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Cleveland Browns (5 Viewers)

Cleveland's gonna be the favorite to win the AFCN next year, and it won't be like two years ago when it was wishful thinking. 

They'll also probably be - at worst-  the 3rd favorite in the AFC to advance to the SB.

The talent base is there. Keep tweaking and shoring up areas of weakness. Draft good players, sprinkle in FAs to fill holes, and go from there.

The Browns beat the snot out of their nemesis and took the champs to the wire. They shouldn't be afraid of any team going forward.

The future's bright, friends.

 
Have to admit, I was a little peeved to see the helmet to helmet call made in yesterday's game.  Feels like everyone other than CLE gets that call every time.  

Watching the Bills/KC game, I have to think if CLE beat KC, then they would've beaten the Bills.  Buffalo just didn't look good out there.  KC was running the same couple of plays over and over and Buffalo couldn't stop them.  I know we crap on CLE's defense a lot with the soft coverage, but man, they at least held KC to under 30 pts and only lost by 5.  They did their job against a very high powered offense.  Gives me a little optimism going into next year, depending on who leaves for FA, who's retained, and what new toys Berry brings in for the new year.

 
Gives me a little optimism going into next year, depending on who leaves for FA, who's retained, and what new toys Berry brings in for the new year.
We're in a great spot going into 2021. It's gonna be a bumpy couple of months, we aren't going to fill every hole, and there will be some unpopular moves but this team will be substantially better in May than it was last May.

 
this item from Peter King's column this morning:

  Quote

2. HANK AARON AND THE BROWNS. The man who broke Babe Ruth’s career home-run record, once thought unbreakable died Friday in Atlanta. Aaron was a huge Cleveland Browns fan. So huge that he used to buy single tickets in the Dawg Pound (the end zone with the crazy fans), fly from his Atlanta home to Cleveland on three or four Sunday mornings every autumn, bundle up, sit anonymously and alone in the stands, and fly back to Atlanta Sunday evening. Who knew? Ernie Accorsi, the GM of the Browns in the eighties, did. One summer day in 1986, at Browns training camp in Kirtland, Ohio, Accorsi thought he spied Aaron behind the ropes, watching practice with fans. Accorsi, a huge baseball fan, sidled up near Aaron and introduced himself. “I know you!” Aaron said. “It’s an honor to meet you.” That started a relationship that Accorsi, of course, was thrilled to have. “He told me he sat in the Dawg Pound, alone, for games, and I told him, ‘Hank, we can get you better seats than that.’ He said, ‘I don’t want ‘em. I love sitting there.’ “

Accorsi said Aaron became a Browns fan early in life because they were the first team, under Paul Brown, to sign and feature black stars—Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Len Ford, all of whom earned busts in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Aaron subscribed to the Cleveland Plain Dealer by mail to follow the team during the season. And once every week or 10 days, Accorsi’s phone would ring, and Aaron would want some scoop on his team. “He’s everything everybody has said about him,” Accorsi said. “A gentleman. Completely humble. And he loved his Browns.”

 
Missed this one.

Speculation but it makes a lot of sense, probably too much sense to happen but its interesting speculation to say the least.

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Is Marshon Lattimore On His Way To The Cleveland Browns?

... today, the greater Cleveland area is a-twitter, if you’ll pardon the pun, thanks to Marshon Lattimore‘s latest post.

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Just trying to put Cleveland on the map be patient and don’t cross me!

— Marshon Lattimore (@shonrp2) February 23, 2021

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New Orleans faces a salary cap challenge, not just this season, but in 2022.

They are likely to lose a couple of key free agents this season.

BUSR@PlayBUSR

Feb 18

The NFL salary cap this year will be a minimum $180M per @AdamSchefter.

The @Saints currently have $255M in salary for next season... Not looking good.

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Releasing or trading Lattimore frees up $10 million in 2021 cap space for the Saints.

But you don’t release 3-time Pro Bowl cornerbacks.

Might New Orleans give permission to Lattimore to explore what kind of extension he could get from Cleveland?

... Cleveland owns 9 picks heading into the April NFL draft, and probably doesn’t need to sign 9 rookies.

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clebrownsnetwork@clebrownsntwork

Denzel Ward is 23 years old, Marshon Lattimore is 24 years old. Both grew up in Cleveland, both went to Ohio State University #Browns

 
Pete Smith jumped on the Lattimore speculation, giving more detail to how he'd fit schematically with the ability to man-up with Denzel.

Marshon Lattimore Could Be Great Option For Browns Secondary, But Hurdles are Sizable

... an extremely talented player that offers both size and tremendous physical ability at a critical position. 6', around 200 pounds with elite speed and explosion and turning just 25 years old in May ...

... if they were to acquire Lattimore, along with Denzel Ward, they would have a pair of corners who can basically man up anyone in the NFL. They could play zone to throw off tendency and try to confuse opponents, but both players are betters suited to man up and run with opposing receivers.

That could be a massive benefit to the Browns pass rush, forcing quarterback to hesitate and hold the ball longer which would allow Myles Garrett and company to get to the quarterback.

