EM actually admits he made a bad decision last year on accepting a penalty. It looks like he may have matured somewhat. Anyway, long article and interesting in aspects related to Abram, Coleman, Ratliff and Edwards. Would have bold faced his "admission of bone-headedness" but my new Defender Pro software and Microsoft IE don't get along too well. Edited down... http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/9854 Browns GM George Kokinis and Coach Eric Mangini Talk About NFL Draft Submitted by Eugmc on April 26, 2009 - 10:55am. Cleveland Browns Cleveland Teams News Sports (Opening statement) - (GM George Kokinis) -?Alright, happy to be here..., l'll pass it over to coach.? (Head Coach Eric Mangini) - ?I couldn?t be happier with the process, the way that the scouts worked together throughout this process with the coaches, the amount of detail, effort and time that went into stacking the boards and really identifying the players we liked and the players who had the traits that we believed in and I thought that went extremely well. Anytime you get into a situation where there is a lot of new people working together, there are some bumps but I thought there were extremely few of them and to get to the point where we were today and then go through the process of discussing the different trade options that we had, making those trades, executing those trades and acquiring the players that we ended up with, I couldn?t be happier with. So with that, I open things up for questions.? (On why RB Chris Wells was not selected by the Browns) - (Mangini) - ?From my perspective I think that we really liked Alex (Mack) and I?ve been part of drafts in the past where we?ve drafted two offensive linemen in the first round and my experience there was outstanding. To get the players that we did at that point with Nick Mangold and D?Brickashaw Ferguson, two young ascending guys who played a lot of snaps and helped us continue to improve offensively. I think with Alex, he?s an outstanding center, he?s an outstanding person and I think he should be a good player here for a long time. We run all different scenarios and look at all different options and when we made the pick where we made it, we were excited about the pick that we made.? ( (Mangini) - ?To follow up on what George just said with Alex, he has the type of feet where he plays with a very good base and even when he gets beat, if say he gets beat off the initial snap, he can counter back inside, maintain that base and control the defender. I thought he had very good strength in order to drive in the running game and also the ability to run the offensive line and make the line calls and do all those things that you?re going to ask a center to do, which is a pivotal position on the offensive line.? (On if the center position was a spot of concern based on the 2008 roster) - (Mangini) - ?I think there were a lot of different needs and musts that we assessed and I think its Alex?s job now to come in and define a role for himself and to figure out a way to play and figure out a way to contribute. That?s what I expect from him. I expect him to come in here and work as hard as he possibly can and put himself in a position to contribute right away. As George said, he has the versatility to play not just the center spot but to play either guard spots. When you get down to the 45-man roster, that position flexibility is key.? (On the players acquired from the Jets on draft day) - (Mangini) - ?Kenyon (Coleman) is a defensive end that we had initially acquired from Dallas as a free agent. It actually came down between us and the Browns in terms of him making his choices where he was going to go. I was glad that he signed with us at the time. He is extremely stout against the run, very good technique. He led the NFL, I believe, two years ago in tackles for a defensive lineman. Unbelievable person and adds real stoutness in the run game. With Abe (Elam), he was a guy that we had targeted during free agency. We made the offer to Abe, he was another guy that we acquired, and we actually got off the wire. He came in, wasn?t intimidated by coming into a new environment, and really stood out in the secondary based on his leadership, his ability to make calls, all of those things that you?re looking for. He ended up playing quite a bit that year and ended up unseating someone who had been at the position as a starter for quite some time. He split time over the course of the two seasons, made some real impactful plays for us last year. The strip-sack vs. Buffalo at the end of the game when they were trying to run it out and we ended up running it back for a touchdown, had a 90-yard interception return against Buffalo up there that went for a touchdown, after I made a bone-head decision to accept a penalty thinking that I would put them out of field goal range. They got the first down, then Abe made the pick and it went for 90, just the way I planned it.? (Kokinis) - ?It?s only bone-head when it doesn?t work.? (Mangini) - ?That?s right, it?s only bone-head when it doesn?t