Jerry Sherk & Michael Dean Perry

[74_75_78_79_]

The two best DLs the Browns ever had; or maybe two best defensive players in franchise history period? Sherk on the very Browns team that almost eliminated undefeated Miami in '72. Likely earns more Pro Bowls if not for injuries later on in his career.

MDP...could it really be that the very hype of his older brother's rookie year forever overshadows him outside of Cleveland (as well as possibly preventing him from making it to Canton)? What was the story on his final year in '97 - going from Denver to KC (bummer - missing out on a Ring)?

[JohnTurney]

The two best DLs the Browns ever had; or maybe two best defensive players in franchise history period? Sherk on the very Browns team that almost eliminated undefeated Miami in '72. Likely earns more Pro Bowls if not for injuries later on in his career.

MDP...could it really be that the very hype of his older brother's rookie year forever overshadows him outside of Cleveland (as well as possibly preventing him from making it to Canton)? What was the story on his final year in '97 - going from Denver to KC (bummer - missing out on a Ring)?

Both good, both very good, actually, but the best defensive players in Browns history, in my view, are Len Ford and Bill Willis. They really stood out on the films I have seen and I've seen a lot, but not quite as much as Nick or TJ or Andy. But I think they'd agree with me,

I like Perry a lot, kind of a 3-tech, but they played left- and right- so he had to shade the center, too. Quick off ball, drew a lot of holding calls. For a DT Sherk made a lot of tackles, lots of getting to the ball carrier

[BD Sullivan]

Unfortunately, Sherk's best years were the mid-70's when the Browns were either terrible or lost in the shadow of the Steelers and their D-Line. He got injured during the '77 preseason and didn't really shake those problems until the start of the '79 season. Midway through that year, I think he had 10-12 sacks and was a strong candidate for All-Pro, Pro Bowl, etc., which might have enhanced his Canton credentials. Unfortunately, he fell victim to a staph infection, courtesy of the Vet's turf and missed the rest of the year. He tried to come back the next year, but was only a shell of his former greatness.

[7DnBrnc53]

What was the story on his final year in '97 - going from Denver to KC (bummer - missing out on a Ring)?

I think he may have been seen as someone on the decline. Also, Denver had brought back Keith Traylor, and they had a rookie named Trevor Pryce that they probably wanted to give more playing time to.

[bachslunch]

Michael Dean Perry definitely has solid honors (5/6/none). Jerry Sherk's are thinner at 1/4/none. FWIW.

[BD Sullivan]

Michael Dean Perry definitely has solid honors (5/6/none). Jerry Sherk's are thinner at 1/4/none. FWIW.

The years that Sherk wasn't selected, he was getting beat out by guys like Bob Lilly, Joe Greene, Alan Page and Merlin Olsen.

[NWebster]

I think there's really no question that at his peak Len Ford was the best lineman in Browns history, his 51 season could be the best DL season, literally up there with Marchetti / Atkins '57, Deacon '64, Reggie's '87, and JJ's '12. Ford's peak was surprisingly short, but he was probably the best DL in football from 51-53. Also not worth underestimating how good Ford was against the run, particularly in 51 and 52, rarely did he sell out breaking down the line for the QB and have a runner get outside him, he was fast enough to keep the edge and big and strong enough to hold the edge. On film he reminds me more of Lawrence Taylor than anyone else I've ever seen, just amazing combination of size, speed and strength - really unfair to an early 50's lineman - he's literally scary athletic. Oh and he did hurdle Tackles, where do you think Doug Atkins learned it.

I wouldn't sleep on Bob Gain, an amazing run stuffing interior lineman, won't put up the sack numbers of a Sherk or Perry, but that's just not the way the schemes were set up back then, you didn't really have 1 gapping DT's, he was extraordinarily stout, great leverage, moderate sack numbers and pass rush, but better against the run than Sherk and as good as Perry.

The most under / non-rated Brown's lineman is Bill Glass averaged over 10 sacks per 14 game season with the Browns, great seasons in 62, 65 and 66 >15 sacks in each season, second behind only Katcavage for sacks in 62. Not a standout, but good against the run, not stout like Gain but good effort guy to work his way out of engagement. Shame that he was caught in the shuffle in Detroit, Center, LB then finally as an edge rusher as Darris McCord needed some spelling and they used more blitzing (those Lions teams loved blitzing LB's, Wayne Walker's specialty).

