Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer compiled a list of five players that he believes may shine for the Browns in 2010 and of those five, I happen to agree with his selection of second year receiver Brian Robiskie.

Brian Robiskie: The second-year receiver dressed for 11 games as a rookie and caught passes in only three of them. If one OTA practice open to the media is any indication, he should at least quintuple his season total of seven catches.

Of all the receivers at last year’s scouting combine, I felt as though Robiskie was the most polished. That’s not to say he was the best, but his route running was superb (which is usually a great indication that a young receiver will make an impact right away in the NFL) and he displayed soft hands during all of the drills.

Neither Grossi nor I are suggesting that Robiskie will be a superstar, but I think the former Ohio State Buckeye could mount a career that resembles former Bill Don Beebe’s. Some of you might be thinking, “Oh, wow – Don Beebe, huh? Wow – great.” But Robiskie could do much worse than to have a Don Beebe-like career. Much worse.

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ESPN’s Chris Mortesen is reporting that the Browns have genuine interest in quarterback Colt McCoy and could use their second round pick on the Texas product, or even package picks to move into the bottom of the first round.

So far this offseason, GM Mike Holmgren has done some major reconstructive surgery on Cleveland’s quarterback position. He released Derek Anderson, traded for Seneca Wallace, signed Jake Delhomme and dealt Brady Quinn to the Broncos. But anyone with 20/20 vision or a strong pair of prescription eyeglasses can see that Wallace and Delhomme aren’t the answer. Wallace is fine in small doses, but struggles to carry a team on a full-time basis and Delhomme has been a disaster since the 2008 Divisional Round playoffs. I know that some Browns fans are optimistic that Delhomme will return to his 2007 form, but watch him orchestrate an offense without Steve Smith, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart at his disposal – and then evaluate how optimistic you are.

That said, I don’t think McCoy is the answer for the Browns. He’s a class act all the way and he did some tremendous things at UT, but there’s no telling what kind of shape his shoulder is in. He recently told NFL.com’s Gil Brandt that he’s 100% and will be able to throw at the Longhorns’ Pro Day on March 29, but that will be the first time he throws since the BCS title game. Even if he does throw well and his shoulder has healed, there are still question marks surrounding his arm strength and his unfamiliarity with a pro style offense.

Of course, the one thing McCoy has never been criticized about is his accuracy, which is vital for quarterbacks running the West Coast Offense. Maybe Holmgren believes McCoy is the right fit for his system and also likes the QB’s athleticism. Still, McCoy succumbed to Nebraska’s immense defensive line pressure in the Big 12 title game last season, raising questions about whether or not he could survive in the NFL.

I guess what I’m ultimately saying is that I’m not completely sold on McCoy as a prospect. I loved watching him play at Texas and I think he can be successful because he’s an incredibly hard worker with a great head on his shoulders. But will he be successful? As a starter, I’m not entirely sure.

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There are several intriguing rumors floating around the NFL blogosphere about John Fox’s future. And one of those rumors has the current Carolina front man heading to Cleveland next year in order to reunite with quarterback Jake Delhomme, whom the Browns recently signed to a two-year deal.

There are several interesting connections between Fox and the Browns, which were all highlighted by ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

“Think about this: Panthers coach John Fox is a huge Delhomme supporter. Browns general manager Tom Heckert is an equally big supporter of Fox. Fox’s contract is up after this season. Agent Bob Lamonte represents Heckert, Fox and Browns president Mike Holmgren. Cleveland gave Delhomme a two-year deal, long enough to carry him over until the time when Fox will become free. I’m not saying, I’m just saying …”

It’s not a crazy notion. Holmgren is already in the process of tearing down the Browns’ roster and rebuilding it from scratch. Just based on some of the moves that Holmgren has made, if I were Mangini I wouldn’t get the walls in my office re-painted quite yet, because there’s a good chance he’ll be gone in 2011. Whether or not Fox replaces him is another question, but as Schefter points out – it’s certainly a possibility.

Considering the success Fox has had in Carolina, this news should have a lot of Browns fans excited. Tempered, but it excited. Personally, I think he’s a little overrated myself (the Panthers have been the model of inconsistency under him during his tenure and they never shy away from failing to live up to expectations), but he’s a better football coach than Mangini is. Fox gets the most out of his players on Sundays and he relates well to them, which is why they always play hard for him. I know this would be a ways down the road, but if Holmgren were to hire Fox, he’d be giving Cleveland the competent coach the team has needed for years.

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Far be it for me to question Mike Holmgren’s decision making because the man certainly knows what it takes to build a competitive football team. But what is he thinking in regards to the Browns’ quarterback position?

Holmgren wanted to upgrade Cleveland’s quarterback situation during the offseason because he wasn’t satisfied with Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson. Given Anderson’s play last season, I’m surprised he wasn’t cut the moment Holmgren put his John Hancock on his contract in Cleveland. As for Quinn, it’s debatable whether or not he should still have the opportunity to compete for the Browns’ starting job. I wouldn’t criticize Holmgren if he kept Quinn and I wouldn’t criticize him if he traded him for a box of shot glasses and a bottle of Jameson.

