Surge or Static: Brandon Mebane Jersey , rookie defenders flourish It seemed like every other time Austin Ekeler touched the ball last year, there was a thought that popped into my mind. I didn’t give this thought much acknowledgement as it seemed to get crazier the longer it lingered. But it kept coming back.When the former UDFA out of Western State took the first carry of his career 35 yards to the house against the Eagles, that was the spark.When he started catching passes down the field on wheel routes and tip-toeing sidelines for touchdowns against the Jaguars, the flames were fanned.These uncomfortable feelings persisted throughout the rest of the 2017 season and are still here at this very moment. For those that are confused, here is the question I’ve been wrangling with for the entire offseason: Is Melvin Gordon really the best running back on the team?(Gasp!)I know, I know. It’s pretty crazy to try and fathom such a thing, but it isn’t that much of a stretch from reality. When Ekeler is in the game, he becomes a real spark-plug for the offense. He hits his holes with eye-popping quickness, sticking his foot in the ground at a moment’s notice to get north and south.In the latest tilt against the Saints, Ekeler was his usual efficient-self. He maximized his limited attempts on the ground while becoming a reliable dump-off target for Rivers. That’s the type of back we want in the game, no matter if it’s Ekeler, Gordon, or even rising UDFA Detrez Newsome.And if you haven’t guessed already yet...SurgingRB Austin EkelerEkeler touched the ball seven times on the opening drive, alone. He started the night by breaking off a 21-yard run up the left sideline. His next run went for another 12 yards as he followed FB Derek Watt off left tackle, showing some patience as his blockers set up a nice lane. His next two runs went for six and nine yards, respectively. If you blinked, you may have wondered how the Chargers got into the Saints’ red zone so quickly.On the night, Ekeler collected just nine touches, three of those being catches, but turned those into 63 total yards and averaged a stellar 7.0 yards per touch.With TE Hunter Henry out for the season, I instantly started pounding the table for OC Ken Whisenhunt and the offense to start using more two-RB, three-WR sets to maximize the amount of playmakers on the field. Can you imagine a package with Gordon, Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Tyrell, and Mike Williams all on the field at the same time? Come on, son.LB Kyzir White/S Derwin JamesI couldn’t decide between White and James because, quite frankly, they’ve both been phenomenal this preseason. To no one’s surprise, they’ve both played their way into a starting spot with this defense. Earlier today, head coach Anthony Lynn finally confirmed that James will start week 1, allowing fans to breathe a long sigh of relief.White, on the other hand Casey Hayward Jersey , may not “start” according to their base defense package but he will most definitely have a role as the nickel/dime linebacker. Due to the mass volume of plays they spend in these packages, White should be considered a starter with the rest of the defense in the same vein that CB Desmond King is essentially a starter as the team’s slot corner.I couldn’t be more excited about these two players as they add a level of versatility that allows this defense to be extremely multiple without needing to sub a number of players every time they get a new look from the offense. One aspect in particular that I am stoked about is just how well these two match-up with opposing play-makers, specifically the rash of dual-threat running backs across the league. Staying StaticNT Brandon MebaneMebane just ain’t for the middle of this defensive interior. Once a free agent signing that got fans excited for a run-stuffing presence next to DT Corey Liuget, the former-member of those historic Seattle Seahawk defenses is, and has been, on the wrong side of 30 years old for some time now.In this preseason alone, Mebane has been constantly moved around against his will. Yes he is tasked with taking on double-teams but it is fairly evident he no longer has the strength in his lower haunches to buckle down against interior offensive linemen. What makes matters worse is the supposed depth behind Mebane at the 1-technique. DT Justin Jones was drafted in the third round of the 2018 draft to possibly be the heir-apparent but even he doesn’t quite fit the bill for what the team needs. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, he is the next biggest body that the team has other than DT Bijohn Jackson, a UDFA out of Arkansas who tips the scales at 339 pounds. Unfortunately, Jackson has been close to non-existent this preseason. The only other listed “nose tackle” on the roster is Damion Square who finds himself closer to 290 than 300-310.LB Jatavis BrownI mentioned some of these views in my “Thoughts” piece following Saturday’s game, but they warrant another go-round due to my frustration about the subject.Brown was a flashy player during his rookie year. Splash plays were the theme of his game and they always came when the team needed one the most. It was obviously hard not to get excited about him and his future, until last year, that is.In his sophomore campaign, Brown suffered a slump that stemmed from a combination of a nagging foot-injury and the new playbook from Gus Bradley that had the defense change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 front. After the 2017 season came to an end, most just chalked up the decline in play as a loss and chose to look forward to 2018 where Brown would be able to heal up, get a handle on the playbook, and get back to his old self.Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case up to this point.Brown got most of his run in Saturday’s game with the backups and third-stringers. You would expect Brown to look pretty good as he cleans up against lesser competition. This also wasn’t the case. During the last third of the game, Brown missed a handful of tackles and was visibly outplayed by the likes of Hayes Pullard, who quietly went from one of the worst graded players by PFF to the Chargers’ #1 rated defensive player this preseason. The Browns have endured all types of losses over the past few seasons. They've been painful, lopsided, comical, heartbreaking, head-scratching and last-second.Jarvis Landry described Sunday's defeat differently."An eye-opener," the receiver said.After being so competitive through their first five games, Cleveland was simply overmatched by the Los Angeles Chargers, who rushed for 246 yards, contained and confused rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and wrecked a picture-perfect day near Lake Erie for Browns fans hoping to see their team win two straight home games for the first time in four years.Instead, they watched the Browns (2-3-1) get pounded."They got after us," said Landry, adding he left FirstEnergy Stadium without speaking to reporters following the game because he was frustrated. "Truthfully, it really wasn't nothing to be said. I think it was evident. They came in, and they were the better team."Better by far.The Chargers took it to the Browns http://www.chargerscheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-darius-philon-jersey , who were coming off an emotional overtime win against Baltimore, a victory that altered the national narrative about Cleveland's season. But just when the Browns turned trendy, they got knocked back."I hate to say that we needed it, but it's something that we needed to happen to us," said Landry, who then backtracked, saying he meant the Browns got tested and failed."I didn't really mean like we NEEDED it," he said with emphasis. "Obviously, I want to win, that's what I really meant."What the Browns do need is help, especially to replenish a wide receivers group that has been drained by departures and injuries.On Sunday, veteran receiver Rod Streater suffered a neck fracture while covering a punt in the first quarter and is done for the season. Streater was set to play more while Rashard Higgins (knee) and Derrick Willies (collarbone) recover from injuries. Willies underwent surgery on Monday to fix his broken collarbone and isn't expected back until late in the season.In the meantime, the Browns are severely lacking in experience with Landry playing alongside rookies Antonio Callaway and Damion Ratley, both of whom failed to make TD catches on well-thrown balls by Mayfield on Sunday.The Browns signed free agent Breshad Perriman, a former first-round pick with Baltimore, on Saturday and the team will try to get him up to speed in time for this week's game at Tampa Bay.Coach Hue Jackson said general manager John Dorsey will continue to look outside the team for help, but that it may have to come from within."We are not going to make excuses," he said. "We have to coach well. We have to put them into the best situations."We have to help everybody on this team offensively, defensively and on special teams to be as good as we can because nobody else cares about what is going on in Cleveland as far as what players are playing, our injuries or anything like that."It does not matter. We will find a way."One way would be to get Mayfield and Landry in sync.Landry, who has caught more passes in his first five seasons than any player in NFL history, had just two for 11 yards against the Chargers. Mayfield targeted Landry nine times, but the pair is still learning to play together — and the Browns don't have the luxury of time.Landry admitted being frustrated by his lack of production, but said Cleveland's receivers need to do more for Mayfield."We have to do a better job of helping him out in situations and making one-on-one contested catches," he said."Or when he gets out of the pocket and he's throwing on the run, we have to find ways to get ourselves free from DBs and the coverage to be able to make plays."Cleveland's receiving group looks different than earlier this season, weakened by Josh Gordon's trade to New England. Landry has been double-teamed as defenses focus on stopping him.It's time for the Browns' youngsters to grow up."We trust these guys," Landry said of Callaway and Ratley, who had six catches for 82 yards. "We count on them each week to make plays for us and we give them opportunities in clutch moments, and it's really not about young guys any more. That part is over and everybody has to play at a veteran level if we want to go to where we're headed to."NOTES: Pro Bowl LB Joe Schobert could miss several games with a hamstring injury suffered Sunday. Jackson said Christian Kirksey could move from outside into Schobert's inside spot. ... Jackson said Mayfield is fine after tweaking an ankle when he slipped on the sideline. ... C JC Tretter could miss some practice time after hurting his left ankle on Sunday. ... Jackson said rookie RB Nick Chubb needs more carries. He gained 25 yards on three attempts Sunday. "We need to get more. There is nothing else to say," Jackson said.