James Casey, Rice - The position label might be a little misleading. Or at least a little short. Casey played seven positions - including quarterback and defensive end -- in one game against Southern Miss in 2007. He played four years of minor league baseball before coming to Rice and spent one season throwing the javelin for Rice's track team. As a tight end, he's an H-back type with good hands who can create mismatches with linebackers. At 24, Casey is more mature than many of his draft-prospect peers, and his ability to play just about anywhere in a pinch won't hurt his chances, either.

DE Paul Kruger, Utah - Kruger was a redshirt quarterback on Utah's 2004 team that went 12-0. After two years serving his Mormon mission, he'd grown into a new role. He plays fast, he's tough - he lost his spleen and kidney in an auto accident as a teenager - and momentum is in his favor; he had 8 sacks last year for Utah's 13-0 team that beat Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

LB Willie Williams, Union College -- He was a known commodity even before his college career, both for some off-field issues and a Miami Herald diaryhe'd kept of his college visits. He couldn't shake trouble, though, which led to his exit from Miami (Fla.), then another exit from Louisville. Williams then tried Div. II Glenville State, but when it was ruled he wouldn't be eligible there, he landed back in Kentucky at NAIA Union College. There last fall he was named All-Mid-South Conference East First Team and set a single-season record for tackles with 150. He dominated with 19.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. His past makes him unlikely to be drafted, but his athletic gifts give him a shot to make a roster.

DB Bryan Williams, Akron - A star on both sides of the ball at Akron Buchtel High School, Williams committed to play his college ball at Pitt. He ended up at Valley Forge Military Academy before signing with his hometown school and having an outstanding 2007 season as a running back. He was moved to safety for his senior season to help both his college team and his NFL chances. He's not the biggest, fastest or most polished safety prospect, but he is a football player who can return kicks and cover them.

DB Dominique Johnson, Jackson St. - Things didn't work out for Johnson at Missouri, so he left after two years for Jackson St. He was dominant there against lesser competition, and he did enough to earn invites to the Senior Bowl and Combine. Johsnon will have to prove he's ready to cover NFL receivers, but he's the type of big and fast corner lots of teams are looking for. The success of 2008 Cardinals' first-rounder and former I-AA college player Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie certainly doesn't hurt his chances of being drafted in the first three rounds.

DB Coye Francies, San Jose State - He made a name for himself with a solid week at the Senior Bowl, but he'd been on the radar previous to that. He'd been all over the radar, actually. Francies was a junior-college All-American in 2005, when he had 11 interceptions for American River College. He made five starts and played 14 games at Oregon State 2006, then after sitting out a transfer year he had 3 interceptions and 3 pass breakups at San Jose State last year.

February 25, 2009

Big WR's reach for draft status

Michael Crabtree's foot injury became headline news at the NFL Scouting Combine, but another interesting tidbit came out of Crabtree's time in Indianapolis.

After being listed at 6-foot-3 during his sparking redshirt sophomore season last fall, Crabtree measured at just over 6-foot-1. Because the tape shows Crabtree playing like he's 6-foot-6, that's likely not a huge deal.

But many of his peers in this draft fit the "big" receiver mold, and with the way Larry Fitzgerald dominated the postseason last month it's clear that size is a trait that certainly won't hurt this bunch of receivers as they jockey for position April 25-26.

With no offense intended for the little guys, here's a look at some of the bigger receivers in the 2009 NFL Draft and how they may have helped themselves in Indy.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, Maryland

It's his eye-popping speed that gets your attention first, but Heyward-Bey has very long arms and actually looks taller than the 6-foot-2 he measured. It's not a surprise that he clocked the combine's fastest 40-yard dash time (4.30), and though some want to see more consistency before getting too excited about his highlight reel, it's an extensive one. And it's likely he'll be seen jumping for lobs in NFL endzones sooner rather than later.

Louis Murphy, Florida

Percy Harvin is the Florida receiver who shows up in the first round in many mock drafts, but the scouts know about Murphy, too. His unofficial 40 time was faster than Harvin's, and his posted time of 4.43 was just behind Harvin's and still very impressive for a man his size. Murphy measured just under 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds. He was overshadowed at Florida (not just by Harvin) but has the tools to succeed in the NFL.