But is Holmgren really set to enter the 2010 season with Jake Delhomme (whom was recently signed to a two-year deal) and Seneca Wallace (whom was recently acquired in trade with Seattle) at quarterback? Delhomme wanted to be a starter and wouldn’t have signed with Cleveland if he weren’t promised that he’d get at least get the opportunity to compete in training camp. So the question is: What did Holmgren see in Delhomme last year to make him think that the former Panther could still be a starter in this league?

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According to WKYC-TV in Cleveland, the Browns have offered Mike Holmgren a contract in the $8-10 million per year range to be their football “czar.”

From the Seattle Post Intelligencer:

Holmgren has indicated he’d like to speak with the Seahawks about their vacant general manager position, but the team is in the process of evaluating its own situation and has hired a search firm to come up with possible candidates.
While Cleveland might be content to wait some time for an answer, the Browns can’t be put on hold indefinitely. So it will be interesting to see if Holmgren’s situation there — and a leaked pronouncement that he’s been offered a job — will prod the Seahawks into action.

Seems like this one could go one of two ways. Either the Seahawks will grow tired of being publicly pushed into a quick decision on Holmgren and eliminate him from consideration, or decide they need to move quickly to secure their man.
Meanwhile, Holmgren must decide whether he’s wants to take the first job offered to him in Cleveland, or hold out on the Seahawks or other potential openings when the season concludes in January.

Unless it’s a money issue, I don’t know why the Seahawks wouldn’t act quickly to bring Holmgren back to Seattle as their general manager. The position is open with the departure of Tim Ruskell, so unless Seattle expects to land Mike Shanahan or Bill Cowher, it’s perplexing why they wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to bring back Holmgren if he indeed wants the job.

That said, I don’t blame them for not wanting to make a snap decision. But if Holmgren does go elsewhere, the Seahawks better land a capable GM, because Jim Mora isn’t a miracle worker. He’s not the type of head coach that gets the most out of his players; he needs talent in order to succeed or else he’s an average NFL coach at best.

Kudos to the Browns for being aggressive by offering Holmgren a contract. They realize they have a problem at the top and need someone with credibility to come in and rebuild the organization from the ground up. It’ll be interesting to see if they land Holmgren.

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According to the Akron Beacon-Journal, the Browns held a meeting with former Seahawks and Packers coach Mike Holmgren on Monday. The meeting was to gauge Holmgren’s interest in becoming a football “czar” for the Browns next season.

It’s not known if Holmgren would accept a job immediately; he’s a thoughtful guy who probably would want to think things through. But team owner Randy Lerner is working hard to convince Holmgren the Browns would be right for him.

As for Mangini’s future, many rumors and reports have trickled out of Berea that the win over Pittsburgh guarantees that Mangini will be back in 2010.

What the win did was make the Browns 2-11, and Randy Lerner has to be aware of that reality.

Lerner, though, will not force his will on the new football leader. The team’s owner will have input into the coach, but he will not force a decision on someone he hires to run his football operations.

Holmgren would absolutely be a great fit for Cleveland. He would bring credibility to the job and a proven track record, which are two things that are incredibly valuable to an organization like the Browns.

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According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Bill Parcells may be interested in leaving the Dolphins taking a position with the Browns next season.

What sounds unthinkable is actually gaining a little credence. There is chatter initiated in NFL personnel ranks that Parcells would be agreeable to leaving the Dolphins midway through his four-year contract to take on his next rebuilding project in Cleveland.

“The one thing about Bill is he’s unpredictable,” said a league source, who would not discount the possibility.

Parcells has an escape clause in his contract to leave the Dolphins at any point and still receive the remaining money owed him. Further, the new team would not be required to compensate the Dolphins with money or draft picks.

Parcells is always looking for a new challenge, they say, and he feels the organization he has set up in Miami will carry on fine without him.

Wooing Parcells would have to wait until Miami’s season is over. There’s the very real possibility of him playing one suitor against another. He has left the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the altar on separate occasions twice each during his illustrious career.

There is also the realization that Parcells, 68, is not going to preside long over what he builds.

“You just have to find the steady hand [to oversee] after he gets bored,” a source said.

Even if Parcells came to Cleveland for two years it would still be worth it for the Browns, because he would build a coaching staff that could succeed once he bolts. The key would be to get him for those couple of years to point the ship in the right direction and get it moving forward. Then when he decides to move on to greener pastures, the organization will hopefully be filled with competent people.

As the article notes, Parcells is always intrigued by a challenge. He has a massive ego and wants to see his name mentioned in the headlines. He has to be getting a little complacent in Miami and Cleveland would be the ultimate reclamation project.

We’ll see if the Big Tuna bites if Cleveland offers.

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