Cleveland Browns: Cam Erving from Year 1 to Year 2
By Peter Smith
Cameron Erving‘s rookie year was brutal, but he can be a successful offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, provided he wants to be.
Now that Alex Mack has opted out of his contract with the Cleveland Browns and is a free agent (an expected outcome) the focus turns to Cam Erving. The 19th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft had a difficult time in his rookie season despite the fact he was drafted with 2016 in mind. Some of the blame can be placed on the team but the vast majority of it belongs to Erving. That also means he can be his own source of salvation, allowing him to be the heir to Mack that Ray Farmer had envisioned when he was selected.
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Sometime between the time he was selected and the preseason, Erving ended up being in poor shape, gaining some bad weight and just not looking to be ready to play NFL football. Perhaps burnout from an interminable draft process that lasts from a prospect’s last playing season straight through their rookie year took its toll.
The other possibility is that a kid is in his early 20’s suddenly came into a lot of money in a hurry and enjoyed it a little too much. Not an exactly surprising result, it obviously would pave the way for a disappointing rookie year.
It could also be a combination of both.
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There are many who would blame Mike Pettine and the previous coaching staff for Erving’s struggles. Specifically citing the fact that Erving was playing all over the line in training camp and tight end in jumbo packages, the argument is that Erving was simply overwhelmed and couldn’t process it all.
That argument sounds good, but the inescapable reality is that Erving wasn’t in shape and the mistakes he was making were not due to the fact he was tasked with playing guard in wake of an injury to left guard Joel Bitonio and then John Greco.
Now, it was one more issue to throw on Erving’s apparently overloaded plate, which didn’t help the situation. Nevertheless, expecting that focusing him entirely on the center position would have been a silver bullet to the problem is an oversimplification.
On top of that, the Browns lost their offensive line coach, Andy Moeller, in a ‘mutual parting of the ways’ after a domestic incident that never went to court. This is a legitimate problem for a rookie offensive lineman trying to make his way in the NFL.
From his pass sets to how he was trying to take on contact in pass pro, reaching rather than moving his feet and showing no functional strength whatsoever, sliding him over a yard and giving the ball to snap was not going to resolve the problem. Having a consistent voice from a position coach all year might have made a difference for Erving in this area.
Even if Moeller didn’t have his issues that forced him to leave the team, Erving was going to struggle because he wasn’t equipped to play professional football at the time. His body wasn’t ready for the NFL.
Erving was better in the running game, but only marginally. Had the Browns been able to put Erving on injured reserve last year for having a mental breakdown, it would have been a legitimate course of action. He was only playing – really, only on the active roster because of the investment in him at that time.
Not benching him and not deactivating finally paid off in Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Perhaps working himself into shape over the course of the year or getting more confident in what he was doing or a matter of pride, Erving looked like a football player and was pretty good at times. He still had some issues and something just seemed to click for him.
This faith (or perhaps desperation) in Erving paid off. After what was largely a disastrous rookie season for the Browns, Erving had found bottom and chose to fight. There was something there that Erving could build upon, even if it was only the one game. Confidence is such a huge part of sports in general, but especially one that relies so much on sheer physicality and will. Getting a sense that he could succeed on this level is important.
The hope is that whatever it was that clicked for Erving in that game carrier over into the offseason. Building on the fact that he could compete in the NFL and going beyond that and vowing that he would never struggle like that on an NFL field again. Taking a lot of frustration, disappointment, sheer embarrassment as well as some semblance of success and using it to potentially fuel him into a successful second season and NFL career.
For Erving, that means attacking the issue from two main fronts; physically and technically.
First, the physical. Not only does Erving have to get in shape but he has to get stronger. Obviously, he simply has to get stronger and add more muscle to his frame. Just as important is his diet, so he can transform his body so that is built to succeed. This also means fueling it so that it can perform at a high level.
Obviously, this is on Erving to commit to this type of plan and the hope is that he has turned to some of his NFL peers and found the right people to get him to where he wants to go. It would be ideal to have a veteran take Erving under his wing and push him in the right direction with this part of his life, but it is entirely on Erving to follow through with it.
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The second part is the technical part. From his pad level at times to stopping his feet on contact, Erving was just brutal at times executing his assignments. This may have been partly caused by a shock that he was so outmatched physically, but that is all the more reason for a player to focus on technique. Either way, Erving has to get back to basics in terms of blocking and especially pass protection.
The assumption many make is that NFL players can’t really work with coaches in the offseason and they do that almost entirely in team functions. That’s not true and Erving could simply work with an offensive line coach that can help him improve his technique.
He could also get in touch with the coaching staff and make sure he is learning the right techniques for the upcoming season on his own time, be it by staying and working in Cleveland or somewhere else. It is great optics for Erving to basically live in Berea all offseason, but as long as the work gets done, he can do it in Guam. Whatever is the most conducive situation for him to succeed.
Since Erving was drafted, he knew he was being prepped to start on the offensive line, be it at center or guard. With Mack a free agent, the more likely scenario is center but it shouldn’t matter. The bottom line is that Erving should have attacked this offseason with the mindset that he was going to be counted on to be a fixture on the offensive line. And now, obviously he knows it is for Hue Jackson as his head coach.
Erving is also clearly capable. He was so bad in his rookie year that it was forgotten why Erving was drafted as high as he was. Arguing the merits of taking a first-round center a year before he was needed as a reaction to Mack’s injury the previous season is understandable (and I have. I wanted Preston Smith there). Nevertheless, if the Browns didn’t pick Erving, he was going to go soon after.
Erving showed power and mobility on tape during his time with the Seminoles. He went on to confirm these attributes at the scouting combine that year, where he tested remarkably well as shown on the graph.
The key now is that Erving has to get back to what he was coming out of college and then surpass it. If he can do that, the Browns should be more than happy with their selection and if they can resign Mitchell Schwartz to be their right tackle, have a very talented, young core of linemen along with Bitonio.
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Erving found out the hard way just how difficult the NFL is. He played about as bad as anyone could before finally standing up and responding at the end of the year. Now, he has to decide if he wants to be great and put in the work that is required to get there. If he does, the Browns will be happy with their investment and Hue Jackson will be happy with whoever is lining up at center this year, be it Mack or Erving. If not, Erving’s name can be added to ever growing list of bad decisions the Browns have made on draft day.