Ramses Barden, Cal Poly

The biggest of the big receivers in Indy (6-foot-6, 229) looks like he's even bigger, if you can believe that. His job is now to make NFL teams believe he's ready to play with the big boys after dominating I-AA competition in college. He ran the 40 in 4.57 - very fast for his size - and also represented himself well at the Senior Bowl. If scouts believe there's more to the Vincent Jackson comparison than just the college background, he could be a first-day pick.

Kenny Britt, Rutgers

He needed just three seasons to become the Big East's all-time leading receiver and now brings his 6-foot-3, 218-pound frame to the NFL. He's another whose long arms mean very few balls are actually uncatchable, and he comes in with momentum. Part of his strong finish to 2008 was a 12-catch, 151-yard game at West Virginia, and all 7 of his touchdowns came after mid-October.

Brian Robiskie, Ohio State

Just a consistent, hard-working producer, Robiskie (just under 6-foot-3) used the Combine to show that any talk of him not being fast enough was a misconception. He's not going to win the Big Ten 100 meters, but with his background, his soft hands and big frame, he might end beating the other receivers in this class in the race to post a 100-yard game this fall.

Patrick Turner, USC

Statistically, he didn't have the type of career he'd probably envisioned on a loaded USC offense. But the Nashville native still stands out at 6-foot-5, and he's played in a pro-style. He might have to beat a stigma after the last two big USC receivers have been disappointing as pros, but he can reach up and beat just about any cornerback, and that should earn him a shot.

Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina

Here's an example of why Crabtree coming in shorter than listed last fall isn't that big (pun intended) of a deal: Nicks plays like he's 6-foot-4. He plays faster than his listed 40 time, too, and he catches everything in the zip code. At 6-foot-3, he might be the first pick in the draft; he still could be a first-rounder at 6-foot. Watch his Meineke Bowl highlights against West Virginia. It's likely you'll then watch them again (and again, and again). Wow.

February 23, 2009

Buckeyes grab Combine spotlight

February 19, 2009

Sutton has silenced doubters before

While waiting for the parade of players to start rolling through the media center, here's the story of one of my favorite players here this weekend.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Just about every participant in the NFL Scouting Combine started as the best player on his own block.

Probably, he was a bully in the backyard and a star in the Pop Warner leagues. Then he was The Man in high school. Every year here I dig out the bio of someone who's entering the draft as a tight end or linebacker but was an 1,800-yard rusher, 1,000-yard passer and 150-tackle, 12-sack guy in high school. That Guy probably dated the cheerleading captain, too. Didn't we all dream of being That Guy?

Sometimes That Guy makes it here and succeeds in the NFL. Other times he ends up becoming just a guy. We all know that the best players in high school don't always make it in college, and certainly the best college players don't always make it in the NFL. Guys get hurt, guys get lost in a coaching or personnel shuffle, and some guys just aren't big, strong or fast enough to make it at the next level(s) of the game.

But a lot of guys find the draft process to be the first time they've ever even considered the possibility that there's any kryptonite to their games. After hearing for years about how good they are (17-year olds are praised on National Signing Day more than the President is praised on Inauguration Day), some guys have a hard time coming to grips with the fact only 32 players can be first-round picks and that there's no such thing as a sure thing -- first round or seventh -- in the NFL.

All of which is a really long-winded way to present a couple things about Tyrell Sutton...

1. He wasn't The Man in high school. He was THE MAN. Sutton went from a diminutive but highly productive freshman running back to taking on three and four tacklers facemask-to-facemask by the time he was a senior. He left Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron as Ohio's all-time leading rusher with an eye-popping, jaw-dropping, out-of-this-galaxy 9,426 yards, placing him well atop some very good company.

