Rob Ryan: Brandon Carr is 'special,' Morris Claiborne 'outstanding'

Posted: 02:35 PM ET May 31, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

Rob Ryan's pumped up about the additions to his secondary. (US Presswire)
If you're giving the Cowboys love for their 2012 offseason, it's probably because you think they straight up did work in upgrading their secondary. And they did -- Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne are impact cornerbacks who should turn a 2011 weakness into a 2012 strength.

And Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan agrees, showering his new defensive backs with praise during the Cowboys offseason training activities.

"In my opinion, everybody earns however many reps they get or their starting spot," Ryan said when asked about Claiborne, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "Obviously, this guy's a unique talent. We didn't move up in the draft to get a guy that's not going to play. We've got an outstanding guy here."

Claiborne, as noted by our Cowboys Rapid Reporter Nick Eatman, is still dealing with a wrist injury. But Carr isn't, and Ryan says that he's been better than anyone expected thus far.

“He's actually better [than Ryan expected],” the defensive coordinator said of Carr, per Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram. “He's outstanding. I knew he was great, but the guy is special."

So, not breaking news, but Ryan really likes his cornerbacks. (He likes most of his players, by the by.) The question is how he'll end up using them? Carr, Ryan said, could very well end up shadowing the top corner on the opposing team.

And it's possible that the Cowboys will roll with secondary-heavy packages on the field, potentially utilizing four cornerbacks at once.

“You have to be able to cover people in the NFL," Garrett said, per Eatman. "It's a little early to determine how we're going to play all of them. We had some injuries last year at the cornerback position. We made a lot of moves to help us in that area, but the specifics aren't there just yet."

It's going to be fascinating to see what kind of defenses Ryan and Garrett trot out in 2012. They went all-in on cornerbacks this offseason, both in free agency and the draft, and their ability to cover the slew of talented receivers in their division could very well end up deciding who wins the NFC East this season.

If you buy what Ryan's preaching, then Dallas has a pretty good shot to emerge at the top of the heap.

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Tags: Brandon Carr, Mike Jenkins, Morris Claiborne, Dallas Cowboys, NFL

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Tom Heckert: 'We fully expect' Brandon Weeden to win 'open competition' at QB

Posted: 10:15 AM ET May 22, 2012

By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger

Weeden's basically already won the Browns "open competition" at quarterback. (Getty Images)
The Browns say that they have an open competition at quarterback, between Brandon Weeden, Seneca Wallace and Colt McCoy. But if the competition is so open, why does general manager Tom Heckert "fully expect" Weeden to win it already?

Because, according to Mike Holmgren, that's precisely what's going down in Cleveland these days.

"The best guy is going to play, and we fully expect Brandon to be that guy," Heckert said Monday night, per Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "That's our goal, is to have him be the guy.

"You can write about it and talk about it however you want. But I think when we say 'open competition,' the best guy is going to play. That's the way it is, but we drafted Brandon Weeden to be that guy. You draft a guy 22nd in the draft, you think he's gonna be that guy."

Of course you do. But you can't draft a guy No. 22 overall, consider trading your previous young starting quarterback, declare it an "open competition" and then expect everyone to believe that competition is really "open," when you've already said you basically know who's winning.

That's not an open competition. And it isn't helped when Heckert says, per Cabot, that the Browns are still open to trading, keeping or releasing one or both of Seneca Wallace and McCoy.

"We want to see these guys all come out there and throw the ball around," he said. "If something happens, great. If it doesn't, we're fine with whatever happens."

See what I'm saying here? This battle is about as competitive as the Lakers-Thunder series ... that ended last night. Weeden is going to start for the Browns, and there's nothing short of lopping off his arm that's going to get McCoy or Wallace this job.

In the meantime, here's hoping they enjoy "competing" for a starting job this offseason.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Will Brinson on Twitter here: @willbrinson.

Tags: Colt McCoy, Seneca Wallace, Cleveland Browns, NFL

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Broncos sign WR Brandon Stokley to 1-year deal

Posted: 04:48 PM ET April 16, 2012

By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger

Stokley returns to Denver, this time to rejoin Manning. (Getty Images)
Brandon Stokley last caught a pass from Peyton Manning in 2006, when both players were members of the Indianapolis Colts. Now the two good friends have again been reunited on the football field: the Broncos signed the wide receiver to a one-year deal Monday.

Stokley, who, like Manning will be 36 when the 2012 season begins, last played in the NFL in September 2011 with the Giants. In addition to stops in Indy and New York, the former fourth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette also played in Baltimore, Seattle and Denver, where he's best remembered for this game-winning catch against the Bengals from Week 1 of the 2009 season.

Manning has had Denver-area throwing sessions with Stokley in recent months and made it clear that he'd welcome him to the team. "Any time that management wants to add good football players to this team, I'm all in favor of it," Manning said via CBSSports.com Rapid Reporter Andrew Mason.

Third-year Broncos wideout Eric Decker added that Stokley's "a savvy veteran, he's been around the league a while, so I can learn a lot from a guy like that."

Last week in a radio interview, Decker said that he'd been impressed with Manning. "The guy's still throwing the ball a long time, throwing it great, hitting you in the right spot," he said. "He's such a perfectionist. If he hits you in the belly button, he gets mad at himself for not hitting you in the chest. It's unbelievable to be around a guy who has those standards for himself."

Stokley made his NFL living as a slot receiver, a role he'll likely reprise in Denver. The Broncos had previously added tight end Jacob Tamme, a former Manning teammate in Indy, and Dallas Clark is still available.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Ryan Wilson on Twitter here: @ryanwilson_07.

Tags: Eric Decker, Jacob Tamme, Peyton Manning, Ryan Wilson, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, NFL

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