THat “supporting cast” on teams like the Dolphins and Falcons aren’t any better than guys like Harrison, Vickers, Fraley, Hadnot, Tucker, Stallworth, Cribbs, Quinn (don’t try to tell me he has less talent that Pennington), S. Smith, R. Smith, Williams, Wimbley, Jackson, McDonald, Jones, and Pool. All guys that you say aren’t above average. Fine. But they are NFL caliber starters. And I’d bet many of them start on teams like Miami, Atlanta, Denver, Baltimore, Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia and other fringy playoff teams. This team is underprepared, outschemed, unfocused, and poorly managed. Shake in some senseless contraversies, devestating injuries and a tough schedule, and you get a 4 win season. Overall talent on the 53-man is way down on the list of our problems.

Another reality is that we have our 3rd/4th string QB starting 1/4 of the season.

Another reality is we have the 14th ranked defense in football (tied w/ the Chicago Bears, who certainly don’t have any talent on the defensive side of the ball… sarc).

The fact is that we were 4-7 with an actual NFL player at QB, and with about 5 plays going the other way we could (should, with better in game decision making) have been 6-5 or 7-4.

Coaching in the NFL is more important than any other league. A good coach can turn a really bad team in a good wildcard contending team. (A Bradyless Pats team, Dolphins, Falcons, Baltimore, and Tampa.) a bad coach can derail a talented team (Chargers, Browns, Jax and Seattle (Just because Holmgren has had his foot out the door).

Thanks to the salary cap almost all teams are close talent wise. The key is finding draft steals and spending free agency money well.

The Browns are not a talentless team. They have Big Baby, Braylon (the kid is talented), K2, Joe Thomas, Stienbach, D’Qwell (Has really turned it up lately) and Wright. They have young talented players. They have not played up to the levels this year that we expected but they have the talent.

Look at what Atlanta is doing this year (I live here in Atlanta so I get a up close look), they have built around some talented veterans Abraham, Brooking, and Roddy White. They have then spent money on a very good RB in Turner. Then they drafted well in getting an awesome young QB in Matt Ryan. They are not a more talented team than the Browns. They are simply getting MORE out of their talent than the Browns this year.

New coaches

1. A defensive scheme that works against teams above the level of the “little 8” Big 10 teams.

2. Play young talented kids. (Harrison, et al)

3. Have an offensive identity. Chud lost his this year. Playcalling and gameplans were 1/2 for Quinn and 1/2 for DA.

4. Quit trying to stick a round peg in a square hole. Steptoe can not block effectively at an NFL level. Jamal Lewis isn’t going to be able to bounce runs outside late in the season on crappy turf if he can at all anymore. Rucker is a better slot reciever than Dinkins. Corey Williams needs some one-gap scheming to get to the QB. Kamerion Wimbley needs to be set up to be unblocked to get to the QB. Andra Davis isn’t agile enough to match up with Marshawn Lynch….

5. Don’t let everyone’s heads sink when things start going awry.

6. Don’t let anyone think they are talented enough to slack off during the offseason

7. Don’t let fans have anyone’s email address.

8. Do get Braylon’s eyesight checked (although he is dropless in 2+ weeks!)

9. Do trade down in the 1st round and aquire a 3rd or 4th round pick. Also make a decision on a QB and end the controversy.

10. Get 1 or more NFL caliber WRs. JJ coming back counts. A young guy wouldn’t hurt.

I think, as in most things in life, that there is a middle ground between Rufio’s and your own viewpoint.

There is significant talent on the team, but there are also gaping holes that prevent success.

I think the thing that makes Heiden above average is that he is not, to borrow your phrase, a one trick pony. He’s a good (perhaps even very good) blocker and a good receiver, whereas Winslow doesn’t seem to function well as anything but a receiver. Heiden is more likely to catch a defense off guard when he goes out, and if the pass is good, he usually makes the catch.

I always thought he was above average as a full-spectrum TE, but I will admit that as far as other teams are concerned I only hear about their TEs when their receiving and I can’t claim any knowledge of their blocking.

I guess what I’m saying is that the question of whether Heiden is above average has to be put in the context of complete TEs rather than just comparing him to the receiving specialists.

The only downside I see to him is that he’s been in the trenches for about ten years now, and I’m not sure how much more pounding he can take.

I am not trying to claim Heiden is an above average #1 TE in the league. I am trying to point out a place where that “supporting cast” is strong on our roster.

Winslow AND Heiden, as a 1-2 combo are an above average PAIR. They can both be used on the field at the same time. San Diego uses Malemaleuna and Gates at the same time with great effectiveness in a way similar to how we SHOULD use Winslow and Heiden.

This is one of many examples of how what talent there is on our roster has been misused this year.

Cribbs is an above average return man, gunner, kickoff coverer, and he has his own offensive package and is the only reason that we can run outside. He comes in motion and blocks down on a DE, allowing out OT to get upfield and block on the 2nd level. He does a lot for the team and I don’t even think that can be argued. Could he be an above average reciever or RB? I have no idea because the coaches don’t want to give him that chance.

If you can’t see that Tucker is a very good NFL lineman when he is in, you don’t know what you are looking at. Yes, he has been injured often lately, but that is not a reflection on his talent. Talent only matters when it is on the field, sure, but he is still talented.

JJ has said he guarantees he will play next year, and that is good enough for me. He is not a long term option and might not be any good when he gets back, fair.

You can’t win in the NFL if you don’t put your players in position to succeed. Period. Scheme and coaching are very important to a player’s success. You have to put your players in position to succeed. If we had a coach that decided to start Shaun Rogers at CB and move Eric Wright to DT, I don’t think either one would look very good. It hasn’t been quite that bad this year, but its been bad.

You are crazy if you think a talented team can’t miss the playoffs or that a team with no talent can’t make the playoffs. There is anecdotal evidence of this everywhere (Seattle, Possibly San Diego, Denver, Miami, New England, NYJ, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, all just this year).

Do we have 22 guys who should be making the Pro Bowl? No. Do we need more talent? Absolutely, particularly anyone who can rush the passer.

What a player (or a team) is capable of doing is not the same as what he (or his team) has done. Don’t get me wrong, outside of the NYG game this year we have been pretty terrible, and I don’t expect that to change on Sunday. Our record is terrible, and a few of the players on our team are terrible. There is a good solid core of talent on this team, and we are capable of doing a lot more than we did this year.