COMC Black Friday: Part Six - Defense

I knew there wouldn't be too many cards of the defense in my shipment but I was surprised at how few there were to show. I wonder if that is a bias in how I was looking for cards to buy, or if it is just still so much that the card companies are putting out so many more cards of players at the skilled positions on offense.

2000 Topps Gallery #157

The former number 1 pick of the 2000 NFL Draft, after his rookie season he had trouble staying healthy. He showed flashes when healthy, but was a disappointment for a first overall pick. I hope we do better with this year.

Left: 2006 Bowman Chrome - Uncirculated Rookies #71 (#/519)
Middle: 2006 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia #176 (#/999)
Right: 2006 Topps Chrome #166

Kamerion Wimbley was the Browns first round draft pick in 2006, number 13 overall.


He had 11 sacks in his rookie season, and then 15.5 in the next three seasons. Following his four seasons with the Browns, he played two with the Raiders and then three with the Titans.




L-R: 2007 Donruss Classics #214 (#/1499); 2007 Topps Chrome - Refractors #TC257

Eric Wright was a second round pick for the Browns in 2007. He ended up starting 13 games at the left cornerback position during his rookie season. After playing with the Browns through the 2010 season, he moved on to play with the Lions, Buccaneers and 49ers over the next three seasons.

Top (l-r): 2008 Score - Red Zone #76 (#/100); 2008 Score Select #76
Bottom: 2008 Score Select #75

Three more parallels of the base 2008 Score set. The Bodden card is in the base set, as well as the regular parallels of the base set (Glossy, Gold Zone, Red Zone, Scorecard), but is not in a Browns uniform in any of the Super Bowl variants so I don't need to chase those.


I liked Sean Jones while he played safety for the Browns after being a second round pick in 2004. From the 2005-08 seasons he had 5, 5 and 4 interceptions for the team. After four years with the Browns he finished his career with one season with the Eagles, and two with the Buccaneers.


An undrafted free agent, Leigh Bodden worked his way up the depth chart to become a starting cornerback with the Browns from 2005-07. He had six interceptions in his 2007 season, and after the season was traded to the Lions with a draft pick for defensive lineman Shaun Rogers. He played on the 0-16 Lions for that one year before being released and signing a one-year contract with the Patriots. After intercepting 5 passes with the Patriots in 2009, he signed a new four-year contract. He then suffered a shoulder injury, was placed on injured reserve for the 2010 season. He retired after he was released after playing one game for the Patriots in 2011.

L-R: 2009 Topps National Chicle - Mini #C189; 2011 Topps Magic Rookies #65

Both of these players are still playing in the NFL, just not with the Browns.


Jackson was a second round pick in 2006, and after seven seasons with the Browns, has played the last three seasons for the Colts.


Also a second round pick (in 2011), after four seasons with the Browns, Sheard has played the last two seasons with the Patriots.

 

L-R: 2011 Topps Chrome - Orange Refractors #126; 2011 Topps Magic Rookies #92

Taylor was the Browns first round pick in 2011. Another player that had a good rookie season, but then had injuries strike. He played four seasons with the Browns.

Top: 2013 Topps Mini - Black #282 (#/5)
Bottom: 2013 Topps Mini - Black #417 (#/5)

I felt pretty lucky to get these two cards combined for $6.50 during the Black Friday sale. I really don't count on getting many cards numbered out of five or less.


The Browns first round pick in 2013, number 6 overall, Barkevious Mingo, after playing three seasons with the Browns, he was traded to the Patriots last August for a fifth round pick in this year's draft. He played in all 16 games for the Patriots this year, starting one of them.

L-R: 2014 Panini Crown Royale - Green #189 (#/5); 2015 Topps Valor - Speed #27

And finally, a couple of parallels of Browns first round picks from 2014 and 2015. The Gilbert card, numbered out of five, set me back $3.85.


Justin Gilbert was drafted 8th overall in 2014, ahead of the Browns other first round pick that year, Johnny Manziel. Sadly, playing wise, he probably brought less to the team in his two years. The Browns thought so highly of him that they traded him to the division rival Steelers for a 2018 sixth round pick before this season started. He really hasn't made an impact with the Steelers this year.


Danny Shelton had a very good second year with the Browns this year after an uneven rookie season where he seemed to battle some weight problems. Much more will be expected of him next season.


