Ken Dorsey the savior is in.  Romeo Crennel has said that Dorsey deserves a chance to play in the pre-season.  Waddya wanna bet he gets his shot here and he's let go ASAP?  Just an observation.  Have we seen the end of him in a Browns jersey?  Can ya tell we're in garbage time, rotate them in, rotate them out.

Quinn's putting his plays on his wrist.  Looks as if we're gonna see what the rookie's got - other than $8 million guaranteed.

Good lord, no Quinn and Dorsey is sacked for a safety.  I gotta tell you. My colleague Marla Ridenour is sitting next to me here praying for Quinn to enter the game, along with everyone in the freakin' stadium.

The paper's Browns beat writer, Pat McManamon makes a salient observation:  "We have a 9-9 tie.  The most dreaded words you can hear in pre-season."

Of course that may not last long considering the Chiefs had a decent return on the punt to give them back the ball after the safety.

A nice defensive stand give the Browns the ball back and Marla is almost aghast at the fact that Quinn isn't in there.  Time's a draggin' now.  Other members of the media are calling for Quinn's entry.

I love football, but this is akin to being victimized in the Spanish Inquisition.

Well that kickoff return makes Quinn's appearance irrelevant.  Not that the offense has been sparkling at all..

All right, the life is back in order.  I'm in reasonably good spirits considering Mother Nature decided to relieve herself on my rec room carpet Tuesday morning.  And alcohol wasn't necessary to create that mood.  Shocking.  Simply shocking.

What's going on in the world of sports?  Oh, let us see.

Ahhhh yes, we have a new home run king in Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, who boldly stated, after whacking No. 756 off of some nobody that the Washington Nationals called up to serve as a sacrificial lamb, that the record wasn't tainted.

I never thought I'd agree with that, but in essence he's got a point.  Why?  Bonds played in an era when performance enhancing drugs (such a wordy statement) permeated the game.  Almost anyone and everyone who put up gaudy numbers in the smash-em-bash-em '90s is suspect.  Some in the game and media will want to hold him to that higher ideal, but when everyone else doing, how can they single him out?  Logically, they cannot.

On a completely different note…

Brady Quinn is in town with a brand spanking new contract.  Gee…now was that so tough?  C'mon do you mean to tell me that the Cleveland Browns low-balled him so much that he needed to not sign his deal oh…I don't know…ummm…back in June? early July?  I'm not seeing it.  You can say a lot of things about the Browns since the team's return (like they stink, they can't block or tackle, quarterback, what's that) but the Lerner family has never been accused of being cheap…Sorry Brady (or is that Tom Condon), this one is on you.

And on a completely different topic…

I never ever wanted to get into the great racial divide that has become the Michael Vick Saga.  It shouldn't have even come to race, in my opinion.  I should have known better, however, given that I lived in Selma, Ala. for a year and it was quite evident that then and on a recent visit there that the racial wounds of the Deep South haven't come close to healing.  In some areas such as Selma that wound has an infection. In other parts, such as Atlanta, it's just a scab that keeps getting picked.

But there is a divide when it comes to Vick.  On one side we saw a bunch of white faces, animal lovers and although I didn't scan the photos completely, I'm sure there were some black ones.  On the other side, however, his most vocal supporters were almost universally black.  I could go into a deep philosophical reason why, but I couldn't do it with the depth, compassion and intelligence that Wright Thompson shows in this piece.

 Add end…

Lastly I haven't gotten the chance to thank those who posted kind words about the recent loss of my grandmother.   Perhaps I just didn't want to acknowledge that she's indeed gone, but to those who said a kind word, my warmest thanks.  A special thanks for a couple of folks who took the time to send a sympathy card to the paper. 

As I wrote in a previous post, I spent two days this past weekend at Browns training camp.  Here are a few things that I noticed:

- IF Jamal Lewis plays the regular season like he's running at camp, he could be very productive in during the season provided the offensive line gels.  What I saw out of Lewis is a guy hitting holes quickly, without hesitation and the ability to hit the corner with some speed as well.  Then again, it is just training camp.

