BEREA: As the Browns prepared to start Robert Griffin III in Sunday’s season finale on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, they had eyes on one of college football’s top-rated quarterbacks — North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky.
Head of football operations Sashi Brown and vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry attended the Sun Bowl and watched Trubisky and unranked North Carolina fall to No. 16 Stanford 25-23 on Friday in El Paso, Texas.
Coach Hue Jackson said Griffin will start when the Browns (1-14) visit the Steelers (10-5) after suffering a concussion in the fourth quarter of a 20-17 win over the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve.
Jackson has been focusing on getting Griffin ready, but he also hoped to take a peek at Trubisky, a Mentor native.
“I didn’t even know [UNC and Stanford] were playing today, to be very honest with you, but I will definitely take a shot and look if I can,” Jackson said. “We are going to see all of these guys as we move forward, all the prospects that are out there, and evaluate them accordingly.”
Unfortunately for Trubisky, he had a uneven outing against Stanford. He went 23-of-39 passing for 280 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown, and a lost fumble when he bumped into an official. He capped a 97-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds left but was sacked on the ensuing two-point attempt.
Trubisky, a junior, is expected to announce in a few days whether he’ll declare for next year’s draft. Several analysts rank him as the top draft-eligible QB.
In his lone college season as a starter, Trubisky went 8-5 and completed 304-of-447 passes (68 percent) for 3,748 yards and 30 touchdowns with six interceptions.
For what it’s worth, Trubisky’s North Carolina bio includes this sentence: “If he could choose an NFL team to play for, it would be the Cleveland Browns.”
The Browns have two first-round picks and will own either the No. 1 or No. 2 overall selection.
Brown and Berry have been traveling to bowl games throughout the week. They also watched Kansas State defeat Texas A&M 33-28 on Wednesday in the Texas Bowl in Houston. Many analysts consider Texas A&M edge rusher Myles Garrett the favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick.
Man of many names
Defensive lineman and Parma Heights native Jamie Meder set the record straight about his nicknames and musical background.
After Meder blocked a 32-yard field goal with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter of the win over the Chargers, 10-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas referred to Meder as “The Pierogi Prince of Parma” and claimed he played accordion in a polka band.
“At first, it started with ‘Pastrami Prince,’ then it moved to pierogi,” Meder said of the moniker. “I think probably right around the first game is when it came in. But it didn’t get noticed until this last week.”
Meder also denied playing in a polka band or having accordion skills.
“Music, for me, I just listen to it,” he said.
Meder was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for helping the Browns avoid a winless season with his clutch block.
“I have just always called him ‘The Meder Man,’ ” special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said. “He looks like he could be on ‘Ice Road Truckers.’ ... Fortunately, we got our hand on the ball, and that was a big play for us.”
Tabor felt relieved by a win after the Browns lost their first 14 games.
“Did I cry? I sure did,” Tabor said. “Those were tears of joy. After the game, hugging the players and being in that locker room, to see them rewarded for the stuff that they have put into it, I was really happy for the players.
“I didn’t want to tell my daughters, but I got a note from Santa that said if we didn’t win, he probably wasn’t coming over. I was very excited that Christmas was still going to be at the Tabor house.”
Reviewing season
Nose tackle Danny Shelton has 56 tackles, 20 more than he had last year when he was a rookie. He also has 1.5 sacks after finishing with zero in his first NFL season.
“I personally was disappointed he did not get into the Pro Bowl,” defensive coordinator Ray Horton said. “I think he is on that trajectory to be a Pro Bowl player for us. He is a very smart player, very bright, very intelligent and very witty. He can dominate the line of scrimmage with his athleticism, with his strength, with his tenacity and with his nastiness. That is where I see him going.
“How did he do this year? He did well. He did what we wanted him to do. Did we have ups and downs? Yeah, we had ups and downs as a unit and as a team, but Danny is going to be one of the bright stars of the league, because he can play that position, and he is smart and he can play it very well.”
Change has been good
Horton thinks Tramon Williams’ transition from cornerback to safety could be more than just a short-term experiment.
“Athletic corners that are bright can do that, and he has done that,” Horton said. “He sees the whole field.
“I am looking forward for him getting his first interception this week as a free safety. He looks good back there.”
Opponent to watch
With the Steelers planning to rest quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell, backup running back DeAngelo Williams will likely be featured against the Browns. Williams has compiled 75 carries for 276 yards (3.7 average) and three touchdowns this season, plus 15 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.
“He has had a fantastic career,” Horton said. “When you watch him run, you don’t know that he is not the starter. That is a credit to him and how he prepares. For him coming back this late in the year ready to make a playoff run, obviously, Bell gets a bulk of the carries, but they also know they have a capable No. 1A that can pick up the load. We respect him.”
Extra points
• Horton said he and his wife, Karena, decided to donate $5,000 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank after hearing the Browns and the organizers of the canceled “perfect season parade” would donate $10,000 apiece.
• The Browns listed cornerback Joe Haden (neck, groin), running back Duke Johnson (ankle) and outside linebacker Cam Johnson (groin) as questionable for Sunday. Haden said he will play after straining his neck while making a tackle against the Chargers. Johnson also said he’ll play. The Browns ruled out cornerback Trey Caldwell (hamstring).
• The Steelers ruled out safety Robert Golden (ankle), tight end Ladarius Green (concussion) and starting defensive end Stephon Tuitt (knee). They listed linebacker Anthony Chickillo (ankle) and tight end Xavier Grimble (ribs) as questionable.
• The NFL fined Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman $18,231 for a roughing-the-passer penalty and Chargers defensive tackle Damion Square $9,115 for a face-mask penalty against the Browns.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.