I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Weekend; although Monday might bring some rain, so far we've had beautiful weather here in Cleveland on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. In today's edition of Around the Pound, we take another brief look at which players have been impressing at the Browns OTA's, some player news around the NFL, and more.
Pluto: Browns Already Showing Off Wallace & Cribbs
We haven't even hit minicamp yet, but the news continues to be exciting regarding the possibility of using Joshua Cribbs and Seneca Wallace on the field at the same time, as Pluto states:
More importantly, they seem to be running wild with ideas for Seneca Wallace and Joshua Cribbs in the double Wildcat formation. They are being bold, showing the media plays where Wallace throws to Cribbs, and Cribbs throws to Wallace. Long snaps can go to either player. They both can run and throw. Cribbs claims it will be nearly impossible for any team to prepare in one week for all the variety the Browns have planned.
I know the Miami Dolphins have run the Wildcat (or whatever you want to call their system the past two years) effectively, but the Browns might be the first team to take the usage and impact of the Wildcat formation to another level. Heading into the season, I have to imagine that the possibilities of the formations the Browns will run involving these players (among others) will be the most-talked about topic. The OBR also has some notes on using Wallace and Cribbs at the same time.
Three Youngsters Who Have Been Impressive
- Brian Robiskie: Robiskie has been 'the receiving star of camp' so far, according to Pluto. Considering the second-rounder didn't receive a lot of playing time last year, it looks like he'll be in the thick of things heading into this year.
- Montario Hardesty: The theme that Hardesty is not making any of the typical rookie mistakes continues to hold true, but again, we'll have to wait until training camp to see where he'll line up on the depth chart this year.
- Larry Asante: According to Pluto, Asante has done well in coverage, which is good for two reasons -- it's harder to cover in OTA's when there are no pads on, and Asante is known as more of a tackler than a cover guy.
LenDale White Released by Seahawks
It's funny to read the headlines no more than a few days ago that RB LenDale White was looking forward to a clean slate with the Seahawks, only to find out that the team released him yesterday. White barely lasted a month with his new team, but it appears that he might be facing a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The Seahawks might have been willing to put up with that, but rumors indicate that his attitude didn't sit well with the team, hence the release. From our SB Nation Seahawks affiliate...
Jason La Canfora is reporting that White is facing a four-game suspension. That doesn't surprise me. Not the particulars, but this move was too sudden to be caused by quality of play--quality of practice. It doesn't matter to me why White was cut, only that he has been. It usually takes an injury to displace an entrenched starter, and taking White out of the equation improves the chances of the best backs getting carries.
Scott Fujita on the Labor Talks
The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi has a great piece with Browns LB Scott Fujita on the labor talks that will dominate the NFL airwaves over the next few months. Be sure to read the entire article for all of Fujita's quotes:
But Fujita is not a Pollyanna about the road ahead. He said the proposed expansion of the regular season to 18 games, which will be introduced into CBA talks during upcoming sessions, "is not going to fly" without increased compensation to players.
"If you're going to add some extra games, it incredibly increases the percentage of us getting hurt. So there's got to be some kind of adjusted compensation in that, whatever that may be," he said.
Besides his talent on the field, having Fujita's involvement in the player union is an asset to the media for issues such as this.
Off-Beat Notes
- R.I.P Dennis Hopper. I was just thinking about his Season 1 performance in 24 the other day (I was reflecting on the show's villains as the series came to a close).
- I went to see Iron Man 2 on Friday and I had the same opinion that many of you did. The story itself was not as compelling as the first one (which had the advantage of exploring the origins), but it was still an entertaining flick that didn't leave me disappointed.
- I started watching Curb Your Enthusiasm on DVD (only Season 3) and I loved the Seinfeld-feel to the show. I'm definitely going to have to check out the other seasons now. I'll have to remember to use club soda and salt if I'm ever in a pinch too.
- The Lakers just have things fall their way, don't they? From Pau Gasol's tip in early in the postseason to Ron Artest's putback of a Kobe Bryant airball to end the game, it's been incredible. So it'll be Boston and LA in the finals. Meh, this still should've been the Cavaliers year.
- Roy Halladay with a perfect game yesterday. Why do perfect games always seem to involve tight, 1-0 games?