Browns Sign CB Roderick Hood; Could Eric Wright or Brandon McDonald Move to the Nickel?
by Chris Pokorny on May 26, 2009 1:19 PM EDT
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Just when you think our roster is pretty much set in terms of position battles heading into training camp in a little over a month, Eric Mangini adds another name to the mix. This time that name is former Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals cornerback Roderick Hood. Back in 2007, former Browns general manager Phil Savage tried to sign Hood before he inevitably signed with Arizona, en route to an NFC Championship this past season.
Hood accepted a one-year deal with the Browns, but it should be assumed that he will contend with Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald for a starting role. I know there are some strong supporters out there for both of these players, and rightly so. However, as an early guess, I would not be surprised to see Wright and Hood starting, with McDonald shifting to the nickel back.
Hood started in 30 of his 32 games with the Cardinals. The Cardinals released him following April's draft, and he drew contract offers from the Browns and the St. Louis Rams, according to the Plain Dealer.
This might not be a signing that we can go bonkers about right now, but it's another quality player with starting experience added to the roster.
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I’m going to echo Dorn and Talon here, this is a quality signing for the obvious reasons. I’m fine with McDonald in on Nickel/Dime situations and if this happens to light a fire under one of their arses to outplay Hood for the spot during Camp and Preseason, that’s fine, too.
by DisplacedBuckeye on May 26, 2009 3:05 PM EDT reply actions
Cribbs vs. Hood vs. B-Mac vs. Ivy vs. Poteat for time at CB
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 26, 2009 4:19 PM EDT reply actions
No, that statement implies it was worth something before.
by Buckeye Brad on May 26, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions
this needs to be investigated. you will be banned from all further discussions if you actually purchased a terry cousin jersey. i will come find you, wearing my ben gay jersey.
I will also find u wearing my ryan leaf jersey
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 26, 2009 9:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow, that is fantastic. I need one of those.
by Buckeye Brad on May 27, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions
So, is he trying to say that LeBron’s career will die in Cleveland or if he is going to be our new quarterback?
by SpecialBrownie on May 28, 2009 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions
I think it is saying he will be our next QB, and if that is true, he better get his butt to OTA’s!
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 30, 2009 3:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Great Shirt!
Wonder whether we could coax Bernie away from Arena football? (although he doesn’t have much experience playing behind good OLs- and I think we are heading towards a very good line).
Also like the signing of Hood- much as I like McDonald & especially Wright, you can’t get away with just 2 players on the squad at CB.
by LondonBrown on May 30, 2009 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Are you saying you dont think someone could go from playing with a bad O-line to a good one? If you are you’re crazy.
And B-Mac and Wright aren’t are only CB’s. We also have two experienced veterans in Ivy and Poteat and two rookie CBs
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 30, 2009 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
WE?
Who the heck is we? Is the author of this blog a member of the Browns? If not then you’re a wanna be and it’s pathetic.
Why not we. Maybe you should be questioning why you are posting on this site. Chris does a very good job with this blog.
I really like the signing. McDonald’s height and talent just are not good enough for a starting CB.
Baseball fans are junkies, and their heroin is the statistic. - Robert S. Wieder
In some cases, the word "we" can get overused such as "we lost the game 20-10" or "we failed in the fourth quarter". However, considering this is a fan blog, my use of the word "we" in this case related to the community of Browns fans.
In other words, what we have here is a little reading problem on your part.
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on May 26, 2009 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions
OK, this is the second time you’ve made this exact same comment. If you find this author so pathetic then stop reading and commenting.
by Buckeye Brad on May 26, 2009 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Did you click his profile and view his only other post like I did, or did you just remember off the top of your head?
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on May 26, 2009 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions
“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”
Baseball fans are junkies, and their heroin is the statistic. - Robert S. Wieder
Sorry, my friend, but your comment is pathetic. Perhaps you should remember the famous Lincoln quote: “Better to be quiet and be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
by drjeo on May 27, 2009 11:42 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Did u just have that one remembered off the top of your head?
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 27, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
so-rry mister high school teacher.
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 27, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions
My daughter-in-law has coined a term that I love: atti-tone (as in, “Don’t give me that atti-tone, Mister!”.) It really shouldn’t have a hyphen, but I think that makes it initially easier to understand. So, attitone.
I think it’s really useful, and I’ve started using it with my students. It certainly applies to a good number of posts on this and other similar blogs.
I hereby promote its use throughout the Universe. All credit should go to Theresa Owen.
So how many teachers are on this site?
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 28, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I was just curious becuase I am a student.
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 30, 2009 3:20 AM EDT up reply actions
Sorry, but I live and die with my team. I don’t play for the Browns or for the Cavs or for the Buckeyes, but I take losses just as hard and if I am in the building I contribute ever so slightly by making noise on 3rd down or when appropriate.
The way I see it, no pro team would even exist without its fans (or at least their money), so yes, it really is “we”.
If you wouldn’t want to be a pro football player, GM, coach, etc. then I challenge your fanhood. Sports mean a lot to Cleveland and to people in general, so excuse us for occasionally using an “incorrect” pronoun.
by rufio on May 30, 2009 12:50 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I’d like to give a shout out to Jerome Harrison, who is also gunna be a f-in stud.
