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Cleveland Browns (12 Viewers)

If you think that is good you have to check out the introductory PC of Adam Gase to the Jets and what the Internet came up with.
Ha....that's good too.  I'm so very happy we dodged a bullet with that guy as HC.  There is something off with him.  I don't know how the players can unite behind a guy who randomly stares out in space like he's trying to watch a fly buzz around his head.

 
Ha....that's good too.  I'm so very happy we dodged a bullet with that guy as HC.  There is something off with him.  I don't know how the players can unite behind a guy who randomly stares out in space like he's trying to watch a fly buzz around his head.
seriously, does he have a medical condition?

 
Cameron Wolfe, who covered Gase’s Dolphins for ESPN, clarified it is not health-related — Gase was probably just nervous.

–– ADVERTISEMENT ––

“I’ve got four texts about Adam Gase’s eyes during his 15-min NYJ pressers,” he tweeted. “Those are normal. He’s an intense guy, but he’ll probably be more relaxed in less formal settings.”
wtf?

 
Updates on the Coaching Staff:

HC- Freddie Kitchens 
Special Asst. to HC- Jody Wright 
STC- Mike Preifer

OC- Todd Monken 
OLC/Assoc. HC- James Campen 
RB coach/Run game coordinator- Stump Mitchell 
WR Coach- Adam Henry 
QB Coach- Ryan Lindley 
Off. QC- Tyler Tettleton 
Off. QC- Jim Dray

DC- Steve Wilks 
Sr. Def. Specialist- Chris Jones 
DL Coach- Tosh Lupoi 
LB Coach- Al Holcomb 
DB Coach- DeWayne Walker 
Asst. DB Coach- Joe Whitt

Pretty nice coaching tree Freddie is creating in CLE.  All hires are coming in highly regarded, not just from the NFL but also CFL and College Ranks.

BREAKING: #Alabama DC Tosh Lupoi is going to take a job on the Cleveland Browns staff, coaching the D-line, per source. Was a huge recruiting force the Tide as primary recruiter for Tua, Jonah Williams, Raekwon Davis, Najee Harris, Alex Leatherwood, Trevon Diggs & Dylan Moses

BREAKING: Sources say #Riders Head Coach Chris Jones has interviewed today with the Cleveland Browns & they are hiring him in a defensive capacity. Details to come. Jones had an NFL out clause in his #CFL contract. Expect Jeremy O'Day to take over as GM

Both of these hires have ties to AL and Freddie Kitchens.  Tosh is one of those guys who can build immediate relationships with the DL (vets and rookies).  He's played the role and is good at getting the best out of his players by having them focus on their own skillsets.  In other words, he figures out what the players do well and focuses on those natural abilities.  Great hire that has a good pedigree.  I can see him taking over as DC in a couple of years.

Chris Jones was a GA at AL when Freddie was there.  Jones has turned around every CFL franchise he's been with over the years.  A former CFL Coach of the Year has agreed to come to CLE to work as a Defensive Specialist.  Again, another potential future DC candidate to join the Browns to learn and grow.

All of the coaching hires to date feel very Parcells-like, in that they are smart football minded people who are able to get the best/most out of their players.  Freddie is building a great staff, possibly the best I've seen in decades.  It's almost like he's thinking 2-3 years ahead and hiring potential star coaches in younger roles to develop and grow here.  He's already planning on Monken and Wilks exit by hiring their replacements now and growing them.  It's a luxury CLE fans haven't fathomed in years!!

 
Bobcat10 said:
"Can't believe he went on the Late Show by himself.  Just shows he's not a team player.  Why not let your Oline nuzzle the emu Baker?  Why is your face plastered everywhere?  Just an egotistical, spoiled little boy doing spoiled, "look at me" types of things.  Bet he even missed his WRs Bday party just to do this tv show.  Shameful Baker.  You don't see Sam Darnold making a spectacle of himself!  That's why I have Darnold rated as the better QB." - Colin Cowherd tomorrow morning

 
3rd page?!?!  Just proves what a Franchise QB, solid HC, and respectable GM can do to a fanbase.  We're normally here debating the merits of our next HC or what QB is shining in the Sr Bowl and NFL Pre-Draft workouts.  Now it's like a ghost town!!

