Browns inactives vs. Lions raise concerns

By Don Delco
NoLogoNeeded.com Staff Writer

Browns rookies Coye Francies (DB), Brian Robiskie (WR) and David Veikune (LB) as well as Jerome Harrison (RB) were declared inactive on Sunday by head coach Eric Mangini.

Most NFL fans proudly live that label for 17 Sundays in the fall (plus playoffs).

While we understand we have nothing to contribute to society when professional football is being played Sunday from 1 to 11:30 p.m., the aforementioned Browns players do.

Craig from Waiting For Next Year, as he so aptly does from time to time, stole our thunder addressing the healthy scratches.

His entire post his here.

He was OK with Robiskie sitting, frustrated that Veikune and Francies sat in place of David Bowens, Blake Costanzo, Brandon McDonald and Hank Poteat and down right angry that Harrison sat.

Agreed.

I asked someone a little closer to the Browns if they could shed any sort of light into why those four players were inactive. According to our source, Harrison wasn’t happy he didn’t play and Robiskie can’t help on special teams and that’s why he didn’t play. Meanwhile, Francies and Veikune were “mysteries” and that “one has to assume Mangini doesn’t trust them to be up to snuff.”

Ah, coach Eric Mangini. No doubt feeling even more heat after the loss to the Lions. No sense piling on but I want to bring to the forefront something that ties into the inactives.

So we’ve established three of those inactive were rookies. Robiskie and Veikune were second-round draft picks. Now, anyone has watched the New England Patriots in recent weeks, you’ll notice what Mangini’s former mentor, coach Bill Belichick, has done with his second-round picks.

Last April, New England had four second-round picks, one more than the Browns. The Patriots selected Patrick Chung (SS, Oregon at No. 34), Ron Brace (DT, Boston College at No. 40), Darius Butler (CB, Connecticut at No. 41) and Sebastian Vollmer (OL, Houston at No. 58).

Vollmer has started 10 games at right tackle. Chung has played in all 10 games, starting one, with 26 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. Butler has played in nine games, starting two, with 20 tackles and two interceptions.

It appears as if Belichick hit some home runs in the second round this season, but that's not always the case according to Scott Benson, Editor and Co-Founder of PatriotsDaily.com.

"Second rounders during the Belichick era are actually not as good as you think," Benson said. "Matt Light (2001) and Deion Branch (2002) becaem instant contributors to championship teams, and LIght has been a Pro Bowler, Brance a Super Bowl MVP. So yeah, home runs there. Safety Eugene Wilson (2003) was another guy who played at a high level for a championship team, though he wasn't able to sustain it over several seasons."

Yet Belichick has not always found solid players in the second round according to Benson.

"Pats fans can recite chapter and verse on second round disappointments," he said. "Bethel Johnson (03) and Chad Jackson (06) were two receivers who never broke through with the NE offense, though there were plenty of opportunities to do so. The late defensive end Marquis Hill (04) never got into the regular d-line rotation. Corner Terrence Wheatley (07) has briefly shown up in the Pats secondary, but others have passed him now. Of course, Belichick’s first second round pick was o-lineman Adrian Klemm (00), who hung around for awhile as a backup but never amounted to more. The Pats did not have second rounders in 05 and 07. Their lack of success in that area of the draft was one of the reasons their defense got old (06-08) and had to be rebuilt on the fly."

Whatever camp you reside in — Fire Mangini or Keep Mangini — the Browns have 11 draft picks in April’s draft. It is hard to say at this point you’re confident the current regime will bring in first-year impact players, ala Belichick. Then again, it is not as if Belichick always drafts starters.

Regardless, the frustration remains when Browns rookies are benched while the team sputters along with one win in 10 games.