- Kellen Winslow Jr. looks to be preparing for a HUGE year.  He's hungry yet humble, catching everything in his general direction and doing so, not recklessly, but with full gusto.

- If Braylon Edwards (again see previous post) can learn from Winslow's example, he could have a huge year as well.  Notice that last season K2 (as he's called on the team) kept his mouth shut and let his actions on the field speak for him.  Heed that lesson Braylon.

- The quarterback derby is going to be close.  Even if Brady Quinn gets into camp soon.  Don't think that Quinn is going to start the season against Pittsburgh Sept. 9 if he signs.  The likelihood of that is zero - unless of course he's the second coming of Joe Montana.  Throwing him in against the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals to start the season is akin to sending an army to war not properly equipped.  Please, watch the Iraq War barbs.  Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye look to be locked in a serious battle for Top Gun.

Yes, the silence is gone and I'm back ranting and maybe raving.  We shall see.

What's there to talk about? Well despite the fact that the only real sport playing right now is baseball plenty.  But let's start with America's Pastime and the hometown team.

After several years of being labeled cheap and not wanting to be competitive, the Cleveland Indians have to be given some serious props for inking DH Travis Hafner - a.k.a. Pronk - to a four-year contract extension.  Although the DH struggled the first half of the the season, his bat will eventually awaken and he is a core member of what will hopefully be a championship season.  With him and Westbrook signed, the Tribe can concentrate on C.C. Sabathia.  Although I suspect that will be much more difficult because the hurler hasn't been shy about saying that he'd would love to pitch near his home in the Bay Area.  But as they say: "money talks and …."

Speaking of a little bull.  Apparently Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to buythe Chicago Cubs - or at least is applying to check out the team's books.  Good for him.  Baseball needs a little showmanship, but more importantly it needs owners such as Cuban who possess a competitive spirit and are willing to actually spend some cash to win.  It would also be enormously entertaining to see how he tweaks the noses of the powers-that-be in baseball.

My colleague, Brian Windhorst, who I soon learned was one of the best NBA beat writers in the country after spending some time with him covering the Cavaliers during the playoff run, reportedthat the Cavs still itching to get the Sacramento Kings' Mike Bibby in the wine and gold.  If nothing else it's going to prove to be an interesting off-season.  The Kings reportedly want Drew Gooden in the deal.  Eh.  Gooden has his flashes, but where he might be missed most is the locker room.  He's one of the Cavs' genuine good guys.  As for Bibby?  He can score.  The assists this past season were a bit scant, but what I'm afraid of is a contract that he can opt out of after next year.  If I were the Cavs I'd want nothing to do with that.

Brady and Thomas where are you?

Cleveland Browns' training camp is two weeks away and still there is little mumbling out of Berea.   Word is that both Brady Quinn and left tackle Joe Thomas might go through lengthy holdouts.  That's not music to the ears of Browns fans, but it's reality.  With respect to Thomas, it has a lot to do with his slotting.  Players selected in the No. 3 position in the draft the past three years - Larry Fitzgerald (WR), Braylon Edwards (WR) and Vince Young (QB) - all received ginormous signing bonuses.  But keep in mind that they play skill positions, which means those huge piles of cash weren't out of line.

The Browns will likely argue that kind of cash is out of line for a left tackle.  Given the state of the left side of the team's offensive line since its return in 1999, allow me to disagree.  The team drafted him there.  He fills a cavernous hole.  Now pay him.

As for Quinn that's a different story.  General Manager Phil Savage said all along that Quinn was listed in their top five on the draft board.  Don't think that Quinn's agent, Tom Condon, didn't take note of that and will use it as leverage.  Additionally, the Browns worked feverishly to get back into the first round so they would get Quinn, Condon will use that as well.  The reality of the situation, however, is that Quinn fell fast and hard during the draft and it will cost him a huge hunk of cheddar.  He should be paid like the 22nd choice in the first round and get his tookes into camp on time.

