PD article: Interview with Clausen about his visit to Cleveland

[PlaygroundLegend]

[gdwl]Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen thinks Cleveland Browns would be a great fit

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

April 19, 2010, 3:46PM

UPDATED: 8:52 p.m.
Bahram Mark Sobhani / APNotre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen on his meeting with Browns President Mike Holmgren: "Obviously he's worked with a bunch of great quarterbacks in the NFL and it would be an honor to be able to work with him and coach [Eric] Mangini and that staff."

NOTRE DAME QB JIMMY CLAUSEN
Ht./wt.: 6-2 ˝; 222.
40 time: 4.88.
College highlights: Completed 68 percent of his passes in 2009 with 28 touchdowns and four interceptions. Set a school record with seven games of more than 300 yards passing, and engineered four fourth-quarter comeback victories.
As a junior, Clausen ranked second in the nation in pass efficiency rating (161.42), third in passing yards (3,722), seventh in touchdown passes (28), and fifth in completion percentage (68.0). Played the last nine games with torn ligaments in his right big toe, which was surgically-repaired in January. Was a finalist for the Manning award, semi finalist for the Maxwell award, and Davey O'Brien award.
What they're saying: Mel Kiper, who has him ranked ahead of Sam Bradford as the No. 1 QB in the draft, is convinced that Clausen has what it takes to win a Super Bowl. “My confidence in this young man has never wavered,” he writes. On nfldraftscout.com, Clausen is a “classic drop-back quarterback with above-average accuracy, good mechanics and a very quick release.” Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki writes that Clausen possesses an “elitist attitude and selfishness that could polarize a locker room.” At Clausen's pro day, Rams GM Bill Devaney told reporters, “Clausen looked outstanding. He threw the ball with velocity, he was extremely accurate, he made all the throws. He's a natural passer; he showed that.” Said ESPN's Ron Jaworski: “He clearly projects to me to be an outstanding National Football League quarterback, and I believe he’s only scratched the surface.”
— Mary Kay CabotCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen cleared the air with Browns president Mike Holmgren and thinks Cleveland would be a great fit.
During the NFL owners meetings last March, Holmgren uttered the quote heard 'round the draft world when he told The Plain Dealer of Clausen, "I wish I liked him more. ... He'll go high. But it would be hard for me [to take him]."
At the time, Clausen didn't get too upset because he knew NFL officials often say things before the draft that might not be true. Then, during Clausen's visit to Cleveland earlier this month, Holmgren confirmed that it might've been a smokescreen.
"We had a great conversation and that's what he said," said Clausen. "He said he tries to do that once in a while to throw people off."
Still, Holmgren didn't give Clausen any indication that he'll spend the No. 7 pick on him. Clausen is widely regarded as the second-best quarterback in the draft behind Oklahoma's Sam Bradford -- although ESPN's Mel Kiper has him ranked No. 1.
"To be honest, they really don't give you any kind of vibe at all," he said. "They kind of keep a straight face the whole time, but it was just good to be able to sit down with him and just talk to him face-to-face. Obviously he's worked with a bunch of great quarterbacks in the NFL and it would be an honor to be able to work with him and coach [Eric] Mangini and that staff."
Clausen said he'd be thrilled to be a Brown, in part because they run a similar system to the pro-style offense he learned under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.
"I'd be really excited to hear my called by the Browns and at the end of the day be in a system that I'm familiar with," he said.
Clausen had a particularly strong connection during the visit with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who worked under Weis in New England. Daboll called Clausen on Monday to wish him luck on draft day.
"Even though it was the first time I met him, it was just kind of different with him knowing coach Weis so well," said Clausen. "I felt really comfortable with him in the meeting room, getting up on the board, and watching film. With him being in New England, we pretty much speak the same language, and we're pretty much running the exact same stuff."
He said he's not sure if he's overcome the knocks against him by ESPN's Todd McShay and Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki, who have criticized his leadership skills.
"You hear all of that stuff, but teams don't really bring it up," said Clausen. "They just want to get to know me as a person."
Former Browns offensive coordinator and current Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman -- who worked with Clausen before the NFL Combine and ran his Pro Day, is convinced he can be an elite quarterback.
"I don't think there's any doubt that Jimmy has the ability to be a franchise quarterback," said Trestman. "It's just a matter of who needs a quarterback and how badly. I know this -- he's going to be a very, very good player in the NFL."
Trestman said his pre-Combine meetings in January were originally set for 9 a.m., but he changed them to 6 a.m. to see how Clausen would respond. At the time, Clausen was fresh out of surgery to repair torn ligaments in his big toe, so the meetings were mostly on plays and offensive strategy.
"He showed up ... at 5:50 every morning in a cast and on crutches and was wide-eyed and excited about getting to work," said Trestman. "He was very smart and analytical."
Trestman showed up a day early for the Pro Day and got to watch Clausen interact with his teammates.
"They had a tremendous rapport and were very supportive," said Trestman. "I had no sense of any friction. They worked very hard to give him the best workout they could."
Kiper went so far as to say on Monday, "If Clausen's not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I'm done." His colleague, McShay, on the other hand, doesn't even think Clausen will go in the top 10, projecting him at No. 17 to the 49ers.
"I have no expectations," said Clausen. "I just feel I'm the most NFL ready."
[/gdwl]


