DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum What is your pro/college sports Xmas "wish list"

As a fan, what is your Xmas "wish list" for 2008?

For the Browns, I'd like:

Albert Haynesworth, Tommy Kelly, Bernard Berrian, Carlos Dansby and Terrell Suggs in free agency. I'd also like Phil Savage to, somehow, get back into the 1st round of the draft & land Vernon Gholston to convert to ILB (bye bye Andra). I'd also like to see two more D-Linemen and a stud RB in the draft. I'd like to see LeCharles Bentley return to health and have an All-Pro year in 2008 so the Browns may resign him instead of let him walk as a free agent after next year. Finally, a DEEP playoff run (a Super Bowl would be nice but I won't get greedy...that's 2009).

For the Cavs, I'd like:

A point guard for Lebron so he can be the "finisher" instead of the "initiator". I'd also like an ATHLETIC big man who can play defense so Z can come off the bench. Danny Ferry to SOMEHOW dump Larry "BooBoo" Hughes, Donyell Marshall, Eric Snow and Damon Hughes.. A championship for the Cavs.

For the Tribe, I'd like:

C.C. Sabathia to resign, long-term. Pronk to get his swing back. Jenny Craig for Jhonny Peralta. A corner outfielder and 3rd baseman with a stick. A little more relief pitching and Shapiro to finally get the "stones" to part with talent like Adam Miller so we can get an impact player or two and get over the hump.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to ALL and may ALL of your sports teams have success in 2008 (unless you're Bengals, Steelers or Rats fans )

For the Browns, I want Asante Samuel, Terrelle Suggs, Albert Haynesworth, and Michael Turner. (Not asking for much, am I? lol). But, more importantly, I'd like to see a win this Sunday

For the Cavs, I'd like to see some help for LeBron. Enough said.

For the Red Sox, I want Johan Santana, and for Curt Schilling to keep his mouth shut.

For Kentucky football, I want a time travel machine, so we can go back and make Andre Woodson a senior again, so we don't go back to a 3 win team next year

For Kentucky basketball, I want our fans to give Billy Gillispie some time. I want our fans, and the media, to realize that Tubby Smith left us with no talent, and see that we are having to play walk-ons, because of the overall lack of talent we have. I want people to give BCG time to turn this thing around, because he will. I want people to see the next two recruiting classes he's got lined up (3, 5 star recruits, and 2, 4 star recruits already committed for the next two years). I want our fans, and the media to give us time to get out of the mess that Tubby Smith left us in. I also want Pattrick Patterson to at least stay one more year.

I know, I ask for alot

Browns:


Indians:


Cavs:

They hand out a Jason Kidd for winning the NBA Championship now.?!?

Quote:

---

They hand out a Jason Kidd for winning the NBA Championship now.?!?

---

And much like the stanly cup each player gets to take him home for a week & show him off to the locals.

No, but the Cavs seem so far away from a championship that I just didn't feel right asking Santa for the trophy... so I asked for the next best thing, a big piece to the puzzle which could get them there.

i would like...

for the browns to get a beast of a defensive lineman, santa can choose whether that is through the draft or free agency

i would also like the browns to find a slot receiver with awesome speed under the tree...

i would like the tribe to get a veteran player with actual skill, instead of a veteran player with limited skill like trot nixon, or eduardo perez, or david dellucci

i would like a point guard for the cavaliers, and a bench guy in their stocking...

and most of all

i want a browns playoff berth, and at least one playoff win

how about a super bowl win

"hahahaha, you'll shoot your eye out kid!!"

Look at that face. It looks like the offspring of Jim Tressel and Richard Simmons

OH IO to remain competative.

Browns - a huge, active, dominating, penetrating, chaos-causing NT.

Indians - Pitching, pitching, pitching ... to offset that monstrous line-up they are gonna have in Detroit.

Buckeyes - Terrelle Pryor, the top HS recruit this year. He has reportedly narrowed down to OSU, West Va., and one other school.

