Game caps productive weekBy Zac Jackson, Staff WriterJanuary 27, 2006MOBILE, AL - Phil Savage personally scouted two North Carolina State games last season and has studied NC State's draft-eligible players on film. But the Browns' general manager doesn't remember seeing Manny Lawson play as well as Lawson did during this week's Senior Bowl practices, which concluded Thursday afternoon. "(Lawson) has had a good week," Savage said. "He's certainly somebody we look at as an outside linebacker. He has a lot of length, good height, he has good range and covers ground out in space." Lawson (6-foot-5, 240) played defensive end at NC State and this week. He's an accomplished special teams player, a model citizen, and a prospect whose stock is rising. "The question is, can he play outside linebacker after being a defensive end?" Savage said. "That's the art of scouting for a 3-4 defense. We need to project which guys can really do that. "Can Lawson do it? Can Kamerion Wimbley do it? Can Paris Haralyson do it? Mark Anderson from Alabama is another one who might. We watched those four guys are on the South team this week, and we really have to dig in and find out if they can make the transition." Most scouts and coaches who watched this week's practices have returned home. But Savage is still here, and not just because Mobile is his hometown. He believes there's real value in scouting Saturday's Senior Bowl game (ESPN, 4 p.m. ET). "The practices are important, and in years past people have tended to put more importance on the practices," Savage said. "But in my mind, the game means a lot. The lights go on and you get to see how people react in that environment. "They've played against the same guys all week, and Saturday they'll get a new opponent. Both teams will want to win. "Last year, Charlie Frye was kind of ordinary, probably a little better than average during the week. And in the game, he won the MVP. That's one reason I like to stay." Overall, Savage said he's pleased with what he's seen this week. "There are a lot of players here who I think will end up being drafted in the second, third and fourth rounds," he said. "The 48 juniors who entered the draft, some of those guys are obviously going to impact the first round. But this week we've seen guys who can help us, on both sides of the ball. "Coming in, I think we had a pretty good handle on the guys here. I had some previous exposure to (80 percent) of the guys. I felt like I knew some things about most guys and I know the scouting staff did because they've graded all the players here." Savage said Northwestern St. (La.) cornerback David Pittman, a late addition to the North roster and the only Division I-AA player in the Senior Bowl, was a pleasant surprise. "He can compete on this level," Savage said. "He hung in pretty well." Speaking of hanging in, Savage has a lot more energy at the end of Senior Bowl Week than he did at this time last year. He was new to his job then, and the Browns had to wait until after the Super Bowl to hire Romeo Crennel as head coach. "I was kidding with Romeo and told him it was much easier this year - last year I was the GM and the self-appointed head coach," Savage said. "But I think this is better. I think it helps that the coaches got to see these guys in person before they evaluate them on tape. "We got a lot of interviews done. We met as a whole staff (Wednesday) night and went through both rosters, 101 players. I think we got a lot accomplished. It was a productive week for us, and now it's about what we do with that information. "You never get too high or low on the Senior Bowl. You have to take it for what it is, which is one piece of the puzzle." From HERE