If first impressions mean everything in any relationship, Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn and Eric Wright, the Cleveland Browns top three draft choices made huge ones Sunday in Berea, the day after they were selected in the first, first and second round respectively.

Some might expect that of Thomas and Quinn, but given the perceived baggage that's accompanying Wright, many might prefer to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.  For those who need a summary of his past problems, they can be found here.

In light of the NFL's new player conduct policy, it would seem that Wright is a huge gamble.  It was last night and it may still be, but after the way in which he turned on the charm in Berea Sunday, it's easy to see why the Browns selected him.  He's an articulate, charismatic guy with an easy going sense of humor, who's faced his issues and is ready to move on.

“It was definitely a long road and it was very hard. It was a roller coaster ride if you will. I feel like it made me weary of the people I trusted and weary of the people I associate myself with. I grew up in strong household and was an honor roll student my entire life. I went to an all boys catholic school and that sort of thing. I really need to present myself in a proper light so people can really know who I am," he said.  "I think this organization has done all they could to get the proper information. That’s why I think they were comfortable in picking me and trading up to get me. I really appreciate that.”

As for Quinn, it's difficult to not like the guy.  Did anyone notice that after the Browns traded up and selected him that as he walked to the podium, he seemed to be on the verge of tears.  Even as he held his new jersey, he looked as if he were about to cry.  He mentioned more than once in interviews that playing for the Browns was a dream come true.

“It was always something where we started watching Browns games. When I was seven, we started going to Browns games," Quinn said.  "My mom’s father, who passed away when I was younger, was huge into the Browns. I think he gave the uniform I was wearing when I was younger that was flashed on TV. It was ingrained in me from day one.”

The last quarterback that wanted to come to Cleveland and lived in Ohio had a pretty good run here.  It took a gutsy move on General Manager Phil Savage's part to take a gamble and move up to acquire him.  Quinn dropped to the 22nd pick, a fate that normally hits some bewildered QB.  The Browns should send flowers, chocolates and a new Lexus to Ted Ginn and the Miami Dolphins for selecting him.  Conventional wisdom said that the Dolphins, who are in need of a QB, would take Brady if the Browns passed on him.  Shows how unconventional the draft can be.

As for Joe Thomas, having grown up in Northeast Ohio I feel comfortable saying he's the type of player the Browns fan base can take to.  Another bright guy to be sure, but what struck me is his attitude.  He's a blue collar type of guy who wants to pack his lunch pail, go to work and do his job.

"I didn’t want to take this off season and waste it. And what I mean by that is waste it by preparing for the combine or the draft. The most important thing is to be ready for your NFL career. I wasn’t going to judge my pro career by where I was drafted yesterday," he said. "I was lucky enough to be drafted high by a great organization and by a team and a city that I fit in very well with. For me, the work has just begun now. The important this is how I play in my career, not where I was drafted. That was the mentality that I took over the off season.”

Ultimately these words will ring hollow if Wright, Quinn and Thomas don't perform on the field.  But proud cynic that I am, I have to confess that when I left from covering the Browns Draft Party Saturday and the dark clouds from the morning had given way to afternoon sunshine, I was optimistic.  Draft Day euphoria?  Maybe.  Ultimately we won't know until next season.

 Pure elation.  That's the only way to describe the fans here when it was announced that the Browns moved up to acquire Brady Quinn.

G.M. Phil Savage had a rep as being a risk taker when he arrived in Cleveland.  Sorry, but I hadn't seen much of that - until today.  Quinn at No. 3 when there are more pressing needs?  No thanks. Quinn at No. 22 by giving up next year's first round pick and this year's second rounder which was at 36.  I'll take a flyer on that.  And allow me to correct myself from an earlier post - the Browns would have had to leap frog Tampa Bay and Detroit.

For now, I"m outta here and will finish the first round from home.  They're about to kick us out of the stadium.