I think its kind of weird that he revealed in the interview that holmgren like to say things like that to throw people off, I dont think he should have revealed some of this stuff he said. Its damn good info, but it might tip-off other teams to what the Browns want....

[Shep]

I still don't feel the Browns drafting Clausen... even though a lot of writers are saying they seem to like im more every day. On a pure logic level, no pick could possibly make more sense: He's a top quarterback prospect with an NFL arm and accuracy from a pro style offense... that plays our offense... and we're probably the most QB-starved team in the NFL.

It would seem like a total no-brainer. But I do think there's some Notre Dame and Quinn fatigue, some quarterback development fatigue in general. Even though it isn't really do-able in today's league, there's a vibe that the Browns should build other areas and draft "the next Tom Brady." Honestly, a year of Jake Delhomme will cure that up real fast.

Today, Sam Farmer said the sense is that it's one of two quarterbacks -- Clausen or Eric Berry, a defensive QB. The dirty secret on Earl Thomas is that he recently admitted to making ZERO of the defensive calls. There are some questions about his smarts and leadership.

OBR is saying that several sources around the league are saying Buffalo wants Clausen bad enough to be afraid of the Browns drafting him, and the Chiefs are eager to make a deal. Could happen... and it would help with Berry.

I'm afraid of McCoy. I hope I'm wrong about him. In fact, I'd LOVE to be wrong.

[Shep]

I thought the same thing, PGL. It was a tad immature.

Originally Posted by PlaygroundLegend

[gdwl]Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen thinks Cleveland Browns would be a great fit

By Mary Kay Cabot, The Plain Dealer

April 19, 2010, 3:46PM

UPDATED: 8:52 p.m.
Bahram Mark Sobhani / APNotre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen on his meeting with Browns President Mike Holmgren: "Obviously he's worked with a bunch of great quarterbacks in the NFL and it would be an honor to be able to work with him and coach [Eric] Mangini and that staff."

