[Tommy]

By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Memo to the marketing and promotions department of the Cleveland Browns:

I have a can't-miss idea for a bobblehead, one that is destined to sell like Art Modell urinal cakes on your official website and at team merchandising stands all around Cleveland Browns Stadium.

You might be thinking Braylon Edwards, Reuben Droughns, or new head coach Romeo Crennel, but I have other ideas. How about a bobbing likeness of a typical Cleveland Browns fan?

Instead of the usual NeXturf-eating grin seen on most of these popular collectibles, the Browns fan bobblehead would wear a smirk of bemusement. And instead of nodding up and down in the affirmative, the Cleveland fan bobblehead would shake its head in an east-west fashion to represent the utter disbelief that continues to permeate the team's fan base.

When the local media in C-Town revealed last week that 2004 first-round pick Kellen Winslow would miss the 2005 season due to an ACL tear sustained in a motorcycle mishap, Browns supporters were disappointed but could not have been shocked. Since the franchise was reborn as an expansion team in 1999, the Browns' first-round selections have worked out about as well as David Caruso's movie career.

Quarterback Tim Couch, the top overall selection out of Kentucky in 1999, threw 64 touchdown passes and 67 interceptions in five seasons with the Browns, was cheered most enthusiastically in Cleveland when he got injured, and eventually lost his starting job to Kelly Holcomb.

Defensive end Courtney Brown and defensive tackle Gerard Warren, who were taken with the first and third picks in 2000 and 2001, respectively, were either injured, disappointing, or both during their time in Cleveland, and were more or less given away to the Broncos after last season.

The club's 2002 pick, running back William Green, has yet to run for 1,000 yards in a season, has scored a grand total of nine touchdowns in three years, and will be hard-pressed to make the 2005 roster with Droughns and Lee Suggs ahead of him on the depth chart.

The only selection in the modern Browns era that has worked out at all is center Jeff Faine, the 21st overall pick in 2003, who has managed to start 22 games over his first two professional years. But you don't build a team around the center, and the Browns' 9-23 record of the past two seasons is evidence of that fact.

Winslow's version of motorcycle madness came at a time when Browns fans were beginning to believe their team might finally be going places.

The hiring of Crennel and well-respected general manager Phil Savage had signaled the start of a new era by the lake, and the wholesale changes the duo made to the roster ensured, if nothing else, that the club would have a new energy. Brown, Warren, and other malcontents like Jeff Garcia and Earl Little were given their walking papers, and upgrades were made to both the thin offensive line (Joe Andruzzi, Cosey Coleman) and secondary (Brian Russell, Gary Baxter) units. Even with the team's dubious first-round history, the drafting of talented Michigan receiver Edwards with the third pick in the April draft had Browns fans thinking positive for the first time in a long time.

Suddenly, however, it is easier than ever to accentuate the negative in Cleveland. Winslow's absence places more pressure on the entire offense, most notably Edwards and fellow receiver Andre' Davis. The fact that probable starting quarterback Trent Dilfer is 33 and hasn't played a full season since 1998 has become more glaring, and that Droughns, Suggs, Green are all seen as something less than first-rate rushers is magnified.

Crennel and new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham may indeed be able to work wonders with one of the NFL's worst defenses of 2004, but will that effort be good enough to keep the Browns in contention with AFC North foes in the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals, three teams that expect to make the playoffs in 2005?

When the NFL selected an owner for the new-look Browns on September 8, 1998, just 369 days before the team would play its first game (by comparison, the expansion Texans had 1,068 days to build their infrastructure), it severely handicapped the franchise's ability to win in the foreseeable future. As Terry Pluto detailed in his fine book False Start: How the New Browns Were Set Up to Fail, the league's missteps and greed of the owners had negative ramifications for the club that continue to this day. Seven years later, even with a sharp management group in place for the first time in the new era, Cleveland can't seem to shed its history.

The Browns' chances in 2005, much like Winslow's season, appear to be history as well.

A grab bag of news and notes from the National Football League:

BRINGING DOWN THE HORSE

Kudos to NFL owners for voting to ban the "horse-collar" tackle, a hit that was responsible for several serious injuries in 2004. The tackle, which is made by pulling a player down from behind by the shoulder pads, will now result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Cowboys safety Roy Williams will be the NFL player affected most by the ban, as horsecollar tackles applied by Williams to Titans receiver Tyrone Calico, Ravens running back Musa Smith, and Eagles wideout Terrell Owens all resulted in serious leg injuries and a number of missed games for the trio. The owners voted, 27-5, to make the tackle illegal.

RICKY TO RUN AGAIN?

The playing status of Dolphins running back Ricky Williams has again become an issue in Miami, as it was reported last week that head coach Nick Saban had spoken to the former Pro Bowler about the prospect of returning to the field. Williams, who walked away from the Dolphins just prior to training camp last season, is "very, very interested in coming back" according to Saban, and could be paired in the backfield with first-round draft choice Ronnie Brown. On Tuesday, Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, told the Miami Herald that Williams would "definitely" be in training camp with the team. Before he returns, Williams and the club would have to work out an agreement upon the $8.6 million that a court ruled the Heisman winner owes them after breaching his contract. Though Williams is eligible for reinstatement on July 28th, he continues to face a four-game suspension for multiple violations of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

SAINTS WALKING FROM NEW ORLEANS?

An interesting tidbit to come out of this week's owners' meetings was the revelation that New Orleans owner Tom Benson had been offered as much as $1 billion to relocate his franchise. Benson's attorney, Stanley Rosenberg, told a San Antonio newspaper of the offer, and mentioned San Antonio, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles as potential destinations for the franchise if it is unable to strike an agreement in New Orleans. The Saints have been attempting to negotiate a new stadium deal with the state of Louisiana, but have so far come up empty in those talks. In February, NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue revealed that the league would like to have a team in the Los Angeles market by the end of the decade, and it is difficult to envision Tagliabue or the owners resisting a move to the west coast by the small-market Saints. New Orleans has sold fewer than 26,000 season tickets for 2005, and without a stadium deal in place, Benson could legally move the franchise following next season if he pays back $81 million in government subsidies. "Our situation isn't good, everyone knows it, and it has to get better," Benson told a group of reporters earlier this week.

HOUSE HUNTING

Though the free agent waters are typically tranquil this time of year, two big defensive names have yet to find homes for the 2005 season.

Former New England cornerback Ty Law, who was released by the Patriots in February, has reportedly garnered strong interest from both the Dolphins and Lions, two teams seeking upgrades in the secondary. Law is nearly back from the broken left foot that forced him to miss the second half of the 2004 regular season and playoffs, and is expected to be at full speed by mid-June. It is believed that when the former Pro Bowler's health becomes less of a question mark, a bidding war for his services could ensue. Detroit is looking at entering 2005 with a cornerback tandem of Dre' Bly and Fernando Bryant, while Miami, now without the services of Patrick Surtain, lists Sam Madison and Reggie Howard on its depth chart at corner.

Also available is linebacker Peter Boulware, who was released by the Ravens on May 11th after missing all of 2004 with knee and toe injuries. Seattle, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Cincinnati have all been listed as possibilities for the 30-year-old Boulware, who had 10 sacks as an outside linebacker in 2003. Boulware's brother, Michael, plays strong safety for the Seahawks, while the former Florida State standout has familiarity with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis (formerly the defensive coordinator in Baltimore) and Browns GM Phil Savage (formerly the assistant GM in Baltimore) as well. Boulware told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer of Savage, "Phil knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl and he knows how to acquire the players to do it. He's a winner and he'll have the Browns going in the right direction."


05/25 15:45:53 ET

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