Written by Daniel Wolf

So, all week long, the media has been in a frenzy over comments that NBA Superstar and Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James made saying that he would be a great football player given enough time to commit to the training regime.

Many have said and written that this is insane, other have said that James would be a very good football player.

Then there are some like New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey that have stated James wouldn't even be practice squad material.

To solve this hypothetical debate, I went to the one source that could help determine James's outcome as an NFL football player, and that source is Madden NFL 10.

In the create-a-player mode, I duplicated James' height and weight (he weight was increased to 270 because he would have packed on more muscle during his training for the NFL), and distributed specific player attributes according to what I thought are James's possible strengths and weaknesses in professional football would be.

James ended up with a overall rookie rating of 78.

Of course, James was made to be a tight end, since he would obviously want to be a playmaker on the offensive side of the ball, and his tremendous size puts him as a more pass catching tight end more than anything else.

So, the next step was to follow the lead of his State Farm commercial and sign him up with the Cleveland Browns (I also used the default rosters that you have when starting a new franchise.).

Please understand that due to time constraints, I was not able to play any games with James as a tight end, but instead I had Madden 10 simulate all the games, which tends to be rather accurate.

First up, is the preseason, and James finished with 11 receptions for 95 yards.

Nothing too spectacular in the preseason at all, but it was only the preseason.

Now to the regular season, where James had 59 receptions for 580 yards and three touchdowns.

A solid rookie season for James, where he had two touchdowns in one game versus the Green Bay Packers and his best game came against the Oakland Raiders where he had eight catches for 61 yards.

Unfortunately, his rookie performance was not enough to earn his the Offensive Rookie of the Year honor.

In year No. 2, James' performance in the preseason improved with 16 receptions for 167 yards and one touchdown.

During the regular season of year two, James amassed 55 receptions for 567 yards and four touchdowns.

With his stats falling slightly from his rookie year, James still showed consistency in year two and his best game was against the Cincinnati Bengals where he had eight catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Granted this is only a video game simulation and these stats can vary every time there is another simulation, it still shows that after two seasons in the NFL, James is no where near the top-tier tight end talents like Dallas Clark, Tony Gonzalez, and Antonio Gates.

As James' career continued, here are some more stats from year three and beyond.

Year three James had 72 receptions for 785 yards and two touchdowns, with his best game against the St. Louis Rams with five catches for 116 yards and one touchdown.

Year four James had 66 receptions for 688 yards and four touchdowns, with his best game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with 10 catches for 133 yards and one touchdown.

Year five James has peeked for three straight years at an overall rating of 97. He had 59 receptions for 558 yards and four touchdowns, with his best game against the Baltimore Ravens with five catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

As you can see, the results of this little experiment show that James would be a good tight end in the NFL (no Pro Bowl appearances for James), but he would not be equal to the superstar level that he currently enjoys in the NBA.

Stick with basketball, because in the NFL, you will not be able to make anywhere close to the amount of money you are getting right now in the NBA.

In closing, I must say that this was a fun experiment but it did take about two hours to complete from the start of creating James in the game to finishing this article.

I hope you have enjoyed this little fantasy piece, because I know I did while going through the process!

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper and Bleacher Report)

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I won't hide it...I'm a Lions fan!  <please read further>.  Earlier this season the Lions played a game for bottom feeder supremacy in which they eventually added another loss to their record after dropping a game to a very beatable Rams team.  Oh...and they did this at home.  The game was appropriately named "The Toilet Bowl". 

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Mike Iupati will head up the Guards in the 10' NFL Draft 

It is pretty obvious week in and out, the right side of the line needs a serious upgrade. Using common sense, the Browns will not be using a Top 5 pick on the right side of the line. So, we will look at late first and beyond projections that could help the right side of the Browns offensive line, starting at Guard.

GUARD                                                                                                                                                                

Mike Iupati - 6-6 330 lb Idaho Senior Guard is projected to be the first off the board. Plays with good leverage, has great footwork and a nice punch, not to mention that nasty mean streak that comes along with most Samoan football players. Plays with a high motor, does well in pass protection, as well as being a smart football player.

I have found no flaws in Iupati's game. Just questionable talent being played against.

Jon Asamoah - 6-5 315 lb Senior Guard from Illinois is a projected 3-4 Rd pick. Strong at the point of attack, good leverage, smart. amd athletic. Solid run blocker, needs improvement in the passing game.