NOTRE DAME QB JIMMY CLAUSEN
Ht./wt.: 6-2 ˝; 222.
40 time: 4.88.
College highlights: Completed 68 percent of his passes in 2009 with 28 touchdowns and four interceptions. Set a school record with seven games of more than 300 yards passing, and engineered four fourth-quarter comeback victories.
As a junior, Clausen ranked second in the nation in pass efficiency rating (161.42), third in passing yards (3,722), seventh in touchdown passes (28), and fifth in completion percentage (68.0). Played the last nine games with torn ligaments in his right big toe, which was surgically-repaired in January. Was a finalist for the Manning award, semi finalist for the Maxwell award, and Davey O'Brien award.
What they're saying: Mel Kiper, who has him ranked ahead of Sam Bradford as the No. 1 QB in the draft, is convinced that Clausen has what it takes to win a Super Bowl. “My confidence in this young man has never wavered,” he writes. On nfldraftscout.com, Clausen is a “classic drop-back quarterback with above-average accuracy, good mechanics and a very quick release.” Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki writes that Clausen possesses an “elitist attitude and selfishness that could polarize a locker room.” At Clausen's pro day, Rams GM Bill Devaney told reporters, “Clausen looked outstanding. He threw the ball with velocity, he was extremely accurate, he made all the throws. He's a natural passer; he showed that.” Said ESPN's Ron Jaworski: “He clearly projects to me to be an outstanding National Football League quarterback, and I believe he’s only scratched the surface.”
— Mary Kay CabotCLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen cleared the air with Browns president Mike Holmgren and thinks Cleveland would be a great fit.
During the NFL owners meetings last March, Holmgren uttered the quote heard 'round the draft world when he told The Plain Dealer of Clausen, "I wish I liked him more. ... He'll go high. But it would be hard for me [to take him]."
At the time, Clausen didn't get too upset because he knew NFL officials often say things before the draft that might not be true. Then, during Clausen's visit to Cleveland earlier this month, Holmgren confirmed that it might've been a smokescreen.
"We had a great conversation and that's what he said," said Clausen. "He said he tries to do that once in a while to throw people off."
Still, Holmgren didn't give Clausen any indication that he'll spend the No. 7 pick on him. Clausen is widely regarded as the second-best quarterback in the draft behind Oklahoma's Sam Bradford -- although ESPN's Mel Kiper has him ranked No. 1.
"To be honest, they really don't give you any kind of vibe at all," he said. "They kind of keep a straight face the whole time, but it was just good to be able to sit down with him and just talk to him face-to-face. Obviously he's worked with a bunch of great quarterbacks in the NFL and it would be an honor to be able to work with him and coach [Eric] Mangini and that staff."
Clausen said he'd be thrilled to be a Brown, in part because they run a similar system to the pro-style offense he learned under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame.
"I'd be really excited to hear my called by the Browns and at the end of the day be in a system that I'm familiar with," he said.
Clausen had a particularly strong connection during the visit with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who worked under Weis in New England. Daboll called Clausen on Monday to wish him luck on draft day.
"Even though it was the first time I met him, it was just kind of different with him knowing coach Weis so well," said Clausen. "I felt really comfortable with him in the meeting room, getting up on the board, and watching film. With him being in New England, we pretty much speak the same language, and we're pretty much running the exact same stuff."
He said he's not sure if he's overcome the knocks against him by ESPN's Todd McShay and Pro Football Weekly's Nolan Nawrocki, who have criticized his leadership skills.
"You hear all of that stuff, but teams don't really bring it up," said Clausen. "They just want to get to know me as a person."
Former Browns offensive coordinator and current Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman -- who worked with Clausen before the NFL Combine and ran his Pro Day, is convinced he can be an elite quarterback.
"I don't think there's any doubt that Jimmy has the ability to be a franchise quarterback," said Trestman. "It's just a matter of who needs a quarterback and how badly. I know this -- he's going to be a very, very good player in the NFL."
Trestman said his pre-Combine meetings in January were originally set for 9 a.m., but he changed them to 6 a.m. to see how Clausen would respond. At the time, Clausen was fresh out of surgery to repair torn ligaments in his big toe, so the meetings were mostly on plays and offensive strategy.
"He showed up ... at 5:50 every morning in a cast and on crutches and was wide-eyed and excited about getting to work," said Trestman. "He was very smart and analytical."
Trestman showed up a day early for the Pro Day and got to watch Clausen interact with his teammates.
"They had a tremendous rapport and were very supportive," said Trestman. "I had no sense of any friction. They worked very hard to give him the best workout they could."
Kiper went so far as to say on Monday, "If Clausen's not a successful starting quarterback in the NFL, I'm done." His colleague, McShay, on the other hand, doesn't even think Clausen will go in the top 10, projecting him at No. 17 to the 49ers.
"I have no expectations," said Clausen. "I just feel I'm the most NFL ready."
[/gdwl]


I think its kind of weird that he revealed in the interview that holmgren like to say things like that to throw people off, I dont think he should have revealed some of this stuff he said. Its damn good info, but it might tip-off other teams to what the Browns want....

[mohican]

"Even though it was the first time I met him, it was just kind of different with him knowing coach Weis so well," said Clausen. "I felt really comfortable with him in the meeting room, getting up on the board, and watching film. With him being in New England, we pretty much speak the same language, and we're pretty much running the exact same stuff. And Unlike Quinn, I think I can step in and win 5-7 games a year on a regular basis. Look at my track record."