Browns: A Super Bowl. I don't care how they get it, but as long as we win won

Cavs: Someone to play with Lebron. If this doesn't happen so, I am convinced he will bolt for NY or LA

Tribe: Jason Bay trade seemed like it would be nice

Buckeyes: I am happy with the Buckeyes. For OSU, I wish good health and continued success.

This seems appropriate here.......


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ridenour on the Browns
Santa, please make this wish list a reality

Defensive end might not fit under tree, but beating Patriots would make year

Published on Sunday, Dec 23, 2007
Akron Beacon Journal


In the spirit of the holiday season, and with the possible euphoria of clinching a playoff berth this afternoon in Cincinnati, it's time to dream. So here are five Christmas wishes for the Browns in 2008:

1. A defensive end.

Orpheus Roye has been a dedicated player here for the past eight years, but at age 34 and in his 12th NFL season, his body is breaking down. Currently in the bottom six in the league in sacks with 23, the Browns' pass rush needs help. But their search will be tougher because of the type of athlete needed to play end in a 3-4 scheme. Roye is 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, and Robaire Smith is 6-4, 320 pounds.

Matching a list of potential 2008 free-agent defensive ends on theredzone.org (which might not include up-to-the-minute signings) with the list of the NFL's leading sackers (5.0 minimum) offers a few names, but most are not hefty enough for the 3-4. The Browns' ideal choice probably also would be seeking his first free-agent deal, like left guard Eric Steinbach was in March, rather than someone on the downside of his career. Among the possibilities (if they don't re-sign with their respective teams) are Jared Allen (6-6, 270), a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004 who has 39 career sacks, and Antwan Odom (6-5, 274), a second-rounder in '04 for the Tennessee Titans who is from Browns General Manager Phil Savage's hometown of Mobile, Ala. Allen has baggage, including his second DUI arrest before this season began. Restricted free agent Chris Canty of the Dallas Cowboys comes closer to the profile at 6-7 and 280 pounds. A fourth-rounder in 2005, he played in Al Groh's 3-4 scheme at Virginia, but what the Cowboys tender him will determine whether he's an option. The Browns might have to scour the list of available defensive tackles that could make the transition.

Savage probably will look for help in the draft but won't have a shot at some of the top talent without a first-round pick (surrendered to the Cowboys to draft quarterback Brady Quinn). Chris Long (6-4, 282) of Virginia could be a top-five selection. Quentin Groves of Auburn (6-3, 251), whom ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. calls ''a speed rusher with the talent to rank as one of the most feared sack artists in the nation,'' would probably be a linebacker in a 3-4 and could go in the top 15.


2. An outside linebacker.

No offense to 14-year veteran Willie McGinest, who has shown he has something left as a run stopper and has plenty to offer as a leader, or his backup Antwan Peek, who has battled through a number of injuries, but if 2006 first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley is to be Batman, he needs a Robin. My ideal partner in crime would be Ohio State's Vernon Gholston, a defensive end who would convert just as Wimbley did as a rookie. But Gholston made himself a ton of money when he beat Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, who could be a top five pick, for three sacks last month. Gholston is Kiper's top-rated junior defensive end.

While we're dreaming, the Browns might toss around the idea of Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, who leaped from the University of Akron to stardom. But the NFL's defensive MVP in 2006 will be 34 years old by opening day 2008 and is 6-6, 255, so he'd be a linebacker in coach Romeo Crennel's system. It's already been speculated that the Dolphins' new vice president of football operations, Bill Parcells, might give up Taylor in a trade for first- and third-round draft choices, a price that would knock the Browns out.


3. Two-year contract for Jamal Lewis.

Lewis is making a late run at Browns' MVP honors with 569 yards in the past five games. While their playoff chances are spurring him on, he's also seeing dollar signs. He said recently he'd agree to another one-year deal, but that his agent would find the best situation for him. He came to the Browns to resurrect his career and did that with his sixth 1,000-yard season in seven active years. Now the question will be whether he's too expensive for the Browns. SI.com reported that the Browns would have $30.31 million in salary cap space for 2008 (as of Dec. 8). Lewis is only 28, and Savage likes the toughness and intensity he brings to the huddle. It probably will take at least a two-year contract to keep him and even that might not be enough. The free-agent list doesn't look promising. Re-signing Lewis might be a higher priority than the quarterback situation.

