Jan 9, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Trent Richardson (3) looks at LSU Tigers safety Eric Reid (1) coming toward him during the BCS National Championship game at the Louisiana Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-US PRESSWIRE

Pictured here is the apparent savior of the Browns offense for 2012. With Colt McCoy not showing any signs of breaking out, the Browns took Alabama beastly RB Trent Richardson. Here’s the Browns 2012 draft:

1 3 Trent Richardson RB Alabama
1 22 Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma State
2 37 Mitchell Schwartz T California
3 87 John Hughes DT Cincinnati
4 100 Travis Benjamin WR Miami (Fla.)
4 120 James-Michael Johnson LB Nevada-Reno
5 160 Ryan Miller T Colorado
6 204 Emmanuel Acho LB Texas
6 205 Billy Winn DT Boise State
7 245 Trevin Wade CB Arizona
7 247 Brad Smelley RB Alabama

The Browns wanted Richardson so badly they unnecessarily traded up from 4th to 3rd overall to get him. Be that as it may, it was worth it for a team with no real weapons on offense to draft him at all costs. The Browns have built a solid defense and the plan is to use Richardson as a workhorse back – something rare these days – and shorten games to keep things closer.

Along those lines, they drafted Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden with their 22nd pick overall. Word is he’ll start over Colt McCoy and Richardson’s presence will force opposing defenses to play “honestly.” That should open the passing lanes a bit more, improving overall efficiency. They have all the makings of a run-first offense while mixing in a lot of play action passes.

The also drafted two tackles for the offensive line which should help fill holes they had. I’d expect Mitchell Schwartz to be able to start immediately on the right side while All-Pro tackle Joe Thomas anchors the left side. Mitchell is Minnesota Vikings tackle Geoff Schwartz’s younger brother, so the pedigree is there.

I don’t know yet for sure, but it’s possible Ryan Miller will be moved inside to guard – a more and more common strategy these days and he played both positions in college. For instance, the Panthers drafted Amini Silatolu from Midwestern State to kick inside (he was a left tackle there) and the Bills drafted guard prospect Cordy Glenn to play tackle. So, don’t let the college position fool you. They mean little especially after the first round. They have one of the best young and underrated centers in the league in Alex Mack, but need help at both guard spots and right tackle. They appear to have taken care of most of that during the offseason, so it looks like Richardson will indeed find holes to get through.

Also drafted was Emmanuel Acho from Texas. Another brotherly connection, Sam, played well in his rookie campaign with the Arizona Cardinals with 7 sacks from the OLB position. Travis Benjamin, a WR from U of Miami, should crack the starting lineup since that’s another position of need for this team. Josh Cribbs is a capable starter but his biggest value lies in the return game, so Benjamin and probably Mohamed Massaquoi along with Greg Little will be their 3 main targets at that position. The receiving corps isn’t quite as bereft of talent as people say, but they just don’t have anyone that stands out.

D’Quell Jackson is the tackling machine on the defense, having totaled 158 in 2011. Fellow LB Scott Fujita is embroiled in the Bountygate saga as he was a part of that New Orleans team so his contribution early on is questionable as suspensions are being appealed and lawsuits filed. Chris Gocong is a name nobody outside Cleveland knows about but racked up 70 tackles while starting all 16 games once again.

Former first-round pick Joe Haden capably holds down one cornerback spot. Remember how he slid because of a poor 40 time at the NFL combine? His play shows that a bad day at the combine doesn’t necessarily mean anything. He’s no blazer, but he does his job well. However, the secondary really has no big playmakers, so the Browns need to put heat on opposing quarterbacks. Doesn’t everyone need more pass rushers?

All in all, the Browns should wind up in the cellar once again in the NFL’s second-toughest division but if Richardson stays healthy and runs like we think he’s capable of, they’ll be an improved team and will pose difficulties for other teams to deal with in their old-school style of play. Offensively, probably the best comparison in that style would be the New York Jets. Defensively they remind me of the Miami Dolphins – very few standouts individually, but they play pretty well collectively.

It’s interesting that the Browns knew Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon and Richardson would both be available to them…even if they felt they had to trade up a spot for Trent Richardson. They knew quite well they were going to be able to nab QB Brandon Weeden at 22 overall – that was the plan going in. They COULD have had a situation like in Indianapolis where they drafted Andrew Luck with their #1 overall and added TE Coby Fleener with their top pick in round 2. Fleener was Luck’s favorite target at Stanford and should help give Luck some measure of comfort. A Weeden-Blackmon pairing would have given the Browns’ offense, aching for years for a passing game, an instant connection.

However nice that would have been, it didn’t fit in with the plan. Instead, they went for the stud running back in a pass-happy era. Look for Richardson to get 350+ carries in 2012 if he stays healthy, and watch Cleveland upset the Pittsburgh Steelers once and the Bengals once. I’m not sure they can handle the Ravens and their run defense, but even they will be without Terrell Suggs for most of the year. The Browns could be the Kingmakers in the division this year. Or…King breakers.