The Jaguars actually make a pick and it's home state guy Reggie Nelson, a safety out of Florida.

The NFL Network FINALLY reports that the Browns are trying to trade up, packaging picks to get Quinn.  They make it seem like the likelihood of a trade is possible.

The N.Y. Giants go for Texas CB Aaron Ross, given the way they lost games in a couple of instances last year, that can only help given his pedigree.

The NFL Network shills for one of its sponsors, Sprint, during the middle of commentary on the draft.  That's a wee bit tacky.

Let's play "what if".  So what if the Browns can't move up and Brady Quinn doesn't get picked in the first round?  That leaves an interesting scenario out there.  At the top of the second round there's Oakland and they sure as heck don't need a QB after drafting JaMarcus Russell.

But they could call the Browns looking to make a deal and if the Browns are that interested in Quinn they might be listening.  Why?  Because the Detroit Lions sit there with the 34th pick over all just ahead of them.  Do you seriously believe they wouldn't consider taking Quinn given the fact that their current starting QB is Jon Kitna?  It's something to think about.

The Titans select safety Michael Griffin  out of Texas.  Yawn. 

The Bengals needed a CB and they got one in Leon Hall.  He's from Michigan.  Just gives Browns fans another reason to detest the Bengals.

The Bengals are making their choice.  Gee, do you think they need to pick an altarboy?  I do.   

All updates will appear at the top now.

It' s 11:45 and I'm set up here in the pressbox.  I've been hearing certain things from media types that I know who suspect Golden Domer (Notre Dame) fans in the area won't get their wish and get to see Brady Quinn here.  I've heard it's Wisconsin's Joe Thomas a practical pick that could solidify the Browns offensive line for a decade.  Is it a gamble?  Heck yes.  But so is drafting Quinn, who possesses happy feet and an inability to show up in big games.  At best this is all a crapshoot.  Enjoy.

Oakland:  The Oakland Raiders take JaMarcus Russell surprising no one.  He's an Al Davis type of bombs-away QB for the vertical game he so loves.  Here's hoping Al's got a way to bolster that O-line because Russell will need it.  Detroit is on the clock will likely take Calvin Johnson or, possibly, entertainn the idea of a trade from Tampa Bay?

During this 15 minutes it's borderline painful to watch Steve Mariucci on the NFL Network talk about the Butch Davis years here and some of the lame brained draft picks while here.  Gerard "Small Change" Warren anyone?

Strategery in play as ESPN talks about how the Bucs could draft Gaines Adams and trade him to the Lions for Johnson.  Apparently the Lions want the Bucs two second round draft picks.  That may be too much to give up - Tampa Bay has too many holes.

Johnson looks happy going to Motown.  We shall see.  ESPN doesn't expect the Lions to hold on to him.

 The Browns are on the clock and I'm heading back to the club level to gauge reaction at the party.

And the pick is, as you all know by now, left tackle Joe Thomas.  It's about damned time they seriously addressed this offensive line.  Thomas could be an imposing presence on the line and a mainstay for years.

The Browns may have won the P.R. battle with this choice.  Before the team made their pick, anytime Quinn's face showed up on TV, there were resounding boos.  When they announced Thomas' name, universal cheers erupted.  Cheers, high fives and pats on the back.  It's difficult to tell how many were beer induced, but from down here, they're happy in Brownstown.  Give Phil Savage credit.  He snookered many in the media until the last minute and two of the best known draft gurus out there - Mel Kiper Jr. and Mike Mayock.

Also consider that it also might be a lukewarm endorsement of Charlie Frye.  Perhaps they recognized that no one could be expected to function with any degree of efficiency behind the sieve known as the Browns O-line.  Frye fans should be happy at this point.

With respect to broadcasting, the NFL Network wins this one because they apparently have the ability to eventually talk to Thomas from the boat he's fishing from with his father on Lake Michigan.  I like the fact that he isn't wrapped up with the glitz and glamour here.  It shows that his head is on straight and that although football is a game, it's also a business and a job.  His blue-collar mentality should work well in this area.