Jack Gregory had a very good 69 and a huge 70, though his best work was probably done with the Giants in 72 and 75. Not nearly as stout against the run as the aforementioned others.

Finally Bill Willis. Were it not for Lenny Ford he'd probably be my Browns all time great. An interior guy he made as many or more plays on the run as he did sacks. Willis was so small, but so quick and so able to get low. At his size he still often won because the low guy wins. He literally leapfrogged Centers, amazing on tape. He probably had a few sacks "stolen" because he got to the QB before they could even determine whether it was a pass or handoff, in my film study I call those stuffs not sacks, but who knows, that's how quickly (as a head up 2 gapper) he got into the backfield. A joy to watch.

[BD Sullivan]

The most under / non-rated Brown's lineman is Bill Glass averaged over 10 sacks per 14 game season with the Browns, great seasons in 62, 65 and 66 >15 sacks in each season, second behind only Katcavage for sacks in 62. Not a standout, but good against the run, not stout like Gain but good effort guy to work his way out of engagement. Shame that he was caught in the shuffle in Detroit, Center, LB then finally as an edge rusher as Darris McCord needed some spelling and they used more blitzing (those Lions teams loved blitzing LB's, Wayne Walker's specialty).

Jack Gregory had a very good 69 and a huge 70, though his best work was probably done with the Giants in 72 and 75. Not nearly as stout against the run as the aforementioned others.

Glass was the beneficiary of Milt Plum going public with his criticism of Paul Brown's playcalling--which resulted in the trade that was probably seen as a QB-for-QB swap, since Jim Ninowski also came to the Browns. Each team also dealt minor players to each other.

Gregory's two big years with the Browns (and another notable one in '71) led to a contract dispute with Art Modell, which led to Gregory signing a free agent deal with the Giants in June 1972. The Rozelle Rule forced a deal that sent Gregory (along with DB Freddie Summers) to New York in exchange for the Giants first two picks in '73, which were a hit-and-miss: Steve Holden with the first pick, Greg Pruitt with the second. The Cardinals and Raiders were also possible destinations for Gregory and Modell had actually worked a proposed deal with St. Louis. However, Gregory chose New York.

[NWebster]

And of course Gregory to the Giants made sense as they'd just lost Fred Dryer to the Rams after 1971. They made much more dynamic use of Gregory though using him as a Rover all over the D.

[Gary Najman]

The most under / non-rated Brown's lineman is Bill Glass averaged over 10 sacks per 14 game season with the Browns, great seasons in 62, 65 and 66 >15 sacks in each season, second behind only Katcavage for sacks in 62. Not a standout, but good against the run, not stout like Gain but good effort guy to work his way out of engagement. Shame that he was caught in the shuffle in Detroit, Center, LB then finally as an edge rusher as Darris McCord needed some spelling and they used more blitzing (those Lions teams loved blitzing LB's, Wayne Walker's specialty).

Jack Gregory had a very good 69 and a huge 70, though his best work was probably done with the Giants in 72 and 75. Not nearly as stout against the run as the aforementioned others.

Glass was the beneficiary of Milt Plum going public with his criticism of Paul Brown's playcalling--which resulted in the trade that was probably seen as a QB-for-QB swap, since Jim Ninowski also came to the Browns. Each team also dealt minor players to each other.

Gregory's two big years with the Browns (and another notable one in '71) led to a contract dispute with Art Modell, which led to Gregory signing a free agent deal with the Giants in June 1972. The Rozelle Rule forced a deal that sent Gregory (along with DB Freddie Summers) to New York in exchange for the Giants first two picks in '73, which were a hit-and-miss: Steve Holden with the first pick, Greg Pruitt with the second. The Cardinals and Raiders were also possible destinations for Gregory and Modell had actually worked a proposed deal with St. Louis. However, Gregory chose New York.

It's interesting that Gregory finished his career in 1979 with the Browns. It was fun seeing him in the same DL with Lyle Alzado.