Dawg Pound Lounge ,

Wherever you fall on the Bitter/No Bitter scale regarding the [Baltimore Ravens], it is a safe bet many in northeast Ohio and those around the country wearing orange and brown did not watch much of the Super Bowl postgame show.

Here’s hoping Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi and Rob Chudzinski didn’t drink too much at their respective [Super Bowl parties] and were in Berea by 8 a.m. Monday.

The pressure is on, boys. The name on the door is: Win Now.

For the last few years, patience was preached as general manager Tom Heckert purged the Browns’ roster of age and lack of talent and infused the team with young, contributing players. There was no doubt someone needed to do it, but the process was painful and, on the heels of many losing seasons, tough to accept. Still, any Browns fan could see the team’s talent level was moving in the right direction, but it was moving at glacial speed.

Meanwhile during Heckert’s demolition and rebuilding, the [Pittsburgh Steelers] reached the Super Bowl and, in his final season, the Ravens won that game.

A year after the Browns returned to the NFL, the Steelers and Ravens are a combined 261-156 in the regular season with eight playoff appearances apiece. Pittsburgh has played in three Super Bowls, winning two and Baltimore has played in two Super Bowls, winning both.

The challenge before Banner, Lombardi and Chudzinski is to beat the Steelers and Ravens. If you can beat those teams with regularity, bigger things will await the Browns.

Regime after regime struggled to do just that. The list of the Browns’ ex-coaches is a mile long and each coach has featured the same characteristic - they couldn’t beat the Ravens and Steelers on a consistent basis.

All this losing, especially to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, has resulted in a short-tempered and frustrated fan base. Yes, it began in the 80s with three AFC Championship losses, but it only has grown after the move in 1995, the success past coaches, players and front office personnel elsewhere other, and, finally, the amount of losing coupled with the amount of winning by the closest rivals.

It all culminates in a chip that rests firmly on Browns fans shoulders.

Funny, there is a similar chip on the shoulders of Joe Banner, Michael Lombardi and Rob Chudzinski. There is no doubt Banner, Lombardi, Chudzinski and Jimmy Haslam will be working hard to try to make this team a winner. Unlike the Big Show that sashayed thought the Berea hallways with a large [championship ring] already planted on his finger, the fingers of these new Browns owners, front office personnel and coaches are bare.

Wanting [to win] and actually winning has been a disconnect around here. Mangini got two years. Shurmur two more. Not enough? Need more time for continuity?

Save us the spiel that this is a process or that there needs to be time to build this thing the right way.

It is time to win. Too many Super Bowl Sundays in recent seasons have seen either the Ravens or Steelers play in — and win — the game.

Pressure can be good. You want your leaders to perform under pressure. The previous regimens couldn’t do it. Next up, please.

Feel that pressure, fellas? Good. Now go and perform.

All this losing, especially to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, has resulted in a short-tempered and frustrated fan base. Yes, it began in the 80s with three AFC Championship losses, but it only has grown after the move in 1995, the success past coaches, players and front office personnel elsewhere other, and, finally, the amount of losing coupled with the amount of winning by the closest rivals.

It all culminates in a chip that rests firmly on Browns fans shoulders.

By Tony Grossi

The Morning Kickoff …

Name dropping: NFL free agency begins at 4 p.m. on March 12. A lot can happen between now and then. Players whose contracts are up can be re-signed. Players under contract can be released and enter the market as free agents. And some marquee free agents can receive the franchise tag from their teams and be severely restricted from leaving.

When it comes to free agency, Browns fans follow one commandment: Thou shalt covet thy neighbor’s free agent. They want anybody and everybody. I know this for a fact because I receive emails and Tweets every day asking why the Browns don’t sign (fill in the blank).

At the Super Bowl, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam tempered expectations in free agency when he said, “I don’t think you’ll see us making any big, splashy, high-priced moves.”

What follows is not a full-blown preview of free agency, but rather an appetizer. We’ve identified six potential positions of need and listed “big splash” and “little splash” possibilities to fill them. Some of the players listed could be re-signed or franchised by the time free agency begins on March 12.

Position: Quarterback.

Big splash: Joe Flacco, Baltimore.

Little splash: Derek Anderson, Carolina.

Analysis: The only similarities of these two are physical – big guys with big arms. The idea of Baltimore GM Ozzie Newsome letting Flacco leave – to a division rival, no less -- after a Super Bowl MVP performance is pure fantasy. Anderson had his one good year with Rob Chudzinski in Cleveland in 2007 and followed him to Carolina in 2011. Despite a nasty farewell address to Browns fans in a regrettable email following the 2009 season, Anderson would love to rejoin Chudzinski as a backup.

Position: Wide receiver.

