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Home , Akili Smith, Gerard Warren, JaMarcus Russell, Peter Warrick

Time: 04-21-2012 23:25 User: jpatterson PubDate: 04-22-2012 Zone: IN Edition: 1 Page Name: C8 Color: CyanMagentaYellowBlack

C8 | SUNDAY,APRIL 22, 2012 | THE COURIER-JOURNAL SPORTS | courier-journal.com/sports IN NFL » THURSDAY-SATURDAY » NEW YORK » ESPN, NFL NET SCRIMMAGE: Starters dominate subs

Continued from Page C1 gives him the chance to lead.” Just afew days after Phillips ripped forced into astarting role after Morgan his punters, saying the starter probably Newton was injured. Newton is still re- isn’teven on the team yet, the Wildcats covering from surgery on atorn la- did no punting. After adrive stalled, brum in his throwing shoulder and the coaches simply picked aspot on the didn’tparticipate in the scrimmage. field for the other side’soffense to Coaches said all spring that Robin- start. son was the Cats’ biggest playmaker, Phillips said he’ll likely look for an and he backed that up Saturday with incoming freshman to in the fall. nine catches for 146yards, although all He also said rookie offensive linemen, of it came against the second-string de- tailbacks, wide receivers, defensive fense. Phillips said that he once worked backs and linebackers will get ahard atraining camp with NFL coaching leg- look when they arrive in late summer as end Joe Gibbs, who noted “there’s he tries to fill holes identified this something to be said for aguy that ev- spring. ery time you have ascrimmage, he Something that already seems to makes aplay.” have emerged is adesire to throw more. “Demarco Robinson is that guy,” The starting offense passed 45 times Phillips said. “Every time we came into and ran just 18 times. The White tail- (the stadium) he made ahuge play for backs were effective when they got a us. Today he made alot of big plays for chance —CoShik Williams carried JaMarcus Russell, aquarterback from LSU, stands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell us. We think he’sone of our playmak- eight times for 38 yards and atouch- after being the No. 1overall pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2007. STEVEN CHERNIN/AP ers.” down, and Raymond Sanders ran eight Robinson’s21-yard play times for 32 yards and two scores. came on aleaping grab over adefender. “We’d like to be ateam that has about He had to twist and tap his toes to stay 80 plays, and we’d like to throw it about NFL TEAMS FEAR inbounds. Smith said the young wideout 45 of those,” Phillips said. is “like aballet dancer” with his body Randy Sanders said he’ll continue to control and fancy footwork. push Smith to play better than he did Smith said throughout spring ball Saturday against the backups. PICKING ‘BUSTS’ that he believes the tight ends will be “Itell them during recruiting: I’m weapons this fall, and he found two of going to be hard on you, and I’m going them —Tyler Robinson and Ronnie to coach you until you’re afirst-round Everyteamagonizes overthe possibility as it makes Shields —acombined eight times for draft pick,” Sanders said. “And then 117yards in the scrimmage. I’m going to try to coach you and be critical decisions it has to live with foryears to come “They really stretch the field,” hard on you and try to make you the Smith said. “Ilove throwing to tight first pick in the draft. …There’sstill a By TomWithers journeyman, over — ends because they’re big targets.” lot of improvement to make. I’m going Cleveland coach Butch Davis insisted on Another tight end, Anthony Ken- to be as hard on (Smith) as Ineed to be.” Warren —and ahead of LaDainian Tomlin- drick, caught three passes for 40 yards, CLEVELAND — The Pro Football Hall of son altered Cleveland’scourse for years. including a10-yard TD pass in the final Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582- Fame in Canton is filled with the busts of Heckert is determined not to repeat the seconds from Blue Jacob 4361. the game’sgreatest players, their images mistakes of previous regimes, but in the Russell, who was 8of24for 96 yards preserved in bronze. draft, there are no guarantees. against the starting defense. The start- Up the road in Cleveland, there are oth- “Everybody knows it’sacrap shoot ers outgained the backups 414 yards to er busts. sometimes,” he said. 189, and 54 of the reserves’ yards came Cincinnati’shad afew of the latter kind, The Bengals have bungled their share on atouchdown scramble by Russell, too. So have Detroit, Buffalo, Oakland, of picks. whom the defense wasn’tallowed to 50-90% off Kansas City and other NFL cities. They’re Arecurring theme during Cincinnati’s tackle. local dining, just about everywhere. 22-year gap between playoff wins has The first-string defense recorded Youknow these busts, those can’t-pos- been the team’sinability to pick the right seven “sacks” —any time adefender shopping sibly-miss players tagged as saviors on quarterback —that is, until selecting An- touched aquarterback —and nine tack- and more draft day who wind up flopping on the dy Dalton last year.The Bengals have les for loss. Linebacker Avery William- field. drafted talented QBs before, but the son led the White squad with eight tack- JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1overall team’sfailure was in managing them or les, two for loss. Safety Josh Forrest pick in 2007, was supposed to pull the Oak- forcing them into systems that didn’tfit and cornerback Eric Simmons had the land Raiders out of their black hole. Ryan their talents. off Smith. Leaf, who some thought should have been In 1992, the Bengals took David Klin- Senior safety Martavius Neloms taken ahead of in the1998 gler with the sixth overall pick and tried to broke up two White passes and drew draft, was selected with the No. 2pick, turn arun-and-shoot QB who broke NCAA Phillips’ praise. flamed out in San Diego and was recently records at Houston into apocket passer “He has become the leader we need arrested twice in four days on accusations behind abad offensive line with abelow- him to be,” the coach said. “They don’t of burglary to steal prescription painkill- average receiving corps. Disaster. always do it as fast as we want. This is ers. They tried the same thing with Smith, Tay’slast year,but he’sgetting it, which . Charles the third overall pick in Rogers. Courtney Brown. 