2. On the flip side, Sutton is the rare combine participant who's used to having his flaws and potential pitfalls pushed to the forefront. Sometimes labels like blue-chip and all-everything are either handed out prematurely or go to a player's head (or both). But not this player. Too small? Too slow? Everything that might be written on an NFL scouting report of Sutton is something he's been told before.

Ohio State and Michigan were hesitant to offer scholarships following Sutton's junior season despite the fact he'd rung up more than 6,000 yards in his first three seasons. He was probably generously listed then as 5-foot-9, 160 (YouTube his high school highlights; it's five minutes well spent) and though the tape showed a runner with good instincts and variety of ankle-breaking moves, some still believed he wasn't fast enough.

So Sutton committed to Northwestern -- his only other Big Ten offer was from Illinois; Bowling Green wanted him to play safety -- knowing fully well he'd get a chance to play against the more prestigious programs that had chosen to take other running backs. He went from Ohio's Mr. Football in 2004 to immediate Big Ten standout in 2005, rushing for 1,474 yards with 16 touchdowns and seven 100-yard games on his way to becoming the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

He ran for 1,000 on the nose as a sophomore in a very tumultuous year at Northwestern as head coach Randy Walker died just before the season and the team struggled. He battled leg and ankle injuries that forced him to miss six games as a junior, then broke his wrist midway through last season but came back to play in the Alamo Bowl; he finished his senior season just short of 1,200 all-purpose yards and scored 8 touchdowns.

Think Michigan could have used him last fall? That's irrelevant now, as the question becomes which NFL teams can use Sutton next fall. The injuries certainly don't play in his favor when draft boards are stacked, but there's no question he's a football player.

He finds holes and extra yards. He blocks. He catches the ball. There were three games his whole college career that he played and didn't have a catch. He wasn't invited to the Senior Bowl (the selection committee apparently lost my number) but he went to the East-West Shrine Game and returned kicks, too, just to show he could.

The more you can do, the more appealing you are to NFL teams. And the more Sutton has been labeled as a guy who comes up short, the more he's continued to produce.

I became a fan while covering a Hoban playoff game when Sutton was just a freshman. He took the ball on a slow-developing inside run and was met in the hole by a linebacker from Lake Catholic. Sutton faked left, then stutter-stepped right. The linebacker's knees buckled, and Sutton went by him to the left for a 50-yard touchdown. He was wearing number 20, and he certainly looked like Barry Sanders.

He entered his senior season needing 2,031 yards to become Ohio's all-time leading rusher, though I thought getting the record was going to be darn near impossible. Hoban didn't have a league affiliation at the time, so the school usually played a pretty competitive schedule against a wide range of opponents. But the schedule for Sutton's senior year turned out to be especially brutal.

It started with Akron Garfield, a team that featured a junior running back who was already drawing comparisons to Eddie George (his name, by the way, was Chris Wells). Among the powerhouse programs that followed were Lake Catholic, Columbus Bishop Watterson, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, Canton Central Catholic, Walsh Jesuit, Warren Harding (with Mario Manningham, Boom Herron and about six other Division I recruits) and Youngstown Ursuline, all of which have state championship banners hanging in their gyms and alums who have played in the NFL.

For those unfamiliar, that's like a midlevel college program -- say, Northwestern -- dropping the likes of Ohio University, Syracuse and Southern Illinois from its nonconference schedule and replacing them with Florida State, West Virginia and Georgia.

With a one-man offense. State record? Sutton was going to be lucky to make it out of September alive.

In another case of both showing what I know and Sutton showing he thrives upon such doubt, he crushed the record and carried Hoban into the playoffs before losing to a loaded Benedictine team. He fittingly broke the record on a 57-yard touchdown run against Central Catholic and posted a game for the ages when he went for 505 and 8 touchdowns against a loaded Ursuline team.

(Quick side note: My girlfriend, a Hoban alum, caught football fever that fall. I capitalized by offering to take her to the Ursuline-Hoban game while failing to mention that it was the second half of a doubleheader at Youngstown State with Benedictine-Mooney. She suffered through the second half of that game, an hour between games and a miserable start, as Hoban trailed 14-0 and Ursuline had the ball. It was late in the first quarter, and it was already after 10 o'clock. We went home.)

