<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>NFL INSIDER Browns find work is hard playing catch-up to rivals Sunday, February 19, 2006Tony GrossiPlain Dealer Reporter Browns General Manager Phil Savage readily admits he has a lot of work to do in the off-season for the team to make up ground on its division rivals. The Browns have to shore up their defensive front seven in free agency and the draft, add a receiver to replace free agent-to-be Antonio Bryant, re-sign potential free agents Orpheus Roye and L.J. Shelton, negotiate a long-term deal with Reuben Droughns and continue to bolster the offensive line. All of that and further the development of Charlie Frye, rehabilitate Kellen Winslow Jr. and Braylon Edwards from major knee surgeries, and incorporate Winslow into the offense after a two-year absence. The good news for Savage is that the other three teams in the AFC North are not without their off-season issues, too. Here is a snapshot of the "things-to-do" lists of the Browns' division rivals. Baltimore: The Ravens have a lot on their plate, which is one reason they chose not to make a coaching change and add to their workload. As it is, Brian Billick will enter the season as somewhat of a lame-duck coach. On the personnel front, the team needs to lock up a long-term deal with safety Ed Reed, choose a feature back between Jamal Lewis and Chester Taylor and then sign him to a new contract, and add a veteran quarterback to keep Kyle Boller on the bench. The club also is looking to alter the chemistry of the locker room, which could result in the departure of linebacker Ray Lewis or cornerback Chris McAlister. Four players who finished the season as defensive starters can be free agents - linebackers Tommy Polley and Bart Scott and defensive linemen Anthony Weaver and Maake Kemoeatu. Cincinnati: The Bengals' off-season is shrouded by the uncertainty of quarterback Carson Palmer's recovery from major knee surgery, performed a few days after the team's loss to Pittsburgh in the wild-card playoff round. At the same time, they will lose perhaps the league's best backup quarterback, Jon Kitna, who wants to pursue a starting job in free agency. Cincinnati already has signed Doug Johnson, who couldn't make the Browns' roster last summer, and the Bengals will seek another quarterback in free agency. Before Palmer's knee injury, coach Marvin Lewis faced another off-season of fixing his defense. The team will benefit from the return of injured safety Madieu Williams. But it still needs reinforcements at defensive tackle, cornerback and the other safety spot. Pittsburgh: It's not supposed to work this way anymore in the NFL, but the defending Super Bowl champions probably have the fewest off-season headaches. Their most notable casualty in free agency figures to be multiple offensive threat Antwaan Randle El. The Steelers always have been able to re-sign players they choose to keep. Among the potential free agents in this category are defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen (Palmer's tormentor in the playoff game), safety Chris Hope, cornerback Deshea Townsend and backup quarterback Charlie Batch. The team has to redo contract figures for center Jeff Hartings and running back Duce Staley and find a replacement for retiring short-yardage rusher Jerome Bettis. The greater challenges for the Steelers lie in the regular season, when they deal with the natural obstacles that confront the league defending champions each year. These include having to navigate a schedule probably laden with numerous prime-time games and being the opponent every team gears up for in 2006. Still on the Couch: The Texans will not pursue a contract with Tim Couch. The former Browns No. 1 draft pick worked out in Houston this week. We hear that either Couch's right arm needs more time to recover from shoulder surgery or his career could be over. Previous workouts with Cincinnati and Miami were equally unimpressive. Couch has not played since the 2003 season, was cut by Green Bay in the 2004 training camp and failed a subsequent workout in Chicago before having rotator cuff surgery. Worth a thousand words: The work of Cleveland-area freelance photographer Tony Tomsic is included in the "Football Book," produced by Sports Illustrated. Among Tomsic's 12 entries are two photographs of the Browns never before published - a two-page color shot of Lou Groza booting a field goal from the old stadium's infield dirt and a unique double exposure of a preseason football doubleheader on the same field. Capologist to the rescue: The ascension of Mike Tannenbaum, 36, to Jets general manager probably was a precondition of friend Eric Mangini leaving the Patriots to become Jets head coach. They forged a friendship as 20-something interns in Cleveland in 1995. What's weird about the promotion is that