If they can't sign Lewis, the Browns might not want to go the draft route because it has so many needs on defense. Kiper's top five seniors are Michigan's Mike Hart, East Carolina's Chris Johnson, LSU's Jacob Hester, Oklahoma State's Dantrell Savage and Tulane's Matt Forte. The top juniors are Arkansas' Darren McFadden (a top-five pick) and Felix Jones, Oregon's Jonathan Stewart, West Virginia's Steve Slaton (not considered an every-down back) and Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall.


4. A top-five pick for Anderson or Quinn.

Chatter about what to do with quarterbacks Derek Anderson (who will be a restricted free agent) and Quinn (who has yet to play a snap) will dominate the offseason (as if it hasn't already). My preference is to sign Anderson to a long-term contract and use next season to determine the better player. But the Browns could give Anderson the highest tender, which would carry a 2008 salary of $2.562 million. If he received an offer that the Browns elected not to match, the suitor would surrender a first- and third-round pick. There are quite a few quarterback-starved teams out there and it only takes one with a selection in the top five to tempt Savage. My guess is he'd leap at the chance to draft McFadden, Glenn Dorsey of LSU or Chris Long. Who knows, a draft-day trade of Quinn might not be out of the question, either. It's risky business, though, if sixth-round pick Anderson turns out to be the next Tom Brady.


5. A playoff victory over the New England Patriots.

It wouldn't be a Christmas wish list without something with Super Bowl implications. If the Browns end up as the sixth wild card and win their first-round game, it would get a rematch with the likely undefeated Patriots. Until New England's recent close ones against the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets, the Browns had played the Pats as competitively as anyone. Fans still can second-guess what might have happened on Oct. 7 in Foxborough if Anderson hadn't thrown an interception in the end zone on the Browns' first series. Ending the Patriots' perfect season would be the ultimate to cap the Browns' turnaround. They would still have to prevail in the championship game to make it to the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., but beating the Patriots would be one of the biggest sports achievements of the year, no matter what came after.

Marla Ridenour can be reached at


In the spirit of the holiday season, and with the possible euphoria of clinching a playoff berth this afternoon in Cincinnati, it's time to dream. So here are five Christmas wishes for the Browns in 2008:

1. A defensive end.

Orpheus Roye has been a dedicated player here for the past eight years, but at age 34 and in his 12th NFL season, his body is breaking down. Currently in the bottom six in the league in sacks with 23, the Browns' pass rush needs help. But their search will be tougher because of the type of athlete needed to play end in a 3-4 scheme. Roye is 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, and Robaire Smith is 6-4, 320 pounds.

Matching a list of potential 2008 free-agent defensive ends on theredzone.org (which might not include up-to-the-minute signings) with the list of the NFL's leading sackers (5.0 minimum) offers a few names, but most are not hefty enough for the 3-4. The Browns' ideal choice probably also would be seeking his first free-agent deal, like left guard Eric Steinbach was in March, rather than someone on the downside of his career. Among the possibilities (if they don't re-sign with their respective teams) are Jared Allen (6-6, 270), a fourth-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004 who has 39 career sacks, and Antwan Odom (6-5, 274), a second-rounder in '04 for the Tennessee Titans who is from Browns General Manager Phil Savage's hometown of Mobile, Ala. Allen has baggage, including his second DUI arrest before this season began. Restricted free agent Chris Canty of the Dallas Cowboys comes closer to the profile at 6-7 and 280 pounds. A fourth-rounder in 2005, he played in Al Groh's 3-4 scheme at Virginia, but what the Cowboys tender him will determine whether he's an option. The Browns might have to scour the list of available defensive tackles that could make the transition.

