Pics from Browns Training Camp - Day 16

It is with some sadness that I post these pics from the last day of "open to the public" Training Camp for my Cleveland Browns.  Yes, it means we are that much closer to Real Football, but I've really enjoyed going out to camp this year. I can't remember the last season where the Fans, Players, Coaches, Media, well just EVERYONE seemed to have a positive outlook on what was happening.... I can only hope the season lives up to our expectations, but the overwhelmingly positive vibes were awesome!  Let's go kick some butt now, BROWNS!

QB practice... "Synchronized Snapping"















The Dreaded "Bike Brigade"

Tight Ends working on their blocking techniques

Um, Brandon is it? I think you missed the ball...

O'Line Drills








Inside the Training Facility - even in the office spaces - there is a different vibe from prior years. Everything is open, well lit, freshly painted, and while that may not translate to wins on the field, I'm a firm believer that positivity is infectious! Why not start with the office people who handle the background stuff that we never worry about!

All done... time to play just a little and sign some autographs.  Players were great about greeting fans, were having fun talking to the kids, overall left everyone with a great impression of this years TC.  Thanks guys!







#65 Garrett Gilkey









 #64 Martin Wallace

 #71 Ahtyba Rubin

                                                               














And after the fans head home, after the players / coaches head into the facility, the grounds crew is back at it. Because although they are done for today, there is still more work to do before the season starts!

Respectfully Submitted,

(See you next year!)

Cleveland Kate

Pics from Browns Training Camp - Day 10

Last Training Camp Day that is open to the public before the Pre-Season starts. Browns play the St Louis Rams on Thursday, August 8th. GO BROWNS!

Lots of "bubble guys" fighting for jobs today, both WRs and DBs. I watched, was happy with some and very unhappy with others. But what do I know... check out the pics for yourself.

Brian Hoyer taking reps

Travis Benjamin waits on a pass from Hoyer. No defenders in sight. Hmmmm.

Nice leaping grab from #85 Naaman Roosevelt. Tons of separation from defenders.

Roosevelt sets up to catch a Brandon Weeden pass on the run.

#86 Mike Edwards waits for the pass to arrive. 

#88 Josh Cooper finally gets one











#40 Abdul Kanneh lines up across from #12 Josh Gordon

#40 Kanneh and #85 Roosevelt - a recurring theme as they tangled quite a few times today. Naaman caught this one.

Not this time.  Kanneh keeping his eyes on Roosevelt's, anticipating the move, blocks the pass. Now, I'd like to see him looking at the ball and going to the INT, but at this point in camp, I'll take the broken-up play.

Kanneh giving #89 Dominique Crooms more than he can handle in coverage.

QB forced to throw shallow pass to another receiver as Kanneh had Crooms covered on the deep route.

Kanneh keeps #09 Tori Gurley occupied while #42 Tommy Smith puts eyes on the ball, looking for the INT.








Respectfully Submitted,
Cleveland Kate

Kate's Fantasy Preview - 6th round draft picks

Finally! The round you've been waiting for!  Time to grab a Defense or Kicker!  Yeah, sounds silly I know but you'd be surprised how many people are panicking about those two positions. And really, these positions are not huge points generators. There are a few at the top and then a serious drop to the next level. In fact, after this round, most teams won't even worry about picking up these positions until round 10 or later.  If you absolutely MUST get a D/ST or K now, here's a list of acceptable choices. 

(Before I get into the players, keep in mind a couple things. First, I base these on a 12-team league. For scoring, assume RBs are the best option, 1 point for 10-yards either running, passing, or catching, and PPR. I also assume it's not a Keeper league. If you throw keepers into the mix, it can hose up selection order. Finally, I don't pay much attention to Bye Weeks. Yeah, you may have your top 2 or 3 players out the same week, but that is why you work the waiver wire. Also, I'd rather rack up a ton of points in the other 14 weeks than take a lesser player to score evenly all season long.)

Round Six - Remember that Def includes Special Teams in nearly every league out there (hence the D/ST designation on your roster). That is a key factor in my options for you at D/ST. 


