Love the Smell of card trades

I want to thank Tim at I Love the Smell of Cardboard in the Morning for a package that he sent me a while ago, and that looking back in my sent email, I don't even think that I let him know I received. Sorry, man!

Now being that it has been a while, and some of my cards have been really mixed up since the broken water pipe, I hope that these were all among cards that he sent me and that I'm crediting the right person.

Here is most of what I believe that he sent.

Way back in January, Tim posted that he pulled that Topps Platinum Rookie Refractor Patch card of Duke Johnson that was numbered 1/125. I'm lucky that he knew that there was a Browns fan out there that would really want it!

As for the other two cards in this photo, I've commented a few times on Terrance West's autograph (if he's going to squiggle his last name, shouldn't he at least cross a 't'?), and the constant inclusion of Vince Mayle in sets even though he didn't make the team out of training camp, but I still do want the cards. (And to be fair, I think the Donruss cards were early enough that the cards were probably being made before we knew that he wouldn't make the team.)

Some pre-move Browns including a great photo of Burnett leaping, and a Score Summit Ground Zero parallel of Eric Zeier. (Seeing Zeier's number 10 reminds me that I had started doing the research for my Browns By the Numbers. Better get back to that.)

A writer on ESPN Cleveland wrote an article ranking the starting 24 QBs since 1999. I had thought of doing a similar post when Austin Davis got his start but realized I didn't have cards of a number of the QBs. Maybe I'll do a post when RGIII becomes number 25. Anyway, he ranked Couch #2 behind Kelly Holcomb, giving Holcomb the nod due to his play in his playoff start against the Steelers. I believe he then wrote that he wouldn't have a problem with people reversing the two choices. I have Couch as #1 on the list, and really wish he would have had a chance to play with a good OL in front of him.

It is always nice to get any of the various Topps parallels, there are so many. And I've slowly been collecting the Browns in the Panini Hot Rookies set. If the Browns are going to have any success this year, I think that Joe Haden will have to be healthy and playing at his best level, and that the Browns will need Josh Gordon to be reinstated and play like he did a couple of years ago when he led the league in receiving yards. Even then, it is a big rebuilding year and I can't imagine even competing for the playoffs. They've had what I thought were way better teams let me down so many times.

I hope that Jordan Cameron plays a bigger role for the Dolphins next year than he did last year. I don't automatically stop following players once they leave the Browns, and often have a soft spot for their continued success, and I liked Cameron.

As for that Topps card...I was so hopeful once the Browns drafted Weeden and Richardson that they would be successful. Seeing this card makes me sigh, shake my head, and laugh. I'm so used to it by now.

Now the following cards are ones that I think that were part of what was sent to me.

A couple of nice parallels up top for West and Manziel.

I like how Panini puts retired stars in their Prizm sets. The first "big card" that I ever bought was when I bought Paul Warfield's 1965 Philadelphia rookie card from a local card store while I was in college. For years, I kept looking at in on the wall, and eventually broke down and bought it.

As for Josh McCown, he really had a good season for the Browns last year, and his record doesn't reflect his play. The defense and running game didn't help him much.

Tim, your team needs a QB. They could do worse than making a play for McCown as a caretaker for a year and to mentor a new draft pick. I'm surprise his name doesn't seem to ever get mentioned.

Again, Tim, thanks for the cards! I'm really late on getting stuff back to you but hope when I get them in the mail to you, that you will enjoy them. I'll try to make it soon.