Savage probably will look for help in the draft but won't have a shot at some of the top talent without a first-round pick (surrendered to the Cowboys to draft quarterback Brady Quinn). Chris Long (6-4, 282) of Virginia could be a top-five selection. Quentin Groves of Auburn (6-3, 251), whom ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. calls ''a speed rusher with the talent to rank as one of the most feared sack artists in the nation,'' would probably be a linebacker in a 3-4 and could go in the top 15.

2. An outside linebacker.

No offense to 14-year veteran Willie McGinest, who has shown he has something left as a run stopper and has plenty to offer as a leader, or his backup Antwan Peek, who has battled through a number of injuries, but if 2006 first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley is to be Batman, he needs a Robin. My ideal partner in crime would be Ohio State's Vernon Gholston, a defensive end who would convert just as Wimbley did as a rookie. But Gholston made himself a ton of money when he beat Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, who could be a top five pick, for three sacks last month. Gholston is Kiper's top-rated junior defensive end.

While we're dreaming, the Browns might toss around the idea of Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, who leaped from the University of Akron to stardom. But the NFL's defensive MVP in 2006 will be 34 years old by opening day 2008 and is 6-6, 255, so he'd be a linebacker in coach Romeo Crennel's system. It's already been speculated that the Dolphins' new vice president of football operations, Bill Parcells, might give up Taylor in a trade for first- and third-round draft choices, a price that would knock the Browns out.

3. Two-year contract for Jamal Lewis.

Lewis is making a late run at Browns' MVP honors with 569 yards in the past five games. While their playoff chances are spurring him on, he's also seeing dollar signs. He said recently he'd agree to another one-year deal, but that his agent would find the best situation for him. He came to the Browns to resurrect his career and did that with his sixth 1,000-yard season in seven active years. Now the question will be whether he's too expensive for the Browns. SI.com reported that the Browns would have $30.31 million in salary cap space for 2008 (as of Dec. 8). Lewis is only 28, and Savage likes the toughness and intensity he brings to the huddle. It probably will take at least a two-year contract to keep him and even that might not be enough. The free-agent list doesn't look promising. Re-signing Lewis might be a higher priority than the quarterback situation.

If they can't sign Lewis, the Browns might not want to go the draft route because it has so many needs on defense. Kiper's top five seniors are Michigan's Mike Hart, East Carolina's Chris Johnson, LSU's Jacob Hester, Oklahoma State's Dantrell Savage and Tulane's Matt Forte. The top juniors are Arkansas' Darren McFadden (a top-five pick) and Felix Jones, Oregon's Jonathan Stewart, West Virginia's Steve Slaton (not considered an every-down back) and Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall.

4. A top-five pick for Anderson or Quinn.

Chatter about what to do with quarterbacks Derek Anderson (who will be a restricted free agent) and Quinn (who has yet to play a snap) will dominate the offseason (as if it hasn't already). My preference is to sign Anderson to a long-term contract and use next season to determine the better player. But the Browns could give Anderson the highest tender, which would carry a 2008 salary of $2.562 million. If he received an offer that the Browns elected not to match, the suitor would surrender a first- and third-round pick. There are quite a few quarterback-starved teams out there and it only takes one with a selection in the top five to tempt Savage. My guess is he'd leap at the chance to draft McFadden, Glenn Dorsey of LSU or Chris Long. Who knows, a draft-day trade of Quinn might not be out of the question, either. It's risky business, though, if sixth-round pick Anderson turns out to be the next Tom Brady.

5. A playoff victory over the New England Patriots.
It wouldn't be a Christmas wish list without something with Super Bowl implications. If the Browns end up as the sixth wild card and win their first-round game, it would get a rematch with the likely undefeated Patriots. Until New England's recent close ones against the Baltimore Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets, the Browns had played the Pats as competitively as anyone. Fans still can second-guess what might have happened on Oct. 7 in Foxborough if Anderson hadn't thrown an interception in the end zone on the Browns' first series. Ending the Patriots' perfect season would be the ultimate to cap the Browns' turnaround. They would still have to prevail in the championship game to make it to the Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., but beating the Patriots would be one of the biggest sports achievements of the year, no matter what came after.