:tumbleweed:

 
3rd page?!?!  Just proves what a Franchise QB, solid HC, and respectable GM can do to a fanbase.  We're normally here debating the merits of our next HC or what QB is shining in the Sr Bowl and NFL Pre-Draft workouts.  Now it's like a ghost town!!

:tumbleweed:
Calm before the storm.  Late February-mid March, get your popcorn ready...

 
To get back on track...

MKC put out a decent article on the latest news of Player Contract Extensions.  Of note, Robinson, Higgins, and Perriman - all of which I am excited to bring back for next year, and many more to come!

Dorsey said talks have begun for receivers Breshad Perriman and Rashard Higgins, who are both set to become free agents in March. 

Baker Mayfield likes both, and both made big plays for him down the stretch. Perriman brings blazing speed, and flourished with the Browns. Higgins has been a Mayfield favorite since training camp. Both receivers have told cleveland.com they want to sign extensions.

"We've had conversations with [their] representatives and we'll continue to have conversations,'' said Dorsey. "Once we get the chance to get the new coaching staff in place and we have an assessment of our team and the positions, then I'll be able to better answer that question."
Like Perriman, Robinson was a first-round "bust'' who had his career resurrected in part by Mayfield believing in him. The Browns are now also trying to extend Robinson's contract, and he told cleveland.com he wants to be back.

"I like Greg and I like everything he represents,'' said Dorsey. "With regard to could he be our left tackle, we've had ongoing conversations with his representatives.''

At 26, the former No. 2 overall pick is still in the prime of his career. He'll have a veteran offensive line coach in James Campen, formerly of the Packers, guiding him.  

"I totally expected Greg to play well,'' said Dorsey. "He's a very young man who has incredible athletic gifts. Sometimes you have to be a little patient with guys like that. You have to earn their trust. He did everything he was asked and everything we thought he would since we signed him in late June.''

That doesn't mean Dorsey has given up on undrafted rookie left tackle Desmond Harrison. 

"He got exposed to a lot early, and it's always good to step back,'' he said. "Getting thrust in that position was hard but I thought he was really good. So now how do we grow? Learn from our mistakes, build from our mistakes and move forward. This offseason, he has a lot to build on because he's a mighty talented individual.'' 

 
Not surprised but happy to read Dorsey's still optimistic about Harrison.  The situation those dummies put him in last year was unfair to him, setting him up to fail.  Give him a full offseason and an opportunity to earn a job in camp then see where the cards fall.

 
i'm cool with re-signing Perriman and Higgins, as long as they're cheap.

Mayfield is the type of QB that can make almost any receiver look good.

 
Not surprised but happy to read Dorsey's still optimistic about Harrison.  The situation those dummies put him in last year was unfair to him, setting him up to fail.  Give him a full offseason and an opportunity to earn a job in camp then see where the cards fall.
if they want Harrison to compete for the starting job, they have to be careful what kind of contract they offer Robinson, and strongly consider letting him walk.

 
if they want Harrison to compete for the starting job, they have to be careful what kind of contract they offer Robinson, and strongly consider letting him walk.
If you think Robinson is a starter then you sign him.  If Harrison pushes him then that's a good thing for both of them.  Whether that means Harrison starts the season on the bench, Robinson at LT and Harrison at RT, or vice versa.  Competition and contingency plans are good things.

 
if they want Harrison to compete for the starting job, they have to be careful what kind of contract they offer Robinson, and strongly consider letting him walk.
I think anyone this FO brings in, they want that player to compete for a starting job.  That shouldn't necessitate the type/longevity of a deal presented to another player in the same position.  If both prevail, then hooray we have depth!  If one falls short, you have someone to help man the position until the other one either learns or is led out the door.

