BEREA: The Cleveland Browns have a small cluster of players who were happy to show up for new coach Eric Mangini's mandatory minicamp on Thursday even though they're far from pleased with their contracts.

Kicker Phil Dawson, linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and special teamer Josh Cribbs are all seeking new deals.

Jackson, entering the final year of his contract, hasn't let it stop him from practicing, while Cribbs skipped some voluntary workouts last month before eventually reporting.

Dawson's appearance Thursday was his first since the end of the season. He skipped the voluntary workouts last month to protest his contract, which pays him $1 million this season and next. One of the league's most accurate kickers, Dawson wants to be paid like one.

Cincinnati tagged Shayne Graham as its franchise player in February, assuring him a salary of $2.483 million — the average salary of the top five kickers in the NFL last year. Dawson will make less than half of that.

He returned to the Browns' rain-soaked practice field on Thursday, but not to talk money.

"I'm not going to get into all of that," Dawson said. "I'm here today and it's good to see my teammates again. There's a time and place for all that, but now is not it."

Dawson heads into the season with a career 82.8 percent field goal percentage, the best mark in franchise history and fourth all-time in the NFL. With Dawson absent from the voluntary workouts, the Browns signed South Dakota State rookie kicker Parker Douglass to a two-year deal. Douglass has impressed at times and flashed a powerful leg, but Mangini was pleased to have Dawson back in camp.

"He looked good in the field goal drill," Mangini said. "It's good to have everybody back. It's good to be operating with a full group."

Jackson will make $640,000 this year after his 154 tackles last season led the NFL. But Jackson participated in the voluntary workouts, saying he needed to be at all the camps to prove his worth to the new coaching staff.

"It's what I produce on the field," Jackson said. "These coaches don't know me from anybody. All they know is some tape. They don't know what kind of person I am. They don't know how I conduct myself. It's my duty as a player to come in and show what I am capable of. Am I worth what I say I am?"

Despite rain that turned heavy at times, Mangini kept Thursday's two-hour morning session outdoors, watched by eight Green Berets who were invited by the coach.

There also were a few players who were only observing.

Running back Jamal Lewis, who has been held out for most of the offseason drills, is still taking it slow following offseason ankle surgery.

Receiver Braylon Edwards, who made the Pro Bowl two seasons ago but slipped in 2008, also spent Thursday's practice on a stationary bike with an undisclosed injury. Both Edwards and Mangini said it wasn't serious, and Mangini added that Edwards is expected to participate fully in the team's training camp in July.

"Coach Mangini is just taking precaution," Edwards said. "I'm just enjoying my time on the side. It's on coach's terms right now."

Looking to add depth to the secondary, the Browns had former Bears safety Mike Brown in for a visit this week. Brown went to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and started 15 games last year before being placed on injured reserve.

"Mike is a guy I have watched for a long time," Mangini said. "With any of these guys we bring in, sometimes we sign them right away, sometimes it's during training camp and sometimes we don't. It's to gather information and to be able to put ourselves in a position to make decisions."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

Commentary:  Bodden's star has fallen pretty far from the 2005 season.  He was thought of as a rising star as cover-man, but now he's being released by the worst team in NFL history.  He forced a trade out of Cleveland because of a financial dispute with former general manager Phil Savage, and was not a happy camper in Detroit.  I would highly doubt that Bodden would return to Cleveland, also.

Martin Rucker's cousin, defensive back Ghaali Muhammad is a member of the University of Wisconsin's 2009 class.

Quoting a piece from my previous post, head coach Eric Mangini has identified the following players as guys he likes:

RB Jamal Lewis
OT Joe Thomas
ILB D'Qwell Jackson
NT Shaun Rogers

Commentary: Not much to be explained here, but with Jamal Lewis facing a huge cap number in 2009, it could be telling to his status with the team.

Could the Browns find a trade partner for Braylon Edwards?  David Geller thinks it could be the New York Giants.

Commentary: This is a pure speculation piece, but it's at least intriguing.  I don't feel like trading Edwards is a smart move unless it's a blockbuster set of picks.

Rogers is not a surprise given his amazing play this year, but also the amount of talent at defensive tackle in the AFC.  The two starting tackles in front of, Albert Haynesworth and Kris Jenkins have both received press as possible Defensive Player of the Year honorees.  Haloti Ngata got the snub in Baltimore, along with Patriot Vince Wilfork.

To see Thomas make the roster as a starter is encouraging, but he's been less than stellar this season.  It's hard to match a season like Thomas had in 2007.  The Pro Bowl can be a glorified popularity contest though.  With Thomas getting the nod, it's a testament to the Browns overall national exposure, given their five nationally televised contests this year.

Four Browns made the Pro Bowl as alternates also:

Joshua Cribbs, KR/ST (First alternate) – His overall special teams play this year has been great.  Beating out a special teams ace like Brendon Ayanbadejo is tough though.  Ayanbadejo has a huge reputation for his special teams play.

Phil Dawson, K, (Second Alternate) – One of the Browns who's felt the harsh snub of the Pro Bowl during the team's horrendous years is Dawson.  In 2005 he was one of the best kickers in the NFL, but the team was so bad that he hardly was recognized.

