Browns receive stolen goods

[Sez.EJ]

If this article does not make you proud.. you must be dead inside.


Cleveland receives stolen goods in new hero Hillis - NFL - CBSSports.com Football

Cleveland receives stolen goods in new hero Hillis

By Clark Judge CBSSports.com Senior Writer Dec. 7, 2010

If they're going to throw a farewell party for Josh McDaniels, I suggest they do it in Cleveland. Nobody should be more grateful for what McDaniels accomplished in Denver than the Cleveland Browns -- and if you're not sure why then you haven't been following Peyton Hillis.
Hillis is not just the best back and best player on the Browns. He's one of the best backs and one of the best players in the NFL.

The hard-running Hillis has quickly become a huge favorite of Cleveland fans. (US Presswire)

He runs. He catches. He blocks. He scores touchdowns. Lots and lots of touchdowns. He's tough. He's durable. He's charismatic. Teammates love him. Coaches love him. Fans adore him.
"He's beloved," said Browns' general manager Tom Heckert. "He's the kind of guy the city should embrace. Obviously, we're glad we have him."
And that's where McDaniels comes in. Because the Cleveland Browns wouldn't have Peyton Hillis if the former Denver coach wasn't so willing to get rid of him. According to league sources, McDaniels had been interested in trading Hillis for nearly a year before he agreed to a deal with Cleveland that now seems so lopsided you wonder if McDaniels is descended from Harry Frazee.

I mean, Peyton Hillis and two draft picks for ...
Brady Quinn? Please. Yet that's precisely the trade McDaniels OK'd last March, shortly after Mike Holmgren took over as the Browns' president.
What makes the deal so compelling is that Cleveland had decided it was finished with Quinn. In fact, it shopped him for weeks with no one interested and was this close to waiving the guy until McDaniels came to the rescue. He expressed interest in Quinn before, so the Browns figured they'd check with him again before cutting Quinn loose.
They discovered that not only was McDaniels still intrigued by Quinn but was willing to offer the Browns the running back they coveted. That was Hillis, who'd come to coach Eric Mangini's attention when Hillis played against Mangini's New York Jets in 2008 and ran for a then-career-high 129 yards and a touchdown.
Mangini liked everything about the guy and made a mental note then to track him if he ever became available. But he wasn't alone. When Heckert was the GM in Philadelphia, he was on to Hillis, too, figuring he'd be a perfect fit for the Eagles.
Of course, nothing ever happened until the Browns put Quinn on the market, and then it happened in a hurry. Once Denver was interested, it was easy for Mangini and Heckert to zero in on a target, with both agreeing that Hillis could improve the Browns with his running, his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and his toughness.
But they didn't stop there. Instead, they somehow convinced Denver to throw in two draft picks -- a sixth-rounder in 2010 and an undetermined 2011 choice that probably becomes another sixth -- to sweeten a deal that, frankly, helped make both clubs what they are today.
In Quinn, McDaniels thought he was getting a future starter. Instead, he's the team's third-stringer and hasn't played a down this season. In Hillis, the Browns knew what they were getting, and what you see today is the product of a club that did its homework.
"He's changed things here," said Mangini. "When he's rolling, and we're rolling it's a beautiful thing."
Mangini is right. Hillis has changed things. The Browns may not be the most entertaining or most talented club on the planet, but they're tough, effective and a difficult out. In short, they're a reflection of their running back. They drew the league's toughest schedule, yet never backed down -- playing opponents so hard and close that six of their games, including the last three, each were decided by four or fewer points.
They blew out defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans. They buried New England. They took the Jets to overtime. They could have beaten Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Baltimore and Kansas City. They should've beaten Jacksonville. Cleveland rocks, and nobody is rocking the Browns ... and their fans ... like Peyton Hillis. He leads the team in rushing, leads the team in catches, has nearly twice as many touchdowns (13) as the Browns' leading scorer a year ago (7) and has more scores than any running back in the NFL outside of Houston's Arian Foster (15).
But that's just the beginning, people. He's the only Browns' back outside of Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly to rush for 11 TDs in one year -- and the first since Kelly did it in 1968. He has a touchdown in all but two games. He's tied for the league lead in third-and-one conversions with a perfect 9-for-9. He ranks second among running backs in receptions with 53. He's fourth in first downs and fifth in total yardage, and his 1,398 yards in offense comprise 38.1 percent of the Browns' output.
"He has a ton of touchdowns," said Mangini, "and some of them have been blocked. But there have been others where he just willed his way into the end zone. He's added toughness around here that's contagious. Guys 'ooh' and 'ah' when they watch some of those plays, and it sets a tempo."
Hillis is relentless, running over and through anyone who gets in his way, and he's so reliable, so dependable, so, well, indispensable, that when the Browns were trying to close out New England early last month they called on Hillis. Ahead by 13 points with just over six minutes to go, Cleveland ran him every play of its game-clinching drive. Hillis responded by carrying six times for 60 yards, punctuating the series with a 35-yard TD.
"He's the real deal," said Heckert.
Too bad McDaniels didn't get the memo. Losing Peyton Hillis didn't cost him his job, but it helped to build the case against him. I can't imagine where the Broncos would be with Peyton Hillis, but I do know where Cleveland would be without him -- and here's to Eric Mangini and Tom Heckert for making sure that didn't happen.