There you have it, the cards that I picked up for the defense. You can see a lot of fairly high draft picks in there. I think that some of the players may have had a better chance with the team had they not switched defensive coordinators, and systems, so often. There was a lot of talent, the Browns just couldn't seem to use it.

COMC Black Friday: Part Five - The Quarterbacks

I'm sure that most readers are familiar with the now-retired Browns jersey that lists all the starting Quarterbacks since the Browns returned in 1999. Not all of those QBs have Browns cards for me to collect, but many do, and I picked up a number of Quarterback cards that came in my COMC Black Friday shipment.


Not only did Tim Couch wear the number 2, but he was the second quarterback to start for the expansion Browns on the list.

L-R: 2001 Fleer Hot Prospects - Honor Guard #46; 2001 Quantum Leaf - Star Factor #SF-14 (#/2000)

L-R: 2002 Finest #46; 2002 Fleer Maximum - K Corps #18 (#/3040)

2002 Fleer Tradition - Headliners #12

Okay, I've said it before, I miss Fleer cards. First off, I love how the K Corps card is numbered out of 3040 - how random. But really, among these cards, the Headliner has to be my favorite! Enough so that I'm going to show the back too.

The card back is pointing back to the days where kids played outside? Awesome!


You know, as much as I can relate to that when I was young, and as much time as I spent at the outdoor rink as a kid, I consider the cold weather now that I'm older and ask how I did that.


Moving on, we find the sixth starter since 1999.

L-R: 2005 Donruss Classics - Stadium Stars Goal Line Bronze #10 (#/750); 2005 Upper Deck - Promo #43

As a Canadian football fan that also watches the CFL, I was very familiar with Garcia before he signed with San Francisco. I was happy when the Browns signed him, and disappointed when things didn't work out. It is nice to add more cards of him in a Browns uniform, even if one of them mentions that he was signed by the Lions.


Let's follow Garcia with the seventh and ninth starters.

L-R: 2004 Topps Pristine - Refractors #114 (#/1099); 2005 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity #98

I only ordered the one Luke McCown card, but it looks a lot nicer (shinier) in person.


The foil of the Longevity card really doesn't allow it to be shown off as nice as it could be, but this is a checklist card that has Charlie Frye and Braylon Edwards on the front.

Top (l-r): 2005 Press Pass SE #1; 2005 Press Pass SE - Class of 2005 #CL 3
Bottom (l-r): 2005 Press Pass SE - Old School #OS 9; 2007 Topps Draft Picks & Prospects - Chrome Black #69

It is always nice to get cards of Frye in his Akron Zips uniform. I was surprised to notice that I have over 100 different Charlie Frye cards.


Following Frye as the tenth starter, we get to the last Browns quarterback to make the Pro Bowl.

Top (l-r): 2007 SP Chirography #23; 2008 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #BC122
Bottom (l-r): 2008 Leaf Certified Materials #29; 2008 Stadium Club - First Day Issue #33

Top (l-r): 2008 Topps Lettermen #10 (#/949); 2008 Topps Mayo #227
Bottom (l-r): 2008 Topps Triple Threads - Sepia #11 (#/249); 2008 Upper Deck Icons - NFL Icons Gold #NFL16 (#/99)

2008 Upper Deck Draft Edition #208

Compared to Frye, Anderson seems underrepresented in my collection as I only seem to have 79 of his cards.


For college football, I am a Notre Dame fan, so I am partial to the eleventh Browns starter since 1999.

Top (l-r): 2007 Finest #102; 2007 Playoff NFL Playoffs Preview #P-4
Bottom: 2007 SAGE DECADEnce #15

DECADEnce?  Really, SAGE? Although, looking at the capitalized SAGE, I guess I believe it.

Top (l-r): 2008 Score - Gold Zone #68 (#/400); Red Zone #68 (#/100)
Bottom (l-r): 2008 Score - Future Franchise Gold Zone #FF-2 (#/500); Scorecard #FF-2 (#/999)

Continuing my collection of all the 2008 Score Browns parallels.


Brady Quinn will share the next scan with starter number fifteen.

Top: 2009 Topps National Chicle - Mini #C39
Bottom: 2010 Topps - 1952 Bowman #52B-22

A couple of modern QBs on old-style cards. I also picked up an old-style card of the seventeenth starter.

