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For all the things that have gone wrong around the Cleveland Browns lately -- specifically, all the uncertainty surrounding their center position since LeCharles Bentley sustained a season-ending knee injury on the first day of training camp -- there are still some positives worth noting. One is the growing chemistry between quarterback Charlie Frye and wide receiver Braylon Edwards. The second-year players spent an entire offseason getting to know each other in Cleveland, and there's a good chance that time together will pay major dividends during the regular season.
Some of Frye's and Edwards' peers in the 2005 draft class have already shown how dominant they can be in the league, such as Tampa Bay's Cadillac Williams and San Diego's Shawne Merriman. Others are a long way from realizing their potential, like San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith and Detroit wide receiver Mike Williams. And then there are those second-year players who fall into the category of Edwards and Frye: guys who need a huge leap in production if their teams are to improve significantly this season.
You probably know the more popular names on this list, like Miami running back Ronnie Brown and Dallas outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. But most people don't mention Frye and Edwards, because they play on a team that has made one playoff appearance since 1999, and Edwards is returning from a torn right ACL that ended his season last December.
The reality, however, is that Frye and Edwards are doing just as much work to take advantage of the lessons they learned in their rookie campaigns. They both know what they have to do to improve to have a breakout season; now they have to see how quickly they can turn last year's education into this year's elevation.
Both players spent their offseasons in Cleveland (Frye because he grew up nearly an hour away in Willard, Ohio, and Edwards because he was rehabilitating after knee surgery). When they weren't lifting weights, they were buried in their playbooks, comparing notes on defensive adjustments and discussing what they'd like to do against certain looks this season. They played golf in their downtime and often hung out with teammate and third-year tight end Kellen Winslow, who's looking to show what he can do after injuries limited him to two games in his first two seasons.
These are the kind of things that make Browns head coach Romeo Crennel smile. They're indications that his young players -- the key elements in whatever success the Browns' offense will enjoy in coming years -- get it. As Crennel says, young players usually enjoy breakout years not because their talent improves but because their attitude adjusts.
"The players who usually make that big leap [in productivity] between their rookie and second years have the proper focus and dedication," Crennel says. "They watch the extra film. They spend more time with their coaches. They study longer. Once they know the price that has to be paid to become a great player, they decide that they're willing to pay it."
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Some of Frye's and Edwards' peers in the 2005 draft class have already shown how dominant they can be in the league, such as Tampa Bay's Cadillac Williams and San Diego's Shawne Merriman. Others are a long way from realizing their potential, like San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith and Detroit wide receiver Mike Williams. And then there are those second-year players who fall into the category of Edwards and Frye: guys who need a huge leap in production if their teams are to improve significantly this season.
You probably know the more popular names on this list, like Miami running back Ronnie Brown and Dallas outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. But most people don't mention Frye and Edwards, because they play on a team that has made one playoff appearance since 1999, and Edwards is returning from a torn right ACL that ended his season last December.
The reality, however, is that Frye and Edwards are doing just as much work to take advantage of the lessons they learned in their rookie campaigns. They both know what they have to do to improve to have a breakout season; now they have to see how quickly they can turn last year's education into this year's elevation.
Both players spent their offseasons in Cleveland (Frye because he grew up nearly an hour away in Willard, Ohio, and Edwards because he was rehabilitating after knee surgery). When they weren't lifting weights, they were buried in their playbooks, comparing notes on defensive adjustments and discussing what they'd like to do against certain looks this season. They played golf in their downtime and often hung out with teammate and third-year tight end Kellen Winslow, who's looking to show what he can do after injuries limited him to two games in his first two seasons.
These are the kind of things that make Browns head coach Romeo Crennel smile. They're indications that his young players -- the key elements in whatever success the Browns' offense will enjoy in coming years -- get it. As Crennel says, young players usually enjoy breakout years not because their talent improves but because their attitude adjusts.
"The players who usually make that big leap [in productivity] between their rookie and second years have the proper focus and dedication," Crennel says. "They watch the extra film. They spend more time with their coaches. They study longer. Once they know the price that has to be paid to become a great player, they decide that they're willing to pay it."
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