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Winning first priority for coach, not giving rookies playing time
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Friday, Dec 12, 2008
BEREA: Browns coach Romeo Crennel is turning a deaf ear to those clamoring for playing time for the Browns' rookies, especially tight end Martin Rucker.
Playing in just two games this season and catching one pass for 9 yards, Rucker was expected to get his chance after Kellen Winslow suffered a high ankle sprain against Indianapolis Nov. 30. While he was active last week at Tennessee, Rucker was used only on special teams.
In a draft-day trade with Dallas, the Browns gave up their third-round draft choice in 2009 to obtain the fourth-round pick to select Rucker. At that time, he was thought to be an insurance policy in case Winslow held out of training camp after asking for a new contract in February.
''Rucker has a lot of potential,'' Winslow said Thursday. ''He's got a long way to go, just knowledge of the game, speed of the game, knowing when to run his routes off what coverage, that sort of thing. But he's going to get there. I think he's going to be a good player.''
Rucker set the school record at Missouri with 203 career receptions and totaled 2,175 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 84 catches in 2007 broke the season record for tight ends. He shattered most of the school marks set by Winslow's father, Kellen Sr.
Winslow Jr. said he had an easier transition to the NFL playing in a pro-style offense at the University of Miami than Rucker did coming out of Missouri.
''I think Rucker was in an empty-set kind of offense,'' Winslow said. ''He had 90 catches or something, I would love that. And he was getting handoffs from the quarterback and running it. That's pretty special. He's ahead of the curve in the passing game, so that helps.''
The embattled Crennel has been adamant that winning is foremost in his mind. Although he didn't say it, he won't play youngsters just so the next regime can get a look at them.
Both Rucker and linebacker Beau Bell, another fourth-round pick, had arthroscopic knee surgery in the preseason that set them back. But Crennel's assessment of Rucker was less than glowing Thursday and he said Rucker remains No. 3 behind Steve Heiden and Darnell Dinkins.
''He's been picking up the system. The opportunities he's gotten in practice he's embraced those and tried to get some things done,'' Crennel said of Rucker. ''The strong part of his game is his ability to catch the ball and find the open spots in the zones. He's looked good doing that. He still needs to work on some things.''
After the Colts game, Crennel said Rucker needed to ''show that he belongs and that he knows what to do. There was one play that he went out there and we had a problem with the formation and we had to use a timeout.''
Injury report
Sitting out were running back Jerome Harrison (ribs), defensive linemen Louis Leonard (toe), Shaun Smith (calf) and Corey Williams (shoulder), and tight end Kellen Winslow (ankle). Limited were receiver/returner Josh Cribbs (lower back tightness), right guard Rex Hadnot (knee), fullback Charles Ali (ribs), linebacker Shantee Orr (knee), nose tackle Shaun Rogers (shoulder) and linebacker Beau Bell (knee). Cribbs is confident he'll play against the Eagles.
Among those sitting out for Philadelphia was running back Brian Westbrook (ankle-knee), who has practiced little of late but still missed only two games.
Brownies
Browns linebacker Andra Davis, a fifth-round pick of the Browns in 2002, knows this might be his final season in Cleveland. ''I've always believed in myself. I know I can still play this game,'' he said. ''I'm pretty much 100 percent positive it will be somewhere else if it's not here.'' . . . Running back Allen Patrick was promoted from the practice squad and tight end Jed Collins was sent down, which could be an indication that Harrison will sit out.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.
BEREA: Browns coach Romeo Crennel is turning a deaf ear to those clamoring for playing time for the Browns' rookies, especially tight end Martin Rucker.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Stow, OH
Posted 08:03 AM, 12/12/2008
Just more proof why this coach has to go ,how do you expect a tight end to getany better playing a blocking dummy on special teams.As for Crennels comment that winning is his first priority,well we all have seen how that has turned out .
edison, NJ
Posted 10:01 AM, 12/12/2008
winning is rac"s first priority ?? that comment
would be laughable if it wasn"t such a sad state
of affairs with the browns.
