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Green, Suggs are running out of time |
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Written by JEFF SCHUDEL, Morning Journal Writer
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Wednesday, 30 August 2006 |
 BEREA -- Three seasons and another frustrating training camp have come down to one game for Lee Suggs and William Green. The Browns wrap up the preseason tomorrow in a home game against the Bears. Barring anything unusual, either Suggs or Green will be released when final cuts are made Saturday. Green is the first-round draft choice in 2002 that never came close to matching what he did as a rookie when he rushed for 887 yards.
 Suggs is the fourth-round pick from 2003 who rushed for 100 yards in each of the final three games in 2004. He followed that up with eight carries for 15 yards last season.
Coach Romeo Crennel will keep three running backs and two fullbacks if he follows a typical formula. Two of those running backs -- Reuben Droughns and rookie Jerome Harrison -- have jobs locked up. That means Suggs and Green are fighting for one spot. Crennel could pull a surprise and jettison both of them if he decides to keep Jason Wright, or he could keep Droughns, Harrison plus fullbacks Terrelle Smith and rookie Lawrence Vickers so he could add an extra player at another position.
Asked whether he has seen the best of Green or Suggs since becoming the Browns' head coach in February of last year, Crennel shook his head.
''Probably not,'' he said. ''They haven't been on the field. When you don't go on the field during the game, I don't know if its their best or not.
''They work hard, they're into the offense, they try to do their jobs and sometimes you don't get the opportunity to show what you can do. They have opportunities in practice, but they haven't had many opportunities in the game. Some of that is on injuries and the other part of that is on Reuben Droughns.''
The Browns thought they solved the problem a couple weeks ago when they traded Suggs to the Jets, but he was sent back to the Browns because the Jets claim they found something wrong with his left knee. Suggs did have arthroscopic surgery in January, but it has not affected him negatively.
On the contrary; if he comes out of the game against the Bears tomorrow in good shape, he will go into the regular season -- for some other team if not the Browns -- healthy for the first time in his career. Suggs has missed 23 of 48 games with injuries.
''I don't know what's going to happen,'' Suggs said. ''I may be here. I may not. I have no control over that. I just know when I go in there (tomorrow) and get the ball, I have to make something happen. It could be make or break, I don't know. I just look at it as playing ball.''
Suggs did not carry the ball or catch a pass last week in the 20-17 victory over the Bills. Harrison carried nine nines for 70 yards and Droughns carried eight times for 17 yards.
Green carried three times for 19 yards against the Bills. He showed a burst when he gained 15 yards on one play. But those 19 yards raised his preseason total to 18 yards on 11 carries.
That's right -- prior to last week Green had eight carries for minus-1 yard.
Eighteen players caught at least one pass during the first three preseason games. Suggs had one catch for eight yards. Green had none.
''I think I'm a good player,'' Green said. ''I think any time I'm on the field I produce. I get out there and work hard. I feel I'm a very tough guy.
''I'm not in the coaches' minds. I don't know what they think. The only thing we can do is go out there and work hard. I'm sure that's what all the running backs do.'' ©The Morning Journal 2006 |