L-R: 2012 Panini Elite - Elite Series Rookies Silver #8 (#/999); 2012 Topps Chrome - 1957 #18

I almost passed up on the Topps Chrome card because I knew that I had a 1957 Weeden card from that year. Surprisingly it was card #17 which showed Weeden in a passing motion. Who knew there were two cards of all 15 players in the insert set?


Finally, the last QB that I picked up cards for would be happy to sign autographs for you at the Super Bowl for a small fee, he is the twenty-first starter since 1999.

L-R: 2014 Topps Supreme #88 (#/162); 2014 Topps Valor - Speed #50

I know I refer to these QBs by the number of the order that they started in a lot of my posts (I have to laugh about it or I'll cry), but I always have to look it up. Should I try to memorize the list sort of like people do with the US Presidents?

COMC Black Friday: Part Four - Cards from before the 1999 expansion return

Okay, this post won't have very many cards. This COMC order didn't have too many cards from before 1999, but I'm very happy to have picked most of them up.


Some time last year I became aware of the 1978 Topps Holsum football card set. Upon looking around, I found the one Browns card in the set at a good price on COMC and snapped it up.

I wasn't familiar with Holsum breads, but I'm very happy to add a new oddball to my collection.


An interesting tidbit that was pointed out in the description of the set on the Beckett website is that there is no mention of Holsum anywhere on the card even though the cards came in their loaves of bread.


Cards that I have been aware of since the late 1980s are the Fleer Team Action sets. I picked up a number of packs of the 1987 set while on a vacation in the US at that time. As a kid I thought they were okay, but I didn't like that they were team cards and didn't focus on players.


Now, as a collector, I have done a good job of picking up most of the cards and stickers of their sets, and here are two more stickers to add to my collection.

Left: 1985 Fleer Team Action Helmet Sticker; Right: 1986 Fleer Team Action Helmet Sticker

It is sometimes difficult to figure out exactly what year each sticker was issued, and I have received improperly identified stickers in the past from eBay, but if you're looking into Fleer team stickers I highly recommend The Fleer Sticker Project website.


This website let me know that the 1986 stickers had a red back, as opposed to the 1987 ones, which I had from those original purchases on vacation, that had blue ones.


Here are the backs to the above stickers.

Pretty cool prizes on the back of the 1985 sticker. Back then I would have loved the jacket and autographed team football, but now I find the trading card proof sets to be a more interesting prize.


The next card may look familiar to football collectors, but is a little different.

Okay, that is the same picture and design as the regular 1991 Pacific card of Eric Metcalf, but as we look at the back of this card...

...we see that it is card number 66 as opposed to the regular card which is number 83.


This is one of the Prototype cards for the 1991 Pacific football card set.


Here is the back of the corrected version of the regular 1991 Pacific card, with a scan borrowed from the Trading Card Database:

Now, I say corrected version of the back, because if you look at the last line of text on this card, there is an error version that says, "Terry is the son of former NFL running back Terry Metcalf."


Knowing that, look at the prototype back...  Okay, the text is different, and they refer to his father, but now look at the sentence in orange above the stat line...  Pretty funny that it is a different error mixing him up with his father.


And above his picture, it says Cleveland instead of the trademarked BROWNS. I like seeing things like that.


I'm really happy to get this prototype. It will look nice sitting next to the error and corrected cards in my binder.


The next card that I picked up doesn't excite me as much, mostly because of the player involved.

1995 Donruss Red Zone Update

This is the only Browns card in the Red Zone Update set. I'm sure I was happy when the Browns originally signed Rison, but I soon became disillusioned with his free agent signing, especially when I heard his comments that he was looking forward to the move to Baltimore, and when I heard that Art Modell needed to get loans to guarantee Rison's signing and that it probably was a factor in the move to Baltimore, well, that just made me love the player so much more. (Please read the sarcasm that was meant in that previous sentence.) And, yes, I know that that is completely unfair, but hey, I feel how I feel. But the card was needed for my Browns collection.


Finally, let's look at a pair of Michel Jackson autographs.

1996 Pro Line Autographs - Blue and Gold

You weren't thinking of that other guy, were you?


It was nice to add these Blue and Gold autographed Michael Jackson cards to the Blue and Gold Keenan McCardell ones that I previously owned.


