Reuben Droughns update~!

[SoDak Bronco]

Humility over holdout

Browns' Droughns was wise to report to mini-camp
Reuben Droughns recently gave the Cleveland Browns the best news they've received in about a month. He stopped talking about holding out. He came to mini-camp last week and stressed his love of football. He gave up the notion that he was a running back the Browns couldn't live without and realized how much he still has yet to prove in Cleveland. In short, Droughns started acting like himself again.
Success in the NFL can do strange things to players. In the case of Droughns, who gained a career-high 1,240 yards with the Denver Broncos last season, it warped his perspective for about eight weeks. Roughly two weeks after the Browns traded for him this spring, he walked out of the team's offseason conditioning program, vowing to not return until Cleveland offered him a contract better than the deal that pays him $950,000 in 2005 and $1.15 million in 2006. Droughns' actions created such a stir that Cleveland's Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown told a reporter that Droughns should re-think his strategy.
Droughns finally did that, saving him from any more embarrassment in one of the more ridiculous contract dramas of this offseason. As much as I like Droughns, I don't know how he or his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, thought they could pull off such a stunt. It's one thing for Rosenhaus to sell the idea -- his list of offseason hold-outs already included Terrell Owens, Javon Walker and Santana Moss, among others -- but it's something else for Droughns to believe it.
If Droughns was that good, he would've never wound up in Cleveland. The Broncos would've found a way to utilize him as their feature back instead of letting Tatum Bell and Quentin Griffin compete for the job this season. But the reality is that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan surely felt that Droughns' success had more to do with Denver's offense than Droughns. For those who don't remember, Droughns got his shot only after injuries sidelined Griffin and Bell.
The Browns aren't ready to declare Droughns the savior of their backfield, either. He will compete for a starting job with Lee Suggs, and Browns officials have even intimated that Suggs and Droughns might split carries this season. It wouldn't be bad idea. Such an approach worked for the two best rushing teams in the NFL last season (Atlanta and Pittsburgh). Browns fans also fondly recall how much the combination of Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack meant to their offense in 1985. That's also the last time a Browns runner gained at least 1,000 yards in a season.
The bottom line is that Droughns has yet to hear anybody treat him like a player who could benefit from a holdout. He's actually quite the opposite. He's the type of player who should still feel fortunate for his opportunities. He's made the most of them so far, which is why I was happy to see him land in Cleveland. Droughns has the kind of work ethic and desire that Browns fans should appreciate. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a better guy to root for.
Droughns is so generous that he once gave a homeless woman the coat off his back when she begged him for food. He's so tough that as a junior at Oregon, he ran for 172 yards against UCLA while playing a portion of the game on a fractured right fibula. He's so resilient that he never lost faith in his NFL career when nobody believed in his potential as a feature back. Before last year, Droughns had gained only a combined 97 rushing yards in his previous four seasons.


But Droughns' best quality is his humility. He reveals it in the locker room -- he still wanted to play on special teams after becoming the Broncos starting running back last season -- and he doesn't big-time people. Droughns dated his fiancée, Kelly McFall, for nearly a month before she learned what Droughns did for a living. Finally, after she reached a point where she wondered if he was just embarrassed about his job or a drug dealer, McFall pressed the truth out of her future husband. Many athletes would be offended if their girlfriends didn't know their jersey numbers. Droughns is so unassuming that he didn't consider his job a big deal.
That's why it was good to see him back in Cleveland's mini-camp. He sounded far more natural when he was talking about competing with Suggs and proving that Shanahan didn't create him. That's who Reuben Droughns is. As for the guy who overestimated his value and his leverage ... well, that's the Reuben Droughns who's listened to bad advice.
If Droughns does get a better deal, it will be by operating the same way he has throughout his five-year career. By being a stand-up guy, working hard and making the most of his opportunities. That's the type of player they need to find more of in Cleveland, not the kind who act like misguided mercenaries. And you can bet the Browns are grateful that Droughns eventually realized that.

[Meck77]

I wish Reuben nothing but the best and I don't blame the guy for trying to stir the pot for some scratch. He was nothing but a team player here in Denver and IMO did whatever he could to contribute and was a work horse while alot of other guys had their chance to shine. I ran into his ole man in a hotel last year. I only talked to him for a minute or two but it doesn't take too long to get a read on someone and Reuben's dad was just tough as nails and definetly had the old school mentality of hard work and dedication. It appears to me that he has passed those qualities onto his son.

Good luck Reuben.