1999 out of Oregon, where . Brian he was taught to make a Bosworth. . quick read and then run if Mike Williams. Brady nobody was open. After Quinn. Tony Mandarich. sitting most of his rookie The list of busts goes season, Smith was given on, and this year afew Cincinnati’sstarting job more names could be add- in 2000 with two rookie re- ed to the roll-call of nota- ceivers —Warrick and ble flounders. . Another bad On Thursday night, idea. Bruce teams will begin selecting Coslet quit three games players they’ve watched into the season. for hours on film. Scouts After only 10 games, and front-office members the franchise gave up on th Annual have spent months pour- Smith as astarter. 13 ing over statistics, assess- Quarterback Akili Smith was “Ididn’tknow what ing 40-yard-dash times the No. 3overall pick by was going on,” Smith said. and vertical leaps, re- Cincinnati in 1999. The smiles “They made me the third SPRING TENT SALE viewing interviews and lasted for about 10 games. AL pick of the draft. They Wonderlic tests and doing BEHRMAN/AP gave me alot of money. background checks on And they weren’tgoing to these potential future employees. give me ashot the following year.I Thursday through Monday The goal is to get it right and pick a couldn’tunderstand it, but Idealt with it.” quality player of high character who can More than afew drafts have rendered April 26th through April 30th help you win. the Bills busted and disgusted. Get it wrong, and the consequences can They can blame their 12-year playoff be catastrophic for an organization. drought —the league’scurrent longest — “Everybody wants the 10-year Pro in part to overreaching in the draft. Their Our store will close at 2:00 pm on Wednesday so we can prepare for this sale. Bowler,which is fine, but I’ll take the two- first-round failures are numerous and no- year Pro Bowler rather than abust,” said table. ALarge Variety Of The Best Browns general manager TomHeckert, In 2002, they took Williams, an im- Products At Huge Discounts who has 13 picks at his disposal this year. mense offensive tackle from Texas fourth “Youdon’twant abust, you can’thave a overall. He lasted only three seasons be- • Drivers • Hybrids • Putters • Gloves bust. That’swhat you are trying to avoid.” fore being cut. Tw oyears later,they trad- The Browns, perhaps more than any ed back into the first round to select quar- • Fairway • Sets • Shoes • Carts other team, have perfected the art of the terback J.P.Losman, who had an up-and- Woods wrong choice. down five-year stint and failed to become • Wedges • Bags • Balls Cleveland has had seven picks in the the team’sfranchise player.Then, in 2009, Top10ofthe draft since its 1999 rebirth. Buffalo picked Penn State defensive end Left and Right Handed The Browns picked first in 1999 (Tim Aaron Maybin 11th overall. He didn’treg- Mens, Womens &Junior Equipment Couch) and 2000 (Brown), they had the No. ister asack or break into the starting line- 3selection in 2001(Gerard Warren), 2005 up in two seasons before being unceremo- (), and 2007 (Joe Thom- niously cut during training camp last sum- as), the No. 6in2004 (Kellen Winslow) and mer. the No. 7() in 2010. General manager Buddy Nix said the After taking Thomas, the Browns trad- only way to guard against picking abust is ed their ’08 first-round pick to move back preparation. into the first round and select Quinn, the With the clock ticking, nerves fray and Notre Dame star who left all his Irish luck panic can ensue. in college. Tabbed as the future, he played “We’ve made this mistake before and in 14 games, was traded in 2010 to Denver I’m talking about me,” Nix said, “is not be- Do Not Miss This Sale. and is now with Kansas City. ing prepared if the guy you want at that This year,ateam that has made the spot all of asudden is gone, and you’ve got Hundreds Of Items To Choose From. playoffs just once in13 years and posted10 five minutes to make the next pick. You seasons with at least 10 losses in that span, better have your plan of where you’re go- will pick at No. 4and No. 22 in the first ing if he’snot there. I’ve had it happen round. more than once, and the mistakes we made GOLF HEADQUARTERS Besides Thomas, who has made five was not being prepared to go to the next straight Pro Bowls, Cleveland’spoor track guy.” 13110 Shelbyville Road Open Thursday &Friday 9to8 record on top picks is perhaps the biggest Heckert can’tafford any errors. He Saturday 9-6 reason the Browns are 68-140intheir or- needs to find playmakers for an offense Middletown ange-helmeted incarnation. that scored just 218 points last season. Sunday 11-5 It’ssomewhat unfair to label Couch a He can’toverreach. He can’tbefooled. 245-8600 Monday 9-8 bust since he had no talent around him, He’scan’tblow it. Due to the nature of this sale, all quantities are limited to stock on hand and we reserve the right to limit and he remains the only QB to get Cleve- Not this year,not with the Browns still a quantities of anyproduct sold. Sorrynorain checks or special orders on clearance items. land to the playoffs, though he missed the mess and Cleveland fans demanding a SOME MANUFACTURERS’ RESTRICTIONS APPLY game in Pittsburgh with abroken leg. quick turnaround. It’swin —orbust. Due to the low prices, no trade-ins accepted during tent sale. Brown, too, was the victim of misfortune “There’salot of pressure from media, as injuries sabotaged and shortened the fans, people in your building, scouts and CHECKS &CASH! pass rusher’scareer. it’smyjob to say,‘Wait aminute. It’snot But the Browns’ selection of Warren, a the right thing to do,’” he said. CJ-0000331229 www.golfheadquarters.com