Some of the Gold autograph cards from this set were numbered out of 250 on the back. Both Browns (well, I guess they were technically Ravens then) players in the set that I have cards for did not number their card backs. Maybe that's why they eventually started actually printing the serial numbers on the card.

COMC Black Friday: Part Three - Hall of Fame players

Every year, my sister gets me a Page-A-Day calendar for Christmas, usually sports related, but sometimes trivia instead. Today, I tore off the new page to see a picture of a Browns player tackling a Bronco. I was happy for a second, and then I realized what it must be. Sure enough, it was one of the "Who? What? When? Where?" pages (or something like that), and painfully it hit me that today is the 30th Anniversary of "The Drive". And people wonder why I hate John Elway...


Everyone knows that this last season was another lost season for the Browns, joining most of the seasons since they came back in 1999. (Their record since 1999 is 88-200.) Well, what you may not realize is that with the 1-15 record this year, the Browns all-time regular season record in the NFL slipped below the .500 mark. (Their all-time record is now 462-466-10.)


Finally slipping below the .500 mark after being 112 games under during the last 18 seasons is a credit to just how dominant the early Browns teams were to build that cushion for the franchise's record.


To go along with yesterdays card of Mike McCormack, here are recent cards of some of their Hall of Fame players that I picked up with my Black Friday shipment.


First we'll start with some cards that were shared by multiple Browns.

Top: 2005 Donruss Classics - Timeless Triples Bronze #TT-3 (#/1000)
Middle (l-r): 2008 Donruss Classics - Classic Combos #CC-6 (#/1000); Classic Combos Silver Holofoil #CC-6 (#/250)
Bottom (l-r): 2009 Donruss Classics - Classic Triples #7; Classic Triples Gold #7 (#/100)

By order of appearance on these cards, here are the years that these players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:


Jim Brown - 1971
Paul Warfield - 1983
Leroy Kelly - 1994
Lou Groza - 1974
Marion Motley - 1968


You'll see a few different variations and parallels in this post.


For the bottom two 2009 cards, it took a while to figure out how these cards were "Gold" other than by the serial number on the back. If you look at the border around the photos of the players, it is white in the base card, and gold in the other one. Very easy to miss, and that is why I'm happy for serial numbers that differentiate the two of them.


Looking at cards showing just the one individual player, I only picked up two new cards of the great Jim Brown.

L-R: 1981 TCMA Greats NNO Variant; 1985-88 Football Immortals #18

I already owned the numbered version (#8) of the TCMA card, but found and bought this unnumbered variant on COMC many months ago. Here is the back to the unnumbered variant.

After Jim Browns suddenly retired due to Art Modell's pressure to return to training camp from filming "The Dirty Dozen", on which filming was delayed due to bad weather, the new Browns starting running back became Leroy Kelly.

Left: 2004 Donruss Classics #127 (#/2000)
Middle: 2005 Donruss Gridiron Gear - Performers Silver Holofoil #P-33 (#/250)
Right: 2005 Leaf Limited #130 (#/599)

Kelly led the league in rushing twice, in 1967 and 1968, and also led the league in rushing TDs in three straight seasons, from 1966-68.

2005 Leaf Rookies & Stars - Great American Heroes #GAH-18
Top: Red (#/1250); Middle: White (#/750); Bottom: Blue (#/250)

There are still Jersey and Autograph cards to look for to complete Leroy Kelly's Great American Heroes set.

Top: 2008 Donruss Classics - Classic Singles Silver Holofoil #CS-26 (#/250)
Middle: 2008 Donruss Gridiron Gear - Performers #P-29 (#/500)
Bottom: 2008 Donruss Gridiron Gear - Performers Platinum #P-29 (#/25)

I still find cards numbered to 25 or less to be special. I managed to pick up a few with this purchase.

Top (l-r): 2008 Leaf Limited - Silver Spotlight #158 (#/99); 2010 Panini Limited - Silver Spotlight #138 (#/50)
Bottom: 2010 Panini Crown Royale - Majestic #23

L-R: 2010 Playoff National Treasures #163 (#/99); Century Silver #163 (#/25)

L-R: 2011 Panini Prime Signatures - Prime Proof Red #111 (#/99); Prime Proof Green #111 (#/25)

2012 Panini National Treasures - Century Silver #165 (#/25)

Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly followed another Hall of Fame running back with the Browns, Marion Motley.