[Hogan11]

Originally Posted by SoDak Bronco

Humility over holdout

Browns' Droughns was wise to report to mini-camp
Reuben Droughns recently gave the Cleveland Browns the best news they've received in about a month. He stopped talking about holding out. He came to mini-camp last week and stressed his love of football. He gave up the notion that he was a running back the Browns couldn't live without and realized how much he still has yet to prove in Cleveland. In short, Droughns started acting like himself again.
Success in the NFL can do strange things to players. In the case of Droughns, who gained a career-high 1,240 yards with the Denver Broncos last season, it warped his perspective for about eight weeks. Roughly two weeks after the Browns traded for him this spring, he walked out of the team's offseason conditioning program, vowing to not return until Cleveland offered him a contract better than the deal that pays him $950,000 in 2005 and $1.15 million in 2006. Droughns' actions created such a stir that Cleveland's Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown told a reporter that Droughns should re-think his strategy.
Droughns finally did that, saving him from any more embarrassment in one of the more ridiculous contract dramas of this offseason. As much as I like Droughns, I don't know how he or his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, thought they could pull off such a stunt. It's one thing for Rosenhaus to sell the idea -- his list of offseason hold-outs already included Terrell Owens, Javon Walker and Santana Moss, among others -- but it's something else for Droughns to believe it.
If Droughns was that good, he would've never wound up in Cleveland. The Broncos would've found a way to utilize him as their feature back instead of letting Tatum Bell and Quentin Griffin compete for the job this season. But the reality is that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan surely felt that Droughns' success had more to do with Denver's offense than Droughns. For those who don't remember, Droughns got his shot only after injuries sidelined Griffin and Bell.
The Browns aren't ready to declare Droughns the savior of their backfield, either. He will compete for a starting job with Lee Suggs, and Browns officials have even intimated that Suggs and Droughns might split carries this season. It wouldn't be bad idea. Such an approach worked for the two best rushing teams in the NFL last season (Atlanta and Pittsburgh). Browns fans also fondly recall how much the combination of Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack meant to their offense in 1985. That's also the last time a Browns runner gained at least 1,000 yards in a season.
The bottom line is that Droughns has yet to hear anybody treat him like a player who could benefit from a holdout. He's actually quite the opposite. He's the type of player who should still feel fortunate for his opportunities. He's made the most of them so far, which is why I was happy to see him land in Cleveland. Droughns has the kind of work ethic and desire that Browns fans should appreciate. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a better guy to root for.
Droughns is so generous that he once gave a homeless woman the coat off his back when she begged him for food. He's so tough that as a junior at Oregon, he ran for 172 yards against UCLA while playing a portion of the game on a fractured right fibula. He's so resilient that he never lost faith in his NFL career when nobody believed in his potential as a feature back. Before last year, Droughns had gained only a combined 97 rushing yards in his previous four seasons.


But Droughns' best quality is his humility. He reveals it in the locker room -- he still wanted to play on special teams after becoming the Broncos starting running back last season -- and he doesn't big-time people. Droughns dated his fiancée, Kelly McFall, for nearly a month before she learned what Droughns did for a living. Finally, after she reached a point where she wondered if he was just embarrassed about his job or a drug dealer, McFall pressed the truth out of her future husband. Many athletes would be offended if their girlfriends didn't know their jersey numbers. Droughns is so unassuming that he didn't consider his job a big deal.
That's why it was good to see him back in Cleveland's mini-camp. He sounded far more natural when he was talking about competing with Suggs and proving that Shanahan didn't create him. That's who Reuben Droughns is. As for the guy who overestimated his value and his leverage ... well, that's the Reuben Droughns who's listened to bad advice.
If Droughns does get a better deal, it will be by operating the same way he has throughout his five-year career. By being a stand-up guy, working hard and making the most of his opportunities. That's the type of player they need to find more of in Cleveland, not the kind who act like misguided mercenaries. And you can bet the Browns are grateful that Droughns eventually realized that.

Who?

J/K.....but really, I'll buy this only when he ditches Drew Rosenhaus as his agent...until then, leery is the best word I can think of when it comes to how The Browns should be dealing with Ruben now. Afterall, once bitten, twice shy.

[SoDak Bronco]

Originally Posted by Meck77

I wish Reuben nothing but the best and I don't blame the guy for trying to stir the pot for some scratch. He was nothing but a team player here in Denver and IMO did whatever he could to contribute and was a work horse while alot of other guys had their chance to shine. I ran into his ole man in a hotel last year. I only talked to him for a minute or two but it doesn't take too long to get a read on someone and Reuben's dad was just tough as nails and definetly had the old school mentality of hard work and dedication. It appears to me that he has passed those qualities onto his son.

Good luck Reuben.

Yeah its hard not to like Reuben and wish him the best. I hope that he outduels lee suggs and wins the starting job. With all that trash he was talking to Warren Sapp he needs to do something outside of Denver.

[bendog]

If he is gonna tote the rock 250 times, they should give him a raise, though.

[Garcia Bronco]

The Droughns was just trying to see what he could get....good job

[Phantom]

Browns fans also fondly recall how much the combination of Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack meant to their offense in 1985. That's also the last time a Browns runner gained at least 1,000 yards in a season.

