March 3, 2007
The real Hank Fraley
posted by @ 11:26 am | comment
Sometime during the latter portions of the 2006 season I was talking to a member of the Browns defense when Hank Fraley's name came up.
"That guy's an _______," the player said.
Feel free to accurately fill in the blank with an expletive that begins with 'a' and ends with 'e'.
At first it caught me off guard. Fraley never seemed like such a bad guy to me.
As he continued talking I realized what he meant. He went on to talk about all the times he has watched Fraley from the sidelines running downfield and laying blocks on unsuspecting players who weren't prepared to see a 300-pound offensive lineman rumbling that far downfield at that juncture of the play.
The comment was a testament to his physical and gritty play, not his personality.
For the remainder of the season I made a point to watch Fraley. Sure enough, there he was at just about every chance possible, rolling downfield searching for anyone to throw his weight into.
While no one is discounting what LeCharles Bentley could have brought to the table had he not suffered the freak injury he did last July, Fraley was a crucial pickup at the end of training camp in '06 and is a far more crucial signing right now than many will realize. The Browns need experience and toughness on their interior line and Fraley will continue to bring such qualities to the team's offensive line. | 