(He went for 505 and 8 -- eight!!! -- touchdowns as Hoban went on to win 61-28. I was there. Kind of.)

Even with the time he missed at Northwestern, Sutton still leaves second on the school's rushing, all-purpose yard and touchdown lists. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry for his career and is the most accomplished pass-catcher of the running backs in this draft based on statistics, and probably the most polished in terms of actual experience not only catching the ball out of the backfield but also doing the little things many star players aren't asked to do.

Not bad for a little guy.

So, that's the book (almost literally -- that's 1,362 words) on Tyrell Sutton. Doubt him at your own risk.

February 18, 2009

Combine quick clicks: 2/18

INDIANAPOLIS - The NFL Scouting Combine is officially underway, but there's not much happening.

The specialists, offensive linemen and tight ends arrived Wednesday, as did many of the league's coaches and scouts. The first group of players will be here until Saturday, and that's when the final group - the defensive backs - arrives.

The quarterbacks, running backs and receivers are due in Thursday, and the defensive linemen and linebackers arrive Friday. The players will be brought to the media room starting Thursday, based on availability.

Each group spends two-plus days doing medical and psychological exams and interviews. On-field workouts are the final part of each attendee's combine.

Speaking of those workouts, they're taking place in Lucas Oil Stadium. The RCA Dome is in about three million pieces. I was going to take pictures today but it was raining buckets; I'll try to get around to it before the week ends.

Stick with ClevelandBrowns.com as we'll have it all covered; we just may not have much new until later Thursday and Friday. All the action takes place in Lucas Oil Stadium

Here are some links to keep you in the loop...

Twenty-one Ohio natives were invited to the Combine, but only 20 will be participating.

One of those 20, Nate Davis, says he's not feeling any nerves about his time on the Combine stage.

Ravens LB/DE Terrell Suggs won't be hitting the open market next week.

The Bengals will likely be using this draft to address their offensive line, and Bengals.com has this about one of the combine's most interesting prospects.

Some thoughts on Georgia QB Matthew Stafford, who's going to be getting lots of attention from lots of teams here this week.

He's had trouble staying healthy, but Missouri tight end Chase Coffman appears to have little trouble making circus catches (check the one-hander at about 1:10. Wow.).

February 3, 2009

21 Ohioans get Combine invites

Invitations have been issued for the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and 21 Ohio natives will be attending.

The Combine starts Feb. 18.

Five of the eight former Ohio State Buckeyes headed to the Combine are Ohio natives, as are five of the six former University of Cincinnati standouts.

Ohio State invitees with Northeast Ohio roots include RB Chris Wells (Akron Garfield HS), WR's Brian Hartline (Canton GlenOak) and Brian Robiskie (Chagrin Falls) and OL Alex Boone (St. Edward).

Other players from Northeast Ohio who made the list include Michigan State QB Brian Hoyer (St. Ignatius), Navy FB Eric Kettani (Mentor Lake Catholic), Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton (Akron Hoban) and Indiana WR Andrew Means.

Means, a two-sport star at Avon Lake High School, was drafted as an outfielder by the Cincinnati Reds in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball draft last year. He played rookie league ball in the Reds' organization before returning to Indiana and catching 34 passes for the Hoosiers' football team last fall.

Sutton and Wells were high school rivals and friends who starred in the Akron high school ranks with another former Ohio State running back, Antonio Pittman, who now plays with the St. Louis Rams. Sutton (seventh) and Wells (fourth) ranked among the Big Ten rushing leaders last fall.

The Big Ten's second-leading rusher, Javon Ringer of Michigan State, is a Dayton native who's also headed to the Combine.

Three players - Purdue WR Greg Orton, Ohio State RB Marcus Freeman and Cincinnati DB Mike Mickens - were teammates at Wayne High School in Huber Heights, just outside of Dayton.