work. With Brett (Ratliff), Brett?s a guy that we got as a free agent after the draft. We liked his traits and he came into the first rookie camp and he couldn?t do a thing. He couldn?t do a thing. I?m thinking, ok, we?re just wasting our time here, he kept working out and got up to a suitable level, made it to training camp, went though some bumps in training camp. We had to look for a roster spot and we decided between him and another player. We have this period after practice called ?opportunity period? where we let the young guys play against each other, get extra reps and prove that with extra reps that they should continue to stay around in camp. So he lights it up during opportunity period, saves himself, ends up making the practice squad that year. I wasn?t going to just let him sit around as a quarterback so I had him work at practice squad receiver. He did a great job there and bought himself a year. Through the course of that next year, the amount of development that this guy made to his work ethic, his intelligence, all of those things, were impressive and you guys saw last year, he had two touchdown passes against the Browns. That type of substantial progress I thought was really encouraging so I like that a lot about him.? (On making a trade with his former team (the N.Y. Jets)) - (Mangini) - ?I think when you make a trade, it?s got to work for everybody. It worked for them, it worked for us and that?s a positive situation. (New York Jets General Manager) Mike (Tannenbaum) and I talked about some of those things and George and he finalized things. I don?t think that you ever look at it as your former team. Most coaches have former teams, plural, so you?d be out of the trading market if you didn?t trade teams you?ve been on in the past. I think it was a real plus decision for both teams.? (On the Braylon Edwards trade rumors) - (Mangini) - ?George and I were talking about the volume of rumors that are there, especially leading right up to the draft, it gets to be a little overwhelming and you couldn?t even address them all if you wanted to. As George said the last time he spoke to you, nothing has changed with the quarterbacks and nothing has changed with Braylon. We?re excited to get the team on the field, especially on the practice field, with the infusion of the new players, let them compete and figure out who the best is at each spot.? (On drafting an ex-ball boy in Brian Robiskie) - (Mangini) - ?I think there?s a real upside to that. I think they have great potential and they usually end up being very successful.? (On if they have talked to Braylon Edwards) - (Mangini) - ?Braylon and I sat down for a long time, we spoke when we had our meeting and it was a good meeting, it was a positive meeting. He and Brian (Daboll) have talked quite a bit. I think that there are so many rumors about so many players at this time of year and they can gain traction. It?s not a function of anything necessarily changing it?s just sometimes they gain traction. I can tell you he is here, Brady is here and we?re excited to move forward.? ((On if Braylon Edwards will still be with the Browns at the end of the draft) - (Kokinis) - ?I don?t anticipate anything different.? (On if the team entertained offers for Braylon Edwards) - (Kokinis) - ?No, we did not today.? (On if any of the Jets players acquired today can start in 2009) - (Mangini) - ?Well I think that all three of them will come in and compete to start. I think with Brett, we?ll continue to see where he?s at but Kenyon has started in the past and he?ll compete to start this year. The same thing with Abe, he has started in the past and he will compete to start as well.? (On if they have improved the run defense) - (Mangini) - ?I think some of that is going to be determined by one, how effective we are able to play together and whether it?s run defense of pass defense, it?s got to be coordinated defense. Guys have to hit the right spots, they?ve got to get the right fits, they?ve got to do all those things and we?d made real progress in New York in those areas and I?m looking to make progress in those areas as well here. That?s going to be determined by how quickly we can do that as a unit. Just to go back to David for a second, I love the guy?s motor. This guy?s got a big time motor, toughness, aggressiveness and I liked his ability to change directions. There?s almost a smoothness to the way that he changes directions, the way that he is able to run games and I think that possibly he could play both outside and inside for us moving forward.?
He apparently hasn't figured out, he shouldn't think he's "too smart for the room" Still up to the same old antics.
I was mad when Johnson fired Mangini. I still think he's going to be a good coach and wanted him around one more year. Having said that, I'm so excited we hired Rex Ryan and think he's going to be great as well. I wish Mangini the best.
I think Mangini has the potential to be a great coach but like alot of great coaches he must fail first to succeed later....he still has some to learn...