It could also free up the Browns safeties, which figure to be a huge part of the defense and allow them to focus on the run and patrol passing lanes...
Brent Sobleski@brentsobleski

The Cleveland Browns are the only team among the top 10 in active spending still in the black even with the reduced salary cap. And that's why rollover cap space is important.

 
speculation is that the Browns will let Higgins walk.  
 

I’d rather have Higgins than Beckham at their respective prices.  

 
It's better than that. A lot better than that. 
JT like the signing.

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Joe Thomas@joethomas73

Additionally, Johnson has been the play caller on the @RamsNFL

defense. translation= super smart, great leader...exactly what the young and talented Browns secondary needed to add Bravo to Browns GM Andrew Berry for once again combining a position of need with a top FA

Nathan Zegura@NathanZegura

First reported signing. Johnson is an elite coverage safety. Johnson, Delpit and Harrison will allow Joe Woods to really employ the D he wants twitter.com/RapSheet/statu…

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I've seen a Pats board with rumors of us trading for CB Stephon Gilmore.  

Secondary a huge need as is DE/pass rusher, DT, and LBer, in addition to a deep threat.  

Last year the big FA signing was Conklin and that worked out great.  FA doesn't begin officially for a few days so I expect at least one more big signing. :popcorn:

 
other than that, the defense is pretty solid.
Check out Mike Clay's positional grades.

First before we signed Johnson from two days ago.

Cleveland Browns safety position grade is .05

Second after we signed Johnson.

Cleveland Browns safety positional grade leaps up to 3.1

Massive improvement.  Also our DC has been building the D to run a ton of 3 safety and only 2 LBers so the low grade at LB can be vastly improved with another solid addition.

That one signing boosted our overall defensive ranking from 21 to 16, right in the middle of the league.

 
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it's just funny you listed every position on defense as needing an upgrade.

i'm sure they'll add a few more pieces and i'm hoping they will be a lot better next year. 

 
Sig is correct stating Hill is a bargain but I don't know that he will be the starting boundary corner opposite Denzel.  CB Troy Hill is known more as a slot corner which would mean that he will be replacing CB Kevin Johnson.  If that is the case and I think it is then we still need an outside starting CB because we can't count on Greedy and Terrence Mitchell signed with Houston.

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Sigmund Bloom@SigmundBloom

What a bargain! Browns finally have a quality running mate for Denzel Ward. Rams were smart to put first round tender on Darious Williams or they might have lost him too

Ian Rapoport@RapSheet

The #Browns are signing former #Rams CB Troy Hill to a 4-year, $24M deal, source said, adding to their defensive haul in free agency. The Youngstown native, who had three defensive TDs last year, returns home.

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Mike Clay positional grades before FA signings.

  • Safety .05
  • CB 2.1
  • LB .06
  • EDGE 2.9
  • INTERIOR DL 2.8
  • Defensive ranking 21 
  • Overall grade including offense 6
Mike Clay positional grades from a few days ago before the Malik signing.

  • Safety 3.1
  • CB 3.0
  • LB .09
  • EDGE 3.0
  • INTERIOR DL 2.5 (Lost Ogun does not include Malik)
  • Defensive ranking 5
  • Overall grade including offense 2
As noted Clay has not caught up to the flurry of FA signings so the most recent grade does not include the Malik signing and notes the loss of DT Larry Ogunjobi so that is why the INTERIOR DL grade had gone down and should at least go back to the original 2.8 grade.

According to Clay's rankings/grades we are the 2nd most talented team in the NFL, second to the Bucs.

I noted that we needed to address basically every position on the defense and that is exactly what Berry has done.  

Haven't really dove into Malik but when Geno got released yesterday I thought we'd jump on that but checked out his stats and his production has decreased significantly over the past two years and he is 33 years old.

I thought we'd go with an older vet at the DT position because it takes someone with grown-man strength and knowledge gained with years of experience to be a force against the run.  Last year our DTs were soft, really bad against the run so hopefully Malik is not just ok but a force against the run.  

Bottom line, we addressed major weakness' on defense and their isn't any doubt in my mind that are a legit Super Bowl contender.  I'd love a better than average pass rusher and a boundary corner with size to have legit starters opposite Myles and Denzel but that 'probably' isn't going to happen but right now we have the starters to win the SB.

 
I'd love a better than average pass rusher and a boundary corner with size to have legit starters opposite Myles and Denzel
That was from yesterday, this is from 30 minutes ago.

Browns Free Agency Entering Week 2; What They Still Need, How They Get There PETE SMITH 32 MINUTES AGO

Coming into free agency, the two most difficult positions to address for the Cleveland Browns were boundary corner and a starting edge rusher. Entering the second week of the signing period, those are the two positions the Browns have yet to fill...
Two obvious areas that we could use upgrades.

Andrew Berry has done a remarkable job so-far in FA but I don't know how far he's willing to go in FA/cap-wise to address the two areas even with big names still out there.  