The complete list of Ohio natives headed to the Combine is below

Ball State

QB Nate Davis (Bellaire)

OL Robert Brewster (Cincinnati Wyoming)

Cincinnati

P Kevin Huber (Cincinnati McNicholas)

OL Trevor Canfield (Cincinnati Western Hills)

DB Mike Mickens (Wayne)

DB DeAngelo Smith (Columbus Independence)

DB Brandon Underwood (Hamilton)

Indiana

WR Andrew Means (Avon Lake)

Iowa

DB Bradley Fletcher (Youngstown Liberty)

Louisville

OL Eric Wood (Cincinnati Elder)

Michigan State

QB Brian Hoyer (St. Ignatius)

RB Javon Ringer (Dayton Chaminade-Julienne)

Northwestern

RB Tyrell Sutton (Akron Hoban)

Notre Dame

DB David Bruton (Miamisburg)

Ohio State

OL Alex Boone (St. Edward)

LB Marcus Freeman (Wayne)

WR Brian Hartline (Canton GlenOak)

WR Brian Robiskie (Chagrin Falls)

RB Chris Wells (Akron Garfield)

Penn State

OL Gerald Cadogan (Portsmouth)

Purdue

WR Greg Orton (Wayne)

January 10, 2009

Quick picks for Playoff Weekend 2.0

My picks for the Divisional Playoffs...

Baltimore at Tennessee

Both teams play serious defense and both teams fear the big, backbreaking mistake by their quarterback. The Titans earned their way here and certainly are deserving of the extra week of rest and homefield advantage, but I couldn't pick against this Ravens' defense. Not without Kevin Mawae, not with the Titans lacking a big-play receiver and not now. The guys in purple move on.

Ravens 19, Titans 16

Arizona at Carolina

Arizona's struggles when coming east are well documented, and the expected rain probably won't help the high-flying Cards, either. But I like Carolina no matter the weather for two reasons: One, they'll run it like crazy and, two, they beat up pass-first teams. The Panthers run on.

Carolina 37, Arizona 20

Philadelphia at NY Giants

The Eagles' win last week wasn't a thing of beauty, but it was a win. And this is a team that's equipped for a deep postseason run. The Giants' offensive line is key, and if they open holes for Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward and give Eli Manning time to throw, the Giants will advance. But I'm going on a limb here and taking the visitors thanks to two big plays - one on each side of the ball.

Eagles 23, Giants 20

San Diego at Pittsburgh

Remember a few years back when the Colts were taking criticism for never finishing the deal? Then they came in under the radar, won on the road in Round Two and then won the whole thing? Meet the Chargers. And Darren Sproles. Am I crazy to pick against the find-a-way Steelers? Maybe. But I'm still doing it.

Chargers 20, Steelers 19

January 3, 2009

Quick picks for Wildcard Weekend

Quick picks for Wildcard Weekend...

Atlanta at Arizona: What should be an entertaining game in the desert features playoff newbies, one quarterback with tons of postseason and experience and another who's a rookie who keeps beating the odds. I think Arizona's passing game will have success, but in the end the Falcons' Michael Turner will be too much.

Zac's Pick: Atlanta 29, Arizona 27

Indy at San Diego: A tough one to pick here in what seems like an annual playoff matchup. The Colts have been both lucky and good in overcoming a slow start to return to the playoffs, and MVP Peyton Manning can't be counted out. But the Chargers finished with a flurry to get here and Philip Rivers also has a hot hand.

Zac's Pick: San Diego 28, Indy 24

Baltimore at Miami: The Ravens' defense is the biggest reason they're here, though certainly the emergence of Joe Flacco and a steady running game have helped. A year ago the Dolphins were 1-15 and that one came against Baltimore. This time, I'm not sure the Dolphins' offense can make enough big plays.

Zac's Pick: Baltimore 20, Miami 10

Philadelphia at Minnesota: The Eagles were maddeningly inconsistent all the way through Week 16. But in Week 17 they got help from Chicago and Tampa Bay losses and routed the Cowboys, and now Philly looks like a veteran team with the right ingredients. The Vikings will try to get Adrian Peterson loose and need a turnover-free game from Tavaris Jackson.