Dawgs By Nature - Covering the Cleveland Browns on SB Nation.
by Chris Pokorny on May 27, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Really, really good signing. That was one of our problem areas and I think it is being handled very well. I think we are heading in the right direction.
I agree. The Browns may not be looking at the playoffs this year, but it seems that KokiManster is working diligently towards establishing a firm foundation rather than just installing a flashy neon sign. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with neon – it’s one of my favorite gasses. But you gotta have something to hang that sign on, right?
BTW, I didn’t keep track of all of the monikers given to the Browns’ latest dynamic duo, so if someone else already used KokiManster, then consider the credit yours. I kinda like it. Playful, but with sinister undertones and a slightly nutty aftertaste.
I agree with metaphor man, I like the way we are building the team.
by BradyQuinnisBeast on May 27, 2009 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I liked Kokimanster right up until the description: “Playful, but with … a slightly nutty aftertaste.”
shudders
Your suggestion is miles better than “Mankok”, which I really despise. So, I hereby promote the use of your term throughout the universe.
Very well said. I like the mentality. I’m not sure about Hood. I don’t know too much about him. I think that he will be better than McDonald, but not Eric Wright. It can only improve our coverage I suppose. McDonald will probably make a good nickel… but he needs to improve his instincts. If we can get a pass-rush, these guys may actually be decent.
I still think that we should have gone after Foxworth or Bodden. I like those guys better, but again, I just don’t know alot about Hood.
by Big Baby Rogers on May 31, 2009 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Hood is worthy of a starting position, unless McDonald or one of the rookies looks really good. He had an off year in 08, but his stats in 05 and 07 were decent (99 tackles, 8 int, and 2 TDs combined) Wright will keep his spot, I don’t see him moving. But I still belive McDonald would be better suited to the slot or at nickel.
If I were playing the Cardinals last year, I would have targeted the rookie in Rogers-Cromartie over Hood in the beginning of the season.
Also, Ralph Brown was their 3rd CB. Yes, the Ralph Brown that used to play for us and was flat out awful. Lots of throws his direction at any point in the year.
Mangini appears to like players who can swap duties, and even positions. An example would be Elam and Pool swapping to keep offenses on edge. Does anyone see an advantage to some sort of rotation of the CB talent to disguise our intentions?
Also, does anyone think Maiava might be worked into the safety rotation?
I dont see Maiava being a safety because he doesnt have the speed.
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Jun 1, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Hopefully, we can get some hybrid defensive looks, moving between 4-3 and 3-4 concepts and fronts. Not sure if we have the personnel to do some of that, but it would be better than what Mel Tucker and Romeo did last year.
Having interchangeable parts at CB definitely helps. For instance: if the offense puts its best WR in the slot, you don’t have to counter by putting your best CB over him (and reveal you are in man-to-man). Or you can go ahead and move your best CB in there and drop into zone if they can all handle it.
I am not sure how much simply switching which CB is on which side of the field would do for us. It might cause an offense to do a quick double-take but I don’t think it would really freak anyone out.
I don’t think Maiava is fast enough to play safety.
So if we ran a 4-3, Rogers and C-Will would be DT’s, but who would play end? would we get Wimbley, Veikune, or Hall to play end?
And I guess D’Qwell and Barton would probably be two of the LBs, but who would be the third?
And that article reminded me that I wish we would pick up Laboy
by BradyQuinnisBeast on Jun 2, 2009 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I would definitely put Wimbley at one DE spot, but we don’t really have another guy who would lock down the other spot. I would say it would probably be between Hall, Veikune, and Bowens. Not having seen Hall in a while (hoping he has improved), not knowing what Veikune will look like as an NFL player, and not having watched Bowens much with the Jets, I’d have to go with Bowens simply because of his experience. Greg Ellis or LaBoy would both be strong candidates for LOLB and LDE in a 4-3 look.
As for the 3rd LB Veikune, Maiava, Ruud, Beau Bell, Potentially Hall, and Leon Williams would be candidates. I would say Williams at this point.
Also, we can use “4-3 schemes” (what I refer to as one-gapping) from either front, so our normal starters could shift to what functions as a 4-3.
From either the 4-3 or the 3-4. Just because Kamerion Wimbley doesn’t have his hand on the ground doesn’t mean we wouldn’t be running “4-3 schemes” (one-gapping).
If one of the OLBs in a 3-4 just puts his hand on the ground, you are technically in a 4-3. You can still do anything you want after the snap.
The key is getting a nickel back who won’t kill you if the best WR lines up in the slow. In the Redskins game, they abused us by putting the Browns in a situation where Terry Cousin was guarding Santana Moss
Don’t forget Cousin on Plax in man coverage in the Giants’ game—in the red zone no less. We absolutely should have put someone else on him. I felt bad watching Cousin try to cover both of those guys. He had no chance.
The good news is Wright, Hood, and McDonald are all listed at 5’10"-5’11", are all very smooth, fluid, agile players, and all have good ball skills.
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