Harrison is a good story, but a UDFA for some reason.  He was rushed into a bad situation thanks to our former Coach of the Year candidate and his undermining OC.  Give the kid another year to learn and develop.  In the meantime, we have a rehabilitated first round pick at LT who is starting to shine and come back to life.  I don't let that go until he shows me he's not worth it.

 
If you think Robinson is a starter then you sign him.  If Harrison pushes him then that's a good thing for both of them.  Whether that means Harrison starts the season on the bench, Robinson at LT and Harrison at RT, or vice versa.  Competition and contingency plans are good things.
i agree. 

just saying you can’t overpay Robinson starting LT money if you legitimately think Harrison can push him for the job. 

its a fine balance, for sure.  

 
also as an aside, i’ve noticed a lot of people say things like, “just put him at right tackle”.  i’m not sure it works that way. some guys can do it, but that seems like the exception.  

 
i agree. 

just saying you can’t overpay Robinson starting LT money if you legitimately think Harrison can push him for the job. 

its a fine balance, for sure.  
The last thing Mayfield needs is to worry about his backside.

He's stated that he's comfortable with Robinson as his LT. 

Not something to fool around with.  Sign him.

 
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there’s a lot of truth to that, but this is also the same city that saw LeBron run the Cavs into the ground.  

not sure capitulating to Mayfield’s every whim is the right way to go about this?

 
long story short, Dorsey is the first person who had the balls to stand up to Haslam.  

as many of us suspected.  
Haslam's ineptitude is just as obvious.  He can't get out of his own way, which many Browns fans noted each season.  Every time he played a trump card over the GM and Coaches, it turned out bad.  JM is a prime example.  Then he turns around and decides he's meddling too much, and leaves an inept HC in place because he wants to rid himself of the "kneejerk reaction" tag he's created for himself.  He needs to lose the ego and selfishness, and just sit back and let the team he's built run this thing.  Dorsey is starting to show what he can do when given the reigns.  Haslam and Dee need to step back into the shadows and not be there for every decision.  The article reads like it's heading in that direction, but Haslam has a long way to go to show he can really step back and not interfere.

 
The best thing that has happened with the organization is that the HC reports directly to the GM now and not to the owner.

That changes everything.

Jimmy's screw ups were rooted in his organizational chart where their was no buffer and it pitted the GM against the HC and that created chaos.

Dorsey saw the problem and fixed it.  Done.  No more Haslam meddling.  Lets roll.

 
Other tidbit I found interesting, and a little telling, is that the HC Search Committee voted 4-1 against hiring Hue.  The one "Yes" vote came from Haslam himself, and as the owner, he got his way in the end.  I think how that scenario has played out since Hue was hired, and then fired, may have humbled Haslam a little bit.  This may be why we are seeing the change in reporting structure and letting Dorsey take the lead role for the team instead of Haslam.  Not only did he go against the people he sought out to help him make the HC hire, it also backfired in a very public manner that he will now have to live through until the team turns things around.  I know if I were in his shoes, I'd probably be a little more gun shy to make another leadership decision on my own anytime soon.

 
February 04, 2019 | Tony Pauline

17 Cleveland Browns

  • Jeffery Simmons DT Mississippi State
Analysis: I may demand a mulligan on this pick, but a terrific source tells me the belief is that Brown general manager John Dorsey will select Simmons. I’ll have more on the Mississippi State defensive tackle Wednesday.
Nystrom: Mock Draft 1.0 Monday, February 4, 2019