[jason j]

Enjoying this... And #peytonism on twitter.

-jj

[sofakingwhat]

When was the last time it really felt this good to be a Browns fan?

[nickers]

Whats more hilariouse is Josh is from Ohio...wouldnt it be ironic if he wound up as OC here?...(doubtful)

[Danamal]

Great article,
It's nice to see he was on the radar and Denver was soooo stupid.
Makes us look BRILLIANT,thanks Josh!

[Enigmatic Evil]

Loved this move since day one but even I didn't think Hillis would have produced to the break-out level he's brought to the table. Ever since that article that came out in the pre-season about how Hillis wanted to show that he was the steal of that trade I was interested to see how Hillis would do. In the early weeks this season he started out kind of slow, had some ugly fumbles but once he got comfortable he started to run rampant on the opposition. I think where he's really proven valuable is in the passing game, he has way better hands than I would have guessed.

[Greythan]

On the popular topic of Mangini's longevity as our head coach, his push for Hillis as part of the deal is a feather in his cap.

[BernietheKid]

Berea Report: Hillis Nears Milestone
		By Fred Greetham OBR Browns Reporter Posted Dec 8, 2010 The bruising back is getting national attention and nearing an important mark. Fred Greetham reports from Berea. 1 Comment
BEREA, Ohio— Peyton Hillis needs just 38 yards to surpass the 1,000 yard mark for the season. Sunday’s conditions should be conducive to the Browns running the ball and there is a good chance he will eclipse the mark this week for the first time in his career. The weather forecast is calling for bad weather once again Sunday in Buffalo. “If I do, it will be a blessing,” Hillis said. “I have a great offensive line and a fullback in front of me.” Hillis has 962 yards on 217 carries for a 4.4 average, with 11 rushing touchdowns. He also leads the team with 53 receptions for 436 yards (8.2 avg.) and two touchdowns. The Browns won their final four games of the 2009 season with an NFL leading rushing attack over the final quarter of the season. Eric Mangini said these types of games are what the Browns are, hopefully, built for. “I love this weather and that’s what you would expect in Cleveland at this time of year,” Mangini said. “The way you can handle the conditions and run the ball, stop the run, that’s important. That should be a real home field advantage for us.” Hillis is coming off a game where the Dolphins kept him under wraps and held him to just 57 yards on 18 carries (3.2 avg.). “It was bad for me individually, but it created gaps and opening for the rest of the team,” Hillis said. Hillis said he is motivated to bounce back this week. “Most definitely,” he said. “I’m more determined to come out and have a good game.” The Bills have the worst rushing defense in the NFL and Chan Gailey is expects to have his hands full this week. Meanwhile, the Browns rank 14th, overall, in rushing. “He’s a strong downhill runner we have to get a lot of bodies around him and try to knock him back and not let hima fall forward,” Gailey said. Last year, the Browns won their first game of the season at Buffalo in a very ugly way by a score of 6-3, despite only having two completed passes in the game by Derek Anderson. “That was a classic,” Mangini said. Notebook Hodges Player of the Week: Punter Reggie Hodges has been AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Dolphins. Hodges had nine punts for 438 yards (48.7 avg.) with two punts inside the 20, including one downed at the one-yard line. His net average of 43.3 led the AFC for the week. Hodges leads the league with 13 punts inside the 10 this season. Hodges said there’s no secret to placing the ball inside the 10. “I wish I was good enough to say that, but I’m getting good bounces.” Earlier this season, linebacker David Bowens earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week and running back Peyton Hillis was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 9. It is the first time in his career that Hodges has won the award. “It’s all a positive what Reggie did,” Mangini said. Thus far, Hodges is putting up the best numbers of his career. “It comes down to comfort level and that has been a big part of his success, along with his experience.” Barton Wins Award: Linebacker Eric Barton was chosen the Browns’ recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award. The award is given in honor of former trainer of the Baltimore Colts which exemplifies courage, compassion, commitment and community service. After missing the final eight games of the 2009 season with a neck injury, Barton has bounced back with 50 tackles and one fumble recovery. He has started 10 of the 12 games this season for the Browns. “There were a lot of question marks coming off the neck injury,” Mangini said. “He’s very deserving of the award.” Colt Update: Colt McCoy will not practice Wednesday, but Mangini said that he came through a workout on Tuesday in a positive light. “I think we have a shot for him to practice this week,” Mangini said. “I don’t think it’s a slam dunk, but we’ll see. “He did some good work (Tuesday), but that’s very controlled with the trainer.” Others not practicing are Eric Barton, Titus Browns, Scott Fujita and Evan Moore. “I’m optimistic with all of those guys being able to do something this week except Scott,” Mangini said. Scout.com: Berea Report: Hillis Nears Milestone