Holmgren stated that he gets very excited every year around this time because the possibilities are endless. He also stated that he is looking forward to seeing this improved football team compete. He got a positive vibe out of the o.t.a.’s and mini-camp especially in the quarterback position.

Right now Jake Delhomme is slated to be the number one guy behind center with Seneca Wallace in the number two spot. He said that Delhomme is a “fine” player with some past success and a natural leader who has worked very hard on the offense so far.

Wallace is expected to also be used in other capacities besides the quarterback position. Third round draft pick Colt McCoy and veteran Brett Ratliff round out the rest of the q.b.’s the Browns have in camp. Holmgren said, “If everyone plays the way they are expected to, then everything will fall in line”. When addressing the defensive secondary he said that they brought in the rookies to compete for jobs right away, and there should be some good competition between them and the veterans when training camp begins.

The Browns go into camp with three players on the physically unable to perform list in defensive lineman C.J. Mosley, defensive back Coye Francies, and nose tackle Shaun Rogers. He stated that at some point during camp they all should be able to pass a physical and start practicing.

When asked about the league possibly punishing Rogers for his concealed weapons charge, he said only that the commissioner Roger Goodell will be in Berea next Thursday to discuss the matter. He a;so said that he can’t determine what will be done, but he thinks that considering Goodell’s track record something will come of this. He mentioned that the commissioner will also be making a decision on Robaire Smith’s situation.

When asked about ticket availability Holmgren said that there are P.S.L.’s and season tickets still available, and he expects a push of ticket sales to happen through training camp and pre-season. When the point that seven of the eight draft picks are already signed prior to camp starting, Holmgren credited Matt Thomas and general manager Tom Heckert for getting that done.

The only draft pick still unsigned is first rounder Joe Haden. Haden is expected to sign after the other first round picks that were drafted ahead of him are signed. Holmgren said, “it’s a domino effect”. He hopes in happens soon because it is important to the rookie’s development and it’s really hard to catch up when practices are missed.

When discussing the coaching staff he said, “I want to do this right”, and “it’s their deal”, meaning that he wants a certain type of scheme on the field but the coaching staff has the final say on how to do it. He said he asks himself, “What kind of president do I want to be for MY coach?” On the subject of second year wide out Brian Robiskie, he likes him as a player and thinks things will “click” for him this season.

He also thinks this year’s abundance of line backers is a nice problem to have, and head coach Eric Mangini likes to use them in veresitile ways and puts a value on using them in special teams. Holmgren loves the prospect of playing in the AFC Central this year and trying to knock off the established leaders in the division lwhen they play late in the season.

He said, “Those games should count for all the marbles”. At running back he thinks Jerome Harrison and Monario Hardesty should both stay fresh in a two-back system. Finally, he said that “Family Day”, on August 7 at Cleveland Browns Stadium, will be played and coached like real game, and he is looking for some sharpness in the passing game, an active defense, and he is keeping his fingers crossed that there are no injuries.

“The fans will carry on, but there’s little they can do about it,” Modell said. “It was his call. He was a free agent. Too much was being made of it. He (went) on network television to announce what he was going to do. Too many dramatics. I resent the whole thing being turned into a three-ring circus.

“Anyhow, I wish him well. I wish (the Heat) well. And as long as I do well, I’m fine.”

James says Akron will always be his home. Likewise, Modell says his heart will always be in Cleveland, even though he hasn’t stepped foot in northeast Ohio in 14 years.

“LeBron James is in a difficult spot,” Modell said. “He’s devoted to a lot of fans there. I wish him luck. I wish Cleveland good luck. I still love Cleveland. Nobody could ever take that love away from me. Nobody.”

The Ravens added a top receiver for Flacco, in Boldin this offseason. The defense added some young  talent in Cody and Kindle to help the older players on that side of the ball. Ray Rice really came on last season and should carry the load for the Ratbirds ground game. The Questions for this team are going to be, can the Defense stay heathly? Will Flacco step up and be the Quarterback everyone thinks he can be?

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are the defending champions and added  more guns to the offensive side of the ball. Pacman Jones was brought in to help the secondary. Carson Palmer and Marvin Lewis haven’t won a playoff game and could both be on the hot seat if the Bengals choke on their quest to defend the division title and return to the Bungels.

Pittsburgh Steelers

If there ever was a Steelers team that is destined to fail this could be it. The team has to start the season without their Quarterback in Roethlisburger. Pittsburgh wasn’t able to hold leads late this past season and a weak offensive line is a recipe for disaster. Troy has been done and hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a few years now.I don’t think he will be able to return to his old form of being the ball hawk he has been. With that being said every year I think the Steelers are done they some how win the division and make a Super Bowl run. I don’t think and hope this doesn’t happen but you never know with this team.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have added talent at many positions that were lacking last season. The team is looking to build on last years four game winning streak and finally got over the Steeler hump. The team has a play maker in Josh Cribbs that could be a difference maker in many game. Cribbs can give the Browns offense a luxury of having good field possessions with good returns on kicks. Jake Delhomme is going to have to go back to the old Delhomme and not turn the ball over. If the team is going to compete for the division a lot of things are going to have to happen starting with winning the first two games of the season.

Hardesty will be competing for the starting Running Back job with Jerome Harrison this camp. Coach Mangini has spoken highly of the second round pick since the team has drafted him this past April. Harrison and Hardesty will split carries this year no matter who the starting back is this fall. The terms of the deal have not been made public yet. That leaves Haden and Ward as the lone unsigned Rookies on the team.

The good folks who comprise the Browns fan base are desperate for something that smells of consistency. Anything that can give them the slightest glimmer of hope that the halcyon days of Otto Graham and Jim Brown will someday return and that they can finally forget The Fumble. Right now, Holmgren is trying to right a ship that has been lurching under the false hope of guys like Carmen Policy, Butch Davis and Derek Anderson. The really interesting part is whether Holmgren is going to give coach Eric Mangini a chance to succeed in a real way or whether Holmgren is just setting this all up for a return to the sideline in a year or two.

As with years past, the good seats will go fast, so don’t delay!

With the caveat of  “source familiar with the situation” being used here, Tom Withers of the Associated Press is reporting that quarterback Colt McCoy, the Cleveland Browns’ third-round pick in this year’s draft, has signed a multi-year contract.

Terms are not, at the time of this posting, available. McCoy is expected to join Cleveland’s other first-year players when they begin training camp on Friday (today).