17. Cleveland – Mississippi State DL Jeffery Simmons

I’m going to defer to a Monday report from my friend Tony Pauline, which stated that Browns GM John Dorsey is likely to select Simmons were he to fall to 1.17. That makes so much sense. In a deep iDL class, Simmons’ infamous assault video is the sort of thing that could cause him to lose close-calls during the on-the-clock decision-making process such as I referred to above with the Falcons pick. But Simmons was lauded at Mississippi State for the work he put in on and off the field, and by all accounts, he learned from his mistake and has turned out well. I’m a second-chance guy, myself. Simmons is one of the few human beings roaming this earth that knows what it’s like to be disdained for a two-minute slice of his 22 years on earth. At rock bottom, you choose to stay the course (recidivism) or tear down your egoic structures and rebuild yourself from the ground up (rebirth). Simmons has thus far chosen the latter path and if he keeps walking it he could become a fortified value-giver for the rest of his life. This isn’t the same situation, but note the differences in Ryan Leaf’s personality between after he got drafted by the Chargers and today. That’s hard-earned wisdom from a jail cell and the pit of the human experience, son. Today, Leaf is a person who changes lives as part of his outreach mission. This transformation is perceived as sort of unthinkable – but Leaf’s incredible interpersonal resurgence is not necessarily a unique phenomena. In fact, there are many Ryan Leafs roaming the earth right now. Nobody would ever choose to hit rock bottom, and yet there are riches down there for those courageous enough to kill off who they were for who they will become. I’m not saying that Simmons will become an inspirational human being and a dogged worker who reaches his athletic ceiling – but I am saying early returns are promising enough that I’d absolutely co-sign John Dorsey’s decision if he went this direction.
What happens with Jeffrey Simmons? The Mississippi State product is a legit top-10 prospect

What happens with Jeffrey Simmons? The Mississippi State product is a legit top-10 prospect. But as a high school senior he was caught on video punching a woman—and as a result wasn’t invited to Indy for the combine. In the time since, he became a star in the SEC and won over teammates and coaches, who’ve vouched for him to NFL teams. His case is not a simple one.
Simmons is an interesting case this year because he wasn't invited to the combine

9. Buffalo Bills - Jeffery Simmons, DT, Mississippi State

Simmons is an interesting case this year because he wasn't invited to the combine due to past violence allegations. The defensive tackle was caught on camera hitting a woman while in high school, but was subsequently allowed to enroll at Mississippi State and has worked to repair his image since. On tape, Simmons is a top-ten player in this class and has had no further issues with violence. Only one team has to give him a shot. - Alessandrini
Defensive tackle is the biggest need for the Browns

 
Seahawks?  meh. 

Chiefs?  maybe?  Reid’s record hasn’t been great lately.  

Browns?  can they make the playoffs first?
By what standard has Reid not been good recently. Win their division three years in a row with double digit wins and he just lost in the AFCC. What is good recently?

 
By what standard has Reid not been good recently. Win their division three years in a row with double digit wins and he just lost in the AFCC. What is good recently?
also the post was about multiple Super Bowls. 

the only team on that list that has any in recent history is the Seahawks, who have one.  

 
Pretty interesting article on the part Brian Hoyer played in the Pat's SB victory. Also, he was the only Patriot not to play in the game.

"Hoyer began his career in New England, but he got his first shot as a starter in Cleveland. In 2014, his second year there, he started 11 games for coordinator Kyle Shanahan, then played for Shanahan again in San Francisco in ’17. Rams coach Sean McVay coached tight ends for Mike and Kyle Shanahan in Washington from 2010-13, which led Hoyer to believe he’d have some institutional knowledge of McVay’s offense.

Before the Super Bowl, he watched an episode of Peyton Manning’s Detail series on ESPN-Plus on Goff, and it hit him right away—the offense is the same. Looking at the Rams tape confirmed it. Then, he saw an NFL Network interview where Goff and McVay discussed the coach being in the quarterback’s ear up until the 15-second play-clock cutoff, which was something Shanahan did with Hoyer. Then, Hoyer went back to Amazon’s All or Nothing series on the Rams; it was about the 2016 season but had footage of OTAs from McVay’s first spring there. Hoyer recognized the language.