the Jets are $26 million over the projected 2006 salary cap and Tannenbaum has been in charge of the team's salary cap for years. Tree branches: Josh Boyer, a former assistant coach of Dean Pees at Kent State, was added to the New England coaching staff. Boyer, who was defensive coordinator at South Dakota Tech the past three years, will be an assistant to Pees, recently promoted by coach Bill Belichick to coordinator. Combine notes: Neither Vince Young of Texas nor Matt Leinart of USC are expected to throw or run at the NFL combine in Indianapolis this week. The top two quarterbacks in the draft will reserve their efforts for personal workouts later this spring. Their snubs give No. 3 passer Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt an opportunity to close the gap. Cutler gained some ground by being named most valuable player at the Senior Bowl. Frye earned the honor last season. . . . It could be a down year for the Mid-American Conference in the NFL draft. Only six players from the conference were invited to the combine - quarterback Omar Jacobs of Bowling Green; receiver Brandon Marshall of Central Florida; quarterback Kent Smith of Central Michigan; and defensive back Darrell Hunter, receiver Martin Nance and linebacker Tarna Nade. all of Miami of Ohio.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>i agree they really need a qb</div>No they don't, Frye isn't bad. Him, Braylon, Winslow and Droughns arn't a bad team at all they just need to upgrade their D and possible their O-line.
He didn't play half the season because Dilfer was the starter and he drove them into the ground. Frye didn't play amazing but that's part of developement not all players can just jump in and be the next Peyton Manning.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gopackers4 @ Feb 19 2006, 01:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>He didn't play half the season because Dilfer was the starter and he drove them into the ground. Frye didn't play amazing but that's part of developement not all players can just jump in and be the next Peyton Manning.</div>Peyton Manning didnt jump in and be the next Peyton Manning.People forget he threw 28 interceptions his rookie season...Frye was a rookie, didnt start half of the season because Dilfer was in there, and when Dilfer went out (after basically ruining their season). Frye played well filling in for him, he didnt have Edwards or Winslow to throw to because they were both injured and he still led the Browns to a few wins.I think the kid deserves a chance to prove he can be the guy.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Peyton Manning didnt jump in and be the next Peyton Manning.</div>I didn't say he did. I meant not every player can come into the league and be amazing at their position which Peyton Manning is.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Feb 19 2006, 02:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Frye was a rookie, didnt start half of the season because Dilfer was in there, and when Dilfer went out (after basically ruining their season).</div>and just how did Dilfer ruin the season?Please enlighten me.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (dawgfan @ Feb 19 2006, 02:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Feb 19 2006, 02:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Frye was a rookie, didnt start half of the season because Dilfer was in there, and when Dilfer went out (after basically ruining their season).</div>and just how did Dilfer ruin the season?Please enlighten me.</div>Well, the 4-7 record didnt help.True it wasnt completly his fault, but my point was that the games after that point were kinda meaningless because they were out of playoff contention. It was better to get Frye in there at that point and let him build towards the future.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AdropOFvenom @ Feb 19 2006, 02:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Well, the 4-7 record didnt help.True it wasnt completly his fault, but my point was that the games after that point were kinda meaningless because they were out of playoff contention. It was better to get Frye in there at that point and let him build towards the future.</div>It wasn't Dilfer's fault at all. Yea, Frye needed some time in there but it came far too soon. Frye played against Jacksonville and was awesome and continued to be impressive against Cincinnati and Oakland. Then against Pittsburgh he played horribly. Then after Pittsburgh he was against the Ravens and had an average game. Dilfer went out and beat the Packers, Bears, and Titans and played the Colts, Ravens, Lions and Texans close.
I seen Charlie Frye play in high school for Willard High School in Ohio, he has a great arm, and great poise, he I believe is the QB of the future for the Browns.