It'll be interesting to see what he does if/when free agents come down with demands or if he waits to see what he can do in the draft.  So-far he's done what I expect and I agree with Pete Smith that boundary corner and pass rusher are two big needs left.

 
I'm not too worried about corner. There are a lot of options available in free agency, so it's just a matter of when one of them comes down to Berry's price point. 

Edge though...gonna be difficult to convince me on anyone but Dunlap.

 
I'm not too worried about corner. There are a lot of options available in free agency, so it's just a matter of when one of them comes down to Berry's price point. 

Edge though...gonna be difficult to convince me on anyone but Dunlap.
If you look at the top FA signings in terms of cost pass rushers went fast and were expensive.  Not much left and the cost would be high.

The draft 'may' offer exactly what we need in terms of a boundary corner with length who can give us protection with large WRs in the division.  Greedy is too light and Denzel, bless his heart, isn't a great matchup against someone like Claypool.  We need, speed, length, hops, and enough strength to not get overpowered.

I honestly don't know what Berry will do from this point till the draft.  Typically the second round of 'biggest names left' of the FAs take place after they come down on their asking price which takes a few weeks.  

From what we've seen of Berry he will wait for a bargain unless he feels he has to fill a dire need and we're a damn good team right now as is so I don't see a 'dire' need.  Just two areas so I'm very interested in what Berry does. 

This is cool AFIC.  I'm really F'ng excited to see what he does.

 
If you look at the top FA signings in terms of cost pass rushers went fast and were expensive.  Not much left and the cost would be high.

The draft 'may' offer exactly what we need in terms of a boundary corner with length who can give us protection with large WRs in the division.  Greedy is too light and Denzel, bless his heart, isn't a great matchup against someone like Claypool.  We need, speed, length, hops, and enough strength to not get overpowered.

I honestly don't know what Berry will do from this point till the draft.  Typically the second round of 'biggest names left' of the FAs take place after they come down on their asking price which takes a few weeks.  

From what we've seen of Berry he will wait for a bargain unless he feels he has to fill a dire need and we're a damn good team right now as is so I don't see a 'dire' need.  Just two areas so I'm very interested in what Berry does. 

This is cool AFIC.  I'm really F'ng excited to see what he does.
:yes:

He has a list. And if anyone on that list comes down to his price then he'll execute the action plan. Similar story on the trade/future cap casualty market. The one unknown I mentally prepared for that hasn't happened yet are restructures/cuts among the current group. They aren't needed quite yet, but they will be with any more spending. And some may already be earmarked for later anyway.

 
They have a guy that had 34 sacks in 3 years of college. Curtis Weaver. 
Number 99

Miami Dolphins[edit]

Weaver was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round (164th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.[6] He was waived/injured by the team on August 24, 2020.[7]

Cleveland Browns[edit]

Weaver was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Browns on August 25, 2020.[8] The Browns placed Weaver on injured reserve on August 27, 2020.[9]

 
Like Takk, I'm interested to see what Weaver can do. But they're both reasons we need someone like Dunlap on a 1 yr deal. Needing to rely on them in September would be a mistake.

 
@RapSheet

The #Browns are hosting free agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney on a visit, per the wire. They tried to sign him a few times, now willl get a first look at him and how his knee has come around.

 
Is Marshon Lattimore On His Way To The Cleveland Browns?
Update of sorts.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore arrested in Cleveland, sources say Updated 11:18 AM; Today 9:31 AM

CLEVELAND, Ohio — New Orleans Saints cornerback and Cleveland native Marshon Lattimore was arrested late Thursday in Cleveland, according to three sources with knowledge of his arrest.

The 24-year-old was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, according to the sources. Jail records confirm Lattimore was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail on the charge. Lattimore has not been formally charged...

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No details yet.

Needless to say I'm off the idea of trading for Lattimore.

 
Saw a headline for a podcast and couldn't find it but caught an old pod right after the draft and they mentioned how bad the situation had gotten with the offensive line.  

I had completely forgotten the story about Greg Robinson. 

This seems like it happened a decade ago but it was about a year ago when we had no O-Line and had hired a rookie GM and HC, a few had written off Baker Mayfield, no one had an honest inkling about making the playoffs let alone winning a playoff game in Pittsburgh, and people were wish'n and pray'n that we could just fix our offensive line.

Wow.  

What a difference a year makes.

 
Update of sorts.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore arrested in Cleveland, sources say Updated 11:18 AM; Today 9:31 AM

CLEVELAND, Ohio — New Orleans Saints cornerback and Cleveland native Marshon Lattimore was arrested late Thursday in Cleveland, according to three sources with knowledge of his arrest.

The 24-year-old was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, according to the sources. Jail records confirm Lattimore was booked into the Cuyahoga County Jail on the charge. Lattimore has not been formally charged...

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No details yet.

Needless to say I'm off the idea of trading for Lattimore.
How can you make that much money and still need to buy stolen goods to get a better deal? Man a bunch of these NFL players are dumb as rocks.

 

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