The Bucs choose Gaines Adams.  Think they're not talking trade with DayTwoi? 

The Arizona Cardinals select Levi Brown.  The consensus on both networks is that the No. 5 pick is too high to reach for him.  This first round is going briskly.  My guess would be because there was little movement trade-wise and with respect to surprises at the top of the draft.

Washington takes LaRon Landry. It's a need.  They're done for the day, however, because for some inexplicable reason they loved to trade draft picks for veteran players who ultimately don't mesh with them.  The Minnesota Vikings are on the clock and they are looking at Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, but there has been talk of some interest in Brady Quinn.

As many of you know the Vikes went with Petersen.  Not a huge surprise there.  The Atlanta Falcons chose to bolster a weak defense with the addition of DE Jamaal Anderson out of Arkansas.

The first true surprise of the draft comes courtesy of Miami Dolphins who select the OSU Buckeyes' own Ted Ginn Jr. WOW!!  HUGE surprise there because almost everyone projected him to fall out of the Top 10.  What's hilarious is watching and listening to ESPN's Steve Young have a heart attack over th Dolphins' selection.  You'd think that Young owned the team as he talks of the legacy of Dan Marino and such.

That pick says a couple things to me:  Daunte Culpepper's rehab may be further along than anyone may think and new Fish Coach Cam Cameron, who comes from the offensive side of the ball, likes what he sees.  In Culpepper he has a bombadier and Ted Ginn Jr.'s 4.3 speed loosen defenses.  Some question his route running skills and many have said that his teammate Anthony Gonzalez has better hands, but there's little denying he can be lightning in a bottle. 

Or the Fish could be on the verge of getting Trent Green, a QB who doesn't have a canon for an arm, but it's not a pop gun either and before he succumbed to injury with the St. Louis Rams and losing his job, was used to working with speedy receivers.  We shall see.

Remembering what happened with Aaron Rodgers of Green Bay a couple of years ago, NFL Commish Roger Goodell invites him into a private area to await his selection, reports ESPN.  It's a classy move on his part.  Sort of nullifies that ridiculous fine of Brian Urlacher a couple weeks back.

 Where were we?  Marshawn Lynch goes to the Buffalo Bills.  Patrick Willis to the 49ers, Adam Carriker from Nebraska to  the Rams.  Carolina swaps with the Jets who take Darrelle Revis a CB out of Pitt.

Bringing us to the Stillers.  Did anyone truly believe they'd not try to fill the shoes left when they let Joey Porter get away in free agency?  Just another outside linebacker to try to terrorize Browns QBs.

Young is still extolling the virtues of Brady Quinn and Chris Mortensen reports the Browns attempting to move up to get Quinn.  I don't hear any of this on the NFL Network.  It's possible that I've missed some nugget of it, but it's not there.  You see the differences in the respective broadcasts through the personnel on the screen.  After 28 years, ESPN has built trust - enough to get a story like that.

The Pack takes Justin Harrell a DT out of Tennessee.  No, it' s not as if they could have used some offensive help for Brett Farvrrree, especially after Ahman Green vacated Wisconsin.

 Jamie Dukes of the NFL Network hits on a very valid point when it comes to Brady Quinn's freefall - the lwoer he goes in the first round, the better the team he plays for next season.  However, he also points out the loss in dead presidents that he will take.  That's got to be hard to swallow as well.

By the way, Quinn to the Jaguars makes sense given the fact that the team doesn't appear to be particularly enamored of Byron Leftwich, their current signal caller.

Jacksonville has a strategy: trade down and get as many picks as you can.

As a quick aside, I actually found a couple folks wearing Miami Dolphin gear here and they were far from happy with the selection of Teddy Ginn Jr.