Kickers

Blair Walsh MIN - Led the league in kicker points last year and I expect him to do the same this year. 35 FGs (10 from 50+ folks) and 36 PATs

Stephen Gostkowski NE - He had 29 FGs last year with 66 PATs, easily hit those numbers again this year.

Matt Bryant ATL - He had 33 FGs last year and 44 PATs. Not much for the long ones, but you can count on him week after week to back up Matty Ice's offense.

Phil Dawson SF - The move to SF only means bigger and better numbers for my favorite kicker of all time. No wind and snow?  Thank you very much. Dawson is money. Last year, on a sad Browns offense, he had 29 FGs and 37 PATs. 


Defense/Special Teams

Seattle Seahawks - Second last year in the points category, they'll easily move up to being the top defense this year.

San Francisco 49ers -  If the playoffs taught them anything, it's the value of kick returns and special teams in general. 6th best last year, jumps up to #2 this year.

Chicago Bears - Da Bearz. What can I say? Their offense seems to get worse every year and the defense is carrying the load. And they do it well.  Last years highest scoring D will drop a bit this year, but will sit solidly in third place.

Houston Texans - Most improved D this off-season?  Texans. Barely made the top 10 last year, should be great this year. And have you seen their schedule? Rams, Raiders, Chiefs, Jags. Yeah, they'll do well this season.



So those are some great options to fill out D/ST and K spots for the upcoming year. It is also the end of my draft preview.  If you have specific questions about a player, hit me up here with a comment or on twitter @ClvlndK8. Otherwise, go digging around the internet and see what else is out there. I'm not the only one crazy enough to stick my neck out making while predictions. I"m just usually right.  It's a Chick Thing.

Take Care. Good Luck. And if you are drafting before August 19th, you are just plain crazy!

Respectfully Submitted,
Cleveland Kate

Kate's Fantasy Preview - 5th round draft picks

And we are on to the Fifth Round at your Fantasy Football Draft.... Now it's time to take a closer look at your roster. If you don't have a QB, better grab one. You better have 2 RB by now, but there are some nice 3rd back options still available. You'll also need a second WR so you could get him now as well.  If you want a DEF or a K at this point, be glad you are not in my league - anyone who drafts those positions this early has to buy the next round. For the whole bar.

(Before I get into the players, keep in mind a couple things. First, I base these on a 12-team league. For scoring, assume RBs are the best option, 1 point for 10-yards either running, passing, or catching, and PPR. I also assume it's not a Keeper league. If you throw keepers into the mix, it can hose up selection order. Finally, I don't pay much attention to Bye Weeks. Yeah, you may have your top 2 or 3 players out the same week, but that is why you work the waiver wire. Also, I'd rather rack up a ton of points in the other 14 weeks than take a lesser player to score evenly all season long.)

Round Five Options:

QB Robert Griffin III WAS - RG3 drops a bit in value for this season because of his knee injury last year. If he's smart, Coach Shanahan will keep him out of the pre-season games - or at least limit hit time. And that makes fantasy owners nervous. Ultimately, a talent like his will prevail and he'll be looking to hit the 4,000 yrd mark this year.

QB Matthew Stafford DET -The Lions keep looking great on paper and underperforming on the field. However, Stafford still gets his. With a healthy Megatron, he should hit 5,000 yrds this year.

TE Vernon Davis SF - Can you say Underwhelming? That was Vernon last year. He just seemed to disappear at the wrong times. In order for the 49ers to get back to the Super Bowl, he has to get himself back together this year. I'd take a shot on him here. Especially considering that Harbaugh has him playing a little WR in training camp, could get him more opportunities during the season.

TE Kyle Rudolph MIN - Being named the Pro Bowl MVP doesn't mean much, but it does mean that Kyle has the skill to be a top TE in this league.  His problem? He's catching passes from Christian Ponder. Sigh. At times, Ponder has been really great. And Kyle has been on the receiving end in those great games. I believe Ponder has a much better season this year, so that extends to Kyle.