“I guess that’s the risk in putting yourself out there like that,” Hoyer joked over the phone on Sunday."

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/02/11/super-bowl-devin-jason-mccourty-brian-hoyer-patriots-rams

 
This feels like a dumb move. This team is coming off a really positive season. All the experts like where they are headed, future is bright yadda yadda. Seems unnecessary for not only a RB but one that brings excessive baggage. Why risk the PR hit and all the noise the acquisition will bring with it :confused:

 
Obviously they won't come out and say that, so the statement doesn't prove anything....

https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1095034024014368768

....but I would say it's a major stretch to think we signed him to keep him off another team's roster.  
An ancillary benefit then. More I think about it, if, BIG IF, he reverses course and pans out then I can see Johnson on the trading block. Duke is a fan favorite and a good player but he was a standout on teams (except last year) that were terrible. I'm not sure he would provide that same level of production or appear to on a top tier team. I don't think it's difficult to make a case that Hunt >>>> Johnson.

 
An ancillary benefit then. More I think about it, if, BIG IF, he reverses course and pans out then I can see Johnson on the trading block. Duke is a fan favorite and a good player but he was a standout on teams (except last year) that were terrible. I'm not sure he would provide that same level of production or appear to on a top tier team. I don't think it's difficult to make a case that Hunt >>>> Johnson.
Assuming Hunt's suspended at least well into October I don't see how it impacts Duke at all.  The team isn't going to have any more info on Hunt when they have to make a decision on Duke at the trade deadline.  If Duke's playing well then you aren't going to move him.  If he's playing poorly then he won't have a market.  And if Hunt over takes Duke later in 2019 then he's probably going somewhere else in 2020.  If there's a 2019 trade deadline deal then if anything it's gotta be the team trading Hunt, no?

 
I think 2019 will basically be status quo and ironing out the trio will happen next offseason.  Probably has more effect on the draft this year than anything else because I was thinking a mid draft RB was in play.

 
I think that this is a PR nightmare but purely from a football and money standpoint, it is a pretty smart move.

You have to assume that they are risking nothing financially (in terms of salary to Hunt). If he never gets off the CE list, he prolly makes nothing. If he gets off the list, he will be on presumably a very short leash and the browns could easily get out from under any obligations if he slipped up.

Counter point to that;

The browns have Chubb on a rookie deal. They have some extra draft capital, 2 3rds and 3 5ths, and they have by far the most money to spend if they want to. They don't really "need" to try and bring issues like this in the locker room to save a few bucks.

I remember reading that under Kitchens the run game was featured a lot more, so maybe its primarily about getting an actually good football player at a possible discount at a position that gets hurt a lot. I don't know...

*edit

Well looking through the trade thread, Sigmund beat me to most of this, but still

 
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Aren't compensatory picks based on how big of a contract the guy you're losing signs for?

This could be Dorsey helping a guy out and also ending up with maybe a 3rd round pick to boot.

 
Aren't compensatory picks based on how big of a contract the guy you're losing signs for?

This could be Dorsey helping a guy out and also ending up with maybe a 3rd round pick to boot.
This may end up mattering, but I suspect Dorsey's spending will offset any losses via the comp pick.  Mainly because we aren't going to lose many guys to free agency in 2020.

The RFA tender angle is more likely, but given the quality of the 2020 class I'll be surprised if he gets any major bites.

 
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Aren't compensatory picks based on how big of a contract the guy you're losing signs for?

This could be Dorsey helping a guy out and also ending up with maybe a 3rd round pick to boot.
Somewhat. 

First Hunt will be a RFA and the Browns can tender him at a level that any team signing him would need to give them picks at the level of the RFA contract. This could be as high as the 2nd round level.

Then if Hunt is still with the team after the RFA year (2020) if Hunt signs as a free agent then this could lead to the Browns getting comp picks in return. This depends on if the Browns sign more free agents than they lose however.

They could also just trade him at some point if Chubb is playing so well that Hunt is expendable.

 

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