If everything falls into place and they take care of the football, the Browns could push for an 8-8 season in 2012. That would be a good start with Head Coach Pat Shurmur’s second year looming. They still need help at TE, S, and in the DL/pass rush but I really like what the team has done in the draft since Mike Holmgren took over the General Manager position. It’s a tough division to climb with the Steelers always being so good and the Ravens defense so stifling. Now, the Bengals are on the rise and appear to be poised to stay a force in the future. With all this in mind, I say the Browns took….

One step forward. The divisional headwinds mean this team needs to improve more than most would in order to compete and they got some really good help at several positions of need. They had to draft well just to keep pace and they did. Give ‘em a year to grow up, and with another very above-average draft in 2013, they could muscle their way into contention with the others.

Next up: the Dallas Cowboys

Dec 18, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) rests along the sidelines during the game with the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Saints win 42-20. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-US PRESSWIRE

Monday’s hearing on “Bountygate” obviously left a bad taste in some players’ mouths. A really bad taste.

Even tackle Eric Winston of the Kansas City Chiefs speaks of regrets in the collective bargaining process where the NFLPA didn’t push back against giving Goodell “absolute power” over league disciplinary matters.

“It seems like he’s (Goodell) running amok with it (his authority) and deciding to do what he wants and it really doesn’t matter what the evidence says. Unfortunately, we don’t have an alternative option to appeal to,” Winston said.

New Orleans players Scott “Steak” Fujita, Jonathan “Oh” Vilma, Anthony Hargrove and Will “Fresh Prince” Smith all left yesterday’s hearing roughly an hour after it began and the proceedings have since drawn ire from not only Saints players but others as well. The trio minus Vilma returned for the afternoon session.

The three players released a statement questioning if they were even active participants in the hearing.

Vilma’s attorney, Peter Ginsberg, called the process “a sham” because there has been no specific evidence submitted that implicates his client. Vilma is suing Goodell by name for Defamation of Character, saying his reputation has been irrevocably damaged. Fujita makes the same claim about his own, but as far as I know has not (yet) sued over it.

Fujita said Monday that he “yet to see anything that implicates me in some pay-to-injure scheme; not in the last three months, not in the last three days, not today. And perhaps that’s because there is nothing that could implicate me in some pay-to-injure scheme.”

“You know, throughout this process, it’s become increasingly clear to me that just because someone disagrees with the NFL’s interpretation of an incredibly flawed investigation, it’s assumed that he’s lying, and to me, that’s a shame. That’s a shame,” Fujita said.

“The NFL has been careless and irresponsible, and they’ve made mistakes, and at some point, I think they’ve got to answer some questions about that,” Fujita continued.

Drew Brees, ired over his own contract negotiations having stalled, still came to the defense of his own with a bizarre tweet: “If NFL fans were told there were ‘weapons of mass destruction’ enough times, they’d believe it. But what happens when you don’t find any????”

In politics, the first one to start the Hitler comparisons usually loses. The same can be said of such upstanding citizens as Saddam Hussein and comparing this situation to geopolitics is a very adolescent response. Drew, just stick to the facts next time, or better yet, just keep your trap shut okay? You’re not helping.

In fact, the same evidence presented by the NFL was given to a dozen NFL reporters covering the event as they were brought into a conference room where lawyers and security personnel presented it as it was presented to the players in the hearing. Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt and former Defensive Coordinator were shown testifying that the bounty system did, in fact, exist according to at least one of the reporters present, NFL.com’s Steve Wyche.

His recollections can be found in this video where he explains what he was shown:

www.nfl.com/videos/auto/09000d5d829f028c/NFL-reveals-video-evidence-of-Saints-Bounty-program

They were also shown a Powerpoint presentation that detailed computer records. One of the items was a ledger detailing a bounty program that rewarded players for “big hits.” Wyche also said that players had pledged $35,000 for anyone able to “take out” Brett Favre during the NFC championship game in 2009. Vilma is said to have pledged $10,000 himself.

They also saw a picture of former reality star “Dog the Bounty Hunter” was used when talking about taking out Seahawk RB Marshawn “the Beast” Lynch. Next to the photo were typed comments like “Now it’s time to do our jobs…collect bounty$$$!” and “No apologies! Let’s go hunting!”

There’s also video of Anthony Hargrove telling a teammate to “give me my money” when it was thought Favre was injured in that game. The video I saw was in conjunction with the following article posted on NFL.com here:

www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d829f0155/article/nfl-saints-motivated-by-dog-the-bounty-hunter

If you are on the fence about the existence of the bounty program, I urge you to watch this video (the top link I shared) and see for yourself.

It seems to me that the evidence is crystal clear that this happened. We’ve got testimony from multiple coaches, computer records, and even video and audio DURING that 2009 playoff game against the Vikings as evidence – and there’s even more where that came from.