You gotta be kidding me! 20 years - holy Chit.

[Alkazar]

Originally Posted by bendog

If he is gonna tote the rock 250 times, they should give him a raise, though.

Problem with that is they don't know if he will be the primary rock toter. If he's splitting time with Suggs he shouldn't get the raise. I too liked Reuben while he was here and was sorry to see him go but He definately got some bad advice from his agent, he shouldn't have threatened to hold out.

[fontaine]

Originally Posted by Phantom

Browns fans also fondly recall how much the combination of Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack meant to their offense in 1985. That's also the last time a Browns runner gained at least 1,000 yards in a season.

You gotta be kidding me! 20 years - holy Chit.

Yeah, that's got to be some sort of NFL record of ineptitude.

I have a feeling Droughns will break the 1k mark because I don't think Suggs will hold up behind that line.

[Kaylore]

I hope Reuben does well. He's a good guy, he just has satan as an agent.

[Rohirrim]

I call it the "Drew Effect." Fortunately, Reuben was able to break free and reclaim his own self. I'm sure Drew is still out there, calling on the phone: "Search your feelings, Reuben. You know it to be true. I AM your father!"

[bendog]

Originally Posted by Alkazar

Problem with that is they don't know if he will be the primary rock toter. If he's splitting time with Suggs he shouldn't get the raise. I too liked Reuben while he was here and was sorry to see him go but He definately got some bad advice from his agent, he shouldn't have threatened to hold out.

I like what Den got for him. But I don't think his contract right now is up to what it should be even if he gets 15 carries per game, which works out to 240 over 16 games. His agent's an idiot in that RD had no leverage for a holdout, here or in Clev. But that doesn't mean Clev should f him over.

[fontaine]

Originally Posted by Rohirrim

I call it the "Drew Effect." Fortunately, Reuben was able to break free and reclaim his own self. I'm sure Drew is still out there, calling on the phone: "Search your feelings, Reuben. You know it to be true. I AM your father!"

I think someone like Droughns is exactly the kind of player who should sign with Rosenhaus.

I mean, we all know Rosenhaus is willing to try everything to see his client paid and I think Droughns needs that. He never really got a huge signing bonus, even though he rushed for a 1000+ yards, is a great Special Teams player and a solid lockerroom presence. I'd much rather see Rosenhaus fight for a "little guy" who deserves to get paid, especially at the RB position where the average career is just three years when he has every chance to be the starter in Cleveland, compared to some prima donna WR who's one year removed from pocketing close to $10million off a new deal.

[Atlas]

Reuban is getting a FBs salary. If he has significant playing time at RB the Browns should give him a pay increase.

[Mr. Trout]

Originally Posted by Kaylore

I hope Reuben does well. He's a good guy, he just has satan as an agent.

IT ISNT JUST THE AGENT...HE HAS BEEN SEING DOLLAR SINGSN FOR AWHILE

[Ninjafied]

I’m going to go against the grain, but just a little bit.
Reuban was a great guy here – team player, always willing to do what was asked of him, moral leader – and for that I can wish him all the luck. Based on what he did last year he certainly deserves more than what we were paying him.

But there’s a tiny part of me that says give him every chance and hope he doesn’t do so well for the Browns. I say that not because I have something against Reuban, but because it would be another strong compliment to our running system. And the stronger the system the more leverage the team has. It tells our running backs and any greasy agent they might have not to get too greedy. It also makes Denver more attractive to free agent RB or potential draftees.
I know that’s a bit of twisted logic but for the most part I think its true.

[fontaine]

Originally Posted by Ninjafied

But there’s a tiny part of me that says give him every chance and hope he doesn’t do so well for the Browns. I say that not because I have something against Reuban, but because it would be another strong compliment to our running system. And the stronger the system the more leverage the team has. It tells our running backs and any greasy agent they might have not to get too greedy. It also makes Denver more attractive to free agent RB or potential draftees.
I know that’s a bit of twisted logic but for the most part I think its true.

I hope Droughns does very well not only because he's a great guy, but it'll give us more in return the next time we trade our starting RB.

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by fontaine

I hope Droughns does very well not only because he's a great guy, but it'll give us more in return the next time we trade our starting RB.

He is a class guy and I wish him the best on the 3-13 Brown team he is on.

[Ninjafied]

Originally Posted by fontaine

I hope Droughns does very well not only because he's a great guy, but it'll give us more in return the next time we trade our starting RB.

Good point - it definitely works both ways in that sense.

[fontaine]

Originally Posted by Ninjafied

Good point - it definitely works both ways in that sense.

The thing is, every summer a RB goes down and sometimes it's on a RB thin team. Last year we were a pubic hair away from trading Anderson for a 3rd/4th. This year if another injury happens then I can see us trading Anderson or Q for a second day pick.