Posted 10:13 AM, 12/12/2008
tim - I couldn't agree more! Crennel is a joke and this article pretty much sums up his regime in Cleveland...I'll play slow old veterans, before I look at our younger players - let them learn sitting on the bench. When Crennel gets canned and if he wonders why it happened all he has to do is look in the mirror!
Posted 10:46 AM, 12/12/2008
oh yeah romeo, your veterans are sure winning for you!
i can't wait for rac to be nothing more than a bad dream.
Posted 11:24 AM, 12/12/2008
That's why RAC should have been fired weeks ago. He's a deterrent to the team moving forward. The Browns can't even assess talent because he's in the way.
Posted 11:32 AM, 12/12/2008
Maybe he is saying: "It is hard enough to win in this league with the talent I've been given to further complicate things for myself and my good players by using kids who don't know what the heck they're doing, in no small part because both had knee surgeries since camp."
Nothing more.
Canton, OH
Posted 05:17 PM, 12/12/2008
Another great quote from Romeo. God forbid we get our young players some experience, That worked out ok for Brady Quinn. Our veterans really made an impact this season. We should have picked up Vinny Testaverde to play out the rest of the season. You can't beat a good OLD veteran!
Posted 07:48 PM, 12/12/2008
Did I note a little jealousy with Winslow talking about Rucker? He broke the record held by K1, didn't he? He probably does need to learn game speed, knowledge of the game, everything anyone needs to know that never gets to play. He didn't catch all those passes for Missouri because he's got stone hands. He needs to play and I would bet that he makes a great impact on the NFL with someone. Hopefully in place of K2 and his mouth. Go Browns!
Posted 07:57 PM, 12/12/2008
Winslow talking about Rucker. "I think he had like 90 catches or something like that." = he broke a lot of my dads records at Missouri. He's crawling right up my back to be a great tight end along with Steve Heinden because I totally shortened my career when I wrecked that dirt bike and tore up my knee. I think that Rucker is going to be just fine if not better if he ever gets to play. Romeo does it want to look at any younger talent for the future because he wants to keep his job now.
The, US
Posted 10:56 PM, 12/12/2008
Is this the same genius coach that felt Charlie Frye was superior to Derek Anderson AND Brady Quinn? The same loser who keeps playing old man McGinist ahead of Hall? The same guy who thinks Darnell Dinkins is an NFL TE? The same coach who keeps stuffing Harrison to the end of the bench?
Romeo will never be a head coach again. Nowhere.
Posted 03:11 AM, 12/13/2008
This is a good eample of why crennel should be fired now. He isn't just a lame duck. He is still actively hurting this team because he refuses to play younger players because he wants to win. How is that working out for you Romeo? What a joke.
WADSWORTH, OH
Posted 05:08 AM, 12/13/2008
Crennel is a total idiot-RUCKER SHOULD PLAY NOW-NOT WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR-Mr.Lerner,please wake up from the old stinkin thinkin addages of the past WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR B.S.-THE TIME IS NOW.TAKE CONTROL OF THIS TEAM BEFOE THE FANS STOP BUYING TICKETS!!! THE SAME OLD SAME OLD DOES NOT,HAS NOT ,WILL NOT,CAN NOT-WORK ! ROBISKIE HAD THE GRIP YOU NOW DESPERATELY NEED BUT REFUSE TO GRASP FULLY.
Posted 09:29 AM, 12/13/2008
Crennel is very logical. His reasoning is clear. If it's not broken, don't fix it. Can this guy get any worse?
newport, NC
Posted 07:29 AM, 12/14/2008
Belapuke sent RAC here to further "GARF" up the TEAM he so dearly loves(the browns & cleveland)..... PLEASE NO MORE belapuke CAST OFFS.
Posted 02:30 PM, 12/14/2008
well to bad they actto bad or something.