Zac's Pick: Philly 27, Minnesota 19

December 22, 2008

Notes: Lewis, Benson, Zastudil

Wrapping up a tough, bitter-cold day on the lakefront...

**Kudos to Jamal Lewis for going over 10,000 yards for his career. Few work harder in the offseasons and few run harder than Lewis does. He might still get more yards than most think, and that's certainly his goal. But today he celebrated great milestone as part of a great career, even in these disappointing circumstances.

**Cedric Benson's 46-yard run in the first quarter was the Bengals' longest of the season, but it ended with Eric Wright taking the ball away. It was a heady play by Wright, but it was the only turnover the Browns were able to force on the day. Giving it away four times doomed the Browns' chances.

**Benson bounced back, though, and went for a career-high 171 yards as the Bengals kept the chains moving and kept the Browns' defense on the field. Benson is a talent; remember, he was selected one pick after Braylon Edwards atop the 2005 draft.

**It was too much of the same for the Browns: turnovers, penalties, not getting off the field on third down and missing by inches on passes in scoring range.

**Dave Zastudil was able to punt after missing the practice week due to an issue with his right (plant) knee. It was just a brutal day for the kicking game due to the conditions, so it's tough to know how close to 100 percent Zastudil actually was. And the Browns' run of bad luck continued as Lawrence Vickers experienced back spasms pregame -- he was dressed but didn't play -- and Ken Dorsey left the game in the fourth quarter with a rib injury. Dorsey took stiff shots throughout the day.

**It was good to see Lewis get his milestone on an impressive 8-yard run. If he'd passed 10,000 on, say, a 2-yarder, it would have been a little disappointing. He showed a little bounce in his step - literally - when he leapt over Chinedum Ndukwe in the first half.

**Unofficial tackle stats showed Andra Davis leading the Browns with 7. Corey Williams had 6. The Browns weren't credited with a sack or a quarterback pressure.

**A pretty intense battle between Edwards and Ndukwe, wasn't it? That could be a rivalry to watch in the future. And after Leon Hall's big day with three interceptions, he can officially say he's in a Michigan-Michigan rivalry with Edwards.

December 10, 2008

Cribbs continues to produce, amaze

At a time in a tough season when it would be easy for players to put it on cruise control, Joshua Cribbs is asking for more. He just may get more, too, over the next three games. But even if he doesn't throw another pass, return another kick to the endzone or even make another big play, he's established himself not only as a top-flight NFL player but as a very unique top-flight player. Presenting five ways (and reasons) to appreciate Joshua Cribbs...

As a return man...

This week, Cribbs ranks sixth in the AFC in kick return average (26.2), but he's just one big return away from pulling into second place. He's one of five AFC players who have sprung one for a touchdown already this season. And let's not make too many excuses, but he was hurt early in the season and has since dealt not only with injuries to key blockers in the wedge, but with teams simply not giving him ideal chances (and not needing to). The things he did last year are things opposing special teams coaches spent hours (weeks, probably) studying in the offseason, both in preparing for him and trying to make their own return men better. There are probably some subtle things they've been able to pass along, but much of what Cribbs does can't be taught. He's naturally elusive, ultra-competitive and fights until multiple guys drag him down and keep him down.

As a cover man...

The above title does Cribbs no justice. How about, as a kamikaze cover man extraordinaire? Yeah, that's better. Much better. And there aren't many better at making special teams stops than Cribbs. With 22 special teams tackles, he's going to be the Browns' leading special teams tackler for the fourth consecutive season. Of those 22 tackles, 19 are solo stops. The guy in second place, Nick Sorensen, has 10 special teams tackles, 9 solos. Nick Sorensen has made a good living as a good NFL special teams player for eight years now. And he's having another solid year yet can't keep pace with Cribbs. That says a lot. It might not say as much, though, as the fact that Cribbs led the team in special teams tackles in his first two seasons when he was still very much a skinny stringbean trying to transition from years as a quarterback.

As a guy who should just buy a condo in Honolulu...