Big splash: Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City; Brian Hartline, Miami; Greg Jennings, Green Bay; Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh; Wes Welker, New England.

Little splash: Danny Amendola, St. Louis.; Ted Ginn Jr., San Francisco; Dominik Hixon, N. Y. Giants.

Analysis: Bowe’s size (6-2, 220 pounds) sets him apart in a stellar class at his position. Wallace is the fastest and would diminish the rival Steelers by leaving. Hartline’s growth chart has been consistently up. Jennings and Welker are more effective in a West Coast offense. Amendola has trouble staying healthy. Ginn, the native Clevelander, has not had his receiving skills fully developed. Hixon, the former Akron Zip, has a lot of talent and hard luck; two ACL tears have slowed his career.

Position: Outside linebacker

Big splash: Shaun Phillips, San Diego; Paul Kruger, Baltimore.

Little splash: Quentin Groves, Arizona.

Analysis: Phillips has 69.5 career sacks and played the past six years for Browns coordinator Norv Turner, but will be 32 in 2013 and is on the decline despite 9.5 sacks last season. Kruger climaxed his first season as a starting rush linebacker with three sacks in the Ravens’ post-season run, including two in the Super Bowl. Groves, a former Jacksonville second-round pick, had his best NFL season in five years under Browns coordinator Ray Horton in Arizona in 2012.

Position: Cornerback

Big splash: Antoine Cason, San Diego; Derek Cox, Jacksonville; Brent Grimes, Atlanta; Sean Smith, Miami.

Little splash: Mike Jenkins, Dallas; Keenan Lewis, Pittsburgh.

Analysis: Cason -- another who played for Turner in San Diego -- Cox and Smith each will command a hefty price. Grimes would have, too, until suffering a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in the 2012 opener. Jenkins, a late first-round pick in 2008, underachieved for five years in Dallas. Lewis is an ascending player who became a full-time starter in 2012 and prepped his first two seasons under Horton in Pittsburgh.

Positon: Free safety

Big splash: Jairus Byrd, Buffalo; LaRon Landry, N.Y. Jets.

Little splash: James Sanders, Arizona.

Analysis: Byrd is a productive ball hawk who had nine interceptions as a rookie and nine in three years since. Landry is more of a hard hitter who has played strong safety as well. Sanders is a journeyman, mid-round pick of the Patriots who was exposed to Horton’s defense in Arizona as a backup last year.

Position: Tight end

Big splash: Jared Cook, Tennessee.

Little splash: Anthony Fasano, Miami; Brandon Myers, Oakland.

Analysis: Cook is a big man who can run and catch who never has broken out in the Tennessee offense. Fasano isn’t a big-play tight end, but a reliable one. Myers broke out with 79 receptions in his fourth season in Oakland in 2012.

Norv Turner fixes things for a living – and for the sheer fun of it. He fixes offenses. But his specific skill is fixing quarterbacks, especially young and/or inexperienced ones. And though it's just a guess – maybe an educated guess, but still, just a guess – we think strongly that the new Browns offensive coordinator is chomping at the bit to start fixing Brandon Weeden. Again, this is just a guess, but it appears he feels that way because he seems to believe Weeden has a lot of untapped potential.

Think about it: Since this new Browns regime has taken over, going all the way back to Jimmy Haslam's purchase of the team being approved by the other NFL owners on Oct. 16, and then to CEO Joe Banner coming on board nine days later, who of the Browns power men has been the most positive about Weeden? It's been – by a wide margin – Turner, who said during his introductory press conference, "He has the skill set we like. He has a big arm and can throw the [ball] long." It doesn't get much better than that.

When Turner looks at Weeden, he doesn't see a guy who connected just 57.2 of his passing attempts in 2012 as a rookie. Rather, he sees someone who had nearly 300 completions (297). He doesn't see a guy who threw 17 interceptions. Rather, he sees a guy who threw 14 touchdown passes in a pitch-and-catch offense that didn't match in any way, shape or form his skill set – his big arm – and was throwing mostly to young, inexperienced receivers. He doesn't see a guy who had only a 72.6 quarterback rating. Rather, he sees a guy who is 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds and was sacked just 28 times despite attempting 517 passes.

Turner doesn't see the quarterback of a team whose top receiver had just 53 receptions. Rather, he sees the quarterback of a team where there were four players with 49 or more catches. He doesn't see a guy who was sometimes indecisive in the pocket, holding onto the ball too long while waiting for something to develop. Rather, he sees a guy who had way too many coaches and advisors and even the team president – that is, when he stayed late and attended practice – who were chirping in his ear, giving him so many mixed messages that it made him dizzy.

