CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On a white mid-January Sunday, we're talkin' ...

About the Browns' offensive line ...

1. The Browns had three offensive linemen who didn't miss a single play in 2011: Alex Mack, Joe Thomas and Jason Pinkston. Thomas and Mack have never missed a snap in their pro careers. The same can be said of Pinkston, a rookie. Guard Shaun Lauvao played 95 percent of the snaps in 2011. So other than the season-ending back injury to Eric Steinbach in training camp, the line was very healthy.

2. What about Tony Pashos? That he battles injuries is news only to those who don't pay attention. He missed 11 games in 2009, 10 in 2010. It's a bonus that he missed only four games in 2011 and played 73 percent of the snaps.

3. Suppose Steinbach comes back from back surgery and is healthy for 2012. He can take over left guard, where he played every snap from 2007-10 for the Browns. That would allow Lauvao and Pinkston to duel for right guard. But they still need a right tackle. You can make the case that Pinkston can play right tackle -- he was a left tackle at Pitt. I make the case that they need a big-time right tackle, be it from the draft or free agency.

4. Offensive linemen are like starting pitchers. You think you need only five, but you better have seven capable of playing reasonably well because these guys get hurt. There was nothing about Pinkston that made me believe he should be given the right tackle spot. He was a fifth-round draft choice who was supposed to be worked into the NFL, not start immediately. But injuries and a lack of depth forced that.

5. According to STATS Inc., the offensive line ranked 18th in protecting the quarterback. They use a complicated formula going far beyond sacks. The Browns raised their ranking in the last five games, which indicated the young line was improving.

6. The most recent time the Browns had a good offense was 2007. Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow all had career seasons. Jamal Lewis shocked the NFL by running for 1,304 yards when most evaluators believed he was washed up. The Browns were 10-6.

7. Something rarely discussed about 2007 was the emphasis GM Phil Savage placed on the offensive line. Savage selected Thomas with the No. 3 pick. He signed Kevin Shaffer and Steinbach as free agents. They also had veterans Hank Fraley, Seth McKinney and Ryan Tucker. They allowed only 19 sacks and opened big holes. Tucker couldn't stay healthy. Shaffer faded. But the point of a frontal assault to upgrade the line is a worthy approach for 2012.

8. It's hard to measure linemen with stats. I use two services for sack totals -- STATS Inc. and Profootballfocus.com. Here are the sacks-allowed totals -- STATS Inc is the first number: Pashos (9.0, 7.0), Thomas (3.5, 3.0), Mack (2.0, 4.0), Pinkston (1.0, 1.0), Lauvao (4.5, 6.0).

9. This reveals what most fans saw -- the right side with Pashos and Lauvao had problems. Lauvao also was flagged for a team-high 11 penalties. You can safely say Lauvao and Pashos allowed at least 15 sacks, or about 40 percent of the team's total.

10. I wasn't able to get "Quarterback Hits Allowed" from STATS Inc., but I did from Profootballfocus. Pinkston led the Browns with 10. No one else had more than three. So Pinkston's sack total of 1.0 is deceiving. He didn't allow sacks, but he did permit the quarterback to get beat up. He played like a fifth-round rookie tackle who was thrown into starting the season opener at guard.

11. Assigning sacks to certain players is subjective unless you know the blocking schemes. That's why the two services differ. STATS only makes available sacks allowed by linemen. So it has the Browns allowing 39 sacks, but only 20 are accounted for. Profootballfocus has the Browns with 33 sacks allowed. In addition to the linemen, they assigned 4.0 sacks allowed to running back Chris Ogbonnaya, 2.0 to fullback Owen Marecic and 1.0 to tight end Evan Moore. PFF says QB Colt McCoy ran into 3.0 sacks, while Seneca Wallace did it once. Running backs Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty each allowed one sack.

12. Hard to believe, but neither service had backup right tackles Oniel Cousins and Artis Hicks allowing a sack -- both seemed to be pushed around. NFL.com has the Browns allowing 83 quarterback hits, No. 8 in the league. Bottom line: The No. 4 pick should be reserved for a big-time offensive playmaker. But a right tackle should be considered for any other pick. That's especially true when you consider Browns ranked last in rushing touchdowns and 31st (3.7 yards per carry) in running the football.