Marion Motley played on the US Navy team in 1944, coached by Paul Brown. After the war ended, he was invited to try out for Paul Brown's new team in the AAFC. He led the AAFC in rushing in 1948, and is the all-time leading rusher in AAFC history. When the Browns joined the NFL in 1950, Motley led the NFL in rushing that year.


In 1946, Marion Motley, along with teammate Bill Willis in the AAFC, and Los Angeles Rams players Kenny Washington and Woody Strode in the NFL, broke the color barrier in professional football.

Top: 2007 Playoff National Treasures #96 (#/100)
Bottom: 2007 Playoff National Treasures - Silver #96 (#/25)

Top: 2009 Donruss Classics #132 (#/999)
Bottom: 2008 Donruss Classics - Classic Triples Silver Holofoil #CT-7 (#/250)

Yeah, I know, the bottom card is multi-player, but the others are not Browns so I included it with Motley's individual cards.


To give credit to the other Hall of Famers on the card, Chuck Bednarik was a Philadelphia Eagle from 1949-1962. He was the last "60-Minute-Man" that played both Offense and Defense on a regular basis. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967, his first year of eligibility.


Dick "Night Train" Lane starred for the Los Angeles Rams (1952-53), Chicago Cardinals (1954-59), and the Detroit Lions (1960-65). He still holds the single-season record with 14 interceptions which he achieved in his rookie season in 1952. A ferocious tackler, he was named to the Hall of Fame in 1974.


Moving on to the next Hall of Fame cards from this order, we come to Dante "Gluefingers" Lavelli, who signed the autographed mini-helmet that I picked up at Christmas in Phoenix.

Top: 2007 Leaf Limited #117 (#/249)
Middle: 2008 Donruss Gridiron Gear - Performers #P-6 (#/500)
Bottom: 2010 Panini Crown Royale - Majestic #8

Lavelli had a 11-year career with the Browns from 1946-56, in both the AAFC and NFL and was named to the Hall of Fame in 1975. He had a fascinating life that I will have to try and detail in a future post.

L-R: 2010 Panini Threads - Gridiron Kings Framed Blue #24 (#/50); Framed Green #24 (#/25)

I really like these framed cards, but I'm curious as to whether there are any other Lavelli pictures out there that could be used.


The next Hall of Fame player had two stints with the Browns, beginning as a rookie on the Browns last Championship team in 1964, and playing with them until being traded to the Dolphins before the 1970 season. He then returned to Cleveland for his final two NFL seasons in 1976 and 1977.

Top: 2000 Quantum Leaf - All-Millenium Team #AMT-PW (#/1000)
Bottom: 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game - Green/Red #54 (#/500)

Top (l-r): 2004 Leaf Limited #136 (#/799); 2004 Playoff Prime Signatures #25 (#/999)
Bottom (l-r): 2005 Leaf Limited #137 (#/599); 2005 Upper Deck Legends #177 (#/1025)

Unlike Lavelli's cards, it is nice to see that they have a variety of Warfield photos to use.

2006 Donruss Elite
Top: Passing the Torch Blue #PT-4 (#/250)
Middle: Passing the Torch Green #PT-4 (#/500)
Bottom: Passing the Torch Green #PT-22 (#/500)

The Passing the Torch insert set comes in blue, green, red and autographed cards. There are two players for each team in the set, a veteran and a young player that he is passing the torch on to. They each have one individual card in the set, and then they have one card where each player is on one side. This is what the bottom card is, with Paul Warfield on the back, and Braylon Edwards on the front. A future Black Friday post will show one of the Braylon Edwards cards from this insert set.

Left: 2007 Playoff Contenders - Legendary Contenders #LC-14 (#/1000)
Middle: 2008 Leaf Limited - Team Trademarks Holofoil #T-33 (#/100)
Bottom: 2010 Panini Crown Royale - Living Legends #21

Top: 2011 Panini Gold Standard #122 (#/299)
Bottom: 2011 Panini Gold Standard - Golden Age #7 (#/299)

Left: 2014 Panini National Treasures #126 (#/99)
Middle: 2014 Panini Prizm - Red, White and Blue Prizm #103
Right: 2015 Panini Prizm - Prizm #42 

Although they aren't vintage, I am very happy to add all of these cards of past Browns legends into my collection.