You know Cribbs went to last year's Pro Bowl as the AFC return specialist and might go back this year. Yes, he only ranks sixth in kick returns and eighth in punt returns, but if you needed one big return would you really choose anyone else? If he doesn't go back this year -- the Pro Bowl team is named next week -- as the return specialist, he's got to be a top choice to go as the special teams utility player and cover man. The numbers and the film speak for themselves. And if for some reason he doesn't win either of those two nominations, he's got a chance to go as the "need" player, like long snapper Ryan Pontbriand did last year. Because really, is there any player a coaching staff trying to win an unpredictable game would "need" more than Cribbs?

As a running back/receiver/quarterback...

We're seeing more of Cribbs on offense. He's lining up everywhere, and defenses have to adjust. He's even asking for more work and hoping that if it comes it won't take away from his other roles. He's one of only three NFL players who have scored on a run, a catch and a kick return this season, and if he can throw a TD pass over the next three weeks he'll create a new multiple scoring category all his own. Think about the other explosive, versatile guys around the league. They don't cover kicks the way Cribbs does, and with the exception of Reggie Bush they don't make things happen in space the way Cribbs does, either. The way he runs, and jukes, and spins, and dives...it looks a lot like the way he used to run, and juke, and spin, and dive on his way to 93 total touchdowns in college. There, though, he was doing it against guys who now tailgate on Sunday mornings. Now, he's doing it against the best of the best.

As somebody who's been a Cleveland Brown and should be a Cleveland Brown for a long time...

He's received the highest of praise for all his talents from former do-it-all Buffalo Bill and current CBS announcer Steve Tasker, which is a little like Reggie Miller saying this Stephen Curry kid is becoming a pretty clutch three-point shooter. And he's just 25. On Sunday nights after games, he must feel like he's 85. But he's really just learning the positions he's playing. He's added necessary muscle and bulk to withstand the pounding while keeping his quickness. And the way he makes the first guy (or three guys) miss, finds the crease, finds the goal line...those are things you can't teach. Those are gifts some guys just have. Joshua Cribbs has them. A lot of them. And the Browns sure are glad to have him.

November 9, 2008

A special place for my family, Akron as a whole

I was eight, maybe nine, when I went to a Saturday night game at the Rubber Bowl with my parents. We weren't even settled into our seats when I saw a bunch of kids around my age standing under the goalpost catching punts and field goals in pregame warmups, so I sprinted down to join them.

I spent 10 minutes or so in my own personal football paradise, fielding real college footballs, pretending to be Mark Duper, basking in the glory of standing on actual artificial turf when, all of a sudden, I was grabbed by two security guards and escorted towards the exit.

Now, I'm not exactly sure what threat those two meatheads thought that a 55-pound kid with a terrible mop haircut posed by standing on the end line among 15 other kids and trying to catch a football, but man were they hostile. Eventually they relented and allowed me to go back to my seat and join my parents, who were laughing hysterically.

I start with that story for a reason. Twenty or so years later, with the Rubber Bowl set to close for good Thursday night, they might have to carry me out again. And I'm a little heavier these days.

The closing of the Rubber Bowl is a significant moment for lots of Akronites and football junkies, two groups of which I'm a proud member. They've been playing football in the Rubber Bowl since 1940. My dad first played there 40 years ago, and I've been going to games there for 20.

I was probably 10 the first time I saw the black and white, film to VHS version of the 1969 City Championship Game - one of the more famous Turkey Day games - featuring my dad and his Kenmore Cardinals against a Garfield team that, depending who you ask, had somewhere in the neighborhood of nine guys who went on to play Division I college football and four who went to the NFL, including Steve Craig, Dave Brown (a College Football Hall of Famer), Jim Lash and Larry Poole.

I remember being both baffled and in awe as I saw the Rubber Bowl with natural grass, full nearly to the brim, and watched my dad watch a much younger version of himself deliver some nasty blocks. He never bragged, but he made sure my brother and I knew the story.

That Garfield had beaten them during the season. That Garfield was heavily favored and loaded with future pro players. And the best part, that the Beacon Journal had published its All-City team that morning, and Garfield had 11 players on it. Kenmore had two.