D'Qwell Jackson, ILB, (Third Alternate) – Leading the NFL in tackles has boosted Jackson's name.  He is the Browns best defensive player outside of Rogers in the front seven.

Eric Steinbach, OG, (Third Alternate) – Being named a third alternate hardly guarantees a trip to Hawaii, and Steinbach likely made the list based on name recognition.  He's a high profile guard who's played decent football this season, when healthy.

Roster News

Tight end Steve Heiden and inside linebacker Beau Bell were placed on IR today.  Heiden tore his ACL in the loss on Monday, and Bell will have his problematic knee scoped.  To replace them, the Browns signed former Raiders tight end John Madsen, and then elevated rookie sixth round wide receiver Paul Hubbarb to the active roster.

Madsen has a nice pedigree as a receiving tight end, which makes me wonder if this is another way of keeping rookie Martin Rucker off the field?  Given how things have gone this year, I wouldn't be surprised to Madsen not only on the active roster this week, but also getting extensive playing time.

While Hubbard was the talk of camp, don't expect much production.  He will likely be inactive for the last two games, despite the team's lack of depth at receiver.

Michigan Man

This quote from Braylon Edwards speaks for itself.

"It is what it is … I've learned since being here that I'm very unappreciated. Not by the organization, just in the eyes of the fans and the city. Since Day One, I've been a marked man coming from Michigan. It's just gone that way."

Bud Shaw handles this subject appropriately.  Even the most rabid of Browns/Buckeyes fans don't seem to care about where Edwards comes from.  Most fans DO care about the fact that Edwards continues to drop passes, play unenthusiastic football, and be upset when the team is losing.

No word on if Shantee Orr feels the same way as Edwards.

In college, Patrick had the unenviable task of replacing Adrian Peterson and never really met expectations. He has a long injury history as well. But, maybe he'll get some playing time before the season is over. Wright has been pretty bad this year and the coaches don't seem to have faith in Harrison.

Notes…
Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald does a real good job with his stuff. Here is his latest column, which is on Lewis not living up to his big talk.

It seems the anonymity of the Internet brings out the worst in people, particularly those who like to poke fun at sports columnists. Typically, though, the columnists never address the digs and criticism. That's why I like Pat McManamon. He does. Check out his post there for some "inside baseball" stuff you may find interesting. Now if only Phil Savage was a little more like Pat…

D'Qwell Jackson has become the story of the defense this season. He leads the NFL in tackles with 130. Patrick Willis of the 49ers is second with 117. Jackson is also something of a quote machine. Here he summed up his feelings on this season:

“When I’m here, you don’t think about it. When I’m home, you do think about it,” he said Monday before the players were given the last two days off. “Because I’m one of the guys that’s going to be here, it’s definitely going to affect me in someway or another.

“A lot of guys won’t be here next year.”

Whoever could a lot of those guys be? Well, check back here sometime before Monday night's game as we'll have some speculation.

Don't forget, we'll be having another chat for this Monday's game against Philadelphia.

The leader of the victory was nose tackle Shaun Rogers, who dominated from curtain to curtain.  Rogers finished with nine solo tackles, a sack, a blocked punt, and was applying consistent pressure all game long.  Rogers was thought to be lazy in Detroit, but he has played his heart out in Cleveland so far.  He was visibly tired near the end of the third quarter, but he hardly rested throughout the game. 

Where the passing game struggled, Jamal Lewis did a solid job on the ground against a physical Jaguars run defense.  Lewis ran for 81 yards on 20 carries, including a touchdown.  This brings the Browns total record to 11-1 when Lewis carries the ball for over twenty times in a game. 

Quarterback Derek Anderson finished the game with 95.6 QB Rating, but the Browns again struggled to score touchdowns.  The Browns were without Kellen Winslow, but again enjoyed another productive day with Steve Heiden starting at tight end.  The offense settled for three Phil Dawson field goals, including the in the fourth quarter where they had a first and goal from the one yard line. 

Finally, the special teams did a good job of containing Jacksonville's ace return specialist, Brian Witherspoon.  The undrafted free agent rookie had been an exciting part of a difficult season for the Jaguars.  He fumbled on a fourth quarter kick return, forced by Browns rookie Beau Bell in his debut, that set up a Phil Dawson field goal.  Cleveland's coverage units were able to hold the speedster in check. 

Game Balls

Offense- TE Steve Heiden  (3 rec, 73 yards): The Browns passing game has hardly faltered in the two games without Kellen Winslow due to Heiden's superb play.  Producing a key 51-yard reception, Heiden's impact in the passing game cannot be overlooked.  His overall impact as a blocker was felt as the Browns ran to his side of the formation effectively.  The Browns typically run to the left when Winslow is in-line as a tight end, a sign that Winslow cannot hold up as a strong-side blocker.  With Heiden in, the Browns showed not only a willingness, but a confidence in running behind Heiden.