So far, those players that claim their reputations have been damaged are certainly correct, but it was of their own doing – not Roger Goodell’s. I think they’re just denying it for PR purposes, hoping that most fans won’t look any more deeply into things than sound bytes from players themselves.

I think once all is said and done, the players who are currently espousing lack of evidence, “unfairness,” and trying to fight the consequences of their actions will find that people won’t be taking their “word” for much of anything. The simple fact of the matter is they are lying.

Someone please let me know when the grown-ups arrive.

Dec 18, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (51) argues for a call towards referee Walt Anderson (51) during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome. The Saints defeated the Vikings 42-20. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

See the guy in the photo above? Good!

Because you will NOT be seeing him on the field in 2012.

The NFL office handed out suspensions for Bountygate today and this fall there will be a 2 Saints that won’t go marchin’ into anywhere for a while.

Saints’ linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been suspended for the entire 2012 season – effective immediately – and three others received lesser suspensions. WITHOUT pay. DE Will “Fresh Price” Smith will miss the first four contests.

This will be welcome news for Cam and the rest of the Panthers, who take on the weakened Saints’ defensive unit in week 2, a perfect spot for the Panthers to avoid any emotional highs of “us-against-the-world” the Saints players will probably have coming into the first week. It’s now a game the Panthers SHOULD win.

Current Packer DE Anthony Hargrove will miss 8 games and Scott Fujita, now a Brown, will miss the first three.

All four are suspended without pay.

I think the lesson here that the league is sending out is quite clear from a financial standpoint. It’ll cost Vilma over $3 million dollars even after he agreed to a pay cut for this season, perhaps in anticipation of the penalty.

Seriously, when I first learned of this “bounty program” going on (along with everyone else), my first thought was “Were the players really THAT stupid to do such things for so little money, compared to what their salaries are? Ten grand is Chump Change for the risks of being found out!”

I’m sure many of the readers of this website had similar thoughts. It wasn’t exactly a reach to get the idea in the first place.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the issue, saying “In assessing player discipline, I focused on players who were in leadership positions at the Saints; contributed a particularly large sum of money toward the program; specifically contributed to a bounty on an opposing player; demonstrated a clear intent to participate in a program that potentially injured opposing players; sought rewards for doing so; and/or obstructed the 2010 investigation.”

2010. Has it been that long? Sure doesn’t seem like it, does it?

Goodell continued. “No bounty program can exist without active player participation. The evidence clearly showed that the players being held accountable today willingly and enthusiastically embraced the bounty program. Players put the vast majority of the money into this program and they share responsibility for playing by the rules and protecting each other within those rules.”

In other words, Roger here is saying he’s punishing the ones who led the team in general and who put the money up, specifically. What he didn’t say was what I said.

They were idiots to do it in the first place. Ten grand to “knock Brett Favre out of the game?” What’s 3,000,000 divided by 16? Gotta be twice ten grand, at least!

Actually, Vilma’s REDUCED salary for this year was to be a reported 3.3 million. That’s roughly 200 grand per game. Break it down further, if your defense is on the field for 50 plays, that’s $4,000 per play.

The math says Vilma makes a “bounty” every 2 or 3 plays just for showing up. I guess that explains how he could FINANCE the thing, since the bounty was peanuts anyway. I’d have laughed in their faces if I were a player and this hare-brained scheme was cooked up over the lunch money offered alone…not to mention the fact I’d have (privately) pointed out in no uncertain terms the risk/reward here is not too good if we’re caught.

Apparently, that never happened. The Defensive Uncoordinator at the time, Gregg Williams, ran the scheme from 2009 to 2011. The investigation began in 2010, if Goodell is accurate.

Williams has been justifiably banned from the NFL indefinitely, meaning he still has a chance of being let back in after a laundry list of hoops for him to jump through is completed.

Hmm.

Well, the Saints apparently have no spies in the league office if they were still running the scheme after the investigation had begun. That’s the good news for the NFL.

The bad news is this scandal occurred just as Goodell and the NFL in general have been trying to raise awareness over head trauma/concussions among players. Twenty or even ten years ago, everyone involved might have gotten off with a hefty fine with Head Defensive Scourge Williams possibly getting a 1-yr suspension plus a fine. In this climate? Uh-uh. No, no, noooooooooo.

My own reaction to the suspensions without pay is to ask the question, “Do the Saints just keep the salary money in the bank or will Goodell have them donate it to charity of some sort?”

I’d think if the Commish really wants to drive home his point, he’d have the future un-issued paychecks of these athletes go to the fund for injured and retired players. I know that at least one such program exists from news tidbits I’ve heard before and also I think (don’t quote me on this part) there’s something in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement regarding it.

If not, $3.3 million dollars would be some nice seed money for such an endeavor and would come from quite the appropriate source.