Zane Beadles - 6-4 315 lb Senior from Utah. Plays both LT and LG. Good speed, athleticism, and power. Just not quick enough to project as an NFL Tackle. His game should translate well to the NFL as he is a very smart player. Late 2 early/mid 3

Mike Johnson - The 6-6 305 lb Crimson Tide Guard could very well become the best G of this draft class. Athletic, smart, good leverage and punch, good footwork, and plays with a mean streak. Not to mention, it is week in and out for Mike, as he is playing against some of the best talent in college football, week in and out. Keep an eye on this guy! Middle 2/early 3

Mitch Petrus - A former Tight End and Fullback, Petrus is easily the most athletic out of the class. Good size, speed, quick feet, and a technician of the position. Mitch is a vocal leader, and expects nothing more than perfection from himself and his teammates. Academics were an issue in the 07-08 season, but it looks as if Petrus is doing much better now, considering he is playing every week. Projects round 2-3

Shawn Lauvao - A bright spot for the Sun Devils, Lauvao plays with strength, mind, and heart. A definite lunchpail type, many NFL coaches will respect this guys work ethic. Projected early as a 7th rounder, I personally have him climbing the boards to no less than a 4th or 5th round pick. Lauvao could become a quality NFL Guard or be the journeyman type similar to Lennie Friedman.

Brandon Carter - Rising up the boards. High motor, former DL turned OG, long arms, good footwork, and a big body for DT's to have to move around. Wears face paint during the games, so likely a nutcase who comes to play week in and out. Most of the transitional lineman (coming from the defensive side of the ball) taste success in the NFL. Keep your eye on the big guard for the Aggies. 5-7 projection

Sergio Render - The 4 year Hokies starter is strong as an ox. Very good run blocker, but needs improvement in the passing game. Could be an interesting project. Looks as if he is a mid round pick, but his lack of pass blocking skills could cause him to fall in April. 4/5 projection

Sleepers (most 6-UDFA with a few exceptions)

Vladamir Ducasse - 330 lb Haitian from UMass will be a steal. Smart, great work ethic, played LT so he will be a good pass protector. For a power run scheme with Vertical Passing, Ducasse will make someone happy in 2010

Shelley Smith -  A bit light, but has all the tools necessary to become successful in either zone or power scheme for an NFL team. Love his athleticism and strength.

Chet Teofilo - Another nasty Samoan, his game should translate well to the next level. Played some Tackle in Tedfords power run system, so he can pass protect, run block, and is very strong at the point of attack.

John Jerry - The guy is huge, not to mention Ole Miss has ranked high in rushing and sacks allowed. Jerry has his name plastered on most all OL award lists, is athletic for his size, and is climbing boards consistently. He faces some of the best DLine talent in college football and could become a very solid G in the NFL.

Others:

Reggie Stephens - Lacks good speed and footwork. Late rounder likely

Thomas Austin - Durable, power blocker, good leverage and footwork. Lacks ideal speed, but is a smart/hard worker to make up for his shortcomings.

Casey Bender - Good athlete and technician, lacks strength

Andrew Lewis - Has potential, lacks strength

Marshall Newhouse - Climbing many boards. Most likely a later round depth pick or UDFA

Cord Howard - Lacks ideal speed. Deph pick

Joe Thomas - Climbing boards with seasons performance

Matt McCracken - Small school prospect. Watch closely if you can, he is rising fast.

I was listening to The Dan Patrick Show on the radio today and he was talking to Peter King.  When asked if Charlie Weiss get fired at Notre Dame, could he come back and be an offensive coordinator in the NFL?  King answered him with an absolutely.  He mentioned he might be able to get picked up in New England.  He has contacts in Miami, and maybe if Eric Mangini somehow keeps his job, he could be in Cleveland.  With that being said, Daboll will probably not be here next year, no matter what happens.  I think there is a legit chance we could land him as OC.

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It is inevitable, the Browns are the worst team in the NFL.

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Written by Daniel Wolf

After reading a Bleacher Report article on how Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn should be suspended for a low blow on Baltimore Ravens defender Terrell Suggs, I had to make a stand for my Browns and write this article on how the hit on Josh Cribbs was uncalled for and Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards should be suspended and fined for this hit.

It was the last play of the game, and Quinn threw a pass to Cribbs, who then began to run and also look for another Browns player to lateral to.

He found tight end Robert Royal, who caught the ball, but then unbeknownst to Cribbs, he was targeted by Edwards. After I watched the replay, Edwards went for Cribbs' throat and smashed his arm right into Cribbs' head, causing him to lie motionless on the field once the game was over.

Was this a retaliation play by the Ravens' Edwards because Quinn was just trying to make a play earlier in the game and went a little too low and hit Suggs' knees because he was going for the defender who picked off his pass?

I would say it is very possible knowing that the Ravens like to play very aggressively and perhaps too aggressively at times.

In Quinn's defense, he is a quarterback who normally doesn't block big defensive players on a regular basis, so even after watching the reply of his block on Suggs, I would say that he was trying to make a play to the best of his ability without trying to hurt himself or another.