WR Reggie Wayne IND - Formerly one of Peyton Manning's favorite target, Reggie hasn't quite connected with Andrew Luck.  He had nearly 1,400 yards but only had 5 TDs last year. I'm hearing Heyward-Bey may be out for a bit with a knee injury and Luck really wants to throw the ball anyway. I'm looking for Reggie's experience to be a key factor this year and his numbers to improve.

WR Dwayne Bowe KC - Andy Reid is the key to Dwayne getting back to being a fantasy scoring stud. With the addition of Alex Smith, he's a steal in this round. If you are going to gamble on someone who's had a rough couple years but has shown he knows how to be amazing, Dwayne's your guy.

WR Mike Wallace MIA -It's a new year and a new team for Mike.  He took the money and ran to Miami but can he and Tannehill connect for big points? Shrug. I'm just guessing on this one, I'd like to think what we saw when he was a Steeler wasn't all Big Ben. But he's still a solid #2 option for you at WR.

WR Antonio Brown PIT - Yet another guy who had a disappointing 2012 but I'm seeing an upturn for him this year. Wallace is gone and overall the Steelers are getting old. This may be their last year to battle for the top of the AFC North and Ben needs someone he knows and can count on. Look to AB for 1,000 yrds and 8 TDs this season. (Of course none of those will be against the Browns. Just saying.)

WR Steve Smith CAR -The problem with an athletic, running QB is that they like to take the ball into the End Zone. Cam Newton had 19 TDs last year, while Smith only had 4. That being said, if Cam is going to survive in this league, he has to be less showy and let his guys do some of the work. I expect this year will see better numbers for both Smith and RB DeAngelo Williams.

RB Darren McFadden OAK - One of the few - and I mean very few - Raiders worth a spot on your roster, Darren is going to be carrying the offensive hopes of his team. They just don't have much talent anywhere else so it's going to be a lot of fighting on the ground. Not sure how many TDs he will get, but you can count on 1,000 yards on the ground or in the air.

RB DeMarco Murray DAL - Total crap shoot on this guy. Cowboys drafted Joseph Randle in the 5th round and if Murray has any kind of injury (as he is prone to do) then Randle may take his spot even after he's better. If he can stay healthy, he's a good option for #3 RB.

RB Reggie Bush DET - Oh, Reggie. What's happened to you?  I blame Kim Kardashian. But seriously, the move to Detroit will move him back into being a meaningful RB and if it works out, he could finish top 10 in fantasy numbers. You have to run the ball in Michigan in the winter and Reggie can do that.

So that's what you have to look forward to here in round 5. Quite a few risky propositions here, but you don't win the league and become Champion of the World without taking a few calculated risks. Next time, we'll take a look at round six options and the big question everyone wants to know: DEF or Kicker?


Take Care. Good Luck. And if you are drafting before August 19th, you are just plain crazy!

Respectfully Submitted,
Cleveland Kate

My new gig: www.nflfemale.com

I'm soooo excited to announce that I am the Official Fan Reporter for www.nflfemale.com covering the Cleveland Browns.  Did I mention that I was soooo excited?  Woo Hoo!

Now,  you are probably asking yourself... "Self?  How does this affect me?"  Well, here's the thing... My Browns articles will now be found on the nflfemale.com website. 

I will share links via FaceBook and Twitter when new articles are posted, so don't worry about that.

What happens to my blog, you ask?  It will still be here... I will just focus on Fantasy Football and life in general, like I did when I first started writing.

Thanks for checking in and hanging out... 

Respectfully Submitted,

Cleveland Kate

Kate's Fantasy Preview - 4th round draft picks

Next up:  Round 4. By now, you should have some combination of RB/RB, RB/QB, or RB/WR. If not, wanna join my league next year?  Just kidding... Your top three scorers are on the roster - but it's not time to start filling out position players. You should still be taking the best player on the board. This round can be tricky... don't fall into the standard traps. Who's left and how good is he? That's where I come in.

