Hey, some good news for the Browns' secondary: Daven Holly, who was lost for the year during OTAs, says he'll be a better player when he returns in 2009. The problem, of course, is that Cleveland has to play an entire season of games without a legit starting cornerback (although, that could change, and, if we're being honest, nobody considered Holly "a legit starting cornerback" in the NFL when Leigh Bodden was still on the team.) "I know fans have been wondering how serious this is and whether or not I'll be back," said Holly in a phone interview. "But I expect to make a full recovery with no loss of speed or strength. A delay is not a denial. I'll come back better, stronger, faster and more mature than before." ...That's encouraging. And while this is the story of the Browns' summer, I'm convinced losing Holly wouldn't be much of a story had it happened during the regular season. Not because Holly isn't a good player, just that he's not so good that he can't be replaced.
"I know I'll be a better person be cause of this injury," he said. "Not only will I be working my butt off to come back as soon as possible, I'll be around to help the younger guys filling my role."
Cleveland could have Deion Sanders in his prime at cornerback and it wouldn't much matter if the front seven played like they did the previous two seasons. There's only so much "covering" a cover corner can be expected to do when the defensive line and linebackers aren't pressuring the quarterback.
So while the loss of Holly creates some depth concerns, if Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams control the line of scrimmage, and Kamerion Wimbley can get more one-on-one matchups on the outside, Holly's absence won't be much of an issue.
Or, the Browns could just hire out Ty Law for a year and hedge their bets.
