Latest News with the Browns

Newsworthy Browns Notes

The stories are not as enticing as they were during the NFL Draft, but the Browns are still grabbing headlines. First they added a new man to bring in talent for the franchise; meanwhile there has been some backlash by the media regarding both veterans and rookies alike.

Another Addition to the Front Office

A few days ago, the Browns announced that Ryan Grigson was added to the staff with the title of Senior Personnel Executive. I must admit that I have mixed emotions regarding this decision. On one hand, the franchise added a solid scout who has had a respectable track record in that department. However, Grigson is coming off of a stint as a general manager of the Indianapolis Colts that left much to be desired. The draft misses, trading for Trent Richardson, and inability to surround quarterback Andrew Luck with a reputable supporting cast come first to mind. I guess I will give the new hire a break, but do not to expect that he will do anything of significance while being with the orange and brown.

Brock Osweiler Banter

The veteran quarterback was peppered with questions following the recent OTAs practice sessions – a majority of these were of negative tone imitating that the signal caller will not be the “guy” for the Browns. Regardless of what last year’s film says – Osweiler will get his shot with the team to prove he can handle the duties on Sunday. Personally, I don’t know what was gained by a reporter being combative at this point of the year. Perhaps this will be a driving force for the newly acquired quarterback?

Early Injuries?

Of course fans and media alike are making gigantic deals of Myles Garrett and Jabril Peppers not practicing due to minor injuries in May. The pair of first round draft selections will be made or broken in the fall, not whether they are 100% full go four months prior to the regular season beginning. If Howard Wilson’s injury should have taught us anything, it’s that people can be sidelined at any point in the season. Therefore, I am ok with Hue Jackson taking precautions during spring practices.

Conclusion: Unfortunately, there was not a bunch of positive news for the Cleveland Browns these last few days (unless you think the Grigson hire was a home run). The doldrums of the NFL calendar march on, and we have just under two months until the team hits training camp in stride. In the meantime, we should expect less than ideal stories surrounding the team.

 

Offseason Moves Edition: Cleveland Browns

What is Going on in Browns’ Town

In the week in between the rookie minicamp practices and the veteran group practices, there were some noteworthy events that occurred for the Cleveland Browns.  The first was an unfortunate injury that happened to a recently signed draft selection, followed by a veteran signing shortly thereafter.  After that was a needed break by the franchise that has not been common for this franchise.

Howard Wilson Injury

It was difficult and unfortunate to see rookie Howard Wilson suffer an injury (especially a non-contact one) so early in the campaign.  Similarly to what happened to Kyrie Irving two seasons ago, Wilson fractured his knee cap – this occurred during the rookie minicamp practices.  The NBA star was out several months following his surgery (in 2015).  It is still not set in stone as to
how he will rehab this injury, though.  Personally, provided Wilson is healthy, I would like to see him participate and gain valuable
experience in 2017.  With the recent news that he will not necessarily need surgery, he could still see a fair amount of action on the Browns’ roster this campaign. .

Jason McCourty Signing

Did the re-signing of Jamie Collins open the floodgates for future veterans to latch on to the Cleveland Browns?  I would not got that far just yet (however some in the media are already declaring this), but acquiring a solid veteran in Jason McCourty was a wise move by Sashi Brown and company.  McCourty will provide another veteran for a thin (in terms of experience) position group – especially following the injury to Howard Wilson.  I do not anticipate the former Tennessee Titan to light the league on fire during his time with the Browns; but he should be competent enough to eliminate the possibility that teams can play catch up-and-down the field against the secondary of the orange and brown.

Update on Caleb Brantley

Caleb Brantley was back in the news earlier this week – it was not negative this time around.  The rookie sixth-round selection entered the draft with battery charges towards a woman during an altercation in a bar.  Those charges were recently dropped, allowing the rookie to perform on the field without the dark cloud hanging over his head.  Assuming he can outperform his lowered expectations (as he fell mightily in the draft) – the Browns will have gotten tremendous value from the former Florida Gator.  I hoping that he is truly 100% innocent and did not escape his charge due to technicality, but there is a great chance that I and many others will never know.

Conclusion:  Following the unlucky injury news, the Browns received a pair of two positive stories regarding their roster.  My optimism in the 2017 season is slowly rising, but there is a long time between now and week one of the regular season.  I am particularly intrigued to see how different training camp is from 2016 one – as result from the infusion of talent.

 

The Latest From Browns Town

What is New in Berea?

Outside of an embarrassing segment on a morning talk show radio (accusing Browns’ players of frequent drug use), the Browns have relatively been out of the news since the draft has ended. I am excited to hear that the rookies are ready to take the field, and a veteran will be able to participate this season without any contract issues. On the other hand, the 500-pound elephant in the room reared his ugly head. Let’s look further into the recent happenings.

Thumbs Down to Gordon 

In an unsurprising move, wide out Josh Gordon’s appeal back into the league was denied. It’s rough and probably unfair – but at this point, Gordon has not taken a regular season snap since 2014. It is time to cut the cord and move on from this disastrous supplementary draft pick made several years ago. I wish the Browns had drafted another wide receiver a few weeks back (as they could use another talented weapon in that group) – but now they have to hope that Rashard Higgins, Ricardo Louis, or Jordan Payton step up in their second season.

Crowell Signs Tender

Fortunately, running back Isaiah Crowell inked his restricted free agent tender (at a second round price) a few days ago. 2017 will likely be a “prove it” deal for the rusher – and if he parlays this into a sizable contract with the Browns, then I will not complain. Odds are that he will be the primary runner this season; I anticipate that he will continue to run well for the team.  I would hope he can accumulate over 1,000 yards on the ground in 2017.

Minicamp Begins for Rookies

Sure they are just wearing shirts and shorts with their helmets at this time of year – but at least Myles Garrett, Jabril Peppers, and David Njoku (to name a few) will be on a field together representing the Cleveland Browns. Obviously I will not be able to watch these practices directly, but I would hope to hear about positive reports coming out noting how these guys appear to be much faster, stronger, and bigger than their predecessors. If Deshone Kizer is light years ahead of schedule as to where Cody Kessler was a year ago – that would not be a bad thing either.

Conclusion: We all know that real football does not begin for several months – but that doesn’t mean that there is nothing going on for the orange and brown. The rookies are getting a taste as the work environment, in addition to some good and bad news relating to a pair of veterans.