About Trent Richardson ...

I'll start with a confession: I'll probably change my mind about the No. 4 pick about 10 times before the April 26 draft.

But right now, I would not take the Alabama running back ... or any running back at No. 4. It seems there are running backs available in free agency or lower in the draft who can be plugged in and rush for 1,000 yards. The Browns did it twice in trades with Denver -- for Reuben Droughns and Hillis. And they do plan to at least talk to Hillis' agent in the near future.

After writing so much about the offensive line, part of me is tempted to pick Southern Cal's Matt Kalil -- if he's available. He is the Joe Thomas of this draft. Plug him at right tackle, with Thomas on the left side and Mack in the middle -- and that line could be superb for a long time.

But the Browns need playmakers.

I know, Robert Griffin III. This is not a knock on RGIII, but I don't see him fitting into the Browns' offense -- and I don't see them making major adjustments as Carolina did for Cam Newton and Denver did for Tim Tebow. Could be totally wrong, but I'd be shocked if they picked him.

My favorite is Justin Blackmon, the outstanding receiver from Oklahoma State.

Suppose that RGIII falls to the Browns. Suppose the Redskins desperately want to trade for him. Suppose the Browns could trade down just a few spots, and still grab Blackmon, Kalil or another big-time player -- and add a second-rounder.

I'd think about it ... real hard.

About the Cavs ...

1. Consider that Kyrie Irving played only 11 games at Duke because of a foot injury. He didn't play much this summer because of the lockout and doing extra rehabilitation on his foot. Friday was his 11th pro game, a 21-point performance in the loss to the Lakers. Irving has averaged 22 points in his last four games on the West Coast -- and it's 22 games since he left high school for the 19-year-old.

2. Or how about this? Since it became 2012, Irving has played eight games. He's averaging 18.4 points, and not just jacking up shots to pile up numbers. He's shooting 51 percent from the field, 48 percent on 3-pointers, 96 percent at the foul line.

3. This from David Thorpe of Scouts Inc. and ESPN.com: "The Cavs knew they were getting a player who would one day be their floor general, as it was always clear Irving knew how to run a team. But they also hoped he would be able to score. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing wrong with a point guard who can score (as opposed to a point guard who can only score). ... He can break his man down and get into the teeth of the defense for buckets, fouls or dishes. ... [The Bulls' Derrick] Rose gets 35 percent of his shots near the rim, and Irving is at 34 percent. Of course, Irving is nowhere near the finisher Rose is because he lacks the reigning MVP's power, finesse and experience. But Rose has improved dramatically in this area over the years, and the Cavs hope -- and can expect -- Irving to do likewise."

4. The ability to create a shot when the 24-second clock ticks down is important for a point guard, especially one playing next to a stand-up shooter such as Anthony Parker. Irving is right-handed, so it's natural for defenders to play him to the right. But he often goes to his left -- and shoots layups with his left hand. In fact, scouts are saying he goes to his left too much -- so he may have to change that.

5. Irving shot 90 percent from the foul line at Duke, and he's at 88 percent this season in the NBA. That also is important for a player who drives so much -- he will be fouled. Irving can make the defense pay for that.

6. The first time I talked to Byron Scott about Irving was after the guard had worked out for the Cavs. Scott started by saying that he didn't want to compare Irving to Chris Paul, the All-Star point guard who entered the league with New Orleans when Scott was the coach there. Then he began to talk about how Irving reminded him of Paul in several ways because of both his passing and scoring skills.

7. Let's just say Irving is exactly what this franchise needs. Fans love little guys -- OK, he's 6-2, 195 pounds -- but he looks small compared to most guys on the court. He also has a wonderful spirit and upbeat personality.

8. Guess who is third in the NBA in rebounding? It's Anderson Varejao at 11.3 in 31 minutes a game. No wonder most of the league wants to trade for him -- and why the Cavs are wisely not very interested. I'll never say never, but it would take a blockbuster deal to pry Varejao away during the season.