(Before I get into the players, keep in mind a couple things. First, I base these on a 12-team league. For scoring, assume RBs are the best option, 1 point for 10-yards either running, passing, or catching, and PPR. I also assume it's not a Keeper league. If you throw keepers into the mix, it can hose up selection order. Finally, I don't pay much attention to Bye Weeks. Yeah, you may have your top 2 or 3 players out the same week, but that is why you work the waiver wire. Also, I'd rather rack up a ton of points in the other 14 weeks than take a lesser player to score evenly all season long.)

Round Four.  OK so you have a #1 RB, and a top-tier QB or WR. Probably grabbed a second RB just to be safe. Now what? Here are my top 12 guys most likely to be available this round... (in no particular order)

QB Russell Wilson SEA - Was last year a fluke?  I don't think so. However, Seahawk fans counting on big numbers for Russ and Percy Harvin are very disappointed due to PH's injury. Russ should come back for his sophomore year and I expect 3,200+ yrds, 30 TDs, and a big drop in the number of INT's this year.

QB Colin Kaepernick SF - He wins the Super Bowl but really didn't have great fantasy numbers, partly because he only played 13 games (once he stole the starting job from Alex Smith). Adding Austin Collie will be a big help for his numbers this year. And a healthy Frank Gore catching throws in the backfield won't hurt either.

QB Matt Ryan ATL - He's a top five QB but people tend to forget about him. Once the RB / WR draft frenzy is over, people will be looking for a QB - grab Matty Ice if he's still there. Should have another 4,500 yrd / 30 TD season. While Roddy White is #1, a much-improved Julio Jones will really help Matty's numbers.

TE Rob Gronkowski - LET THE TE FLOODGATES OPEN! (EDIT - Clarification: Jimmy Graham goes in the 2nd round. Then there's a huge gap so this is the start of the run on TE's) Brady has to throw to somebody, and while he may be a goofball off the field, The Gronk is a beast in New England. Most likely the next TE off the board - unless you have one of those crazy managers who goes off early and, well, you know... grabs for the gusto in round 3.... (eyeroll)

TE Jason Witten DAL - Still awesome after all these years, Jason has the experience that Tony Romo is going to need this year. He's smart and stable. He'll get his yards and you'll be lucky to get him.

TE Tony Gonzalez ATL - An oldie but a goodie. What? Yeah, you heard me. TGonz still has it and you should be grabbing him up.

WR Wes Welker DEN - and also WR Eric Decker DEN - As Peyton Manning welcomes his newest target, most fantasy owners are shying away from Wes. Partly because there's also Eric to consider so it's hard to know which way to go. I say the "ERs"  (WelkER and DeckER") will be alternating, so as a 2nd WR option, either one of these guys is perfect... you just have to know which one is going to have the Hot Week.  Maybe you can call a psychic on that...


WR Danny Amendola NE - The Patriots roster has been cleared out to make way for Danny to be Brady's number one guy.... After being underutilized for years in St Louis, fantasy owners will just love the boost in stats Danny gets this year. I'm thinking 1,000 yrds and 6 TDs.

WR Torrey Smith BAL - Starting his third season as a Raven, I'm predicting a real breakout year for Torrey. Like over 1,000 yards and 12 TDs big. Flacco only has a couple of targets and Torrey has the speed to elude most DB's in the league.

WR Marques Colston NO - Coming back for his 8th season as a Saint (good lord I feel old) MC Grabber needs to step up to the next level. With Coach Payton returning, no more shenanigan's - run your routes, catch your balls, and score some TD's son!  He slid back in the depth chart, but by Week 1 he'll be back in line behind Lance Moore.

WR Greg Little CLE - Yeah. Fine. Call me a  homer. It's ok. GLittle has worked his butt of this off-season to stop dropping passes and be the type of receiver Brandon Weeden can count on. Adding Devone Bess to the Browns roster is also motivating him to get his work in and improve. I like him in round 4 if you already have another #1 receiver.

That's it for round four. Next time, we'll take a look at round five options.
Take Care. Good Luck. And if you are drafting before August 19th, you are just plain crazy!

Respectfully Submitted,
Cleveland Kate