Everybody seems to be writing off Weeden's chances to be the starter next season. While they're willing to give him a shot, they think he has no shot. That only serves to make Turner even more anxious to [get started]. It makes it more of a challenge to him – and will make the reward just that much greater for everybody involved if he can pull it off.

The first thing Turner must do is work on Weeden's mind and emotions – that is, give him some confidence boosters. Former head coach Pat Shurmur never missed an opportunity to blame Weeden – be it ever so slyly – for most of the ills of the offense. Turner needs to make Weeden understand that that was a bunch of hogwash, and that things will be different this year. Once Weeden accepts that and trusts Turner – and it may take a bit for that to happen after all the negativity of last season -- then the whole process of fixing him to whatever level he can be fixed, can begin.

Indeed, this will be – by a longshot – the most interesting thing for Browns fans to watch this offseason and into the minicamps, [training] camp, the preseason and maybe even the regular season as well. They will observe Turner as he applies some spit, shine, good coaching and TLC in trying to salvage a player who, according to most people, is not salvageable – who is broken beyond repair.

But that is exactly what the guy who fixes things – especially quarterbacks – was brought in to do.

Bacarri Rambo in the third has to be the pick.

(the $20M non-exlusive tag would cripple them).

If you're the Browns do you do that deal?

Beach i read that over there . that sounds very very intriguing . i would pull the trigger on that one . it is a no brainer IMHO .

I have't given up on Weeds either . he was misscast in Shurmurs outdated system . Chud & Norv will do wonders for him i think.

has football withdrawl set in yet ..or is everyone looking forward to the Combine ..free agency & the Draft ?



for me its all of the above .

If you're the Browns do you do that deal?

I think I agree, Irish, but not sure it's the no-brainer you think it is. Yes, you have your franchise QB, but that's it. Would pretty much eat up your cap space

New Browns coach Rob Chudzinski said last month that it would be “premature” to call [Brandon Weeden] the team’s starting quarterback for the 2013 season, something that doesn’t seem to have taken Weeden by surprise.

During an appearance in Oklahoma on Friday, Weeden said that he fully expects to have competition for the starting [job in Cleveland]. Weeden called it “fun” to compete to try [to win] a job and that he wouldn’t be doing things any differently than Chudzinski and company if he were making the decisions for the franchise.

“I expect competition. That’s [the way professional sports are]. Unless you’re [Tom Brady], [Peyton Manning], [Drew Brees] or these guys, you might as well expect for somebody to try to come take your job,” Weeden said, via the Associated Press. “We’re talking about a multibillion-dollar corporation, essentially. There’s going to be changes. Obviously, we’ve already seen some. But there’s going to be competition. The guys that drafted me are no longer there, so I fully expect there to be competition. I would want competition. I want to go into camp and compete. If I had won 10 or 11 games last year, that may not be the case, but we weren’t able to get that done.”

Weeden said it was “exciting” to get a chance to play for Norv Turner and said that he’s spoken to Troy Aikman about playing for Turner. It’s hard to assess Weeden’s chances of holding onto the starting job without knowing the identity of who his competition will be, but his attitude should benefit him in any battle [for the job]. The choice will be based on a lot more than attitude, of course, but Weeden’s chances wouldn’t be too good if he were pouting about the fact that the new regime wasn’t sold on his abilities.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald suggests that the Dolphins might place RE Jared Odrick on the trade block.

There is no question that there is a pretty sizable gap between the upper echelon of the NFL and the Browns. The roster as currently constructed is very young but the Browns could make some judicious moves that could help them speed up the process quicker and give them a shot to make a push for the playoffs in 2013.

Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner said they aren’t going to make moves that are quick fixes and also intimated that they wouldn’t make any ‘splashy’ moves in free agency. They have said the Browns are committed to building long-term through the draft.

However, being reportedly close to $48 million under the salary cap the Browns could make a few moves in free agency that could significantly improve the team. Here are a few of the possible moves they could make.

We’ll start on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback--The most important position is always the quarterback. The current front office and coaching staff hasn’t declared [Brandon Weeden] the starter going forward. Haslam said that he expects a quarterback competition in [training] camp, but here are a couple of options for the team.

[Joe Flacco]-- recent Super Bowl MVP--is the biggest pending free agent quarterback currently on the list. The Ravens are dealing with salary cap issues and might have to franchise Flacco in order to keep him. Currently, the amount to make Flacco a non-exclusive franchise player is about $14.6 million a season. However, the Browns—and several other teams--have plenty of salary cap space and could sign Flacco and gladly forfeit the two number one draft choices it would take to sign him. To avoid that from happening, the Ravens could name Flacco an exclusive rights free agent, which would put him over $20 million a season in salary. If the Ravens chose to do so to make sure they didn’t lose him they would have [big money] tied up at one position and that would hurt the Ravens going forward as they couldn’t keep some of their other players by choosing to keep Flacco.