On the other hand, Edwards' hit on Cribbs looked to be a direct result of him going after Cribbs and attacking his head rather than his body.

Cribbs was eventually carted off the field and he was taken to a local Cleveland hospital immediately.

No word yet on the status of Cribbs' injury, but Browns coach Eric Mangini did tell the media that Cribbs did have feeling and movement in all of his extremities.

The Ravens were successful in beating the Browns 16-0 on Monday Night Football and they were also successful in possibly ending the season of one of the Browns' best and most talented players on their roster.

As a Browns fan, my prayers go out to Cribbs for good news and to have a speedy recovery and I strongly suggest to NFL officials to throw the hammer down on Edwards and suspend him for multiple games and give him a tremendous fine for his hit.

(Thank you Sam Ingro for the following photo!)

(Article also posted on Dawg Scooper  and Bleacher Report)

I may be having that "Jerry Maguire" moment that doesn't go over well with most, but I'm going to put this out there:

It only has been a short while since our loss Monday night, in which I saw a very glaring problem. THE FANS. And the most obvious was at half-time, when the Browns had played their hardest, and the game was a 0-0 (much better than we thought), the fans in the stadium were booing the team off the field. Now put yourselves in their shoes, and imagine you are doing something you love to do. And you work hard, everyday, 12-16 hours a day, putting everything you have to become better at it. Then when it comes to game time, and you leave it all on the field, all you hear is boos. Now ask yourself this question, would you feel motivated to show up the next day, when you are so unappreciated. I know I wouldn't, as I have been in that situation in previous jobs.

I'll give you an example of where I see this happening, in Brady Quinn. Last year in the game against Denver, after the Browns suffered a heart-breaking loss, I saw a shot of Brady on the sideline, frustrated by the loss. But in that frustration, I also saw a desire in him to improve and get better. And tonight after the loos, I saw a shot of Brady and I saw nothing. He looked like somebody who had no motivation to improve. Perhaps this lack of motivation is because of the drama he has faced with the coaching staff, this is a very reasonable thought. But another very reasonable thought is that he felt unappreciated by the fans. The fans of a team he loves and dreamed of playing for. Now we have absolutely ZERO influence over how he is handled by the coaching staff, or at least it should be that way. But we have 100% influence on how we support him. And maybe that will bring a spark in him back to life. I know it did when I changed jobs from the one I felt unappreciated to the one were I was appreciated and motivated.

This is how I see my fellow Browns fans right now, myself included. I feel we are not doing the one and ONLY thing we have complete control over, which is to support and help motivate our team. We have done our "protest", and displayed our hate and anger over our QB's and our Head Coach. And to steal a line from American History X, "Has anything you done made your life better?". Or to put it into terms for the Browns, has anything the fans done, made the Browns better? Has anything we done made a rookie go out and play harder than he has ever played before? Has anything we done made a star free agent in his prime say, I want to help that team out?

We curse Mangini, saying that he has put the Browns back. And he may have, but have any of us thought that might have been the right direction to go? You have to demolish the condemned apartment building to build the mult-million dollar condos. It may not be a popular opinion but after reflecting on the season without being myopic, I'm starting to see the things Mangini has done well. He has built a defense that we can be proud of! Yet we curse him for the offense. He has gotten us 11 draft picks in what I have heard as one of the deepest drafts ever. Yet we want him run out of town.

This all came to me when I was getting ready for bed, and saw a book I have been reading called Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box, by The Arbinger Institute.It's a great book if you have time. And that is when I realized that, we as fans are in the box. Meaning that since we are in the box, we do not realize we may be part of the problem. So I want to propose this as our job description as fans:

Lets get out of the box, support the owner, the coaches, and the players, so that we ensure that we are not a part of the problem.

and

Let the people who have dedicated their lives to football, and spend countless hours at the training facility in Berea, do what they are getting paid millions of dollars for. They know more about the abilities of this team than we do, and going by past statements seem to have a grasp on how they wish to shape the future.

I know I have broken these proposals in the past, but I promise to try and go by them in the future.

I will end this with a quote I saw in Jim Tressel's The Winners Manuel:

Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.

ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike in the Morning announced that Jon Gruden just signed a multi-year contract to keep contributing to MNF.  For Browns fans this might be a bit depressing.  There has been some slight speculation that if Mike Holmgren accepted the job with Cleveland, that he would bring in Jon Gruden as a coach.  With this recent news there, the only remaining "big name" coaches not under contract are Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher.  As for the Browns it would leave Shanahan, as Cowher would rather not coach against the Steelers.  So here is to the future and another possible year with Mangini as head coach.

Here is the link.

C.J. Spiller Class: Senior Hometown: Lake Butler, FL High School: Union County Height / Weight: 5-11 / 195 Position: RB Experience: 3VL

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