Defense – NT Shaun Rogers (9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 blocked FG) &  ILB D'Qwell Jackson (8 tackles, 1 sack):  It would be hard to leave off either player, who both produced their best games all season.  Rogers domination of the Jaguars interior offensive line showed in the one on one matchups the rest of the front seven saw.  Rogers was in on several quarterback pressures, and produced several key stops like the stuff of fullback Greg Jones on a fourth and one rushing attempt. 

Jackson, a player who's been criticized in this space for his lack of production, played a good game against the run.  The Jaguars running backs were held to a total of 53 yards rushing, and Jackson was crucial in that.  Jackson is a player who needs a free path to the ball and reaped the benefits of Rogers occupying the Jaguars line.

Special Teams – ILB Beau Bell (1 tackle, 1 FF):  Making his debut for the Browns, Bell's forced fumble on Witherspoon helped shift the tide again in the Browns favor.  Bell made a nice cut on the ball, and stopped him with a strong hit.  Bell may only play special teams this year due to the time he missed, but his big play ability could be key down the stretch.

Turning Point

Jamal Lewis' second quarter touchdown from two yards out set the tone for a physical day.  The Browns struggles in the end zone this season are well documented, but when coordinator Rob Chudzinski puts the ball in Lewis' hands, it helps make the play action pass a more legit threat.  When the Browns weren't handing the ball off to Lewis and the Browns were using the play action with an Anderson bootleg, teams were able to key on the passing play.  They weren't biting for the fake, but will have to start respecting it with Lewis getting those touches.

Last Straw

Kellen Winslow is talented, but with the ugliness of the past week, the possibility of life after Winslow has become a reality, like it or not.  Steve Heiden is not the vertical threat that Winslow is, but he is a capable receiver and a strong blocker.  The Browns offense has looked smooth without Winslow, but is the team ready to part ways with the star tight end?  The teams also didn't give up a 2009 third round pick to select Martin Rucker without good reason.  Savage's handling of the Winlow situation right now is messy, but he's successfully set up the Browns to live a life after Winslow.  The team is clearly not interested in re-negotiating his contract, and seems confident in the remaining tight ends on the roster.  The last half of the season may well be Winslow's audition for a new team.

3. Get Jerome Harrison and Alex Hall in the game more. Everyone has touched on this one. Well, except the coaching staff. Zing!

This one still makes sense for Sunday's game against the Jaguars. Harrison can mix it up with Jamal Lewis. Against the Redskins, Hall was in the middle of at least three stops on special teams. This guy gets after the ball and should be in the game more. I'd be fine if he took some snaps away from Kamerion Wimbley, who has been bad again this year.

7. Line Anderson up at receiver and Josh Cribbs at quarterback. If Cribbs is so good in the open field, creatively get the ball in his hands. And clearly what worked against Mid-American Conference defenses would work against NFL defenses.

Not only did the Browns do this one, it actually worked. Here's a hint for Rob Chudzinski: Do it more. It worked and excites the fans.

I took the most important one out of order and put it at the end here because I want to expound on it further.

2. Start Leon Williams. Unless Williams did something none of us have been made aware of, he's probably the team's most physically gifted inside linebacker. Sit on it, D'Qwell Jackson.

This one would absolutely help the team's awful run defense. Jackson just isn't a starter at inside linebacker in a 3-4. Williams, who is much stronger and athletic, would be perfect for it. He's a player similar to Mike Vrabel of the Patriots. He can probably play any linebacker spot and do well. For some reason, though, he never gets anything more than spot duty.

Clearly, after giving up 175 yards to Clinton Portis Sunday, the Browns have trouble stopping the run. Instead of trying something different, the coaching staff has stayed the course. Ultimately, that could end up being what gets them fired.

One other suggestion: Play Brady Quinn. He can't be any worse.

Joke of the week: Braylon Edwards couldn't even catch a staph infection!

Are the Browns this year's Giants?  D'Qwell Jackson says that they are looking up to Giants.  The Giants started the 2007 season 0-2, and went on to win the Super Bowl against the then undefeated New England Patriots.

While they could easily do so, the Giants aren't looking past the Browns.  The Giants have been dominating opponents, but have only played one team with a winning record thus far.

In what should be a welcome return, Ryan Tucker should get the starting nod at right tackle this week.  The only problem is he has to face off with Giants stud left end Justin Tuck.  Tuck is exactly the kind of powerful, quick end that Tucker has struggled with throughout his career.  Kevin Shaffer, injured or not, has been bad this season, so I'm excited to see Tucker back in his familiar spot.

One quick note:  the broadcasters likely won't talk about this tonight, but the whole shakedown of Eli Manning becoming a Giant has a key to the Browns.  In his book, The GM, Tom Callahan discusses that former Giants general manager Ernie Acorsi had struck a deal with then Browns head coach/overlord Butch Davis to trade the fouth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft for the Browns seventh overall pick, and then their second round choice.  The Browns were supposedly trading up to select the late Miami (FL) free safety Sean Taylor.  Acorsi was nervous as draft day grew that Davis could be actually moving up to select Philip Rivers, and then broker a trade with the Chargers for Eli Manning, so he nixed the deal and did it himself.  Interesting how things could have turned out!