9. The Cavs want to give Semih Erden a real chance to prove he can be a backup center. He's a 7-footer and a huge man. He also looks very slow and rusty. If he can't do it, then Samardo Samuels will receive most of the minutes behind Varejao. But right now, they are testing Erden. In the last three games, Erden has played a total of 48 minutes, scoring five points with seven rebounds. He has 14 fouls.

10. Samuels has played 86 minutes, and has 19 fouls compared to 15 rebounds. I like how he has 36 points in those 86 minutes, and he is 16-of-23 at the foul line. He creates contact and makes an impact on the court. Samuels also can become an important player if Antawn Jamison is traded -- a possibility given how the veteran has been scoring and that he's in the last year of his contract. If Jamison leaves this season or next, that means power forward falls to rookie Tristan Thompson and Samuels.

11. Samuels is sitting now but it's not a sign the Cavs have written him off. They are hoping Erden can prove to be a decent backup center, so they have young front-court depth behind Varejao and Jamison.

About the Tribe ...

1. The Indians' fan base is desperate for any news about their team, though some fans get mad whenever another veteran minor-leaguer is signed. Adding those guys never bothers me. It's how they found Jack Hannahan last year, Shelley Duncan in 2010 and Casey Blake several seasons ago. Most of the time, little trades and small signings mean nothing.

2. Fans got a taste of contention in 2011 and loved it. That's why they want their team to do something, and the Indians obviously need a bat. But not one belonging to Manny Ramirez. It's easy to lose sight of what has happened to him. He has been bouncing from team to team. He was 1-for-17 with Tampa Bay to start last season before he "retired" after flunking a drug test. He played in 90 games in 2010 -- 66 with the Dodgers and 24 with the White Sox in Chicago, where he ended the season. In 196 at-bats with the Dodgers, Ramirez hit .311 with eight home runs and 40 RBI. He had 69 at-bats with the White Sox and hit .269 with one home run.

3. The New York Times reported Ramirez first flunked a drug test in 2003. He flunked again in 2009 and in 2011. If he comes back, he is suspended for the first 50 games of this season. "Manny being Manny" apparently means not learning from flunking drug tests. He will turn 40 in May and his skills have been declining.

4. The Indians have to find a guy who can help them from Day 1. Fans saw what a fast start meant a year ago. I have a feeling Carlos Pena will be too expensive, and they may settle on Casey Kotchman. I have been writing about these two guys for weeks -- and like most fans, I'm not especially excited by either one. I do see how the Indians can add a lefty bat at first base because he can sit against left-handed pitchers. Carlos Santana can move to first in those games, with Lou Marson catching.

5. The Indians are considering what to make of Duncan suddenly hitting right-handed pitching better than lefties. Last season, he had a .918 OPS against righties, .679 against lefties. For most of his career, he struggled against righties. But last year, he hit 10 homers in 121 at-bats against righties, 1 in 102 at-bats against lefties. He hit two homers off Justin Verlander, one of the game's best right-handers.

6. As the Indians consider different options at first, they ask, "Is this guy better than Matt LaPorta?" While they report that hitting coaching Bruce Fields spent four days with LaPorta and came back encouraged, they aren't counting on him. They also want a good glove at first, and consider Kotchman perhaps the best in the majors at digging throws out of the dirt. Kotchman has 11 errors in his career -- the Indians had 12 at first base last season.

7. The problem is Kotchman has little power. His best season was last year -- .306 (.800 OPS) but he had only 10 homers and 48 RBI in 563 plate appearances. He batted .217 in 2010, but had off-season eye surgery which he says helped him in 2011. He's only 28 -- he turns 29 in February -- and has been in the majors since 2004. He's a guy who will hit about .270 with 10 homers. His glove will mean a lot to an infield that will be tested with a lot of groundball pitchers, but can he help the offense?

8. Fox 8's John Telich will talk to Joe Tait and myself about Joe's new book, "It's Been A Real Ball." This Corporate Club Luncheon will take place at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights on Thursday. For reservations call Landerhaven at 440-449-0700.

9. Manny Acta, Jason Kipnis and Josh Tomlin will be at the Wahoo Club Hot Stove Brunch on Jan. 28 at 9:30 a.m. at the Solon Community Center. For more information, call Bob Rosen (440-724-8350) or go to wahooclub.com