My grandfather confirms the details, though he uses a few colorful, unprintable adjectives when he talks about it. In a rare moment of printable clarity, he told me he didn't remember many names, but that Garfield team "had some bad sons of guns."

Kenmore had more guns that day, pulling an upset for the ages. My severe attention deficit disorder prevented me from ever watching the whole game, but I do remember the tape ending with a wild celebration back at Kenmore High School.

I've seen some wild celebrations in the Rubber Bowl. I watched Massillon beat McKinley there. I watched McKinley beat Massillon there. I watched St. Ignatius beat ‘em both. I've thrown snowballs there, been both an interviewer and an interviewee there, left at halftime due to weather and stayed until they literally turned out the lights following a Manchester win there in 1997.

Maurice Clarett is maybe the best running back I ever saw there, though Tyrell Sutton and Chris Wells aren't far behind. I saw dominating performances by guys who made it big (Antoine Winfield, Mike Doss, Anthony Gonzalez, Antonio Pittman) and by many who didn't, but their memories count all the same. I'm going to the last game there Thursday night with a few of them, and if I'm a little sleepy-eyed Friday morning it's because I'm expecting story time to go into triple overtime.

I saw Korey Stringer play there when he was in high school. I watched LeBron James play there when he was just a kid. I saw the University of the Pacific and Long Beach State play there, and those schools don't even play football anymore. I remember things about football, football players and football teams that have absolutely no value to anyone but me, and for many of those things I have my father and the Rubber Bowl to thank.

**When Chris Crocker, a Marshall alum and a participant in the Leftwich-hospital game, played for the Browns, I asked him if he was going to the Rubber Bowl to see his former teammates. He told me no, but I thought he was joking so I pressed the issue. He finally told me, "no. Seriously no. That place is creepy." And I can't imagine a higher compliment could be paid.

**I have friends who brag that they played CYO Soccer or intramural flag football in the Rubber Bowl. I'm thinking whoop-de-do, fellas, but I know where they're coming from. It's a special place to a lot of people. The paint is peeling, the place might be crumbling, the bathrooms might have been cleaned in the last 20 years...and we wouldn't have it any other way. It's the Akron Rubber Bowl. And Akron is going to miss it.

**When I asked my mom if she remembered me almost getting carried out of the Rubber Bowl, she said "that was probably an Acme-Zip game." Who in Akron didn't go to an Acme-Zip game?

**I was at one of the last two huge wins for Akron. The Zips clinched the MAC East by beating Kent on Thanksgiving morning 2005 in a blizzard. It was snowing so hard that we couldn't see the stadium while tailgating probably 50 yards away. It was one of the coldest days of my life, with the absolute coldest coming 10 years earlier, also in the Rubber Bowl, when a small tornado/monsoon hit just before kickoff of a Saturday afternoon Manchester-Orrville playoff game. That rain was pure, frozen misery.

Probably the most dramatic win in recent memory came on a nationally-televised Friday night game in 2004, when Charlie Frye rallied the Zips from 21 down to beat Marshall. I wasn't there, though, because I was too much of a wise guy.

The week before the game I'd spent the day at Akron with then-Browns quarterbacks coach Steve Hagen, who was on a scouting trip. Frye was very impressive, but from what I saw up close that day I didn't think the Zips as a whole had a chance. So the guy who'd been to dozens of miserable Akron games at the Rubber Bowl stayed home thinking he'd save his energy. With Marshall up 28-7 in the third quarter, I went to bed.

Frye (and Domenik Hixon, who now has a Super Bowl ring) brought the Zips all the way back. I spent the next day punishing myself for being a bad Akronite and thinking maybe, just maybe, there really is a little magic in the Rubber Bowl.

Which would make three generations of my family with reason to believe it's true.

Read Steve King and Zac Jackson's memories of the Rubber Bowl

SK: Browns, Rubber Bowl have long history

ZJ: Rubber Bowl hosted a little of everything

SK: Priceless Browns memories at the Rubber Bowl

ZJ: A special place for my family, Akron as a whole