Today, 1 p.m., Cleveland Browns Stadium, WOIO Ch. 19.

Everyone who's played with him, blocked him, coached him, schemed for him, scouted him or attempted a field goal against him can agree on one thing: Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers is having another Pro Bowl-caliber year.

"He's the best defensive lineman I've ever seen," Browns tight end Kellen Winslow said. "He has three guys on him and still penetrates. In Buffalo, he had three guys blocking him, tipped the ball and we got an interception.

"He better make the Pro Bowl. He's got to make it. He's the best."

Rogers' friend Shaun Smith, who's doubtful for today's game against the Texans with a strained calf, says Rogers is right up there with Tennessee's Albert Haynesworth and the Jets' Kris Jenkins.

Haynesworth has seven sacks and 39 tackles, and Jenkins has 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Rogers, who's still adjusting to the 3-4, has 4.5 sacks, 55 tackles, a team-high 12 pressures, a team-high seven tackles for a loss, one pass-defended and a blocked field goal.

"Those are the three guys dominating inside this season," Smith said. "But in terms of the best I've ever seen, Shaun is in the top two along with La'Roi Glover who I played with in Dallas."

Rogers, nicknamed Big Baby, proved his worth in Week 2 against the Steelers when he had eight tackles, two for loss, one pressure and a sack. Against the Jaguars, he had five tackles, three pressures, a sack and the blocked kick. In Buffalo, two of the Browns' three picks resulted from his pressure.

"He can take over a game at any time," Smith said. "He gets triple-teamed and still makes the play. It makes my job and Corey Williams' job a lot easier."

Acquired in a trade with Detroit for cornerback Leigh Bodden and a 2008 third-round pick, Rogers came with plenty of baggage . One columnist called him fat, lazy and garbage. But the Lions' trash has definitely been the Browns' treasure.

"I haven't seen any of that," Browns defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. "I heard the rumors, but I told Shaun when he came here, 'You have a clean slate. You're ours and we know you can play."

"He's responded. He's a leader for us, a very positive guy for the young guys and I lean on him as a coach. He's upbeat, plays hard and practices well. He's an intelligent player and we're happy to have him here."

Rogers has fit in so well on and off the field he's enjoying the game again. The symbol for all that went wrong in Detroit, Rogers - their second-round pick in 2001 - kept to himself. Here, he's always seen laughing with his teammates and is gradually opening up to the press.

"They bashed him in Detroit, but you can't believe the hype," Smith said. "He's done a 180. He's a team player, he talks to the media and he's a big teddy bear."

Team captain Andra Davis enjoys him so much, he's inviting Rogers and his family over for Thanksgiving dinner.

"Love him," Davis said. "He means everything to our defense. He causes havoc even when he's triple-teamed. He's the best defensive player I've seen here."

Davis said teams can't just line up and try to smash the Browns like before and the 28th-ranked run defense is no fault of Rogers.

"Because of him, everything is predicated to going outside and they try to cut back," Davis said. "Once we tighten up our tackling skills, things will be a whole lot better."

Davis said if Rogers played for a winning team, he'd be a seven-time Pro Bowler. As it is, he's received the honor twice.

"I wish I'd played all seven of my years with him," said Davis, who's contract is up after this year. "Whatever happens at the end of the year, I've got six regular season games left with him and I'm going to enjoy every one."

After studying Rogers' first seven games here, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said, "He's playing as well as any defensive tackle I've seen on tape, which includes Haynesworth and our guy [Haloti Ngata]."

Texans coach Gary Kubiak said, "everything starts right [with Rogers]. We better figure out a way to get [center Chris Myers] some help. It'll be hard enough to block him with two guys. He's as good as there is in the business."

Myers said Rogers has been "wrecking shop the whole season so we have our work cut out for us. He's the star of their defense. He's their glue. Every week you watch centers and guards having trouble on him."

Despite the extra blockers, Rogers is on pace to tie a career-high seven sacks and finish with a career second-best 88 tackles. At his current clip, he'll also have 19.2 pressures. His 12 pressures are five more than Willie McGinest's second-best seven and 10 more than Kamerion Wimbley. His play has freed up D'Qwell Jackson to lead the NFL with 111 tackles.

"There are different types of seasons and ways to contribute," Rogers said. "In this new defense, it probably won't be a stat-filled season, but it's the unselfishness of the defense. Even though I'd always love to make the play, I just try to free up things for other guys, take some pressure off people and be disruptive. Hopefully people can see past the stats and kind of see what we bring to the table."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mcabot@plaind.com, 216-999-4670