State of the Union

It's been a long time since my last entry. Unfortunately, I have been extremely busy. With NFL owners and the NFLPA feuding like two school children fighting over the swings at the playground, the 2011 season is up in the air. Despite the leagues effort to continue with "business as usual" by still holding a draft and releasing the schedule already, games are going to be lost. The inability to agree on how to divide up 9 billion dollars is astonishing. There is no end in sight to this ugly divorce.

There has been no off-season to speak of due to the absence of a CBA. Keeping all of this in mind. Cleveland took several strides forward last season. They had a tremendous draft; arguably the best draft in the league boasting players such as Colt McCoy, Joe Haden and T.J. Ward. Despite drafting these terrific playmakers, the team still finished 5-11, fired Mangini (FINALLY! He should have never been hired in the first place.) and hired his replacement Pat Shurmur, who I am not entirely sold on. Shurmur's decision to not hire an OC shows his lack of HC experience. That's not to say that he can't handle the added responsibility, but I do not believe this is the best way to kick-off your first HC job.

GM Tom Heckert needs to draft defense early and often in this draft. There are some very intriguing prospects in this draft, none of which I'm sold on save for one....Patrick Peterson. If he is available at #6, Heckert needs to pull the trigger. There will be other temptations such as Robert Quinn, Da'Quan Bowers, Von Miller, A.J. Green and Julio Jones. WR might be our biggest need, but our lack of DE's is also disconcerting. Nonetheless, Peterson is a once in a generation talent that will team with Joe Haden and T.J Ward for the next decade to form the best secondary in the league. Being able to cover receivers is just as important as rushing the QB and allowing 26 TD's through the air last year has to be weighing on Heckert's mind as well. The bottom line is this team is still 2-3 years away from competing for a Super Bowl. There are a number of holes that need to be filled and, unfortunately, they cannot all be filled at once. Without free agency this year until a new CBA is reached, the draft has taken on an even more important role. If you think about it though, draftees are not allowed to sign contracts or have any contact with their respective franchises due to the lockout so it's really irrelevant at the present time who is drafted. As with anything else, it is a long-term investment and not a get-rich-quick scheme.

I am very encouraged that this franchise may actually turn the proverbial corner with Mike Holmgren and Heckert running the show. Thus far, they have demonstrated that they have shored up the organizational side of the business and now what needs tending to is adding talent and depth to a depleted 53-man roster that simply isn't up to par with the other teams of the AFC North.

P.S. if you haven't done so already, vote for Peyton Hillis for the 2012 Madden cover at http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/feature/madden2012cover