If they decide to let him go, the Browns would have their quarterback, who is younger than Weeden and appears to be entering his prime. Maybe it was because he was with the Ravens, but I haven’t considered him a franchise quarterback, but I have to admit going forward I think he would be a better option than either [Michael Vick], [Alex Smith], [Matt Flynn], [Ryan Mallett] or any of the other rumored quarterback candidates being talked about to replace Weeden. If the Browns were to obtain Flacco, they would be significantly weakening their AFC North rival at the same time.

Smith would be the other quarterback who appears to be able to step right into the lineup and upgrade the offensive production. The best option to get Smith would likely be in a trade because if he is released by the 49ers, he can go wherever he wants and he might not see the Browns as his best option. However, he does have ties to Norv Turner and a chance to start would appeal to him. It comes down to what other options he might have.

Then again, the Browns might decide to go another year with Weeden. Then again, there is always the option of [Derek Anderson] or [Brady Quinn], who are also free agents. If the Browns choose to go there, they could have a re-union from already four regimes ago.

Wide Receiver—The Browns could use a veteran wide receiver to go with [Josh Gordon] and [Greg Little]. In similar fashion to the signing of Flacco, the Browns could hurt the Steelers by signing [Mike Wallace] as a free agent. [Greg Jennings], [Wes Welker], [Danny Amendola] and [Dwayne Bowe] are also currently expected to hit the free agent market. Jennings might be the most attractive addition of the group.

[Victor Cruz] is a restricted free agent but the Browns do have the money to force the Giants to consider letting him go as they are also trying to re-sign [Hakeem Nicks].

Guard—The Browns returning guards, [Jason Pinkston], [Shawn Lauvao] and [John Greco] were not a physical force on the interior of the line and didn’t provide a big enough push in the running game. [Andy Levitre] of the Bills, [Louis Vasquez] of the Chargers or Brandon Moore of the Jets would all provide that physical presence. Vasquez played for Turner in San Diego.

Fullback—In Turner’s offense, the fullback is usually more prominent than what the Browns have had in the past couple of years since the departure of [Lawrence Vickers]. [James Casey] (Texans) is versatile and can play fullback and tight end. The options at fullback in free agency are limited.

Tight end—There are several available tight ends in free agency should the new staff not think that [Jordan Cameron] can handle the role or they choose to not re-sign [Ben Watson]. Among the tight ends that are set to become free agents are [Martellus Bennett] (Giants), [Jared Cook] (Titans), [Dustin Keller] (Jets) and [Brandon Myers] (Raiders). [Dennis Pitta] (Ravens) is a restricted free agent.

Now, let’s look at the defensive side of the ball. With the switch in schemes, the outside linebacker and cornerback positions might be the most important.

Outside Linebacker--On the defensive side the Browns need outside pass rushers as they begin to employ Ray Horton’s defensive schemes. Arguably, Anthony Spencer of the Cowboys is the top free agent available. Spencer had just a half sack less than teammate [DeMarcus Ware] and could give the Browns a great pass rusher immediately.

They also could go after [Paul Kruger] (Ravens) or [Dwight Freeney] (Colts). They would be interesting additions as they can rush the passer. [Dannell Ellerbe] (Ravens) is scheduled to replace [Ray Lewis], but could help the Browns.

Cornerback—It was obvious the Browns were thin at cornerback when Joe Haden missed the first four games and the Browns lost all four of them. When he was sidelined for a game later in the season, the Browns lost. [Sheldon Brown] is a free agent, but he is 34-years old. [Dimitri Patterson] was released and [Buster Skrine] was the whipping boy most of the time he played. The former defensive coaching staff was clearly in Skrine’s corner, but the new staff might not be as high on him.

Several options are available at cornerback including: [Marcus Trufant] (Seahawks), [Mike Jenkins] (Cowboys), [Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie] (Eagles), [Tracy Porter] (Broncos), Aqib Talib (Patriots), [Nate Clements] (Bengals), [Rashean Mathis] (Jaguars), [Cary Williams] (Ravens) and [Sean Smith] (Dolphins). [Leodis McKelvin] of the Bills is a top notch return man and could double in that role, as well.

Safety—If the Browns feel they can do better in the draft at cornerback, there are a few more options at safety. [Jairus Byrd](Bills), [William Moore] (Falcons) or [Dashon Goldson] (49ers) would all look good next to [T.J. Ward].

It’s a given the Browns can’t get all or the majority of the players they need in free agency, but if they can pick up two or three key pieces in free agency, that could go a long way in improving the team in 2013.