Other thoughts on Quinn:  Should he fall to the second round, is that necessarily a bad thing?  It wasn't for another Golden Dome QB named Joe Montana who was taken in the third round, but ended up winning four Super Bowls and being named the game's MVP three times.  Whoever gets him will end up with a QB with an itch to prove everyone wrong.

I sat in on Phil Savage's pre-draft meet-and-greet with local media types today and something became apparent to many of us as Savage sat at an elevated dais and analyzed every position on a football team (except kicker and punter) in some semblance of detail and several things revealed themselves:

1) The Browns would have little problem with moving up in the draft  to get the player they want if the deal is right, Savage said.

2)  Savage has apparently known LSU's JaMarcus Russell since the kid was 14 or 15.

3)  During the course of the press conference, Savage rattled off the comparative strengths and weaknesses of approximatley 15-20 quarterbacks.

4) After ending with his breakdown of all of the positions about 45 minutes later, I suddenly needed to reach for the Tums.

Why?  Because it became painfully aware that after edumacating the press that Savage and the Browns have researched quarterbacks more than any other position.   The Browns will be taking a quarterback in the upcoming draft.  Will they move up to get Russell?  Or will it be Brady Quinn?

It's no secret that Randy Lerner traveled to see Russell work out.  It's also no secret that Quinn wants to play for the Browns.  So why do I want neither?  Let's think waaaaaayyy back to … 1999…when the team drafted Tim Couch out of Kentucky with the No. 1 overall pick.  Yup, he was going to lead us to the Promised Land.  He got sacked. We booed.  He cried.  He was doomed.

Fast forward to 2007 and yes, we once again need a quarterback.  Sorry Charlie, Frye ain't the answer.   Yet it looks as if we're about to make the same mistake.  What good is a quarterback when you can't protect him?  Right now, the Browns pass protection is inconsistent at best, horrible at worst.  And make no mistake about it, if they draft Russell or Quinn, they will play this year.  The Frye Experiment is done.

Here's hoping that Savage and Head Coach Romeo Crennel possible gamble pays off.  If it doesn't, they'll likely pay with their jobs.  And Browns fans?  How does another five years in football hell sound?  Yeah, I thought so.

After watching the first half of the Cavs' game at a local Winking Lizard, I got in my car to listen to halftime stuff on their flagship station only to discover that the Browns had reached a deal with now former Baltimore Ravens running back Jamal Lewis.  How do I contain my enthusiasm?

Normally my gauge of local sports is my favorite watering hole, Scalpers in Mayfield Heights.  I walked in tonight, grumbling about Lewis' acquisition and my Wednesday night bartender Joey D. was ecstatic over the Browns' news.  This is what it's come to - mere desperation.

That's where Cleveland Browns fans are right now.  Lewis rushed for a massive 1132 yards on 314 carries for a whopping 3.6 yards per carry.  Hello!!!! What's mesmerizing about that?  What's significant about it?  The fact that the yards were actually in the positive?

What I like less about this one-year signing is what it possibly portends.  Could the Browns be tipping their hand with respect to the 2007 draft?  If so you can guess what General Manager Phil Savage and his fellow gurus are thinking:

With Lewis we have a viable, touch running back.  There's no need to draft Adrian Peterson out of Oklahoma.  We have a running back, now let's get a quarterback.  What?  You thought Charlie Frye was the answer?  And that's what scares me.

Notre Dame's Brady Quinn has made little secret of his desire to play for the Browns and apparently, after the recent NFL Combine in Indianapolis his stock has been very much on the rise.  Quinn apparently made all the throws and exhibited a wonderful aptitude for the Wonderlic I.Q. test.

My problem?  In big games, he doesn't really show up.  The Ohio State Buckeyes cooked his grits in the Fiesta Bowl more than a year ago and the Louisiana State University Tigers nailed him in this year's Sugar Bowl.  He's got happier feet than those penguins in the movie Happy Feet only it's a less likable feature on him. 

Taking Quinn would be a reach on a team that has far too many other holes than at QB - even with Frye there.