[Shep]

I think Clausen is the most likely to start early next year, so one way or the other, I think we'll get a look pretty fast.

I'm starting to feel like he'll go 5th, but to Buffalo.

[PlaygroundLegend]

For a minute I thought that quote on Quinn was actually in there and that I missed, I was like "WTF?!?!" lol

You had me there for a sec, I wrote up a whole post on it, went back and checked before I posted and realized it wasn't in there....

[mohican]

Originally Posted by Shep

I think Clausen is the most likely to start early next year, so one way or the other, I think we'll get a look pretty fast.

I'm starting to feel like he'll go 5th, but to Buffalo.

You think Buffalo will trade up with KC for Clausen?

Of course , to me that would be gold, it would be more of a chance for Eric Berry to be there for us

[Vegasdogg]

Of all the QB's to come out of Notre Dame in the last 20 years, I cannot think of one that rubbed fellow Domers the wrong way as did Clausen. I think he had one decent - not special - Jr season, with much better offensive skills players and OL than Quinn. 28-4, 3900 yds.... whatever.

That was one season against some pretty avg/mostly below avg defenses. We really never saw him play good defenses who could make him dig deep. I would have liked to see him this year - his senior season - capitalize on 2009, and rise to the top. But I don't think he would have done it. Nope. And I am not alone. Many insiders of the Golden Dome do not see this kid making it happen in the NFL.

And I mentioned on another board that he should have kept his mouth shut about specifics regarding his interview with Holmgren. That to me goes beyond maturity and ventures into the realm of asshattary, which is where many Domers feel he lives. He is sort of Ryan Leafish to me personality wise. I don't think he is going to be a good pro and while I still feel credit goes more to Weis, who did a wonderful job with both Quinn and Clausen, Quinn is the much better pro.

Clausen is not someone his own fans like to root for, and us Domers rarely feel that way about a player much less the QB. He is out for Jimmy and the limelight. I don't hope the kid fails because that is uncool. I know he will not make a good leader in the lockeroom or on the field.

One mediocre season. One good season. 28-4? That doesn't suck. But Quinn had 68-14 in two season with arguably worse accuracy. System? You bet!!!!

[mohican]

I thought Clausen is coming out as a Junior.....

[Shep]

One of the plusses on Clausen is that he showed such marked improvement from year to year. He was hurt his freshman year and struggled... then did way better his 2nd year... and pretty amazing his junior year. If they'd had a bowl game, he probably has 32 TDs and 5 picks or something crazy.

Interestingly, we talked about how Quinn padded his numbers against lesser opponents and struggled against the USCs and Big 10 teams. Clausen was actually VERY good against the best competition, even though his team had zero running game and a horrific defense.

Even though those defenses were scheming to stop Clausen/Tate with very little concern about the running game, Clausen still got it done. That's the primary reason Sobo ranks him above Bradford.

You'd be hard pressed to find a draft expert who doesn't think Clausen is a much better pro prospect than Quinn. Mayock attended both of their pro days, talked to both guys, and scouted them in-depth. He says Clausen is just a much better passer of the football.

[Vegasdogg]

Originally Posted by Shep

Mayock attended both of their pro days, talked to both guys, and scouted them in-depth. He says Clausen is just a much better passer of the football.

No question. I do think he has better accuracy as well. The ball comes off with a little more zip. He is the better passer. IMO, he is not the better QB.

ETA: I think when we look at the TD vs INT ratio of both these QB's (and Quinn had better numbers) and realize Quinn had accuracy issues and Clausen didn't, well then we have to wonder - at least question - if it is not just the system. I think the system - NFL ready or not - should be considered. It may be the system.

[Shep]

I think he is. I think he also gets through his progessions faster. I think Quinn works really hard at a lot of stuff that doesn't come naturally to him. It's almost unfair.

Clausen makes great reads at the line, too. He's a pretty natural quarterback.

Honestly, I don't think we're picking him... but I honestly believe he's going to be a very, very good starter in this league. Unlike Quinn, who created himself, it feels like Clausen was born to do this.